Fave Dispenses Advice

When I got to town on Saturday, the rain started to fall more heavily than I judged necessary! It had been a mere mist when I left home, yet NOW, when I wanted to walk from my rightful handicap space into the Gas Station Chicken Store, I was going to get wet. I ducked my head and plodded on.

At least I was the only customer inside. Fave was bemoaning the weather.

"I know! I don't mind the gloominess. I kind of like it. But I hate to get wet!"

"You ARE really wet." Said Fave, as she took my winners and swiped them across her ample bosom, covered by her employee apron. "So are your tickets!"

"Well, I'm an old lady. I walk slow. And it's pouring!"

"I'm just so bored. Nobody's coming in. The time goes slower."

I bought my tickets, chatted few minutes, and started for the door, grasping them in my hand as usual.

"I'd put them tickets in my titties!" advised Fave. "So they won't get wet, and you can still scratch them."

"You know, I think I WILL!" I stuffed the tickets under my jacket, shirt, bra strap. "That's a good idea." 

They stayed nice and dry. Can't say the same for the rest of me. But my tickets were fine. In hindsight, there was such a lack of business that I might as well have parked under the roof. No cars were waiting for those gas pumps.

The Lucky Conspiracy

The strange disappearance of our adopted and lost rescue dog, Lucky, grows stranger and stranger. You may recall that we had him for seven days, with several escapes from collar and harness. Yet he still stayed here, looking for Farmer H, and roaming the yard with my little Jack.

The biggest question was how Lucky got his collar UNDONE on the day he disappeared. It was not broken, not chewed. The plastic prongs were somehow squeezed just right to "unbuckle" that collar, which was left attached to the lead which tethered Lucky to a big screw in the ground.

Well. I am currently formulating a new theory, which smacks of CONSPIRACY!

I have been telling Farmer H to call the Animal Control Guy (ACG) and tell him that Lucky got loose, we can't find him, and will take him back if he is captured again. That's just common courtesy, and also a heads-up as to why we will not be providing proof of his shots and neutering. [Still haven't cancelled that vet appointment yet.]

Farmer H finally sent him a text on Monday, one week after the disappearance. ACG asked Farmer H to send a picture, so he could remember which dog. Farmer H did. And got a response.

"Okay. You adopted my friend's dog, Officer Somename. He will be devastated! Don't tell him yet. I hope the dog comes back."

Are your conspiracy juices flowing? Something is not right here!

First of all, why would Officer Somename be devastated to hear that his former dog Lucky is lost? Because it seems to me, somebody who loves a dog so much would NOT HAVE LEFT IT IN THE DOG POUND FOR TWO WEEKS before it got adopted! Especially if his "friend" was the ACG at the dog pound!

Secondly, how would Farmer H know Officer Somename, and his contact info, to tell him that we lost his dog that we adopted? Why did ACG tell Farmer H not to tell Officer Somename about Lucky disappearing?

HOWEVER... if a true friend like ACG was to tell his supposed friend, Officer Somename, that he had just given away his beloved dog that he hadn't told him about for two weeks... then a true friend might "accidentally" leak the name and address of the adopter to his supposed friend, Officer Somename. 

It's possible, right? That Officer Somename could get our address and come looking around for his beloved doggie. That he might not want to just knock on the door and say, "Can I have my dog back?" Because that might be frowned upon, as well as being an embarrassment that he hadn't bothered to look for his dog at the most logical place for two whole weeks.

If Lucky's former owner were to show up, say, on a Monday, when most people are at work, and walk up to Lucky and unsnap his collar... Lucky would go right along with him, not needing a collar or leash, and get in the vehicle, wherever it may be parked, and thus there would be no sign of him along the roads or in a neighbor's yard. AND if that former owner were to declare, "Hey, my dog just showed up again!" then nobody would even question it. He's a police officer, you know.

Something is very fishy here. If Lucky's former owner had come to ask about Lucky, we would have given him back. No money was spent on him, aside from the $31 harness he chewed up in 20 minutes. Of course there's the emotional toll now, of not knowing what happened to Lucky.

I really hope one of these guys DID come and take Lucky. And that he's being loved, and is safe and fed and happy.

This conspiracy theory makes way more sense than Lucky magically opening his collar and vanishing into thin air.

The Weather Is Gettin' Chili

About five weeks into autumn, and the temperatures have finally cooled in Hillmomba. For the past week, we've been dipping into the 40s at night, and only hitting low 60s by day. Right now, it is 49 degrees at 1:00 on Monday. You know what that means: 

TIME FOR A BIG POT OF CHILI!

I watched the forecast, and planned ahead. Picked up my hamburger Saturday in Save A Lot. They have the best meat. I already bought my beans last Thursday, on errand day. This time I used chili beans, blackeyed peas, and Maple Bacon Beans. Plus a can of diced tomatoes with garlic, and two packets of chili seasoning. Then assorted dashes of ketchup, steak sauce, Heinz 57 Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sweet honey BBQ sauce, and Franks Original Wing Sauce. Once that came to a boil, I turned it down to simmer, and added 2.4 pounds of hamburger that I'd browned with two diced onions.

I gotta say, from what I tasted, it will be DELICIOUS!

I prefer my chili with some crumbled saltines...

...mixed in. So the "juice" isn't so juicy. But I still want the juice. That's the flavor.

Farmer H said he likes TOAST with chili. He might have mentioned this before, but I have never seen him eat toast with chili. Not even when we had the toaster sitting on the counter, all the years when the boys were living here. But I offered to make him toast in the oven, so we'll see how that goes. Also, we're having some sliced Oberle Cheese. 

Which is a soft garlic flavored cheese, made locally, that comes in a long thin roll.

Mmm... I can't wait. I'll try to get a picture if I remember. 

[As you can see, I remembered!]

Gone To The Dogs, I Guess

I swear, The Universe must be in cahoots with snooping internet spyware, and eavesdropping smartphones. I can't blame Alexa, because I won't allow her in the Mansion. You know what I'm talking about. How any little thing you're talking about ends up in ads on your computer or phone. Sometimes things you don't remember saying out loud! 

Anyhoo... of course Farmer H and I have been discussing Lucky since he disappeared last Monday. It seems like every TV commercial since then is about pet sitters or pet foods or pet medicine or just has a dog in the commercial for people products! I'm sure I'm just sensitive to seeing dogs right now, so I notice the presence of canines more.

NOW, The Universe is mocking me! 

When I was in 10Box at the lottery machines, I saw a guy walking a little dog on a leash. INSIDE the store! A cute little dog, light brown, looked like maybe a cross between a dachshund and a chihuahua. He was long, but didn't have the full dachshund ears, and his face was a bit shorter, too.

The guy walked the dog back over to the checkout. I guess his wife was paying. He turned to me and said, "SOMEbody's going to win all the money!"

"I WISH! As long as I win enough to keep playing, it's fine with me. It's my entertainment. I like your little dog. I have a half-dachshund half-heeler. Shaped like a dachshund, but colored like a red heeler."

"Oh, they're something all right!"

Yes, they are. I was hoping he would tell me more about the little dog, but the groceries were paid, and they started out.

I mentioned this to Farmer H.

"This is the second time in about a week that I've seen a DOG inside 10Box! What's up with that? I thought businesses didn't allow dogs inside, unless they were seeing-eye dogs."

"Oh, yeah! Everybody lets them in now. I guess so many people saying they're support dogs."

"I guess they're afraid to ask. In case somebody will say it violates their rights, or they shouldn't have to disclose 'health information.' It just seems odd, people bringing their pets inside."

Who do they think they are, flaunting their pups in Mrs. HM's face???

Don't they know how inconsiderate that is, if another shopper just had a new dog disappear?

