Farmer H Takes One For The Team

Remember how Farmer H went out to Oklahoma to install a vice in The Pony's professor's oven? Lab equipment for the study they've been working on for over a year? He had such grandiose dreams of being their knight in shining armor, and being compensated accordingly. Then he got his wake-up call.

Farmer H spent several hours last week researching what kind of vice would work, with specs supplied by The Pony. They were actually looking for a more elaborate contraption, with a high-dollar price tag over $5000. Farmer H came up with the vice idea. All parties agreed that it would work. Farmer H ordered one from his guy who runs a machine shop kind of business. Farmer H has a guy for just about anything you'll ever need.

The first vice turned out to be about 3/8 inch too large to fit inside the oven and work properly. So it was sent back, and another ordered. I'm pretty sure Farmer H got it for $250. Not sure if he paid yet, out of his Storage Unit Store fortune, or if his guy is letting it ride right now. All I know is that Farmer H had an invoice to show the professor, with the tax ID and everything of the business, in case the university would cut the check to the source of the equipment.

Farmer H, you know, took three days of his time for the trip. It's a drive of 8.5 hours one way. He was fortunate to obtain two nights' free lodging in the local casino 5 miles from campus and The Pony's apartment. Gas, however, was not free. Farmer H arrived by 4:00 on Monday. He took his tools (oh, yeah, he provided his own tools) into the lab, and looked things over. Tuesday morning at 9:00, he went to work on the project. By noon, he was done. He spent some time with The Pony, preferring not to drive 8.5 hours home that night.

Well. Farmer H had grandiose dreams of being compensated for his labor. And of being comped for his lodging if it hadn't been free, and for transportation costs. The Pony had mentioned the whole scheme because his professor was getting a grant for this equipment that she needed. He said his dad could probably design something cheaper, and that's how Farmer H got involved.

Tuesday, upon completion, the professor said she would go upstairs to see about his payment. Apparently, she was told that she hadn't filled out the required forms. That she hadn't gotten proof that the "contractor" was insured. That the invoice wasn't even in her name. Etc. She came back and apologized to Farmer H. Said that she would write him a personal check, and deal with getting reimbursed, and if she wasn't, well, that was okay, because she'd gotten just what she needed, already done, when it might have taken until the end of spring semester to get it done through the university and their maintenance team. However, she didn't have her checkbook on campus, but she could drive home to get it.

Farmer H said he was fine with the professor giving the check to The Pony to send to him. He's a braver man than I (although I'm not actually a man), because I know how long it takes to get a birthday card from The Pony. Depends on when he decides to get it, when he decides to address it, when he decides to go to the post office, and how long the mail takes between Norman and Hillmomba.

So... Farmer H will be lucky to get reimbursed for the $250 cost of the vice. He's okay with that.