AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143n)
Throughout all the time
we’d dated, been engaged and married I’d surprised her many, many times.
However, this was the biggest one yet. She walked into the kitchen and
saw the wheelchair about 3 feet inside the door. Her jaw dropped and she
stood there staring at it for many seconds before she looked to her
left and saw me. I had no idea what she was going to do or say but I’ll
tell you this... I certainly didn’t expect her to start laughing. With
all the talk about not recognizing her birthday and how serious she’d
been when talking with both her and my mother about it... it was the
very last thing I thought she’d do... but she did... and kept on
laughing. She ended up holding her sides and then making a mad dash past
me into the bathroom. Of course I followed. She was sitting on the
toilet with the hem of her dress up in her lap. What I didn’t see was panties down around her knees. Instant bulge. She was still trying
to stifle a laugh as she looked up and said something like “I can’t
believe you did that!” and started laughing again. We were both afraid
the kids would follow us so we shut the door. They were too busy pushing
the wheelchair to pay us much attention.
When Elle finally
gained control she lifted the hem and I could see she had peed through
her panties. She gave me a sheepish look saying that by the time she got
to the toilet they were already wet. However, she was trying to be mad
at me for the wheelchair and wouldn’t let me touch her. She mopped the
crotch of her panties with toilet paper and then headed upstairs to get
dry ones.
In the previous post I had written in the caption under the picture
that she made me “pay” for having given her the chair. As soon as she
returned downstairs she told me that I owed her a “real” present because
of it. Still in her dress from school she made supper and then we took
pictures. She was over whatever it was that had her so fearful of being
30 years old and we all had fun with the chair. When I’d dropped Kaye
off at the day care at the church I mentioned that it was Elle’s
birthday to Phyllis (the neighbor) and how we weren’t to have a party.
Around 8pm there was a knock on the door. When I turned on the patio
light there was Phyllis and her two girls with something in her hands. I opened the door
and they walked in with a small pan of freshly baked brownies and three
candles in the middle. That was a BIG surprise and Elle actually
appreciated the thought.
Our weekly paper was published on
Thursdays. It didn’t take long to go through it and most of the time I
didn’t bother. For some reason I’d quickly flipped through it that week and had
noticed an ad place by the lady I’d become friends with while at the
first bank I’d worked for. She was the one who had started a dress
boutique and I’d bought some things for Elle from her store. I hadn’t
been there in a while because she ended up stuffing so many clothes into the small
area that you couldn’t really get a good look at the items. The ad was
announcing a “Moving Sale” and I could see from the picture in the ad
that her husband was allowing her to move across the street into two
vacant stores. The idea behind the sale was to clear out stuff so she
didn’t have to move it and could start out with mostly new goods before
Christmas. As soon as we got up on Saturday Elle reminded me that I now
owed her a present and it came to me about Judith’s sale. My normal
routine was to head for the ‘dump’ (landfill) first thing, getting that
chore out of the way. Judith’s place was only about five miles from the
‘dump’ so I figured “Why not?
The ‘dump’ was always an
interesting place and there was seldom a time I didn’t return with some
sort of ”treasure” that someone else had discarded. I remember this trip
because I found a perfectly good bookcase with the exception that
someone had painted it a bile green. I needed something in the shed
portion of my garage to get small stuff off the floor and out of the
way. As I picked it off the pile of junk I saw a couple of cardboard
boxes under it. One of them had burst part way open displaying some kind
of material. I’d been looking for rags to replenish the ones that “Big
B” and I had used when I put together the motor for his race car. After
getting the bookcase into the station wagon I went back to look at the
boxes. I could see that there were three very similar ones and all had
the name “Karen” written on them. Looking through the damaged carton I
could see it was all women’s or girls clothes. At first glance they all
looked perfectly good. Because the crew at the ‘dump’ had to keep people
moving right along I knew I didn’t have the time to do much with the
box so picked it up and put it in with the bookcase. I was going to
leave at that point but I saw the guy who’d been ‘pushing’ me to get a
move on was yelling at another poor soul so I went back and grabbed the
other two boxes.
I’d promised to be home by 10am so Elle could
take the girls to their 4H meeting which didn’t give me a lot of time to
get to Judith’s store, peruse the clothes and make a choice. I decided
to wait until I got home to look into all three boxes. Only because of
the sale was the store open that early. Luckily, there weren’t many
customers at that early hour (about 9am) so I had free reign to look
around. Judith was her usual effusive self and we chatted as I went from
rack to rack. I found a two piece plaid wool suit that I thought Elle
would like. The price, even on sale, was a little ‘rich’ for my wallet
but in the long run figured Elle was worth it. As Judith rang up the
sale I saw something out of the corner of my eye that had been familiar
to me in the past... the robins egg blue of a VanRaalte box of some sort
of lingerie. Only there were at least a dozen of them stacked on the
floor in the very back part of the store. I asked about them and she
said they were all new and for the new store. The bins she kept the
slips and panties had been picked through to the extent she wanted
everything to be new. I asked if the ones in the bins were on sale and
she said she hadn’t marked them down but she’d sell me what ever I
picked out at half price. I looked at my watch and knew I was ’pushing
the envelope’ but headed for the bins. I ended up with four fancy pink
panties and two pale blue ones. The cost... about $5. That was a deal!
The only thing was finding a way to integrate them into Elle’s almost
all white panty drawer. A problem to worry about later.
To be continued...
Monday, May 30, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143m)
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143m)
My first instinct was to tell Moira but Mike was now sitting at my desk. Reason took hold and I focused on him. But... as it was 5pm and the employees were heading out the back door and I could see the second floor group over Mike’s shoulder. I had it in mind to watch for Moira thinking it wouldn’t be hard to notice her what with her being the tallest woman on the second floor and with her red hair. I don’t know if Mike noticed I was looking past him but it didn’t make any difference. Bret returned to his desk and announced that everybody from the second floor but J J was gone. Somehow I’d missed her. At least with that knowledge I could focus on Mike.
I was almost sure he would accept the terms of employment. However, he was still ‘fishing’ for more money. He kept saying it would be a cut in pay but I finally put a stop to that line of talk by asking just how many hours he worked. He tried to slough it off by saying it varied from week to week. When I’d talked with one of his employers I’d asked what his pay had been and it was an hourly wage and depended on the amount of deliveries he had to make in a week. I then asked if it wouldn’t make it nice to know how much he’d be making each week and know just how many hours he’d be working. I saw a smile starting at the corners of his mouth. I knew I had him at that point. Monday was the first day of a new pay period so it was agreed he’d start then.
It had taken longer that I’d wanted but still had time to make the run to my parents house to get the needed part to my plan for Elle’s birthday. The family, on my father’s side, was what is called “anal” in that they kept everything. That included my grandfather’s wheelchair after he died. I got the idea to give Elle his old wheelchair as her birthday present and was on my way to pick it up. I knew I’d pay for it but I just had to do it. At my father’s house he tried to persuade me not to do it but I prevailed and managed (just) to get it in the trunk of my car.
My original plan was to give it to her first thing in the morning. However, at 7am the phone rang with a call for her to substitute teach. There was no way I could realistically pull it off so jumped in to help with getting the kids ready so she could get herself ready. There was no mention of her birthday by the kids or me which, as I look back on it, was actually better. Because there was no time to plan for care for Kaye she ended up at Phyliss’ (the neighbor) day care. I hadn’t seen her or her kids in a while. She was very cordial but in the few minutes I was there it was reinforced in my mind that she was the BOSS.
I managed to get a message to Moira to let me know if she could meet me at the diner on the traffic circle for lunch. When it got to be after 11am and I hadn’t heard from her I began to worry. I didn’t want my concern to be obvious so waited for her to come downstairs at lunch time. When she did I made like it was by accident that we met at the door. I made some sort of inane comment but managed to ask if she was headed for the diner. She smiled and said “Of course.” I was confused wondering why she hadn’t contacted me to confirm it. Since it was in walking distance I told her it would be best if she walked and I’d arrive by car a few minutes later.
She’d ordered something by the time I arrived but I could see from the look in her eyes she was excited. I told her about the call from Brucie but I had no details. In a way I was sorry she’d ordered because I had the idea to go look at the unit he’d mentioned. It was less that a mile down the road. As soon as her sandwich arrived she scooped it up, paid for it and we were on our way.
Brucie wasn’t there but the guy who was knew which unit had no furniture. I recognized it as having belonged to people we knew when we lived in the park. Once inside I was taken aback by just how much room there was without any furniture. One thing I didn’t like was there was no refrigerator. Moira didn’t say much as she walked to the back. It was a three bedroom unit. My guess was it was at least 50 feet long. I knew it was 10 feet wide so that meant there was at least 500 square feet of living space. Since Moira wasn’t saying much I asked if she thought she and her kids would fit. That brought another smile and a bit of a ‘flip’ answer... “depends on the rent.” I couldn’t help her on that telling her she’d have to negotiate with Brucie. By then we were pushing the time limit for lunch. On our way back I asked her again if there was adequate space. I remember he taking a deep breath and saying the space was fine but she was fearful about being able to make the rental payments. As I dropped her at the back door I told her I’d talk to Brucie again. Shutting the door I could see her mouth the word “Thanks”.
Knowing that Mike was to start on Monday made doing all the nuisance ‘chores’ a little easier for both Bret and I. Before the end of the day we both got a chance to look over the branch plans again but this time with Hobie. We all agreed the modifications would be a great improvement. I had a chance to chat briefly alone with Hobie and asked how he pulled it off. You would have to know the man to understand his answer... “Patience” was all he said. But, he added something that I wasn’t prepared for. The branch subcommittee had been interviewing applicants to be the manager and would be making their choice by the end of the month. Their plan was to have him work with Bret and I until the branch was ready to open. Before I could ask a question he cut the conversation off saying that was all he knew. My only thought was where would we put him.
I had asked Bret to stay to 6pm and close up because of Elle’s birthday and he reluctantly agreed. I actually left a little after 4pm. Being a Friday I knew Elle would do her grocery shopping. What I didn’t know was what time she’d get home from school, collect Kaye and be off. All the way home I was praying I’d get there before she returned. There was no station wagon in the driveway as I pulled in. I quickly got the wheelchair from the trunk, wheeled it to the house and into the kitchen. The only missing part was the sign I’d made to go with it and that was in the basement. I heard the slamming doors of the wagon as I made it to the top of the stairs. The one thing I didn’t get was the camera to take a picture of her reaction. This is the “after” one.
To be continued...
My first instinct was to tell Moira but Mike was now sitting at my desk. Reason took hold and I focused on him. But... as it was 5pm and the employees were heading out the back door and I could see the second floor group over Mike’s shoulder. I had it in mind to watch for Moira thinking it wouldn’t be hard to notice her what with her being the tallest woman on the second floor and with her red hair. I don’t know if Mike noticed I was looking past him but it didn’t make any difference. Bret returned to his desk and announced that everybody from the second floor but J J was gone. Somehow I’d missed her. At least with that knowledge I could focus on Mike.
I was almost sure he would accept the terms of employment. However, he was still ‘fishing’ for more money. He kept saying it would be a cut in pay but I finally put a stop to that line of talk by asking just how many hours he worked. He tried to slough it off by saying it varied from week to week. When I’d talked with one of his employers I’d asked what his pay had been and it was an hourly wage and depended on the amount of deliveries he had to make in a week. I then asked if it wouldn’t make it nice to know how much he’d be making each week and know just how many hours he’d be working. I saw a smile starting at the corners of his mouth. I knew I had him at that point. Monday was the first day of a new pay period so it was agreed he’d start then.
It had taken longer that I’d wanted but still had time to make the run to my parents house to get the needed part to my plan for Elle’s birthday. The family, on my father’s side, was what is called “anal” in that they kept everything. That included my grandfather’s wheelchair after he died. I got the idea to give Elle his old wheelchair as her birthday present and was on my way to pick it up. I knew I’d pay for it but I just had to do it. At my father’s house he tried to persuade me not to do it but I prevailed and managed (just) to get it in the trunk of my car.
My original plan was to give it to her first thing in the morning. However, at 7am the phone rang with a call for her to substitute teach. There was no way I could realistically pull it off so jumped in to help with getting the kids ready so she could get herself ready. There was no mention of her birthday by the kids or me which, as I look back on it, was actually better. Because there was no time to plan for care for Kaye she ended up at Phyliss’ (the neighbor) day care. I hadn’t seen her or her kids in a while. She was very cordial but in the few minutes I was there it was reinforced in my mind that she was the BOSS.
I managed to get a message to Moira to let me know if she could meet me at the diner on the traffic circle for lunch. When it got to be after 11am and I hadn’t heard from her I began to worry. I didn’t want my concern to be obvious so waited for her to come downstairs at lunch time. When she did I made like it was by accident that we met at the door. I made some sort of inane comment but managed to ask if she was headed for the diner. She smiled and said “Of course.” I was confused wondering why she hadn’t contacted me to confirm it. Since it was in walking distance I told her it would be best if she walked and I’d arrive by car a few minutes later.
She’d ordered something by the time I arrived but I could see from the look in her eyes she was excited. I told her about the call from Brucie but I had no details. In a way I was sorry she’d ordered because I had the idea to go look at the unit he’d mentioned. It was less that a mile down the road. As soon as her sandwich arrived she scooped it up, paid for it and we were on our way.
Brucie wasn’t there but the guy who was knew which unit had no furniture. I recognized it as having belonged to people we knew when we lived in the park. Once inside I was taken aback by just how much room there was without any furniture. One thing I didn’t like was there was no refrigerator. Moira didn’t say much as she walked to the back. It was a three bedroom unit. My guess was it was at least 50 feet long. I knew it was 10 feet wide so that meant there was at least 500 square feet of living space. Since Moira wasn’t saying much I asked if she thought she and her kids would fit. That brought another smile and a bit of a ‘flip’ answer... “depends on the rent.” I couldn’t help her on that telling her she’d have to negotiate with Brucie. By then we were pushing the time limit for lunch. On our way back I asked her again if there was adequate space. I remember he taking a deep breath and saying the space was fine but she was fearful about being able to make the rental payments. As I dropped her at the back door I told her I’d talk to Brucie again. Shutting the door I could see her mouth the word “Thanks”.
Knowing that Mike was to start on Monday made doing all the nuisance ‘chores’ a little easier for both Bret and I. Before the end of the day we both got a chance to look over the branch plans again but this time with Hobie. We all agreed the modifications would be a great improvement. I had a chance to chat briefly alone with Hobie and asked how he pulled it off. You would have to know the man to understand his answer... “Patience” was all he said. But, he added something that I wasn’t prepared for. The branch subcommittee had been interviewing applicants to be the manager and would be making their choice by the end of the month. Their plan was to have him work with Bret and I until the branch was ready to open. Before I could ask a question he cut the conversation off saying that was all he knew. My only thought was where would we put him.
