Wednesday, April 29, 2015

CHANGES... good and bad (Part 131d)

CHANGES... good and bad (Part 131d)

Back at work I finally got to sit down with Hobie and went over my morning with him and presented my plan of action. I did leave out J J’s involvement though. I can’t say he was enthusiastic but he didn’t offer up any further ideas. As soon as 3pm came and the doors were closed and the drive-up window was shut down I took Katie aside. As I’ve mentioned before, Katie was one of the first employees to embrace the shorter dresses and skirts. Because of working the drive-up window and it’s location there wasn’t much opportunity to take advantage of her higher hemlines. However, when I asked her to sit in the side chair to my desk I got a very nice peek. The design of the chair had a very deep seat from the front edge of it to the back. When Katie, maybe 5’3” tall, tried to “oooch” her way to the back her knees spread apart a couple of times and I got to see a pale blue color appear. It was refreshing, for sure.

What I told Katie was that she was way too valuable at the drive-up to move to the “front”. I also told her that she’d upset her “regular” customers if she were to move. It was partially BS and partially true. She wasn’t all that happy as we finished up but said she appreciated me taking the time to talk with her. As much as I would’ve liked to have watched her get up from the chair I kept eye to eye contact with her and was ultimately happy that I’d gotten the peek that I already had.

The next step was to speak with Bette in accounting to tell her that Janet would be joining the teller line. She seemed happy to hear the news. She and the other woman had worked together for many years so she was happy about that. I was tempted to mention that she would soon have an additional employee but decided against it. Janet, when I told her, seemed relieved. For me, even though she still had to go through training, it was still over three weeks until the busy season was to start.

To say I was happy to see the work day end is putting it mildly. I was on Main St. and almost to the Sears store when I remembered that I’d brought the page from the catalog that showed the lawn swing that Elle wanted. The store was open until 6pm so I found a parking place and went in. I’d not really looked at the price when I’d taken the page from the “want/need” pad at home. It was almost $100 and I did hesitate before offering up my Sears credit card. On the way home I debated with myself as to when I should tell Elle about it, finally deciding to wait until I could assess Elle’s reaction to the pressure cooker.

I didn’t have to wait long because, as I walked in the door, I heard the new cooker in action. Elle’s back was to me but I immediately noticed that all she was wearing was a her light “shorty” robe... an “invitation” if I ever saw one. I don’t remember what I said to get her attention but when she turned she blurted out “I LOVE IT!”... not “I love you.”, but “I LOVE IT!” That not withstanding, I knew I was somewhat back on her “good side“ but it wasn’t enough for me to just walk up and thrust my hand into her crotch. As stupid as it sounds I do remember asking her what was for dinner.

By the time I went upstairs and changed supper was ready. I do remember she’d used the pressure cooker to steam green beans and her kind of challenging me about how much better they tasted cooked that way. As soon as the kids had finished and were outside she came over to my chair and sat on my lap. She was obviously very happy. I remember sitting there and not really knowing how far she’d let me go. I didn’t have to wait long as I felt something very warm in my groin area. As hard as it was physically, because of the way she was sitting, I got an almost instant hard on. She’d only done that once before and it had been in a somewhat similar situation. After a few minutes she got up and led me up the stairs. I didn’t have to do a thing as she stripped my wet clothes off and pushed me down on the bed. I didn’t see her take her panties off but she was on top of me before I could position myself. It didn’t matter because she was definitely ”in charge“.

Only one word could describe it; ”Whirlwind“. I (and it) didn’t last for long but she was happy anyway. Hearing the kids in the yard brought her back to reality and she headed down the hall to get washed up. I picked up the wet things including her panties. Finding them ended my thoughts of her being naked under her robe when I’d arrived home.

The previous week the school board had convened a special meeting. I’d pretty much forgotten about it what with all that was going on in my life at that time but that evening Elle got a call from Pat (the PTA lady) saying that she was calling for an emergency meeting of ”the group“. The kick-off for Bob’s campaign for the school board was to start on Saturday and this being a Monday night didn’t make sense to me. Pat told Elle that most of the others could make it that night and it would be at Bob’s house. Finding a babysitter at that time (about 7:30pm) was unreasonable so Elle told me to go. I didn’t really want to as she’d stayed dressed in just her panties and the light cotton robe and I was certainly enjoying the ”view“.

The ”emergency“ was that the school board had modified their by-laws as they concerned elections. The way it had been each position stood on it’s own. When a candidate declared for the board they would choose who they would run against. With the change it was now going to be the top two vote getters who would be elected. For Bob it would make it difficult as he could no longer cite his opponent’s record and how he would make a difference. It was now going to be a popularity vote and with him being relatively new to the community it put him at a disadvantage. The only thing we could do to combat that was to get Bob in front of as many people as possible before the election It was a somber group that left to go home. In my mind I wondered what had prompted the change and, more importantly, was it legal for just the board to modify their own by-laws. Back at home, in spite of the way Elle was dressed, I couldn’t get the election off my mind.

The next morning, at work, I made a call to the bank Trustee (an attorney) who had sided with me on one of my presentations and asked him about the legality of the action taken by the school board. I liked what he told me in that it was highly unlikely without the community voting on the change. But, he said he’d look into it a bit further and get back to me. At that point I went back to concentrating on bank issues and the most pressing was in getting Janet trained.

The situation with Janet while in the accounting area had brought up an interesting point. Basically, she’d been snubbed by the long time employees who hadn’t worked with her and her training. I’d been using Cara to train new tellers because she was the best one I had but she could also be less than forthcoming if she decided she didn’t like the individual she was training. Even though Gina was the newest teller, she’d shown that she grasped the process quickly and, in this situation, wasn’t an ”old timer“ and probably wouldn’t look at Janet as an outsider. So, I decided to tap her for the job.

To be continued...

Monday, April 27, 2015

CHANGES... good and bad (Part 131c)

CHANGES... good and bad (Part 131c)

The rush of blood to my nether regions also went to my head... which wasn’t good. The pounding had abated a bit but the excitement of seeing the panties had my temples pounding again... but I wasn’t about to abandon my quest. I’ll admit I was a bit disappointed in not seeing the flowered panties I’d observed on Sabrina just a short time ago. However, I was now up close to a goodly number of panties that I hoped would reveal some interesting information. I recognized a few of them as being the Carter’s ribbed cotton Spanky Pants that Elle wore. But there was a group that looked like they were also Carter’s panties but they didn’t have the familiar band leg that I was used to. They had regular elastic around the leg openings. I carefully removed a pair and, sure enough, there was the Carter’s label right in the middle of the back panel elastic. It truly was something new, at least to me. Another thing was that they all seemed to be new... crispy white with no staining in the crotch area. As usual, my mind wanted to know just where she’d gotten them.

Walking back to the house I was really curious as to why she’d worn the flowered panties that day and if she had more. My head was back to hurting really bad so after swallowing a few more aspirin I headed for the recliner in the den. When I woke up it was much later and as I looked out into the back yard I could see Sabrina’s clothes were gone. The thing was that Elle and the kids weren’t back yet and I was actually hungry. I waited until around 6pm before accepting that she wasn’t coming home to cook. After making myself a couple of peanut butter and honey sandwiches I headed back to the recliner. When the kids woke me it was after 8pm. I heard Elle calling them from upstairs to get ready for bed. I fully expected to see her come down the stairs once they were there but she never did. That was when I recognized that it had become a matter of principal for her. I knew I’d been wrong but, being naturally stubborn, wasn’t going to cave in... at least not yet.

The silent treatment continued the next morning. There were some words spoken about what to tell her mother about Kaye’s medications but that was all. By then I knew it was going to take something monumental to get her attention. It had been a long time since I’d looked at our ”want/need“ list. Right on top of the ”want“ side was the same item that had been there since before we bought the house... a pressure cooker. There was a reason for that. I wanted no part of one even though Elle’s mother had used one for over 25 years. My fear came from having seen my mother’s cousin who’d been scalded by one as a young woman. I think I was about 4 or 5 years old when I saw the scars on her face and it left a lasting impression. We’d discussed it any number of times and the last time we did I was about to agree to it... but didn’t. So... I figured that would be as good an ice breaker as any.

As I looked at the rest of the list I also saw the last item on the want list was a lawn swing. For Mother’s Day I’d given her an ”IOU“ in her card. My usual gift to her had been clothes but with her teaching on a full time basis she was too occupied to take the time so we’d agreed to wait until school was over. But, the lawn swing had never been discussed and here it was, on the list, and with the page from the Sears catalog tucked under the last page. I was about to put the list back in the drawer when I decided to take the page with me.

I knew my first priority at work was to find a replacement for Jerene. What I didn’t expect was to see Katie, the drive-up window teller, waiting by my desk. She didn’t waste any time letting me know she wanted to go into Jerene’s place. In my mind that was not an option. She’d been pressed into service a few times and it hadn’t gone well. She had a tendency to get flustered when there were multiple people in line. At the drive-up she could only see the car in front of her window and she was fine. But, I wasn’t ready to discuss the matter with her at that time.

No sooner had she walked away and there appeared Laura with an obvious problem in her hands. When Jerene’s last pay check had been cut on Friday the $40 she’d taken was deleted from her net pay. However, Jerene’s cash box was still missing the $40 and accounting had to get the matter squared away. I took the papers that Laura had and headed up the stairs to the accounting department. Bette was on the phone and as I stood waiting for her, Janet, the woman I’d hired to replace the accounting clerk who’d decided to retire, walked up to me with a frown saying that we needed to talk. Here it was only a little after 9am and I’d already been ”attacked“ with three problems.

