The Best Laid Plans
May 7, 2005
It all started out so innocently. Jim and Blair had decided to spend their vacation, all three weeks of it, camping at Fishing Heaven. The place was supposed to have some of the best fishing in the state as well as peaceful, spacious campsites with excellent views of the lake.
Then little things started to happen…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three weeks before
the vacation
Ring
“Ellison.”
“Oh man, Jim, you are so not going to believe this,” Blair exclaimed.
Jim relaxed back into his chair with a smirk. This should be good. “What’s her name, Chief?”
“It’s not a her,” Blair explained. “Well, it is a her… she is a her… never mind,” Sandburg sighed. “It’s not what you think. You know my friend Sandy, right?”
“Yes,” Jim agreed as he straightened in his chair.
“Her mother is ill so she flew back to
“I’m sorry to hear that, Chief. Do you think we should send flowers?” Jim asked.
Blair paused for a moment. At times he forgot how big a softy his roommate was, then Jim would say or do something to remind Blair not to believe Jim’s bad PR. “That would be nice, Jim. I’ll get the hospital information to you later. Jim,” Blair hesitated, “I told her I’d cover her classes until she got back.”
Jim bit back his disappointment. “It was the right thing to do, Chief. We can always go camping later. Maybe, I’ll just take the time to refinish the kitchen cabinets.”
“You should go by yourself,” Blair insisted. “I might be able to catch up with you for part of the last week.
“No,” Jim said. “It wouldn’t be the same. I’ll just tell Simon I don’t need all of my vacation right now and maybe we can go when you have your next week-long break.”
Blair nibbled on his thumbnail for a minute then sighed. “Thanks, Jim. I know you’ve been looking forward to this trip for a long time. I’m really sorry.”
“We’ve both been
looking forward to this trip, but covering for
“Ellison, will you come to my office for a minute, please,” Simon requested.
Jim stood up quickly and followed Banks into his office. He’s asking me to come into his office... And he said please. This can’t be good. “Sir?”
“Jim,” Simon began, “coffee?”
“Who died?” Jim blurted out.
“What!” Simon jerked and spilled the coffee he’d been pouring. “No, Jim. It’s nothing like that,” Simon stated simply. “It’s about your vacation. You’re going to have to cancel it. Or rather,” he shrugged eloquently, “postpone it for a while.”
Jim fell into the closest chair and started to laugh.
“Ellison?” Simon looked down at the coffee cup in his hand and then around his office wondering if the cleaning crew had used a new floor cleaner. “Jim, are you okay? Damn,” he muttered, “I better call Sandburg just to make sure.” Banks put the cup on his desk and picked up the phone. Before he could dial more than the first three numbers, Jim was able to put his hand on the phone and keep Simon from completing the phone call.
“I’m fine,” Jim said as another chuckle escaped. “It’s just,” snort, “I just got off the phone with Sandburg,” hiccup, chuckle. “He called to tell me that he can’t go on our vacation because he has to sub for a friend.”
Simon shook his head over the antics of one of his friends and the luck of one of the others. “So you don’t mind if you have to change your vacation plans, huh? Guess I didn’t need to go through all the trouble of buttering you up. I suppose I’ll just keep these tickets to the playoffs for myself.” Simon waved the tickets toward Jim.
Jim grabbed the three tickets and had them tucked away in his pocket before Banks could blink. “Thanks, Sir. I’m sure Blair and I will enjoy them very much,” he smirked in response to the glare directed at him. “What time do you want to pick us up?” he added. No sense making the captain too mad at him. “Hey, why am I giving up my vacation any way?”
“The Nimsy case is finally going to trial.” Simon explained. “The defense got the change of venue they wanted. That’s good and bad… the good news is the new venue is only a couple of hours away from ‘Fishing Heaven,’ the bad news is that the trial is expected to take a month or more and you presence has been requested for the entirety starting in two days.”
Jim’s face expressed his displeasure at the thought of being stuck in a suit in a courthouse for any period of time. “Captain, a month…” he tried not to whine, “couldn’t you call me in sick… or dead. Why do I have to be there for the whole thing any way? Should have shot the guy when I had a chance.”
“Deal with it.” Simon grumped back at him. “The A.D.A. is sweating the case and trying to be ready for any rabbits the defense attorneys are going to try to pull out of their hats. That means that you attend the trial, all of it. You’re going to be just sitting around twiddling your thumbs, while the rest of us have to pick up the slack around here.”
Ellison and Banks sighed in unison.
