060915   060924

A robbery at Nashua Outdoor Hardware
unfortunately it was me
they estimated 600 to fix the old snow blower
a stupidly expensive offer
the salesman said there’s one being returned
a year old never used about the same price for you.
A couple days later he said we didn’t get that one but
the warehouse has one for 16 hundred
I should have smelled the rat.
In February of Boston’s record snowfall winter
bang! and a puff of smoke
the engine was blown
paying for pickup I asked when would it be repaired
in March after the last snow
and they weren’t answering the phone 
I visited the office and the repair manager Rhonda
detailed the cost including an adaptor for
a new used engine in my 3 year old blower
now wait a minute you sold it 18 months ago as a year old
the 3 year warranty must apply
she looked up the serial number 
five years old
I smelled the long dead rat.