A Solvable Mystery, Or Hick's Revenge?

Thursday afternoon, I found a mysterious text on my phone. I was gathering my purse and winning scratchers for my trip to town, having just showered and made myself presentable for human viewing. I always check my phone before I leave, in case The Pony or Hick might need something dropped off for them in town.

"888-888-8888"

"That's the number at the beauty shop."

WELL! That's a fine how-do-you-do from the man I called a KNOCKOUT only a few days ago! How dare Hick send me the number of a beauty shop! Might as well just come right out and call me a dog! I've never been to a beauty shop in my life. Why would I want to start NOW? Hick had some 'splainin' to do. Of course I called him. Funny how Hick answered the phone first ring.

"Where are you?"

"At Walmart getting my oil changed. And dog food."

"There's a bunch of sirens here in town. Neither the fire rescue truck or county sheriff is headed your way. So I guess you're all right. For now... WHY DID YOU SEND ME THE PHONE NUMBER OF A BEAUTY SHOP???"

"Because I didn't have no paper with me, and I wanted a way to remember the number. So now I have it on my phone where I texted you."

"YOU wanted a beauty shop?"

"It's that house. Your mom's old beauty shop."

Oh. Never mind. Not calling me a dog to get back at me for saying he was a KNOCKOUT.

We have been casually looking at properties for a possible flip house. Nothing formal. Just driving around, making note of any with a FOR SALE sign. Perusing the structure's exterior, then looking for it online to see if there's a price. We are still in the very early stages of this possible investment venture with The Pony.

Anyhoo... I'd taken a shortcut last week, and saw Mom's old beauty shop with a sign in the yard. Turns out it's a package deal, with a house behind it, facing the side street. Hick is contemplating an actual storefront now that flea-marketing has been banned at the Storage Units effective October 30. He wants to find out if this beauty shop building is still zoned commercial.

This would be a complicated investment, with Hick being responsible for the business portion, out of his own deep Storage Unit Store pockets. It would be easier if he was just calling me a dog.

Hear That WHIRRRRR? Val Is Warming Up Her Helicopter.

Just when you think Val's helicoptering days are over, that her chopper is up on blocks, her boys having flown the coop and feathered their own nests... a situation arises.

The Pony had a workday from Not-Heaven.

"Today was a day from Not-Heaven! Someone (coworker, not rando) stole the keys to the route I was on's van. So I had to drive a crappy LLV [Long Life Vehicle] to Backroads. Which started smoking once I was there and started it up! And on top of that I rolled both my ankles (not badly, nor at the same time, but still!).  

Plus I had to skip an entire loop of mail because four big waist high dogs were running loose. And I was not risking that with how this day was going."

"Yes. Avoid the dogs! What about the key? Just absent-minded, or up to mischief?"

"As in 'someone took the new van that this route is assigned and put the keys to the worst LLV in there.' Which is all I know."

"That would seem to be some kind of violation! Did you just drive it, or ask where the van keys were? Was it a regular, or a CCA?"

"No clue. Like I said, that's all I know. Managers were equally confused and didn't know who had it, and I don't have the number for this route memorized."

"So at least the managers know..."

First of all, my helicopter might be warming up, but I have no intention of getting involved. Not my monkey, not my circus. I just feel bad for The Pony getting stuck with a crappy LLV when he was due a new van. As he's said for the past 18 months he's worked there, the vehicle goes with the route, not with the driver. Whoever fills in on that route uses the vehicle that the regular uses for it.

I have no idea if somebody did it on purpose as a dig at The Pony, (or more generally a CCA), or if they just wanted a better vehicle for the day, not knowing who was getting shafted with the switch. When The Pony checks the schedule, he knows what route he will have. So it's not a secret who is on what route. That said, I doubt it's personal. Just somebody wanting a Cadillac instead of a Jed Clampett car.

I didn't ask, but I suppose the 'worst LLV' was an extra. Otherwise, you could just see what route THAT OTHER vehicle was assigned to, and figure who switched. So maybe the culprit shuffled some keys. You'd think management would be able to figure it out, what with all the tracking they do on the drivers. Then again, we're talking about government workers. 

So who knows? 

Not this old Val. That's for sure.

Genius Prepares to Let the North .40 Lie Fallow

Genius sent an update on his pepper farm Tuesday morning.

