Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Gloom of Night, Nor One Inch of Snow...

The Pony awoke Thursday to probably the worst day of working conditions he's ever experienced. He knew ahead of time that snow was in the forecast. And bitter cold. The high temperature was 19, with the wind chill (yes, I know we have a wind-chill-denier amongst the readers) at 5 degrees. 

 

The Pony dressed in layers. Tight tights, fleecy tights, and his thickest khaki pants. He had a tank top (not sure what he was thinking there, with a regular t-shirt available), a long-sleeved thermal shirt, his USPS sweater, and a parka with a hood. He had the gripper gloves I got him for $2 at Country Mart. And his official USPS cap.

 

While I smugly settled down to nap in my OPC (Old People Chair) with the knowledge that the city would be getting the snow, with just a dusting forecast for here an hour south... the TV weathermen were likely chortling with glee. The city got next to nothing. And we got something. About an inch of powdery squeaky snow.

Neighbor Tommy called Hick to ask for a ride to work, but when Hick got there at 8:30, Tommy said he was scheduled to work at 1:00. Hick told him he'd be at Pony House then, and wasn't making a trip back. But that if the snow stopped, Tommy could probably make it in his $1000 car. I don't know how or IF Tommy got to work. But Hick is nice guy within reason, as long at it doesn't interfere with his own plans.

I had given up on getting to town, from The Pony's text at 7:48 a.m. saying the roads were slippery. But then Hick said the county road wasn't too bad, and I could probably make it. Verified by The Pony around noon.

When The Pony got home after 7:00, he said the day wasn't as bad as he expected. He'd lost one of his gloves or hot packs, but thought it might turn up in the LLV (Long Life Vehicle). Heh, heh. AS IF anybody would notice it.

Anyhoo... I asked The Pony if he'd taken the hot-pack thingies I bought him for $1 at Country Mart. It's actually 2 for $1, since you cut them apart, one for each hand. He said that he forgot, BUT...

"We had a safety meeting this morning, and THEY GAVE US EACH TWO HOT PACKS, AND GRIPPERS FOR OUR SHOES!"

Oh, the swag that boy accumulates at taxpayer expense! Thank you, all who are not deadbeats!

Anyhoo... The Pony got one of his HotHands out of his pocket. It was still hot! He let me have it to take down to my frigid basement lair. I hope he has more tomorrow! They are supposed to last 8 hours. The Pony said he activated his at 10:00, when he had his mail ready for his route. That little HotHand kept my digits warm until midnight:30.

 

It was like a tiny beanbag in a paper wrapper. There's my lucky scratching quarter, to show the size of the HotHands. Like The Pony said: "I figured I might as well take their free ones, instead of using the ones you bought." Except that he'd already forgotten to take the ones I bought.

I wish I would have taken a picture of the shoe grippers! They're rubber, with the grippy rounded spikes on the bottom. Kind of like a mesh stretchy thing that fits over the shoe sole. AND it has a REFLECTOR on the heel! The Pony took a Large, but if he uses his other shoes, he's going to get an Extra Large. I suppose he'll leave the grippers on for Friday, since the parking lots and I imagine many sidewalks will have the packed-down inch of snow.

We didn't get any mail today. I guess there are no grippy thingies for car tires of the rural carriers.

Hick Porks Out, and The Pony is Buffaloed

Thevictorians had their annual after-Christmas casino trip on December 29. Not exactly a CasinoPalooza, since time was limited. So no Oklahoma red-screen bandits for us this year. We haven't been out there since March 2020. Maybe one day we'll go again.

Genius and Friend were in from Pittsburgh, and my sister the ex-ex-mayor's wife, and her husband the ex-ex-mayor, went along with us. All in separate cars, of course. The Pony was given this requested date as a weekly day off, so no time lost. We only drove 90 minutes to Casino Town, down on the Mississippi River.

Lunch was calmer this time, since Sis did NOT insist on getting BBQ sauce with her burger. Her nose was a bit out of joint because while they were all standing around outside the grill where we met up to have lunch, I said, "I'm getting in line before other people show up. I can't stand for along time." Of course the rest of the crew followed me, and since Hick was paying for everyone but Sis and Ex-Ex-Mayor, the boys had to come up behind me.

"Oh. I guess we'll wait until ALL OF YOU order."

