END OF SUMMER... September (Part 90k)


As to the Machine Operator exam, looking at the work Vi had done I was very concerned. The last time I’d seen Jay at the racetrack he told me that the whole field of Data Processing was changing very rapidly what with the introduction of tape drives. He said he’d converted about a third of the work they did to tape and that all new programs were being written to utilize them. I decided to talk with Marty about it even though he was only a “figurehead” as far as the responsibility of writing the exam was concerned. The result was he convinced Mrs K to have a meeting with Jay to hear his concerns. Initially, I was not invited but after Jay had left I was called in. Basically, he convinced her that the Civil Service department needed to take a completely new direction as far as Data Processing was concerned. He also pleaded that unless something was done about staffing the department immediately there was going to be a major disaster. He felt that they were actually three people short. Mrs K, acknowledging my background in the DP department and friendship with Jay, asked for my honest opinion of the situation. My answer was that everyone in the department was overworked, even back when I was there. Without job descriptions and without tests for each position it was an impossible situation for Jay to work with. Even though he was now gone from the scene I threw another jab at Leo saying that he stifled every request for help that Jay had made. At that point she thanked and then excused me. I left not knowing if I'd helped or hindered the situation.

I'll fast forward a bit to say that by the end of the week there was a meeting between the Controller, Jay and Mrs K. The result was a compromise that had to go before the Board of Supervisors. The proposal was to reclassify Jo and Lucy to Machine Operators and Andre to Senior Machine operator. They would be appointed on a temporary basis subject to them taking and passing tests for the position once the Civil Service department created the exams, posted the positions and actually gave them. As to Jay's other needs he would be allowed to advertise the positions and those hired would be subject to the same conditions as Andre, Jo and Lucy. When told I had a very good feeling about my involvement.

Mondays became my favorite day of the week. I'd venture to say that John pretty much felt the same way. I delayed actually discussing my fascination with panties and the women who wore them with John looking for a true opening that wouldn't make me look like some sort of pervert. He gave it to me on our way back from his second Manic Monday at the auditorium site in the West end of the county. He was describing a woman who had given him a "double look" when, after finishing her typing, went down on her haunches to rearrange things in her pocketbook. She lost her balance and had fallen backwards giving him a really good look. But then he asked me what I thought about bikinis. I was caught a bit by surprise and my answer was that I thought they were really great but I wasn't thinking of panties. I was thinking of bathing suits. He didn't know that and went on to say that his wife wouldn't wear them. I still didn't pick up the fact that he was still on panties. It took a little longer for me to grasp that and I did when he asked if my wife (he still hadn't met her) had any bikinis. Elle didn't have a bikini bathing suit and when I told him he laughed and said he was talking about underwear. Then we both laughed. I told him that with Elle’s pregnancy there was little chance for that in the near future.

Unfortunately, talk about our wives generated a suggestion from John that we all get together sometime soon. On hearing that I took a deep breath and waited. My first impression of his wife had been completely negative. John was still commuting from in near the city where he and his wife were staying with relatives of hers so I figured it would be a while. Not so. He said that she was riding out with him that upcoming Friday so she could look around for a place to rent and he thought it would be a good way to end the day. I definitely wanted to stay on the right side of him so told him I’d check with Elle, hoping that she had some plans that would prevent it. She didn’t.

There were any number of reasons why I didn’t want to do it. Spending money to eat out was one and then paying a baby sitter was another. Going to church on Sundays once again had put us back in contact with Karen, the girl who, more or less, ran the nursery during the church services. Both of our girls liked her to the point that my oldest, Jean, stated with the honesty only four year olds can get away with, Karen was only thing she liked about church. We’d previously used her as an emergency baby sitter so Elle dialed her up. She had intended to go to the movies but when Elle said we’d be home early she agreed.

Elle met us in the parking lot and after the introductions, Louise, John’s wife took total control of the conversation and pretty much “grilled” Elle about our kids, her job and where we lived. Elle, innocently, said that we lived about 5 minutes away at a mobile home park. I can VIVIDLY remember Louise’s reaction and words... “You live in a trailer! Oh my! You poor dear! Don’t you get claustrophobic?’ These were the words coming from a woman (with her husband standing right beside her) who basically owned nothing but a 1954 Chevrolet four door sedan, a black and white TV and some clothes and who was mooching off one of her relatives. I wanted to hit her up side her head. John just stood there, not saying a word or expressing any concern for what his wife had just said. Elle, bless her, didn’t respond in a negative way but tried to defend our way of living. I was so mad I’m surprised that I didn’t say something really crass... but I didn’t. At that point John suggested that we head for the diner. I wanted to head home but Elle gave me "tug" to follow along. Hmmmm.

If I spoke a dozen words during the whole time we were at the diner it was a lot. I just couldn’t believe that there were people like her out in the world. Maybe I’d led a somewhat sheltered life but she was definitely a ”pip“. Back at home I quizzed Elle on her ”take“ on Louise. She was the one who’d lived a pretty much sheltered life so I was surprised when she shot back that Louise was a control freak. She added that John appeared to be a ”Casper Milktoast” and afraid of his wife. I couldn’t disagree. There was definitely two different sides to John... one away from his wife and one with his wife. I only liked the side away from Louise.

To be continued...