“Mrs. Contreras, I’m having the worst week I’ve had since my dad died. I don’t know anything about this discount, but sure, take the ten dollars off. I don’t care.”
Dillon Contreras screwed up her face and spat out, “It was an understanding between Dan and me, and I don’t care to explain it to the likes of you. I am sorry you wrecked your car, but you’re going to have to develop some manners, young lady!”
“Good goddess, does everybody in town know about the accident?”
“Well, honey, your car is sitting in the lot on Main Street. It isn’t hard to miss. It looks like a pile of dead frogs.”
“Shit!”
“Hey, watch your language, lady. Don’t you have any respect for people your senior?”
“No, I mean, sorry. I didn’t know my car was on display.”
“I don’t usually listen to gossip, but honey, you might just be screwed.”
“Hey, what about your language?”
“Sweet cakes, I’m older than God’s nephew, so you can just set that one off the tracks.”
“Huh?”
“The gossip mill has you being a drunk or a druggie, and after all the shit Jodie’s caught at work over you, a bunch of other people are about done with you.”
“But all I did was swerve to miss a deer.”
“Do you think a little truth like that is going to get in the way of a bunch of busybodies who make everybody else’s business their own? Hah! You’d be better off trying to get an egg out of one of those chickens.” She pointed at the coolers in the back of the truck.
I breathed a loud sigh. “Mrs. Contreras, I’m exhausted, and I have a lot of work to do. I appreciate your business, and, of course, I’ll give you the same deal my dad did. I’m sure there’s a good reason.”
Dillon tore the second check out of her checkbook and handed it to me. “Maybe you’re more like your dad than I originally thought. He needed a breaking in period, too.” She winked at me, which made me want to slit my wrists, even though I’m sure it was meant as a compliment.
She popped the trunk, and I loaded all the birds into two boxes.
“The larger birds are on the passenger side. Thanks, again.”
“You never thanked me the first time, but you are welcome. I’ll need an extra two dozen eggs for the July fourth weekend, so tell them girls to get to laying.”
I started to answer, but her window was rolled up and she pulled away, mindless of the car driving up behind her. The driver had to tap his brakes to avoid crashing into her.
“Well, crap!”
I finished my chores and stayed up late working on the real estate website, doing journal entries, and answering some job inquiries.
June 20, 2013
You would think I’d write more when I don’t go anywhere, but I keep getting caught up in things to take care of: chickens, dogs, cleaning, etc. during the day and my IT jobs in the evening. Then I obsess over Jodie all night.
I cleaned the brooder pen out on Tuesday. I got out there early, but was covered in sweat and chicken dust by the time I raked out the pen, set the chicks free, and cleaned out both troughs. I have not named any of these guys, not even to call them Squawky McSquawkins or anything. I just don’t have the heart.
I cleaned out the loft and rearranged everything. I put a folding chair, one of those that you take to concerts, up there, and hung up one of dad’s blue jean work shirts. I also stapled a light rope along the edge and ran an extension cord to it from the bedroom. It looks kind of cool, at least to me.
I love working at my dad’s desk, but I am going to have to do something about the internet. It works okay enough during the day, but it drags at night and I keep getting timed out of applications. This is not good when I am working some complicated coding. Even though I back up several times a minute, it is a bitch to have to go back in and confirm what is there before starting up again. At least tomorrow, I can work at a library or coffee shop in Boise after I go see a work referral.
June 21, 2013
The truck’s oil leak is getting worse, but I don’t have the money yet to get it fixed. The insurance claim for my car is supposed to go through within thirty days. Since Mom helped me buy it used as a graduation present, I only had a few payments left at the time of the wreck. I hope I can get a gently used older car and keep the truck running for hauling things.
Rather than appear like a bumpkin (I think that’s the right word), I parked about a block away and walked over to the attorney’s office that the real estate office had referred to me. It was in an area called The Bench in a strip mall. They were nice folks, and essentially, they would want me to up their security and prevent any interception of sensitive data. I spent most of my time explaining the difference between scrambling and encryption to the office manager, so I didn’t get into specific software options or demands. They did not balk at my contract rate, and it would be a small investment of time for the amount of money. I think they will probably use me. If so, I’ll have another part time job over the winter.
I was drenched in sweat by the time I got back to the truck. It must have been over ninety degrees, and I was really missing my Kia. I got a hamburger and went to the library to work for a while.
