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Outrageous Thoughts of Babble

by Peter Knight

 

Aug 8, 1998
[Two new things – (One) a new look to the web site.  I figured it was time to spice up the look a little.  (Two) the start of an updates mailing list.  Once in a while, I would get a reminder via email, noting how someone checked the site over and over again, and no updates would occur.  I agree, it could be rather annoying, that after having the page updated consistently on a Tuesday, that suddenly, it would not be.  Hence, the idea now is that I will be a little more proactive, and let people know when it is updated.]

It is just so weird how bills seem to creep up all at once.  For a while, I could be living high and mighty; practically debt free, with seemingly endless income arriving.  (Q) So what is one to do?  (A) Splurge a little.  Invest in a new monitor that is long awaited: Well, truth of the matter is that my old fourteen inch once is going away with the old 486 that I am giving to my dad.  It is fine for his needs.  Therefore, shopping here and there and wind up picking up a nice nineteen inch for about five hundred.  It turns out to be a pretty great deal and I have no problems with that.

But, as law of balances has it, after a series of gluttonous activities, arrives the repercussion; bills.  Ouch.  And, more bills.  Bills that I have forgotten about – bills that have been keeping themselves around the corner soon to appear – unforeseen bills such as car insurance and house taxes.  And of course, the foreseen, inflated hefted up credit card bill, that included some of the New Orleans trip and also, the nineteen-inch monitor.

(Q) What is one to do?

(A) One possibility is just to pay it all off, swallow the loss of a flat wallet for a while, and move on, but that would not be quite as creative…or fun.  Another option is to turn to a slightly less honest life style, more towards a life of crime.  Not full fledged like, but just taking more advantage about the less innocent surroundings from time to time.

Now that is fun.

As soon as I jokingly decide to do so, my mind wanders to the credit card generators that I downloaded from one of the many mischievous sites on the net.  One of the programs allows me to select the type of credit card, a specific bank, the number of card numbers, and voila – it generates that many credit cards, along with expiration dates.  I could not bring it with me to stores and buy groceries with it, but I figured that it could in quite handy if I needed to order more stuff off the net.

Okay, the idea was shot down quickly from the significant other, Liz, noting how I could wind up in jail.  ‘Nuf said.  Guess I will have to just place my life of crime on hold.

We needed to go to the Post Office and get some stamps.  Liz needed to mail a few things and I needed to mail out my sister’s belated birthday card; just so much like a brother huh?  We ran a few chores and it got to be around ten o’clock PM before we were able to get to go to the Post Office.  Fortunately, some of the Post Offices around here open just the vending department to sell stamps, make customer copies, etc.

We drove up to the darkened parking lot, and walked into the dimly lit Post Office.  After wandering around for a little bit, we approached the stamp machine.  I gazed up and down the different assortments of stamps.

     “Look,” Liz pointed toward the copier.
     I looked down and froze still trying to focus in on what she was pointing at.
     She continued with her amazed voice, “Someone left some money behind,” pausing, “and a roll of stamps.”
     I stood frozen looking at the money and the roll of stamps on the copier.  Then, I looked at Liz.
     At this point, someone had pulled their car up and started approaching rapidly.  It was a woman, with a few letters in her hand and her quick pace, she looked to be rather concerned about something.  Liz noted to me, “I think it’s hers.” We backed away from the copier.  The woman entered the Post Office and looked to be in a hurry and motioned to both of us.  I gave her a slight look noting that it was not really my intention to take the money, I just wanted to look at it, maybe touch it, but not take it.
      We backed up slightly, and nodded a quick no, and slowly started to look away.  Quickly, she darted toward the stamp machine and purchased a few stamps.  Liz looked to me, and motioned back slight unknowing of the situation.  All we knew was that the abandoned money and stamps was probably not hers either.
     Quickly, I shuffled between the woman and the abandoned accessories, blocking her view, and our undecided intentions.  I was not positive that we were going to take the money and stamps, I just wanted to ensure that we had that option.  After all, we saw it first, and it would be unfair if she would notice it and swipe the findings.  After a few minutes, she left.  We watched as she entered her car and speed away.
     I looked down at the money and stamps, and froze, and a large smile came over me.  “You think we should?” I asked Liz.
     “I don’t know,” she answered.
     “Who will know?”  I asked
     She answered, “Maybe the people will come back for it.  I don’t know.  What do you think?”
     “Well,” I answered, “I don’t know.”
     We stood there and thought for a second.

What would you do?    Leave it    Take it