Returning A FAVEr

I have been so preoccupied with rescuing and losing our newest dog Lucky (still no sign, sadly) that I have not shared some news from the world of Hillmomba lottery.

You may recall that I have a favorite clerk at the Gas Station Chicken Store. I seem to get more winners from her than from anybody else in any other store. Of course, I DO go there every day, and FAVE works four out of seven of those days when I'm there. Maybe she is just luckier to me because I get the majority of my tickets from her. Still, she is congenial and polite. When I have a good four days, I give her a little something the next time I see her.

Last week, I won $150 there in one day! I had two $50 winners on $5 tickets, and the other tickets added up to another $50. I bought a couple of crossword tickets elswhere, especially to give her. She likes the crosswords. I gave her two of the $5 kind, and two of the $3 kind, in an envelope with her name on it. I don't want her to get in trouble, you know. I didn't buy the tickets there, and a sealed envelope is her private property that nobody should be opening.

Anyhoo... whenever I do this, I go by my own unwritten rule. If I'm buying a crossword for FAVE, it's always the second ticket I buy. For example, if I'm getting myself a crossword or two at Casey's, or out of a machine, the second crossword is designated for FAVE. I set it aside from mine. That way I don't debate on which number of the ticket I would rather play, or which one "feels" luckier to me. Nope. The second one is for FAVE. I feel especially guilty if my adjacent ticket wins something, because then I think FAVE has less of a chance to win. But that's my rule. The second is for FAVE.

I gave her the envelope on Thursday. When I stopped for my tickets on Friday, FAVE said, "I couldn't wait to tell you! I won $100 on one of my crosswords. I even showed my grandma! It came at just the right time, too! I was out of money!"

That was great news for me. I was not a bit jealous that FAVE had a good winner. That's what I hope for when I give people tickets. She was meant to win it, not me. Second-ticket rule!

The next day, I got a $100 winner. Not on a crossword, and not from FAVE. It was a new $5 Christmas ticket out of the machine at Save A Lot. I figure it was karma and Even Steven in cahoots. What goes around comes around...

Perhaps Reading NUMBERS Is The Only Requirement

My head is buzzing with all the bees in my bonnet lately! Now The Universe has turned the bank against me!

Every week, on errand day, I go through the bank drive-thru to get our weekly cash allowance. I sent in my withdrawal slip that I have a hoard of, taken right from the counter at the bank, when I had to walk inside. Or sometimes when the teller asks if there's anything else, I ask her to send out a few withdrawal slips in the tube canister. So I KNOW the withdrawal slip is nothing foreign to the bank workers.

Every week, I ask for the same amount, in the same denominations. I only get $100s and $20s. Farmer H and I use our weekly money however we wish. Of course mine goes mainly to lottery tickets and gas for T-Hoe, and his for gas and playing those fake slot machines, or auction treasures. The rest of the cash I set aside in one of our safes, in specific envelopes marked for Christmas, insurance, taxes, and miscellaneous. That way we never have a big expense come up that requires taking money from other accounts. It has already been set aside. Like a Christmas Club account, but available when we need it. What Farmer H doesn't see in the balance, he can't go off and spend, thinking we are rolling in dough.

Anyhoo... I always write on the withdrawal slip the bills I want for my cash. It saves the teller from having to ask, or make the decision herself. I have very legible writing. Printing in block letters. I get compliments all the time on my inkpenmanship. I write the requested bills directly above the withdrawal amount, and follow it with, "Please." Then I CIRCLE IT. You'd have to be blind or an idiot to miss it. Or perhaps a psychopath to deliberately ignore it.

Thursday, there was one other car already at the drive-thru. I sent in my canister. The gal said she would be with me in a minute. The other car finished and drove off. I was talking to The Pony, who was riding shotgun. It seemed to be taking a while. Another car pulled in at the lane where the first car had left. Then it also left. We were talking, but I was still conscious of the time it was taking.

Finally the teller came back and said to have a good day, and sent out the canister with my cash. I opened up the envelope to retrieve my driver's license. It seemed a bit thin compared to usual envelope. I looked at the bills, and 

THEY WERE ALL $50s!

I HATE $50s! They're not enough if you're making big purchases like some of Farmer H's business deals, and too much if you want to buy lottery tickets out of a machine.

No way did I want to sit there longer, and send the bills back in, and hope to get what I wanted. Even without a schedule, there's only so much car-sitting Mrs. HM is willing to do on errand day. I made sure to complain, though, to The Pony.

"This is NOT what I asked for! I had it clearly written on the withdrawal slip. How can they not see that? It's the same every week. Now I'm stuck with these dang fifties! I HATE fifties! Maybe Dad will be able to change them out with his business money. Or I can do it with the saved money at home. But that's AT HOME. I was wanting to buy tickets out of the machine in Country Mart. And all I have is this $100 winner from yesterday. I'm not scanning that into the machine."

"Can you cash it in at Casey's when you get gas?"

"No. They always mess it up. It's something about that store. They can't seem to understand how to take payment for gas out of a scratcher winner. I've tried it twice before, and it takes forever to get a manager to come fix whatever they do. And I'm not going to hold up the line, doing two transactions."

"Oh! I have some of my casino cash with me. I might have some twenties. But they're mostly hundreds."

"That's fine! See what you have. I'd rather have hundreds than fifties, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind! I can use fifties at the casino next time we go."

The Pony came to my rescue with five twenties, and enough hundreds to cover my fifties. I hope I don't get that same teller next Thursday. If I get fifties again, I'm going to complain! Have your calendars ready... 

A Needed Distraction

It's Thursday, and still no sight or news of our adopted dog Lucky. Jack has been barking his fool head off for 2.5 hours, looking towards the neighbors' house where Copper Jack used to come through the fence. There has been no sound of any other dog barking. Those neighbors have a little inside dog, too, but have not replaced Copper Jack since he had to be put down due to cancer. Jack also came up on the back porch, and barked down into the corner of the woods by that neighbor's house. Odd that it's the only direction he faces, while barking at nothing. 

Thank the Gummi Mary, Farmer H is still around to distract me from my moping. He carried in some old groceries Tuesday evening. A box of trash bags, and two kinds of paper plates. He actually put them away. Sort of. 

He got the box of trash bags right. Set them on the floor beside the wastebasket, in the recess under the counter where a dishwasher would go if I had one...

Farmer H put his "good" paper plates under the few remaining "good" paper plates on the counter. Then things went awry.

I was sitting at the kitchen table, shocked at his disbursement of those three items. All I'd asked was for him to bring them inside. Farmer H took the plain paper plates, that I use for things like chopping onions so as not to dirty my cutting board. I keep a few in the wooden paper plate holder emblazoned with "Everyday China." The rest are in a cabinet to the left of the sink.

I saw Farmer H trying to sneak the sealed package of plain paper plates into the cabinet. I had ASSUMED he was going to rip open the package and stack them. He even asked where they went. Despite my succinct directions, he opened three different cabinets. That man cain't understand nothin'! Finally, he opened the right one, and saw the stack of plates there.

"WAIT! What are you doing?"

"Puttin' this pack of plates up."

"Not like THAT! Why would I want a PACKAGE of plates in the cabinet? Take off the plastic and stack them on the others. When I need plates, I want to just reach up and grab some, not stop what I'm doing to unwrap them!"

I swear. Farmer H does these things on purpose, to get out of doing them in the future.

Moping And Hoping

There's no joy in Hillmomba. Farmer H and I are moping around, looking for any sign of our dear lost Lucky. Any little thing gives us slim hope. Like Monday night, when Jack made three trips around the porch. He usually comes up around 8:00, to get a drink from the water bowl. He sets off the motion lights, and I see his rumpus and tail as he trots past the kitchen windows. Then he sets the lights off in reverse order as he goes back towards the garage, where he likes to sleep in a hole in the gravel under SilverRedO.

