Dodging the Orb

Monday, I was reconciling my checkbook balance with the automated phone line. I'm meticulous about writing down my debit card purchases, and I'm the one who writes all the checks. But Hick is a bit lax in forking over his random receipts.

Hick is supposed to be on a short leash with the debit card. We each have a cash allowance every week for whatever we see fit to spend it on. Like gas, or meals, or 44 oz Diet Cokes, or scratchers, or Goodwill, or auctions. We only use one credit card, and that's for online purchases, or trips to Oklahoma. So there's really no reason that I should have to worry about Hick using the debit card and messing up my record-keeping.

You know how that goes.

Every week, I call that automated line and mark off the debit amounts in the checkbook register. When I get a purchase that's not showing, I have to make a note of it, and ask Hick. The only thing he's really supposed to use that debit for is doctor/pharmacy/feed store. Otherwise, he needs to let me know. Like if he's going to Lowe's for themed-shed materials.

Anyhoo...on Monday, there was a $40 charge from a gas station. That's a no-no. Hick has allowance money for that. Besides, he usually gets his gas at Casey's, and the recording only said 'a gas station.' I knew it wasn't ME, because I always pay cash, since I don't know how to use a card at the pump when I get my fuel. I knew that it wasn't from our casino trip, because the debit wouldn't work there, and Hick put it on the credit card. So...I had a mystery charge on the debit for gas.

"Did you charge $40 for gas?"

"Oh. Yeah. At Orb K."

"Well, you have your allowance for gas."

"I know. It'll be that money I was going to need for the tree-trimmers."

"Okay. Then I'm not giving you money for the tree-trimmers."

"That's fine. I had to get gas for the auction. My buddy's car is in the shop. He got some bad gas! We didn't think we were going to make it home the other night. It started putt-putting, and would hardly go. He found out it had water in the tank. It's gonna cost him $700-800 to get it fixed."

"Wow. Where'd he get the gas?"

"At Orb K."

"YOU got gas at ORB K!"

"I know. But I got the regular. He had the super. They had those pumps closed off when I went, the super and mid-grade. With EPA stickers on them. I just thought they were checking the pumps. Seventeen people messed up their cars with that gas! Orb K has to pay!"

"What are they going to do, give them a check?"

"No. They're going to pay the repair bill. For 17 people. My buddy can prove he bought the gas there, because he used his credit card."

"Good thing you buy the cheap gas."

Yeah. I'm glad Hick is cheap. But I'm pretty sure he was going to have his hand out for money to pay those tree-trimmers, except that I caught him in his scam. He can pay his own auction gas, out of his Storage Unit Store fortune.