Travels With My Placard: IT LIVES!

I was surprised by a sight at 10Box this week. My trusty handicap placard and T-Hoe and I had nabbed the closest handicap space on the right side of the doors. Other cars were taking up the left side spaces. When I came out, a couple of them had left. And I observed the most magnificent sight!

Look! It's a 4-wheeler, parked in a handicap space, not on the sidewalk, not in the striped area! It appears to be legally parked. AND IT IS!!!

Look closer! IT HAS A HANDICAP PLACARD!!!

Yes, it appears that such a thing DOES exist. Or at least someone has taken their car placard to use when they drive the 4-wheeler to town. I know that when I filled out my paperwork to get a placard for T-Hoe, and A-Cad, I had to put the car make and model on the application.

MOST days I'm surprised by drivers and parkers, but it is usually not PLEASANTLY.

The Universe Throws Val a Bone

I went to the lottery machines in 10Box on Wednesday. I got my intended tickets from the left machine. Just as I finished a lady stepped up to the right machine. Well. That meant I had to wait to cash in my winner and get tickets out of that one. She didn't take too long. She was probably in her 50s. A stick of a woman, with bleached blond hair, wearing black tights and flip-flops. I thought nothing of it, just waited my turn.

I scanned my winner, and made my selections. When I was picking them up out of the trough, I got my $3 ticket, my $5 crossword, and then my $10 ticket. WAIT A MINUTE! What was that behind my $10 ticket? Huh. It was a $5 Silver 7s ticket. I don't play those. Occasionally, I send one to Genius. Well. 

In the past, I've told the cashiers when I found a ticket in the machine. They said there's not really anything they can do about it. So I've left the tickets in the trough, just in case the buyer came back to look for it. I've also mentioned how I've been missing tickets from these machines. The tickets seem to get stuck, and don't fall into the trough. I've since made sure to look over my tickets before leaving. And swipe my hand up in the falling area of the trough.

This time, I took that ticket. I considered it payback for the several that I've missed.

On my way out, I looked for the Stick Woman. She was way down the parking spaces, almost at the end, getting into her car. I had nabbed the closest handicap space. I figured she wouldn't hear or respond if I started hollering, "Ma'am! Ma'am!" 

I climbed into T-Hoe, and sat for a few minutes, writing on the back so I knew where my tickets came from. It doesn't pay to buy the same ticket at the same place soon after having a winner. Better safe than sorry. I figured that if Stick Woman came walking back to enter the store, I would put down my window and holler to ask if she was missing a ticket

Stick woman never came back. After a few minutes, she left her parking space. It might not even have been her ticket. Who knows how long that ticket had been hanging up, until my $10 ticket came down that side and knocked it loose.

Anyhoo... I scratched that Silver 7s ticket. It was a loser. So I didn't really defraud anybody out of a winner. I did them a favor, really! I did their scratching, to uncover a loser...

At least The Universe threw me that bone. Although a dry bone that might have been baking in a desert for years, or buried by a dog for a century. 

Thanks, Universe. It's the thought that counts.

Too Soon! Too Soon! Val Blogs, The Universe Laughs.

Welp! I certainly regret sharing yesterday's views of the mostly-finished Beauty Shop half of the Double Hovel flip house(s). I normally wait until something is pretty much a done deal before I share it here. No jinxes, you know.

I typed up that Beauty Shop tale on Monday afternoon, around 2:30. Which I found out later was the time Hick was leaving there to come home and mow the acreage here with his beloved new zero-turn mower.

Tuesday morning, Hick and Old Buddy arrived at the Beauty Shop to find water all over the floor! One of the most recent things they'd done was to install a water heater. Old Buddy had done that job. I think maybe it was last week, since they don't work Friday-Sunday, and Old Buddy had texted-in sick on Monday.

Anyhoo... Hick was doing a few things there Monday. Everything was fine when he left. But between 2:30 Monday afternoon, and 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, the water heater couplings sprung a leak. Hick had to cut out a section of drywall to find the problem. Seems the couplings required crimping, which Old Buddy had not done. 

They mopped up the water with a pile of Hick's rags. Got the couplings corrected. Hick put a fan blowing on the floor, and left the air conditioner on, in hopes of drying out any remaining damage. He says patching the drywall section is not an issue, but if the floor warps, it will have to be replaced.