"Yes. That's why I got in line first."

"Oh, go ahead. It doesn't matter."

Huh. It obviously DID matter, but since I WAS in line first, while they were chewing the fat out in the casino, it was only fair that we went ahead. Unless Sis wanted to pay for three boys' food. Besides, it's not like it would have been quick if I let Sis go ahead. She is notorious for asking, "What comes on that? Can I substitute? Are chips the same price as fries? Can I get BBQ sauce with that?"

Anyhoo... there was a new special that I was tempted to get when I saw the sign. But I stuck with my Catfish Nuggets and tater tots. Genius had Catfish Nuggets and fries, Friend had the Grilled Chicken Sandwich with fries, The Pony had a Cheeseburger with fries, and HICK GOT THE SPECIAL. It was a Pork Loin Po' Boy. He was at the end of our line, but The Pony told me later,

"Of course Dad called it a Pork Boy!"

 

I would have loved to try a bite, but it was COMPLETELY GONE before I could offer to trade a Catfish Nugget. The Pony is lucky he got this picture without losing a couple fingers. 

Most of us lost minimal money at the casino, although Hick was the biggest loser, leaving behind his Christmas bankroll that I provided as this year's gift. I only left 1/10 of my casino bankroll behind. I had a great time playing a Wonder 4 Miss Kitty. No big bonuses, but several of the lower end type.

 

Here it is adding up. The total bonus was $137.85. I was hoping to hit that GRAND jackpot on the wheel spin, but no such luck. 

The Pony was losing a lot when we had lunch. He had trimmed down his bets. He went back to play Buffalo Chief, I think. I got a text from him that he'd hit a bonus. I found out later what kind!

 

Here is the screen where The Pony's bonus is adding up. Do you see that green square on the left, that says MAJOR? Yeah, that was behind one of the gold coins that triggered the bonus. Here's another picture showing the actual amount of the MAJOR up top.

 

See there? The MAJOR was $750!!! And The Pony was betting the minimum on that game, of 80 cents per spin. He was the day's big winner. Genius also won a pretty good jackpot on this Buffalo game. About half that amount. I can't win on it. I was fine with Miss Kitty.

If The Pony Was a Cow, He Might Have Invented a Cud Substitute

Never a dull day when The Pony is on the job. He thought he might get off early Tuesday, since he was doing the route he put a hold on. 

"Don't worry about supper for me. If I get off by 4:00 or 5:00, I'll probably go to Steak N Shake. Or come home and make ramen noodles."

We didn't hear from The Pony until 5:43.

"Clocked out. Going to Steak N Shake. Have a story for you when I'm home."

Ooh! A STORY! Hick and I don't have much excitement these days. We couldn't wait for The Pony to roll in and share his day with us.

"I'm surprised he's driving over to Steak N Shake so late. He probably won't be home until 7:00."

"I'm guessing more like 7:30. He takes forever to eat there."

"It takes a long time to eat two burgers and two fries!"

"Yeah. He DOES eat a lot."

The Pony got home at 7:10. He didn't even sit down before telling his story.

"I know it's kind of late to be going to Steak N Shake on a work night. But I HAD TO! You'll understand when you hear what happened.

See that Pringles can? I took one with me in the LLV, to snack on through the day. You know I don't like to have lunch, because I'd rather get paid for the time, and I don't want to feel weighted down or have to go to the bathroom. So I just get snacks on my regular bathroom break.

Anyway, I got back from my route, and was gathering up my stuff. I was getting kind of hungry. I'd finished my Pringles earlier, and when I picked up the can to throw it away, I turned it up to shake all the crumbs in my mouth. But when I started crunching them, THERE WAS SOMETHING EXTRA CHEWY IN MY MOUTH!

I spit it out, and saw that it was a rubber band! You know how we use so many, to bundle the mail for each house. Who KNOWS how many sweaty wrists that rubber band had been on! It must have fallen through the grid of the shelf where I set my mail tray. The Pringles can was sitting right under there."

"Whew! That was a relief. Because I thought maybe you ate a ROACH, considering the condition of those LLVs!"

"I was going to say a MOUSE!" 

 

That's Hick's most horrific thought, ever since he plunged his hands into the pockets of his coveralls hanging over in the BARn, and screamed like a schoolgirl when he touched a nest of hairless baby mice.