 

"Somehow they just keep coming."

 

 

The last total he sent on August 24 showed Habaneros-118, Cayennes-104, Tabascos-108.

 

"My bloggy friend Kathy says the more you pick, the more they grow! The plant knows it needs to spread its seed, and you are stealing its babies!"

 

"I wish I could keep my plants alive through the winter and not have to start over next spring."

 

"I don't know how to do that. Depends on the plant. For a poinsettia, you pinch off the leaves and put it in a dark closet."

 

"Oh no. I know it's impossible. They're warm weather plants. The first frost will kill them immediately. And they're too big to bring inside. So I will have to put them down sometime later this month."

 

"So... you would need to bring them in with grow lights like a weed farmer!"

 

"Yup! And as big as our apartment is, it's not big enough for that!"

 

"If only you could seal a sprig in acrylic, as a paperweight, to honor their memory..."

 

"It's okay. I'll grow more next year. Maybe different varieties."

 

"Parting is such sweet sorrow."

 

"I pickled a big jar of habaneros yesterday."

 

 

"You will have their heat as a memory through the winter. What are they in?"

"Pickled with a blend of distilled vinegar & apple cider vinegar. The little pellets are mustard seeds, and then sliced garlic."

"Looks a bit Alien-ish lab to me, after getting to know them."

"I haven't tried them yet. Giving them a few days to marinate."

"They might be good with a pot of beans and ham, corn muffins on the side."

"Probably!"

Nothing good lasts forever. I'm sure Genius will get over this loss. Though I question his use of "putting them down" at the end of the growing season.

The Secret Has to be Eating a Hole in Hick's Colon, With Only a Limited Time Until He Spills the Beans

Hick and Old Buddy still have a bit of work to finish at Back-Creek Neighbor Bev's new used house. They took a week off, but are returning today. Hick received word from Nick on Monday.

"Nick said for me and Old Buddy not to get there before 8:30. Because they've moved into the house now, and Bev wants time to be out of the house before we start working."

Heh, heh! If she only knew!!!

Hick better hope that nobody lets his secret slip. No telling what could happen if Bev knew that Hick had been in the shower with her!

The Pony Is Galloping Down the Road to Homeownership

I went to pick up The Pony's house payment yesterday. He forgot to bring it after getting up at 3:00 a.m. Friday to come pick up Hick and drive him to his medical procedure (where I'm pretty sure they knocked him out).

 

How time flies. Seems like only a year ago (plus a month and one day) that we put a contract on Pony House. The Pony moved in around the middle of April 2022. We didn't charge him for half a month, because Hick was still in and out working on last-minute things, even though the house was safe and livable. 

 

This was his 5th house payment on his rent-to-own deal. If you only count the purchase price of the house, The Pony now outright OWNS over 1/10 of Pony House! The renovations are another matter... Still, he's at about 5% ownership. Not bad for a first-time homeowner. At least he's not throwing away his money on rent like I did until buying my own $17,000 house at age 30.

Congrats, my little Pony. You are building equity in your abode. 

 

If he continues paying at the same rate, by this time next year, The Pony will have paid 4/10 of the purchase price, and own 17.6 % of the whole kit 'n' caboodle! AND, his monthly payment is still cheaper than what he would have paid for an apartment. In fact, it was while looking for an apartment that The Pony got the wild idea to just let Hick renovate a house for him like he did for HOS (Hick's Oldest Son).

I suppose sitting in the recliner with his broken ankle elevated, while not earning money or receiving his rightful Worker's Comp, made The Pony actually care about money... Or else he realized that apartments around here don't come with big triangle bathtubs having jets.

Despite His Protestations, I Declare Hick a Knockout

Hick had a medical procedure two weeks ago, knowing he would have a follow-up procedure on Friday. The Pony kindly took a day off work each time to drive him, since that is frowned upon after anesthesia. Hick received good instructions as to what was expected of him before the first appointment. Not so much for the second one. 

 

The Pony kept me informed by text as to what was happening. He and Hick arrived home while I was still in town. Hick wasn't even loopy. So of course I quizzed him about the details.

 

"It took so little time for the second procedure!" 

"Yeah."

"Pony said it only took about 15 minutes this time."