I got the money problem fixed with Bette and as I was about to leave her desk she told me that the clerk who was going to retire had changed her mind. When she announced it she agreed to stay to teach her replacement the job. But, in the process decided that she liked the job too much to leave. That gave me a pretty good clue as to just what Janet’s problem was. But... I was wrong... at least partly wrong.

When I got Janet aside she told me that she’d been overheard complaining about the lack of direct training she was receiving and that J J had approached her about working for him. I have no idea what my facial expression was like after hearing that... but I do remember being mad. J J just had a way to stick his nose into things he had no business in. As I’ve written in prior posts, J J had been lobbying for a ”floater clerk“. Whereas Hobie oversaw my area, Bert, the president, oversaw the whole mortgage area and he’d not approved any additional hiring. J J, by approaching different employees and offering a position he didn’t have, was creating a bit of turmoil. When Janice told me I almost got up and charged into J J’s office... but Janice, seeing my agitation, said she wanted a job that she could wrap her hands around. It was more of a way to diffuse the situation when I said that I had a teller’s position available. I wasn’t expecting any kind of an answer, especially when she smiled and said ”Why not?“

She hadn’t put it on her resume but, when still in high school, she’d been a cashier at her parent’s diner during Summers and on weekends. I ended up telling her that I’d be back to her because there were ”moving pieces“ that had to be addressed. During the examination that had just been completed the lead examiner had indicated that her final report would strongly suggest that the bank hire additional help in the accounting area. Janet was already there but obviously dissatisfied. To be safe I felt that I better talk with Hobie and, possibly, Bert.

The earliest Hobie would be free was after lunch and he was taking a late one. Bret took the early one leaving me to go at 12:30pm. My first stop was the appliance store where I’d seen pressure cookers displayed ever since we’d moved back to the area. Ironically, there was a street that ended right there at Main Street. Going North on it a little over two blocks was the school where Elle was teaching. Looking at the box in my hands I decided that I’d walk up there and put it in the station wagon so she’d find it when it came time to go home. I’d originally wanted to see her face when she saw it but, under the circumstances, thought this to be a better idea.

To be continued...
          

Friday, April 24, 2015

CHANGES... good and bad (Part 131b)

CHANGES... good and bad (Part 131b)

When I was racing full time I’d be nervous while waiting to go out onto the track but it would disappear once I was on it. On that night I didn’t have time to get nervous. On the track I remember driving past the starter’s stand and feeling no nerves at all. I pulled into my spot; front row, outside position, and then looking over at the car next to me. I didn’t know the driver but in the few weeks we’d been at the track to race I remembered him having all kinds of bad luck with things breaking or having flat tires. Since ”B“ hadn’t won but a few dollars it meant that he had won even less.

We made two parade laps before the green flag was waved. The last race I’d been in I crashed, hard, into that first turn fence but I never thought of it at all as I headed towards it. I had my foot on the accelerator pedal as hard as I could mash it and when the turn came up I never lifted my foot. The car made it and as it got to the straightaway I could see I’d almost passed the other car. Going into the third turn I did the same thing hoping that I’d make it again. I did and by the time I passed the starter’s stand for the first time I was in front. I stayed there until the last lap. That was where my rustiness in driving came into play as I drifted up the track and the guy who was following me got to the inside of me and pushed me out, beating me to the finish line by about a half car length.

At first I was disappointed that I didn’t win but as I pulled off the track and into the pits I realized that if I’d won they would’ve taken a picture... the last thing I wanted. Pulling into the pit space I could see the guys running towards the car. They were really excited. ”B“, because of his size, had to walk but I kept my eyes on him. It was easy to see that he wasn’t any where near as excited as the others. Waiting for him to reach the car I realized that for our ”switch“ to work, ”B“ had to at least act like the driver so I called him over and handed him the helmet and told him what I wanted him to do. He wasn’t to keen on it but I pleaded with him and he took a position, leaning against the car, with the helmet in his hand. Because there were two other qualifying races for our division I was thankful there weren’t many people who came over.

I could understand how ”B“ felt. I’d just shown him up, big time. I tried to make him feel a little better by telling him that, at the least, a prospective buyer would know that the car was somewhat competitive. It didn’t seem to help. He was really down so I told him that I wasn’t going to race in the feature race but that didn’t help. He didn’t want to talk so I went out to watch the faster cars. The ”unmarrieds“ followed me wanting to know what was going on with ”B“. When I told them I wasn’t going to drive in the main event they were shocked. Tom, who was the closest to ”B“, grabbed Martin and headed back to ”B“ and the car. I kept heading for the pit grandstand.

When those races were over the non qualifiers races followed. Because we’d been in that race since the season started there weren’t many surprises in the makeup of the field of cars so I headed back to where the car was parked. I saw this really tall guy talking with ”B“ and the others just standing around the two of them. When ”B“ saw me he called me over. Listening to the conversation it was obvious that the tall guy was interested in buying the car and that ”B“ was in a much better mood. I had no idea if a price had been discussed but what I did hear was ”B“ telling the guy that he wanted me to drive the car in the main event.

I tried to protest but the guy readily agreed and that left me in an unenviable position. If I raced and crashed, the deal, of course, would be nullified. I tried my best to get out of it citing the promise I’d made as well. But the guy reached into his wallet and pulled out four $100 bills and handed them to ”B“. Then he said ”B“ could keep whatever the car won and if I didn’t crash he’d give him another $50. With that I didn’t take just one deep breath as now I was really nervous.

However, just like almost always before, pulling out onto the track took all the nervousness away. Again, I was in the front row and the same car that had been beside me in the qualifying race was right there beside me. I knew I’d gotten the ”jump“ on him at the start of that race and pretty much knew it’d be hard to do again. But I really didn’t have a choice. I saw the green flag waving for the start and floored it. Once I got through the turn I found I was in second place which wasn't all that bad. The feature race was twice as many laps as the qualifying one and I immediately started wondering how long it would be before the faster cars, all of whom started behind me, would be banging on my back bumper.

There were a couple of crashes behind me that caused the race to be slowed (called ”cautions“) a few times but by the time I saw the starter hold out two sticks, parallel to the ground, indicating two laps to go I was still in second place. That’s when I looked in my rear view mirror and saw one of the fastest cars in our division right behind me. With one lap to go he passed me and I was now in third... where I ended up finishing. I was exhausted and glad it was over. Back in the pits it would’ve been hard to tell that we hadn’t won the race for all the excitement. The new owner was happy... ”B“ was happy... I was happy... but still worried about my secret.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Just a note... That third place was the highest a Ford ”flathead“ finished for that whole season. By the next year there wasn’t even one racing at the track.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++

We ended up celebrating by going to the restaurant that was owned by Bebe’s (Pete’s girlfriend) parents. We closed the place and I don’t remember how I got home. When I got up (eventually) Sunday morning my car wasn’t there. Elle had taken the kids to church and I was left to try and remember where I’d last seen it. I hadn’t been drunk in years and I was one hurting individual. It wasn’t quite noon when I heard a knocking sound. I was semi passed out in the recliner in the den and wasn’t sure where the noise I heard was coming from. When it finally came to me I answered the knock and saw Sabrina standing there with a wash basket in her hands. She wanted to know if she could use our wash line. The fog in my brain wouldn’t allow me to go back in time to the point that she’d asked me if it would be possible to use it when Elle was off at school. She reminded me of it and apologized for asking while we were home explaining that she’d been away most of the week. I knew Elle had done ours the previous day as I’d had to fight it while doing the lawn so said ”OK”. I was still too wasted to think about what might be hung on the wash line and went back to the recliner.

You don’t have to be married to know what it’s like when a woman gets really mad. When Elle and the kids arrived back home they immediately changed their clothes and headed for her mother’s house. She never spoke a word to me. The kids told me where they were going. The phone rang around 2pm and it was Martin telling me that he was bringing my car over. When he arrived he didn’t look that good either. He handed me the keys and then headed straight for the opening in the hedge and to Sabrina's. I knew he was in for a better afternoon than I was.

The wind came up, as usual, soon after that. I was standing next to my car and staring at Sabrina’s wash blowing in the breeze. All of a sudden the “fog” in my brain lifted as I saw a few panties among the items of clothing. I made my way out to the line, ducking under a sheet, to find about ten or so white panties staring me right in the face. I stood there for a minute not doing anything but trying to sort out just what I was going to do. My brain was operating like there was molasses in it. The first thing that came to me was that Elle probably wouldn’t be back for a few more hours. The next was that Martin would probably be occupied with Sabrina for a while. Once I had that figured out I started my “inspection“.

To be continued...      

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

CHANGES... good and bad (Part 131a)

CHANGES... good and bad (Part 131a)

Thinking about Jerene all the way home, I couldn’t stop feeling that I hadn’t done enough when Liz, the auditor, had brought the proof sheets with Jerene’s “errors” to my attention just a short time before. I’d come to the conclusion that Jerene had been “borrowing” money from her cash drawer and trying to hide it with her “errors”. I wondered if others, possibly Gina because of how close they’d become, weren’t doing the same. I decided to speak to Liz first thing Monday morning and to ask that she do a surprise cash count on a couple of tellers, Gina included. Thinking this way did not make me feel good but I knew it had to be done if for no other reason than to “send a message”.