I had asked Bret to stay to 6pm and close up because of Elle’s birthday and he reluctantly agreed. I actually left a little after 4pm. Being a Friday I knew Elle would do her grocery shopping. What I didn’t know was what time she’d get home from school, collect Kaye and be off. All the way home I was praying I’d get there before she returned. There was no station wagon in the driveway as I pulled in. I quickly got the wheelchair from the trunk, wheeled it to the house and into the kitchen. The only missing part was the sign I’d made to go with it and that was in the basement. I heard the slamming doors of the wagon as I made it to the top of the stairs. The one thing I didn’t get was the camera to take a picture of her reaction. This is the “after” one.
 | |
| This was WAY after... I did 'pay' for it but it was worth it |
Thursday, May 26, 2016
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143l)
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143l)
Since I was on ‘door duty’ I didn’t have any choice but to wait. When the first of the Trustees approached I still had no idea what had occupied them for so long. The only one I felt comfortable in chatting with was Gee and, fortunately, he was alone as he reached the vestibule. I think I made some inane comment about it being a long meeting and he smiled back. As he ducked out the door he said something I didn’t quite grasp... ”I think you’ll be pleased.“ The rest of them straggled across the lobby and I saw Hobie headed for his desk. Being as late as it was I knew Hobie wouldn’t hang around for long but I hoped I’d at least get some idea what had taken place. Bert, (the president) had left with a big group of Trustees and there was no way for me to ask him. Elle had been satisfied with my explanation but I knew not to ‘push it’ and stood there impatiently waiting for Hobie. When he finally headed in my direction I was ready. I didn’t even have to open my mouth as he told me to go on up to the Board room and take a look at the plans for the branch. By the time he got the words out he was at the door and making a motion for me to lock the door behind him. As soon as the lock ‘clicked’ I was on my way up the back stairs.
I turned the lights on and saw the plans on the end of the table. There were red marks all over them. The one that stood out was the circle around the vault with an arrow pointing towards the back wall. I stood there wondering what had happened for the Board to make the change. I remember just shaking my head. I won’t say I was happy about the new location but it was certainly better than in the middle of the lobby. I was so excited about that change that I almost missed the other one I’d wanted to see... removing the wall in the manager’s office. When I saw it I tried to picture how to position the desk to give him (or her) the most visibility of the teller’s area. The cleaning people broke the ‘spell’ and it made me look at my watch. I hadn’t given Elle a time but it was close to 6:30pm. As I went down the stairs I had a lot of questions but, all in all, was happy. It appeared that the changes would make make a big difference.
I’d wanted to stop at my parents house to pick up what I needed to put my plan in place for Elle’s birthday but it was way too late. It would have to be on Thursday which would make it difficult. By the time I arrived home I’d formulated a story to tell Elle that would give me some time to work on one part that night. I’d dabbled with painting signs and posters and had done some for the bank. Part of my plan for Elle was a poster sign so was going to tell her I had to do a quick one for work after I ate. She was busy with the kids and didn’t pay much attention to me so I had free reign in the basement. It only took maybe 15 to 20 minutes and when I arrived back upstairs she’d already put the kids to bed. I had visions of picking up where we’d left off the night before but she wanted no part of it. The class she’d taught that day had been a hand full and she was going to take a book and go to bed. As she climbed the stairs and I thought about what I had planned for her I knew it’d be a while before I’d have any of that.
The short story on the change of the branch plans was that Hobie got to Gee, the Trustee who was an attorney, right before the meeting and told him the plans were a mess. Gee was good friends with the Trustee who’s son in law had drawn up the plans and took him aside and asked for his help. The Trustee agreed and somehow got a discussion going led by Hobie. Hobie was allowed to mark up the plans and the architect was to contact him that morning.
Mike, the guy I wanted to hire to replace Hank, showed up around 11am. I told him of my calls to his former employers and asked why he’d left them. What had intrigued me was that they both wanted to hire him back. I remember him sitting there smiling as he proceeded to tell me that in both places he’d been promised things that never came to pass. His wife wanted to get out of the city and he figured if he was ever going to do it now was the time. I explained the nuances of the job and he seemed satisfied. However, money was the key and he wanted more than I’d offered.
On a personal basis I wanted to hire him if for no other reason than to get out of doing the crappy stuff but I didn’t have the freedom to do anything but to offer the base pay for the job. Just as we were at that stage Hobie came walking by on the way to his desk. He’d been with the architect and gave me a ‘thumbs up’ as he walked by. I decided to introduce Mike to him and to explain that he was interviewing for Hank’s job. I can’t explain why but I decided to do something I’d not done before... I told him that we’d review his work after six months and if his work was satisfactory we’d increase his salary to the next level. I had no authority to do it... but he accepted it. I figured I had six months to figure out a way to get it approved.
Mike was a bit reluctant to accept but what surprised me was that he volunteered to stay and follow Bret and I for the rest of the day to see just what the job was like. I got a chance to talk with Bret and asked him to give me his opinion after he’d been with him a while. He reported back that he thought he’d be good for the job. At that point all I could do was hope that the guy would say ”yes”.
I was about to sit down with him to see how he felt about the job when Trish told be Bruce was on the phone. Hearing the name “Bruce” brought but one thought... it was the service bureau calling about the telephone company problem. When I heard the voice I was surprised. It was actually Brucie from the mobile home park. I’d actually forgotten about him owing me a call. Brucie always had marched to a different drummer and today it was more of the same. Just about as blunt as a person could be he said he and his brother had decided against renting their used mobile homes. I really figured that was the end of it. But... it wasn’t. He then told me he had one unit without furniture and that he was going to have to buy furniture for it. He said he’d rent that one as long as they didn’t have to spend any money on it. That was a shock!
To be continued...
Since I was on ‘door duty’ I didn’t have any choice but to wait. When the first of the Trustees approached I still had no idea what had occupied them for so long. The only one I felt comfortable in chatting with was Gee and, fortunately, he was alone as he reached the vestibule. I think I made some inane comment about it being a long meeting and he smiled back. As he ducked out the door he said something I didn’t quite grasp... ”I think you’ll be pleased.“ The rest of them straggled across the lobby and I saw Hobie headed for his desk. Being as late as it was I knew Hobie wouldn’t hang around for long but I hoped I’d at least get some idea what had taken place. Bert, (the president) had left with a big group of Trustees and there was no way for me to ask him. Elle had been satisfied with my explanation but I knew not to ‘push it’ and stood there impatiently waiting for Hobie. When he finally headed in my direction I was ready. I didn’t even have to open my mouth as he told me to go on up to the Board room and take a look at the plans for the branch. By the time he got the words out he was at the door and making a motion for me to lock the door behind him. As soon as the lock ‘clicked’ I was on my way up the back stairs.
I turned the lights on and saw the plans on the end of the table. There were red marks all over them. The one that stood out was the circle around the vault with an arrow pointing towards the back wall. I stood there wondering what had happened for the Board to make the change. I remember just shaking my head. I won’t say I was happy about the new location but it was certainly better than in the middle of the lobby. I was so excited about that change that I almost missed the other one I’d wanted to see... removing the wall in the manager’s office. When I saw it I tried to picture how to position the desk to give him (or her) the most visibility of the teller’s area. The cleaning people broke the ‘spell’ and it made me look at my watch. I hadn’t given Elle a time but it was close to 6:30pm. As I went down the stairs I had a lot of questions but, all in all, was happy. It appeared that the changes would make make a big difference.
I’d wanted to stop at my parents house to pick up what I needed to put my plan in place for Elle’s birthday but it was way too late. It would have to be on Thursday which would make it difficult. By the time I arrived home I’d formulated a story to tell Elle that would give me some time to work on one part that night. I’d dabbled with painting signs and posters and had done some for the bank. Part of my plan for Elle was a poster sign so was going to tell her I had to do a quick one for work after I ate. She was busy with the kids and didn’t pay much attention to me so I had free reign in the basement. It only took maybe 15 to 20 minutes and when I arrived back upstairs she’d already put the kids to bed. I had visions of picking up where we’d left off the night before but she wanted no part of it. The class she’d taught that day had been a hand full and she was going to take a book and go to bed. As she climbed the stairs and I thought about what I had planned for her I knew it’d be a while before I’d have any of that.
The short story on the change of the branch plans was that Hobie got to Gee, the Trustee who was an attorney, right before the meeting and told him the plans were a mess. Gee was good friends with the Trustee who’s son in law had drawn up the plans and took him aside and asked for his help. The Trustee agreed and somehow got a discussion going led by Hobie. Hobie was allowed to mark up the plans and the architect was to contact him that morning.
Mike, the guy I wanted to hire to replace Hank, showed up around 11am. I told him of my calls to his former employers and asked why he’d left them. What had intrigued me was that they both wanted to hire him back. I remember him sitting there smiling as he proceeded to tell me that in both places he’d been promised things that never came to pass. His wife wanted to get out of the city and he figured if he was ever going to do it now was the time. I explained the nuances of the job and he seemed satisfied. However, money was the key and he wanted more than I’d offered.
On a personal basis I wanted to hire him if for no other reason than to get out of doing the crappy stuff but I didn’t have the freedom to do anything but to offer the base pay for the job. Just as we were at that stage Hobie came walking by on the way to his desk. He’d been with the architect and gave me a ‘thumbs up’ as he walked by. I decided to introduce Mike to him and to explain that he was interviewing for Hank’s job. I can’t explain why but I decided to do something I’d not done before... I told him that we’d review his work after six months and if his work was satisfactory we’d increase his salary to the next level. I had no authority to do it... but he accepted it. I figured I had six months to figure out a way to get it approved.
Mike was a bit reluctant to accept but what surprised me was that he volunteered to stay and follow Bret and I for the rest of the day to see just what the job was like. I got a chance to talk with Bret and asked him to give me his opinion after he’d been with him a while. He reported back that he thought he’d be good for the job. At that point all I could do was hope that the guy would say ”yes”.
I was about to sit down with him to see how he felt about the job when Trish told be Bruce was on the phone. Hearing the name “Bruce” brought but one thought... it was the service bureau calling about the telephone company problem. When I heard the voice I was surprised. It was actually Brucie from the mobile home park. I’d actually forgotten about him owing me a call. Brucie always had marched to a different drummer and today it was more of the same. Just about as blunt as a person could be he said he and his brother had decided against renting their used mobile homes. I really figured that was the end of it. But... it wasn’t. He then told me he had one unit without furniture and that he was going to have to buy furniture for it. He said he’d rent that one as long as they didn’t have to spend any money on it. That was a shock!
To be continued...
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143k)
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143k)
The panties I’d hidden in the basement didn’t come to mind until I was almost home. Needles to say I was mad at myself but felt confident they would still be where I’d hidden them earlier. While eating Elle called me out on being ”distant“. There was no doubt about it what with about six different ‘balls’ in the air at work. One of the birthday presents Anne had received was a board game that she really loved called ”SORRY“. I’d had one as a kid and she wanted me to play. I really didn’t want to but reluctantly agreed. As silly as it sounds playing the game relaxed me. After getting the kids to bed Elle was able to keep me that way by coming back downstairs in just a shortie robe over her bra and panties. She challenged me to a game with the winner getting to chose what we’d do next.
The game is truly one dictated almost entirely by luck... and earlier mine had been bad. Not this time! If you’ve been following this tome for any length of time you know what my choice was... a picture! The only resistance I got was that I’d have to wait until we were getting ready for bed. I agreed and had it in mind to stage a nice one right after she wet her panties before getting into her ”package“ for bed. As they say, best laid plans oft go awry... and in this case they did.
Before we headed upstairs the phone rang. It was the principal from next door asking if Elle could come in to school the next morning. Elle definitely liked to know the day (night) before rather than have to ‘scramble’ after getting a call around 7am. But, the down side to it was that it gave her a lot of time to worry about what the class would be like and would she be prepared to handle them. I was the ‘victim’ in that she didn’t feel like ‘playing’. I was told it would have to be a ”plain“ picture or none at all. I suppose I could’ve bargained for another time but...
Bret was supposed to cover the door the next morning so I didn’t get there until about 8:45am. Just as I walked up to it I saw Joanie and Laura just exiting the vestibule and headed across the lobby. I had to do a double take when I saw Joanie wearing pants. I hadn’t seen her wear them before so was immediately interested. About 2/3 of the way across the lobby Laura broke off and headed towards the gate to the platform while Joanie headed for the stairs. I followed and was about 10 to 12 steps behind her when she reached the first step. I stopped at the check writing desk and pretended to be checking the slots where the deposit and withdrawal slip were located. However, I was really watching her climb the stairs and got just what I was hoping for... a nice VPL. What really made it worthwhile was in seeing the very distinctive diamond shape of a SanSoucie crotch... the panties I’d just gotten to her. Needless to say I headed for my desk with a big smile and a slight bulge.
The first thing I did after arriving at my desk was to check my reminder notes for the day on the calendar. The only thing in red was the Board meeting. Standing there I couldn’t remember if I’d written a note for the next day about Hank’s replacement, Mike, coming in. But, when I turned the page I was shocked when I saw a note in red... ”Elle B-DAY tomorrow". With all the turmoil I’d overlooked it.
Now, I have to add something about Elle and that birthday, her 30th. For some reason that even she couldn’t explain she didn’t want to face the fact that she was turning 30. She’d even told both sets of parents that she didn’t want a party or any gifts. I’d made fun of it which only served to her upset her more. I did get her to allow the kids to give her cards and to allow cupcakes at supper in lieu of a birthday cake. But that was to be it. As I said, I’d made fun of her fear of turning 30 and had hatched a plan to rub it in on her actual birth day. It was a good thing that I saw the note on the calendar or there would’ve been no chance for it to happen. Now I had time.
By Wednesday the messenger routine for Bret and I was staring to wear on both of us. When I told Bret that I was really hopeful that I had a replacement for Hank I remember him almost yelling ”Hallelujah!“. One of my duties on a board meeting day was to make sure Trish had set up the table where the members sat with copies of the minutes from the previous meeting as well as all the Mortgage Committee meetings since the last Board meeting. When I stepped into the room the plans for the new branch were still on the table. Seeing them upset me. Once Hobie told me there was no chance of modifying them I pretty much gave up on it. But, seeing the plans once again I took a look at them. I don’t know how long I stood there staring at them but suddenly it dawned on me that the manager would be in an office that would keep him (or her) from being able to see the work area. To me, that was unacceptable. There had been a number of instances where, because of my open location, I was able to intercede with potential problems. I immediately went to find Hobie.
I’m not going to say he gave me any hope that the plans would be revisited but he didn’t brush me off. With the news about the telephone company problem still prominent in my mind I didn’t hold out much hope as I finished up. Just as I was about to leave the room Moira walked in. She handed me a sheaf of papers and said they were for the meeting. It was then that I remembered that she’d told me she’d been working on a report for the meeting. I wasn’t really ready to get her hopes up about what Brucie had told me the night before about possibly renting out the used mobile homes he had on his lot so only mentioned that I was working on it. That was enough to elicit a big smile... and put one on my face as well.
