| November 13,1997 Steph's day off It was already 8:30 am as I laid the well used wrinkled box on the
counter, I stared momentarily at the duct tape holding the box together and wondered how
many more trips it would make. Starting at the counter, I packing the box, things on the
counter first and then starting to my left packed the cupboards clockwise, didn't know
just when the exterminator would be here but wanted to have everything out of the way so
he could do his job. Those little pesky ants were still on the march, making a line across
the wall and on to the counter scrounging invisible bitts of food and hurrying back to
some place behind the cupboards. We had cleaned and put any open containers in the fridge,
couldn't imagine what there was left for the little rascals to be interested in, but there
they were. "Live it up while you can, you little devils" I thought as I packed
the last box out in to the living room. Even though the sight of boxes stack all around is
a little disheartening I took solace in the fact that we were ready and peered out into
the parking lot to see if I could see the exterminator, nope not yet.
About the time I had answered my e-mail sorted through some of the seemingly endless
papers and envelopes that I had packed weeks ago so I could finish my business
bookkeeping, Steph woke up.
Breakfast was going to have to be whatever could be fixed out of the fridge at this point
because I was unwilling to unpack parts of those boxes then pack it back up again. A quick
glance indicated that omelets and toast would be the solution. Out come the eggs and oh
yea, need mixing bowl, go the living room and search through the boxes till I find mixing
bowl, got the mixing bowl and cracked the eggs into the mixing bowl. Need whip to stir the
eggs, back to the boxes, find whip, stir eggs. Need seasoning, go the boxes find seasoning
and add seasoning. Pored eggs into skillet and oh yea need spathula, go to boxes till find
spathula, go turn burred omelet. So what ever happened to making sure one had all the
tools and supplies before starting a project, like one of the steps in production back in
the sign shop? I don't know except for that I might have been preoccupied with some
envelops I saw earlier this morning that had the Washington Department of Revenue on it, I
knew that I needed to file my quarterlies, but the move and unpacking held me up.
We were supposed to be visiting my folks today and had plans to go to a neighboring town
for a street fair, but instead found ourselves sitting midst of boxes eating off paper
plates. Seems as though this was the scheduled day that the exterminator was to show up
and it was a choice between living with hoards of ants indefinitely or live out of boxes
till the exterminator showed up and be done with it.
Steph decided to get caught up on her book work and put things in order since we were
kinda stuck here anyway and it was bothering her that she didn't know where some of her
paperwork was and that her check book wasn't balanced.
Now............. in the past this is a sign that I needed to find something to do as far
away from the house as possible, far far away. No such luck today, couldn't think of a
thing, that she'd believe any way, besides I needed to take care of that little Department
of Revenue thing. Steph went in to the living room and I to the bead room, she spread her
papers out on the table and coffee table and I spread my papers out on the bead. Figured
I'd get the nasty stuff over with first so open up all the Washington Dept. of Rev
envelopes and tried to figure out what needed to be done, I saw some notices but had
already took care of them and some forms that needed to be filled out, knew I was behind
but not much activity had happened so wasn't worried about it. Nothing of any great
significance caught my eye so decided to give them a call just to cover my bases. There
was a different person handling my case than I had seen before, strange I should know so
many people at the dept of rev, wondered if they go through a lot of help there or am I
getting passed around cuz I get on there nerves, in any case I placed the call and a
pleasant voice came over the phone, she pulled up my files and asked me why I was late, I
explained my situation to her and promised to have everything caught up soon and please
close my account there etc. "Did you know you had a lean against you?" she
asked."NO!!" I replied, "how can I have a lean against me?"
"Because of unpaid balance from Stray Strokes" "I payed that off, there
must be some mistake, How much does it say there that I owe?" I asked "Oh, it's
been paid off" she said, "How has it been payed off?" I asked, "We
took it from you checking account" she replied, "What checking account, I
haven't had a business account at that bank for a year and a half?" I could hear my
voice getting higher and higher, I was starting to panic, "Well how much did you
take?" I shrieked, not really wanting to know the answer, "$750.00 " was
the reply, everything seemed to be happening in slow motion as I told the gal on the other
end that I'd have to get back to her later and missed the receiver as I tried to hang up
the phone. I was becoming aware that the most likely scenario was that the money was taken
from Steph's account, and I am here to tell you that your life can really pass before your
eyes as I looked up and saw Steph hovering over me. I presented my case in the best
possible light, knowing that Steph was seeing right through me. Suddenly here was no more
her papers and my papers, her account and my account, we collected all the statements and
receipts and started going through them in earnest, Called the banks and got our balances
and compared them with our books. Sure enough I came up $750.00 short of paying off the
state according to my books, I suppose to say at this point that I should have been paying
closer attention would be the same as closing the gate after the cows got out, and sure
enough we did find where Steph's account had been raided by the state for $750.00. It was
the second day of out trip to California when it happened, and that's why we were
surprisingly short of funds when we got here, we didn't think we spent that much money but
we really didn't have a way to figure things out till we were unpacked and reconciled our
statements, but now we know.
Steph looked at me from across the table and I could tell from the look in her eye that I
was about to get acquainted with a brand new law "I don't want to ever – ever
have any thing to do with business again – ever!!" she declared. I've been told
that there are no atheist in fox holes and it's interesting how one suddenly becomes
spiritually inclined in the face of crisis, the Bible passage "agree with thine
adversary quickly" came to mind and it sounded like good advice to me at the time so
I mustered up as much humility as I could and said "yes Mam" .........
By this time it was getting on to 3 pm and no exterminator, so Steph called the office to
inquire as to what time we could expect the man, seems as though he had to go to the
hospital and wouldn't be here till tomorrow.
I've had bad days before and probably will have some more but this day is one that I won't
soon forget.
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