Monday night, Jack went for his drink. But didn't come back. A minute later, here he came from the original direction, setting off the lights that had gone dim. He made another round of the porch after that. It's like he was looking for something. Chasing after it. Yet nothing else came by the lights or windows. I thought maybe he could have caught a scent of Lucky.

Farmer H said that Old Buddy told him on Tuesday morning that he'd seen a Facebook post by somebody who found a white dog by the bowling alley. I looked all over for it, and couldn't find it. Then that evening, Farmer H said it turned out to be a fluffy poodle-cross dog.

I've been wracking my brain, trying to make sense of the disappearance. With Pupsie, we knew she was kind of crazy, and could have gotten into something that could have led to her demise. Nobody could have taken Pupsie, because she wouldn't even let US get near her for capture, after a whole year of living here.

On one of the weekend days, while lying down for my nap before town, I heard Jack and Lucky barking a bit. Not a frenzy like a deliveryman. Just like barking at each other. THEN I thought I heard a man talking. I was so certain I heard a voice that I got up from bed, and went to peep through the miniblinds at that end of the house. I couldn't see anybody. Nor could I see Lucky or Jack, because of the way the yard drops away below the porch. I wondered if maybe Farmer H had somebody over at the BARn field, like he occasionally gives people permission for junking or hunting or burning scrap. I even asked him later, but he said no. It wasn't important at the time, because Lucky was still here until his Monday disappearance.

We can't imagine Lucky getting all the way to town on his own. There's the big river to cross. It was up from the storms on Saturday. I suppose Lucky could have gone across the bridge on the county lettered highway. But there's a lot of traffic on it. Different than Pupsie, Lucky would have gotten in a car with somebody. He's a friendly dog, and offers his paw to shake.

Tuesday afternoon, before my shower, I heard Jack barking in the front yard. Of course I went to look out. Jack was facing the neighbor's property, like when Copper Jack used to come through the fence into our yard. I didn't see anything over there. Jack didn't run after it like a varmint. Just stood still in our yard, barking.

As I left for town, I heard Jack barking again, from the driveway. He came running to greet me. I heard something down in the woods by the garage. Like where Jack and Pupsie and Copper Jack used to chase the squirrels when I came up the driveway. The dogs  have a little trail into the woods. I heard the leaves crackling, but saw nothing.

Farmer H has apparently been driving around our gravel roads looking for Lucky. He hasn't said as much, but he brought up the fact that the people behind us, over the creek, have poured concrete to make a nice porch on former neighbors Nick and Bev's old house. It's not on the main road. No way Farmer H would know that unless he turned off, driving around.

As Farmer H says, we haven't seen a body. So that's a good thing. Lucky hasn't been run over out here. I can only hope that wherever he went, somebody is feeding him. Maybe keeping him inside. The pound originally said it seemed like he was housebroken. And that his nails were trimmed.

Farmer H hopes Lucky may come back. I hope so too, but I think it would have happened by now, which is Wednesday at noon, as I'm typing.

Canine Houdini

I don't even want to write this. The Universe has gone too far this time, toying with my emotions. Even Farmer H is sad.

Lucky is gone!

Everything had been going fairly well since Farmer H rescued Lucky last Tuesday. Despite the four escapes from his lead in the side yard, and his Jack attack (provoked!)... Lucky seemed to be settling in. He didn't bark much. Just lay in the side yard in the grass, a definite improvement over his wire and concrete CELL indoors at the dog pound. 

Farmer H took food and water to Lucky every morning. He had his own food dish and water bowl and house. He looked forward to Farmer H's arrival every afternoon, barking and wagging. Farmer H gave him treats and pats. 

On Monday afternoon, Farmer H sent me a text from his SUS2.5, asking "How's your dog?" I told him "Not barking." That was the norm. I thought nothing of it. But when Farmer H got home at 3:00, he came in the front door (instead of the kitchen as usual), and said, 

"Lucky is gone! I pulled my truck in the front yard. I was gonna clean it out after petting Lucky. But he's GONE! His collar is undone! Still on the lead! I don't know how he coulda done that. It clicks together. It never done that before when he got loose. He just slipped out of it, and it was still fastened. I adjusted it to be tighter. I don't know how it could have come undone!"

It was a blue nylon collar, with those black plastic prongs that click together. Then you squeeze it to undo it. A dog can't to that! Especially not when it's around his neck. UNLESS... maybe Lucky was stretched back, pulling against the lead, and twisted the collar just right to make one of the prongs slip out. Farmer H said maybe he could have pulled hard enough to get it by his mouth and bite it. But there was no sign of chewing.

This almost makes me think somebody let Lucky loose! He and Jack were not friendly enough that Jack could have been chewing on the collar. Anybody wanting to "steal" Lucky would surely have taken the collar as well. Lucky had been here for 7 days. Not really long enough for anybody passing by to notice him. There's only a couple of kids out here now. One teenage boy who rides a 4-wheeler too fast. I doubt that he would come into our yard.

We don't know what time Lucky left. He was here at 6:30 a.m. Around 7:45, I heard Jack out front, barking. Only for about 5 minutes. Lucky might have gotten loose then, or just before Farmer H got home. We don't know. There's been no sign of him now for 24 hours. 

Farmer H put Lucky's picture on the Facebook of our enclave. Nobody had seen him, but our neighbor said she would be looking out for him. Farmer H put it on his regular Facebook. That evening, a guy said he had seen a white dog looking similar to Lucky over by the Sis-Town Elementary School around 3:30. That's past The Pony's house. Farther than where Lucky was originally picked up by animal control. So Farmer H thinks it was a different dog.

I think Farmer H is sadder than I am. He spent more time with Lucky, and they had bonded. I feel so bad that we rescued Lucky. Now he's not even in a cell with food and water.

No good deed goes unpunished, I suppose. I told Farmer H to call the dog pound guy and tell him we'll take Lucky back if he's caught again. And not to cancel the vet appointment November, in case we find another dog to "rescue."

Now All The Baby Steps Are Going Backwards

Just when I thought I was making some progress in training Farmer H to be kitchen-efficient... he has had a major relapse!

We had Casey's Pizza for supper on Friday, with leftovers for two more days. Farmer H usually warms his leftover pizza in the microwave. I prefer mine in the oven. Makes it seem like it just came out of... um... an OVEN, heh, heh! One evening Farmer H had come home late from an auction, while I was getting my own supper ready, and I offered to put his pizza in the oven with mine. Well. That was certainly a mistake! Because he saw the difference.

Anyhoo... there are two parts to this tale. Two major steps backwards in the training of Farmer H.

Friday evening, he came in carrying the pizzas. Set the boxes on the cutting block, taking up all the room there, when I've told him for years to set them on the stove. Farmer H went out to check on Lucky. To pet him and give him some "treats" from a baggie of ham chunks I had set on the counter for that purpose. I moved the pizzas over to the stove, where the cardboard boxes could "breathe" a little sitting over the burner coils, and not sweat from sitting on flat wood of the cutting block.

Farmer H came back in, and went straight to his pizza. He got his own plate. I had already torn off a paper towel for him, not wanting him to hold onto the top of the roll with his wet dirty hands after washing them. Well! Farmer H fooled ME! He didn't wash his hands! As he was walking into the living room with his plate, I called after him:

"THIS is why I don't want you putting your hands in food I'm going to eat! You were petting that dog, and handing out old ham, and didn't wash your hands before you touched your pizza!"

"Huh. My hands are clean enough."

Not even the common sense to be ashamed!

Anyhoo... On Saturday evening, I was already sitting at the table with my scratchers when Farmer H came home. He was puttering around, wet from the downpour, going out to check on Lucky. I figured he would warm his own pizza when he was ready. But I just had to ask...

