A BUMP(us) IN THE ROAD... a pothole? (Part 66c)

I ran back to the computer room and told Jay. He was surprised but happy. With him working along side of me and allowing me to multitask using two pieces of the peripheral equipment at the same time we were up to the point of printing the checks by around 9pm. When we walked out I had a s__t eating grin on my face knowing that Nina was going to be royally upset. Jay and I had left it so that if we had to let Nina run the checks the next day it would be really hard for her to screw it up. I felt like I’d won the lottery and yet, I wasn’t going to be paid for my extra efforts. It didn’t matter. It was the right thing to do. I just couldn’t imagine the majority of the Police department not being paid on time, especially on a holiday weekend.

While the computer was doing it’s calculations I did find time to tell Jay about buying the Chevy. He wasn’t upset at all. He told me he probably would’ve kept it six months or so and then sold it anyway. He also told me that at $500 I got a good deal. Hearing that from him made me feel better but I still had to tell Elle.

Lance was going to drop the car off on his way to the airport Wednesday morning. The last thing I wanted was to have him talking to Elle but even with Mac’s help couldn’t get in touch with him that night. The sweetest sound I could’ve heard that morning was the phone at a little before 7am. Elle was being called in to teach and, even though it was supposed to be a half day of school, would be paid for a full day. That made me even happier. When I realized that she and Lance would not meet was when I told her that he was going to leave the car off with us while he went home for Thanksgiving to get married. I told her I’d loaned him the money and that I was going to hold the car as collateral for the loan. She had no idea what ”collateral“ meant but she was smart enough to know that ”something was up”. But she was busy getting ready while I was talking so nothing came of it at the time. I was so relieved that I willingly walked to work knowing I'd be late... but I was still ahead of Nina.

I don’t really know how to describe Nina’s reaction. At first it was surprise and then anger. But she had no one to vent the anger to. The Controller wasn’t in and neither was her son in law, the new Deputy Controller. Most of her anger was towards me but not in a verbal way. It was one of those “if looks could kill” things. Jay picked up on it and told her she could start running the checks to see if she’d do it. It took about three minutes before she turned and walked out the door, grabbing her handbag and coat as she walked past her desk. I knew it wasn’t the end of the saga but at least the rest of the day would be somewhat quiet.

Leo showed up right after lunch and told the women in the work area that they could leave at 2pm. He then left never setting foot in the computer room. It didn’t matter to Jay and I but the keypunch ladies were being left out. Irwin was still at his desk and I went and asked him if we could let them go at 2pm as well. I told him that since Leo was already gone I didn’t know who else to ask. He said it was OK but told me to sit down. Again, I had no idea what this was going to be about but I had that feeling it wasn’t going to be something I wanted to hear.

It was more about Leo. The first thing he told me was that he had no accounting background at all. Then he proceeded to tell me not to expect to see much of Leo in the future. I’m sure he saw the furrow on my brow because he made the comment that I certainly had a lot to learn about local politics. In any case he told me that the Deputy position was not Leo’s only job. He had a route franchise for the local potato chip company and spent the mornings covering his territory. What could I say? Irwin was giving me facts but they were hard to swallow. I honestly don’t remember my reaction after that but I do remember being mad later on in talking with Jay. In my mind it just wasn’t right... any of it... starting with Leo and Nina being related and working in the same department. It was a good thing the next day was Thanksgiving.

Elle and I celebrated Thanksgiving at my grandfather’s house. We got the kids all dressed up and, to please my grandfather, took pictures of them to take to my grandmother. My parents came and my mother cooked the dinner while my father and I took my grandfather to the hospital to see my grandmother. It was sad as she didn't know who we were. I could tell my grandfather was still upset with me for selling the convertible but he didn’t make a point of it. After we ate in the early afternoon we had to drive to see Elle’s parents and eat all over again that night. Thankfully, the Chevy was never a topic of conversation. After we got home and put kids to bed Elle surprised me by coming over to where I was sitting and sat on my lap. She had undressed down to her "package". I wasn’t expecting it and, for sure, wasn’t expecting to feel my lap get warm. It was pee but not directly on me. The “package” had held it.

As she was getting undressed she felt herself start to pee. She rushed in and sat on my lap. I know it sounds somewhat gross but it was extremely erotic to feel my groin getting warm in that manner. With all the food that I’d ingested during the day I knew had to use the toilet before moving on with Elle. When I walked back into the living room I saw Elle standing there with her hands on her hips and her eyes closed. She looked so serene I immediately thought of the camera and saw it on the table. I opened it up and snapped the picture, alarmed at how bright the flash was. Naturally, the flash had startled her and when she opened her eyes questioned what it was. I told her it was a light bulb that had blown out and somehow she believed me. I'd quickly put the camera behind me and then proceeded to lead her into the bedroom. Neither of us had any trouble sleeping that night.

To be continued...

A BUMP(us) IN THE ROAD... a pothole? (Part 66b)

He didn’t say much but told everybody he’d check in with each and every one later in the day to find out just what they did. Then he and the Controller left together. As the group broke up Irwin grabbed me by the arm and led me to the vacant office that Leo would be occupying. I couldn’t imagine what this was about. Once inside and the door was closed he looked at me and told me not to react to harshly to what he was going to tell me. I figured, for sure, I was being fired. But no. It was worse. Leo was Nina’s son in law.