As far as I knew there was nothing special on the agenda for the Board meeting. Since Bret had taken the door in the morning I got the duty for the afternoon. I’d been hoping that it wouldn’t be long so I’d have time to get started on my birthday plan for Elle. Most meetings were over by 5pm and I was hoping the members would be leaving the same time as the employees. I’d made a trip to the basement and had retrieved the box with the panties and had it safely in my briefcase so all that was necessary was for the meeting to be over. 5:15pm... 5:30pm... 5:45pm... and still no Trustees. It was time to call Elle.
To be continued...
The panties I’d hidden in the basement didn’t come to mind until I was almost home. Needles to say I was mad at myself but felt confident they would still be where I’d hidden them earlier. While eating Elle called me out on being ”distant“. There was no doubt about it what with about six different ‘balls’ in the air at work. One of the birthday presents Anne had received was a board game that she really loved called ”SORRY“. I’d had one as a kid and she wanted me to play. I really didn’t want to but reluctantly agreed. As silly as it sounds playing the game relaxed me. After getting the kids to bed Elle was able to keep me that way by coming back downstairs in just a shortie robe over her bra and panties. She challenged me to a game with the winner getting to chose what we’d do next.
The game is truly one dictated almost entirely by luck... and earlier mine had been bad. Not this time! If you’ve been following this tome for any length of time you know what my choice was... a picture! The only resistance I got was that I’d have to wait until we were getting ready for bed. I agreed and had it in mind to stage a nice one right after she wet her panties before getting into her ”package“ for bed. As they say, best laid plans oft go awry... and in this case they did.
Before we headed upstairs the phone rang. It was the principal from next door asking if Elle could come in to school the next morning. Elle definitely liked to know the day (night) before rather than have to ‘scramble’ after getting a call around 7am. But, the down side to it was that it gave her a lot of time to worry about what the class would be like and would she be prepared to handle them. I was the ‘victim’ in that she didn’t feel like ‘playing’. I was told it would have to be a ”plain“ picture or none at all. I suppose I could’ve bargained for another time but...
 |
| What I settled for... |
Bret was supposed to cover the door the next morning so I didn’t get there until about 8:45am. Just as I walked up to it I saw Joanie and Laura just exiting the vestibule and headed across the lobby. I had to do a double take when I saw Joanie wearing pants. I hadn’t seen her wear them before so was immediately interested. About 2/3 of the way across the lobby Laura broke off and headed towards the gate to the platform while Joanie headed for the stairs. I followed and was about 10 to 12 steps behind her when she reached the first step. I stopped at the check writing desk and pretended to be checking the slots where the deposit and withdrawal slip were located. However, I was really watching her climb the stairs and got just what I was hoping for... a nice VPL. What really made it worthwhile was in seeing the very distinctive diamond shape of a SanSoucie crotch... the panties I’d just gotten to her. Needless to say I headed for my desk with a big smile and a slight bulge.
The first thing I did after arriving at my desk was to check my reminder notes for the day on the calendar. The only thing in red was the Board meeting. Standing there I couldn’t remember if I’d written a note for the next day about Hank’s replacement, Mike, coming in. But, when I turned the page I was shocked when I saw a note in red... ”Elle B-DAY tomorrow". With all the turmoil I’d overlooked it.
Now, I have to add something about Elle and that birthday, her 30th. For some reason that even she couldn’t explain she didn’t want to face the fact that she was turning 30. She’d even told both sets of parents that she didn’t want a party or any gifts. I’d made fun of it which only served to her upset her more. I did get her to allow the kids to give her cards and to allow cupcakes at supper in lieu of a birthday cake. But that was to be it. As I said, I’d made fun of her fear of turning 30 and had hatched a plan to rub it in on her actual birth day. It was a good thing that I saw the note on the calendar or there would’ve been no chance for it to happen. Now I had time.
By Wednesday the messenger routine for Bret and I was staring to wear on both of us. When I told Bret that I was really hopeful that I had a replacement for Hank I remember him almost yelling ”Hallelujah!“. One of my duties on a board meeting day was to make sure Trish had set up the table where the members sat with copies of the minutes from the previous meeting as well as all the Mortgage Committee meetings since the last Board meeting. When I stepped into the room the plans for the new branch were still on the table. Seeing them upset me. Once Hobie told me there was no chance of modifying them I pretty much gave up on it. But, seeing the plans once again I took a look at them. I don’t know how long I stood there staring at them but suddenly it dawned on me that the manager would be in an office that would keep him (or her) from being able to see the work area. To me, that was unacceptable. There had been a number of instances where, because of my open location, I was able to intercede with potential problems. I immediately went to find Hobie.
I’m not going to say he gave me any hope that the plans would be revisited but he didn’t brush me off. With the news about the telephone company problem still prominent in my mind I didn’t hold out much hope as I finished up. Just as I was about to leave the room Moira walked in. She handed me a sheaf of papers and said they were for the meeting. It was then that I remembered that she’d told me she’d been working on a report for the meeting. I wasn’t really ready to get her hopes up about what Brucie had told me the night before about possibly renting out the used mobile homes he had on his lot so only mentioned that I was working on it. That was enough to elicit a big smile... and put one on my face as well.
As far as I knew there was nothing special on the agenda for the Board meeting. Since Bret had taken the door in the morning I got the duty for the afternoon. I’d been hoping that it wouldn’t be long so I’d have time to get started on my birthday plan for Elle. Most meetings were over by 5pm and I was hoping the members would be leaving the same time as the employees. I’d made a trip to the basement and had retrieved the box with the panties and had it safely in my briefcase so all that was necessary was for the meeting to be over. 5:15pm... 5:30pm... 5:45pm... and still no Trustees. It was time to call Elle.
To be continued...
Sunday, May 22, 2016
AUTUMN... now the chages (Part143j)
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143j)
However, I had to find a place to hide the panties. After rummaging around I found a small box in one of the trash barrels. I stuffed the panties into it and set it aside. I knew the only one who would be going in there was Ward, the cleaning man, and that wouldn’t be until 6pm and I’d have picked it up by then and, hopefully, be home. By the time I got back to my desk there were two messages for me. One was about the applicant for Hank’s job, Mike. I was really hoping the ‘word’ about him was good because I really wanted my ‘world’ to return to some semblance of normalcy. I saw the number to call was located in the city and as soon as I heard the voice I knew. The man was the dispatcher for a small trucking firm that operated in and around the city. It only took a few words to hear what I wanted to hear... the guy would be willing to hire Mike back.
The other message was from the phone company. That bothered me. I’d been forewarned by both Bruce and Albie from the service center that dealing with them was a crapshoot... that you couldn’t count on them to meet dates and deadlines they themselves would give you to do the work you ordered. I was counting on them to activate the two data packs by the end of the week so that we could get started with training and get the name and address file embedded at the service center. I was really nervous as I dialed the number on the note. I was actually holding my breath when I identified myself. Then, I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard this woman tell me that there was a problem with our order. It was something about a switch that needed to be installed and activated before we could be operational. I had no idea what she was talking about and thought it was something we had to have on site. It took a few tries for her to explain it to me and after she did I didn't fully comprehend what she'd told me. I was not a happy camper!
It turned out that the bank was going to be the first user of data services in the area. The phone company wasn’t really prepared for it and had to install some kind of a switch at a key point in their network of lines before we’d be able to transmit data. I realized that the lady was only the messenger so didn’t ‘explode’ on her... but, I wanted to. When I called the service center I was told that both Bruce and Albie were in a meeting. The poor lady who I was talking to there got an ear full when I told her to go get either one of them and I would wait... and I did.
When Bruce finally came to the phone I’d calmed down. After hearing my explanation he apologized saying that they should have checked up on that. He told me that this was their first experience with data service into our county and hadn’t given any thought to the possibility that the phone company wasn’t ready to provide it. At that point there wasn’t anything I could say. He promised that they would ‘ride herd’ on the phone company to get it done as soon as possible. For me, it was just something else to worry about.
The call to Mike to offer him Hank’s position went fairly well. He, of course, wanted more money so I worked hard on selling him on the fact that he’d only be working 40 hours a week and would be home each and every night at a reasonable hour. I could tell he liked what he was hearing and closed the conversation by telling him to come back in to get a feel for the place. I wanted him in the next day but settled on Thursday.
At 3pm I got a visit from Liz, the auditor, to explain the proof procedure she wanted to use to try and track down the teller’s difference from the preceding day. It was going to take a long time as only she and Laura were going to count each cash box. When I told the tellers what was to happen all I got was grief. In my mind the process took way too long and it was almost 5pm before the error had been located. The ‘culprit’ was Lillian. There was no money missing and just a common error that Letitia should’ve picked up when putting the final proof together. When done with that Laura and Liz had to stay to finish up their regular work. Joanie had left at 5pm so I saw it as an opportunity to talk with Laura without raising any suspicion. I was manning the back door to let the stragglers out so it was perfect.
I got the distinct impression the Laura was getting some sort of pleasure out of withholding the information I wanted from her. After some cajoling she said that it had gone well and Joanie really liked the panties. She reached into her bag, pulled out an envelope and handed it to me. I was initially puzzled but quickly realized it was the money for the panties. I really didn’t want it and Laura knew it, but she had realized that if the transaction were not to be questioned she had to take the cash. Reluctantly, I did but took a bit of a chance and told her that it was prepayment for when she need more panties for herself. Even in the dimming light I could see her blush. As she walked away I envisioned seeing them together knowing they were wearing the same kind of panties. With colder weather coming there was the distinct probability of them wearing slacks... and me getting a VPL view to corroborate the fact. I smiled.
Before leaving I decided to give Brucie, one of the owners of the mobile home parks another call. I really didn’t expect him to answer so wasn’t prepared for what he had to say. He said the idea I’d floated about renting the units he had for sale had some merit but it wasn’t something that was a high priority at the time. Initially, I was disappointed but before he hung up he asked if the person I’d mentioned to him (Moira) needed to have furniture or did she have her own. I’d let her out the door about 20 minutes prior so couldn’t ask her. However, it quickly came to me that if she was living in a house then she had furniture. I told him she had her own and he closed the conversation saying that he might be able to accommodate her. It was the best news I’d heard all day.
To be continued...
However, I had to find a place to hide the panties. After rummaging around I found a small box in one of the trash barrels. I stuffed the panties into it and set it aside. I knew the only one who would be going in there was Ward, the cleaning man, and that wouldn’t be until 6pm and I’d have picked it up by then and, hopefully, be home. By the time I got back to my desk there were two messages for me. One was about the applicant for Hank’s job, Mike. I was really hoping the ‘word’ about him was good because I really wanted my ‘world’ to return to some semblance of normalcy. I saw the number to call was located in the city and as soon as I heard the voice I knew. The man was the dispatcher for a small trucking firm that operated in and around the city. It only took a few words to hear what I wanted to hear... the guy would be willing to hire Mike back.
The other message was from the phone company. That bothered me. I’d been forewarned by both Bruce and Albie from the service center that dealing with them was a crapshoot... that you couldn’t count on them to meet dates and deadlines they themselves would give you to do the work you ordered. I was counting on them to activate the two data packs by the end of the week so that we could get started with training and get the name and address file embedded at the service center. I was really nervous as I dialed the number on the note. I was actually holding my breath when I identified myself. Then, I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard this woman tell me that there was a problem with our order. It was something about a switch that needed to be installed and activated before we could be operational. I had no idea what she was talking about and thought it was something we had to have on site. It took a few tries for her to explain it to me and after she did I didn't fully comprehend what she'd told me. I was not a happy camper!
It turned out that the bank was going to be the first user of data services in the area. The phone company wasn’t really prepared for it and had to install some kind of a switch at a key point in their network of lines before we’d be able to transmit data. I realized that the lady was only the messenger so didn’t ‘explode’ on her... but, I wanted to. When I called the service center I was told that both Bruce and Albie were in a meeting. The poor lady who I was talking to there got an ear full when I told her to go get either one of them and I would wait... and I did.
When Bruce finally came to the phone I’d calmed down. After hearing my explanation he apologized saying that they should have checked up on that. He told me that this was their first experience with data service into our county and hadn’t given any thought to the possibility that the phone company wasn’t ready to provide it. At that point there wasn’t anything I could say. He promised that they would ‘ride herd’ on the phone company to get it done as soon as possible. For me, it was just something else to worry about.
The call to Mike to offer him Hank’s position went fairly well. He, of course, wanted more money so I worked hard on selling him on the fact that he’d only be working 40 hours a week and would be home each and every night at a reasonable hour. I could tell he liked what he was hearing and closed the conversation by telling him to come back in to get a feel for the place. I wanted him in the next day but settled on Thursday.
At 3pm I got a visit from Liz, the auditor, to explain the proof procedure she wanted to use to try and track down the teller’s difference from the preceding day. It was going to take a long time as only she and Laura were going to count each cash box. When I told the tellers what was to happen all I got was grief. In my mind the process took way too long and it was almost 5pm before the error had been located. The ‘culprit’ was Lillian. There was no money missing and just a common error that Letitia should’ve picked up when putting the final proof together. When done with that Laura and Liz had to stay to finish up their regular work. Joanie had left at 5pm so I saw it as an opportunity to talk with Laura without raising any suspicion. I was manning the back door to let the stragglers out so it was perfect.
I got the distinct impression the Laura was getting some sort of pleasure out of withholding the information I wanted from her. After some cajoling she said that it had gone well and Joanie really liked the panties. She reached into her bag, pulled out an envelope and handed it to me. I was initially puzzled but quickly realized it was the money for the panties. I really didn’t want it and Laura knew it, but she had realized that if the transaction were not to be questioned she had to take the cash. Reluctantly, I did but took a bit of a chance and told her that it was prepayment for when she need more panties for herself. Even in the dimming light I could see her blush. As she walked away I envisioned seeing them together knowing they were wearing the same kind of panties. With colder weather coming there was the distinct probability of them wearing slacks... and me getting a VPL view to corroborate the fact. I smiled.
Before leaving I decided to give Brucie, one of the owners of the mobile home parks another call. I really didn’t expect him to answer so wasn’t prepared for what he had to say. He said the idea I’d floated about renting the units he had for sale had some merit but it wasn’t something that was a high priority at the time. Initially, I was disappointed but before he hung up he asked if the person I’d mentioned to him (Moira) needed to have furniture or did she have her own. I’d let her out the door about 20 minutes prior so couldn’t ask her. However, it quickly came to me that if she was living in a house then she had furniture. I told him she had her own and he closed the conversation saying that he might be able to accommodate her. It was the best news I’d heard all day.
To be continued...
Thursday, May 19, 2016
AUTUMN... now the chages (Part 143i)
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part143i)
Heading into Tuesday Bret and I had the messenger runs figured out and were managing to get all the little things done as well. Maybe not as timely as Hank had done them but there had been no major snafus. I took care of the back entry door that morning and didn’t take near as much ribbing as Bret had taken the day before. When I saw Laura arrive without Joanie tagging along I had a brief few seconds to ask how the “package” had worked out. She just smiled back which made me wonder why. Joanie walked in just a few seconds later so it meant I’d have to track Laura down later. By the time I got to my desk Trish had taken a message from one of the companies that the applicant for Hank’s job, Mike, had worked for. She had spoken to the office manager who told her that they (the company) missed Mike and wanted to know how he was doing. I took that as a positive and hoped the other call I’d made in checking with his past employers would answer soon.
