HEADING FOR WINTER... December (Part 77a)

Although Andre agreed the money was good he didn’t like working out in the cold. It was just our luck that the first two we put up were in bad conditions (light snow for the second one). I can’t say I was overly happy about the weather either but I had made $85 towards paying off my new room in just two jobs. When I stopped at the office to tell Dick about Andre he told me that they had gotten more orders than expected and that he was going to have to hire a couple of guys to put them up as customers didn’t want to wait. He could see the distress on my face and said that I’d still be able to work on Saturdays. The discussion gave me an opportunity to express my concern about the “showings” of our new room. We were supposed to get a $25 credit for each one. But Elle never knew who was coming or when people were going to show up. According to Elle’s records she’d shown it 17 times. That would represent $425. However, according to Dick he’d only referred 10 people. That meant some of the neighbors were just stopping by on their own. Luckily, Dick had a record of just who he’d sent. After a bit of a discussion he agreed to give us a $40 credit for anyone who ordered an awning and room who wasn’t on his list. I still didn’t like it but it was better than nothing.

Even though Andre and Rena were an "item", Andre told me that he was sure that she was “hot” for me. I was embarrassed and I’m sure I blushed when he told me. The problem, other than I was happily married, was the only thing I could relate to her was seeing her panties. I actually found her to be a nice person and very bright. The fact that she was working directly with Jay on the Purchasing Department project sort of proved that. She’d pretty much left me alone after I’d rebuffed her those few Friday nights after DP moved into the new space. I guessed that she’d zoned in on Andre in place of me. I wondered what would happen next.

Once Data Processing moved into its own space we’d pretty much distanced ourselves from the Audit and Control Department. However, officially, we were still a part of that department. When plans were being circulated about a Christmas party Jo suggested that we have our own. She offered to have it at her parents restaurant. Of the six of us only Linda, who had been an Audit and Control employee when the DP area was started, was against it. She still had friends who worked there. Jay and I were definitely for it. Neither of us wanted to be anywhere near Leo, the Deputy Controller, at any time at all but especially if liquor was going to be served.

Elle had managed to put around $300 aside from her teaching money for Christmas. Our “want/need” list was heavily weighted on the “want” side. There was one thing that I hadn’t added to it. Actually, there were a lot of little things under one category... race car. Eric, the guy with racing experience who’d moved into the park during the latter part of Summer, was “bugging“ me to get started on it. He’d offered to re-weld the roll cage and bumpers for me but we had to be able to move it for him to do so. It was missing three wheels and was up on cement blocks out in the work area of the park. As I’ve said a few times in earlier posts, timing is everything. About that time we had the first measurable snow. And, as I’ve also mentioned, the traffic circle (round about) just down from the County Center was always a bottle neck. One day Elle had called for me to come home to re-light the heater. As soon as I pulled out onto the highway I was stopped by bumper to bumper traffic. Police were there and for those not wanting to head due East, they were directing us though this small development. Even with that it was slow going. I was sitting here ”stewing“ and happened to look to my left. There was a car parked next to a garage. Even though it was covered with snow I recognized it as a race car. I made note of it for future reference.

I’d only gone to the races twice that season and really hadn’t made note of car numbers and names. It was few days later when most of the snow had melted that I stopped on my way home. I walked around the car and noted that it was in the same division I’d be racing in. While I was looking at it this middle aged man with a huge mustache came out of the house. He demanded to know what I was doing. Somewhat taken aback I explained I was just looking as I was putting a car together for the next racing season. That changed his demeanor immediately. He told me his son raced the car but didn’t live with him. There were two rims with tires leaning against the car and I mentioned that I needed three wheels so I could move mine to get some welding done on it. Without saying a word and without knowing my name or where I lived he wheeled the tires to the trunk of my car. Of course I told him both pieces of information but a good friendship was formed right there.

Jay, when we had moved the race car from his place to mine, promised to find some racing wheels for me. One morning, around that same time, he came in to work and motioned me to the window. He pointed to his truck and, initially, I didn’t know what I was supposed to see. Finally I made out three rims in the bed of the truck. I was excited even though there were no tires on them. The ”process“ was starting.

To be continued...