Mickey,
I really enjoy reading your posts, you are the best.
________________________________
From: Mickey <mickeycrimm@yahoo.com>
To: vpFREE@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, April 9, 2012 9:41 PM
Subject: [vpFREE] XVP: THE VOYAGER
"Say, Billy. Did those old sea dogs on that tanker tell you anything about a seamen's life not being a very good life?"
"Hell, yeah. That's all I heard all the way over and back."
"Well, I guess they have a reason for it. Hey! Billy! Look!" Johnny said as he pointed.
Two "seamen's school" kids, dressed in whites, were walking from the galley towards the beer room, one with keys in his hands. Johnny and Billy grinned at each other. Every day two kids were assigned to restock the beer machines. It was always done in the middle of the day when the dining room was busy. If any of the beer was gonna be stolen, it was gonna have to be done in front of a dining room full of seamen.
"C'mon. Let's move to that table over there to get a better view" Billy said. They both darted for the other table. They watched without looking like they were watching. The two kids unlocked and entered the beer room, came out with a cart full of Dixie beer, and wheeled it to the first vending machine. The one with the keys opened it up and they started restocking. It was the third machine Johnny and Billy were interested in. The two kids finished the first and second machines then opened up the third. Johnny and Billy watched as the two kids just about had the third machine restocked without making a move.
"What a couple of dufluses" Johnny said in disgust. "Do you think we should tell them?"
"I'll do the honors" Billy said. "I need another beer anyway."
Billy walked over to the fourth machine and dropped a quarter in. "Hey, guys. A couple of months ago I was in your shoes. Look down there where the motor is" he said as he pointed to the bottom of the machine. The two kids looked down. "You see that empty space next to the motor? About 3 six-packs will fit down there. There's no panel on the back of the machine down there where the motor is. If you hold the door just right you can block off the view from most of the dining room. At night, when the hall is closed, you sneak down here, pull the machine out from the wall, grab the beer, shove the machine back in, then haul ass back upstairs. You got it?"
"Hell, yeah!" one of them said. "Thanks!" Billy got his beer and walked back to the table.
"How you gonna get to Bossier City, Johnny?"
"I'm gonna take Greyhound."
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Note: Moon Landrieu was elected Mayor of New Orleans in 1969. Clay Shaw was found not guilty. In 1973 Jim Garrison was tried for taking bribes to protect the illegal pinball machine business. The same pinball machines I wrote about in the Two In The Blue thread. I never went to sea again. And....if I had known then what I know now about blackjack I would have fleeced every damn one of those kids.
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