Money Honey

Being of lost and found body and mind I accidentally paid our gardener for a day's work on a day he didn't work. He's always urging us to buy another plant and another pot and more fertilizer and was just here with a couple of pots and a plant I finally agreed to get somewhat due to the fact that Katrinka was in  favor. Wouldn't matter. I almost always give in to him. So when I paid him I accidentally paid him for a day's work. Anyone else we work with would have said something, but he's like a child and went no further than being pleased and going off. Not dishonest - simple - pure of heart. He did work today and I'd already established that he'd been paid but he needed a little to get lunch and has a family and someone in his family up north in Singaraja died - families are extended here so that's not unusual but it means he had to come up with money. And he's such a good worker and a day's pay here is like an hour minimum wage where we come from so I paid him 3/4 of a day's wages and he was happy. 

Plumber/electrician Mudik came over right away when I called and said we're about to run out of pulsa which means electricity which I usually get by walking to the nearby mini-post office but it's closed so he came over and added 500 rupiah as usual which is good for about 18 days at about two bucks a day. Then Mudik was desperately trying to do something and I saw a look for horror on his face.

He kept trying to undo the transaction and failed. What happened Mudik? What's wrong? He'd written one zero too many. He hadn't uploaded any of it to us yet. First he buys it via bank transfer with his phone then downloads in our electricity control box. So I gave him 500 for the pulsa and 50 as a tip, a big tip here, and he's going to the bank on Monday to see what can be done. I told him I could give him a couple of million on Monday afternoon. If he's really in a jam we'll pay for the whole thing not that our finances now are at zenith but he has a family and might be in a real jam. We'll see.

Gus called up. That's pronounced like the water foul. Lockdown started today so he can't play anywhere. Let's do another song. So I sent him one. He'll work on it and come over with his daught and maybe a bass player and we'll get it down and we'll have lunch and they'll get some pocket money. Been some pretty good out of work musicians coming over. We're ready to record two songs. Got a super deal on studio time with engineer. I see doing the songs as exercise like going swimming. I need to do stuff other than this stuff I do I call work all day every day. Music has always been a hole where time and money go for me. Not steady state like writing. More like having an affair you know and things can get messy. Can become a habit. Beware of music the Chinese said - it sways the emotions.

Meanwhile our dear generous kind-hearted landlord reminded me he'd love it if we could pay for two years rent in advance. We're paid up till mid September of next year but I'd said I'd try. That's about 9 grand for two years rent - cheap as heck but I don't see that kind of loot lying around here anywhere. I've nudged a couple of prospects who might loan it, one being a son, and not the son with a thriving biz, whom I told I could pay back 500 a month. He might come through. But then landlord Ketut sent another What's App today reminding me of the favor he requested. The sort of wording he used was like that - like can you help us. He has three sons out of work and he and his brothers just built a giant monstrosity of a building across the gang to house tourists who won't likely come in great numbers there even if Covid clears. I shot back that I'm working on some possibilities though none are going to be immediate and then suggested how about I give you five million next week and pay it to you little by little as we come up with it. He loved the idea. We have a big reduction in rent because we don't pay by the month but things being what they are now in the money realm as in desperate all over, we're gonna get the same deal at yesterday's prices by chipping in as we can. We've already talked about deducting from rent for the termite control job and some major work we've done on the roof and some stuff like that and the bale (separate stage area) out front has serious termite damage so we could take care of that and I'll suggest we get that back in rent free months after the two years so he's get the two years rent and will be gratefully generous with a trade for months after that. I know he'll love that idea. So that will take us I figure to February 2025 when I turn 80. Let's ee how it plays out. There are varous possibilities of what can happen between now and then. - dc