Jim got up to leave muttering, “should have shot him when I had the chance.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, one week
before the vacation
Ring.
“Sandburg and Ellison Residence. Jim will make sure you walk the straight and narrow, but I can show you various other paths that life can take.”
“Sandburg, don’t tell me you’re answering the phone that way now?” Jim demanded.
“Don’t get your shorts in a twist,” Blair teased. “I knew it was you.”
“How?” Jim asked suspiciously.
“Easy, big guy.” Sandburg laughed at his roommate. “It’s exactly eight o’
“All right, all right, already. I don’t need another ‘he’s so anal’ jab. Besides, I’m calling with good news.” Jim said.
“Oh yeah, give.”
“It looks like the case is going to wrap and go to the jury on Friday.”
“Really? That’s great
news, Jim.
“Sandburg.”
“I need to wash clothes first.”
“Chief.”
“And I need…”
“BLAIR.”
“Yeah, Jim?”
“Why don’t you make a list of things to do and then you won’t forget anything.”
“Um… a list?”
“Yes.”
“Like, write everything down in one place so you don’t forget anything? That kind of list?”
“Yes, that is the purpose of a list. You sit down, write out every thing you need to get done, and then categorize them by order of importance or location, etc… you know, a list.”
“Jim, I don’t do lists. I’ve never done lists before in my life, and I’ve turned out just fine.”
“Sandburg…”
“Don’t say it,” Blair growled. “Fine, I’ll make a list.” No one says I have to follow it.
· Wash clothes
· Pack clothes, make sure Jim’s don’t wrinkle *eye roll * we’re going camping for goodness sake who cares if your clothes have wrinkles
· Stuff my clothes in a bag
· Pack bags in the truck
· Pack camping and fishing stuff in the truck
· Gas truck
· Clean out the fridge
· Clean the bathroom
· Pay the bills
· Give Suzie a key have her check for stuff on the door and water the plants.
· Remind Simon to check the mail and switch the lights around so that it looks like we are still here. I so don’t want to get teased about how the loft was broken into while we were gone.
Blair got up to make some tea. He noticed some leftover dishes in the sink. Uh oh, better add clean the kitchen to the list. Don’t want to get on Jim’s list of things to do. He laughed as he set the teapot on the stove. Guess I can start on this while I’m waiting for the water. Jim seems to be rubbing off on me. He reached under the sink to get the soap and felt water dripping on him. “What the?”
Blair got down on his knees to have a better view into the cabinet. “Crap. A leak.” He pulled everything out from under the cabinet to try to find out where the leak was coming from and how bad it was.
“I’m trying to go on vacation here,” he complained to the pipes in the kitchen. “Some how, some way, Jim is going to blame me for this.” Blair found the culprit. It was one of the main pipes bringing water into the kitchen. “Great, you couldn’t be the one that was on the other side of the shut off value. Nooooo, that would be too easy. Crap. You realize of course, that this is going to mess up my list.”
The teapot began to whistle, the noise startled Blair so much that he reared up and banged his head into the top of the cabinet. “Ow, that hurt.” He got up rubbed his head and glared at the teapot that was whistling merrily on the stove.
He shut off the gas just as the phone rang. Sandburg glared at the phone. He knew who it was. He wasn’t sure how, but he just knew that was Jim, again. “This is not my fault.” He slunk over to the phone and picked it up. “Hello.”
“Chief,” Jim asked worriedly. “What’s wrong?”
“I made your damn list. That’s what’s wrong.”
“Huh?”
“That’s right. This is all your fault, it was your idea to write the stupid list so don’t blame me. So there,” Blair finished his mini-rant and crossed his arms feeling much better.
“Sandburg, what are you talking about?”
“The leak. It’s your fault. If I hadn’t made the list it never would have happened.”
“How does making a list cause a leak. Wait a minute… a leak… where?”
“Under the sink in the kitchen. If I hadn’t made a list I wouldn’t have given the fates a chance to laugh at me and the leak wouldn’t have happened. Since you made me make a list this is your fault.”
“Fine, what ever make you happy. It’s my fault. How bad is the leak? Did you shut off the water? What about…”
“Jim, chill man. The leak is just that… it’s a leak, not a flood. It’s under the sink on the main line into the kitchen. The pipe is on the wrong side of the shutoff valve so I can’t stop the leak. I was just about to put a bucket under the pipe when you called.” Having said that, he walked into the bathroom and grabbed the bucket out from under the sink and took it to the kitchen. Soon the sound of dripping water hitting plastic could be heard. “I am so glad that you aren’t here to listen to this noise. It would drive you crazy in a heartbeat. So, who do I call to get the leak fixed?”