The first call I made was to Bruce, one of the brothers who owned and ran the mobile home parks in town. Of the two I liked him less but knew he’d give me straight answers. We chatted a bit about old times as it had been over a year since I’d last seen him. I asked if he knew of any units in his older park that might be for rent. He said he didn’t get involved in any of that and only cared that the rent was paid for the pad. Typical Bruce. I asked about the number of vacancies in the park and he didn’t seem concerned but did confirm that the park might be going up for sale. I’d gotten an idea the night before and decided to put it forth to Bruce. If he was going to be selling the place then he should want to fill the vacant pads and why not do it with the used mobile homes located out front on the sales lot. I fully expected to have the thought shot down immediately but all I got was silence. I had to ask if he was still on the line. When he came back I could tell there was some interest. I went further and suggested that he could then rent those units out and be bringing in some cash. There was more silence. He finally said he’d talk it over with his brother which gave me a glimmer of hope. I told him that if they were going to pursue it I had someone who was looking for a rental unit. He said he’d get back to me.
After I did the bank and post office runs I was ready for a break. Normally not a coffee drinker I decided I needed a jolt of caffeine. I didn’t even get a chance to sit down when Laura walked in looking for me and it was plainly obvious it wasn’t a social visit. She had the teller’s proof sheets from the day before and told me there had been an error when Letitia did the master proof. When she said it was $54 I knew it was a transposition (divisible by 9) error. The problem was that all the tellers were already working in their cash boxes so there was no way to trace it by recounting the cash. It just made me mad because Letitia just wasn’t capable of handling the job of head teller but no one wanted to listen to me. When Gina appeared in the doorway it was like salt had been rubbed in a wound. She was perfect for the job but she’d soon be doing it for another bank because senior management put loyalty (Letita had been there over 25 years) ahead of performance.
Bret had identified where the new teller machines were to go so the data packs from the telephone company could be installed when they showed up. I scribbled out a very rough schedule for getting started with the training on how to use the new machines and who would go first. I had to keep in mind that we had to continue to wait on customers while the staff was being trained so planned accordingly. With things now starting to come together I was getting excited. Having just seeing Gina reminded me that I’d have to schedule her in for training as well so as to not “blow her cover”. I remember thinking of how much I was going to miss her. It also triggered the thought that I had to set up an interview with Peggy... but when?
Right after lunch I set about to replenish the deposit and withdrawal slips in the check writing desks while Bret made sure there was toilet paper, soap and paper towels in the public restroom. I was finishing up when I saw Bret waving for me to come over by the door to the room. He had a sly smile on his face and pointed into the room. There was a puddle with a yellowish tint to it right in front of the toilet. But that wasn’t what he was pointing to. It was a pair of panties half in and half out of the waste basket. I waited for Bret to say something but he just stood there with the same silly smile. After a bit he said that he’d “flip” to see who’d clean it up. I had no desire to do the clean up but I did want to get a look at the panties so I told him that he owed me one.
I pretty much knew where Hank had a mop and pail for emergencies, usually for snowy days to take care of melted snow in the vestibules. In a way I was surprised that Bret hadn’t volunteered since I knew he was a “panty man’ as well. But I was pretty sure that wet panties weren’t his thing so I had clear sailing. I got the puddle mopped up in no time and to take care of the panties I decided to take the waste basket to the cellar to empty it. I pushed the panties down into the damp paper towels so they wouldn’t be seen. I was actually carrying a bit of a bulge as I walked across the lobby with the basket.
There were two large barrels in what used to be the coal room when they had a coal fired furnace for heat. The light in there was far from good but there was enough to be able to read the label. I quickly found the panties and could see they were pretty soaked. Full briefs, they had a pinkish look to them as I held them up but wasn’t sure if it was because of the poor light or that they actually were pink. I fully expected them to be large but they didn’t appear to be. As I turned them around to look at the rear I recognized them to be a pair of one of my favorite brands... VanRaalte. I didn’t care what size they were but I knew they were going home with me. When I found the label it had a 4 printed on it. It was a real treasure and I was excited.
To be continued...
Heading into Tuesday Bret and I had the messenger runs figured out and were managing to get all the little things done as well. Maybe not as timely as Hank had done them but there had been no major snafus. I took care of the back entry door that morning and didn’t take near as much ribbing as Bret had taken the day before. When I saw Laura arrive without Joanie tagging along I had a brief few seconds to ask how the “package” had worked out. She just smiled back which made me wonder why. Joanie walked in just a few seconds later so it meant I’d have to track Laura down later. By the time I got to my desk Trish had taken a message from one of the companies that the applicant for Hank’s job, Mike, had worked for. She had spoken to the office manager who told her that they (the company) missed Mike and wanted to know how he was doing. I took that as a positive and hoped the other call I’d made in checking with his past employers would answer soon.
The first call I made was to Bruce, one of the brothers who owned and ran the mobile home parks in town. Of the two I liked him less but knew he’d give me straight answers. We chatted a bit about old times as it had been over a year since I’d last seen him. I asked if he knew of any units in his older park that might be for rent. He said he didn’t get involved in any of that and only cared that the rent was paid for the pad. Typical Bruce. I asked about the number of vacancies in the park and he didn’t seem concerned but did confirm that the park might be going up for sale. I’d gotten an idea the night before and decided to put it forth to Bruce. If he was going to be selling the place then he should want to fill the vacant pads and why not do it with the used mobile homes located out front on the sales lot. I fully expected to have the thought shot down immediately but all I got was silence. I had to ask if he was still on the line. When he came back I could tell there was some interest. I went further and suggested that he could then rent those units out and be bringing in some cash. There was more silence. He finally said he’d talk it over with his brother which gave me a glimmer of hope. I told him that if they were going to pursue it I had someone who was looking for a rental unit. He said he’d get back to me.
After I did the bank and post office runs I was ready for a break. Normally not a coffee drinker I decided I needed a jolt of caffeine. I didn’t even get a chance to sit down when Laura walked in looking for me and it was plainly obvious it wasn’t a social visit. She had the teller’s proof sheets from the day before and told me there had been an error when Letitia did the master proof. When she said it was $54 I knew it was a transposition (divisible by 9) error. The problem was that all the tellers were already working in their cash boxes so there was no way to trace it by recounting the cash. It just made me mad because Letitia just wasn’t capable of handling the job of head teller but no one wanted to listen to me. When Gina appeared in the doorway it was like salt had been rubbed in a wound. She was perfect for the job but she’d soon be doing it for another bank because senior management put loyalty (Letita had been there over 25 years) ahead of performance.
Bret had identified where the new teller machines were to go so the data packs from the telephone company could be installed when they showed up. I scribbled out a very rough schedule for getting started with the training on how to use the new machines and who would go first. I had to keep in mind that we had to continue to wait on customers while the staff was being trained so planned accordingly. With things now starting to come together I was getting excited. Having just seeing Gina reminded me that I’d have to schedule her in for training as well so as to not “blow her cover”. I remember thinking of how much I was going to miss her. It also triggered the thought that I had to set up an interview with Peggy... but when?
Right after lunch I set about to replenish the deposit and withdrawal slips in the check writing desks while Bret made sure there was toilet paper, soap and paper towels in the public restroom. I was finishing up when I saw Bret waving for me to come over by the door to the room. He had a sly smile on his face and pointed into the room. There was a puddle with a yellowish tint to it right in front of the toilet. But that wasn’t what he was pointing to. It was a pair of panties half in and half out of the waste basket. I waited for Bret to say something but he just stood there with the same silly smile. After a bit he said that he’d “flip” to see who’d clean it up. I had no desire to do the clean up but I did want to get a look at the panties so I told him that he owed me one.
I pretty much knew where Hank had a mop and pail for emergencies, usually for snowy days to take care of melted snow in the vestibules. In a way I was surprised that Bret hadn’t volunteered since I knew he was a “panty man’ as well. But I was pretty sure that wet panties weren’t his thing so I had clear sailing. I got the puddle mopped up in no time and to take care of the panties I decided to take the waste basket to the cellar to empty it. I pushed the panties down into the damp paper towels so they wouldn’t be seen. I was actually carrying a bit of a bulge as I walked across the lobby with the basket.
There were two large barrels in what used to be the coal room when they had a coal fired furnace for heat. The light in there was far from good but there was enough to be able to read the label. I quickly found the panties and could see they were pretty soaked. Full briefs, they had a pinkish look to them as I held them up but wasn’t sure if it was because of the poor light or that they actually were pink. I fully expected them to be large but they didn’t appear to be. As I turned them around to look at the rear I recognized them to be a pair of one of my favorite brands... VanRaalte. I didn’t care what size they were but I knew they were going home with me. When I found the label it had a 4 printed on it. It was a real treasure and I was excited.
To be continued...
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143h)
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143h)
Approaching my car I could see something under the wiper blade. It was only a short distance to the diner and it was somewhat ironic in that it was where Moira's car had “died”. I didn’t see her by her car so went inside. She was sitting at the counter with a cup of coffee. She smiled and pointed to the coffee and made a comment that it was what kept her going. To start things off I questioned her about the performance of the car. That brought forth a laugh and the comment that all she knew about performance was that if she put the key in the ignition and the car started it was good. Typical female!
My concern had been, and still was, where she’d go after vacating her house. I got right to the subject and was relieved to hear her say that she thought she had lined up a place to rent just down the street from her house. That sounded good because it would mean she wouldn’t have to disrupt the kids and their schooling. BUT... she went on to say that it was a mobile home. I knew, immediately, where she was talking about.
=======================================
A little discourse here...
I’ve thought about writing a short story about some of the ‘characters’ that I had to deal with in my banking career... but haven’t done it yet. However, if I were to do it the primary one would be the owner of the mobile home park that the unit that Moira was talking about renting was located. Anita A. was a very large woman (6’ tall, about 250lbs) who had come to the USA right before WWII from Germany along with her husband Hubert who, when you looked at him standing next to her, appeared to be half her size. She was a very domineering and demanding person to just about anybody she dealt with. She had selected the bank as her primary depository before I started working there and had, as I found out, basically ‘run over’ my predecessor with her demands. The first time I had to wait on her she demanded that I do a currency exchange (German marks for dollars) that I knew we weren’t supposed to do as a savings, not commercial, bank. She had a hissy fit but I wouldn’t back down. Hobie happened along and managed to very tactfully back me up and yet, at the same time, calm her down. His action saved her as a customer for the bank but saddled me with her from there on... and it was a wild ride. I can tell you she was, by far, the most obnoxious customer I ever had to deal with. I won’t bore you with any of it but the point of writing about it here is that I got to know a lot more about her and her mobile home park. With the chance that Moira might be a resident I felt I had to give ‘full disclosure’ to her.
=======================================
I didn’t waste much time getting to the core of my concern. I told Moira about the way the woman treated the residents of her park and how there were some civil law suits pending against her for mistreatment of them. She had a ‘goldmine’ because of her location. It was located just minutes away from the Air Force base in an area that didn’t have much in the way of year round rental homes (mostly Summer cottages). Originally, it was located on the base property and when the US sold off some of it when they were downsizing and closing bases, the township allowed it to remain. It was the only mobile home park located in the township and all efforts to create new ones had been thwarted. She had told me that of the 50+ units in the park about 80% were affiliated with the air base.
Moira, in hearing me tell of the situation, looked depressed. I fully expected to see tears but none came. She composed herself after a few deep breaths and then looked at me and asked if I had any ideas. I wasn’t prepared to offer ideas when we first started talking so took a few deep breaths myself. The talk of mobile homes made me think of the park where Elle and I lived when we first moved back to the area. It was just down the road, not even a mile away. I asked Moira if she’d seen the sign for it as she had to drive past it twice a day. She shook her head and asked why I wanted to know. In just a few seconds my mind had put something together to suggest to Moira.
I’d driven though my old park just a few weeks before and had been surprised by a number of things, mainly that there were quite a few empty spaces. Another thing was that the sales lot seemed to have a plethora of previously owned units in it. Not that Moira could afford to buy one but possibly she could rent one. I had no idea if it was possible but suggested that we take a ride to the place and just take a look. Since it was on her way home I persuaded her to follow me. Pulling in, I made a point of slowing down to take a quick count of the used homes and came up with at least six. I stopped and let her get in my car and then proceeded to drive her through the park showing her both of my old units. I didn’t say much other than to point them out hoping she’d make an observation, but she didn’t. I’d been looking for For Rent signs but didn’t see any. By then I was getting concerned about the time so sort of forced the issue wanting to know if she could see herself and her kids living in a mobile home park like the one I’d just shown her. Looking straight ahead I heard her mumble something about not being able to afford to live there. I was then getting a bit exasperated and asked what her mortgage payment for her house was. When she said it was $100 a month I told her that I was positive rent would be less than that and she wouldn’t have to pay property taxes. That got her attention. I told her to think about it and I'd call the guys who owned the park to see if they knew of something available. With that said she smiled and got out. As I drove away I questioned my sanity for getting so involved.
To be continued...
Approaching my car I could see something under the wiper blade. It was only a short distance to the diner and it was somewhat ironic in that it was where Moira's car had “died”. I didn’t see her by her car so went inside. She was sitting at the counter with a cup of coffee. She smiled and pointed to the coffee and made a comment that it was what kept her going. To start things off I questioned her about the performance of the car. That brought forth a laugh and the comment that all she knew about performance was that if she put the key in the ignition and the car started it was good. Typical female!
My concern had been, and still was, where she’d go after vacating her house. I got right to the subject and was relieved to hear her say that she thought she had lined up a place to rent just down the street from her house. That sounded good because it would mean she wouldn’t have to disrupt the kids and their schooling. BUT... she went on to say that it was a mobile home. I knew, immediately, where she was talking about.
=======================================
A little discourse here...
I’ve thought about writing a short story about some of the ‘characters’ that I had to deal with in my banking career... but haven’t done it yet. However, if I were to do it the primary one would be the owner of the mobile home park that the unit that Moira was talking about renting was located. Anita A. was a very large woman (6’ tall, about 250lbs) who had come to the USA right before WWII from Germany along with her husband Hubert who, when you looked at him standing next to her, appeared to be half her size. She was a very domineering and demanding person to just about anybody she dealt with. She had selected the bank as her primary depository before I started working there and had, as I found out, basically ‘run over’ my predecessor with her demands. The first time I had to wait on her she demanded that I do a currency exchange (German marks for dollars) that I knew we weren’t supposed to do as a savings, not commercial, bank. She had a hissy fit but I wouldn’t back down. Hobie happened along and managed to very tactfully back me up and yet, at the same time, calm her down. His action saved her as a customer for the bank but saddled me with her from there on... and it was a wild ride. I can tell you she was, by far, the most obnoxious customer I ever had to deal with. I won’t bore you with any of it but the point of writing about it here is that I got to know a lot more about her and her mobile home park. With the chance that Moira might be a resident I felt I had to give ‘full disclosure’ to her.