"So, you're going to microwave your pizza when you come back?"

"Well... unless you want to warm it in the oven."

"I don't really want to, because I just sat down with my tickets. It's not hard. Even you could do it! 350 degrees, for 10 minutes."

"But I don't know how."

Sweet Gummi Mary! It's not like he was performing brain surgery! Or re-wiring a house. Or cutting off a MACK truck trailer, adding hydraulics, and turning it into a dump truck. It was just turning on an oven, putting pizza on a pan, putting the pan in the oven, and setting a timer for 10 minutes!

Of course that was beyond the capabilities of Farmer H. So I did it while he was outside. Let the record show that he did NOT wash his hands when he returned. Maybe the rain cleaned them a little.

Bamboozled By The Brewing Storm

Rain was in the forecast for Saturday. I knew that, because I saw several weekend events that had been postponed, or moved to an inside venue. It doesn't seem like a "ghost walk" would be nearly as much fun, even if it was held inside a building in a neighboring town called "heritage hall." I felt bad for the organizers of that event.

Anyhoo... in planning my trip to town, I consulted the weather radar of a news station. At first I was thwarted by a random hiccup of HIPPIE, who refused to connect me to the internet. Everything had been just fine for the first half hour I was on. Then the connection stopped. The weather was fine at the time. Bright and sunny. Of course I had also been planning to pay the gas bill for our Bargain House flip property online. Seems like I'm always inconvenienced when there's something important I need from HIPPIE.

Anyhoo... despite my efforts of restarting, shut down and start-up, tinkering with HIPPIE's innards including wi-fi and troubleshooters, and trying a different browser... nothing would let me connect. More infuriating, HIPPIE declared that I HAD an internet connection! No problems found.

After about 50 minutes, HIPPIE became compliant again. Nothing I did. Simply worked like normal when I tried a website. By now, my time was running short for getting two blog posts typed up, and checking the weather. So I tabled the bill-pay for the next day. It's not due until the 28th. Takes me 15-20 minutes by the time I get into the site, make the payment, record it, document The Pony's portion for tax records and reimbursement, and then file it with the Bargain House bills. I don't like to feel rushed, and I'd rather have my blog posts done before leaving for town.

I finally got the weather radar map loaded, and checked the futurecast. Indeed, the storms were coming. Even if I left home before showering, it would put me in a hot spot. So I looked for a window of just light green (light rain) across my section of that map. Aha! There it was. I could have about an hour before the next dark red wave entered Hillmomba. I had time to type up two blog posts, take my daily  20-minute nap, shower, and drive to town.

The storm came in waves, as I knew it would from the radar. When I left, there was just a light sprinkle falling on T-Hoe. As I approached town, there was a black cloud. I expected it. The weather was supposed to be passing north, before the next wave hit. I should be safely home by then.

WELL! That radar map, along with its cohorts, the lying meteorologists, had betrayed me! I went into the Gas Station Chicken Store without incident. No rain at all. I went across the street to the Liquor Store. No rain at all. Only one stop left, the Casey's.

With it being Saturday evening, people were buying their party supplies. I was lucky to be fourth in line. The three ahead of me were buying alcohol and vapes. Two were together. The next gal was with them but making her own purchase. She paid with cash. I stepped up. The cashier was a new girl. Really slow, but at least polite. I was almost tapping my toes, because it was taking SO LONG. It looked like she scanned my three winners and printed out the tickets separately, rather than with just the total winnings on one ticket. Somebody needs to show her how to do that!

Anyhoo... I heard thunder. I looked outside, and it looked like NIGHT! Car lights were on. That dashed my hopes that it was just tinted glass, even though I go there frequently and know it's regular glass. Lightning flashed! A second or two later, more thunder. Dang! This gal was taking so long!

It was indeed very dark as I went back to T-Hoe. A big dark cloud coming from the south. I went back across the street to Casey's. My rightful handicap space was open. As I turned off T-Hoe, rain began to fall. BIG drops. I got out and hobbled to the door, the rain falling heavier with each step. I looked like a drowned rat by the time I got the door open. I could hear the rain on the roof.

"Wow. It's really coming down!" said the young guy, one of the newest cashiers.

"I know! If only I had been here five minutes earlier! I'd like to cash in these winners, and get more tickets."

Young Guy took them, and turned to the terminal where they scan the winners. "Oh. The system is down. I can't scan them."

"Okay. But you can still sell tickets, right? For cash? So I can buy new tickets."

"No. It's all down because of the weather. I can't scan them."

"Really? You can't scan the price?"

"No. Sorry."

"Well, the weather is not YOUR fault! I just wish I could have been here a few minutes earlier. Now I have to go back out in that!"

[Here's my deal. When the Gas Station Chicken Store's lottery terminal is down, they can still sell tickets. That's at the cash register, same way they do it at Casey's. They just scan the PRICE section of the ticket, with the scanner they use on all their merchandise. It rings up just fine. It's separate from the lottery terminal where they print out draw tickets, and scan for winners. They can't sell DRAW tickets when it's down, but they can sell scratchers. So maybe this guy just didn't know. I seriously doubt that it works differently for Casey's.]

Indeed, it was black as night, rain slamming down. By the time I got to T-Hoe, I was as wet as a drowned rat that had been trapped under a log for 24 hours, floating down the Mississippi! Wetter than when I got out of the shower! I had to drive home with T-Hoe's windshield wipers on maximum speed, at about 25 mph, though it seemed much faster. According to my pre-planning, I should have still had 30 minutes of my "light rain" window left.

Of course you guessed it. By the time I got to the Mansion driveway, the sky had lightened, and the rain was just a sprinkle again. I didn't see Lucky at the end of his lead. So I figured he was in his dog house. I had made sure Farmer H allowed him enough cable. I had asked the night before, when I knew it was going to rain. He assured me it would reach.

Little Jack came out to T-Hoe, and went in the big garage door when I opened it. Jack was dry, so I figured he had been on the porch. It had obviously rained just as hard here, because the roads were running with water headed for the creek.

Farmer H got home about an hour later. He was dripping. Said it had poured on him all the way home from his SUS2.5. 

"I'm going out to check on Lucky. To make sure he can get to his house. He's standing out there in the rain."

"You told me he could! So you didn' even check? But I think Lucky is fine, because I didn't see him when I came home."

Farmer H took lucky a piece of bread and some ham chunks. Said he COULD reach his house, but was still standing outside. Of course! Lucky has learned how to make Farmer H come over and interact with him, heh, heh!

Anyhoo... it's bright and sunny this afternoon. But with winds gusting to 31 mph. I'm still planning on going to town. Just as soon as I pay the gas bill online...

A Harness Was Not The Solution

After the altercation between new dog Lucky, and my little Jack (the instigator), with Farmer H caught in the middle... all parties retired to their respective corners. Farmer H came into the Mansion for first aid for his bite/scratch. Lucky was left on the lead with his collar. Jack disappeared.

As I left for town, Jack came around the corner of the garage. I didn't see any bleeding on him. He was moving slower than usual, and seemed subdued. I hope it was just embarrassment from his recent thrashing, and not an internal injury. 

Farmer H later told me that he went back to put the harness on Lucky, on his way to the BARn. Jack came running, and Farmer H stuffed him into the pet carrier that had brought Lucky home. Then he put on the harness, which fit just fine. He let Jack out. Said Jack made sure he stayed out of range of Lucky on his lead. Farmer H went over to the Freight Container Garage to get some parts he needed to repair old fishing poles that he had in the BARn.

"I heard something behind me, and turned around, and it was LUCKY! He had chewed through the harness! I bet it hadn't been on him 20 minutes! He just came in looking for me. I walked back over to his cable, and attached it to his collar again. I guess that's the only way we can keep him tied up!"

