Bob Dylan Standing In The Doorway 2000 London 2nd Night

I asked a friend for a musical suggestion. He's got great taste. This one has been running through my head ever since. Enjoy.


Today has been a very busy day.  I've been baking, doing laundry and getting packed for my trip to sanctuary.  On top of that I'm going out to diner tonight and treated myself to a hair cut.

Meanwhile my brakes are being bled and fixed.  Just couldn't make it today, so X agreed to do them.  So I am running in and out of the house to pump the pedal  off and on.


Everything is done now except for my shower.  Then its off to diner.  Hopefully I can hit bed early so that I am awake enough to drive tomorrow so early.  I'm taking it slowly.  I'll be doing a basic 55 MPH to give the car a break and stopping  twice on the way to check things out.  I've got blankets in the car.  Water, oil and food... just in case.  My phone is charged and ready.  But I've also got a car charger for it too.


I have only one complaint... my MP3 is missing.  Music is part of driving.  It keeps me from getting bored.  Guess I'll have to sing.
Good thing there are no passengers. 


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend free of troubles.

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP OR WATCH OUT BELOW!

If you read yesterday’s post, then you know I am winding up to tell you what foolish thing I did this last weekend. It is always at times like this… when I have money in my pocket and the opportunity to use it unwisely that I fall down. Impulse and the ability to ignore what I know I should not do play a major role. Desperation was the hook here and I was caught like a hungry bass on Sunday morning. The bait… a car when I had none and craved to have one again.

Bullwinkle that I am, I met Boris on Craig’s List. He had a car at a price I had in my pocket. The photos looked good. Our conversation seemed sincere and honest. He set the hook when he offered to drive it to me. You can see how nice that would be since I had no way to get to the car. Perfect! We made our agreement and I did as I always do when I meet a stranger here… I directed him to a local restaurant that has many people coming and going at all times. Yes, I do this to my dates, DH being the only exception.

My son cooks here. I know all the employees by first name and even some of the Native Americans selling their fish in the parking lot. It is a very public and safe place.

On top of that I had Rocket J. Squirrel with me and Max. What could possibly go wrong? There was the car. No Borris. But it was the right car. I opened it up and checked out the insides. It was in good shape, but did have a set of laughable hooks… as in I Know What You Did Last Summer… instead of traditional door handles. This appealed to my personal sense of humor. I was undaunted by the crack in the windshield. Up here this time of year everyone has dings and cracks in their windshields from the winter freeway treatments.

Rocky got busy doing the right things… checking under the hood and making sure the frame was straight. Meanwhile the Bullwinkle went inside to find Boris. I passed him in the foyer, but after a quick look around inside stopped to ask if he was Boris. He said he had been waiting quite awhile and they had a plane to catch. (Yes… I know you are saying ut-oh over that comment.) They were on their way to be in a wedding and simply could not be late… so we had to hurry. His nice wife was waiting in their other car. I waved and her and yes, did have enough brains to put their license plate number firmly in my head as I waved in her direction.

Rocky was shutting the hood as we walked up and he said that it looked okay but we needed to listen to it. The guy jumped in the car, turned it on and it sounded wonderful.

Rocky nodded at me and was about to say something when the wife yelled to hurry up… they had to go. I exchanged the money and got the title part done. He jogged over to his car and they zoomed off.

There was a bit of trouble with shifting the car out of park. It took me a few minutes to figure out that there is a release button at the base of the shifter. Rocky, back in his own car by now, waved and drove off. I put it into gear and heard the most awful noise as we began to creep toward the exit. Well crap! I was alone with Max who was more than concerned and swearing. Meanwhile the car continued to sound like a giant garbage disposal as I turned onto the street and headed for the motel down the block where X is remodeling. I did not have to announce us. The car did that. X looked up and walked over, as I sat, now quietly idling. He quickly established that I was the idiot who had just this moment purchased the broken car.

When he stopped laughing uproariously at me… and yes, he was delighted… he got down on his hands and knees and did a remarkable thing for someone who had just laughed at me and who I had so recently divorced. He stuck his head under my tires and told me to pull forward. I was musing over the idea of cranking the wheel at laughing man when he directed me to now pull slowly back. Again I was entertained by the idea of being able to say “Ooops! Offficer… I swear it was an accident! It made the most gratifying… I mean… horrible popping sound.” But I took too long with that fantasy and opportunity passed by as he stood back up.

