Yesterday evening Brenda made it down after taking a nap. She and Terry had decided to go together and buy a zero-turn mower. We'd keep the mower as long as Terry or Robby mowed her yard for her. So --they go to buy a lawn mower leaving me all alone.
Picture this--Robert drives his dually truck, Terry, Brenda, Judy and Robby all pile in to go with Terry and Brenda to buy this mower.
Tell me please, how many people does it take to buy a mower? Obviously 5. 1 to drive, 2 to write checks and 2 to make sure it's all done properly. Makes sense, doesn't it?
Now on Thrusday while I was at the doctor, the gas man came out and wanted to put gas in our gas tanks. Terry told him no, we don't use gas during the summer at the business. Terry was informed that the house tank was low, Terry said don't put gas in it.
The reason Terry doesn't want gas in them is he is trying to find tanks to buy so we are free to buy gas from the place with the best price. Herring Gas has steadily ripped up off through the 10 years we've been with them. It's a long story and I won't bore you, but Terry told the delivery man that he wanted NO gas but would buy the tanks. The delivery man, Tom, left. An hour or so later he drives back up and tells Terry that the boss would sell him his gas at 1.57 a gallon. Terry says to Tom, I don't want any gas. If you put gas in these tanks now some of it will evaporate over the summer and I've lost that. Will he sell me the tanks? No, he won't. He can't, they are used. *Excuse me, you can rent them used, but you can't sell them?* So Terry says to come pick them up.
Fine, the dude leaves. Today while Terry and Robert are making a delivery up drive the gas men. I've customers, so I see Robby take off that direction. They tell Robby there will be a 45.00 charge to pick up the tanks that belong to their company and we have paid rent on for probably 10 years, one tank still holding 200 gallons of gas worth 358.00. I have 4 tanks, 3 at the nursery and one at home. I told Robby to tell the dude to leave and come back when Terry was here. I was not paying them a dime to pick up their tanks, but he wasn't moving them unless Terry was here.
So, Robby delivers the message, my delivery man and the other guy who came to help come to the door. Tom says, "Ms. Reid, I like ya'll, I hate to lose ya'll." I assured him that our quarrel was not with him, he'd always been nice, pleasant and as fair as his boss allowed. It was the manager of the company. They leave. They've not come back as of yet.
The customer I had at the moment all this transpired said there was no legal right for them to charge me to pick up their tanks. He also told us a place to go and buy them which isn't far from here.
So that was part of the day's excitement.
The other excitement involved Sharon-my loud, obnoxious, fowl mouthed, super hyper friend who lives in the shed. She dropped by and we were busy pulling an order as I had an appointment to get my hair at 11. Robert's dog, Buddy does not like hyper people and she was bouncing around, talking loud and moving fast and Buddy nipped her. Terry was in the truck putting plants in, Robert was handing them to him, I was bringing the last few items when she hollered, "Your damn dog just bit me. If he does it again, I'll kick his ass." Robert said, "No, you don't kick my dog." Then he called Buddy and scolded him and kept on working.
The next thing I heard was Sharon leaving the store in a spray of rocks. Soon I got a text message saying the dog has broken the skin and she was pissed and she would really kick his ass if he did it again. I answered back and told her I was sorry about the dog incident, but had noticed that Buddy tended to bite people who were loud and moved fast around him. I suppose he feels threatened.
So, the order if pulled, it's 10 minutes before my appointment and I head for the car. I get another text message, call me. I reply that I can't, I'm leaving for the hair appt, will call when I get back.
In less than 2 minutes she calls me, I can't hear her, so tell her this and again tell her I'll call when I get back.
While at the beauty shop she sends me 2 texts which I don't read, but when I get home I find she's called Terry to bitch about the dog. Terry tells her--whoa, the dog nipping her is no different than her throwing a shoe at Robby another day this past week and hitting him in the nuts.
She hangs up on him. I read my text messages which say, now everyone is mad, the dog better have his shots and she will just stay away.
I reply that no one is mad, just honest and the dog has had his shots. She wants me to call her and I have customers which I tell her about. I stayed busy all day and never did call her. I really don't want to call and listen to her bitch about the dog.
I didn't feel like dealing with it, even when I'm not sick I don't like to listen to the bitching and I don't have to listen to it. As Joy would say, oh vey.
So, Shandi's desire is to go to Olive Garden. We get there and are told it will be a 30-35 minute wait. We wait that time and Robby goes in to check on the hold up. They assure him it will only be a few more minutes. After another 10 minutes, I walk in, the manager asks me what I need and I tell him that we've waited our 35 minutes plus 10 more and we're wondering what the problem is. He assures us they are cleaning our table and because of our wait we will have free appetizers. I thank him and tell him that my little granddaughter is starving and she insists on coming there for her birthday. He tells me he will take care of her first and foremost.
In less than 5 minutes they buzz us, we get in and we're given the best waitress in the place. We get our appetizers, our meal, and at the end of the meal the waitress brings Shandi a cake, (which normally costs 10.00) and it's free too. The look on that baby's face was priceless!! She said, "I'm so happy to have all my family together for my birthday, even my daddy is here."
So, a successful dinner out, we gather up and leave with plans to stop by Walmart. We get in Walmart, get our stuff and are in the check line. Beth has rolls and butter for something the church is having and she went first. Terry and I bought a coffee pot for the store and we're going next, with Robert going last. As I turn toward Robert and Terry, who are behind me, a young black guy (maybe early 20's) steps up and lays something on the counter. Robert says, "Let him get in there and go on, Klara." I look down to see what the boy has and sees 2 pairs of colorful bikini panties. Apparently he noticed me looking at his purchase and then looking up at him because he turns to me and says, "I assure you, these aren't mine."
I crack up laughing and say, "Oh, but I thought the color was absolutely perfect." The cashier, Robert, Beth, Terry and myself all laugh until tears roll down our cheeks as the young boy pays for his items and laughs along with us.
All in all, we had a good time though and Shandi was one happy camper, and at the end of a girl's 10th birthday, that's all that counts.
Plus, she rode to Hattiesburg and back with her mom and dad in the same vehicle.