"That may be how we ended up with him! Nobody could keep him in town, because he kept getting loose! Where was Jack?"

"The two of 'em were roaming around together! Not fighting!"

"I guess because you weren't there to fight over!"

"Maybe. I cain't believe Lucky chewed off that harness!"

For now, the collar is doing the trick. I drove T-Hoe over there to pet Lucky when I came home on Friday. He is a sweet dog. He jumped up once, but I said, "NO! Sit!" and he did! Then I called him back, and he stood for petting. Meanwhile, Jack had run over to greet me, and was jumping up like a fool. But he's small, and I told him no and pushed him down. He stayed out of Lucky's reach, getting petted with my right hand, while Lucky got the left.

When Farmer H got home, he took pork chop bones out for both dogs. Said Lucky was happy as he put the bone and a slice of bread in his food bowl. And that Jack had followed along into Lucky's territory, wagging his tail, and ate his portion that Farmer H tossed on the ground.

I have hope that we can manage their relationship without further incidents, until time for Lucky's very special operation.

Shackytown Boulevard Is Paved With Gravel And Good Intentions

When we last convened, Farmer H had settled our new rescue dog Lucky in the side yard, over by Shackytown Boulevard. Lucky had slipped his collar three times, and Farmer H got a too-small harness to contain him. 

Wednesday afternoon, Farmer H had exchanged the harness for a larger size to fit Lucky. He was outside putting it on, as I readied myself for town. When I got out of the shower and dressed, Farmer H was back in the house.

"I don't know what we're gonna do! Them dogs went crazy! I had Lucky by the collar, with my left hand, trying to put the harness on him. Jack jumped in, and started nipping at Lucky. Bit him on the balls and the pecker! Lucky went after Jack. He had him on the ground, underneath him. I couldn't pull Lucky off. Lucky was on top of Jack, with his mouth around Jack's head. I kicked Jack out of the way--I mean, I scooted him with my foot, and he still kept coming back! Lucky pulled me off my feet, and I was on the ground in the middle of it. Lucky bit me!"

Farmer H held up his arm, which was dripping a little blood from a long mark on the inside of his left bicep. No puncture holes. One gouge, about three inches long.

"Wait. I don't think Lucky could have bit you on the arm you were holding him with. That must have been Jack."

"Maybe. It happened so fast, I couldn't tell. It might not be a bite. It might be from claws."

"Yeah, Jack has those digging claws. And Lucky has feet just like that. But again, if you were holding him with that arm, it was probably Jack."

"Jack started the whole thing, running in and biting Lucky."

"I believe that. Jack can be a little sh!t. Is he okay?"

"Jack got bit on the eye. I hope it's all right. He run off yelping. I don't know what we're gonna do. They're gonna kill each other!"

"If Lucky wanted to kill Jack, he would have done it. You couldn't have stopped it. But he didn't. He taught him a lesson. Once he gets his operation, that will help."

We got Farmer H's bleeding stopped. Put on some antibiotic ointment and a big bandaid. Farmer H said he was okay. But he looked shaky from the adrenaline rush. I said I'd stay home, but he said he was going over to the BARn to do some work.

I don't blame Lucky for the fracas. He was restrained by Farmer H, held captive with Jack biting him. That's not a fair fight. They had been fine together the day before, wagging tails and sniffing, just a few warning growls, then more wagging.

Usually, we introduce new pets by sitting on the side porch with them, the new one in a carrier, giving both treats, and reprimanding any signs of aggression. Then more petting and treats over the following days, so both are getting attention from one of us. I told Farmer H that next time he's working with Lucky, he needs to first toss Jack into SilverRedO, so he can't cause trouble. I'm pretty sure it's just Jack's jealousy, and trying to protect his territory.  

More on this saga tomorrow.

The Escape Artist

Here's a picture that was a happy accident. I was tossing little chunks of bread to Jack and Lucky on the front porch, when Farmer H first came home with Lucky. They finished, and were looking at Farmer H on the sidewalk. How cute is this??? They are "twinning!"

Farmer H took our new dog Lucky over to the side yard by Shackytown Boulevard. Rather than putting the giant screw into the hard dry ground for Lucky's lead, Hick attached it to the guide wire that steadies the electric pole holding our dusk-to-dawn light. Lucky promptly took a walk over to the edge of the woods, and got tangled in the underbrush. Farmer H had to go rescue him.

"I guess that ain't gonna work!"

He led Lucky across the beginning of Shackytown Boulevard, to the old swing, and hooked the lead to one of the swing legs. I went back in the house. Hick came in to get his BARn keys, and said,

"That dog got out of his collar! Turned around and backed up and slipped out! He done it THREE TIMES while I was out there! I guess I need to get a choke collar."

"I don't like that."

"Well, he wouldn't get loose. And I don't think he'd choke hisself. Maybe I'll get him a harness."

So Farmer H went to town for a harness. But he got a medium, and it was too small. So he said the next day, he'd exchange it ($31.99) for a large. Meanwhile, he put the screw in the ground for the lead, and moved Lucky away from the swing, because he'd gotten tangled in the trees there, too. So Lucky was by the dog house in the side yard, where Scarlett had spent her first few weeks.

Lucky didn't bark much at all. Only if Farmer H went out for something. He has kind of a "hound" bark. Almost baying, at the end of the bark. I'm not sure what his other breed might be.

Wednesday, Hick came home with the large harness. THAT'S another story entirely...

It's Our Lucky Day

Tuesday at 1:00, Farmer H went to the dog pound to adopt the pet of my desire. The animal control guy said, "He's been here a long time. I've been waiting for him to get adopted." Farmer H was given paperwork while Animal Control Guy went out to get the dog. Farmer H called me.

"I was sittin' there fillin' out the form, and the dog come in and put his head on my knee."

"He knew you were there to rescue him!"

"I guess. He let me pet his head. He's a big dog. Almost as big as Copper Jack, but not quite. But he's that shape of dog."

"Is he fat?"

"No. He ain't fat. But he's a healthy-looking dog. Strong. And his leg ain't broke!"

"I was looking on Facebook, and they'd updated it to say, 'Paw is all better now.' It also says he knows how to 'sit' and 'shake.' And that he might be housebroken."

"Well, I got him in the back of the truck now. On the way home."

Here they are out front. Jack is getting a sniff. Farmer H said we should call the new dog "Lucky." That's fine with me. I'd thought of "Barney," after seeing the original picture. Once I saw him in person, I think Lucky fits better. He IS a very lucky dog that we rescued him from the dog pound.

For now, Lucky will be on that wire lead that hooks onto a screw in the ground, used for Scarlett. Though I think Farmer H learned his lesson about driving by on the Gator, and won't almost-strangle Lucky by catching the lead on the axle! Anyhoo... Farmer H's plan this time was to hook the lead to the guide wire on the electric pole over by Shackytown Boulevard. That lasted about three minutes...

Tomorrow I'll give a better picture, and the tale of Lucky's first day.

The Quest For Pet

On Monday after he returned from his trip to Illinois to return "stolen" merchandise, Farmer H called about the dog I want to rescue from the Sis-Town dog pound. He got central dispatch, who said the animal control guy wasn't working that day. This was expected, because it was Columbus Day, a holiday observed by the state of Missouri for government workers, so the local government usually follows suit.

Anyhoo... I took that as a good sign, because if WE couldn't talk to somebody about adopting this dog, then nobody else could, either. Farmer said would try on Tuesday. Meanwhile, I was obsessively (don't say you're surprised) checking the Facebook page for any new comments. Just in case somebody else was trying to steal my abandoned, broken-legged, intended pet! Only one new comment, saying he deserved somebody to give him a good home.

