How I Made $100 in 15 minutes - Not an Infomercial :)

I needed to run errands – getting daughter's license plates/tabs/taxes on the car, dropping books at library, store. It was about 10:30 am--Late!  I hadn’t run yet, and decided I’d do my errands first, come home, and then run. I usually would have done it the other way around but was stressing about the license plates.


I took a shower after debating about whether to just throw on my hat and sweats – nice matching sweats, of course! But I thought, noooo! I will not wear a ponytail today! I will not wear any running clothes today. I will take a shower, put on makeup, use a blow dryer (gasp!) and find SOMETHING in my closet I wouldn’t wear running. This is harder than it sounds!

I wore Levis – which I wasn’t thrilled about, but they were my newer ones and, you know, baby steps. I found a blouse, a real blouse that wasn’t T-shaped! And I wore ankle boots. I’m leaving the house, so proud of myself. I wouldn’t run in any of these things!

Courthouse first: arriving at DOL and there are so many people waiting. Why do I still feel like a kid when I go to these places? I found the take a number machine and thankfully found an empty seat. I didn’t want to stand in these boots too long!

Waiting waiting...30 minutes, and this elderly gentleman painstakingly makes his way to the machine, arm in a sling, limping slightly, skin color was as if death was knocking any moment. Another man, who was waiting before I got there, walks up and gets to the machine just before him. He reaches up and what!?! He takes a number!

Santa – that’s what he looked like, I promise! pockets the number and reaches into his other pocket and hands him his number he’s had forever! The older man looks confused and takes it, maybe not fully understanding what just happened. They announce the older man’s number in about one minute. Santa walks back to his seat smiling the whole way.

I think, this man, maybe he is Santa, maybe he’s an angel. Maybe he’s just an unselfish man who sees opportunities to do things for others that I don’t because I’m so wrapped up in my own life. I was thinking the next time I get a take a number situation, I’ll take two so that I can give a number to a deserving person. See how selfish that is, taking two, not just mine and giving it up? I have some work here!

Finally get called up and pay $$$ to the county, get her plates/tabs and leave, knowing that everyone there must be so impressed with me wearing real clothing and I’m not wearing a ponytail...okay, it was just me that was impressed.

On to the library. As I turn the corner to the library, I see a huge group of men, about 20 or so, in front of the ferry pier, looking around, waiting? These are not shipyard men, by the way. I would not look twice if they were (because they are always near the ferry terminal), these were sophisticated Golf Digest-nearing-retirement-age men looking very out of place. I turned into the parking area next to the antique store because there was one space open next to the library. I just needed to drop books off this time, nothing on hold for the girls.

I pull up next to the space and shoot! My Cadillac SUV is too large! Of course!

I pull up, see the men again, decide I’ll park in the loading zone and do the bookdrop outside of the library. I get out, feeling like I’m on display for these men – you know, because how cool I look not wearing running clothes, walk around my vehicle, get my books, drop them in, look over again...ZOINKS! They’re all looking at me!

Oh dear, walk quickly back to my side, sit down, and see the Commander of the group walking towards me with the roll-down-your-window circular motion signal - I haven't had a car like that in 20 years!

Hmmm....rolling (at which point I’m stressing because my window has been sticking and once it wouldn’t roll back up until Jeff grabbed it with both hands and practically pulled a neck muscle wrestling it back into place).

“Excuse me, but uh, our taxis never showed up and we can’t get a shuttle...we don’t know if anyone is on the way or not and we really need to get to the Golf Course...” My eyes are wide with wonder at this point. “Is there any way you could take 5 of us there?” Well, of course, they were looking at my Cadillac, not me! Typical men.

Standing, hemming, hawing, hmmm...I've never actually picked up strangers.

Commander: “I’d pay you $100...cash...”

Me: “Uh, okay!” Can you believe me? They all looked so well-shaven and clean and had golf bags and were so nice-looking. I didn’t feel that bit of tension and anxiety at all like when something seems amiss.

I quickly grabbed stuff off the back seat (license plate stuff, bag of boas from girls’ dress up days– on my way to consignment shop – hoping they don’t see those!). Telling them my name is Ginger and seeing boas, they may get the wrong idea!

Here they come, loading up, $100 pocketed, thank you very much!

They were all so nice! They were all from Seattle area, doing a once a year boys' day. The front seat man made great conversation, found out his sister homeschooled all seven of her children! Got them there in plenty of time. As we neared, front man called his buddy, the Commander, to make sure he’d gotten a taxi. A taxi just pulled up as we were heading out. If not, he asked if I would get Commander as well for another $100! Why, of course!

But he’d gotten a taxi. The Commander told front seat man, his golf partner, that he would have to pay extra (they split it $20 each) because “he got to sit up front in a Cadillac with a hot babe!”

So that ends my tale of how I made $100 in 15 minutes. I kept thinking about Santa and how I should have not taken the money or so much, or called the golf course and offered to take them back to the ferry when they were done. But Jeff said, “No way! I’m so proud of You!” Ha-ha.

Chocolate ice cream for dessert!