Jerene, Gina and the bank were soon forgotten as Elle greeted me with the news that“Big B” had called and wanted me to meet him at the barn at 8pm. It was after 7pm when I got home and still had to change my clothes and eat. I won’t say that I “knew“ what was coming but the mood that ”B“ had been in on the ride home from the track was a good indication. Arriving a little late, I was still there before ”B“ did. The surprise was in seeing the ”unmarrieds“ there. A quick poll showed we all felt that ”B“ was going to tell us that he was quitting. I was torn in that I knew in my heart that he would never make it as a racecar driver but, on the other hand I’d invested a lot of time and effort into putting the car together.

”B“ walked in with a package under his arm. Without saying a word he unwrapped it to expose  ”For Sale“ signs. Actually, there were three. His first words were ”I’m done!” I don’t remember who it was that asked but one of the guys wanted to know how he was going to go about selling the car stating that he couldn’t just put an ad in the paper. That began an animated discussion among the five of us until I, finally, stated that the only realistic way to sell the car was to take it to the track where the most interested parties would be located. After some additional discussion, it was decided that we’d take the car to the track, as usual, but with the sale signs attached to see if anyone was interested.

Elle was surprised, but happy, with the news. I remember her asking rather facetiously what I was going to do with all my “free time”. After the day I’d just experienced I was in no mood for her humor. In fact, she made me mad. I don’t think I spoke another word to her before heading for bed. However, her question had me thinking about what the Summer would be like without the races as I lay there trying to go to sleep.

Since “B” wasn’t actually going to be racing we decided we didn’t have to be at the track as early as we’d been arriving. I got my usual Saturday morning chores done and actually had a nice lunch with Elle and the kids before heading for the barn. I pretty much thought that only “B” would be going but all the unmarrieds were there at the barn. “B” and I hadn’t unloaded the stuff from the race car when we brought the car back after the races so it was still there when we went to hitch the racecar up to mine. We thought about unloading it but decided “why bother” and just loaded the tool box in the trunk of my car and took off.

The first practice session was on the track when we pulled in. “B” told the guy at the gate that he wasn’t racing but he insisted that we had to pay anyway. After unhitching the car we just sort of stood around as if we were waiting for hoards of people to show up to look at the car. One fellow who did was a former competitor of mine who I hadn’t seen in a couple of years. He wanted to know why the car was for sale and “B” told him that he was “too busy at work” for racing. I almost choked when I heard that and I saw Martin hiding a smile. Then the guy asked how much “B” wanted for the car. There was dead silence as we all sort of looked around at each other. None of us, least of all “B”, had brought up the subject. Finally I heard “B” say $500.. and I remember the guy shaking his head and saying “Not with a flathead motor!” and then walking away.

Back when I quit racing the old style “flathead” V8 Ford motor was still the dominant choice in the class we were racing in. However, the 6 cylinder Ford and GMC motors had taken over and there were only a handful “flatheads” still competing and were no longer competitive. I’d chosen the “flathead“ as a way for ”B“ to break into racing without spending a lot of money. When I sold my car it had a "flathead” motor but since it was only marginally competitive I’d only gotten $350 for it. So, for “B” to ask that much for a car that had legitimately only beaten one car, he was way out of line. To somewhat ease the shock of the guy’s complaint I asked “B” how much money he’d spent on the car. I looked at him and all I saw was his head shaking from side to side. He didn’t know.

They were calling for the second warm-up session when another old racing friend walked up. He saw the signs and asked why “B” wasn’t getting ready to go out on the track. Before “B” could answer the guy continued by saying that if we really wanted to sell it “B” should get it out there so more eyes could see that it was for sale. He finished his comments by saying that when he sold his car it was to a guy who’d seen it from the grandstands and come into the pits after the races and paid cash. That got our attention, at least me and the “unmarrieds”. We had to really urge “B” to strap on his helmet and get in the car but he did. Watching him circle the track was, as usual, painful. As he pulled into the pit space after the practice was over Tom came running up to “B” all excited. “They’ve got you scheduled to start second!”

Immediately, Tom, Martin and Pete started in on “B” to go out and give it one more try. I was standing there remembering the big crash in“B”s  qualifying heat the week before that took out almost half the cars. If “B” went out, starting up front, all I could think of was him getting to the first turn and slowing like he always did... and taking out the whole field of cars. I didn’t know what to say or do. But “B” had made his mind up that his racing days were over before I ever opened my mouth. Then, the three “unmarrieds’ turned their attention to me. Martin was just about pleading with me to drive the car saying it was a perfect chance to see what the car would do. I’d reiterated, any number of times, that I’d promised not to drive anymore and even with me reminding them of that they kept on. Their badgering started to get to me as down deep inside I wanted to know if the car I’d put so much effort into was any good or not.

It took them about five minutes to get me to the point of looking at ”B“ with a questioning look. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say ”OK“. I remember taking a few deep breaths and telling them all that if anyone ”squealed“ on me I’d get revenge, somehow, some way. Looking at Martin I told him that I’d need his shirt as part of a disguise. The cars for the qualifying heat were staring to pull out on to the track and I still had to change the seat belts to fit me as ”B“ was twice my size. Last call came over the pit loudspeakers to get out on the track as I put the car in gear.

To be continued...

Monday, April 20, 2015

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of Pace (Part 130n)

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130n)

It was mid morning by the time I walked in to the bank. There was little lobby traffic so I assumed that everything was going well. I checked with Bret just to make sure and he told me that Jerene had called in sick. I didn’t think anything of it at first but a little later on asked Trish to check on how many times she’d been out over the past few months. Trish surprised me when she came right back with “Four, since the first of April.” Jerene had been a reliable teller right from the start but there had been some recent “happenings” that had me concerned. I asked Bret if he’d talked with her when she’d called in and he told me that Bert, the president, had taken her call and had passed the information on to him. At that point I let it go.

I was about to leave for my lunch when a call came in for me. It was Bert. On his way home for lunch he’d seen Jerene in a convertible with the top down “cuddled up” (his words) with a young man. He went on to tell me that she’d told him she had something wrong with her stomach and couldn’t keep anything down. Then he told me that I should follow up on it. He really didn’t have to do that because I was already formulating a plan. I immediately called her home and a woman answered. When I asked for Jerene she told me that she was at work. That news made me mad. I was already upset from the earlier situation with the minister so the timing for this wasn’t good. Liz, the bank auditor, was still at her desk so I went to her and told her that I wanted her to do a cash count of Jerene’s cash box. She looked at me with a funny look because it was seldom done without the teller being present. When I told her that she could get Laura to be another witness to go along with me she relented.

We took the cash box up to the Board room and closed the door. There were a number of “hoops” we had to go through to get a copy of Jerene’s box key but once we did it went fairly quickly. The end of day procedure was for the teller to prepare her proof sheet for the next business day. That included a count of just how much of each denomination bill and coin was inside. When Liz finished up I remember hearing a muffled “Uh oh”. I asked what was wrong and she said the box was $40 short. We both agreed that Laura should do another count and when she finished the result was still the same. I called Hobie and he joined the three of us. It only took a few minutes for the decision to be made to terminate her. I remember having mixed feelings. Her problems had only started recently and I remember the last time I’d talked with her she had mentioned having a new boy friend. Bert, when he talked with me earlier, mentioned that she’d been “cuddled up” with a young man when he’d seen her. All I could think of was that her immaturity was the cause.

It was decided not to say anything to anybody that day but to wait until Jerene had been told she was terminated. I, for one, was not looking forward to it because I’d not yet fired anyone. On Friday I got to the bank early and was both surprised and glad that Hobie was there as well. He told me to handle it but he let me know he was available, if needed. Jerene, immature and naive as she was, wasn’t stupid. When she saw me at the back door waiting she pretty much knew what she was facing. Whoever had answered the phone when I’d called her home the previous day had to have told Jerene about it. Without saying anything I just escorted her to the back stairs and on up to the Board room. She was wearing a short skirt and I’m not going to say that she deliberately “flipped” it as she sort of skipped up the stairs but I had the thought she was still trying to “play games” with me.

The conversation was short. I told her about the $40 shortage in her cash box and that her paycheck would be delivered in a matter of minutes, minus the missing money. She made an abortive attempt to explain but I cut her short and told her that we (the bank) could press charges against her but wouldn’t. I also advised her not to try work at another bank, especially in the immediate area. When her paycheck arrived I handed it to her and told her it was time to go. As I looked into her eyes I could see the tears forming but I wasn’t going to be swayed. I escorted her back down the stairs and out the door. She got a few steps away, turned and looked at me one more time. I didn’t respond at all.

The doors had opened for business so there was no chance to call a quick meeting. That made it a bit difficult to get the word out, especially to the tellers. I expected that Gina would be a problem because the two had become friends. I took her aside and explained what had happened. Gina showed her maturity by not sticking up for Jerene and what she’d done. I got the distinct impression that she was truly surprised. The news made it’s way through the whole bank by lunch time. I was on until 6pm and by then it had become pretty much a non item. Before leaving I decided to take one last look at Jerene’s work area. There were a few personal “trinkets” and notes taped to the back of the counter which I removed. Lastly, I opened the drawers that were assigned to her. The top two just held forms and supplies needed for every day use but when I went to the bottom drawer it was locked.

