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These stories as a whole or in part is Copyright © 1967-2005 by George T Mason of East Stroudsburg PA.. These stories may not be sold or used for commercial profit in any form or fashion. These stories may not be modified in any way. These stories may not be posted on a mirror site or any other Internet site without the written permission of the author. These stories may not be distributed on print, magnetic, electrical or optical mediums. These stories will not be lettered, written, printed, Xeroxed, laser printed, cut, carved, laid, inlayed, graved, or engraved, upon anything movable or immovable under the whole canopy of heaven whereby or whereon the least letter, character, symbol, or semblance of the same might become legible, or intelligible, to yourself or any other person, Without the written permission of the author or his next of kin upon his death.  That should cover that.

Tracy and his fathers badge of courage

Tracy is a cop.  Through and through.  He might be watching over the empire of Office Direct or pretending to relax at home but just like his father he is a cop.  He suspects everything you say and do and that works for him.  I have worked with and for many people like this before and I had labeled them all paranoid..  When I went into business I decided not to be this way and that most likely had something to do with me being unsuccessful at it.  Tracy would always carry his fathers badge with him as a good luck charm when he went out on patrol and such.  This protective shield kept him safe and warm and when you are in the business of putting your life on the line I would guess that is important. 

So anyway Tracy is dating this girl (Before Mrs. Tracy was secured) and she borrows his car. and when it is returned his fathers badge is not over the visor where it was always kept.  A full search of the car and grounds was made to no avail. As time passes our here and is young love parted ways and the badge was forgotten.  Alas we can't all live forever and Tracy's father past on to meet the great architect of the universe.  Coming back to the car after the service at the cemetery the light is shining brightly in Tracy's eyes so he pulls down the visor and his fathers badge falls in his lap.  Spooky Huh? Lets look at some other odd parallels:  Tracy has a younger brother Shane with the same age difference between me and my brother.  Tracy and I were married at the same day any year, His birthday is the same as my brothers and I have the same birthday as his brothers. and we both married retired supermodels.  Wow now that's spooky.

Why do they call you Wit?

The first time I met Tracy was when we were going through negotiations for the lease of my business to his and people kept coming in to the office and calling him Wit.  I asked why he was being addressed as wit when his name was Tracy. He replied "Because I am funny" and I said "Well, not so far."  It was also then that I learned that everyone in Belvedere (The town Tracy works in) has a nickname.  The whole town has a nickname. Without computers it amazes me how they can keep track of that. 

 "Oh Now It's Sweetheart"

Being aware he was not funny as of yet He announced on my first Friday at Office Direct. Okay we are putting a paver walk into my back yard tomorrow and everyone should show up at 10:00. to which they all nodded and how was I to know this was some sort of humor.  I showed up with my wife at 10:00 at Tracy's home and was the ONLY ONE THERE.  Funny, oh yes he is a billion laughs!  The apple doesn't fall short of the tree either.  Kate was helping by keeping an umbrella over her father while he worked laying the paver walk.  He would order her to get him a drink, or get this or that until she allowed him to work his way into the sun and out of the shade of the umbrella. Now he says "sweetheart can you move the umbrella so I am in the shade, and she replies "Oh now its sweetheart!" She is a funny girl who will go on some day to make some guy's life an absolute dream.

Tracy meets Howard the Jewish Dachshund

Tracy's first meeting with Howard was somewhat less happy.  Howard was in the truck one day when I stopped in Office Direct for some reason and as oil and water most times do Howie found Tracy as soon as he could have.  As luck would have it it was while Tracy was showing copiers to a start up business couple.  Tracy announced to all around that he did not like little dogs and Howie responded by defecating on the rug right in front of Tracy, and the customers.  I to this day thing Howie was just responding to the way Tracy felt about him, but others disagree.

Watch out for the choppers

Tracy wanted to move out to the country, apparently the city life in Belvedere was getting to him, so he secured his own plot of land carved out of the corner of a cornfield.  The place is charming really with a nice manor house and great flat landscaping, kept manicured by many hours spent on the back of a John Deere.  The only trouble I could see was that the rest of the land was still a cornfield and as far as cornfields go, a pretty good sized one.  One day Tracy decides to go out to his truck and hears in the distance a helicopter getting closer and closer.  Almost at once the helicopter drops its load all over the cornfield, the landscaping, and Tracy.  A lovely mix of seed, and Con-Agra fertilizer.

Why can't all women be like Laurie?

While we are on the Office Direct subject, there is a woman who works here that you all need to meet named Laurie.  Laurie kind of runs things here dad to day at Office Direct, in a way that a good executive secretary runs a fortune 500 company.  she handles all the crap that Tracy doesn't want to deal with  and keeps the place running smoothly.  On top of that she is really one of the coolest women I have ever been around. (Disclaimer--Except for my wife of course "love ya! dear.....") Laurie is not only great at keeping the place running smoothly but she is also an awesome wife to Jim.  He does not realize it but all men in the world want to be Jim.  Jim live in the strange world of once a night is usually enough.  The strange thing is like the really hot farmers daughter who has no idea she is that hot, I get the feeling that Jim has no idea how lucky he is.  I sometimes wonder how fewer war and poverety we would have in the world if all women worked like Laurie.