=======================================
I didn’t waste much time getting to the core of my concern. I told Moira about the way the woman treated the residents of her park and how there were some civil law suits pending against her for mistreatment of them. She had a ‘goldmine’ because of her location. It was located just minutes away from the Air Force base in an area that didn’t have much in the way of year round rental homes (mostly Summer cottages). Originally, it was located on the base property and when the US sold off some of it when they were downsizing and closing bases, the township allowed it to remain. It was the only mobile home park located in the township and all efforts to create new ones had been thwarted. She had told me that of the 50+ units in the park about 80% were affiliated with the air base.
Moira, in hearing me tell of the situation, looked depressed. I fully expected to see tears but none came. She composed herself after a few deep breaths and then looked at me and asked if I had any ideas. I wasn’t prepared to offer ideas when we first started talking so took a few deep breaths myself. The talk of mobile homes made me think of the park where Elle and I lived when we first moved back to the area. It was just down the road, not even a mile away. I asked Moira if she’d seen the sign for it as she had to drive past it twice a day. She shook her head and asked why I wanted to know. In just a few seconds my mind had put something together to suggest to Moira.
I’d driven though my old park just a few weeks before and had been surprised by a number of things, mainly that there were quite a few empty spaces. Another thing was that the sales lot seemed to have a plethora of previously owned units in it. Not that Moira could afford to buy one but possibly she could rent one. I had no idea if it was possible but suggested that we take a ride to the place and just take a look. Since it was on her way home I persuaded her to follow me. Pulling in, I made a point of slowing down to take a quick count of the used homes and came up with at least six. I stopped and let her get in my car and then proceeded to drive her through the park showing her both of my old units. I didn’t say much other than to point them out hoping she’d make an observation, but she didn’t. I’d been looking for For Rent signs but didn’t see any. By then I was getting concerned about the time so sort of forced the issue wanting to know if she could see herself and her kids living in a mobile home park like the one I’d just shown her. Looking straight ahead I heard her mumble something about not being able to afford to live there. I was then getting a bit exasperated and asked what her mortgage payment for her house was. When she said it was $100 a month I told her that I was positive rent would be less than that and she wouldn’t have to pay property taxes. That got her attention. I told her to think about it and I'd call the guys who owned the park to see if they knew of something available. With that said she smiled and got out. As I drove away I questioned my sanity for getting so involved.
To be continued...
Sunday, May 15, 2016
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143g)
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143g)
I have no notes as to what transpired over the weekend at home. I was either way too busy or nothing really happened. On Monday morning Bret manned the door to let the employees in. I definitely remember him taking a lot of ribbing about being the “new” Hank.The bank had received word from Hank’s family about the arrangements and they were anything but convenient for the staff. The funeral parlor was in a town not all that convenient for the majority of the employees who had expressed an interest in putting in an appearance. The date and time of the funeral itself was about as inconvenient as could’ve been chosen... Wednesday at 3pm which was the date and time for the full Board meeting.
Between Bret and I the important things got done during the morning. Trish had made contact with the one applicant we had on file that might fit Hank’s position. I made contact with him and he agreed to come in around 1pm. I could tell the guy was from the city as soon as he spoke. He didn’t live all that far from the bank though which I felt was a good thing. Have you ever gotten an idea about what someone might look like just from speaking over the phone? As soon as I saw this burly guy sauntering across the lobby floor I knew it was him. He announced himself as “Mike, the guy who can do anything!” My first reaction was to get the interview over as quickly as possible and start looking to run an ad in the newspapers. But I didn’t... and I still don’t know why.
His claim was a bit far fetched but after talking with him I realized he had some skills that could be utilized under the title he would have... messenger/custodian. Because Hank had been with the bank for so long he’d been allowed to customize his position to fit what he liked to do and when he wanted to do it. It had been somewhat of a problem for me to accept but Mike was an opportunity to make some changes. Aside form the city ‘accent’, he seemed like a nice guy. He still had his commercial drivers permit which, if the bank grew like I’d overheard some of the trustees expected, it might come in handy. I ended up telling him that after I checked some of his references I’d get back to him. I remember him leaving the platform area and telling Trish that he’d see her again in a few days. He certainly didn’t lack for confidence.
Another thing on my mind was to find out how the situation with Laura, Joanie and the panties had worked out. One thing I didn’t want was to say anything when they were together. It was somewhat frustrating seeing the two of them walk out together for lunch and then return together. Laura hadn’t been working at her desk all morning so I knew I’d have to wait to find out.
I’d desperately wanted to talk with Hobie about the branch layout to find out why no changes were to be allowed. Hobie had certain habits which sort of telegraphed how he was feeling. If he lit up his pipe right at 3pm it was a good sign. I saw that but had to figure out a way to bring up the branch without upsetting him. I decided that Mike might be a good segue to accomplish it. Hobie been in a meeting upstairs when Mike was at my desk so I told him about my impression of him. I told him of his truck driving experience and how I thought it might come in handy with the branch or branches as we moved forward. He nodded in agreement but didn’t say anything. Being careful in my phrasing, I casually asked why there were to be no changes in the plans. I was hoping that Hobie wouldn’t explode and he didn’t. I remember him leaning forward and, with the pipe still between his lips, whispering something like “it’s internal politics” and then leaning back. I didn’t say a word but just sat there. I don’t know if he expected me to continue but I didn’t. So... he leaned forward again and went on to explain that the architect was the son in law of one of the Trustees and the consensus had been to accept the plans as submitted so there wouldn’t be a whole lot of discord among the board members. Supposedly, he had done the work at a very reasonable cost. I just sat there not wanting to believe what I was hearing. But Hobie wasn’t done. It had taken way longer than expected for him to complete the plans and to have any hope of opening the branch around July 1st, they had to be put out to bid before the end of the month. To me, it was ridiculous. To me the Trustees were supposedly chosen to be the protectors of the depositors money and to make wise decisions. It was hard for me to grasp that what with what Hobie had just told me.
There was one positive thing that transpired that afternoon... the telephone company called to say they’d be installing two data packs by the end of the week. I immediately called Albie at the processing center. He, in turn, said he’d make arrangements for the two teller machines to be delivered the following week. Then, after testing to make sure everything was working he’d arranged for Gracie, the lady who gave me my training, to come out and spend a few days working with our tellers. He said the whole thing was working out to our benefit because our tellers would have a longer time to acclimate themselves to the new machines. Another ‘plus’ was they’d have Gracie, their best trainer to teach them. I sat there listening to him and all the while thinking about the panties I’d gotten from her basement. I couldn’t help but wonder if she noticed they were missing and, if she did, had she put it together with my having stayed at her house. I was happy she was coming, yet concerned. Time would tell.
I’d called upstairs to check with Moira a couple of times but she was working with Bette, her boss, on the financial report for the Trustee’s meeting on Wednesday. I was mildly concerned that some of the employees might think something was up between the two of us if I continued to go upstairs to her work area especially with the recent attention I’d given her. I knew that more often than not she would use the back stairs when leaving for the day. At around 5pm I found an excuse to go talk with Jaz, the girl who assisted Laurie with the daily posting of depositor accounts, so I could pass a note to Moira. In the note I told her that I could catch up with her at the diner located at the traffic circle if she wanted. If it was a "yes" I put in the note to just slip it under the windshield wiper and I’d be there by 5:15pm, give or take a few minutes. As she walked past I managed to give it to her in an inconspicuous manner. Now, all I had to was see how she responded.
To be continued...
I have no notes as to what transpired over the weekend at home. I was either way too busy or nothing really happened. On Monday morning Bret manned the door to let the employees in. I definitely remember him taking a lot of ribbing about being the “new” Hank.The bank had received word from Hank’s family about the arrangements and they were anything but convenient for the staff. The funeral parlor was in a town not all that convenient for the majority of the employees who had expressed an interest in putting in an appearance. The date and time of the funeral itself was about as inconvenient as could’ve been chosen... Wednesday at 3pm which was the date and time for the full Board meeting.
Between Bret and I the important things got done during the morning. Trish had made contact with the one applicant we had on file that might fit Hank’s position. I made contact with him and he agreed to come in around 1pm. I could tell the guy was from the city as soon as he spoke. He didn’t live all that far from the bank though which I felt was a good thing. Have you ever gotten an idea about what someone might look like just from speaking over the phone? As soon as I saw this burly guy sauntering across the lobby floor I knew it was him. He announced himself as “Mike, the guy who can do anything!” My first reaction was to get the interview over as quickly as possible and start looking to run an ad in the newspapers. But I didn’t... and I still don’t know why.
His claim was a bit far fetched but after talking with him I realized he had some skills that could be utilized under the title he would have... messenger/custodian. Because Hank had been with the bank for so long he’d been allowed to customize his position to fit what he liked to do and when he wanted to do it. It had been somewhat of a problem for me to accept but Mike was an opportunity to make some changes. Aside form the city ‘accent’, he seemed like a nice guy. He still had his commercial drivers permit which, if the bank grew like I’d overheard some of the trustees expected, it might come in handy. I ended up telling him that after I checked some of his references I’d get back to him. I remember him leaving the platform area and telling Trish that he’d see her again in a few days. He certainly didn’t lack for confidence.
Another thing on my mind was to find out how the situation with Laura, Joanie and the panties had worked out. One thing I didn’t want was to say anything when they were together. It was somewhat frustrating seeing the two of them walk out together for lunch and then return together. Laura hadn’t been working at her desk all morning so I knew I’d have to wait to find out.
I’d desperately wanted to talk with Hobie about the branch layout to find out why no changes were to be allowed. Hobie had certain habits which sort of telegraphed how he was feeling. If he lit up his pipe right at 3pm it was a good sign. I saw that but had to figure out a way to bring up the branch without upsetting him. I decided that Mike might be a good segue to accomplish it. Hobie been in a meeting upstairs when Mike was at my desk so I told him about my impression of him. I told him of his truck driving experience and how I thought it might come in handy with the branch or branches as we moved forward. He nodded in agreement but didn’t say anything. Being careful in my phrasing, I casually asked why there were to be no changes in the plans. I was hoping that Hobie wouldn’t explode and he didn’t. I remember him leaning forward and, with the pipe still between his lips, whispering something like “it’s internal politics” and then leaning back. I didn’t say a word but just sat there. I don’t know if he expected me to continue but I didn’t. So... he leaned forward again and went on to explain that the architect was the son in law of one of the Trustees and the consensus had been to accept the plans as submitted so there wouldn’t be a whole lot of discord among the board members. Supposedly, he had done the work at a very reasonable cost. I just sat there not wanting to believe what I was hearing. But Hobie wasn’t done. It had taken way longer than expected for him to complete the plans and to have any hope of opening the branch around July 1st, they had to be put out to bid before the end of the month. To me, it was ridiculous. To me the Trustees were supposedly chosen to be the protectors of the depositors money and to make wise decisions. It was hard for me to grasp that what with what Hobie had just told me.
There was one positive thing that transpired that afternoon... the telephone company called to say they’d be installing two data packs by the end of the week. I immediately called Albie at the processing center. He, in turn, said he’d make arrangements for the two teller machines to be delivered the following week. Then, after testing to make sure everything was working he’d arranged for Gracie, the lady who gave me my training, to come out and spend a few days working with our tellers. He said the whole thing was working out to our benefit because our tellers would have a longer time to acclimate themselves to the new machines. Another ‘plus’ was they’d have Gracie, their best trainer to teach them. I sat there listening to him and all the while thinking about the panties I’d gotten from her basement. I couldn’t help but wonder if she noticed they were missing and, if she did, had she put it together with my having stayed at her house. I was happy she was coming, yet concerned. Time would tell.
I’d called upstairs to check with Moira a couple of times but she was working with Bette, her boss, on the financial report for the Trustee’s meeting on Wednesday. I was mildly concerned that some of the employees might think something was up between the two of us if I continued to go upstairs to her work area especially with the recent attention I’d given her. I knew that more often than not she would use the back stairs when leaving for the day. At around 5pm I found an excuse to go talk with Jaz, the girl who assisted Laurie with the daily posting of depositor accounts, so I could pass a note to Moira. In the note I told her that I could catch up with her at the diner located at the traffic circle if she wanted. If it was a "yes" I put in the note to just slip it under the windshield wiper and I’d be there by 5:15pm, give or take a few minutes. As she walked past I managed to give it to her in an inconspicuous manner. Now, all I had to was see how she responded.
To be continued...
Thursday, May 12, 2016
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143f)
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part143f)
With all the disruption caused by Hank’s passing I’d managed to forget about Hobie’s reaction to the new branch floor plans. Being a Friday it meant that the bank was open until 6pm. Hobie had agreed to stay to take care of customers while Bret and I did the chores usually taken care of by Hank. His staying meant I’d have a chance to ask about the branch but only after I made the last deposit of checks at our local correspondent bank. It had ended up being up to me for that job since Bret didn’t have a car at work. The warm weather was still lingering but and just before 5pm there was thunder storm. Even though I was going to drive to the other bank I still had to get to my car and the rain was coming down ‘in buckets’. I waited in the vestibule for a while hoping for it to let up before making a run to the car. I waited as some of the employees who weren’t working until 6pm also gathered there. One of them was Laura. I knew that on most days she and Joanie would walk both to and from work and when it rained they’d get a lift from Trish. However, Trish always stayed late when Hobie did so Laura was facing a walk in the rain. As some of the others decided to brave the rain to get to their cars I decided to join them. Recognizing the opportunity to be with Laura without Joanie around I offered to give her a ride.
It took less than ten minutes to get to Joanie’s house. I was anxious to transfer the package with the panties to Laura and to go over what she was to say if Joanie asked where she’d gotten them. As I did I also made sure she still had the catalog to go along with the ‘story’. At Joanie’s, Laura stayed in the car while I retrieved the box from the trunk. After handing it to her I made the comment that I hoped Joanie felt better for the weekend. That brought a big, impish smile to her face. I picked up on it right away and pressed her on what was so funny. Almost laughing, she explained that Joanie wasn’t sick but was with her boyfriend. He’d just gotten home from basic training in the Army and she wanted to be with him. The news was a bit of a shock because I had no idea that she even had a boyfriend.
Back at the bank Bret had restocked everything so it was good to go for the opening on Monday. Hobie was at his desk and didn’t appear to be busy so I grabbed the opportunity to ask about the branch floor plans. He gave me a look that sort of told me that they were going to be a problem but didn’t say anything. Not wanting to be too bold I asked if there was any chance to get a look at the plans. He hesitated at first but then told me they were still on the table in the Board room. As I started to walk away he cautioned me by saying that the Board members had voted to go ahead with them just as they were with no changes. That sounded ominous to me.
