“Lucy come quick. There’s a big dog out front.” “That is a deer Little One.” “It’s Friday can she come in and play?”
Another Friday comes upon us like the wind. It has been a good week for me. I hope it was for you. I attended a library event on Saturday, and it was part of a vast SpringFest. I will do a Views of the Neighborhood on Sunday to give you an idea of the scope.
Worked a little on my WIP. I’m not very happy how it started out. There is a critical piece of the story that has a clunker in it which needs fixing. Once fixed it will justify the motivation of the bad guys.
I have also been toying around with Amazon Marketing Service. I swear I will understand what is going on there one of these days. Well, I am determined to take it one step at a time and learn (and pay) as I go. It bugs me a lot not to be able to maximize the potential that exists there.
Today’s JohnKu talks about trying your best to maximize your potential. I hope you have a lovely weekend.
“Hey, Lucy. Is it Friday yet?” “Hurrumpf. Wednesday.” “Well. at least it’s not Monday.” “Thank heavens for small favors.”
It is Wednesday Story Day again, and last week we got a line on a brand-new suspect in the murder of Rafferty. No, it is not a lawyer. It is a banker. Although most of us would like to know who killed Sandusky, it is good to hear we may get to the bottom of the Rafferty incident. As a side note, Craig Boyack mentioned last week that this series had no title. I did ask him if he had an idea and being the talented author that he is he proffered, “Professor Rafferty and the Mysterious Heart Evaporating Whatchamacallit.” I thought his offering to be perfect with one change. Instead of Rafferty, the dead guy we would substitute Andrew the live former ME in the title. Craig agreed, and so we have, “Professor Andrew and the Mysterious Heart Evaporating Whatchamacallit.” Let’s get back to Larry’s office since he was going to check the phone records of Mrs. Rafferty and Ned Dixon to see if they had contact with each other.
“So the phone company said it would be a couple of days until we get the records.”
“That’s crap. Larry. We should have access to them online.”
“Yeah, I had to Bogart my way into the supervisor level. I pulled the obstruction of justice card.”
“Good one. Did it work?”
“Yessir. We have the online access codes, but I had to electronically sign that the scope of the investigation only covered Janice and Ned.”
“Seems fair. Nothing like pushing your nose into where it doesn’t belong.”
“If we were the Feds that wouldn’t be necessary.”
“Well we are not, and in today’s climate I’m grateful for that.”
“Do I detect some political leanings, Andrew?”
“No. Just can’t stand the baseness of the level of social dialog that is represented by Washington is all.”
“Okay. Here we are. I have Janice’s call records for the last six months. Let me do a search with Ned’s phone number to see if there are any matches.”
“That is a slick program.”
“What? I just took Janice’s cell records and exported them to Excel and am now doing a search.”
“Clever guy you are Larry.”
“Shit. Er, excuse me. There are no matches.”
“That is damn typical. Could we have an easy time with anything? Hell no.”
“Let me go the other way with Ned’s records.”
“Worth a try. What number are you using for Ned?”
“His office number.”
“Come on Larry no one in their right mind would call from the office. We need his cell number.”
“I have that right here.”
“Go back to Janice’s records and search incoming by Ned’s cell number.”
“Gotcha, Andrew. You are like a professor you know that?”
“Anything?”
“Well lookie here. Two hits.”
“Let me see. Humm the first the night before Rafferty hit the tree.”
“The second two days after. Look at this Andrew. The calls were less than thirty seconds both times.”
“Looks like not much talk. Maybe just confirming events.”
“Let’s do a run on Ned’s number and see if Janice made any more calls to him.”
“Could be interesting.”
“Well, there are no matches.”
“Just tells me that maybe they had a meeting or two and didn’t do much on the phone. We do know they made contact with each other by these calls and that is one thing. We are going to need some advanced sleuthing to determine if they met.”
“Don’t you think they will meet again?”
“I’ll bet they will wait until things cool down.”
“Just a hunch but don’t you think they would do any meeting out-of-town?”
“Good point. Gives us an opportunity to check airline reservations.”
“Man, this will be like finding a leopard in a Jason Pollock painting.”
“You amaze me, Larry. The fact you even know what a Jason Pollock is blows me away.”
“Using this photo(below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.
Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”
Since a better part of our time has been spent in Appliance and Furniture shopping lately, I have picked up on a few hints of things to avoid. I hope you enjoy them. Again this week there are historical events that don’t really lend themselves to humor.
10 If you are shopping for furniture or appliances, do not try out the cooktop with your favorite pasta recipe. If you do, at best you’ll have to feed the entire store. At worst, the manager will insist that now that you’ve stained it you own it. (Sad thing, Hyatt. You don’t even like this model. Oh well, ten years from now you can change it out.)
