EasySt:
Oh, and TexOkie rinsed one of your tools.
You’ll need to re-coat with your preferred rust preventative...
And be careful of the cheese dip...
;-)
Grey Whiskers:
(g_w pulls his face off of the keyboard, a natty QWERTY imprinted across his furry cheeks.)
Eh, what? I thought cheese dip WAS a rust preventative.
I mean, if I was a rust, *I* wouldn’t eat that stuff.
(Looks around.)
Seems like I missed the feast. Any leftovers?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
texokie:
HI EVERYBODY!! POSTING BLIND AND BEHIND! (So what else is new??? :-D)
[courtesy pings to blu and Cletus D. Yokel]
Qanteen Party Aftermath 8/31/18
Held in Qanteen Garage Last Night
What a great party last night! Blu opened up her garage to all the FReeQs, and just when she was wondering what was on for dinner at the Qanteen, texokie and some other FReeQs who had been drafted, appeared in the garage with a boatload of FOOD! Blu had already put a lot of various drinks on ice, so we had quite the time!
There is great sound equipment in the Qanteen Garage, and while blu has charge of it, there are several other FReeQs who enjoy working in there with her on various automotive or motorcycle projects. Sometimes they even help greeneyes out with maintaining the big tractor and lawn tractors needed in the Qanteen Gardens and Grounds.
They enjoy having a raucous time while concentrating on the exacting job of figuring out mechanical - and even sometimes automotive computer problems. There is full automotive diagnostic equipment for various makes and models, and along with that, a few small TVs are scattered around. There is the sound equipment, and even a lovely upright piano, (which has perfectly tuned-for-saloon rinky tink tuning!) Someone has placed a banjo in the corner under the work bench. There is potential for not only the serious business of keeping the Qanteen rolling stock in good order, but also for some raucous FUN!
A sidewalk and patio joins the detached Qanteen Garage to the Qanteen building. The patio and walks connect as well to the Gardens and Grounds. Greeneyes has placed some flower beds and plant pots strategically around, so the area is a bright and peaceful uplifting surrounding.
There is a covered walkway from the Garage to the backdoor of the Qanteen. The famous enclosed Qanteen Dumpster and Miraculous Lysol Tree (Don’t Ask) are against the side of the Garage between it and the Qanteen building.
Near the Garage, and actually about equidistant from the Garage to the Qanteen building, and partially under the covered walkway, is a lovely outdoor kitchen with smoker, propane gas stove top, a counter, shelves, and storage cabinets containing tongs, outdoor dishes, etc. Lawn furniture, and a shade umbrella for sunny afternoons are available. FReeQs feel quite fortunate when some of the ones who are good at tending a smoking BBQ project, man the smoker and produce the fall-apart-melt-in-your-mouth goodness of excellent BBQ. CJWolf did the honors for the party last night…. and YUM!...and there are LEFTOVERS!! He must have run an entire cow through there last night! We know grey whiskers missed most of the fun, and we do assure him that yes, indeed, there ARE goodies left with his name on them.... along with a big handful of catnip!
After working with Mother of Dragons and other FReeQs to clean up both the Garage and the Qanteen, texokie went home, and told her Darlin’ all about it.
He listened and grinned as she told him of the impromptu gathering in the Garage, the music and dancing. She wistfully told him she wished he had been able to come to the party so she could have danced with him. Oh well, it was ok - she really was pretty busy to dance. She related to him that Cletus D. had played the piano and has a much better repertoire than she had realized.
Darlin’ grinned really big at her description of the President’s Rally, with the Q air drawing and “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” references. She described the smorgasbord of goodies, and the Velveeta with Rotel Tomato Cheese dip. However, his complexion changed markedly when texokie told him of her really creative and innovative expedient use of one of blu’s tools.
*As texokie was relating the fun of the party, and watching and enjoying Darlin’s reaction, she was startled to notice a sudden blanching of his face and a deeply concerned look grow on his face when told of her use of the lovely spanner from blu’s work bench to stir the cheese dip. His voice became a raspy whisper*
You did WHAT?
