Hey Guys and Dolls!

My wife Jan, and I were talking this afternoon in one our many conversations and she told me a

story that had me rolling on the floor laughing.  I have to tell you that although she is a very warm,

compassionate, and all round incredibly wonderful woman, one thing that really attracted me to

her is the fact that she is often unfiltered.  A lot of the time, in her words "if I get a thought it

just comes right out of my mouth without going through my brain", and she is hilarious.

   Somehow we got on the subject of people that annoy you when they take advantage of you.

Before we met, Jan lived in North Carolina in a little bitty town.  Many of the residents had no

transportation even in this mostly rural area because they were too poor.  Jan became friendly

with one of the poor folk who for unknown reasons was a lady called Big Ear.

For all I know it could have been her real name since she named her kids Puddin, Man, and John.

How "John" got in there none of us will ever know.  (Absolutely true, no names have been

changed to protect the innocent or the guilty, lol.)

   Anyway, Big Ear asked Jan one day to give her a ride to Tarboro NC, a town about 10 miles

away. Now given the cost of gas at the time, and given the fact that Jan had enough to do every

day (due to circumstances) to keep 3 people busy all day and didn't need the interruption, she told

Big Ear that she would do it for 10 dollars.
 
   Once word got around that Jan would give rides to town for 10 dollars round trip, the phone

started ringing off the wall.  This wasn't necessarily a bad thing in that 10 bucks a pop for a round

trip of 20 miles was profitable enough to make it worth her while as long as it didn't interfere with

everything else she had going on.

   Now to the annoying part and being taken advantage of.  One day Big Ear asked Jan to take her

to Tarboro to the Piggly Wiggly grocery store.  But this time was different. After the grocery store,

Big Ear wanted Jan to take her to the bank, then to Kentucky Fried Chicken, then somewhere else.

Jan told her "Look, you gave me $10 to take you to the Piggly Wiggly, not to chase around town

on an errand tour using my time and my gas.  I have a lot of other things to get done today.  Next

time it's one stop and one stop only, and go back home.  Any more than one stop will be more

money and the stops will have to be agreed to and the money has to be paid up front."

   Next month when the food stamps came again, Big Ear called Jan for a ride to the Piggly Wiggly.

After the grocery store, Big Ear asked Jan if she would stop by KFC and the liquor store. Knowing

Jan as I do, I can see the steam that must have been pouring out of her ears.  Needless to say, an

argument ensued and my girl won of course, being the driver, and being right.

   A couple of days after, Jan ran into Big Ear at the local quick stop store.  Jan told Big Ear that

her phone number had changed and the next time she needed a ride to call the new number.  Jan

further explained "Someone besides me will answer, and you just tell them where you want to go."

Big Ear thanked her and went on her way.

   You guessed it.  The next time the food stamps arrived, Big Ear called Jan's new number and

was totally pissed off when she heard "Tarboro Cab Company, may I help you?"