Peas

A lot has changed in regards to this bout of shingles.
My face and hairline and some of my head still have pain but it's easily managed with Tylenol, I surely don't need the strong drugs they gave me. So no more being high as a kite and posting blogs as I did a few days back. I still have 2 weeks more of anti-viral and 2 days left of steroids. 

My eye is one big black scab. 
This morning Rick called me Scabby Girl. As in, Morning Scabby Girl.
Nice.
I keep my sunglasses on while outside for equal parts no one sees this even from 6 ft away or the wind and cold really hurt it on my eye and hairline. Weird isn't it that wind/cold could hurt me?

My dr has followed up with me many times she was so fearful of me losing sight in my eye. She also told me on Friday that since me she has had 3 more bouts of shingles. She said you can tell everyone is under stress. I asked, "So Dr. Kate I was your first? I feel so special."  
She laughed and said to me that if it weren't for Rick and myself she wouldn't laugh while on calls with patients and she thanked me for that. She told me her dealing with all this stress has been stress-eating. 
I told her that I will remind her of that when I am next in her office and she makes me get on that friggin' scale and she yells at me.

Friday night after dinner Rick was not in the best of moods.
Rick has been working for a few weeks now at an empty hotel.
We were thankful this came into our lap at such a good time.
The contract was drawn, he signed it, agreed to terms, and sent in his deposit. We began the job.
They knew because it is stated very clearly in the contract that payment is due upon completion. 
Thursday night Rick wrote the GM an email.
Rick told him he would be done as the contract outlined tomorrow and he would be ready for the GM at 2pm to view the rooms he finished up that day and to settle up. The GM says sure, see you then.

Friday the GM thanked Rick for doing such an "incredibly impressive" (his words) job.
Thanked us for working within their schedule so easily.
Then when Rick had him sign off that job was indeed completed to their utmost satisfaction they did not pay us. 
He said that Mr. P was the head of the investment group who pays everyone not me. He said he is here in the building let me get him. 
Mr. P. showed up and told Rick that his work was the best of this type he's ever seen in any city etc. Rick waited for the smoke he was blowing up his ass to clear and said, "Per the contract today the final payment is due."  Mr. P. said no, the contract says to pay upon completion. You've completed and I will send a check. 
Rick had a copy of the contract and showed him and the man still believes he didn't need to have the money. He said the investment group has a renovation line of credit. He must get the money approved from the bank and then a check will be sent. You will probably get it by May 1st.
He assumed when it was done, he will then ask the bank for the monies. No that is not how it works, in fact the contract no only tells you, it outlines it for you and Rick of course shows him this in all 3 places. 

Rick told me he just stood there for what seemed like a full minute or two so he didn't say the wrong thing. He finally said, "Mr. P. if you knew it was due today why wouldn't you have given this to the bank so a check could have been here today?"  Mr. P had no answer. Then again, thanked us. Rick stopped him and said I am glad you are happy with the work, we have bent over backward to accommodate you during Covid-19 and work within your protocols and time frames.  I am just a small business and now I don't get paid...Mr. P. jumped in and said, "Oh but you will get paid."  Rick said nothing more.
As Rick grabbed his bag of goodies he uses Mr. P. said, "If there are any issues in the next week that the engineer may find do we call you?"  
Rick smiled and said you can call me but I am not coming back to do any more work until you honor the contract, sir. 
Mr. P. said, "Ah, gotcha".
Didn't even fuss, he knew he was oh so wrong.

So no money coming in, thinking okay after 2.5 weeks of work we'll have a nice check to keep the lights on for another day and then no money is paid. 
We can't get unemployment, we applied for the SBA loan and so far only have heard that they are out of money and no stimulus. So we are just that little guy in the middle being screwed once again.

The GM called the office after Rick left. He asked for Rick's cell phone.
Rick told me when he got home that he called him and after Rick left the GM and Mr. P discussed this and they are going to try to make this faster than May 1st. Rick explained it was the disrespect and the lack of honor to the contract that bothers him most. The GM was floored we were not paid and he was apologizing to Rick. He does believe we will be paid and he just wanted Rick to know that. He felt terrible. Not enough to pay us but it wasn't for him to pay. 

So Friday Rick wasn't in the best of moods.(he's very sore too so being physically sore, exhausted and not paid is not a good combo for Rick) 
We got the dog and decided to walk off some steam after dinner and take our dog on a long walk. Each block Rick's mood was getting better. He saw people and they waved and he saw a dog he loves so each block was bringing him out of his lousy mood.

We were now about 7 blocks from home rounding this bend when Rick says out loud, "You know we would have to have had the peas planted by now." 
I stopped walking and let go of his hand and said, WHAT?
He said "The peas should be planted by now"

I began to laugh. I mean really laugh. What the hell is he talking about?
I ask, "Were you thinking of something and then just blurted out this info about peas and didn't realize you said it out loud?"
Gee Rick that is so friggin' random. Where did that come from?
He just laughed realizing how odd that indeed was.

I asked, "when have we ever planted peas in the back 40 John-boy?"
Now that made him laugh, really laugh.
He says he didn't know he just thought of it. Okay but I've known you for 33 years and never have you planted peas or have we planted peas. 
(oh yes we did plant them when we lived in Seattle, snow peas, sorry 'bout that) 
He has no response to why he said it. 
He states it's a fact but he doesn't know why he said it.  
We couldn't stop laughing at ole John Boy and his peas.

I do not know where the hell that came from but I do know it broke his mood and the rest of the night was just fine. I thank whoever planted that stupid line in his head because it changed his mood for the better and took his mind off of not being paid for all his hard work.