I’m sure it was because I’d thought of him (Leo) as a sort of buffoon but I remember laughing. Irwin was serious though. He told me to sit down and he’d give me quick lesson in local politics. A bit earlier I told you that the County was primarily Republican but, because of some corruption the Democrats had made some inroads in the recently completed election. However, they didn’t take control of the Board of Supervisors but did win two of the ten positions, making it now six to four. Leo was one of the two Republicans to lose. Since he was a tried, true and loyal Republican they had to do something for him. As the Controller, a Republican, had won and there was a vacancy in his department, Leo ended up as the Deputy. As I also told you before, I was apolitical and this situation made me even more so. If it weren’t for the relationship between Leo and Nina I might’ve been able to partially, at least, accept it. When I finally gathered my thoughts I asked Irwin, point blank, why couldn’t anyone put an end to Nina’s tardiness and extended breaks. He shrugged his shoulders and said but one word... Leo. Even though he’d lost the election he was still a powerful force in the Republican fold and Nina was riding it for all it was worth. When Irwin indicated that we were through I asked him what I should do. “Suck it up” was what he said and walked out of the office.

It was the longest afternoon I’d spent since I started. Leo was calling all the women in to his office, one by one and after Linda and Dora’s turn he left his office with his coat and hat. Nina, as usual, left at ten minutes to five. I did a quick calculation based on what she’d been able to process and came up with the fact that, without Nina spending time after work, there was no way we’d be able to hand the checks to the Treasurer’s office before Friday. And this was after but one half day of work. Jay and I figured out that of the three and one half hours of time since the keypunchers had given the cards to Nina she’d only put in a little over two hours of actual work. I don’t know why I felt so bad about the situation. The responsibility had been taken from me. I guess it was because I knew I could get it done and do it right. Jay handed me a sheet of paper with numbers on it. He’d been keeping tabs on what Nina was doing. He had everything... ten minutes blabbing to Linda... five minutes on the phone... 20 minute break... etc. It was obvious to me that he wasn’t going to let the payroll system that he’d developed be taken down by her. I felt a LOT better!

As I walked out of the office I realized I had yet to tell Jay about my buying the Chevy. I didn’t think that was the time so headed home. I know Elle didn’t understand 90% of what I was telling her after the kids went to bed but she pretended to listen. It helped.

Tuesday was more of the same as far as Nina was concerned. Yak, yak, yak, both on and off the phone. Right after she got back from her hour and fifteen minute lunch she took a handful of processed cards and stacked them into the working tray backwards. I don’t know why I happened to be looking at the tray when she did it but I called her attention to it. She immediately denied it but I made her go back and look. Her response? A laugh and some inane comment. I felt like I was watching a sinking ship, had a bucket but couldn’t use it because my hands were tied.

The first I saw of Leo was around 2pm. He went into his office not to be see again until a little before 5pm when he left with his coat and hat. By the time 5pm came I calculated there was at least eight hours of work to be done to have the checks all finished. I knew it wasn’t going to happen because, exclusive of the time Nina had wasted on the phone and just plain yakking, she’d only put in 5 3/4 hours actually in the room and there was no reason to believe that Wednesday would be any different. We knew the absolute latest the Treasurer’s office could get the checks and have them delivered for Friday distribution was 2pm.

I happened to see Irwin about to leave and went to cut him off. I told him of my observations and, initially, he appeared to be annoyed with me. He took a few steps down the hall and then stopped and turned into the Controller’s office. No one had seen him since Monday so I wondered what Irwin was doing. The secretary was still there and I, still out in the hall, heard Irwin ask if she was still able to get in touch with the Controller. I could hear parts of Irwin’s conversation but couldn’t get the “feel” of it. The secretary came out with her coat on and waved me into the office. Irwin had the mouthpiece covered and when he saw me asked if there was any chance at all of making the deadline. Without hesitating I said “Yes!“. A minute later he said but one word... “GO!“

To be continued...

A BUMP(us) IN THE ROAD... a pothole? (Part 66a)

There was no way to avoid having to tell my grandfather about the sale of the car. I tried to get out of taking him to the hospital to see my grandmother on Sunday. The best way to describe his reaction was disappointment. Of course I made the mistake of leading with all the reasons why I’d done it. He acknowledged them but said I owed him the courtesy of telling him my plans beforehand. The guilt I’d felt since I’d sold the car just reinforced the fact that he was right. A lesson learned. However, I still had to face Elle on the ‘55 Chevy.

Our neighbors, Tom and Lola, had wanted to have us over for a “thank you dinner” ever since the fire at their trailer. We agreed on that Sunday night. So as to have some time to ourselves we arranged for the teen sisters from up the street to baby sit all the kids at our trailer. By having both girls there it would make it easier to keep the boys happy with one and the girls happy with the other. We had a pleasant evening and kept my mind occupied and off the car and telling Elle about it. When we went back to the trailer the heavy sister was sitting on the sofa reading to the boys and the other girl was sitting on the floor playing a game with my oldest. As I walked in I got a very good DP (down pants) and what made it especially interesting was that it was clear that she was wearing two panties... two distinct waist elastics. It was somewhat stimulating to say the least.

