"ALL IN A DAY'S WORK" by nikola316

Well, the day started out simple enough.

I had promised a client that I would stop out and take some photos of their house for a comparison appraisal, and review the terms of an upcoming mortgage loan with them before 3.00 pm on Friday.

My buddy/ co-worker Joe and I had some other business in the area, and OF COURSE, my mobile phone was not getting a signal. We decided to gamble that they would be home.

We pulled into our client's driveway and immediately noticed that there were no cars. We assumed that they were not home, but got out of the car and walked towards their door, just to be certain.

When we were about 10 feet from the car, we noticed a small friendly looking dog trotting towards us. I jokingly quipped to Joe; "watch out for Cujo", as he addressed the pooch with an amiable "hey buddy".

Just then, we heard the tell- tale sound of tags on a dog collar jingling in the distance. I turned my gaze toward the yard behind the house, just in time to see a MUCH LARGER dog emerging from behind a stacked pile of logs.

Joe and I simply locked glares long enough to communicate our alarm, then at precisely the same time, we made a hasty "about face" and in the most nonchalant fashion we could muster, we began to retreat to the safety of our car.

As I was concentrating on my own retreat, and unique set of anxieties that were building exponentially by the second, I did not notice that Joe had been much faster than I at securing himself a safe position in the car. It was not until I opened my door, that I noticed Joe sitting in the driver's seat, with a much more relaxed and secure expression on his face than he possessed a mere 8 seconds ago.

This quickly relapsed into a terrified sneer as he realized I had opened the passenger door to the car, and this snarling, not- so- friendly dog had bypassed me, and was staring directly at him across the console.

I must admit, I had a brief thought of pushing the dog into the open car door and slamming it behind the drooling beast. I just couldn't see my self clear to sealing my colleague's fate... though I would have been much safer!!!

To make a long story short, the dog began to back down, but still maintained a hostile stance until I got back into the car. It then proceeded to chase us down the road, snarling and snapping at me as I took this photo.

Dear God,

This was one scary drive. In Baldwinsville the weather you had for me (in the afternoon) was very agreeable... after the morning of hellish snow. The roads were clear in spite of the constant spray of lake effect. Thank You for that.

I do feel it necessary to voice my discontent with the road conditions on Route 34. In particular that stretch of road south of Fleming, NY. I found these roads to be in less than perfect condition, due to your insistence on there being a strong west wind and a lack of Cayuga county’s attentiveness to the question of pouring generous amounts of salt on the highway.

Just so that you are aware, I asked my father (Tom) if he would join me on this trip, as I wanted to spend some time together and have a bit of conversation. I must add, that though he handled the driving conditions you provided, much better than myself, he was not amused.

As you surely know, Route 34 south of Auburn is at a fairly high altitude relative to the area north of the city... with the added peril of being quite open and rural. Perhaps you have forgotten, since you have many items of great import to deal with on a daily basis… but this is a recipe for disaster as far as us mere mortals are concerned.

The next time I am forced to go to a client’s home to get RESPA’s signed, could you please provide me with better road conditions? This is a drive that would normally take a prudent driver less than 45 minutes, round trip (in ideal weather)… it took an insane driver like myself over 2 hours.

I will however have to give you thanks for keeping us safe as we drove on a constant sheet of ice. I will also extend my gratitude for keeping my heart pumping in rhythm as my bumper pushed through 12-inch drifts of snow at 45mph. The chest pains were an appropriate reminder to me that I should perhaps engage in a more aerobic regimen of exercise. In addition to this, I should perhaps prepare something a little lighter for breakfast on Sundays than the Corned Beef Hash, Eggs, Cheese, Bacon and Stuffed French Toast that Amy and I routinely enjoy.

In summation, I don’t intend to complain, but could you please make NY winters less harsh? Thank you for any assistance you can offer.

PS. Please make Joe’s *** fall off for sending me there. (joke)

Best Regards Always,

Joel

Sorry, I just found it amusing.

Somewhere in Oswego County... I bet it is on the corner of County route 6 and Bankrupt road...