I'm guessing The Pony will look into the Pringles can next time, before eating the crumbs.

It Ain't No Dog-in-a-Hat

New Year's Eve was a big event at Save A Lot. Not only did I see a dog in a hat, who was gone when I came out of the store... but I saw THIS!

 

Oh, I've seen limousines before. White and black. Sedan and JEEP-shaped. That might just be a thing around here. But even in Backroads, a limo at the Save A Lot is uncommon. Who pays for a limo and then buys New Year's Eve snacks in Save A Lot? They don't even sell alcohol!

Hick pointed out that there's a driver sitting in the limo, who looks like he's eating something. Surely there are easier parking lots to get in and out of, with better food choices. What'd he do, buy a loaf of bread and some lunch meat? There's a Subway down at the other end, to the right. It has better parking down there. But he could easily have taken that thing through the Dairy Queen drive-thru, and parked on their empty lot to feast on a Dilly Bar, or whatever treat he might have chosen.

I am reminded of the days when my mom used to care for my niece when she got off the bus after a hard half-day at kindergarten. They were always driving around on errands, and passed a truck pulling a horse trailer on the highway. It was one of those trailers that have a living compartment in the front end of the trailer, and room for maybe four or six horses. My mom loved to tell the story of how Niecy said,

"Gosh, Grandma, those people must have a really long horse!"

Maybe she would have thought the passenger of this limo had really long legs.

What Are YOU Lookin' At?

Friday, I went to Save A Lot for some black-eyed peas to have New Years Day. This year they'd be served in a big pot of chili. So I also needed other beans and some hamburger and yellow onions to join those black-eyed peas.

I found a good parking space in the first row. In fact, nobody was parked across from me. I toyed with the idea of pulling through, but that sometimes makes loading the groceries in T-Hoe's rear a problem, if the next car pulls too far forward and blocks the hatch from opening. 

Anyhoo... I was sitting there gathering my glasses and list and pen and phone, hoping the space across from me would still be open when I returned, so I could pull through and not back up. T-Hoe's backup beeper is broken, you know.

Dang it! There was a car pulling in! How DARE someone park in an open parking space and block my way out! I glanced up and saw a young guy get out. His passenger stayed behind. To watch me slide out of the seat and get my knees under me, I guess. I don't like people watching me.

Mentally, I am quite aggressive. "What are YOU looking at, b!tch?"

As I reached for the door handle, I gave that passenger a piercing stare.

 

Wait a minute! Was that a... dog? A dog wearing a HAT?

 

Yes. Yes it was. Of course I felt bad for thinking, "What are YOU looking at, b!tch?"

That might have been a service dog.

Pony Down!

Thursday morning at 5:10 a.m., I said goodbye to The Pony as he left for work. Told him to be safe, and have a good day. I must have snoozed off in my OPC (Old People Chair), because I woke up at 6:15 with a feeling I should check my phone. When I picked it up from the TV tray that acts as a table for the remote, it buzzed to notify me of a text. What I read set me to wringing my apron strings! At 6:07 a.m., from The Pony:

"Might have bruised or broken my tailbone. Foot slid on the stairs and I bounced off them. Will let you know if it calms down."

"Are you okay?"

"Will let you know. Right now it's just sore and painful when I sit or walk, but nothing that screams broken. I'll go do packages and give it time to see, then bring it up with the manager if it's not feeling fine."

"Treatment is just sitting on a pillow, I think."

At 11:02, I got an update:

"Not feeling too great, but gonna work through the day. Depending how I'm feeling at the end I might want to go to the doctor after work."

"For your butt? Or something else?"

"The butt."

"Is it a work injury?"

"Technically. I'd just use my insurance, not dealing with OWCP again."

"The Backroads convenient care was good for my double ear infection."

"Yeah. I'm just never going to the Bill-Paying Town one again after all they screwed up. Don't trust them."

"Backroads has x-rays. Dad says you CANNOT mention ANYTHING about work, or insurance won't pay. All they need to know is that you fell on some steps. I have never heard of any treatment besides rest and a pillow."

"Yes. I'm not stupid. The main thing is just to see if it's broken or not, if it's not starting to feel better by tonight. The fall knocked the wind out of me, too, so I wouldn't be surprised if I have a bruise on my back from bouncing on it."