I don’t know if the success of getting the payroll done dulled my senses as far as Nina was concerned but I certainly wasn’t expecting to be shepherded into the controller’s office upon my arrival on Monday. The comptroller was behind his desk and directed me to take a seat. A few minutes later Jay walked in and was also told to take a seat. Next to arrive was Irwin who had been out most of the previous week due to problems with his leg. I had no idea what was going on until Nina showed up, about ten minutes after nine. The controller expressed thanks to Jay and I for the successful run of the county payroll and then dropped the “bomb”. Nina was to run the current week’s Police payroll. I was told that my roll was to be a "guide" for Nina and that under no circumstances was I to touch any punch cards or to operate any of the peripheral machinery or the computer. It was like I’d been punched in the gut. I looked at Jay and Irwin and their faces were expressionless. I know mine wasn’t. I couldn’t believe that my reward for getting the job done and done well was to be removed from it. I remember looking over at Nina’s face and seeing a slight smile. I wanted, so badly, to go over and smack it.

With Thanksgiving coming on Thursday it meant one less day to get the job done. In fact, it meant the checks, ideally, should be to the Treasurer’s office at noon on Wednesday. Planning ahead, all changes were cut off as of Thursday of the previous week so that the keypunchers could start first thing on Monday. It had been hoped, due to the lesser number of people in the County Police payroll, they would be finished and turn their work over to me (now Nina) around noon. My mind was doing all sorts of time calculations. Figuring in the fact that Nina was habitually late, left early, and took excessively long breaks during the day I felt that it was neigh unto impossible for the checks to be done on time. On top of that she had stated, publically, that she would not work after 5pm unless she was paid. But no one in the room was allowed to speak. It was a direct order from the Controller. He then told Irwin to gather everybody, including all the Auditors who were out on assignment around the county, together in the work area for an important meeting at 2pm.

Irwin, Jay and I were excused at that point and as soon as we reached the hall I exploded. Irwin let me rant for a brief minute and then calmly put his hand on my shoulder and told me to let it play out on it’s own. I didn’t know what he meant but I did shut up. Jay just stood passively by. As Jay and I walked into the computer room I remember shaking my head. It just made so sense at all. None.

Nina arrived in the computer room a few minutes later and when I saw her it was hard not to say something negative to her but I managed to hold my tongue. My god, was she ever slow!. Plus, she was constantly blabbing to the keypunchers about absolutely nothing. I tried to be a civil as I could when I reminded her that we were working on a time sensitive project but she pretty much ignored me. She took a 20 minute break and was late back from lunch. I couldn’t understand how she could get away with it. I was a very unhappy camper.

A little before 2pm Irwin gathered us all behind the useless counter that was in the front of the work area. It was the first time that I’d seen all the Auditors in the office at the same time. Of course there was all kinds of speculation as to what the meeting was about. The optimistic ones were touting a raise and the pessimistic ones were thinking that the workday was going to be extended. At 2pm, on the button, the Controller walked in followed by this tall, funny looking man. I’m talking about being really funny looking. You’ve seen pictures of people who’s eyes bug out of their head when surprised or scared. This man’s eyes bugged out just standing there. Picture Obama’s ears. His were similar. You know how most people’s heads are curved in the back. His wasn’t. It was a continuation of his neck... almost perfectly straight except that, from the shoulders up, his neck and head leaned forward at about a 20 degree angle while just standing there. On top of all that his hair was slicked down to the top of his head. The Controller introduced him as Leo Bumpus, the new Deputy Controller. I don’t know how I suppressed a laugh. His looks and then the name were almost too much to comprehend.

To be continued...

THE ROAD TO GOOD TIMES... the start (Part 65e)

When we were leaving (and on time) Jay asked if I could arrange for him to see Lance’s car. I asked if he was really interested and he said he was. He had a four wheel drive Ford pick up truck and seemed very happy with it. I knew he was rebuilding a 1936 Ford pick up and had him figured as a Ford man all the way. I stopped at Mac’s on the way home and told Elise I needed to see Mac. He was still on duty and wasn’t due home until 7pm but she’d send him down when he got home. It was close to 9pm when he got there. I told him I had a friend who was interested in Lance’s car and I needed to talk to him to set up an appointment. I wont go into the machinations that I went through to set it up but Friday after work was the best we could work out. The problem with that was that Lance had to be back on base and on duty at 6pm. There wouldn’t be a lot of time for Jay to look over the car and to do any negotiation.

Work on Friday went smoothly. There was no more “noise” coming from Nina and I was free to get started on the subsidiary reports. All I could do was hope that my work spoke for itself and that the Nina “mess” was over. It was a big day for me in that I got my first County paycheck. With the cash left over from the sale of my car and the paycheck I felt that I finally had a “cushion“... but I still kept thinking about the car.

Fast forwarding to after work... Lance brought his car to the County Center around quitting time. It was dark but Jay saw (and heard) enough to make an offer for the car. I could see that Lance wasn’t happy with the amount of the offer but also picked up on the fact that he hadn’t rejected it. I think it was around $550. With Lance wanting to sell the car as quickly as possible that obviously touched a nerve. But when Jay told him that he wouldn’t be able to pay for it until after the first of the year it was no deal. The one thing that did happen was that in seeing the car again I was even more interested than I was the first time. Lance picked up on it and just before he drove off asked if he could come back to see me over the weekend. I didn’t say no.