My first glance at the floor plan told me it was a disaster. I knew there had to be some compromises because of the odd size plot the branch would be built on but from an operations standpoint it made no sense. The thing that stood out was that the vault could only be entered through the lobby. I’d only been in banking for a short time but in that time I’d been in a fair number of branch banks and never seen one that the vault wasn’t located in the secured work area. After seeing that I headed back downstairs to discuss it with Hobie. The only thing was that he (and Trish) were gone. I caught up with Bret and he said he told Hobie he would finish up allowing Hobie to leave. I was pretty upset because of the absurdity of the vault location. I really wanted to find out if Hobie was right in saying that no changes were planned but he’d gone. Once I told Bret about it he made the trip to the Board room to see it with his own eyes. When he returned he was shaking his head from side to side in disbelief.
The rain had let up and the sky was starting to clear as I approached the back door to leave for home. I was just about there when I saw Moira approaching from the rear stairway. It was just around 5:30pm. Upon seeing me she motioned for me to follow her over to one of the lobby benches. I then remembered that I’d indicated to her earlier that I’d get back to her on the news that Gee had given her. I remember looking at my watch and hoping that it wouldn’t take too long for her to tell me.
In truth, I didn’t really understand all of what she ended up telling me and part of it was because she didn’t understand what Gee had told her. The short version was that she could get out of continuing to pay the mortgage on her house because of a number of improper actions taken by the seller, the bank who’d held the mortgage on it and the bank who’d issued the mortgage to her and her husband. There was a very good chance that she wouldn’t get much, if anything, back on the monies that had been paid on that mortgage and she and her husband would have to sue, jointly, to get any of their down payment money back from the seller. That was the good news. The bad news was that she’d have to move out within 10 days of Gee filing legal papers on her behalf. But, as she was telling me all of this, it was clear to see she was relieved at the possibility of being out from under the burden of the mortgage. Naturally, I congratulated her which, in turn, brought some tears as she thanked me for introducing her to Gee. I hated tears (and still do).
Because she was in an emotional state I felt it best not to ask if she’d thought about where she might end up living. The thought was two fold... the first being that I was concerned about her and her kids and the second, not wanting to lose what was turning out to be a very good employee. I didn’t want to drag this chat out any longer because we were out in the lobby and customers were both coming and going by. I don’t remember what I said to end it though but I do remember thinking about it on the way home. I hoped that I’d shown enough concern so as not to have her think I didn’t care.
To be continued...
With all the disruption caused by Hank’s passing I’d managed to forget about Hobie’s reaction to the new branch floor plans. Being a Friday it meant that the bank was open until 6pm. Hobie had agreed to stay to take care of customers while Bret and I did the chores usually taken care of by Hank. His staying meant I’d have a chance to ask about the branch but only after I made the last deposit of checks at our local correspondent bank. It had ended up being up to me for that job since Bret didn’t have a car at work. The warm weather was still lingering but and just before 5pm there was thunder storm. Even though I was going to drive to the other bank I still had to get to my car and the rain was coming down ‘in buckets’. I waited in the vestibule for a while hoping for it to let up before making a run to the car. I waited as some of the employees who weren’t working until 6pm also gathered there. One of them was Laura. I knew that on most days she and Joanie would walk both to and from work and when it rained they’d get a lift from Trish. However, Trish always stayed late when Hobie did so Laura was facing a walk in the rain. As some of the others decided to brave the rain to get to their cars I decided to join them. Recognizing the opportunity to be with Laura without Joanie around I offered to give her a ride.
It took less than ten minutes to get to Joanie’s house. I was anxious to transfer the package with the panties to Laura and to go over what she was to say if Joanie asked where she’d gotten them. As I did I also made sure she still had the catalog to go along with the ‘story’. At Joanie’s, Laura stayed in the car while I retrieved the box from the trunk. After handing it to her I made the comment that I hoped Joanie felt better for the weekend. That brought a big, impish smile to her face. I picked up on it right away and pressed her on what was so funny. Almost laughing, she explained that Joanie wasn’t sick but was with her boyfriend. He’d just gotten home from basic training in the Army and she wanted to be with him. The news was a bit of a shock because I had no idea that she even had a boyfriend.
Back at the bank Bret had restocked everything so it was good to go for the opening on Monday. Hobie was at his desk and didn’t appear to be busy so I grabbed the opportunity to ask about the branch floor plans. He gave me a look that sort of told me that they were going to be a problem but didn’t say anything. Not wanting to be too bold I asked if there was any chance to get a look at the plans. He hesitated at first but then told me they were still on the table in the Board room. As I started to walk away he cautioned me by saying that the Board members had voted to go ahead with them just as they were with no changes. That sounded ominous to me.
My first glance at the floor plan told me it was a disaster. I knew there had to be some compromises because of the odd size plot the branch would be built on but from an operations standpoint it made no sense. The thing that stood out was that the vault could only be entered through the lobby. I’d only been in banking for a short time but in that time I’d been in a fair number of branch banks and never seen one that the vault wasn’t located in the secured work area. After seeing that I headed back downstairs to discuss it with Hobie. The only thing was that he (and Trish) were gone. I caught up with Bret and he said he told Hobie he would finish up allowing Hobie to leave. I was pretty upset because of the absurdity of the vault location. I really wanted to find out if Hobie was right in saying that no changes were planned but he’d gone. Once I told Bret about it he made the trip to the Board room to see it with his own eyes. When he returned he was shaking his head from side to side in disbelief.
The rain had let up and the sky was starting to clear as I approached the back door to leave for home. I was just about there when I saw Moira approaching from the rear stairway. It was just around 5:30pm. Upon seeing me she motioned for me to follow her over to one of the lobby benches. I then remembered that I’d indicated to her earlier that I’d get back to her on the news that Gee had given her. I remember looking at my watch and hoping that it wouldn’t take too long for her to tell me.
In truth, I didn’t really understand all of what she ended up telling me and part of it was because she didn’t understand what Gee had told her. The short version was that she could get out of continuing to pay the mortgage on her house because of a number of improper actions taken by the seller, the bank who’d held the mortgage on it and the bank who’d issued the mortgage to her and her husband. There was a very good chance that she wouldn’t get much, if anything, back on the monies that had been paid on that mortgage and she and her husband would have to sue, jointly, to get any of their down payment money back from the seller. That was the good news. The bad news was that she’d have to move out within 10 days of Gee filing legal papers on her behalf. But, as she was telling me all of this, it was clear to see she was relieved at the possibility of being out from under the burden of the mortgage. Naturally, I congratulated her which, in turn, brought some tears as she thanked me for introducing her to Gee. I hated tears (and still do).
Because she was in an emotional state I felt it best not to ask if she’d thought about where she might end up living. The thought was two fold... the first being that I was concerned about her and her kids and the second, not wanting to lose what was turning out to be a very good employee. I didn’t want to drag this chat out any longer because we were out in the lobby and customers were both coming and going by. I don’t remember what I said to end it though but I do remember thinking about it on the way home. I hoped that I’d shown enough concern so as not to have her think I didn’t care.
To be continued...
Monday, May 09, 2016
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143e)
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143e)
While Elle was still with her 4 H group at the church I was able to get to my ‘stash’ and pull out a SansSoucie panty box and to grab six pair still factory banded together and with the price tags attached. Elle had some kraft paper that she’d used in a school project that I used to carefully wrap the box. Luckily, I got it done and the package into the trunk of my car before Elle and the kids returned. The next part was in how to get it to Laura without Joanie seeing me. They’d become almost ‘joined at the hip’, doing almost everything together.
We were eating supper when the phone rang. Elle absolutely hated that and just let the phone ring saying that if it were all that important they could call back later... and they did. It was Bret to let me know that Hank, the bank messenger/custodian, had a heart attack and died. It was a shock to say the least. Hank was a ‘horse’, never shied from any manual labor and, from what I’d been told, hadn’t missed a day of work in the ten years he’d been with the bank. After we got over a little reminiscing about him I got back to the reality of what it meant for the bank. Together, we put together a plan for opening the bank the next morning and getting the first messenger run completed. I figured we could take it further once we were at work and could get input from both Bert (the president) as well as Hobie. That news was not a good way to end a day off.
I took care of letting the employees in to the bank the next morning and passing on the bad news. Most of them liked Hank so, for them it was hard to take. I’d wanted to catch Moira when she arrived to make sure the car had run to her satisfaction but by the time 9am came and I'd unlocked the doors for the public she still hadn’t arrived. That worried me.
As soon as Bert arrived he called Hobie, J J, and I in to his office to discuss our immediate options. I told them of the conversation Bret and I had the night before and told them that he was going to make the first messenger run. Bert seemed pleased with that news. It was the rest of the day that was the problem. There were many little things that Hank did around the bank that nobody had paid much attention to. He’d become just like the woodwork. Hobie suggested that we do an immediate survey of each of the department managers and supervisors to get a handle on it and we’d meet again just before noon. I won’t call the list exhaustive but it did fill a legal size yellow pad. To all of us it was eye opening. We quickly prioritized it to get through the rest of the day and to cover opening the doors on Monday. Being in charge of personnel I was told to try and locate a replacement ASAP.
With my morning taken up with things pertaining to Hank I didn’t think much about Moira or Laura. The continuing unseasonal warm weather triggered a thunder storm just as I was to leave for lunch so I passed on it. I decided to go upstairs to speak to J J concerning the priorities he’d listed. I didn’t agree with some of them and when I told him that if they were all that important then he might end up having to do them himself like Bret and I were doing. He gave me one of those “are you kidding me looks“ indicating that it would be beneath him to do something normally done by a lowly messenger/custodian. When he flashed that look at me I walked out of his office. He called me back but I ignored him. I stood just outside and surveyed the work area and didn’t see Joanie. I went over to J J’s secretary, Lynne, and asked about her. She said she'd called in sick, the news of which triggered my mind back to Laura and the panties. It was the opportunity I’d been looking for to get the box of panties to Laura without Joanie seeing me do it. At least there was one good thing happening that day.
Being on the second floor and having my mind temporarily off the ‘Hank’ crisis I thought of Moira. I’d been so busy in meetings and the like that I’d missed her coming in. I walked to the back, peered into her work area and saw her busily entering numbers into an adding machine. I was taken by the fact that the savings area was soon to be connected to a computer that would generate all kinds of useful information in a matter of seconds and here was Moira plugging away at an adding machine to generate but one single answer. She saw me and the smile that crossed her face was the only answer I needed. I waved and turned to leave when she called out for me to please wait. I stopped and she was right there facing me in seconds. She said she’d come in late to work because Gee, the bank Trustee who was also an attorney, had called her at home to tell her he had some interesting and potentially good news and he’d asked her to go to his office the first thing. I truly wanted to hear what it was but told her it’d have to be later as I had to finish up adjusting for Hank’s death.
She looked shocked and I remember her repeating ”death“ in the form of a question. By coming in late all the ‘chatter” about his passing had calmed down and she was unaware of it. I remembered that she and Hank had ‘bonded’ a bit in that Hank had lived in the city somewhere near where Moira had lived as a girl. I’d overheard him call her “Brooksie” when letting her in a time or two referring to Brooklyn where she’d been born.
Bret had assumed the afternoon messenger run and I made the trip up to our correspondent bank with the days deposited checks. Both of us had forgotten that Hank would make sure the deposit and withdrawal slip holders were filled and that the public restroom had paper towels and toilet paper. We were reminded by customer complaints. By 4pm I finally got a chance to look at the application for employment files. There was one interesting application, at least on paper. They guy had just retired as an over the road truck driver. I didn’t recognize his name but gave the application to Trish to call to have him come in.
After dropping the form on her desk I saw Laura alone at hers. I walked up and asked if she’d heard from Joanie telling her that I’d heard that she was sick. That brought a smile to her face and she quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard me or seen her face. I just smiled back at her but quickly let her know I had a “package” for her. She nodded indicating she understood. I offered to give her ride to Joanie's and when she accepted I knew that mission would be completed.
To be continued...
While Elle was still with her 4 H group at the church I was able to get to my ‘stash’ and pull out a SansSoucie panty box and to grab six pair still factory banded together and with the price tags attached. Elle had some kraft paper that she’d used in a school project that I used to carefully wrap the box. Luckily, I got it done and the package into the trunk of my car before Elle and the kids returned. The next part was in how to get it to Laura without Joanie seeing me. They’d become almost ‘joined at the hip’, doing almost everything together.
We were eating supper when the phone rang. Elle absolutely hated that and just let the phone ring saying that if it were all that important they could call back later... and they did. It was Bret to let me know that Hank, the bank messenger/custodian, had a heart attack and died. It was a shock to say the least. Hank was a ‘horse’, never shied from any manual labor and, from what I’d been told, hadn’t missed a day of work in the ten years he’d been with the bank. After we got over a little reminiscing about him I got back to the reality of what it meant for the bank. Together, we put together a plan for opening the bank the next morning and getting the first messenger run completed. I figured we could take it further once we were at work and could get input from both Bert (the president) as well as Hobie. That news was not a good way to end a day off.
I took care of letting the employees in to the bank the next morning and passing on the bad news. Most of them liked Hank so, for them it was hard to take. I’d wanted to catch Moira when she arrived to make sure the car had run to her satisfaction but by the time 9am came and I'd unlocked the doors for the public she still hadn’t arrived. That worried me.
As soon as Bert arrived he called Hobie, J J, and I in to his office to discuss our immediate options. I told them of the conversation Bret and I had the night before and told them that he was going to make the first messenger run. Bert seemed pleased with that news. It was the rest of the day that was the problem. There were many little things that Hank did around the bank that nobody had paid much attention to. He’d become just like the woodwork. Hobie suggested that we do an immediate survey of each of the department managers and supervisors to get a handle on it and we’d meet again just before noon. I won’t call the list exhaustive but it did fill a legal size yellow pad. To all of us it was eye opening. We quickly prioritized it to get through the rest of the day and to cover opening the doors on Monday. Being in charge of personnel I was told to try and locate a replacement ASAP.
With my morning taken up with things pertaining to Hank I didn’t think much about Moira or Laura. The continuing unseasonal warm weather triggered a thunder storm just as I was to leave for lunch so I passed on it. I decided to go upstairs to speak to J J concerning the priorities he’d listed. I didn’t agree with some of them and when I told him that if they were all that important then he might end up having to do them himself like Bret and I were doing. He gave me one of those “are you kidding me looks“ indicating that it would be beneath him to do something normally done by a lowly messenger/custodian. When he flashed that look at me I walked out of his office. He called me back but I ignored him. I stood just outside and surveyed the work area and didn’t see Joanie. I went over to J J’s secretary, Lynne, and asked about her. She said she'd called in sick, the news of which triggered my mind back to Laura and the panties. It was the opportunity I’d been looking for to get the box of panties to Laura without Joanie seeing me do it. At least there was one good thing happening that day.
Being on the second floor and having my mind temporarily off the ‘Hank’ crisis I thought of Moira. I’d been so busy in meetings and the like that I’d missed her coming in. I walked to the back, peered into her work area and saw her busily entering numbers into an adding machine. I was taken by the fact that the savings area was soon to be connected to a computer that would generate all kinds of useful information in a matter of seconds and here was Moira plugging away at an adding machine to generate but one single answer. She saw me and the smile that crossed her face was the only answer I needed. I waved and turned to leave when she called out for me to please wait. I stopped and she was right there facing me in seconds. She said she’d come in late to work because Gee, the bank Trustee who was also an attorney, had called her at home to tell her he had some interesting and potentially good news and he’d asked her to go to his office the first thing. I truly wanted to hear what it was but told her it’d have to be later as I had to finish up adjusting for Hank’s death.
