DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

A work crew from the local seamless-gutter franchise came by the house to repair a leaking downspout. The three guys dressed just alike: they wore shorts but no shirts. They had uneven coloration, from standing with their backs to the sun. And they all carried expensive sunglasses.

But for these similarities, the differences were revealing. The crew foreman was a big, fleshy, muscular guy with a deep red-brown sunburn, an intensity of purpose, and piercing eyes. The fancy sunglasses were propped up on his forehead.

His crew was made up of two other guys, the leader of which was muscular but not burly, deeply tan but not burned, and clearly skilled but not in charge. He also had $200 sunglasses, worn on the back of his neck.

The third guy was the rookie. Besides the fact that he was standing around looking clueless most of the time, I knew he was the apprentice because he was scrawny and not very tan. His sunglasses were clipped to his belt.

I stifled a laugh (generally good advice when surrounded by half-dressed men), for this trio looked like nothing so much as a set of animated Matryoshka dolls — if they’d split apart at the waist, they could be nested one inside another.