The previous incident with Jerene had involved her leaving that drawer locked after work. The rules were that it was only to be locked during working hours and left open at night. The last thing Jerene did was to give me her keys and I’d turned them over to Liz. Since the cash drawer key was a part of that I knew that she’d locked them in the vault. Standing there I remembered how Ward, the man who ran the company that cleaned the bank, had manipulated the lock the last time to get inside. I wondered if I could do the same. I spent a few futile minutes on my hands and knees until I heard the back door open. Ward would stop by and leave off the materials needed for his crew to do the job each night and I was hoping that it was him. He was just locking the door and leaving when I ran up to it and got his attention. It took less than a minute for the drawer to be open. I told him there had been another incident and that the girl had been terminated. I explained that I didn’t have her key but wanted to make sure that there was nothing of import inside. He just smiled and headed for the door.

I hadn’t thought about what I’d seen in the drawer the last time I’d been in it until I was trying to get the lock open. As I peered inside I saw a sweater, a scarf and a couple of odd gloves... basically the same stuff I’d seen the previous time I’d been in the drawer. I pulled the sweater out and there was what I was hoping would be there... a pair of Carter’s Spanky Pants. I hadn’t touched them the last time but as I reached in to pick them up I rationalized it thinking to myself that I was just cleaning out the drawer for the next person to use it. The heavy creases in the panties where they were folded told me that it’d been a while since Jerene had worn them. Unfolded I could see the slight yellowing of the crotch and one dark brown stain on the leg band, obviously from a leak during a period. I thought about just taking them but, at the last minute, decided to put them aside with the other things and wait to see if Jerene called.

To be continued...   
 

Saturday, April 18, 2015

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130m)

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130m)

Sabrina was wearing a dress that went to just above her knees. To me, it looked as if she was dressed to go somewhere special, Jean. of course, knew who she was but the other kids stopped what they were doing to look at the strangers who’d just walked into their world. Elle introduced her to the other ladies and also to the kids by saying that she was an author, although, to me that was a ”stretch”. Someone asked what kind of books she wrote and I don’t remember her answer. But what I do remember was her asking the kids if they wanted to help her write a story. Her lisp and the fact that the sounds it made were like baby talk didn’t deter the kids as they gathered around her. What I witnessed was a bit amazing.

She proceeded to sit down on the lawn, yoga style. True to what I’d witnessed in the past, she was not overly concerned with modesty and as she positioned herself I was able to witness a bit of an upskirt. But what followed was a surprise. I won’t go into detail but she, somehow, mesmerized the kids as she drew ideas from them and wove a tale that held their interest. Aurelia was especially impressed. I don’t remember how long before she was through, but I, too, was impressed. I’d considered her “an airhead” and a dreamer but this little performance started to change that impression.
   
Naturally, I was taking pictures but, because of the expense of Polaroid film, was using a cheap Kodak film camera. As mentioned in the previous post, the weather had warmed to the point of being warm enough for shorts. Never one to shy away from a chance to take a VPL, I managed to get one of Elle as we cleaned up after all the guests had left.
                               


I’d not focused on the news that Nanci had delivered about a special school board meeting until after supper. I decided to call Jon (the milkman) as he was on the board. He was seldom home and this time was no different. Ginger answered the phone and after she told me asked to speak to Elle. I didn’t think anything of it as they were good friends and talked often. When she hung up the phone she came into the den and had a troubled look on her face. I asked about it and got one of the usual “it’s girl stuff” answers. I knew that if I didn’t “push” I’d eventually get the answer.

I’d hoped for some “special treatment“ at bedtime but Elle played the ”I’m tired“ card”. However, she seemed wide awake. With the lights out she rolled over towards me and asked how much hospitalization coverage we had. That, for sure, was out of nowhere. Even though it was dark I sat up and asked why she wanted to know. As she sat up she turned on her bedside lamp and had a funny look on her face. There was a definite pause before she said she might want to have an operation. That woke me completely up.

Then she told me about Ginger. Her “dribbling” had gotten progressively worse. After an embarrassing experience with her in-laws, her mother-in-law insisted that she go with her to a gynecological specialist in the city. The results of the examination showed that she had a “pelvic organ prolapse.“ I, of course, had no idea what that was. I listened as Elle tried to explain. Basically, the fact that Ginger had had four children, one right after the other, had left her inner muscles little time to recover. Because of that her bladder had dropped and was causing her incontinence. At that point I could see where this conversation was headed.

Elle went on to explain that Ginger was contemplating a fairly new procedure to somewhat repair the muscle damage. Elle didn’t get the name of it but understood that the doctor wanted to insert a sling like thing inside her to hold the bladder back in place. Elle, hearing about it from Ginger, was excited about the news and immediately thought that it might be applicable to her and her own incontinence. Hence, she asked about insurance coverage as Jon’s didn’t cover the procedure. What I was hearing was all new(s) to me so I didn’t have an answer for her. We talked about it for a while longer before turning out the light. I remember lying there and, selfishly, I admit, wondered what would happen to our ”wet play“ if she were to have such an operation and it worked.

Nothing more became of the discussion when morning arrived. We were all too busy getting ready for work and school. Thankfully, there was nothing of importance pending for me at work. However, if you remember back a few posts ago I’d mentioned about the new minister arriving with his family and the need for the church members to get the house cleaned and ready for their arrival. No one individual had taken charge which meant that on the eve of their arrival there was still work to do. I stopped by on my way home and saw that the lawn still needed to be cut and that no one had emptied the trash containers. At home I made a few frantic calls and put together a few of the younger members that I knew. We agreed to meet at the manse at 7pm and to do one last ”sweep“ of the place.

The driveway was blocked by a small flatbed truck as I tried to pull in. I wasn’t happy about having to be there in the first place and the last thing I wanted was to have something or someone create a problem. As I walked up to the truck this rather large young woman hailed me. She introduced herself as the minister’s older daughter. During the interviews he’d mentioned that he had an older, married daughter but that was all. I was flabbergasted when she told me that she was there to leave off her things. I know I wasn’t all that polite and I also don’t remember exactly what I said to her. In the middle of that exchange this also large man appeared along with a child about 4 or 5 years old. He’d heard me questioning the woman and was ready to take me on. Thankfully, two more (male) members of the parish had arrived during my time with the woman. At that point we had a bit of a standoff.

Since the phone hadn’t been connected there was no way to reach the minister (pre cell phone days). The three of us representing the church were uniform in our stand that the home wasn’t to be occupied until June 1st. All I knew was that it had to with insurance. Secondly, we all had understood that the minister’s ”family“ consisted of he, his wife and two younger children. The couple were incensed that we’d turn them away since it, technically, was only about 5 hours until it was ”legally“ June 1. There was no hesitation when we three just shook our heads as one of them tried to explain  it was all about insurance. It took until 8pm for them to leave. I’d had some ”reservations“ about the hiring of the minister. I couldn’t put my finger on the reason at the time and, after this confrontation, I had started to get an idea of what it was.

It was dark by the time the three of us headed for home. I, for one, was really upset and decided to call Bret to tell him I’d be a little late getting to work. I also called the Senior Warden (the head of the local church board). I wanted us to be at the manse when the minister and his ”family“ arrived so that both he and someone from the church could/would get the matter out in the open. I didn’t want a he said... she said” situation.

Without wasting time, the problem was that the minister had been less than forthcoming during the interview. In truth, he and his wife had taken their daughter, her husband and their child in and were supporting them. They were also supporting a young man who they’d taken in many years prior as a foster child. The church had thought there would be just four people inhabiting the manse but now it was eight. The arrangement was that the minister and his ‘family“ would have the use of the house and with all utilities paid. We had a handle on just what those costs were for a four person family from the records of previous minister. I remember the Senior Warden saying, when we were out of earshot of the minister, that we’d been ”hoodwinked”.

To be continued... 
     

Thursday, April 16, 2015

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of Pace (Part 130l)

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130l)

As I readjusted the brakes on the car I couldn’t help but wonder how Martin persuaded Sabrina to join him for the races. From all that I’d gathered about her she was from at least an upper middle class family and, as I’d observed, not very aware of the real world around her. Car racing, at least at this level, was definitely ”low class“. As time permitted I tried to observe her as she chatted with Bebe. Bebe probably would have been placed in the lower middle class and had nothing more than a high school education. When she worked it was as a waitress in her parents restaurant. I just couldn’t fathom what they could possibly share in common but there they were sitting on the front fender of Pete’s car. Bebe had learned her lesson about wearing white at the racetrack and was wearing dungarees (now called jeans) while Sabrina had on a pair of flowered slacks. Of course I was disappointed that I’d not be getting any VPL’s.

For all intents and purposes this was Memorial day weekend and, as tradition held it, a big weekend for auto racing. For the faster cars the schedule called for a longer than usual race and for more money. That always brought more cars into the pits and meant less time for practice for the less powerful cars like ours and we were told there would only be one session. I got the brakes adjusted and sent ”B“ out onto the track imploring him not to use them unless there was trouble, like a wreck, ahead of him. It was of no use as I could clearly see the car slow noticeably just before getting into the turns. After he came off the track and exited the car I sent him over to where they posted the starting lineups so I could back the brakes off again. I had the distinct feeling I was wasting my time.