Oh, and with the water continuously running for however many hours, and the water heater trying to heat it, the water bill and electric bill are going to be high. Hick doesn't know how long the water was flowing. Says it could have started right after he left, or an hour before they got there. No way to tell.

Oh, well. It's only money. Not like anybody got hurt. Just a setback. I have not yet broken the news to The Pony, who will be harder-affected by his half of the increased bills next month.

Not Such a Beauty, But Surely Efficient

Hick is making progress on the Beauty Shop half of the Double Hovel flip house(s). This month he's gotten the kitchen mostly ready. It still needs some "dry mudding," and paint. Don't even ask about the dry mudding. I assume that is to patch some holes or crevices before painting.

With such limited space, Hick has trouble finding room to keep his tools. On July 2, he and Old Buddy put in the upper kitchen cabinets.

I'm sure you see what I mean about the tools.

July 11 was a productive day. The lower cabinets, countertop, and sink went in.

The lower cabinets were the right size, though not an exact match. A stain will help with the color. Also, the floor installation was underway here.

Here's the "breakfast bar" that will serve for eating, since the place isn't really big enough for a kitchen table. Not if the resident wants to have a living room. Obviously, the door to the bedroom needs paint (and a doorknob). The other stuff in there is the flooring material.

The finished floor. It's coming along. Just waiting for a stove...

At last! The $150 stove has been installed, as of July 18, and is working. The kitchen sink has its hardware, and the water has been turned on. I told Hick I think that refrigerator door is awkward, and needs to open the other way, but he said it would hit the wall. Efficiency-renters can't be choosers, I suppose.

Here was another bone of contention: stove versus cooktop. Hick originally planned on a cooktop, and a microwave. I think his reasoning was to get more cabinet space. I disagreed. Anybody who rents/lives in an efficiency unit is like to be young and single, or maybe a mom with a toddler. They need an oven, by cracky! Nobody wants pizza, fries, or fish sticks warmed in a microwave! Think about what the resident would be eating. The Pony agreed with me. So we won the stove battle. It's easier for the resident to provide their own microwave than a stove.

Hick was hoping to be finished by the end of July. Not so sure that will happen. Old Buddy "texted in sick" on Monday. Hick was going to try doing a few things himself.

It's not the Taj Mahal. It's an efficiency cottage. Making the Double Hovel property more enticing to a buyer than just a garage to go with the main house. It's an income-producer to help with the mortgage payments.

The Stove Saga Heats Up

You may recall that Hick was hot on the trail of a $150 used glass top stove that he found on Facebook. There were some inconsistencies with the location, and responses from the seller.

After a text Wednesday evening at 7:30 saying he could pick it up THEN, Hick set up a time of 10:00 a.m. Thursday to go get that stove, which was located in Sis-Town, not far from the Casey's where I get T-Hoe's gas.

At 11:42 on Thursday, Hick sent me a picture of that stove, IN THE BEAUTY SHOP KITCHEN! 

I will share that progress in a day or two.

"Stove in and it works."

That was a relief for me. One more step towards getting that last half of the Double Hovel flip house ready to sell. When Hick got home that evening, he had more to say about the stove transaction.

"I was having my lunch at the Senior Center just before noon, and that stove lady called me. She said, 'I guess you're running late?' And I said, 'No. I'm not sure what you're talking about. I already picked up the stove. At 10:00.'"

"Did you go to the right house??? Maybe you got somebody else's stove!"

"No. I went to the address she texted me. There was a man and a woman there. I gave them the money, and Old Buddy and I loaded up the stove. It was done, as far as I was concerned."

"Was it a rental house? Or maybe a flip house?"

"I don't know. All I know is that a man and woman in the house took my money, and gave me a stove."

"What if they didn't give her the money? Maybe something weird is going on."

"I don't know. But I paid for a stove, and I got a stove. She didn't say no more about it after I said I already had the stove."

Huh. A strange transaction indeed. Sounds to me like maybe the seller was selling a stove out of a rental house. Thus the changing times for pick-up, like when the residents were there. And it could explain why the seller thought Hick hadn't been to get the stove yet.

I hope nobody crazy put a tracker on that stove, and plans to come repossess it!

A Chronicle of The Pony's Latest Lameness

Be forewarned, there are a lot of FOOT pictures here! If you hate feet as much as Val, you may not want to read further...