Elle had promised to take the kids down to see her mother on Saturday which worked out perfectly for me. Lance didn’t get off duty until noon and asked if he could stop by around 3pm or so. That worked perfectly for me because I wanted to find out just why he wanted to get rid of the car and felt Mac would be a good source. I caught up with him before Lance arrived. He was somewhat reluctant to answer the question but I prevailed. When Lance had gone home on leave during the Summer he’d gotten his girlfriend pregnant. Her father had gotten in touch with him and told him “to make it right... or else”. The air base was giving all the staff three days leave at either Thanksgiving or Christmas and he chose Thanksgiving and needed the money to get home and back. Mac made me promise not to let Lance know that I knew about his situation. I sad OK but now knew why he’d entertained Jay’s offer. I immediately thought about offering him $500 cash when he showed up.

He was at the trailer before 3pm. I had him come inside and it was obvious he liked what he saw. I figured he’d want to get into dealing the car but he ended up having me give him a tour of the trailer. He floored me when he asked what a trailer like mine would sell for. Even though I’d established a price in my mind I hesitated and before giving him a number asked why he wanted to know. I couldn’t tell if he was blushing but he kind of stammered when he said he was getting married. I took the opportunity to ask if that’s why he wanted to sell the car and he nodded affirmatively. I asked what he would do for a car and he said he was working on a ‘49 Ford. For a brief second I thought about asking if he’d be interested in selling it. I figured it would have to be a lot cheaper than the Chevy... but I didn’t. From somewhere came the thought to ask where he’d be living after the wedding. He volunteered that there was no base housing available. I pretty much knew that from my conversations with Mac. He went on to say that a couple of his buddy’s rented bungalows in the “off season” (it was a Summer destination area) but once Summer came they had to find other, much more expensive, arrangements. Seeing my trailer gave him the idea of renting or buying a trailer. My immediate thought in hearing that was there was no way he’d be able to buy a trailer if the only money he had was tied up in the ‘55 Chevy.

That brought me back to talking about the car. I wasted no time and told him I’d give him $500 cash, right then and there. I remember distinctly that he immediately looked down at the floor. I waited for what seemed like 5 minutes before I pressed him for an answer. Finally he looked up and I won’t dramatize the situation by saying he looked like he was about to cry but he was clearly torn. He hesitated and finally nodded his head and said “yes”. But it wasn’t without conditions.

His immediate need was the money for his plane ticket home and return. He had mentioned that his new wife wouldn’t be returning with him and would wait until he made living arrangements for the two of them. He asked if he could still have the use of the car until he left for home. I don’t know why but I had this feeling that I was, in some way, cheating him and, feeling that way, said OK. As he wrote out a bill of sale I had my first experience of “buyers remorse”. What was I going to say to Elle when I told her what I’d done. I still hadn’t told my grandfather about the sale of the convertible and that was weighing heavily on my mind, and now this. I counted out the five $100 bills. I remember him holding them in his hand and staring at them. I had a brief thought that he might’ve changed his mind but he shook my hand. He told me that he’d deliver the car the following Wednesday when he was on the way to the airport. As I watched him drive away I realized that I’d never even driven the car.

To be continued...

THE ROAD TO GOOD TIMES... the start (Part 65d)

The rest of the day went by without incident. Again, I stayed late just to give myself a little breathing room for running the checks the next day. It would be the first time, anywhere, where continuous form checks with the check numbers prepunched were used. Jay had promised to be there early to help me set the tabs on the printer. By the time I left for home I was confident that I was prepared.

I hadn’t been in the trailer but for a minute before there was a knock on the door. It was Mac with a young, blond man. He asked if I could come outside for a minute. I still had my coat in my hand so told Elle I’d be right back. Mac introduced me to the guy who’s name was Lance. He told me that this was the friend who had his car for sale. I reminded him that I’d just bought the station wagon that we were standing next to. He said he knew that but Lance was hoping that I might know somebody who might be interested. He was desperate to sell the car and was just looking for help in finding a buyer. Lance said the car was parked in front of Mac’s. I hadn’t eaten and was cold but I said I’d go take a look at it. As we approached Mac’s I could see this ‘55 Chevy. As we walked up to it I could see it was in good shape. ‘55’s were known to rust out over the headlights and these looked perfect. It was blue and white and as we walked around it I couldn’t see any rust or dents. Lance opened the drivers door and started the engine. Immediately I heard the deep sound of dual exhausts and a powerful engine. Even though I hadn’t been messing with cars in a few years my ear was still tuned the “sound”. As we walked from my trailer to Mac’s I told myself I was doing it as a favor to Mac. Hearing that engine and seeing what appeared to be a pretty clean car had my head spinning. When I sold the convertible I let myself dream about having a second car but was enough of a realist to let it die. I'd lived hand to mouth for long enough to have put the thought of it quickly to rest. That is until I heard that motor and saw the car. Lance lifted the hood and shined a flashlight on the engine. It was clean as a motor could be. I quickly noticed the 4 barrel carburetor just like the one on the station wagon. Lance proceed to tell us that he had completely rebuilt the motor and put a “street cam” in it for a little extra “oomph”. I don’t remember how many miles were on it but it wasn’t that many. Just like the unctuous little man over at the used car lot, Lance stated that the tires were new and the brakes were good. Even if I’d had a question, Lance covered it before it was asked. I slid in behind the steering wheel and revved the engine a bit. I could hear the “growl” of it through the glass pack mufflers and as I did I swear I could feel the hair on my arms rise. I sat there for a minute before I got out. I knew immediately that I wanted it and I’d only been there for about 10 minutes. I also knew I didn’t dare say so right then and there. That extra money I had from selling the convertible was going to pay off the bills that I owed and buy some Christmas presents. I knew I had to control myself and it took all the will power that I had. Trying to be as indifferent as I could I finally asked what he wanted for it. I almost choked when he said $600. It took only a split second for me to do the calculation. This was a 1955 “210” model and not the top of the line “Bel Air”. I’d just paid $750 for a 1957 “Bel Air” station wagon. Lance wanted only $150 less for a car that was two years older. That just didn’t add up for me. I told him it was too much. He started telling Mac and I just how much he’d put into the car. By that time I was really getting cold and the price had shocked me back to reality. I told him that I’d talk it up at work, shook his hand and headed home.