“Call Joe. Joe and Bob’s plumbing service. The number is on that card in the drawer.”
Blair opened up the drawer and saw the card. “Got it. I’ll give him a call tomorrow.” He rolled his eyes. “I’ll add it to the list. So, why did you call?”
Jim chuckled. “I heard you yell from here.”
Blair stuck out his tongue at his absent roommate. “Yeah right, why’d you call?”
“Um,” Jim started sheepishly, “I have this rash and I couldn’t remember what was safe to put on it. It’s driving me crazy.”
“What did you get into?” Blair asked with concern.
“I think the dry cleaners forgot to leave off the starch when they cleaned my shirts. The rash is on my arms where my undershirt didn’t cover them.”
Blair let out a relieved sigh. He hated being so far from his Sentinel, but at least he could help this time. “Look in your suitcase, there is a small blue zipper bag full of stuff that is safe for you to use. The green and orange tube contains an ointment that will soothe the rash and ease the itching.”
Jim rummaged around until he found the tube. After applying some, he stopped scratching at his arm and smiled. “Thanks buddy. I appreciate how much you look out for me. Even when you aren’t here with me.”
“You’re welcome. Now go to sleep and stop scratching,” Blair ordered with a smile. “I’ll call the plumber in the morning after my first class.”
~~~~
Ring. Ring.
“Hello, Joe and Bob’s Plumbing service. We’re a great place to take a leak. How can I help you?”
Blair laughed. “What a great line. I have a pipe under the kitchen sink that has a slow leak. I just discovered it last night and I’m getting ready to go on vacation for a while. When can you come?”
“Let’s see… hmm, we have Thursday open. Say between eight and
“You don’t have anything sooner? I hate to wait until the last minute.”
“No, sorry… nothing before Thursday.”
“Well… okay,” Blair agreed hesitantly. “I have a class at
“Yes, I’ll write that down. Thanks.”
“Okay, Thursday.” Blair added the time to his to do list. The thing was over three pages long. And growing in leaps and bounds. He looked down at his watch. “Got to get to class. I’ll work on the rest of this stuff later.”
~~~~
Blair took Jim’s truck to school so that he could stop and gas it up on the way home from class. At a stoplight, he glanced down at the dashboard and saw that the truck was a little under two hundred miles from needing its next service. “Crap. That’s not on the list. Better get it done. Don’t want to go on a long road trip in an old truck and have it break down.”
Blair gassed the truck and went on to
~~~~
The trip to get the truck serviced was only supposed to take an hour or two, so Blair decided he’d just wait on it and maybe grade some exams while he waited.
When he arrived, the mechanic said the service was a three-hour job. Blair sighed in disgust, but the truck had to be serviced. He’d wait.
He found a seat in the waiting room, pulled out his exams and started to work. Four hours later he finished grading the last exam. He looked around at the now vacant waiting room and wondered if he had missed the mechanic coming to tell him the truck was finished. Blair packed up his stuff and approached the reception area.
“Hello, my truck was supposed to be ready an hour ago. Can you tell me if it’s ready, please?”
“Sure,” said the cute blonde receptionist as she turned to look at her paperwork. “I don’t seem to have the paperwork here. Let me find out for you.”
A few minutes later the receptionist returned. “I’m sorry, sir. The paperwork says that your truck isn’t
supposed to be ready for another hour.”
“What? I was told it would only take an hour or two when I called to make the appointment. Then I was told it would take three hours when I brought it in this morning. Now you’re telling me it’s going to take another hour,” Blair sighed in frustration. He rubbed at his tired eyes. “Thanks for telling me. I’ll be in the waiting room.”
****
“… it took them over five hours to get finished,” Blair
fumed at his roommate. “And then, the
first time I step on the brakes the thing squeals like a stuck pig. I had to get to class, so I couldn’t take it
back then. I have an appointment to take
it at
“I’m sorry that you have to do all this by yourself, Chief. I wish I could help.”
“Oh well, just one more day.” What
else can go wrong?
~~~~
Blair was up and showered early. He didn’t want to miss the plumber when he knocked on the door. He had breakfast and did minor chores around the loft while he was waiting. As it got closer to nine, Sandburg looked at his list. The pages had multiplied again. “I think these things are bunnies that go off and mate in the night. How am I going to get all this done today? I knew I never should have made a list. At least all the clothes are clean. I’ve got two more appointments and three classes before I can come home and pack.”