Since The Pony sprained his ankle at work on Tuesday around noon, he has kept us updated on his progress. The ER doctor said The Pony might be ready to return to work on Monday, unless his ankle felt worse. The x-rays pointed to a sprain, not a break. The Pony was given crutches and prescription painkillers, told to stay off it for a couple of days.

Wednesday, the day after the injury, The Pony's ankle looked like this:

"Unwrapped for a bath. Doctor was specific that I could unwrap and redo the air splint and stuff. Right side is pretty swollen, left side is barely."

"It will bruise more, but bath jets will help carry away damaged cells."

"Careful tests with the crutches show it can hold weight, but bending the ankle is still painful. But has me hopeful!" 

"Yeah. Gently try to keep your range of motion. Maybe tomorrow try some figure 8s with it elevated. The ICE (ice, compression, elevation) is only for the first 48 hours, I think."

"Yeah. I've used it off and on today, mostly elevation."

On Thursday, my prediction proved true. More bruising.

"This morning."

"Colorful. Still swollen. Maybe try moving it around this evening."

By afternoon:

"Another warm bath. Trying to do the figure 8s like you suggested. Trying not to take the pain med, but stumbled earlier and aggravated it."

"You'll delay your healing with careless stumbling. And need the Delores [woman at worker's comp who delayed The Pony's broken ankle claim by not responding in a timely manner] doctor! You have ONE JOB! To protect and heal that ankle, heh, heh!"

"I know, I know, I know. I was on the crutches! I'm just so sore from being out of practice and using them on the other foot."

"That is concerning in itself."

"I knowwww."

Friday around noon:

"Foot update. Gonna try a shower and see if I can drive today."

"Be careful. It won't hurt to take the pain med when you get home if it hurts. But you should try using your ankle to get it moving again. Athletes tape up sprained ankles and play on them."

"I know. I really want to get back to work on Monday. I don't want to deal with Delores or getting sent to a doctor just to be told 'yeah, you're fine.' Honestly I'm confused at the bruises on the toe, more than the overall discoloration of the foot."

"Blood seeks gravity. Also, you might have bent your toes back while falling on the step. If you can stand it, walking on it with crutches might help work out the fluid. Just putting light pressure on it while walking with crutches."

"Yeah. Definitely gotta have those with me, just in case."

"This spot right here is what's still actually painful to touch and where most of the pain when I bend it or use it comes from."

"I guess that's the most damaged area. The ligaments around the lateral malleolus, maybe? Not sure if a tendon attaches there."

"Could be. Getting ready to leave. Foot is too swollen to fit in my shoe. Or at least, to get into without tears level pain while I have the ankle brace on."

Let the record show that The Pony wore a regular shoe on the left foot, and a slide on the right. Making a crutchy fashion statement.

"Talked to manager. Since the doctor's note said the 22nd, I'm good to at least try to go back then. So that's a big weight off my shoulders."

Saturday, there were signs of progress:

"That actually looks pretty good."

We'll see how it feels on Monday. The Pony has a brace he got at the drugstore when he picked up his prescription. It's a tough job to jump back into on a sprained ankle. The main concern being another injury while it's not fully healed and stable.

Hick the Do-Gooder Does Good Again

Hick reported on Thursday that one of his buddies took a tumble. It's the guy Hick installed the "90-degree angle" plumbing pipes for. Where he sent Old Buddy under the house to crawl around in leaked sewage from the faulty pipes.

Anyhoo... Fallen Guy skinned up and bruised his knees, and cut his head in the fall. Hick told Fallen Guy that he thought he had a walker to loan him. The walker from his back surgery. Unfortunately, Hick's memory was not clear on that walker. Turns out it was NOT here, since Hick had previously loaned it to Fallen Guy for his wife to use, who tthen returned it, and Hick donated it to a Lions Club in a town where he goes to the auction.

"I felt bad that I didn't have that walker to loan him. So we went by the Habitat For Humanity place, and they had walkers for $20. So I bought one for Fallen Guy."

I don't doubt that Hick would spend $20 to get a walker for Fallen Guy. I just didn't know that Habitat For Humanity was in the business of selling walkers. Hick told me where it's located, but I didn't know about that. I suppose maybe they have a thrift store where they sell items that are donated.

Anyhoo... Hick made sure that Fallen Guy had a way to ambulate without falling, until he's recovered enough to get around on his own.

That's our Hick.