In ”B’s“ qualifying race the only thing different this week was that there was a big crash taking out a lot of cars. When the race restarted ”B“ was in a qualifying position. That only lasted until all the surviving cars reached the backstretch. It was painfully clear that he was totally out of his element on a racetrack. For the non-qualifiers race he actually started near the middle of the pack. In retrospect, it was funny watching him get hit from all sides. He lasted all of two laps before pulling into the infield. No one dared say anything as he complained that there was something definitely wrong with the car. We all knew what it was... it was ”B“ himself.

In spite of it being a special race for the faster cars everybody (except me) wanted to leave. Martin wanted to go to a bar with Sabrina and Pete wanted to do do ??? with Bebe. Since I was driving (and towing the racecar) I told ”B“ if he wanted to leave he should go with the others. He stayed but wasn’t talking. I don’t think he said more than a dozen words from that time until we unhitched the racecar back at the barn. As I drove home from there I wondered if her would even try anymore.

Monday was Jean’s 9th birthday. With the next day being Memorial Day (we still celebrated it on the traditional day back then) Elle and I’d decided to hold her birthday party on that day since everybody would be off from school. There was always a parade on Memorial Day but the three villages in our township took turns and it was our turn. Elle had her Brownie troop were part of it so we all had to go and watch. The high school marching band and twirlers always led the parade with the veteran’s following behind them. It was always the same... except this year. Because Elle was in it I was right at the staging area as the the parade was about to start. The drum majorette, a fairly pretty girl, had arrived late and hadn’t had a chance to practice. I was watching her as she flipped the baton up in the air when the signal to start was given. She didn’t catch it and as it fell it bounced away from her. She went running after it and as she did I thought I saw some white appear from under the hem of her uniform skirt. What I expected to see was a golden color as the school colors were blue and gold. When she caught up with it she bent over at the waist and, sure enough, what I saw was white... complete with a half moon shaped crotch line. It was for only a few seconds but it made a memorable morning out of what was promising to be very boring. As an aside: I didn’t say anything and it appeared that no one else saw it as she continued on down Main Street, happily flipping the baton. I don’t know if she dropped it again but I’d seen what I wanted to see.

Jean’s big present was a full size bicycle. That kept her busy as Elle and I got things ready for the party. We’d borrowed another picnic table and set it up with the one we had out in the back yard along with some games for her guests to play. I was looking forward to the gathering as it had been a while since the weather had been warm enough for shorts. I hadn’t seen much of Sandy since the miscarriage and I was looking forward to her being there to help Elle with the kids. Ginger had a family affair to go to so she was going to be missing along with two of her kids. Aurelia said she’d be there but would be late as would Nanci. Elle, because she wore ”dribble panties“ all week for teaching, looked forward to wearing regular panties on the weekend when she was home. I liked that too especially when she wore slacks or shorts that would give evidence of a VPL and she did on that afternoon.

The first guests arrived around 2pm. I’m not sure how many kids were there but there were a lot. It’s not funny but it always amazed me as to how badly some kids behaved when their parents weren’t present. I wanted to step in a few times but was afraid to "step on toes" so was glad that Sandy was there to keep the peace. By her getting involved it afforded me some good rear end views which included a very good DP. That confirmed to me that she was, indeed, wearing her dribble panties. Since Elle and I’d made them up for her I was intimately familiar with the waist band elastic. As strange as it may seem, it always excited me to see it even if I’d seen it many times before.

Things with the kids calmed down a bit with the arrival of the other two ladies. Nanci had a bit of ”news“ in that she’d heard that the school board had called a special meeting for the next day. Without Ginger there to confirm it all I could do was to wonder what it was for. I was heading back into the house to get some more lemonade when I saw Sabrina pop her head through the opening in the hedge. I could see she had a present of some kind in her hand and immediately thought that it was a nice gesture, especially since she, Elle and I would most likely have been described as acquaintances. But, the real surprise was in seeing Martin follow her through the opening. My first thought was that he was really getting serious about Sabrina since he had to make a special trip, just for the day. I really hoped he knew what he was getting in to.

To be continued...       

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130k)

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 139k)

It wasn’t the lady who was the head examiner but it was the examiner who’d spoken at length with me about our bookkeeping machine (computer). When I saw him my heart sank. I thought for sure that he’d told Bert about my ”editorial“ concerning my fears as to what might happen if our existing accounting machine broke down and the lack of action by the Board. So, I was expecting a bit of ”heat“ but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Bert asked me if there were any applications in the file with people that had some accounting background. Of course I didn’t have an answer so he instructed me to peruse the applications and get right back to him. I thought that issue had been taken care of with the hiring of the new person, Janice, so was a bit confused. As far as I knew she was still expected to start on Wednesday. As I stood up to leave he asked if I’d brought the information on the service bureaus and held out his hand for the material. I didn’t tarry long as I passed Lena’s desk and headed back downstairs. J J had seen me waiting to go in to see Bert so stopped me as I passed by his office wanting to know what was up. I was in no mood to gossip with him and brushed him off taking the stairs, two at a time.

By the time I got to Trish’s desk my head was spinning with questions. She knew me well enough by then to know I was somewhat troubled. I asked if she’d heard anything in the way of news about Janice... if she had changed her mind. I remember her sitting there somewhat surprised at my question. I told her what had just transpired in Bert’s office and told her I had no idea why he possibly wanted another person in accounting. Now we were both puzzled.

Even though I’ve only mentioned the ”Polish Mafia’ as being down on the first floor, there were “tentacles” of it existing on the second floor as well. Anyone with any Polish in their blood was kept up to date regardless of department or floor. Trish went into immediate action and made a couple of inquiries to her contacts upstairs. It only took a few minutes to find out what was supposedly happening. One of the two clerks in the accounting department had decided to hand in her resignation and retire. Supposedly, she’d talked it over with her husband over the weekend and with the upcoming changes had decided that it was a good time to leave. After Trish told me I remember looking at her and making some facial expressions along with some hand and shoulder movements to indicate that I questioned the validity of the reason. She gave me almost the same response.

A quick perusal of the application file didn’t turn up anyone remotely qualified. Bert had told me to get right back to him but I knew I’d have to go through Lena regardless if I called him by phone or went in person. By then I was ready for the day to end so I decided that the phone would prove the least embarrassing method. As soon as Lena heard my voice I could hear a change in the tone of her voice. I could imagine her with a smirky smile as she rang in to Bert. When told of my findings he didn’t say anything to confirm what Trish had been told. So, as the day ended I was sort of left hanging without any resolution to any of the things that had transpired during the day.

Word got out that the examiners were leaving on Wednesday. Hobie, when he told me, said that the lady in charge was to meet with the three Board members who made up the “Examining Committee” ( another fee collecting farce) to give a preliminary overview of their findings and recommendations prior to the scheduled mortgage committee meeting. Then, the formal written report would follow in a few weeks and that’s when the bank would have to take definitive actions. Until then it was to be business as normal.

Janice arrived as promised on Wednesday. I got all her paperwork processed before taking her upstairs to Betts and the other two ladies who made up the accounting department. I knew J J would be right on top of the situation even though I didn’t think that she would be his “type”. She impressed me as being much more mature than some of the other women her age and less likely to listen to his “baloney”. I didn’t get past his office door before he was out and introducing himself with all his Irish charm. By then the word was out that one of the clerks would be retiring at the end of the month so transitioning Janice into the department without creating “waves” was made somewhat easier. However, I knew that once the examination report was received that another employee would need to be added. I hoped that “lightning“ would strike twice and another qualified applicant would just walk through the front door before then.

I consciously avoided Lena the rest of the week. In bed, at night, I tried to figure the woman out. As I’ve posted a few times before, she was not unattractive but she made no attempt to make herself be more than plain. She kept her hair short and straight and wore horn rimmed glasses... a stereotypical old maid schoolteacher look. Her clothes were modestly fashionable but as far as anyone knew, she had never had a steady boyfriend. On the few occasions that I’d had close contact with her I found myself somewhat uncomfortable, especially at the retirement party for the president that had preceded Bert. She’d had too much to drink and, in my mind, had come on to me. In the incident where I’d inadvertently walked into the ladies room while she was partially undressed she’d been ”playfully coy“ afterwards. There had been some minor repartee from time to time but I honestly hadn’t feel like I’d been targeted by her but this latest incident bothered me. By the weekend I decided that she was just having some fun with me and that I shouldn’t take it too seriously... at least that's what I hoped.

When it came time to hitch up the racecar to head for the race track on Saturday afternnoon I wasn’t all that optimistic. ”B“, as much as I liked him as a friend, was, in my mind, never going to make a racecar driver. I’d had all kinds of hope as we put the car and motor together during the Winter but his first few foray’s on the track had been a major disappointment... not only to me but also Tom, Martin and Pete. I’d heard from Tom during the week that he might not be going on Saturday night and his excuse seemed a bit flimsy. However, there was nothing I could do but show up at the barn Saturday and wait to see who showed up.

The LAST person I expected was Sabrina. She and Martin walked in together. Pete and Bebe were already there so I let them do their own introductions as I brought ”B“ up to speed. He was mildly surprised and told me that Martin had told him he’d sworn off girls after a few bad experiences. After Sabrina had been introduced to ”B“ and they had walked away ”B“ gave me one of those ”looks“ of disbelief. Her lisp and baby talk were off putting, especially hearing it the first time and "B" stood there shaking his head.