9 If you are shopping for furniture or appliances, do not tell Tiny the WWF champ that in spite of store policy you insist on rolling the floor sample refrigerator out the front door. If you do, at best Tiny will help. At worst, Tiny just left the store meeting where the manager underscored the need to enforce store rules. (Tiny’s way of handling conflict does not bode well for your health, Hunt. I would make sure you have your health insurance card with you.)
8 If you are shopping for furniture or appliances, do not think you can test the mattress overnight. If you do, at best you’ll be asked to leave at closing time. At worst, you manage to avoid store folks and are locked in for the night. ( Two things wrong with this situation, Huntley. One, the restroom is locked. Two, the motion detector is connected to the alarm which is connected to the SWAT headquarters. How do you like the smell of tear gas in the morning?)
7 If you are shopping for furniture or appliances, do not test out the couch while eating that jumbo hot dog. If you do, at best your napkin is secure. At worst, a small slip of mustard turns into a couch in your living room. (Too bad you didn’t want a white sofa with a mustard accent, Hassan. Think of what a great conversation piece it is going to be.)
6 If you are shopping for furniture or appliances, do not mention the warranty. If you do, at best the clerk won’t follow-up. At worst, you’ll be forced to listen to an hour presentation. (Makes you not want to buy the appliance, Horus. After all, if it needs an additional warranty maybe it’s not worth it.)
5 If you are shopping for furniture or appliances, do not sit on a chair is smaller than you. If you do, at best it is stronger than you think. At worst, your bulk caused the chair to give way. (Lucky you, Hewitt. That chair was one of a kind made in France in the 1700s by the designer to Louis XIV. Better call the bank for a loan.)
4 If you are shopping for furniture or appliances, do not touch the blender. If you do, at best it is unplugged. At worse, you hit the puree button, and the whole thing goes airborne. (At least there was nothing in the blender, Habib. Think if there had been a tomato in the hopper ready for blending. As it is that scratch on the counter looks pretty bad.)
3 If you are shopping for furniture or appliances, do not put your head in the oven. If you do, at best no one is looking. At worst, those coils on the underside of the top have a habit of catching hair. (So now we have the entire store over to the oven, Hadden. Not one person knows how to release you. Oh, wait here comes the fire department.)
2 If you are shopping for furniture or appliances, do not go into the glassware section. If you do, at best you won’t move. At worst, you will turn around to leave and run into the seven-tier Waterford crystal goblet display. (That tragic sound of breaking glass announces doom, Hael.)
1 If you are shopping for furniture or appliances, do not offer advice on things you do not understand. If you do, at best you will be ignored. At worse, your suggestions will be taken, and you both will regret your decision. (Just what made you comment on that table, Hafgrim? You know your taste is in your mouth. Should be a friendly reminder to keep your opinions to yourself. Well, for the next twenty years that is.)
Today our walk through the neighborhood will be spent at the Hamilton Greenbelt. I hope you brought your walking shoes and enjoy the stroll.
Here is the entrance to the Greenbelt.
The land and perpetual care for the Greenbelt was donated by Lakeway residents Jack and Myrtle Hamilton who lived in Lakeway from 1975 to 1993. The Greenbelt was opened in 1990.
A broad view of a man-made pond.
The close-up view of the same pond.
Abundant wildflowers and photo spots. Here are bluebonnets.
A sign warning of ants and snakes. Rather deal with an ant than a snake.
Lovely crushed granite paths and more flowers.
These markers are here in case you get lost or hurt you can identify to responders where you are. (Good idea to carry a phone)
I thought the sun through the trees illuminating the cactus bed was peaceful. Too bad I don’t have a $1000.00 camera with filter for a better shot.
A little wall for sitting and contemplation.
More paths and flowers.
A lovely bed of Iris.
An oak that was an acorn during the revolutionary war.
These little white flowers are also in our yard. I wonder what they are?
Here is a location map. We only walked a small portion today. We will come back for the waterfall and other features some other time. Thanks for walking with me.
It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday and this weeks prompt is “xp.” Here are Linda’s words to explain. “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “xp.” Use it as a word, or find a word with “xp” in it. As always, use any way you’d like. Enjoy!” If you would like a challenge like this, please visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is to give your mind away. Here is the link.
“Is that Friday coming up the drive?” “It sure is Little One. Not a moment too soon.”
Another quick week. I think that life speeds up as one gets older. Yeah, we have all heard that. I guess that statement is my cliché for the week.
