RUMPLATIONS: Awesome Honky Tonk and Cyber Bar How Y'all Are?

Mr Ape, I called my client—a bank—and they were shocked by the whole thing. I’m not sure what to do if the company holding my IRA tells me they haven’t found the money tomorrow. I guess I’ll try to escalate up manager ladder with them.

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Mr Ape, I called my client—a bank—and they were shocked by the whole thing. I’m not sure what to do if the company holding my IRA tells me they haven’t found the money tomorrow. I guess I’ll try to escalate up manager ladder with them.

Would the Crowdstrike issue have any effect on this at all? Just brainstorming here. Escalate all the way to the top! It’s unacceptable that they can’t find your money.

HEY! Guess who's BACK!

Yes, c'est MOI! Back from England and France – and only to find little Kimmi in trouble??? WTF!

I'll speak to you privately, young lady – later.

Meanwhile, since I'm awake and back in the saddle again, let's get some coffee goin'.

(rummages around behind the bar)

Jeez Louise! All we've got is plain old coffee! After a month of superb coffee in England and France … well never mind.

Maxwell House it is.

Lots of fine teas in the box, and, of course Red Rose and Earl Grey in pots on the sideboard.

Plus mini-marshmallows and hot chocolate sachets to go with.

Did anyone miss me? I know three guys on motorcycles who did – barely. Or should I say "Bearly"!

I let them live.

And I had the most amazing strawberries in England! Big, plump and juicy. They looked like the ones you get from California – except these strawberries tasted like berries rather than straw! DEE-licious!

I am reliably informed that strawberries are available at the local farmer's market. I'll have to wait for Saturday to find out.

Plus some somewhat stale bear claws that someone stuffed behind the bar.

Meanwhile, I brought back some French pasties as well – and learned some new, um, French from some of the Mademoiselles! O-la-la! I'll bring them out in a minute. The pastries, that is…

So here are the, um, pastries…

Josephine – delicious!

Aimée – spectacular!

And Michelle – how belle!

Lady Jay said I could keep them as pets – but I had to take out the litter box and feed and water them.

Planning on keeping them in Storeroom 4, with The Boys.

Sure hope they get along!

Good Morning and welcome back. glad Lady Jay kept you on a short purple leash.

The bar is all yours

James

Lion In

Lion Out

And now for something completely different – some happy snaps from our trip!

First, for Lion…

We spent a week with a cousin, Flaubert, in Normandy. Not the beaches, mind you, the interior, ordinary towns and villages. And EVERYWHERE we went, there were flags and posters up, praising the British, American, and Canadian soldiers who liberated France 80 years ago.

They teach their school children to remember. They lay flowers on the graves, and they are truly grateful.

This is OUT of the public eye, in ordinary places, ordinary people.

And, of course, we saw cathedrals, churches, and gardens as well.

Plus WAY too much fine wine and good food!

Turns out that Lady Jay's friends and family are all good cooks. (BURP)

I'm gonna have to go on a Bear-sized diet! Only ONE seal a day! NO MORE!

Well, maybe one and a half…ish.

We'll see.

Maybe I'll just sell my scales instead.

And lest I forget – thank you especially to Lion, and also to Ape, for minding the store (checks the till, frowns) and tending to Big Bertha while I was gone. It was a great kindness, and I appreciate it!

And I brought you each a French postcard as a present! You can choose between you which one you want!

Beaaaaaarrrrrr! Get your furry arse over to my Korner and tell me all about your trip! Missed you!

And my money was found last night—in another’s account. I guess the account holder thought the unexpected deposit was a gift from God and stayed silent about it since Monday. 🙄 The sending institution messed up by failing to put my IRA account number on check. Should have been held in unposted. A mystery how it got to another’s account I guess. 😕

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Beaaaaaarrrrrr! Get your furry arse over to my Korner and tell me all about your trip! Missed you!

And my money was found last night—in another’s account. I guess the account holder thought the unexpected deposit was a gift from God and stayed silent about it since Monday. 🙄 The sending institution messed up by failing to put my IRA account number on check. Should have been held in unposted. A mystery how it got to another’s account I guess. 😕

SOOO glad your money was found. Seems like there should some sort of compensation for the agony they put you through. Not likely to happen, but at least your money is safe and sound!

The ways of financial institutions are often unfathomable and frustrating. Good that you got your money, though.

Good morning. Too many goddamn meetings today. Oh well, it's the first time in a while that I have had a day like that.

New story is taking shape. Needs some work still, but definitely meets the half or more dialogue requirement for the comp so if I finish in time, I will enter it.

Red Rose please. Make it strong.

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

Yes, c'est MOI! Back from England and France – and only to find little Kimmi in trouble??? WTF!

I'll speak to you privately, young lady – later.

Meanwhile, since I'm awake and back in the saddle again, let's get some coffee goin'.

(rummages around behind the bar)

Jeez Louise! All we've got is plain old coffee! After a month of superb coffee in England and France … well never mind.

Maxwell House it is.

Lots of fine teas in the box, and, of course Red Rose and Earl Grey in pots on the sideboard.

Plus mini-marshmallows and hot chocolate sachets to go with.