The women decided that they wanted to ride with Pete and Martin so they could get to know each other. ”B“ drove with me in my car as we towed the racecar. In a way it was good so that I could, again, try to persuade ”B“ to be more aggressive on the track. He claimed he was but somehow our conversation led hi to remember him that he hadn’t had much in the way of brakes the week before. I didn’t tell him what I’d done (back them way off) but told him I’d take a look at them before he went out on the track. At that point my ”plan“ was to tighten them back up for practice and then back them off again for the qualifying race. It wasn’t a nice thing to do but, as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures.

To be continued...

Sunday, April 12, 2015

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130j)

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (part130j)

Sometimes an unplanned event turns out to be better than a planned one. Even though there were only five adults and no alcohol to fuel the fun we had a good time. “B” took over the cooking chores while I finished digging up Elle’s flower garden with help from Sabrina and Martin. I managed to get one up close and personal view of Sabrina’s flowered panties when she squatted down to pull out part of a broken bottle from the area where I was digging. When the food was ready we sat around the picnic table and listened to “B” tell some funny stories having to do with his job. I remember one being funny enough that my ribs ended up hurting from laughing so hard. When Elle asked Sabrina about how her writing was going it kind of turned the tide as far a frivolity was concerned. Her “plan” was to move to the area to get involved with a group of female writers who congregated in our area each Summer. Up to that point she hadn’t made much, if any, progress. She told us she’d stopped writing her latest novel and was concentrating on writing some short stories about the “locals”. We pressed her as to who she was concentrating on but she wouldn’t give us any hints. By the time we started to pick up Martin and Sabrina were having what appeared to be a serious conversation. Sabrina ended up being the first to leave which kind of set the wheels in motion for both “B” and Martin to go as well.

I helped Elle do the dishes and get the girls ready for their baths with the idea of winning some “points” for later. When I went outside to put the charcoal grill in the garage I remembered that Martin had not returned the tools I’d loaned him for working in Sabrina’s yard. I headed for the opening in the hedge and as as soon as I got there I saw martin’s car in her driveway. I’m smiling as I write this because I truly remember laughing to myself when I saw the car. All I could think of was that Martin wasn’t a teen ager and had to live with the decision he alone made.

Elle was accomodating in bed but instead of me falling right to sleep I ended up thinking about the box of unmentionables. From time to time during the afternoon I’d thought about it and had come up with one certain decision... As nice as the fancy panties were there was just no way I could take a chance on keeping them. I reasoned that it there had only been the panties left behind then maybe the lady wouldn’t have missed them. But the total amount of items that she’d left behind would certainly cause her to follow up on them. During my thought process I wished that I’d sent Hank, the messenger custodian, to collect them but I hadn’t. Now the clerk knew my face and that I was from the bank so I was surely going to be involved when the lady made her inquiry at the hotel.

By the time I finally fell asleep I’d come up with the thread of a plan. I’d only had brief contacts with the lady during the week. I‘d noted that she spent most of the time in the board room and when she did come out it was to talk with Bert, the president. That meant that she had to have had multiple contacts with his secretary, Lena. I knew it was stretching it a bit but I thought that if I could get Lena to give her the box I might be able to escape any scrutiny. If you’ve read this tome for any length of time you might remember that right after being hired I managed to get myself into an embarrassing position with Lena when I walked into the ladies rest room with her partially undressed. Then, following that, at the retirement party for the then president, She’d had a bit too much to drink and had come on to me which turned out to be embarrassing to her. We’d “danced” around those incidents a few times and were probably “even“ but my plan was to ask her to have her say she’d retrieved the box taking me out of the equation.

I made sure I got to the bank before she did on that Monday. When I told her I needed to speak to her privately I remember the frown on her face. We stepped into the coat room and I, hurriedly, explained the situation to her. After hearing what I had to say she immediately smiled and stated that I should, definitely, be the one to give the box to the lady. Then she asked what specifically was in the box and, without waiting for my answer, proceeded to pick up the accounting pads. The fancy panties were right on top and when she reached in and poked them a bit she laughed out loud. Needless to say I was now beet red.

Truthfully, I really thought she wasn’t going to do it. I don’t remember pleading and I certainly had no intention of taking it that far but after a few seconds she picked up the pads and put them back in the box. I didn’t say anything as she picked up the box and started out of the room. At the door she stopped and turned to look at me with a sly smile. I think I stood there for at least a minute after she disappeared from my sight.

I made a point of watching the back door to see when the lady showed up. I wanted to know what her reaction was but I wasn’t about to call Lena. I had to give up on my vigil as I had to wait on a customer. Trish wasn’t at her desk when my phone rang so I had to answer. It was Lena. Before I could ask her she, somewhat excitedly, asked if I’d gone through the whole box. Surprised, I didn’t really have time to think and told her ”Yes..“. Then I heard the phone click as she hung up. As I put the phone down I realized my faced was flushed and the customer was still there. Another embarrassment. I really didn’t want to see Lena after that but she made a special point of coming downstairs to give something to Trish just to give me a ”look“. Her face showed a half smile and I knew I was in for teasing when she could.

It didn’t take long. That afternoon she called Trish to tell me to come upstairs that Bert (the president) wanted to see me and for me to bring the material I’d collected on service bureaus with me. I was so excited that maybe my plea to the examiner about my fears concerning our so called computer were going to be addressed. When I got up to Bert’s office I thought he had the lady who was the head examiner in his office and I had to wait... right by Lena’s desk. She didn’t say anything at first but then said that the lady had told her ”Thank you“. I thought that might be the end of it but it was just the beginning. She had this half smile on her face and her head was cocked a little to one side as she looked up at me. ”Did you really look at all her things?“ I didn’t answer but was actually biting my lower lip. Then she hit me with a bombshell. ”You know... I wear the same kind of lacy underpants.“ Hearing her say that shook me up... a lot. I was more than perspiring as I could feel something running down by my temples. Then, thankfully, Bert’s door opened.     

To be continued...     

Thursday, April 09, 2015

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130i)

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of Pace (Part 130i)

There’s no doubt I would’ve liked to have heard more but the pause, with the two of us just standing there, provided me with the opportunity to leave without me having to fabricate more to explain why I was looking at the panties.  As I made my way towards the hedge she, again, asked for me to help her find someone to fix her yard. At that point I knew I had to put the box back in the trunk and to get some work done in the yard before Elle and the kids returned. I remember thinking as I picked the box up that it was somehow cursed. I’d hit my head a good lick the night before and been caught looking at the panties by Sabrina. I figured that if I continued my quest something real bad would occur.

As much as I knew Elle wanted the area outside the kitchen for a flower garden I headed for the front yard to dig the holes for the shrubs that ”B“ had promised. I was about finished with the second one when I saw a car pull up the driveway. I didn’t recognize it so walked towards the back yard only to find it was Martin. When he got out of the car he asked if I’d seen his wallet in my car. He said he’d lost it and had already searched the barn where the racecar was parked. I’d not been looking for anything, especially in the back seat, so told him to take a look. In seconds he was waving the wallet through the window. It had come out of his pocket and gotten wedged between the seat and the the seatback. There was no way to avoid talking about ”B“ and his disappointing performance from the night before. I’d come up with the thought that ”B“ was actually scared while on the track. It made no sense to me and I surely wasn’t going to mention it to ”B“. However. Martin thought maybe we should ”challenge“ him. I wasn’t sure how ”B“ would take it so told Martin that we should give him a few more weeks.

He was using his father's car as he didn’t own one at the time. Working in the city, he couldn’t afford to pay for parking. As he was about to pull away he mentioned Sabrina and asked if I’d seen her recently. When I told him that I had he asked if I could come up with a way to reintroduce him to her. It took a few seconds for my mind to put Sabrina’s request for help in the yard together with Martin. He certainly wasn’t dressed for yard work and I knew he planned on catching the afternoon train for the city but I told him I could but it it was going to ”cost him”.

I led him through the hedge into Sabrina’s yard. As soon as he saw the yard he asked what had happened. I told him about the cows and just as I was about to bring up the subject of fixing it Sabrina appeared at her kitchen door. She actually had on clothes which, for me, was a change. I’d wanted to brief him on the idea of possibly doing some yard work for her as the “bridge“ before reintroducing him to her but it was too late. Sabrina had wasted no time in coming over to where we were standing. What was funny was that she’d assumed that I’d already arranged for Martin to do the work so started right in telling him what to do. The look on Martin’s face was one of disbelief. I could almost read his mind... ”What in the world is this girl talking about?“

I interjected myself into the conversation at that point and got everything back to square one. I had to remind Sabrina that she’d met Martin the day she showed off her father’s T-bird. She feigned remembering him but I could tell she was somewhat interested as the tone of her voice changed. She talked with a lisp which sometimes made it sound like she was using baby talk. In this situation she had softened her tone to make it sound even more so. It only took a few minutes of her persuading him for Martin to agree to do at least some of the work. I remember him mentioning having to make the 3pm train. At that time I left the two of them and headed back to my yard.

Elle and the kids arrived soon after. She was disappointed that I’d not gotten the flower garden by the kitchen started but I told her to follow me out front. She sent the kids inside to change their clothes and then I showed her what I’d been doing. I wasn’t sure that it impressed her all that much but I promised her garden would be ready for plants by mid afternoon. While we were talking about it she had a wry smile come across her face. Then she said something that didn’t make much sense to me. It was along the lines of ”I don’t know if you deserve this or not, but...“ I had no idea where she was going with it. She motioned for me to follow her and I did. Walking though the kitchen door she pointed to the kitchen sink and told me to wash my hands. That was the clue I needed.