*texokie confirms her actions, and is quick to explain that she had cleaned it really well before hand so it would be ok to use in the dip and no one would get sick. She also related that she washed it again really really well, even using a nice stiff Brillo pad to get the cheese dip off from the jaws of the tool before returning it to its place on blu’s work bench. Darlin’ clears his throat...several times*
But texokie, while I’m glad you were mindful to keep the food from being contaminated, what I don’t think you are fully comprehending is that tools like that are very important personal items to a craftsman. They require VERY meticulous care! A serious mechanic like blu gets as attached to her tools as much as a chef gets attached to a favorite set of knives. I really do fear that you damaged that tool and maybe even fouled it up beyond all recognition! I know you didn’t mean to, but that was a really ungood thing to have done! Some of those tools are precision made, and the Brillo pad may have thrown that precision off.
*Darlin’ takes a hanky out of his pocket and mops his face. texokie immediately grasps the import of what Darlin’ is telling her about her transgression and has a crestfallen expression on her face, as she realizes the extent to which she had done screwed up*
I’ll tell you what, get in the car, and we’ll go to the hardware store. This one here locally actually has a very good choice of tool manufacturers. Describe the tool to me, and if you can, do you recall the manufacturer?
*texokie thought really hard and was able to demonstrate the size, and recalled the number that was embossed on it telling the size. She even recalled the maker’s name, because that was embossed as well. She had spent quite a bit of time looking at both of those writings while stirring. Darlin’ swallows hard, smiles wryly at texokie and rasps*
Blu has excellent taste in tools! I have a few of those myself! I knew I liked her, but now I know why! Let’s get in the car!
*texokie and Darlin’ go to the hardware store and are able to pick out the replacement tool. Darlin keeps the receipt and instructs texokie to give it to blu along with the spanner so if it isn’t the right one, she can exchange it. They drive back to the Qanteen.*
People are spread out inside the Qanteen Qommons. For a wonder, no one is playing “Chop Sticks” on the Steinweigh. Some are out on the patio under the unfurled shade umbrella working with phones or laptops. Some are in the Quiet Room. There are typing noises coming from the LexiQon and Oracle offices. Some of the FReeQs who enjoy food prep are busy in the Qitchen cooking up some delectable somethings or other while others are napping on their bean bags.
As they go outside on the patio toward the Garage, texokie and Darlin’ notice that some of the FReeQs (the more crazy ones who tolerate the cold water temperatures) are splashing in the lake at the dock. There are several FReeQs sitting on lawn chairs and lawn loungers being uncharacteristically quiet. Even the noise levels in the Garage are remarkably low. Here and there FReeQs wave and smile at texokie and Darlin’.
Texokie and Darlin’ go to the Garage and find blu, also a little bit on the quiet side. Clearly the party has some aftereffects which necessitate acting quietly and gingerly. Texokie clears her throat. It wasn’t loud, but blu winces*
Hi blu! That was such a fun party last night! I do believe I messed up though. I was telling Darlin’ about the marvelous time I had, and he revealed to me how terribly I DID mess up when I borrowed your spanner to stir the cheese dip. I hope you will accept my deepest apology as well as our attempt to right the wrong I did you. While I did not mean to harm your spanner, I realize now that I did. Please accept my effort to replace the tool I messed up.
*texokie hands blu the tool with receipt, and is grateful for the smile she sees on blu’s face…and even the other mechanics in the garage who are gathered have a lightening of features.*
I’m so sorry, blu. If this isn’t the right one, please exchange it, and if this amount doesn’t cover it, please let me know. I sure hope you can forgive me for messing up one of your favorite tools. Thanks again for having such a great party in here last night! I think it did everyone here a lot of good! I know it did me…. I had not realized how much I also needed to blow off some steam with so many of our FReeQs!
*Darlin’ is beaming at texokie and blu and the all the garage FReeQs, while everyone in the Garage, all just naturally beamed back, because Darlin’ does have an infectious grin. texokie clears her throat again*
Please let me know if we need to do anything else regarding that spanner, blu. I’ll be back later, guys!
*As they walked back to the car, texokie and Darlin’ wave at blu and the Garage FReeQs, and leave the Garage. The various phones and laptops have been equipped with chimes to alert the FReeQs that there are Fresh Q Droppings! The energy profile of the place changes, and the FReeQs become all business and focused on the digging and consolidating chores before them.
But today texokie and Darlin’ are not scrambling with the other FReeQs to assimilate the new information. They have more errands to run. The party made a serious dent in the food supplies, and they have to go to the next town over for those and some other things. The mountain drive is glorious and they look forward to driving through the scenery*