She looked shocked and I remember her repeating ”death“ in the form of a question. By coming in late all the ‘chatter” about his passing had calmed down and she was unaware of it. I remembered that she and Hank had ‘bonded’ a bit in that Hank had lived in the city somewhere near where Moira had lived as a girl. I’d overheard him call her “Brooksie” when letting her in a time or two referring to Brooklyn where she’d been born.
Bret had assumed the afternoon messenger run and I made the trip up to our correspondent bank with the days deposited checks. Both of us had forgotten that Hank would make sure the deposit and withdrawal slip holders were filled and that the public restroom had paper towels and toilet paper. We were reminded by customer complaints. By 4pm I finally got a chance to look at the application for employment files. There was one interesting application, at least on paper. They guy had just retired as an over the road truck driver. I didn’t recognize his name but gave the application to Trish to call to have him come in.
After dropping the form on her desk I saw Laura alone at hers. I walked up and asked if she’d heard from Joanie telling her that I’d heard that she was sick. That brought a smile to her face and she quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard me or seen her face. I just smiled back at her but quickly let her know I had a “package” for her. She nodded indicating she understood. I offered to give her ride to Joanie's and when she accepted I knew that mission would be completed.
To be continued...
Saturday, May 07, 2016
AUTUMN ... now the changes (Part 143d)
AUTUMN ... now the changes (Part 143d)
Elle really liked the movie (I didn’t) and was in a happy mood. When we exited the theater she pointed to the the ice cream parlor right across the street and said she wanted a cone. She hardly ever ate Ice cream but rather than say anything I decided to keep my mouth shut to preserve the good mood she was in. The place was owned and run by a high school classmate and her husband. We’d stopped in a from time to time. Stacy had ‘blossomed’ as a mother and was now actually quite attractive. "Mousy" would have been an apt description of her in high school and when she got married the weekend of graduation it surprised everyone. She and Elle had been somewhat friendly but were never really close but whenever we stopped in Stacy seemed genuinely interested in how Elle (and I) were doing. It was a nice diversion (and good ice cream to boot).
As soon as we walked in the door at home it was obvious that Elle and I were on the same wave length. I remember we didn’t waste much time on ‘playing around’ and also remember that the sex was, for us, rather ‘intense’. So much so that we both fell asleep right after. I woke up to find a wet bed. I shook Elle to wake her and she let out a bit of moan. There were two things she hadn’t done... activated her alarm clocks and put on her night time "package". Neither of us wanted to get up to change the bedding so Elle just grabbed a beach towel from the linen closet to spread over the wetness. She visited the bathroom and then put on a partial “package” and climbed back in bed. The next thing I knew it was daylight.
Elle had a field trip planned for her 4 H group so she didn’t want to dally too long in bed. But, when I started playing around she didn’t push me away. The next thing I knew we were back at it again. THAT, for sure, was something we didn’t do very often. Personally, I liked having ‘morning delight’ more than sex at night. It was certainly more than a “quickie” but not by much. We finished off by showering together... a nice way to end the ‘surprise’ she had for me the day before.
Ginger was to assist Elle with the trip for the group because it was to see the dairy where her husband, Jon, (the milkman) got his milk. The ten girls that were 4 H members along with a couple of Gingers younger kids were to meet at our house at 9:30am. The dairy farm was right across the road so it wasn’t a big trip. Jean had spent the night at her best friend Brenda’s house and I was to go get her around 9am when I went to pick up Kaye from Elle’s mother. Just as I was leaving the house I saw Barbara duck through the hedge and headed for me. She’d come over to ask if the girls wanted to cheer with her and some of her other cheerleader friends. I explained that they weren’t home and would be busy the rest of the morning. She seemed disappointed and turned to head back through the hedge. I stood and watched her and could see a nice VPL as she did. The band legs showed through her pants as did the crotch line. I remember thinking that even though I’d seen it quite a few times I still wasn’t tired of the view.
After all the kids and the other chaperones were assembled they headed off for about a quarter mile trip. I was left to watch Kaye who wasn’t all that happy to be left behind so I opened up the playhouse for her. Without her older sisters to boss her around she was quite contented. While out there I could hear some noise from next door so walked across the back property line to see what was going on. I had to walk up to the garage to see and it was Barbara’s brothers beating on an old wash tub. The last time I’d seen one of them was at my grandparents house. Heading back to my property I spied their wash line. Not knowing if anyone was around I decided to pass up walking over to it... but I sure was looking that way.
I thought having no real plan for the day was perfect for me. I went out of my way to please Elle hoping to store up some ‘points’ for the future. I had no idea that she would send me on a ‘mission’. After returning from the dairy they went to the Presbyterian church undercroft (basement) to start their Christmas sewing project. Once there it was discovered that whoever was to pick up the needed materials... didn’t. So at Elle's request I headed back to the town where I worked. I decided to take the back road. By taking that route it took me though the neighborhood where Joanie lived. I still hadn’t gotten together with Laura about how to explain where she’d gotten the panties Joanie wanted and I needed to get that done. If I’d been in town without being on a ‘mission’ there were a number of things I would’ve done but... I got the material and headed back.
The Presbyterian church was the biggest church in town and their undercroft (basement) was more than three times the size of my church. When I walked in Elle and her helpers were reviewing how to use the sewing machines. I didn’t recognize a couple of the women so after giving her the material stayed around to check them out. One, a tall (5’10 at least) brunette, was quite attractive. Without being obvious, I followed her movements for a few minutes. I was rewarded for my patience when I saw her bending over picking up something from the floor. If you’ve ever watched a tall woman bend over at the waist you know how tight the material covering her backside, be it a skirt or slacks, can get. All I could think was... WOW!
Later, at home, I casually asked who the “new” women I’d seen were. She questioned why I wanted to know and I should’ve been prepared... but I wasn’t. That little discussion undid all the ‘points’ I thought I’d made during the day. I did manage to elicit an answer as to who the tall woman was and she turned out to be the wife of the new owner of the popular roadhouse (bar/restaurant) in town. It was a bit of a shock in that I didn’t even know it had been for sale. I did know that it’s popularity had increased after the fire that burned out Bebe’s parents restaurant earlier in the year. But the ‘damage’ had been done.
To be continued...
Elle really liked the movie (I didn’t) and was in a happy mood. When we exited the theater she pointed to the the ice cream parlor right across the street and said she wanted a cone. She hardly ever ate Ice cream but rather than say anything I decided to keep my mouth shut to preserve the good mood she was in. The place was owned and run by a high school classmate and her husband. We’d stopped in a from time to time. Stacy had ‘blossomed’ as a mother and was now actually quite attractive. "Mousy" would have been an apt description of her in high school and when she got married the weekend of graduation it surprised everyone. She and Elle had been somewhat friendly but were never really close but whenever we stopped in Stacy seemed genuinely interested in how Elle (and I) were doing. It was a nice diversion (and good ice cream to boot).
As soon as we walked in the door at home it was obvious that Elle and I were on the same wave length. I remember we didn’t waste much time on ‘playing around’ and also remember that the sex was, for us, rather ‘intense’. So much so that we both fell asleep right after. I woke up to find a wet bed. I shook Elle to wake her and she let out a bit of moan. There were two things she hadn’t done... activated her alarm clocks and put on her night time "package". Neither of us wanted to get up to change the bedding so Elle just grabbed a beach towel from the linen closet to spread over the wetness. She visited the bathroom and then put on a partial “package” and climbed back in bed. The next thing I knew it was daylight.
Elle had a field trip planned for her 4 H group so she didn’t want to dally too long in bed. But, when I started playing around she didn’t push me away. The next thing I knew we were back at it again. THAT, for sure, was something we didn’t do very often. Personally, I liked having ‘morning delight’ more than sex at night. It was certainly more than a “quickie” but not by much. We finished off by showering together... a nice way to end the ‘surprise’ she had for me the day before.
Ginger was to assist Elle with the trip for the group because it was to see the dairy where her husband, Jon, (the milkman) got his milk. The ten girls that were 4 H members along with a couple of Gingers younger kids were to meet at our house at 9:30am. The dairy farm was right across the road so it wasn’t a big trip. Jean had spent the night at her best friend Brenda’s house and I was to go get her around 9am when I went to pick up Kaye from Elle’s mother. Just as I was leaving the house I saw Barbara duck through the hedge and headed for me. She’d come over to ask if the girls wanted to cheer with her and some of her other cheerleader friends. I explained that they weren’t home and would be busy the rest of the morning. She seemed disappointed and turned to head back through the hedge. I stood and watched her and could see a nice VPL as she did. The band legs showed through her pants as did the crotch line. I remember thinking that even though I’d seen it quite a few times I still wasn’t tired of the view.
After all the kids and the other chaperones were assembled they headed off for about a quarter mile trip. I was left to watch Kaye who wasn’t all that happy to be left behind so I opened up the playhouse for her. Without her older sisters to boss her around she was quite contented. While out there I could hear some noise from next door so walked across the back property line to see what was going on. I had to walk up to the garage to see and it was Barbara’s brothers beating on an old wash tub. The last time I’d seen one of them was at my grandparents house. Heading back to my property I spied their wash line. Not knowing if anyone was around I decided to pass up walking over to it... but I sure was looking that way.
I thought having no real plan for the day was perfect for me. I went out of my way to please Elle hoping to store up some ‘points’ for the future. I had no idea that she would send me on a ‘mission’. After returning from the dairy they went to the Presbyterian church undercroft (basement) to start their Christmas sewing project. Once there it was discovered that whoever was to pick up the needed materials... didn’t. So at Elle's request I headed back to the town where I worked. I decided to take the back road. By taking that route it took me though the neighborhood where Joanie lived. I still hadn’t gotten together with Laura about how to explain where she’d gotten the panties Joanie wanted and I needed to get that done. If I’d been in town without being on a ‘mission’ there were a number of things I would’ve done but... I got the material and headed back.
The Presbyterian church was the biggest church in town and their undercroft (basement) was more than three times the size of my church. When I walked in Elle and her helpers were reviewing how to use the sewing machines. I didn’t recognize a couple of the women so after giving her the material stayed around to check them out. One, a tall (5’10 at least) brunette, was quite attractive. Without being obvious, I followed her movements for a few minutes. I was rewarded for my patience when I saw her bending over picking up something from the floor. If you’ve ever watched a tall woman bend over at the waist you know how tight the material covering her backside, be it a skirt or slacks, can get. All I could think was... WOW!
Later, at home, I casually asked who the “new” women I’d seen were. She questioned why I wanted to know and I should’ve been prepared... but I wasn’t. That little discussion undid all the ‘points’ I thought I’d made during the day. I did manage to elicit an answer as to who the tall woman was and she turned out to be the wife of the new owner of the popular roadhouse (bar/restaurant) in town. It was a bit of a shock in that I didn’t even know it had been for sale. I did know that it’s popularity had increased after the fire that burned out Bebe’s parents restaurant earlier in the year. But the ‘damage’ had been done.
To be continued...
Wednesday, May 04, 2016
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143c)
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143c)
Seeing Moira start the car was worth all the effort I'd put forth. As she drove off I told James that I should have the money to him by Monday figuring on going to the country club over the weekend to get paid for the signs. It was getting close to 6pm when I started to leave and figured I better call Elle. She sounded disappointed when I told her I’d be a little late and I asked about it. I could hear the coyness in her voice when she said she had a surprise for me. She wasn’t one for surprises so I was intrigued... and quickly headed for home.
I’d been tempted to head back to the bank in the hopes of catching Hobie and to hear what his impression of the branch plans were. But... the mystery ‘surprise’ was more alluring. I was truly at a loss as for what it might be. Everything seemed to be in order as I drove up the driveway. However, as I pulled up to my usual spot I glanced down the path to the house and saw Elle rushing across the patio towards the door. Now my curiosity was at a peak... I figured she was rushing inside to spring the surprise on me.
It was a surprise, for sure. Stepping inside I didn’t see her or anything else that might’ve suggested anything special. As I called out to her I noticed there were no kids around. I called again and this time she answered and stepped out from the bathroom. I liked what I saw and immediately thought it was my surprise. She was wet part of the way to her knees. Wearing white knit pants it was VERY obvious and within seconds, so was something else. As I approached her she mumbled something about this not being in her plans. It may not have been but I liked it anyway. We stood there in the short hall as she proceeded to explain the situation.
In mid morning she got a call from Bill, the new principal (and neighbor) asking if there was any way possible for her to come in to teach. There was an emergency and with Elle living so close to the school (five minutes) he thought of her. As I’ve mentioned, Elle’s mother didn’t like being called to watch Kaye on short notice. Somehow Elle prevailed and she agreed to pick her up at the school. Elle had washed up before the call so all she did was throw on a skirt, grab Kaye and take off. The transfer went off fine and Elle found herself in Jean’s class making her day. By the close of school Jean had been invited to a sleep-over at a friends house. Both our girls met up with Elle for the ride home but, when Anne heard Jean was going to spend the night at a friends house she pleaded to do the same. She and one of Ginger’s daughters were quite friendly and she’d been told she could stay over at any time. So... Elle proceeded to pack up their things and to deliver them with the intention of picking Kaye up on her route back. But... Elle’s father hadn’t seen Kay in quite a while and persuaded her to spend the night. That wasn’t a problem because Elle always had a supply of clothes at her mother’s house for ‘emergencies’. With all that being said I was beginning to wonder just what Elle’s surprise really was since she’d indicated that her wetting was not planned.
It turned out the surprise was that we’d have a night alone, without the kids, to do whatever we (she) wanted. She’d thought we could stop by the pizza place which was on the way to a movie she wanted to see. All I could do was smile. She thought that was mean but as much of a good idea as hers was, to me the surprise still was her wet pants. I was hard as a rock and she knew it. But I did have to ask what had actually happened to cause it.
When she got back home after dropping the girls off she went out to the clothes line to take down the wash she’d done first thing in the morning. In her rush to do it before I got home she’d managed to drop a few pieces on the lawn. After depositing the wash basket on the patio table she retraced her steps to retrieve the wayward items. She’d meant to use the toilet when she got home but saw the wash and headed there first. Then, when she stooped down to pick the dropped items up she let out a big spurt. She was rushing inside to get to the toilet when I pulled up. But, going up the steps she started to go. Once in the bathroom she could only turn and sit on the toilet peeing through everything.
I stepped back and took a look and knew I had to have a picture. It was an honest to goodness ‘accident’ and I wanted it for posterity. As soon as I mentioned it she told me it was going to “cost me” and I didn’t care. Without taking a breath she announced we were going to the movies and I wasn’t to say anything about the choice. That wasn’t a bad deal in my mind. I countered with my having complete choice of how and where the picture would be taken and she just shrugged. I had to run upstairs to fetch the camera and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw there were two exposures left.