Because she had access to a toilet at church she would often just wear a pair of dribble panties without the sanitary panties over them as the four layers of terrycloth in the crotch were more than enough to catch her dribbles. However, she chose not to use the church toilet before heading home. While loading the kids in the station wagon one of the parishioners stopped to talk with her. Elle said she thought she was going to embarrass herself before the lady finally walked away but she didn’t. So, now I was going to be the recipient of a ”treat”.

When it got to be around 2pm or so and Martin’s car was still in the driveway I went to take a peek through the hedge. He was raking the yard and from where I was standing it looked like he’d gotten the holes filled. I didn’t stay long as I still had a lot of digging to do before Elle could start her planting. I thought I was going to get it done before the promised hour but “B” drove in with his father’s pick up truck. There were two fairly large bushes in the back. The lay of the property made it impossible to back the truck close to where I’d dug the holes. There was no way just the two of us could move the bushes into place. It was like Martin appeared on “cue”... but with Sabrina following him. I asked Martin about making the train and he smiled and said he’d take the first one in the morning. I honestly remember shaking my head and thinking he’d be sorry for getting involved with her.

The three of us managed to push, shove and kick both bushes into place while Elle and Sabrina sat on the front steps of the house. Sabrina was wearing a short flared skirt and every chance I got I’d try to sneak a peek of her sitting there hoping for a glimpse of her panties. I know if I’d been able to just stop and watch her that I’d have gotten some good looks but my timing was off just about each and every time I’d look her way. By the time we finished it was approaching 5pm. Elle hadn’t planned a big dinner knowing we’d be working in the yard. She surprised me when she suggested that everybody stay and she’d make up some salads and I could cook hamburgers. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do it but the idea came from out of nowhere.

While Elle and Sabrina had been watching us from the steps she’d brought out lemonade for something to drink. When Elle got up to leave she asked Sabrina to collect the glasses that we’d been using. She stood up and was leaning over to grab some of them from the top step when a puff of wind got under her skirt and sort of flipped it up a bit. It didn’t stay up for long but I did get what I’d wanted... and a bit more. I actually expected to see her wearing a pair of Carter’s Spanky pants but these were flowered and didn’t look like they were cotton. Not only was I surprised but was a bit fascinated by them. I couldn’t remember seeing any quite like them. As we all headed for the back yard I vowed to try and keep a better watch of Sabrina in the future.

To be continued...    


Tuesday, April 07, 2015

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (part 130h)

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130h)

As I’ve written in prior posts, my preference for going to church was to the 8am service. That way I’d have the majority of the day to do other things. Elle, because she wanted the kids to experience Sunday school, preferred the 10am service. When we attended that one it would be into the afternoon before I’d be free to do other things. It wasn’t a problem once school was out because there was no Sunday school. So, even though I knew Elle wouldn’t be happy, I got up early and headed out.

The new minister was on board for preaching but wouldn’t be moving into the manse until his kids finished school. It had been a few months since the other minister had moved on and the house had been vacant since he'd moved out. We (the vestry) knew we had to get the place cleaned up and ready but had managed to avoid facing the challenge. When approached by a couple of other vestrymen they suggested that we go over to take a look it after the service and then devise a plan of attack. I knew we had a little over three weeks to get it done and just wasn't of the mind to do it right then.

However, I had to pass the house on my way home. The most visible thing when pulling into the driveway was that the grass needed cutting and the leaves needed to be raked out of the shrubbery. The house had been built about five years prior so I was hoping that there wasn’t anything major to be addressed. With Summer on the doorstep I already had a lot "on my platter". It would soon be time to ready the sailing club for the upcoming activities. I sat and looked at the house and hoped the project would turn out to be a simple one.

By the time I got home Elle had the girls all up, dressed and ready to go. To take some of the ”heat“ off myself  I’d promised to create a couple of flower gardens for Elle at the back of the house where she could see it. The previous owners, being farmers, were too practical with their time to waste it on something needless as a flower garden so the property looked pretty spartan. ”B“ had also promised Elle a couple of shrubs for the front yard to help dress it up a bit so I also had to dig the holes for them. BUT... there was one other thing I had to do.... and that was to really inspect the box of unmentionables and with Elle and the kids at church I knew I’d be alone.

The station wagon wasn’t even at the bottom of the driveway when I had the trunk lid of my car up and open. I put the box on the ground between my feet as I sat on the floor of the trunk of the car. Lifting the accounting pads out of the box I could see the panties I was really interested in right on top of the pile. I reached in and spread them on my lap with the idea of checking out the crotch area. I’d been pretty sure that I’d seen multiple ”dribbles“ when looking at them on Friday night. I had the crotch spread tightly between my hands when, from around the corner of the garage, Sabrina appeared. We’ve all heard the words ”caught red handed“... well I was caught not only red handed but also red faced. I tried to drop them back into the box between my feet but Sabrina, with a glint in her eyes, asked something like ”What have you there?“

I’m not sure but my reply was probably something obviously untrue like ”Oh, just some rags.“ It was a nice day but not all that warm but I was perspiring by then. I was so embarrassed and, to be truthful, upset with myself for being so careless that I have no idea what other mumblings came out of my mouth trying to explain. I have to give Sabrina credit though in that she didn’t make a big thing of it. She’d come over with a question and was intent upon getting an answer.

When the cows had escaped and encamped in her back yard the previous week they had left holes all over it. She’d asked the guy who mowed her lawn if he’d fill them in and plant grass but he told her he didn’t have time. So... she was looking for me to come up with somebody to do it for her. More for wanting to get away from the still open box than to actually see the damage that had been done, I suggested that she show me.

Because she’d surprised me and had me on the defensive right from the start I hadn’t taken note of what she was wearing. Following her across my backyard and towards the opening in the hedge I was able to ”re-group” my thoughts and to concentrate on her and what she had on. She was wearing what appeared to be a nylon robe, cream or light yellow and some sort of short gown under it. As she bent down to duck under the fresh growth of the hedge I was hoping to see the outline of her panties but I didn’t see anything but the robe. It only took a few steps into her yard to see what her problem was. There were a LOT of holes because the ground had been so wet when they cows were there. The cows also left more that a few “calling cards”. I told her that it shouldn’t be a big job and that whoever did the work for her could just take dirt from the adjacent farm to fill the holes. By then she was imploring me to come up with a name or two but since I did all my own yard work I didn’t have anybody to call. Clearly disappointed she surprised me when she changed the subject like she was flipping a light switch.

Now back with the impish smile she had when I saw her staring at me with the panties in my hand, she said she just had to know what I was doing with the “underpants“. There was no good answer so, under pressure, I started making it up as I went and told her that Elle and I’d been out and she’d had an ”accident“. I continued that Elle didn’t want to sit in wet panties so stripped them off and had put them on the floor in the back seat. I couldn’t tell if she believed me or not. I was looking for a sign that she did but then I saw her expression change from the grin to a bit of a frown. Before I could even begin to digest it she spoke up and said ”That’s happened to me... a couple of times.“ And, without changing the look on her face she continued on in all seriousness telling me that the first time she’d gone to Times Square on New Year’s Eve it happened to her. I certainly wanted to know more but didn’t dare open my mouth. Neither of us said anything for a few seconds and then she smiled and said it was kind of funny. I still didn’t say a word but I know I had made a frown when I heard her say it was funny. At that point she giggled a bit and said that the group she’d been with were all pretty drunk and laughing a lot. Then she put the palms of both her hands up and with a look that said ”I couldn’t help it“ said with a laugh ”Then it all came out.“

In just a matter of minutes I’d gone from being incredibly embarrassed in front of Sabrina to standing in her yard with a bit of a hard on listening to her tell an embarrassing story about herself. That, in itself, was pretty funny.

To be continued...   

Friday, April 03, 2015

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130g)

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130g)

The phone rang and startled me at around 6:30am on Saturday morning. It was Sabrina and it was obvious to me, even in the confused state my brain was in, that she had a problem. As I remember it she was sort of screaming that there were wild animals running around her back yard. I peered out my bedroom window but the hedge between the houses was just too high for me to see anything but her garage. I threw on a pair of pants and ran down the stairs and then outside to the opening in the hedge. There I saw three cows, obviously from the dairy farm across the road. However, I didn’t really know what to do about them even though I knew who they belonged to.

It would take me a whole post to try and explain the convoluted arrangement that Jon (the milkman) had arranged with the owner of the cows to get and distribute the milk from them. Their owner and also owner of the farm they grazed on was a retired Justice of the Peace. I knew him by sight and had since I was a boy but had never known his name. Throughout the town he was just known as ”The Judge“. Even though we lived across the road from his farm I’d never met him face to face but would sometimes wave as he drove by in his pre WWII pick up truck. Not knowing his name meant I couldn’t just call him to tell him about the cows but it meant I would have to drive over to his house and hope to find him home. I went back inside, called Sabrina to tell her what I was doing as well as Elle and was off. ”The Judge“ wasn’t there but I did find a farm hand. I remember him giving me one of those looks that said ”What am I supposed to do about it?“

By the time the cows were herded back to the pasture it was almost 10am. I’d gone over to Sabrina’s to watch the process and, I guess you could call it a ”reward“, got to see her in a light, filmy gown. Even though I couldn’t actually see her panties I could sort of see them through the material of the gown. When I got back home and could talk with Elle I remember telling her of Sabrina’s description of the cows as ”wild animals“ and shaking my head. A depiction of a milk cow as a wild animal could only come from a city girl.