“Well you’ve got bad CV joints. I’m not sure you can even make it home.” He shook his head and continued to laugh until I gave him my best death ray look. He says with a more sober face “Well, it’s not a total loss. That’s an easy fix and not very expensive. But you’ll be lucky if you make it a block.” He began walking back to his job, shaking his head and cackling.

“Hey! Maybe you should look at it again!” I shouted after him, but he was onto me.

I put the darned humiliation into gear and headed out onto the street. This time after a block… at least it was after a block… so the X wasn’t completely right… it got even louder. Fortunately for me, I passed Just who turned and watched me drive past with an open mouth. I had not an hour before run into Just and his minion and worked out a deal to fix the Aspire the following month when I could afford it better. My automotive display softened his heart toward me. When I called after the big, big noise that soon followed and it was clear that I needed to park the piece of wrecking yard fodder, Just jumped right in to help. He promised to have my Aspire fixed by Tuesday… and kept his word. He also promised and followed through on towing my new lawn ornament to my home.

But I am ahead of myself. The big, big noise happened and the engine made it clear that there was too much revving and too little moving to keep up with it. So I pulled to the curb… immediately in front of the school where I work and parked it. When I looked up, a blue pick up truck was stopping. There he was… N, the mechanic from the place that had rooked me last. Talk about ambulance chasers! But, I am being unfair. He said the same thing that X had said, did not try to get me to give my car to his shop, and then drove us home. That was very kind.

I called Rocky as soon as I got inside. Better to eat humble pie as fast as possible. He was not only sympathetic, he felt that he was responsible. “I had a bad feeling about how fast he wanted to get away. I should have insisted that he go for a drive in it.” Then he agreed to drive me to the market and to school and pick me up the next day.

So I fell. Splat! But like Bullwinkle, I hopped back up and there was no serious damage. Just is repairing both cars. The Aspire now shifts beautifully. We even managed to work out a trade so that I did not have to pull anymore money out of my pocket for the parts and labor. All things considered. I am lucky. I can always sell the new car once it is repaired and recover my money that way.

As for Boris… well in Oregon we have a serious lemon law and lawyers who specialize in it. 

Of course the lawyer will want a cut, so the question there is how much is vengeance worth? 

I sure wish I had a Way-Back Machine.

ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE LIFE

Welcome to my world.

I have done a number of dumb things in my life.  There appear to be some idiots laws involved, not unlike and often including Murphy’s law… which I am sure you know.  “If something can go wrong, it will.”  I have my own little amendment to that famous law… “When something goes wrong, there is always a witness.”    Another of my favorite idiot’s laws is the “Wrong me once, shame on you!  Wrong me twice, shame on me!”  But I skip the first part and just call it the “Sham on me!” law.  We seem to be constant partners.  Want another one?  “The more ridiculous the situation, the more likely I am involved.”

My stuffy grandmother used to call them “common sense” laws and had no trouble pointing out that I seemed to have a loss of common sense and her disappointment that I failed to use my excellent brain.  Her favorite law for me was the “Look before you leap!” law.  I do look.  But I also have a grand capacity to ignore the little voice in my head when I want something.  Though that little voice is loud, it says “Warning… you are about to do something stupid!”    So even my little voice knows better than to think I might use my common sense and walk away.

Allow me to give you a prime and recent example.  As you know, I have been involved in a torrent of car disasters… leaving me dependent on the kindness of others.  I loath having to depend on other people and imposing my troubles on them.  I’m old enough to remember wearing my skate key on a string around my neck night and day.  I should be old enough to solve my own troubles.  If only I didn’t created those troubles too!

So one car died and is living at DH’s house.  Lovely.  The other is up on blocks without a clutch.  Very rural Oregonian looking… a car on blocks in your yard.  Things are bad because everything here that you require is in one town or another to the right or the left.  You cannot walk there to get it.  At least not without a good pack and a sleeping bag.  Another important point is that it RAINS here all the time and that plays havoc with a simple stroll to the local over priced market where you can spend twice as much and get half as much as if you did have a car to get to the next town over.  It is a royal pain.

Desperation and impatience set in.  There should be a word, a term for the type of claustrophobia of living carless in a tiny town in the middle of not much of anywhere.  Here’s another law… “If you have to get a ride to the market, you will forget the toilet paper… or the clerk will leave something out of your bag.”  All I can say is many blessings on the head of Rocket J. Squirrel for driving this Bullwinkle around for the last few weeks and having the sense of humor to answer his phone cheerfully with “B’s taxi!  Where are we going this time?”  and for his attempt to keep me from doing the very dumb thing I did last weekend.  He even felt bad for me after… a kind man.

