I did do that

........................................................................................................................................................................................

and when I received what I ordered, delivered by armed FedEx (I lived in THAT kind of neighborhood) I got to work.

(A month or so later).

“Ok..I got er done” It hadn’t really been that hard, just tedious as hell, and repetitive. I wasn’t as dexterous as I once was and couldn’t see as well. I’d had to be very careful, double check and triple check everything, and re-do a LOT. The electronics were a bit tricky but miss bouncy bosom (strange...I din’t know her name) had been there to ‘advise’ me. I’d better not call her that...or even think it (much). I needed a new name for her. I’d asked her what her name was earlier and she’d told me...in a language that I didn’t understand. She just smiled and refused to translate it for me. I’d just think of her as ‘kitty’, because of her eyes.

“Now what?” I asked.

“..Make sure it has enough feedstock.then turn it on...”She told me as if I was an idiot "Put on those VR Goggles that I convinced you to purchase online. Don the tactile feedback suite that you also purchased because I told you to. Ensure an adequate supply of whisky within reach..................and.”

"I’ll do a lap dance for you, while we wait.”

How could I refuse? I did that.

(later after she had gone)

‘How much should I ask for the factory built 3D printer that I had purchased online ?’ I asked myself. Well duh. What did it cost me? It had been a toss up between three major brands. I’d considered one brand that also made other tools. I had used some of their stuff before and liked it. BUT...the other two had good reviews too and their names just sounded so cool. I’d gone against my better judgement and given in to the cool and got the most expensive of the lot.

It had done a fine job.

Now I had an expensive used printer that I no longer needed. I bet I could sell it quick for half price. I put an ad, with a picture, on a local online ‘garage sale’ site and had multiple ‘bites’ almost before I could take my hands off the keyboard.

Perhaps I wasn’t asking enough?

---

“You be careful out there” Kitty told me as I left the tiny apartment. She appeared and disappeared with no notice. Rather disconcerting at first but I got used to it. Rather like a cat. I got the impression that I wasn’t the only iron in her fire. I was probably one of many. Fine by me. I had no claim on her. I was happy enough that she chose to spend some of her no doubt valuable time with me, in VR I mean.

I’m an old man, fat and out of shape. I was wheezing when I got to the bottom of the stairs. The printer was in a backpack. I was wearing my trenchie and I had a cane. The trench-coat was heavy because of the homemade body armor in it. I’m paranoid but am I paranoid ENOUGH? Like I said about the neighborhood. The cane made it easier to walk the two miles to the shopping center where I’d scheduled the meet, AND it had a spring-loaded blade in it.

“Do you want to take it inside somewhere and test it?” I asked the young man who was buying the used printer.

“Naw. I’m gonna use it for parts anyway” he said "I’m building one myself. I have some ideas of my own that I want to try out. Buying a used printer at this price is cheaper than rounding up all the parts individually and it’s MUCH quicker. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s broke.”

“It’s not broke” I assured him "I used it just a few hours ago and it was fine.”

“That’s good to hear” he said "but like I said..... Er.... do you have a card reader? I don’t have the cash.”

“‘Fraid not” I told him. A card reader...that was something else to buy if I decided to sell stuff often. Everyone uses their ‘cards’ for almost everything now. Cash is almost a thing of the past. "Let’s go inside and perhaps one of the stores will let us use theirs.”

We did that.

I avoided the Coffee Shop that had our president’s picture on a door mat. That’s just tacky. Their coffee tastes bad anyway. A place that sold chicken sandwiches was happy to help us. They didn’t even want a fee for their trouble but I insisted.

“See ya later Dude” the kid said as he drove off.

A thought struck me and I turned around and went back into the shopping center. Moments after that I rode out in style on an electric mono wheel scooter.

I fancied that I looked like Von Hesling, what with the beard, the cane, and the long trench coat. Maybe I should get a big floppy hat, or perhaps a hood?

The ride back to the apartment was MUCH easier and faster than walking. Getting the mono-wheel up the stairs was a bit tiring, but I managed.

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