The movie was to start at 7:30 or so and we had a 20 minute drive so there wasn’t going to be time to stop and eat. We ended up slapping some peanut butter and jelly (always had a ton of each in the house!) on some bread and grabbed a couple of cans of soda. I was still in my suit pants and white shirt and Elle had slipped out of her wet things, washed up and put on dry panties (multiple, of course) and slacks. I appreciated that she put on white ones again because the panties I selected were chosen to give off a nice VPL.
We were about half way there when I finally asked what the movie was called. When she said Camelot I didn’t have a clue as to what it was about. She told me I’d probably not like it as she knew I wasn’t a big fan of ‘olden times’ and this was set in the 1800’s. My thought was that I could survive it as I had my picture. What she didn’t mention was that it had a romantic theme to it as well. Let me just say that it could’ve been worse... the music was excellent... but I spent most of the time thinking about getting home and what (I hoped) was to come.
To be continued...
Seeing Moira start the car was worth all the effort I'd put forth. As she drove off I told James that I should have the money to him by Monday figuring on going to the country club over the weekend to get paid for the signs. It was getting close to 6pm when I started to leave and figured I better call Elle. She sounded disappointed when I told her I’d be a little late and I asked about it. I could hear the coyness in her voice when she said she had a surprise for me. She wasn’t one for surprises so I was intrigued... and quickly headed for home.
I’d been tempted to head back to the bank in the hopes of catching Hobie and to hear what his impression of the branch plans were. But... the mystery ‘surprise’ was more alluring. I was truly at a loss as for what it might be. Everything seemed to be in order as I drove up the driveway. However, as I pulled up to my usual spot I glanced down the path to the house and saw Elle rushing across the patio towards the door. Now my curiosity was at a peak... I figured she was rushing inside to spring the surprise on me.
It was a surprise, for sure. Stepping inside I didn’t see her or anything else that might’ve suggested anything special. As I called out to her I noticed there were no kids around. I called again and this time she answered and stepped out from the bathroom. I liked what I saw and immediately thought it was my surprise. She was wet part of the way to her knees. Wearing white knit pants it was VERY obvious and within seconds, so was something else. As I approached her she mumbled something about this not being in her plans. It may not have been but I liked it anyway. We stood there in the short hall as she proceeded to explain the situation.
In mid morning she got a call from Bill, the new principal (and neighbor) asking if there was any way possible for her to come in to teach. There was an emergency and with Elle living so close to the school (five minutes) he thought of her. As I’ve mentioned, Elle’s mother didn’t like being called to watch Kaye on short notice. Somehow Elle prevailed and she agreed to pick her up at the school. Elle had washed up before the call so all she did was throw on a skirt, grab Kaye and take off. The transfer went off fine and Elle found herself in Jean’s class making her day. By the close of school Jean had been invited to a sleep-over at a friends house. Both our girls met up with Elle for the ride home but, when Anne heard Jean was going to spend the night at a friends house she pleaded to do the same. She and one of Ginger’s daughters were quite friendly and she’d been told she could stay over at any time. So... Elle proceeded to pack up their things and to deliver them with the intention of picking Kaye up on her route back. But... Elle’s father hadn’t seen Kay in quite a while and persuaded her to spend the night. That wasn’t a problem because Elle always had a supply of clothes at her mother’s house for ‘emergencies’. With all that being said I was beginning to wonder just what Elle’s surprise really was since she’d indicated that her wetting was not planned.
It turned out the surprise was that we’d have a night alone, without the kids, to do whatever we (she) wanted. She’d thought we could stop by the pizza place which was on the way to a movie she wanted to see. All I could do was smile. She thought that was mean but as much of a good idea as hers was, to me the surprise still was her wet pants. I was hard as a rock and she knew it. But I did have to ask what had actually happened to cause it.
When she got back home after dropping the girls off she went out to the clothes line to take down the wash she’d done first thing in the morning. In her rush to do it before I got home she’d managed to drop a few pieces on the lawn. After depositing the wash basket on the patio table she retraced her steps to retrieve the wayward items. She’d meant to use the toilet when she got home but saw the wash and headed there first. Then, when she stooped down to pick the dropped items up she let out a big spurt. She was rushing inside to get to the toilet when I pulled up. But, going up the steps she started to go. Once in the bathroom she could only turn and sit on the toilet peeing through everything.
I stepped back and took a look and knew I had to have a picture. It was an honest to goodness ‘accident’ and I wanted it for posterity. As soon as I mentioned it she told me it was going to “cost me” and I didn’t care. Without taking a breath she announced we were going to the movies and I wasn’t to say anything about the choice. That wasn’t a bad deal in my mind. I countered with my having complete choice of how and where the picture would be taken and she just shrugged. I had to run upstairs to fetch the camera and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw there were two exposures left.
 |
| wet...wet...wet |
We were about half way there when I finally asked what the movie was called. When she said Camelot I didn’t have a clue as to what it was about. She told me I’d probably not like it as she knew I wasn’t a big fan of ‘olden times’ and this was set in the 1800’s. My thought was that I could survive it as I had my picture. What she didn’t mention was that it had a romantic theme to it as well. Let me just say that it could’ve been worse... the music was excellent... but I spent most of the time thinking about getting home and what (I hoped) was to come.
To be continued...
Monday, May 02, 2016
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143b)
AUTUMN... now the changes (Part 143b)
Wednesday was shaping up to be a big day. The special Board meeting, Moira’s car and a call that came in from Albie at the service bureau too late on Tuesday for me to reach him. Just knowing that they were working on a solution to the names and address problem had taken it off the ‘front burner’ but I was still anxious to see what they’d come up with. “First things first” so I called Albie but got his boss Bruce. I liked both of them and found that in spite of the difference in titles (Asst VP for Albie / VP for Bruce) they seemed to be totally interchangeable as far as responsibilities. He knew immediately why I was calling but the one big difference between the two of them was that Bruce was definitely the more animated... both in speech and actions. I had to pull the phone receiver away from my ear because Bruce was almost yelling... “I’ve got two for you! I’ve got two for you!” My mind was asking but my mouth wasn’t... two of what? What Bruce didn’t know was that I hadn’t spoken to Albie the day before. My silence had him puzzled and he wanted to know if I was still on the line. Once we got that squared away I was let in on the whole plan.
Basically, they were going to loan us two of their teller machines so we could do the name and address inputting ourselves. There had been a fire at a strip mall where one of their branches was located and even though the branch suffered no damage, the town fire marshall condemned the whole building. They tried to find space in the surrounding area to service their customers but were unsuccessful. Once that was determined they had two machines not being used and thought of us. The only ‘hitch’ was that we had to get the phone company to come back in to install two data packs so the digital information could be transmitted over the phone lines. In essence, Bruce told me to get on the phone company and “ride heard” on them to get it done.
I brought Bret up to date with the news and the two of us set about trying to find a place to set the machines up when they arrived. There was no way for them to go into the existing teller machine space and then for the tellers to be able to wait on our customers. As we looked over the work area I was thankful that Trish’s boy friend had asked if we wanted to run extra phone lines because they were now going to be part of the solution. I let Bret make the ultimate decision only reminding him that the first floor staff would still have to ‘navigate’ the area.
Even though I’d talked with James about Moira’s car on Monday I wanted to be sure everything was still ‘on track’. Fall has always been my favorite season. My thinking being that when we get an unseasonal day of weather to the positive, it’s like a gift. Our mind is anticipating the colder weather to come but when a 70+ degree day arrives in the Fall season you have to take advantage of it. So... I decided to walk up to James’ place to take a look at the car. It was, at best a 15 minute walk. Arriving there I saw it up on the lift with the oil draining from the motor into the catch can. I walked around and could see the tires had been changed because they had tread on them, something almost lacking on them when I’d looked before. James was at lunch but his helper was there so asked him about the motor. He smiled and said he’d just finished tuning it up and in about ten minutes it would be ready. He wanted to know if I wanted to take it with me and my first reaction was to say “Yes”. But I thought better of it deciding I’d drive Moira up after work so she could say “Thanks” to James in person.
Hobie had been busy all morning. As the corporate secretary, it was his responsibility to prepare for all formal Board meetings. He’d had Trish with him so there were some letters that I needed her to type up after lunch. When Hobie returned I made a ‘soft’ try at getting some information about the meeting hoping to find out if he’d seen the actual floor plans. All I got for my effort was a frown. That told me things weren’t going well for him and to back off.
The first of the Board members started walking across the lobby about 2:30pm. The meeting wasn’t until 3pm and I watched them trickle in right up until the lobby doors were closed. Every time I saw some of them it upset me. I considered most to be self important and ignorant as to the actual running of the bank. Some were worse than others but Polak Joe was the worst. He was still under “sanctions” and not able (supposedly) speak or vote on any matter that was up for discussion. That didn’t stop him from coming to meetings or to talk, individually, to the other Board members so I wondered just what good the “sanctions” were. Hobie had told me that the only subject on the agenda was the branch and he hoped it would be a short meeting. It wasn’t.
At 5pm Moira appeared at my desk as we’d discussed. I gave her the key to my car and told her I’d be out in a few minutes as I was hoping that the meeting would be over before I left. I remember suggesting to Bret that he stick around for as long as he could with the idea of getting some information. He agreed and said he’d stay until around 5:20pm. I didn’t know how long I’d be with Moira and James so told him I’d call him later.
As expected, Moira was all excited. She was standing outside the car because, with the warm weather and the windows rolled up, it was very hot inside. The sun was behind her as I walked across the parking lot. She was wearing a pale pink flowered cotton dress that came to just above her knees. From my purview it looked like she wasn’t wearing a slip because the silhouette was incredible. She had her eyes closed, legs spread apart and her arms out at shoulder height to let the breeze cool her. I know I slowed down when I saw her. I also know I took a deep breath before hailing her to get her attention.
It was the warm weather that we chatted about on the trip up to the service station. However, the look on her face was childlike and when we pulled into the service area her car was parked right there in front. As soon as I stopped I got out but Moira remained just staring at it. James came out and I took him over to introduce him. Looking in the window I could see tears flowing down her cheeks. I looked at James and could see he was moved as well.
To be continued...
Wednesday was shaping up to be a big day. The special Board meeting, Moira’s car and a call that came in from Albie at the service bureau too late on Tuesday for me to reach him. Just knowing that they were working on a solution to the names and address problem had taken it off the ‘front burner’ but I was still anxious to see what they’d come up with. “First things first” so I called Albie but got his boss Bruce. I liked both of them and found that in spite of the difference in titles (Asst VP for Albie / VP for Bruce) they seemed to be totally interchangeable as far as responsibilities. He knew immediately why I was calling but the one big difference between the two of them was that Bruce was definitely the more animated... both in speech and actions. I had to pull the phone receiver away from my ear because Bruce was almost yelling... “I’ve got two for you! I’ve got two for you!” My mind was asking but my mouth wasn’t... two of what? What Bruce didn’t know was that I hadn’t spoken to Albie the day before. My silence had him puzzled and he wanted to know if I was still on the line. Once we got that squared away I was let in on the whole plan.
Basically, they were going to loan us two of their teller machines so we could do the name and address inputting ourselves. There had been a fire at a strip mall where one of their branches was located and even though the branch suffered no damage, the town fire marshall condemned the whole building. They tried to find space in the surrounding area to service their customers but were unsuccessful. Once that was determined they had two machines not being used and thought of us. The only ‘hitch’ was that we had to get the phone company to come back in to install two data packs so the digital information could be transmitted over the phone lines. In essence, Bruce told me to get on the phone company and “ride heard” on them to get it done.
I brought Bret up to date with the news and the two of us set about trying to find a place to set the machines up when they arrived. There was no way for them to go into the existing teller machine space and then for the tellers to be able to wait on our customers. As we looked over the work area I was thankful that Trish’s boy friend had asked if we wanted to run extra phone lines because they were now going to be part of the solution. I let Bret make the ultimate decision only reminding him that the first floor staff would still have to ‘navigate’ the area.
Even though I’d talked with James about Moira’s car on Monday I wanted to be sure everything was still ‘on track’. Fall has always been my favorite season. My thinking being that when we get an unseasonal day of weather to the positive, it’s like a gift. Our mind is anticipating the colder weather to come but when a 70+ degree day arrives in the Fall season you have to take advantage of it. So... I decided to walk up to James’ place to take a look at the car. It was, at best a 15 minute walk. Arriving there I saw it up on the lift with the oil draining from the motor into the catch can. I walked around and could see the tires had been changed because they had tread on them, something almost lacking on them when I’d looked before. James was at lunch but his helper was there so asked him about the motor. He smiled and said he’d just finished tuning it up and in about ten minutes it would be ready. He wanted to know if I wanted to take it with me and my first reaction was to say “Yes”. But I thought better of it deciding I’d drive Moira up after work so she could say “Thanks” to James in person.
Hobie had been busy all morning. As the corporate secretary, it was his responsibility to prepare for all formal Board meetings. He’d had Trish with him so there were some letters that I needed her to type up after lunch. When Hobie returned I made a ‘soft’ try at getting some information about the meeting hoping to find out if he’d seen the actual floor plans. All I got for my effort was a frown. That told me things weren’t going well for him and to back off.
The first of the Board members started walking across the lobby about 2:30pm. The meeting wasn’t until 3pm and I watched them trickle in right up until the lobby doors were closed. Every time I saw some of them it upset me. I considered most to be self important and ignorant as to the actual running of the bank. Some were worse than others but Polak Joe was the worst. He was still under “sanctions” and not able (supposedly) speak or vote on any matter that was up for discussion. That didn’t stop him from coming to meetings or to talk, individually, to the other Board members so I wondered just what good the “sanctions” were. Hobie had told me that the only subject on the agenda was the branch and he hoped it would be a short meeting. It wasn’t.
At 5pm Moira appeared at my desk as we’d discussed. I gave her the key to my car and told her I’d be out in a few minutes as I was hoping that the meeting would be over before I left. I remember suggesting to Bret that he stick around for as long as he could with the idea of getting some information. He agreed and said he’d stay until around 5:20pm. I didn’t know how long I’d be with Moira and James so told him I’d call him later.
As expected, Moira was all excited. She was standing outside the car because, with the warm weather and the windows rolled up, it was very hot inside. The sun was behind her as I walked across the parking lot. She was wearing a pale pink flowered cotton dress that came to just above her knees. From my purview it looked like she wasn’t wearing a slip because the silhouette was incredible. She had her eyes closed, legs spread apart and her arms out at shoulder height to let the breeze cool her. I know I slowed down when I saw her. I also know I took a deep breath before hailing her to get her attention.
It was the warm weather that we chatted about on the trip up to the service station. However, the look on her face was childlike and when we pulled into the service area her car was parked right there in front. As soon as I stopped I got out but Moira remained just staring at it. James came out and I took him over to introduce him. Looking in the window I could see tears flowing down her cheeks. I looked at James and could see he was moved as well.
To be continued...
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