After eating a bit of breakfast I found the morning was half gone. I still had the lawn and the land fill run to do and it was opening night at the races. Because we’d not had the second day of practice I wanted to get to the track early hoping to get ”B“ on the track for an extra few laps. Stressed, the last thing on my mind was the box of ”goodies“ that I’d brought home. When I finally got to the barn and the racecar I found ”B“ and all the ”unmarrieds“, including my brother there waiting for me. All the spares tires were already loaded into the racecar and all that was left were the tools and spare parts to go in the trunk of my car. When I lifted the lid there was the box. I know I immediately went beet red. Thankfully, the accounting pads covered most of the contents and the guys weren’t paying much attention. With a deep breath I lifted the box out and put it under the makeshift workbench, hoping that no one would go near it.

It was a repeat of the one practice day that we'd had in that Bebe came with food. She brought her girlfriend as she’d been bored the last time she was there. Smarter this time, she wore dungarees (that’s what they called jeans back in those days). I was, naturally, disappointed. Her girlfriend was frightfully skinny and I remember someone commenting that she probably didn’t wear a bra. I’d been right in figuring that the track would allow extra practice since we’d been cheated out of the second day. I spent quite a bit of time in trying to get ”B“ to understand just what he needed to do during the practice. I felt a little more confident than the last time he went out on the track but it was short lived. He did everything I’d suggested except that it was at a snails pace. There were two more practice sessions before the races started and ”B“ managed to get up to speed on the straightaways but when he got to the turns the car would slow noticeably... he was standing on the brakes.

Being a new car at the track we were automatically placed in the rear of our qualifying heat. If there was one positive it was that it took four laps for ”B“ to get lapped the first time. As I expected he finished last. However, when he went to watch the faster cars in their qualifying heats I went to each wheel and backed off the brakes on each. I know it wasn’t a nice thing to do but it was the only way I was going to get him to drive through the turns with any speed.

He started last again in the non qualifiers race. I was holding my breath when he went into the first turn. I closed my eyes when it looked like he wasn’t going to turn the steering wheel but, at the last second, he did. Still finishing last, I could finally see an improvement by the last few laps. To make it a totally successful night, he actually beat one car and he was as happy as pig in s__t. I fully expected him to be mad at me but by beating that one car he’d forgotten about it. However, I already knew that he’d never be a racecar driver.

With ”B“ not qualifying for the feature race we packed up all our stuff. While we were doing it I got to chat with Martin for a bit and told him of Sabrina’s encounter with the ”wild animals“ earlier in the day. He laughed and made a comment about the fact that he’d like to get to know her better. My first thought was ”Why?“ but I didn't say anything. By then we’d finished up and since both Martin and Pete were PO’d with ”B’s“ performance they wanted to leave. Tom didn’t so I convinced them all to stay for the main event. I told ”B“ to pick out one car and follow it throughout the whole race. Ironically, he picked out a friend of mine and a guy who’d struggled when he first started. During the race I tried to explain just what he was doing... going high into the turns and then diving low to come out low on the other straightaway. The funny thing was that Tom and Martin figured it out on their own that it was the quickest way around the track. When we left I still wasn’t sure ”B“ did.

Back at the barn I was the last to leave. I wanted to make sure I had the box. I’d hoped to peruse it during the day but it just didn’t work out. I was tired and the single light we used in the barn wasn’t enough for me to do a real good inspection of the ”goodies“ so I just put the box in the trunk and headed home. However, the box still presented a problem for me when it would come time to get it back to the lady examiner on Monday.

To be continued....    

Wednesday, April 01, 2015

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130f)

INTERESTING TIMES... A change of pace (Part 130f)
  
During the rest of the week I spent more time with one of the examiners than I’d expected. He wanted to know what our backup for the bookkeeping machine (computer?) was if it failed. I felt I was between a rock and a hard place. If I told him how I really felt (that it was a disaster waiting to happen) I’d put myself in jeopardy with the Board of Trustees. On the other hand if I told him that there was nothing in the works the bank would be subject to criticism. I finally told him that I’d started looking for alternatives. That was when he stated that the equipment that we had was obsolete and no longer available. He added that parts for it were scarce and sometimes hard to locate. The fact that he knew that (as I did, as well) impressed me. I decided to take a bit of a chance and told him that I’d visited a couple of service bureaus but I couldn’t get through to the Board. I knew I was going out on a limb when I asked if there was some way to ”push“ them a bit without implicating me as an instigator. I remember him smiling and saying that his comments could be ”couched“ in such a way as to leave me out of it.

An audit of this nature would usually take seven to ten days. The ”crew“ would check out of their hotel on Friday morning, work half a day and then disperse to their homes returning again Monday morning. Everyone at the bank was glad to see them leave as they filed out the back door around 1:00pm. Hobie left at lunch that day to go pick up his daughter from college. Bert, the president, was worn out with all the meetings he had have with the different staffers doing the audit so he left at about the same time. Basically, from an operational standpoint, that left me in charge. It was around 1:30pm or so when I got a call from the hotel where the people had stayed. The man on the phone wanted to know if any of them were still around as there were items that had been left behind. As the lady in charge of the audit was leaving she mentioned that some of the people who’d been there for the week wouldn’t be back and that those who did return wouldn’t be staying at the hotel. She let it be known that it was a ”dump”. When I told the man on the phone that they’d already left he asked if someone could come pick their things up. Normally, I would’ve sent Hank, the messenger custodian, but he was nursing a sore foot or toe so I decided to go get them myself.

It’d been about two years since I’d been inside the main part of the hotel. I’d been to the restaurant, which was still doing well, a few times but the interior of the hotel itself was sad. The lighting was poor which made it seem more dingy than it probably was. The clerk behind the check in desk looked like he was about 90 years old. I identified myself and he pulled a small box out from behind the counter. A cursory look showed there wasn’t much in it... a box of yellow pencils, a small adding machine, a few  lined accounting pads and, under that, some sort clothing. I thanked him and headed back to the bank. I ended up putting the box under the kneehole space of my desk so that I’d be reminded that it was there on Monday morning. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to help straighten out the files the auditors had been working with. My intention was to leave at 6pm but a phone call changed that.

One of our PITA (pain in the ass) customers was claiming that we’d made a mistake in one of her accounts. She was one of those nasty people who liked to let you know she knew “the right people” and used it as a threat. I was listeninging to her and looking at my watch. It read 5:50pm which meant the doors would be locked in ten minutes. I sucked it in and told her to come on down and that I’d be at the back door to meet her. At 6:15 she finally showed up. Annoyed was a calm description of my demeanor as I ushered her in. I don’t have to tell you that she was wrong and it wasn’t until 6:30pm that she finally left. I’d called Elle earlier to tell her I would be late but I was so hungry decided to call to tell her I was leaving hoping that she’d have something for me to eat when I walked in the door. I was siting at my desk and talking with her when my curiosity got the best of me. I pulled the box out to see what was under the pads. The first thing I recognized was a nylon slip. When I pulled it out I saw that it was a full slip and that as it unfolded I saw a couple of panties fall back into the box. That discovery changed my negative feeling to positive. I reached back into the box and pulled out two pair of plain white cotton panties. The first thing I saw was that they both had small yellow stains in the crotch. Turning them inside out I saw a bit of what looked like cheese in one. I then looked for the labels but couldn’t find any. I held them up under the kneehole space and they didn’t look all that big. Since there was only one female among the examiners I knew who they belonged to. I tried to remember exactly what she looked like but couldn't. The next thing I pulled out was a batch of nylon stockings with a garter belt attached to one of them. Another reach into the box brought out two bras and a pair of nylon satin panties. These were fancy panties with a lace applique above both leg openings on the front. This was a real “find”! There were a number of overlapping yellow stains with the biggest about the size of a silver dollar. Upon inspecting the inside I didn’t find any “cheese”. I hesitated for a second or so and then held the crotch up to my nose. She must’ve had some cologne in or around her “privates” as that was all I could smell. The next thing was the label and I recognized it right away... "Kayser“... a quality panty.

I was concentrating so much on the panties that I hadn’t seen the cleaning people enter the lobby. I was sitting in my chair and leaning under the knee hole space of my desk when I heard a sound by Trish’s desk. Instinctively, I pulled my head up only to bang the back of it into the center drawer. Now sitting up, I still had the Kayser panties in one of my hands when, again, instinctively, went to rub my head. It only took a few seconds to realize it but when I looked at the woman standing by Trish’s desk the look on her face told me that she’d seen something that wasn’t quite right. I honestly don’t remember if I said anything at that moment but I quickly dropped the panties into my lap. I guess you could say I was in a bit of a panic as I stuffed them back into the box. By then my soft bulge had dissipated so that when I stood up it wasn’t all that noticeable.

Realizing that the cleaning woman had seen me fumbling around under the desk I decided that I’d have to take it with me as I left. As I moved towards the door to leave I could see her eyes following me. The only good thing was that I’d never seen her before. Once at the car my problem was in what to do with the box as the trunk would be filled with things for the race track the next day. Then, on top of that, I wondered how I'd present it to the examiners on Monday. Since I didn’t have any answers I decided to concentrate on the female bank examiner and what she looked like. I’d only been in close proximity to her a few times during the week and I was having a hard time remembering that much about her an realized I'd have to take a good look on Monday

To be continued...