Keep on Trucking

 We have had a lot of company in for dinner in the past two weeks. Tim and I were trying to tot it all up this afternoon. It came up to five dinners, which doesn't seem like a lot actually, but I guess that tossing a wedding and a funeral on there makes it seem like more.

Anyways, we had three coming yesterday for supper. It was an easy one. William was here for the weekend and Tim's brother was coming with his two teenagers. We decided on burgers and fries.

It was to be a special night. The youngest nephew, (14) did not have a deer rifle of his own. Tim had bought a gun for William a couple years back, but William decided he was not a hunter. (That's fine.) Tim went back and got the Mossberg, still in the box, two boxes of ammo. 

The brothers were deep in discussion. The gun is a youth model which can grow by lengthening the stock. The decision was made that it would be a good gun for the boy.

Tim said, 'Take it and give it to him.'

His brother made shocked, sputtering noises. 

Tim said, 'No. I am giving it to him.'

After some back and forth, it was agreed to on one condition. He would bring the boys back, and Tim would do the presenting. 

We decided on Saturday. They would come for supper and then do some target shooting after. Tim could give the boy the gun then.

It has been a busy week, but Saturday finally rolled around. I had to run William in to town to maximize his time with his other grandfather who was headed back to Michigan after breakfast.

Once back home, I made two pumpkin pies from the pumpkins I had roasted and cut up earlier. I popped them in the oven and they came put perfectly, if I do say so myself. 

T minus 40 minutes: I turned on the oven to airfry and popped in a large sheet of french fries. I efficiently put 9 Angus patties on a rack to thaw slightly before popping them in the oven. I put the buns on a platter and set them on the stove where the fan was blowing warm air from the oven. I tore some lettuce. I grabbed a jar of pickles and an onion from the pantry and set them on the counter with a tomato.  I set up the mixer and started the whipped cream for the pie and then efficiently turned my attention to the slicing the tomato and onion. 

I mean, it was a perfectly synchronized operation right up to the very moment that I grabbed the knife in an absent minded way and sliced my finger.

Good grief what a mess. I bolted for the bathroom with my hand wrapped in a kitchen towel. I could not get it to stop bleeding. Tim helped me bandage it tightly, but that took a bit because the dressing soaked through twice.

Long story shot, my fries and burgers got too done. My whipped cream was on the verge of turning onto sweet butter. Tim hacked the tomato and onion in a careless way.

So much for efficiency.

But the youngest boy was thrilled with the gun. He scampered up to the house to show me the hole he'd put in an empty soda can.

The funniest part was this though. The oldest boy is driving now. He wants a truck. He was mourning the fact that even trucks in horrible shape are going for exorbitant money. 

Tim said. "I have a truck that needs some body work to pass inspection. Mechanically, it is sound."

The boy got such a hopeful look. 

So they were pulling on boots and grabbing jackets. William and the youngest were deep in conversation about VR while being totally disconnected from reality. I don't believe they even noticed.

Tim came back in alone. He had sent the two of them off to take it for a drive. He was deep in thought when they returned.  

The young man stood nervously with his hands in his pockets. His father stood by silently letting his son make the deal. The boy stammered a little as he said. "Would you take $1400?"

Tim said, "$500." He had already made up his mind not to charge him any more than what the boy could make back if he decided to scrap it. 

The boy went slack jawed and his eyes bugged. It tickled Tim to see his hand instantly flash out his pocket to shake on the deal.

And so the deal was struck. He brought his mother and the money back tonight, even though Tim said that there was no reason to do that. I think he wanted to take her for a ride in his truck. 

We will drop the truck off at his father's welding shop tomorrow, so that he can begin working on it after school. He won't be able to get his license until December, but the notary work will be done this week. 

He is thrilled. We have one less truck here, a win-win situation if ever was one.