Beggars and Choosers and Whatnot
Friday February 2nd 2018 - 3:33am
The Moon hung high and full above me; nearly as bright as the other evening, but no where near as beautiful. It was a fact that was almost lost on me; as it had also dropped back down below minus 20 and I wasn’t as keen on spending more time outside than I had to. Even with the New Winter Jacket.
Yes; I finally got that winter jacket I’d been complaining to the Office about. However since this shift technically started Thursday… of coarse it wouldn’t be exactly as I expected it to be.
To attempt to make a long story short (which is incredibly difficult for me) I’ll try and give a rough synopsis of the Quest for the Winter Jacket.
When I was hired on in October I was given a fall shell.
Easily enough for the outdoor patrols at the hospital and such, but as December hit I realized quickly this wasn’t going to cut it. I emailed my office and asked about getting a winter coat.
Due to my car being on its last legs; burnt out signal lights (I’ll replace them this weekend maybe), a broken drivers window thats held up by wooden shims, touchy brakes and all; I told them I’d rather not take it to the city. Plus only during one of my days off is the office actually open. I asked if they could mail me one…. That request went unanswered.
The next request through the call centre I was told a mobile unit would be sent with one. Three mobile units went by my postings for those weeks in December and no coat. I really should have mugged that Guard who was going to Africa for VIP detail of his; he wouldn’t have needed it.
My last request was a little over a week ago; the office secretary told me she’d had a mobile unit bring one down the next time one was in the area. A family member told me they had seen a mobile unit truck at the local grocery store 3 times since then.
Thankfully for James (the older, not the younger) who upon after hearing of my vain Quest for a proper jacket offered to stop in at the Office to get one for me yesterday. He was on his way up to buy flashlight so it wouldn’t be out of his way. (On another note, why would anyone need more than 6 flashlights?)
When I got to the site tonight and relieved James he brought me out to his Escalade turned Security truck.
“Want to check out these coats?” He asked.
“Plural?” I mused.
“Apparenlty they only had the one large left.” He shrugged.
“Bodyguard guy told me they had just got a shipment in like 3 weeks ago?”
James produced a weathered looked jacket from the crumpled ball it was on the seat.
“It’s last years coat I think, and this ones used.” He said as I shouldered into it.
While it fit just fine, someone had neglected to give it back WITH the liner that zippered up inside it. So it was no thicker or warmer than the one I wore now. Handing it back to James with a distinct frown and a growing chill he reached inside for a still bag wrapped coat.
“This was the one other one they had for you; I told them I wasn’t going back without a jacket for Chase.” He smiled and handed it to me.
Even folded and bagged it was enormous in my hands.
“You said Chase? Oh god…” I howled with laughter. “This should be good!”
“What?” James looked confused.
This is one continual problem Chase and I have had over the years.
People immediately assume unless you’re a dog; then your name isn’t Chance, it must be Chase. To keep things interesting; if you tell people your name is Chase; the universe conspires against logic and reminds you that it must have been Chance. And so it goes.
The other problem being there is in no possible way other than name; could you EVER confuse the two of us. There’s a reason those of us who’ve known him since childhood call him BIG BABY, and it’s not because of any sort of penchant for wearing diapers and crying. He’s just freaking huge!
The secretary must have thought it really was for Chase; even thought he works the hospitals and not the Locks, has a winter jacket already and HASN’T been emailing and calling about a coat for 2 months.
So… Now there’s this.
Granted I look like the Michelin man moonlighting as a security guard, but I am warm; no doubt about that. The new shipment of coats comes in in about two weeks so I’ll make do with this rather than without. So I’ll probably have a proper fitting winter coat about this time next year.