"Yeah, once they got me in there. The longest time was waiting for my IV antibiotics to get done afterwards, before they'd let me go home."

"Did they knock you out?"

"No."

"You were AWAKE during the procedure?"

"No. I wasn't awake."

"Then you were knocked out."

"Val, they didn't knock me out. I woke up in the recovery room, wondering where I was, and the gal was surprised. She said, 'Oh, you're awake! Usually people are still asleep when we get them.'"

"So... you were knocked out!"

"I was NOT! The doctor came in before they took me back, and talked to us. Pony was there, too. Ask Pony. And the anesthesiologist came in and explained they wasn't puttin' no tubes in."

"Were you able to hear what they were saying while they worked on you?"

"No!"

"Then you were KNOCKED OUT!"

"Val! I was NOT KNOCKED OUT!"

"If you were not awake during the procedure, you were knocked out! I don't know how you can't understand that! They gave you something so you were not conscious while they were working on you! It might not have been general anesthesia with a breathing tube, but you WERE KNOCKED OUT!"

"Whatever. I wasn't knocked out..."

"Usually they give you something else for any kind of procedure that's under 30 minutes. Not a general, but something to knock you out. Mine wore off that one time. I could hear everything they were saying about me, and their gossip about another doctor. But I couldn't talk or move. It was horrible!"

"I didn't know a thing."

I'm pretty sure Hick was knocked out. 

COIN Things Come to Those Who Wait

It was a pretty good week for Val's Future Pennyillionaire Fortune.

 

SUNDAY, August 28, I took advantage of the available parking at the Backroads Casey's to get my scratchers. The minute I pulled in, I saw a sign out T-Hoe's window. I was meant to be there, in that spot, at that time!

 

Hard to see there amongst the old gum, but right in the middle of the photo are TWO pennies! With a small dark gum spot between them. And, though I didn't notice it at the time, there's another penny around the 10-11 o'clock position!

 

They were a face-down 2020 penny, and a heads-up 1969 version. As I stepped out of T-Hoe for their closeup, I saw the THIRD penny waiting over by the truck parked next to me.

 

There it is, between the dark gum spot and the light gum spot.

 

It was a heads-up 1968 penny, with a tiny raindrop from the sprinkle that had just started.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

THURSDAY, September 1, found me at the School-Turn Casey's. After my scratcher purchase, I paused on the way out to nab a penny put in my path.

 

 

I flipped this picture sideways, but in actuality I was standing there looking up the checkout counter, the display and treats on my left. It's close quarters in there. I didn't want to block the aisle with my protruding ample rumpus.

 

It was a heads-up 1982 penny. I've been finding lots of coppery oldies this week! 

_____________________________________________________________________

 

FRIDAY, September 2, I had one of those days when The Universe works overtime conspiring against me. For example, when I stopped by the Sis-Town Casey's, having forgotten to take Genius's letter with me on Thursday's errands, putting me back in town again.

 

 

I was 9th in line, though you can't see all the customers in the aisle ahead of me. Also, you can't see the DIME that was on the floor against the wall under those windows. I could not step out of line to get my photo! No way was I going to try and worm my way back into that line. Besides, I was not sure it was a dime until I was right on it walking out. It could easily have been a spot of dried gum, making me appear even more foolish than taking pictures of a dime!

Anyhoo... I forgot about taking a picture in the car, and didn't get one until back home, checking the date.

 

It had been face-down on the floor under Casey's front windows, a 1970 dime.

The Casey'ses were pulling their weight on Friday! After mailing Genius's letter, I stopped by the School-Turn Casey's. I had to park way down the row. I found out why as I returned to T-Hoe:

 

Strap on your penny-finders! It's there! Just kind of camouflage-y. Straight out from the short crack in the concrete at the bottom of that car-stopping metal post.

It was a face-down 1969 penny, which I grabbed before the truck people came out.

_____________________________________________________________________

That's 6 COINS this week, for 15 CENTS towards Val's Future Pennyillionaire Fortune!

______________________________________________________

2022 RUNNING TOTAL

Penny          # 83, 84, 85, 86, 87.
Dime            # 17.
Nickel          still at 5.
Quarter       still at 6.

 

2021 FINAL TOTALS

Penny        124
Dime           14
Nickel           7
Quarter         6
_______________________________________________________