Did anyone miss me? I know three guys on motorcycles who did – barely. Or should I say "Bearly"!

Plus some somewhat stale bear claws that someone stuffed behind the bar.

Meanwhile, I brought back some French pasties as well – and learned some new, um, French from some of the Mademoiselles! O-la-la! I'll bring them out in a minute. The pastries, that is…

BEAR HUG! 🐻‍❄️🥰

Welcome back!!!

Thanks, all. It's good to be back, but better to have both back AND front!

I have a comp entry cooking, but am letting it simmer while my attention is elsewhere, specifically launching Bear and Girl, starting with Kindle, possibly as soon as next week. That will be followed by paperback and hardcover editions in 10 days or two weeks after that, and the audiobook later still – it's being narrated now.

Plus, of course, all the stuff that got put on hold while we were away.

Busy times for the ol' Bear …

Good Morning All......Wow, all of this excitement in the room. Welcome back to our favorite bear......well except maybe Yogi....no just kidding James....welcome back. Kimmi glad to see the finances are back in order....hope you beat someone with a wet noodle for causing you all of that stress. Nice to see Kat strolling thru here and adding her own delightful touch to the festivities. Fuzzy did a phenomenal job of holding the place together and taking care of all of our quirky requests and regaling us with fabulous toons. Kudos as well to the Apeman for being the terrific asset to this room, even if I couldn't get his attention to "monkey around".

As always, it is quite cool here which made the morning bike ride quite invigorating. My nipples are just now back to normal after being hard as stones, with the cool wind whipping thru my light jacket and tee. I would not mind having myself a taste of one of those delicious pastries that our lovely Bear brought back, but for now, it will be a cup of hot Earl Grey to warm up and get ready for the rest of my day's activities.

Reese

I have nothing to say lol. I’m new and don’t know anyone well yet but Reese has been so nice to me. I hope y’all welcome strangers here lol

Quote by ebonysummer

I have nothing to say lol. I’m new and don’t know anyone well yet but Reese has been so nice to me. I hope y’all welcome strangers here lol

☘️

Welcome to the craziest bar west of Ladder creek (here in my parts of Kansa)

I've been known to play music, bartend and give away Bear's stock of Jameson.

BTW

never is a stranger that enters.

So what you want to drink?

The old jukebox is your musical playground too

Allow me to play

Rock You Like a Hurricane

Scorpions

Quote by ebonysummer

I have nothing to say lol. I’m new and don’t know anyone well yet but Reese has been so nice to me. I hope y’all welcome strangers here lol

Welcome! We are a friendly bunch here. 😎

I'm in First

But I know

James will show

I'll just turn on the lights

AND

turn out

the drunks

taking the trash out back,

as I turn on the

Jukebox

Be back shortly

1943 today

Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger is born.

Happy Rockin Birthday ☘️

Driving Me To Hard

Next

Dreamy Skies

And my favourite

To honour his birthday

Angry

Oh yeah she is easy on my eyes, thanks boys of The Rolling Stones.

Maybe Ape or Bear will hit the time machine and post early Stones.

☘️

Lion Out

Lion Back

Well guess Bear is still fighting jet lag and time zones sooooo

I'll get our usual start

Bertha filled

Copper Tea Kettle filled

Morning assortment of treats, including bunny cuppycakes on the side bar.

☘️

I'm proud to post this news here.

Kansas City is on a hot streak, and the world is taking notice. The latest honor came yesterday, as TIME Magazine named TWO places in Kansas City on its list of the World’s Greatest Places of 2024. Here they are:

🐇 The Rabbit hOle: The immersive children’s literature museum is the first of its kind in the United States.

⚽️ CPKC Stadium: The home of the KC Current and the first women’s professional sports stadium in the world.

'mi ciudad es tu ciudad'

Now for real

I'm out

Animals need fed, water and brushing.

Kitties too

Lion Out

☘️

Quote by ebonysummer

I have nothing to say lol. I’m new and don’t know anyone well yet but Reese has been so nice to me. I hope y’all welcome strangers here lol

.

Welcome, Ebony!

Please believe me when I say that there is no way you could be any stranger than the usual denizens of this here joint. Just jump in the deep end and cozy up.

And as the Official 2nd Assistant Junior bartender – and the one and only Bear-tender around here – let me welcome you Officially, and offer you a drink on the house. First one's free, as the pushers always say. I'm James, but everyone calls me "Bear" owing to me being a Canadian Polar Bear and all.

.

And thank you, Lion, for kickstarting the day. Partly jet lag, yes, although I did actually sleep until 5:30 this morning, but also I'm working hard to get Bear and Girl done and published. I'm working with a voice actor in Australia who is doing the narration of the audiobook, and I needed to get a fairly detailed set of instructions out to her ASAP, which is where I've been since about 5:30 this morning.

But let me add to the Moveable Feast with some French pastries I learned how to whip up (or at least buy) while I was in France!

Howz everyone doin' today? All bright and happy are we?

Good morning. That jetlag can be a, um, bear, can't it?😉 Six hours for me when I returned from the Baltic.

Kids are in town so I will be having visitors this weekend. Other than that, it's a normal weekend.

Earl Grey and one of those French things the Bear brought. Just pick one.