Shortly after 9:00 on Tuesday, Farmer H called. 

"I talked to the guy at the pound, and he said he can meet me at 1:00 to get the dog. He said, 'You realize this dog weighs 40 lbs!' I said I didn't, but that was okay."

"Why would he tell you that?"

"I don't know, unless he thought maybe we was gonna keep it in the house."

"Can you get him okay?"

"Yeah. I brought the pet carrier in the back of my truck."

"Do you have a collar and leash?"

"No. But I'll have him in the carrier."

"Can you lift him?"

"I can lift 40 pounds, HM!"

"Well. What if he runs off when you let him out of the carrier? Takes off on three legs! You still won't be able to catch him."

"I have the lead from when we had Scarlett out there."

"But you might need a collar! I guess the Dollar Store might sell them. Or the feed store."

"Yeah, the feed store right there in town probably has them. I think I have what I used on Scarlett. A leash. I'll get him home."

"Are you sure you want him in the side yard like Scarlett? You could put him out front by the driveway, under the big cedar tree."

"No, I think I'd rather have him at the side, in the light."

"I hope he's not mean and snarly. The lady who found him said he was nice."

"If I can touch him and pet him, he'll be better than Pupsie!"

I don't know what "being in the light" has to do with anything. We're not going to be outside with this dog at night. Both places have shade and sun throughout the day. With temps in the mid-70s now, he'll be fine wherever we keep him. A couple weeks, and he can be let loose to hang out with my little Jack.

I'm excited!

I Don't Know Whether To Mark The Calendar Or Check For Fever

A strange thing happened here at the Mansion on Sunday. So out of the ordinary that the occasion must somehow be commemorated.

FARMER H ASKED FOR TWO VEGETABLES!

That's right! No need to rub your eyes, thinking you misread my pronouncement. The man who only eats meat and sugar asked for two sides to go with the meat, and they were both vegetables!

I had bought some pork loin chops at 10Box on Saturday. They looked fresh and meaty and delicious. It was a huge pack of thick pork chops. I thought there were 8, but it turned out to be 12. It was $1.57 a pound. The whole pack was under $20. I don't regularly buy pork chops, but I think this was a good deal. 

Farmer H was going to put 8 of them on GassyG Jr, to grill with BBQ sauce. I froze the other four, for the future, to be coated with Shake N Bake and cooked in the oven. Now we have four nights where I don't have to "cook" supper, only warn it up.

But here's the freaky part. When discussing the meals, I offered Farmer H several side dishes. They included baked beans, salad, baked potato, fries, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, other noodly pasta from a packet, green beans, or frozen Chinese vegetables.

I figured Farmer H would pick one side dish for each night, because we also had Hawaiian Rolls, and the pork chops are really big. But no! Farmer H wanted both green beans AND the Chinese vegetables!

Sunday morning I made the green beans, because they take a while. I didn't have any bacon to throw in, but I found some ham in the freezer that I had already cubed for beans when the weather cools off. I browned that in a saucepan with a small diced onion, then added two cans of green beans. I added a grind of black pepper, and let the pot simmer for an hour. That's how we like our green beans: cooked down until they're limp and full of flavor. I added a can of sliced new potatoes, and let it simmer another 15 minutes. Then it was satisfactory to cool off and sit in FRIG II until time to warm up for the meal.

The Chinese vegetables were in a bag in the freezer. I had bought them to add to my leftover Chinese food a couple weeks ago. They were disappointing! I had used the first bag, and discovered that it was 80% carrot coins, with about 4 pods of peas, a few crumbly broccoli florets, and five slices of water chestnuts. Back then, I has sorted out the carrots, of which I'm no fan. Farmer H ate them as a side dish and liked them. So now this bag of vegetables was just right for him, though he accepted my offer to put some cheese over them.

Farmer H ate his meal and pronouced all foods "Good." I had my chop with a side salad. The meat was quite tender. Farmer H IS a good griller. 

Tonight he'll have the same thing, and I am planning to have some mashed potatoes in place of my side salad. The green beans will last him all four meals. Farmer H says he's fine with just the meat, green beans, and rolls. I guess he doesn't want to overdose on vegetables.

Even An Old Gal Like Mrs. HM Can Dream

You know I don't ask for much. Just the occasional oil change for T-Hoe every couple of years, a Reuben Sandwich once a month, and Farmer H to do my bidding. But for the past couple weeks, I've had a yearning. Not for myself, mind you. I'm selfless like that. No, what I wish for is a companion for my little dog Jack.

Jack is lonely. First from the disappearance of Pupsie months ago. At least Jack still had his neighborly companion, Copper Jack, who has always pretended he lived here during the day, and half of the night. Now that Copper Jack has gone over the rainbow bridge to live on a big farm upstate, my little Jack has no canine companionship. He runs to greet me as I leave and come home, all wriggly with excitement, his long body undulating with pleasure. He follows Farmer H when he's outside doing chores. But most of the day and night, Jack is alone.

I have been perusing the local animal shelters every day, looking for a suitable adoptee. Farmer H had at first agreed, soon after Pupsie's disappearance. But then cooled on the idea. Now, he agrees that little Jack seems lonely. I told Farmer H that I think I found us a dog. He even looked at the picture on HIPPIE, and said that dog looked okay. We have agreed that a medium size dog would be best, with no pit-bull lineage. Any age or sex or color.

Here's my dream dog:

I hope I'm not jinxing it! He was found wandering the streets of Sis-Town last week. The stray hold time is up. He's ready to be adopted, and has limited time before something bad might happen. Supposedly Sis-Town is a no-kill shelter, but they are full. 

This little fellow is described as a heeler mix. Looks to me like he might have some beagle in him. He has a hurt leg! He was holding it up when he was found. I fear that it might be broken. The lady who found him said she knows somebody interested in adopting him, but that was seven days ago. I realize this dog will need vet care for the leg. Of course he will need shots and neutering, because this shelter requires the adoptee to sign for such, and provide evidence. That is fine with us. We can afford to "fix" him. I'm not saying we'll fork out thousands for surgery, but hundreds are in our budget. An x-ray and a splint/cast should at least help him recover.

Now I fear that somebody else will take him. Friday was when he was first available for adoption. I have not seen any updates on the Facebook page. Monday is a holiday, for Columbus Day. Tuesday will probably be the first time somebody at the city/shelter will respond to our interest.

Farmer H agreed Friday evening that we could get him. City employees don't work weekends. Farmer H says he will try to go and adopt my dream dog. Saturday night, he came in from the front porch, talking to my little Jack, saying, "Yeah, we'll get you a buddy."

"YOU PROMISED JACK! So now you HAVE to get this dog!"

We'll see how things go. Poor doggy. Lost and hurt, held captive and probably in pain, but at least out of harm's way, with food and water. 

I hope I am not getting my hopes up for nothing. I imagine Jack and New Dog romping in the misty morning, play-fighting while feinting to snap at each other's forelegs, chasing after Farmer H on the Gator, barking to greet me as I come down the driveway. It's a Lifetime Movie kind of rom-com fantasy. I really want to rescue this dog.

Overconfidence Does Not Cure Helplessness

Here we go again. Some people should not be allowed in a kitchen. Not for the simplest of tasks. I'm sure you know who we're about to discuss. I'm sure you will not be surprised at the outcome. I could just stop here, and let you each use your imagination to pick the atrocity inflicted on my kitchen, but I'll leave that exercise for another time.

Friday evening, Farmer H came home a little later than 5:00. Of course that meant he wasn't there to carry in the 8-lb pack of center-loin pork chops that I bought for him to grill on Sunday. I had the groceries carried in, and had just sat down with my scratchers when he arrived. He had stopped to buy colored pencils for his NEW LOVE, the wooden sign made for his SUS2.5 by a buddy.