I admitted to Elle that I’d been looking at a car but only as a favor to Mac. She didn’t press me on it but when we went to bed I can tell you that my thoughts were more on that car than on Elle or the payroll. As I drove to work the next morning I was imagining that I was driving the ‘55 rather than a staid old station wagon. Jay was in early as he’d promised. I set the tabs on the printer and he checked them. I was amazed that I’d gotten them all right. It was then that I told him about the ‘55 that I’d looked at. I wasn’t mentioning it for anything more than conversation. I was surprised when he started asking me about some of the details. When I told him that I thought the $600 price was high he said that it was but not by that much especially when you considered all the work that had supposedly been done on the engine. At that point we both knew we better get the checks into the printer if we were going to make the noon deadline to have them to the Treasurer’s office.

We had very little trouble printing the checks once we got them aligned. But we’d both forgotten one major thing. They were continuous form checks and had to be burst apart before we delivered them to the Treasurer. We had a burster but we’d never used it for anything other than standard sheet computer paper. The settings for it had never been changed since the machine had been delivered. On top of that Jay had no idea where the instructions for the machine were. Luckily, we were both mechanically inclined. We wasted almost an hour getting it to work and by the time we did we knew we’d never make the deadline. Jay called in to the Controller and explained the problem. Of course he had to come in to see for himself. Once satisfied he said he’d go to the Treasurer and get us “off the hook” but admonished us to get them delivered in “batches” rather than to wait until they were all done. I breathed a sigh of relief as he walked away. It was around 2pm when the last batch was delivered.

To be continued...

THE ROAD TO GOOD TIMES... the start (Part 65c)

I realized Tuesday was a really important day when I finally went to bed and because of it I didn’t sleep all that well. The decision had been made to use the computer generated journal and checks to pay the County employees since the two tests had gone so well. Here I was, in only my third week at work, responsible for it. I was wide awake when the phone rang before 7am. It was a call for Elle to go in and teach. Normally that was a good thing but I was looking forward to taking the station wagon to work. Now Elle would have to have it and I had to find a ride. Elle had to wait to call Alice about taking the kids for the day until 7:30am. She liked to ”sleep in“ and by waiting until that time she had time to get both herself and her daughter showered and dressed before I showed up with the kids. It was a little before 8am and right after Elle had left when I got a call from Alice. When she went to give Julie (her daughter) a bath the water was just luke warm. Knowing that I’d worked on and around the trailer park she asked if I could take a look at it for her. Elle had helped me get the girls washed so it only took a little time to dress them. I still needed to get shaved and dressed but I took the girls over at around 8:15am. When I got there Alice was in a robe. Hers was the first of the new trailers at the park so I actually knew more about it than some of the others I’d worked on.

The first thought I had was to check the fuse box. I knew it was in the master bedroom closet and I asked Alice if it was OK to go back there. She was busy taking the coats off my kids and just waved me on back. As I walked in I saw her clothes laid neatly on the end of the bed... trousers, blouse, bra and panties. I looked down at the panties and I immediately wanted to pick them up but didn’t dare. I opened the closet and found the fuse box but needed a flashlight. I asked if she had one and she told me it was in the night table on the right side of the bed as I walked in. She was still busy with my kids as I walked back down the hall. Again, I stared at the panties as I walked past them, and this time I picked them up and checked out the maker. I couldn’t believe my eyes as the label read ”Munsingwear“, the same as the panties I’d just purchased in the city the day I took my test. There was a big difference though. They were just plain white with no lace of appliques. They were size 5, the same as I’d purchased but these didn’t seem quite as big. I was puzzled as I placed them back where I'd found them.

I retrieved the flashlight and looked at the fuses. As I’d suspected, the ones for the hot water heater were blown. I pulled them out and saw what the problem was. They needed to be 20 amp and were only 15 amp. I looked at my watch and it was almost 8:30 by then. I still had to shave and get dressed and I didn’t have a ride. I knew there were spare fuses in the trailer park's storage shed so quickly ran to get them. Upon my return I asked Alice if she would give me a ride. I knew she didn’t want to but she could hardly say ”no“ with me just having solved her problem. I told her I’d be back in a few minutes as knew she still had to get dressed and had to prepare the kids for going outside. Another thing the whole episode had accomplished, other than to give me a peek at her panties, was to get my mind off worrying about the payroll.