By 4:08, I got an update:

"Clocked out. Ibuprofen did enough that I'm fairly sure I'll be fine, not gonna go to the doctor."

Well. THAT was a relief. Kind of. What I didn't know at the time was the full story. Which made me question The Pony's declaration that he's not stupid...

"I had finished loading my LLV [Long Life Vehicle]. There were 3 new packages when I went in to get my stuff, so I was carrying them when I started down the steps from the loading dock. I don't know if the steps were slippery, or if I stepped too close to the edge, but my heel went off. I couldn't grab the handrail because it's bent from a truck hitting it with the ramp thing it lets down. So the rail is bent out sideways, and has a curve in it. I hit hard, and bounced down the steps on my back. One of the other CCAs was backing up to load, and saw me. He came over to ask if I was okay, and also another one who was out there said she'd got get the manager. By that time I was standing up, saying I was okay. But I went in to tell the manager, and she said she had to fill out a form."

By this time Hick was home, hearing the story.

"Well, yeah. Every employer has to fill out a form to cover their rumpus for a workplace injury."

"We even had to do it at school."

"So there's no way you could go to the doctor and say it wasn't work-related. There's documentation and witnesses that it WAS."

"But I don't have to claim it that way and file worker's comp."

"You don't have to file worker's comp, but you can't use your insurance, because it's a work injury. Insurance won't pay. And if that rail is really bent, that's a safety violation. They could be in big trouble for that."

 

"Dad. It's been that way for at least two years. The shop steward says she fell on those steps back then, and she thinks she has a permanent divot in her ass, she hit so hard!"

 

"Are they solid steps? Do they have the non-skid material?"

 

"They're a metal grid. The edges are solid, and they DO have the non-skid, but it's worn smooth."

 

"Well, if it's a grid, they're not required to have the non-skid."

Anyhoo... Friday morning at 5:00 a.m., The Pony said he was considering calling out, because his leg muscles hurt. In front of the hip, where you lift your leg to get into the bathtub or a vehicle. But since he was getting both Saturday and Sunday off, and it would interfere with his holiday pay if he missed, he decided to tough it out. He said he felt every bump from that LLV in his tailbone.

Sitting on a kitchen stool for supper Saturday also hurt The Pony's rumpus.

"I can't believe my tailbone even hurts while hanging off the back of the wooden stool!"

I'm sorry The Pony's rumpus is ailing, but I'm relieved that he can still work, and isn't in a lot of pain.

The Vault Closes On Val's 2021 Future PENNYILLIONAIRE Fortune

As we round out the year with official 2021 totals, Val's Future Pennyillionaire Fortune has grown, with some coins lagging behind 2020 finds, and others surging ahead. 

This week was better than expected, despite only one successful foray in coin procurement. MONDAY, December 27, found me in the Sis-Town Casey's. Finding TWO coins that split my attention.

 

 

Only one group photo! I didn't want to zoom in on that guy's foot! That might be considered weird! He DID look askance at me as I ample-rumpused my way to harvest that dime under the bags of jerky by his toe. Of course I picked up the penny first, so nobody behind me could dart in and grab it. Better safe than sorry. 

 

It was a face-down 1968 penny, just begging to go home in my shirt pocket, and rest comfortably in the 2021 ice cream dish penny goblet, rather than be trod upon by stinky feet.

 

No separate close-up of the 1993 face-down dime. All I could do was zoom in and crop. Not very well, either! 

That makes 2 COINS, for 11 CENTS towards Val's 2021 Pennyillionaire Fortune. Only quarters came out ahead this year, but it was enough to make the totals close. I'm only 10 cents behind last year's total. Makes me regret not fighting for that dime in front of the Country Mart lottery machines, when that old man asked if it was mine!

_________________________________________________________

2021 FINAL TOTALS

Penny       # 124.             $1.24
Dime        # 14.                $1.40
Nickel       still at 7.         $0.35
Quarter    still at 6.          $1.50

_______________________________

 

                                        $4.49

 

 

2020 TOTALS
 

Penny     134                    $1.34
Dime        25                    $2.50
Nickel      10                     $0.50
Quarter      1                    $0.25

________________________________

                                        $4.59

________________________________________________________