Anyhoo... supper was just going to be a section of the BIG SANDWICH that I had bought at Country Mart on Thursday. I had already carved it up, with a single serving for each of us in our own color-coded Chinese Tupperware containers on the bottom shelf of FRIG II. He was having potato chips on the side, and a dill pickle spear.

"I guess you want me to set out your pickle for you..." (I usually set it on a folded paper towel to drain off the liquid before it gets put on the plate.)

"No. I can get it."

"Well, let me tell you how."

"I think I can get a pickle, HM."

"I don't. You need to get a fork. A CLEAN fork! And the jar is on the bottom shelf of the door. Closest to the hinge."

Farmer H got out the pickles and took off the lid. "There's one sticking up right there. I can just use my fingers."

"NO! You'll get your dirty fingers in the liquid."

"I'm not gettin' my dirty fingers in the liquid, HM. See there?"

"You are tilting the jar! And the pickles fell down to that side. With the liquid!"

"No. I'm just grabbing a pickle."

"You have that jar practically on its side! GRAVITY! The liquid runs that way."

"It's fine. I didn't get my fingers in the liquid."

Sure he didn't. Funny thing, much later that night, when I went to FRIG II to get my own sandwich and pickle, my CROC stuck to the floor. Then made that sticky noise when I stepped back. I took a look at the floor. Halfway between the cutting block and FRIG II was a stain. Shaped kind of like a triangle, invisible unless I leaned back and looked at an angle. Mostly transparent, barely opaque, with a slight tint of greenish gray.

A fork would have prevented that problem. Me getting up to get out his pickle myself would have been easier than scrubbing pickle juice off the floor.

How can Farmer H not do the simplest thing without making a big mess?

A Day Later And A Shopping Companion Short

The day after highway maneuvers to get a friend to the bus station, The Pony tried to sleep in and rest up. The sleep was fitful. The Pony wasn't quite sure why, but said it felt like an ear infection coming on.

"I have that pain in my ear. I know what an ear infection feels like. Tomorrow I have to go give blood for labs, and I'm going to ask if the doctor can look in my ear. They're usually really good about working me in like that. I'll be home in time for our shopping trip."

Well. The person who was supposed to be there wasn't. The Pony gave the blood, and got an appointment for Friday at 8:30, with a recommendation to get some Aleve to help with the pain until the appointment. That worked, a little.

"I'm sorry. I'll have to miss shopping with you this afternoon. The thought of bouncing around in your T-Hoe without shocks is not at all appealing to me right now."

Dang Farmer H and his lack of maintenance on my automobile! I had to go alone. I was fine. But I DID miss The Pony trotting back out to T-Hoe to pump gas, clutching my scratchers, while I had time to use the bathroom in Casey's. I had to do that before paying, and hoof it out to the pump myself.

Anyhoo... I had asked The Pony how an ear infection came about. "Did you get it underwater in your big tub?"

"No. I think maybe I was too rough with a Q-Tip."

Anyhoo... The Pony went to the appointment on Friday morning. Got a prescription for doxycycline, and a steroid for the swelling. We have to be careful, with me and The Pony both being  allergic to the -cillins. I also can't take the cephalosporins, and The Pony had a bad reaction to Cipro one time. Doxycycline should do the trick. It cured my pneumonia after my Unfortunate HospitVALzation.

At 11:16 on Friday, The Pony sent me a text:

"The Aleve and steroids seem to be kicking in now. Or at least starting to. Still clogged with gunk but feels muchhhh less swollen shut, and pain is slightly better."

I hope The Pony is on the mend.

Headed For The Hoosegow?

It's bad enough that Farmer H "stole" $200 worth of flea market merchandise on Monday, when Old Buddy loaded stuff into SilverRedO that he "thought" had been paid for. Luckily Farmer H straightened it out with the seller, and is returning it this Monday.

Mrs. HM had her own brush with criminality last Wednesday at 10Box.

I had stopped by for bananas, and picked up some lemons as well, plus some sardines in mustard sauce. I don't remember the total at the checkout, but it was under $20. As usual, I put my debit card into the scanner. The scanner wouldn't take it. Said to try again. So I did. Twice more. It wouldn't work. The cashier said to use the magnetic strip. So I slid my card through that notch. Nope. Twice more. Nope.

"Oh, no! I don't want to spend my LOTTERY CASH on food!"

"I know, right?" said the checker, who is the gal who always asks me if I've won anything lately. "Now it says your card has been declined."

"What? That's ridiculous!"

"Sometimes it does that when it can't read the card. Here. Does it have the TAP feature?"

"Yeah, but I never use that. My son did it for me in Country Mart the other day."

"Here, let me see it." She held the card on the TAP area of the scanner, and it worked. 

"Whew! I think I need to order a new card!"

How embarrassing is THAT? There was a line, too, because the other checker, a young guy, had gone outside to take a propane tank return. I've never had my card declined! That's preposterous! Our checking account was fatter than it's ever been, because we had not moved our money around since selling those two properties recently. Yet it seemed (to the people in line) that I didn't have less than $20 to pay for my few items.

Late on Thursday night, I called the automated bank phone number, and requested a replacement debit card. The computer voice told me it would be here in three business days, plus mail time. I got it today. Whoopee! I can make a less than $20 purchase again!

I also balanced my checkbook the next day, as I do once a week. It mentioned that a transaction was DECLINED for a mechanical issue. I wish those people in line behind me could have heard that news!

Meanwhile, Farmer H and I are going to try to stay one step ahead of the law...

A Whole Squadron Of Helicopters

Just when I thought it was safe to stop worrying about The Pony, I was pitched a screwball by The Universe. Dealt a bad hand. Poked with a sharp stick, to bring me back to reality.

You may recall that The Pony had a friend visiting from out-of-state. After the fireworks call on Saturday night, I left The Pony alone to enjoy his company. As far as I knew, the guest was leaving on Wednesday. I had no contact at all with The Pony until Tuesday afternoon. I was in town, coming out of the Gas Station Chicken Store, when I got a text at 3:48.

"Dropped friend off. Starting home."

Well. That was a surprise. Also a bit worrisome. This put The Pony in downtown St. Louis, starting home in the middle of rush hour. I did not reply, lest it take The Pony's attention off the road. In my mind, I calculated The Pony's ETA. It would probably be at least 90 minutes in that traffic. I got back home, and kept my eye on the clock. By 5:30, I was expecting a text any minute.

Nothing. I did not want to call. Maybe there had been a wreck, and traffic was stopped. I'd just have to wait. And wait. Then I got a text at 6:05 that made matters worse!

"Home. Had to loop back. The bus driver turned her away twice for some reason so I had to pick her back up. They rescheduled her for one at 1:30 a.m. so will drive her back then."

"Yikes! PLEASE be careful! Make sure you have gas!"

"Yup. Filled it on the way out."

"Okay. You might need a Coke on the way home. Might want to get one to take along, and not be in a downtown convenience store at 1:30 a.m. At least you will have conversation on the way up."

"Yeah."

"Keep me updated, but not while driving!!!"

"Yeah. Will text when leaving, then when we get there. Will wait this time to make sure they let her on."

Here's the thing. The Pony is not a night person. Sometimes goes to sleep at 6:00 p.m. Now, after a 3-4 hour round trip to the city, The Pony would be repeating the drive in the dead of night/early morning. Let the record show that the Thanksgiving car-totaling accident occurred when The Pony fell asleep at the wheel in the middle of the afternoon! Yes. I was worried. All evening, night, and early morning.

Midnight:05

"Leaving now. Will text you when I'm at the station waiting for the bus to actually accept her."

1:16

"Dropped her off. Waiting for the confirmation she's on the bus safe."