I was concerned about being 10 minutes late and on top of that was the sight of Nina sitting at her desk. Not a good start to my work day. Because of the time invested with the station wagon on Monday I still had some reports to run before the keypunchers were ready to hand their work over to me. I was just getting caught up when I got a call from Irwin to come into the empty Deputy Controller’s office. As nervous as I was about the payroll I certainly didn’t need this. All he wanted was to let me know that he'd heard that Nina was badmouthing me with the other workers in the department. Even though she didn’t report directly to him he said he’d try to keep the ”damage’ down to a minimum. I didn’t quite know what that meant but it was nice to know he was on my side.

Actually, the payroll work went well. Jay spent the day using the computer to test some of his new programs for the appropriations accounting project while I did the preparation to run the payroll. As tempted as I was to try my ideas for multitasking we decided to take the conservative route since it was the first “live” run. I was frustrated having to wait for each segment of the process to be completed before starting the next. I’d planned on working a bit late to get a bit of a head start on the Wednesday’s work. But, with Jay also working late and me relying on him for a ride home I stayed until he was done. As we left for the night all the cards were ready for the computer. I really wanted to stay but knew that was unrealistic.

I did get the station wagon to go to work with on Wednesday and got in early to get a head start. I was really excited. Right at 9am in walked the Controller, back from his vacation. He was surprised to see me and asked where Nina was. I really didn’t know what to say. Jay wasn’t in and neither was Irwin. I honestly don’t remember what I said other than to tell him that everything was going well. After he left I waited for Nina to show up. Jay finally came in and I told him about the Controller asking about why I was running the payroll. He just pointed towards Irwin’s office and shrugged his shoulders.

It wasn’t long after when I was summoned to the Controller’s office. When I walked in there was Nina. I knew this wasn’t good. He told me that Nina had told him that I had “stolen” her job. I knew that the only way that this situation could possibly come to a reasonable end was to have Irwin there. But he’d taken a sick day and wasn’t available. Again, I don’t remember exactly what I said but I do remember getting Jay to come in and explain that Nina had been out and the work had to be done. He told the Controller that I’d “volunteered”. The controller took it all in and finally asked Jay if Nina could finish up the payroll that was currently in progress. I do remember that Jay never said a word but just stood there shaking his head from side to side. The meeting ended with me being cleared to finish the payroll run but I knew the matter was far from over.

To be continued...

THE ROAD TO GOOD TIMES...the start (Part 65b)

Talk about “going to school“! Within seconds after arriving at the car lot Jay had the hood up and had the oil dip stick out and up to his nose. He told me that the engine burned oil. That was a new one for me. Then he pulled a couple of the ignition wires off the spark plugs and immediately told me that it had been a while since the engine had been tuned up. I asked him how he knew and he showed me how white the ceramic part of the plug was under the rubber cap and how dirty the rest of it was. Another ”trick of the trade“ became known to me. By then this short little man with a mustache showed up and immediately started extolling the virtues of this particular vehicle. Jay interrupted him and asked for the keys so we could start it up. He looked startled but retreated towards the showroom returning quickly. Just as Jay had predicted there was a puff of smoke from the exhaust as soon as the motor started running. Jay let it idle for a few minutes while checking the carburetor and radiator for leaks. The salesman jumped right in again saying that it had just been tuned up and was ready to be driven off the lot. Jay didn’t hear him as he had his head down inside the engine well. The salesman continued on saying that there were brand new tires and brakes. Jay heard the word ”brakes“ and immediately opened the rear door and found the spare tire well. He took out the jack and proceeded to the rear of the car. The salesman protested but Jay ignored him. In just a few minutes he had a tire off as well as the brake drum. It was obvious that the brakes were not new although they were more than adequate. At that point Jay revved the engine up and more smoke poured from the exhaust. He then turned to the salesman and said we’d give him $500. He made some sort of smart ass remark to which Jay demanded to see the sales manager. The little man was taken by surprise with that. When he didn’t head for the showroom Jay did. The guy started running after him and it was funny. Jay was about 6’3” and he was, at best, 5’5“. I stayed by the wagon and in a few minutes Jay was headed back with another man. He had a folder with him. Back at the vehicle he showed us the file for the car. There was a job ticket in there that called for an oil change and a lubrication as well as a tune up (new distributor points and spark plugs). He apologized and said it had been ”missed“ by the shop. Jay then said we’d give them $650 for it with the missing work to be done. Jay pointed out the fact that the engine burned oil and proceeded to rev up the engine to show the man the smoke. He hesitated for a few seconds and then said $800. Jay looked at me and we went around to the other side of the wagon. He pointed out that this was the top of the line wagon and had a lot of ”extra’s“. He felt that if I could get it for anything less than the $800, even with the issue with the oil, it would still be a good deal. I nodded in agreement. As we approached the two men Jay said ”$750!“. The taller of the two just shook his head. Jay nodded to me to follow him and just as we got to his truck we heard ”Wait!“. The taller man walked over and said he’d let it go for $775.

