When I paid a visit to my pal Liz and her mom Liza in Penticton at the end of May, I received a parking ticket.  I was about eight minutes over the time allotted, and the ticket was for $35, but $10 if you paid within seven days.

A few days later, I wrote a cheque for $10 and mailed it to Penticton.  I mailed it on a Tuesday, and it was due on Thursday.  I gave it no further thought.

The mail strike ensued, and during the month of July I received a notice from a collection agency.  I thought, what the heck, and saw that I was “overdue” with a payment of $25 to the City of Penticton.

I phoned them, and a nice girl explained that my cheque was due on the Thursday, but they didn’t receive it until Friday.  Hence, it was late, and an additional $25 was owed.  I explained I mailed the letter in time to for it to arrive, and besides, had no idea it arrived late and wondered why I had to be put over to a collection agency.

The nice girl explained that they had sent me a second letter, which I said I didn’t receive, as it must’ve been mixed up in the mail strike.  She said that was too bad, but I owed $25 and that was that.

So now every few days I get a recorded message from Wiggins Adjustments, based in Langley, asking me to call them.  I won’t, though, as I enjoy it.  I want the City of Penticton to pay far more than $25 to this company to try and beat the money out of me for being one day late.

Imagine trying to pay a parking ticket, payment arrives one day late, and having a collection agency sicked onto you!  In the words of the immortal Bugs Bunny, “I hope you know, dis means war.”  And since I’m the sort of person who enjoys this type of thing, this may go on for years.

It adds excitement to my trips to Penticton.  I was there on Tuesday, and made lunch for Liz and Liza.  We started with Liz’ favourite carrot soup, then I’d made shrimp jambalaya and rice, and another one of Liz’ favourites, meringues with whipped cream.

I parked in a free space in front of their building, and thought, “Come and get me, City of Penticton.  Here I am.”  Of course, as I was legally parked nothing happened.  Then I further taunted the gestapo by parking in the Safeway lot, and then on a residential street.

And there’s even more excitement in my life, as I’ve started to contact stores, and once again, they’re ordering.  I have a repeat order for Urban Fare in Yaletown, so feel really happy about that.  If you’re going to make artisan food, you do want it in the highest-end places around.

This weekend I plan to prep the dried fruit for the Okanagan Harvest Cakes, and then bake a bit.  I have to get moving because God knows how long I’ll remain free. Conrad Black wrote a book while in jail, so at least I have something to aspire to once the dangerous Wiggins Adjustments Collection Agency gets a hold of me.