Blair went to class and came back. He grabbed a quick bite to eat while he was waiting on the plumber. About eleven thirty he called to check on Joe’s status.
“Hello, Joe and Bob’s Plumbing service. We’re a great place to take a leak. How can I help you?”
“Yes, this is Blair Sandburg and Joe was supposed to come by
and fix a leak at my place between eight and
“Well goodness, let me check. Sandburg… I show that you had a class between nine and eleven, so he was supposed to come either before or after that. I’m guessing he’s planning on being there some time later this afternoon.”
“Wait a minute. He
was supposed to be here between eight and
“Well, yes… but that was before you added the time for the class you needed to go to.”
“But, you didn’t say that. I have an appointment with the car mechanic in thirty minutes and I still have two more classes this afternoon!”
“Well, I’m sure that he can come by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow doesn’t work. I’m leaving tomorrow that’s why he was coming today.” Blair threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
“Let me call him. I’ll check his schedule and give you a call back.”
“Okay,” Blair sighed. “You’ll have to call me on my cell phone. I’m getting ready to leave.”
“Sure thing, hon.”
Blair drove the truck to the mechanic’s place. It was only a fifteen to twenty minute drive, but there were over ten lights… all of them red. By the time he finally reached the place, he had a killer headache.
They told him it should only take a couple of hours to check it out. Blair just shook his head. They’d told him it shouldn’t take more than one hour on the phone yesterday. The plumbers called back as he was trying to tell the mechanic what was going on with the truck. He wondered if he was wearing a ‘kick me’ sign and how to get it off.
Blair sent the truck off with best wishes and called the plumbers back.
“Hello, Joe and Bob’s Plumbing service. We’re a great place to take a leak. How can I help you?”
“It’s Blair Sandburg again.”
“I just talked to Joe and he said that he was working on a leak over in your area. If you call back when you are done with your car, he should be able to come over then.”
“Thanks. I’ll call back when I get the truck.”
An hour and a half later, Blair got the truck back. “There is nothing wrong with it Mr. Sandburg,” Blair grumbled to himself. “Some brake pads are just squeakier than others. It’s not a safety issue. Yeah, right. The noise is going to drive me into doing something unsafe.”
He stopped at a light and called the plumbing service again.
“Hello, Joe and Bob’s Plumbing service. We’re a great place to take a leak. How can I help you?”
You know, that was really cute the first time or two. Now it’s down right annoying. “Yes, this is Blair Sandburg. I’m on my way back to the loft right now. I should be home in the next ten minutes.”
“Oh, okay. Let me call Joe and I’ll call you right back.”
“Thanks. You remember that I have two back to back classes starting at three, right?”
“Yes, I have it here in my notes.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for your call.” The light turned green and Blair made the rest of his squeaky way home.
One hour later… “I think my definition of ‘right back’ and hers is much, much different. I don’t have time for this.” Blair grabbed his backpack and headed off to class.
Several hours later… Blair dashed in the door of the loft. He tossed his backpack toward its usual place as he headed toward the kitchen and a quick dinner. The light was flashing on the answering machine. He pushed play as he opened the door of the mostly bare fridge.
“Hello Mr. Sandburg. This is Joe. It’s a little after five. Where are you? You were supposed to meet me at your house to let me fix your leaking pipe. I’m going to stay here for a little while longer and then go on to my next appointment.”
Blair dropped the bottle of water that he’d just grabbed and let out a fierce growling yell. “I’m supposed to meet you! What do you mean I was supposed to meet you? Argh! I’m done. I’ve had enough… and I still have to pack.”
He took a deep calming breath and then picked up the phone.
“…so then he had to nerve to leave a nasty message on the machine about how I was supposed to be at the loft. I tell you Simon, I’m about ready to pull out my hair here.”
“Don’t worry about it Sandburg, you gave me the number. I’ll give them a call tomorrow and set up a time that Joe and I both can agree upon.”
“Thanks Simon. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”
“No problem. Just have fun on your vacation and bring me back some fish.”
“Sure thing.”
“So, you all ready for the big trip?”
“Almost… let me look at the list.”
Simon sputtered with laughter. “You… a list? I wouldn’t have taken you for a list person.”
“It’s all Jim’s fault. And let me tell you, this list has been nothing but problems since I first started it,” Blair grumbled as he looked at the list. “Oh crap… I still have to pack.”
~~~~
Epilogue
Blair had been up until
The end.
Feedback is always appreciated. Cheryl