We left with the understanding that all the missing work would be completed by 5pm. I’d been impressed with Jay right from the first time I’d had a chance to watch him work at the County Center. This was a whole new experience and I was somewhat amazed at how he’d handled the whole thing. I wouldn’t have done any of the things he did. In a way I had seller’s remorse in that I wished I’d had him to negotiate with the guy I’d sold the convertible to.

Jay drove me back after work and the station wagon was right out in front of the showroom. It was dark except for the lights in the lot. I could see that it sparkled in the lights as we walked past it and into the showroom. It didn’t take long since I had cash. They agreed to let me use the dealer plates until I could get the vehicle registered and plates for it. I thanked Jay profusely and happily got in it to drive it across the street and home.

Of course Elle insisted we go for a ride after we ate. As we drove past my grandfather’s house I felt really bad. I was definitely not looking forward to telling about the change. We drove out to the main highway and then I had Elle drive back. She loved it. I remember her saying that she was no longer driving a ”tank“. When we got back to the trailer and were getting the kids ready for bed Elle asked about the camera. I’d forgotten all about it. Too many more important things on my mind... that is until she mentioned it. I remembered the picture I’d taken of her but hadn’t yet developed. The way the original Polaroid cameras worked was that you actually pulled the film out to activate the development chemicals and, after a minute, you peeled the picture off the film. Then you had to put a coating over it to keep it from disappearing. As soon as I told Elle it was to take pictures of the kids she wanted to do it with them in their night things. I had a mini panic attack right them and there. Fortunately, the little one had a poop in her diaper which needed to be cleaned up first. That gave me a few minutes to get Elle’s picture out, coat it and to have the camera ready for the kids. (you can see the results...)

To be continued...

THE ROAD TO GOOD TIMES... the start (Part 65a)

I went back to the bedroom and saw Elle asleep in just her wet panties. The camera had been right at my fingertips while I was on the phone and the idea came to me to take a candid picture of Elle as she lay there. I quickly got the camera and went to the doorway and snapped the picture. I ducked right back out thinking the flash might’ve wakened her. I left the camera and went to fetch my clothes and found she was still asleep. I pulled a blanket over her and then got myself dressed and headed up to the car.

The guy was waiting for me. I’d been put off by the tone of his voice but seeing him in person somewhat changed my perception of him. He seemed much nicer and wasn’t ”spitting“ questions at me. He told me that he’d fallen in love with the car when it was first offered new in the Fall of 1958 but there was no way he could afford it. He said that the color, light blue, was the color he’d picked out way back then. He was an officer in the Air Force and had just come back from overseas duty. He was assigned to the base just down the road. His last duty station was in Greenland and there was no need for a car while there. All this information had me believing that I might really have a ”live“ one. He asked to take the car for a ride. I hesitated but said OK and gave him the keys. At the last second I jumped into the passenger seat and we headed out towards the air base. It was about seven miles with five of them almost perfectly straight. It was known as the ”strip” because a lot of the locals would drag race on it. He got the car up to about ninety miles per hour and I could see from the look on his face that he was pleased.

Back at the trailer park it was time to get down to business. He opened by offering $1,500, cash. I’m pretty sure I laughed. I told him that it was totally unacceptable. I’m not sure if it was right at that moment but I did challenge him to the extent that I mentioned that in our initial conversation he didn’t really believe my offering price and wanted to know what was wrong with the car. I caught him off guard and he kind of hemmed and hawed for a few seconds. He finally asked what was the best price I could do. I’ll admit that seeing that much cash influenced me a bit. I’d been asking $1,700 and even though I’d said there was nothing wrong with the car I knew it needed new tires. I’d priced them out during the Summer (when I had no money) and a new set was going to cost me $130. It didn’t take me long to blurt out $1,600. I remember him, still sitting behind the steering wheel, just staring at me not saying anything. I don’t know how long we sat there that way when he reached back for his wallet. It seemed like he was in slow motion as he pulled out five $20 bills.

He had borrowed a car to go out looking and had to get it back to the base. He also wanted to take the convertible. It ended up that we both drove and he then drove me back to the park. As I walked back to the trailer it was starting to get dark. It wasn’t until then that I realized that Elle had no idea where I was. Needless to say she was quite upset when I walked in the door. She was over it quickly after I put the $1,600 on the table. There were smiles all around after that... and especially after the kids went to sleep.

With the money came an immediate problem. Now we had no car at all. All my close friends at the park had to be at their work by 8am so that wasn’t an option. Of the women we knew none was available or willing to accommodate me early enough to get me to work on time. I ended up deciding to walk. I really didn’t have a winter coat so by the time I got there I was chilled through. I knew I had to strike a deal on the station wagon really quickly. I told Jay about the sale of the car and about the wagon. He seemed really excited about it. I knew he liked messing with cars and trucks (as well as race cars) but we really never had a chance to get into it. He offered to take me to the dealer during lunch and to look at the vehicle with me. I couldn’t wait.

To be continued...

THE NEXT PHASE... positive signs (Part 64g)

I got Jay to drive me home that night. Elle was in a much better mood but still not that happy with me. I’d neglected to take extra diapers and clothes for the baby when I took her to Alice’s trailer. There was nothing I could say so I asked about her day. That quickly changed her mood. All in all it had been a good day for her. She ended up thanking me for reminding her to take extra ”supplies“ as she had a couple of extended periods of time where she didn’t have access to a bathroom. I wanted to tell her about my day but let it go.