1:21

"Shouldn't be more than ten minutes to know."

1:31

"She's on it. Starting home, will message once I am."

2:40 a.m.

"Home safe. Gonna use the bathroom and pass the Not-Heaven out. Could I get a call at noon in case I sleep in? Just to make sure I'm up in time for an appointment."

"Okay. Sleep well."

WHEW!!! That is too much stress for Mrs. HM without a helicopter! I need to contract out some of my worrying.

I talked to The Pony the next day, trying to figure out WHY the friend got turned away by the bus driver. The Pony said nobody knows! That she had an actual ticket printed out there at the station. The bus driver scanned it, said, "Nope!" and motioned her away. She went back inside, and the ticket agent looked at it, and said, "That's the right bus for your ticket." The friend went back again, and the bus driver wouldn't even scan it. Just told her no again. So the friend went back inside, and the agent booked her another ticket, this time on a Greyhound bus. I think the other was FlixBus. The Pony said the friend said people she knows have had a lot of trouble with FlixBus before. So who knows what the issue was.

Farmer H said they should have just stayed in the city, and waited until the later bus. That might have been fine during daylight hours, when there were things to do like visit museums or shopping malls. But not late at night! Downtown St. Louis is NOT a safe place to be in the dark! And sometimes not in the daylight.

Fave Has A Bee In Her Bonnet

On my way into the Gas Station Chicken Store on Friday, I saw a dude standing out front collecting money. He had on a vest thingy, so it was legit. It was whatever charity gives out Tootsie Rolls when you give a donation. I don't normally give to people standing around collecting money in plastic jugs that look like hospital bedside urinals. But it's a real charity, and I had the right bills in my shirt pocket. So I handed him one on my way past. He offered me a Tootsie Roll, but I declined.

Saturday, ANOTHER dude was out front. This was an old guy with a scruffy white beard, sitting in a yellow-and-white webbed lawn chair. He started talking to me from the time I rounded the corner.

"Would you like to make a donation?"

"I just gave yesterday. Didn't even take my Tootsie Roll!"

"Thank you for donating! Do you have kids at home?"

"Not at home. My kids are in their twenties."

"Would THEY like a Tootsie Roll?"

"Nah, they're fine without it!"

He kept chatting as I finally reached the door. It wasn't busy that day. I was the lone customer inside. Fave was looking out the front window.

"I wish he'd quit asking people for donations! Most people give him something anyway. He doesn't need to ask. Something about it just bugs me. I guess I'm just bored."

Heh, heh! Fave is usually cheerful to everybody. I guess this guy was wearing on her, having to listen to him through the window. Even though at that time, she'd only been on shift for about four hours.

When I left, Chair Man started talking to me again. I was kind of a captive slow-moving audience.

"It's hard to get old, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I'm still moving. I'm just glad I can get out. A few weeks ago, I hurt my back. Hurt it sitting on the couch! And I could hardly walk. I had to take my cane everywhere. (Too late, I noticed his cane propped against the brick wall.) I was afraid I may never get out again. So I'm doing okay."

"God bless you for your donation. Take care."

I think the old guy was just lonely, and liked to talk. For all he knew, I was lying about donating the previous day. It was a social event for him, having a purpose to be out among strangers and bend their ear for a while. If he had been there the next day, I would have given another donation. 

On Sunday, nobody was collecting. I suppose that was a relief for Fave.

The Lying Isn't Really Necessary

You may recall that when I prepare supper for Farmer H, I do just about everything short of chewing the food for him. I also know that he will find a way to make a mess for me, even though I leave very little opportunity. I'm used to it.

Sunday night, Farmer H had eaten up all of his Chinese food that we got Friday night. So he was having chimichangas, the frozen version. I put them on a foil-lined pan to bake, along with some of the crispy potato coin thingies that are like tater tots. No, they don't really go together. But that's what Farmer H wanted. He turned down a salad (again, not really something that goes with chimichangas) and tortilla chips.

I asked if he wanted the usual cheesy salsa dip for his chimichangas, and he said no. I asked if he wanted cheese on top. Yes. The choice was some shredded cheddar, or a slice of pepper jack. He wanted the shredded cheddar. I sprinkled it on top and put the finished chimichangas back in the oven for it to melt. I knew it would run onto the pan. I figured it would become like a "cheese skirt" that I've seen on the cooking shows. A flat portion of melted cheese that drapes over the sides of a cheeseburger. Customers supposedly go crazy for the cheese skirt.

When Farmer H came to get his food, I had already put some ketchup in a ramekin for him, and twice as much salsa in a bigger container, like a giant ramekin. Farmer H would just dump these on his plate all willy-nilly. It's a paper plate, so no work for me, but I don't like seeing stuff all running together. He can at least be partially civilized.

Farmer H got his potato coins off the pan. Then started wrestling with the cheese-draped chimichangas. I had told him to do them last, and that had given the cheese a little time to solidify. They actually came off just right, with only a little left behind, which Farmer H scooped off the foil with his fork. Successfully!

Farmer H was happy with his meal. I was happy that there was not a mess. I set about scratching my lottery tickets. When he was finished, Farmer H returned his plate to the kitchen. He threw the paper plate away, and started rinsing the ramekins. RED FLAG! This never ends well!

"I hope you wiped that out! Don't be washing chunks of salsa down my sink! I have to pick them out of the drain with the end of a knife!"

"There ain't no chunks!" proclaimed Farmer H, while filling the larger container with water, and sloshing it along the sides of the sink. Twice.

"Then why are you doing that? Why are you rinsing the sides of the sink if there are no chunks?"

"I'm just rinsing out the containers, HM." He set them in the sink.

"If they're rinsed out, why are you setting them in the sink?"

"Because that's what you tell me to do!"

"No. That's when you wait a while to bring them back to the kitchen, and they have sauce stuck to the sides, and they need to soak. If you just rinsed them out, they don't need to sit in the sink. Put them on the counter with the silverware."

Of course you know what happened. Later, when I went to rinse off my plate (having wiped the rice particles off with a paper towel into the wastebasket (so as not to clog up my own sink that has no garbage disposal), I noticed that the water was draining slowly. I took out the strainer plug. [Pardon the condition of my sink. It DOES need a good scrubbing, but it's 27 years old. Even when it's clean, it's not sparkling.]

Of course there were chunks from the salsa blocking my drain! They had gone through this strainer, and were stuck underneath. I didn't take a picture of them in place, because I didn't have my phone in my pocket. It was over on the table, not worth walking around the counter when I had a more pressing job to do. 

I used the point of a paring knife to pick peppers out of my drain. When I was closing down HIPPIE for the night, I took my phone over to get the photos. I saved the evidence on the plate I'd used to cut up a lemon for my Zero Sugar Shasta Cola:

My intention was to point out the evidence to Farmer H the next morning. To show that I KNEW what he was doing, and yet he deliberately lied to me about it. AND had continued rinsing these peppers into the drain at the time I was telling him not to. However, the evidence shriveled up overnight, so I didn't bother.

Here are the holes in the drain where stuff like this gets stuck:

It's not a pleasant task to pick out particles with a knife tip. Farmer H tries to get away with this all the time, whether it's little chunks of mushroom and hamburger from spaghetti, or diced onions and beans from baked beans. Any little pieces that are left on his plate or bowl, he thinks he can run down the sink. He CAN'T!

There's no need to LIE about not-rinsing chunks of salsa down the drain, when he's IN THE MIDDLE OF RINSING CHUNKS OF SALSA DOWN THE DRAIN! That's the worst part. He could have stopped, and wiped them out of the sink when I called him on it.

I'm getting crankyier in my old age. Farmer H should be able to take 10 seconds to wipe off his plates/utensils, rather than making me dig his garbage out of the drain.