We had some notable arrivals. Two twin headboards for the guest room came in and look great. I pictured the rug for the master bedroom yesterday. Speaking of the master bedroom, we were notified that our bed would not be available until July. It was ordered in early March, and this is the second delay. So sayonara to the bed. The producer made another choice which should be here mid-may.
The producer also made a design decision on my office which I totally love. The bookcases and cabinets will be black and positioned on the back wall. A freestanding desk will be in the center of the room. I think it’s going to look great. I know I will feel good having a dedicated space.
I was invited to an event at the Bee Cave (one town over) library this weekend. It is in conjunction with Spring Fest (A Bee Cave event) and features seven local authors. I have a two-hour slot and look forward to visiting with potential new readers. I’ll take some photos and if okay used them on a Views post.
Today’s JohnKu talks about pleasant surprises. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Today was a rainy day here in Lakeway. It started in the morning and lasted all day. Poor Lucy and Twiggy were pretty much housebound the whole day. They did their best to remain entertained.
“Twiggy, what are you doing?”
“Playing.”
“What are you playing?”
“I have my gotcha cake and am playing birthday.”
“Check outside for me. Is it still raining?”
“Yes. Lucy. It is still raining.”
“Darn. That means you and I have to find something to do in here.”
“Well, it’s not so bad. We could play tag.”
“We just played tag. Check on the rain again.”
“Still coming down, Lucy.”
“Okay then come here. I’ve got your gotcha cake.”
“Hey. That’s mine. What are you going to do with it?”
“Humm. Maybe I’ll eat it.”
“How about I put it on your back?”
“That’s okay by me. Or you could toss it.”
“Nice toss, Lucy.”
“You toss it back.”
“No, I think I’ll just walk it over.”
“Pretty lazy. Little one.”
“This is hard work, Lucy.”
“Please. You haven’t done a thing all day.”
“I know we can check out the new rug.”
“Hey, Mom. Pretty nice.”
“I don’t know little one. This texture is different.”
It’s Wednesday Story Day again, and last we were given a hint by Gloria that more or less confused me. I don’t know about you, but I wish she would just spit out who killed Rafferty. Well too bad for me she just didn’t. Instead, she came up with some kind of insect parable that further confounded the issue. Let’s join Larry and Andrew as they try to figure out what Gloria said.
“So, she basically told us none of our suspects killed Rafferty.”
“I don’t know, Andrew but sometimes you amaze me with your observations.”
“What I’m just trying to help.”
“Give me some help on the insect thing.”
“She was not talking about an insect. She was saying the person we are looking for is someone we would not suspect due to his or her lack of involvement in the case.”
“Ah. So my interpretation regarding someone little as having no power is really someone not involved in the case.”
“Rafferty case. Not necessarily in the Sandusky case.”
“So it could be someone who Knew Sandusky but seemingly not involved with Rafferty.”
“Bingo.”
“If I think of everyone involved one way or another in the Sandusky and Rafferty case there is only one name that jumps out as having no involvement with Rafferty.”
“Who is that?”
“Ned Dixon, the bank manager.”
“Ned Dixon? How could he be involved?”
“Think about it. Had Louis been able to prove the machine in that is to say Rafferty signed the paper saying it was good to go.”
“Yes?”
“There would be no bankrupt company.”
“How’s that help Dixon?”
“Remember when Dixon told us he authorized the payments on the loan to stop.”
“Yeah, that was six months ago.”
“He said Louis was working for Cortez but never collected on the development funds for which Louis had a signed contract.”
“So what would have happened if the contract was honored?”
“I guess the company would prosper.”
“Right, and where would that leave Dixon?”
“He would not be able to sell the company.”
“And not pocket the loan payback amount.”
“Wait. Dixon is a trustee along with the bank.”
“You believe that? I think he is skimming money off of Sandusky’s trust. He told us it was worth fifteen million. How easy would it be to take some for himself? If the company was going strong, there would be no sale and no opportunity to skim.”
“Still seems like a risk for a banker. He doesn’t seem like the skimming type.”
“Well, we need to make the connection to Rafferty.”
“That’s a no brainer if what you are thinking is true.”
“Talk to me.”
“He wanted Rafferty to falsify the engineering study to say the machine wasn’t working.”
“I thought Cortez did that.”
“So says Mrs. Rafferty.”
“Humm. She did say her husband said, Cortez. Why would she lie.”
“To cover for someone else.”
“Like Dixon?”
“OMG. I see where you are going. I wonder if they ever talked or knew each other.”
“We need the phone records of Dixon and Janice Rafferty.”