For me, the big thing on Friday was to refine my skills on the printer. My prayers were answered when Nina didn’t show up again. Jay had set the ”tabs“ for me when I ran the payroll journal as well as the check run. It was a very tricky machine to set up and just one ”tab“ out of place could ruin the whole run. By the end of the day I felt somewhat comfortable with it. I felt I was ready for ”the big one“, the next week's payroll.

On Saturday I had to make a run to the cement block factory for the trailer park. On my way I noticed a 1957 Chevy station wagon in the used car lot of the Buick dealer across the street from the park. I slowed but didn’t stop. While waiting for the blocks I got the seed of an idea. Maybe if I sold the convertible and bought a used station wagon I’d have enough money left over to buy a second car. The wagon would be perfect for Elle and the kids and I wouldn’t need much of a car to get to work and back. By the time I got to the park I was hooked on the idea. The first chance I got I headed over to the used car lot. They were asking $899. They also had a 1958 Buick convertible in the lot and even though it wasn’t the same year or model as mine I got the price off the window and started calculating what mine would be worth. I have to admit my mind wasn’t really on my work the rest of the day. At lunch I scratched out some numbers and based on the prices I’d seen and what those cars cost new I figured my car might be worth $1700 or maybe a little more. I knew enough about the car business from my grandfather to know that I wouldn’t get anywhere near as much as it was worth if I’d tried to trade down to buy the station wagon. That meant I’d have to sell it on my own.

Before Ben left that night I asked if he would allow me to park the car out along the road with a ”For Sale“ sign on it. He wasn’t all that positive about the idea but I lied and told him that if I did sell it it would mean that I could order the new trailer sooner. That did it. I came right home and told Elle what my plan was. I can’t say she was all for it but she didn’t say it was stupid. After supper I went and cleaned out all the stuff we had in the car and vacuumed it as best I could. I made up a sign and couldn’t wait until the morning. The only thing I wasn’t looking forward to was telling my grandfather.

Sunday was my day for taking my grandfather to the hospital to see my grandmother. He’d usually be waiting on the back porch for me. I waited for about five minutes before going into the house. I found him sitting in my grandmother’s favorite rocking chair in the bay window looking at the garden. I'd never seen him sit in her chair. He didn’t hear me when I walked in and called his name. That told me something was wrong.

He’d just received a call that one of his closest friends had died. He said he just wasn’t up to a trip to the hospital right then but still wanted me to go. It was really sad. I knew it certainly wasn’t the day to tell him I was going to sell the car. By then my grandmother was really nothing more than a ”vegetable“, not responding to any verbal commands. I knew she wouldn’t know if I went or not but knew I should anyway. As I was leaving, my grandfather gave me his Polaroid camera telling me to take pictures of the kids for my grandmother. I took it but decided I wasn’t going back home right then. I figured I’d take some pictures during the week and give them to him the following Sunday. At least he’d appreciate them.

On returning home I ended up parking the car out by the entrance sign for the park and walking to the trailer. As I walked past Mac’s trailer he stuck his head out his door and asked if everything was OK. I told him my plan to sell the car. He said one of the airmen in his crew at the airbase was trying to sell his car. I told him about the station wagon and let it go at that. Back at the trailer Elle and I discussed the options we had and she said she wanted to go over and see the station wagon. We bundled the kids up and walked over to the car lot. She didn’t like the color, black, but quickly noticed that it wasn’t as long as the convertible. That had always been one of her complaints along with that she couldn’t see what was behind her with the ”blind spot“ created by the convertible top itself. The station wagon had glass all around. All in all she was pleased and I could tell she was getting excited about it as we walked back home.

Elle had neglected to put on a "package" before we left and by the time we got back to the trailer she was wet. The kids were ready for their nap and we put them to bed before she went to wash up. I convinced her to wait and led her into the bedroom. We’d had more negative moments than positive ones since I started the County job and this seemed to be a good time for some enjoyment. She didn’t resist as I slid her trousers down and unbuttoned her sweater. I stripped off my clothes and then pulled her down on top of me with my penis firmly ensconced buy her upper thighs and wet panties. I undid her bra and then rolled with her onto our sides. We ”snuggled“ like that for a few minutes before the phone rang. Timing is everything in life and in my mind that certainly wasn’t the time for the phone. I wanted to let it ring but Elle insisted that I answer it so as to not wake the kids. I remember walking across the living room, stark naked, with the curtains open and standing by the table answering the phone.

It was a guy with a southern drawl and he asked if I was the owner of the blue convertible that was for sale. I said I was and his next question caught me by surprise. He wanted to know if the price on the sign was correct. I said it was and then he sort of demanded to know what was wrong with the car. As far as I knew there wasn’t anything wrong and wondered why he would ask such a question, especially with an ”edge“ on his voice. I really didn’t like the tone he was using and was about to hang up on him when he said he wanted to do a test drive. That told me he was interested and I asked where he was. He said he was at the diner located in the middle of town. He said he could be at the car in five minutes. I looked down at my naked groin (and now normal sized penis) and told him ”ten minutes“.

To be continued...