I closed banks on the bubble. I called in loans that were already dead but not buried, foreclosed, presided over the sale and liquidation of companies... that either had always been bad ideas or had become bad ideas. I closed out investments and in every case went for cash over stock and other options.I spent a lot of time closing weak banks, firing people and buying new banks, consolidating positions and firing people. I fired a lot of people that year. I told middle-aged men that their positions. We know she was hit by a car because the driver stopped and searched the street.We heard the squall of tires and looked out the window. Since the auto was sideways in the street, we went outside.“Problem?” I asked the sixteen year old blonde.“I think I hit your cat,” she said, sobbing.Wendy immediately drew her into a hug.“You stopped,” said Wendy.“I killed a life!”Ever practical, I suggested, “You should move your car.”Wendy waved me away.A hurried consultation.“Keys are in it, David,” Wendy. ”“Good,” I replied standing up and making my way to the bathroom. “Go into the kitchen and look around whilst I clean up.”“If you’re taking a shower can I join you?”“No, you little minx, I’m not taking a shower and even if I were, I wouldn’t have the energy.”“OK…We’ll save that one for later,” Caitlin retorted but by then I was behind closed doors hastily relieving myself.After about 5 minutes I exited the bathroom to the sweet smell of eggs and bacon, to a hungry man this is ambrosia. I had just finished stocking the bar frig when they came in. Helen did not look like the Helen who rode the receptionist's desk in my wife's outer office eight hours a day. But, there was no doubt that it was her. The lucky man whose arm she was holding onto seemed more than a little possessive of his date. Hell, I would have been too.They took a table near the far wall a little ways away from the bandstand. A good idea, I thought; well, it was if they wanted to be able to talk in between.
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