Okay… I’ve set it all up and too many words are in this post already.  Stay tuned… Bullwinkle is jumping out of the airplane with Boris’s faulty shute… how will she escape this new peril?  And how the heck did she get into whatever mess it was anyway?  Tomorrow the event and the conclusion.  

 There is nothing like a good Boris in this world to make life interesting.

 

HOME EARLY

I am home early today... been cruising the music videos and found this fun one.  Enjoy!


Today I woke up with hives.  I do not mean little red dime sized hives.  I mean great mother of all time hives.  Half of my forehead is one big one, another closed my right eye.  At least this time I don't have the parrot lips that sometimes go with them.  Sometimes they itch.  Sometimes like today they don't. Good thing I wear clothes... I've got extra lumps where no lumps should be.  Ha.  They will be gone in a day.  Until then I can pretend to be Igor or maybe even a suitable Quasimodo.

Good news too.  The Aspire lives and moves again.  Yay!  Yay! Yay!

When Just brought it back to me and I drove it home, I shut it off, got out and happy danced into the house.  Later when it occurred to me that I could hop in my car... without calling anyone to drive me... and go to the store.  I did exactly that.  I hopped down the steps, opened the door, belted in and stuck the key in the lock, gave it a twist and NOTHING.

Hahaha... I laughed at myself.  Silly woman, you have to put the clutch in or it won't start.  I jammed my foot down, gave it the twist and MORE NOTHING.  Odd.  It always starts like a champ.  I looked around and there it was... the lights were on.  Well crap.

You see the last car I was driving for about a week was dabear's old subaru.  Its lights are automatic.  The Aspire requires a person with minimal brain function to turn the lights off.

Fortunately one of the things that I did for myself for Tax-mas was purchase a nice Black and Decker battery charger... being a person who has had the unfortunate experience of making this same mistake in the past.  

Less than an hour later I was back behind my own wheel and tooling on down to the market.  This morning when I got up, showered and went to leave for work... VAROOM.  I am back in business again.  Man it feels good.


Today Just is coming back to bleed the brakes.  They got some air in the line when they put in the clutch, which I gather was quite an experience without an axle puller... whatever that is, though I can guess it pulls out axles.
I have to hand it to him, his minion and his grandfather... they did a much better job than the last fella who gave it a shot.  He worked most of the night to get it in so that I did not have to bum any more rides.  What a hero!


This weekend I'll be off to Sanctuary.  But I am sure that you could have guessed that eh?  The tires I have on my Aspire now are not the good ones that Billy B. got me.  Those were loaned to the now dead in DH's driveway Prism. So that is on the agenda.  DH will switch them back on for me and do a compression test on the engine.  We can decide how to rid myself of the Prism best for optimum cash.

I'll also have a job interview. Yikes!
With luck, come June... I will be moving close to Sanctuary.  Less wear and tear for the car. However, it occurs to me that the very act of moving will remove the need for Sanctuary.  I'll have my own little piece of peace.  Cool beans!  Not that I will stay away from there either.  No chance.  But the hours will change to smaller doses.  

My life will expand in other directions.  I have four friends there... five if I count the nudest.  But, I am not crazy about visiting him at the nudest colony.  My body likes clothing.  Yikes!  Nor do I want to put my butt where naked butts have been.  Eeewwww. Maybe, just maybe I'll even get in to see a Ducks game next season at Autzen. 


Despite my very unattractive look today, I am feeling lighthearted and positive.  Things are looking up.  Brighter days are ahead.

LOSING BALANCE

At the request of dabear... well demand acutally.  Ha.  I don't blame her.  I post a lot of music and I have varied tastes that are not everyone's cup of tea.  Billy B. you will not like this much.  But I love it.  Love it.

I have wanted to post some Losing Balance for a long time to share with you.  Because they are good... very good... and because of my love, appreciation and pride in Mikey P.  He is dabear's fellow.  A more wonderful son I could not hope for... or better fella for dabear and father of my grandson, Turkey.  

I was not able to find a youtube of Losing Balance to put up there.  But you see their logo.  They have been billed as San Diego's most popular bar band.  But you will see for yourself that they are beyond a simple bar band for a fun Saturday night.  They are very talented and professional.  Well worth going to this site and checking them out.

http://www.myspace.com/losingbalance 

If that does not work, try this:

Losing Balance on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, ...

Collection Plate is my favorite here.

Please do!

A quiet day and evening.  I am waiting for the guys to pick up my car.  DH is going to give it a compression check when I get it back on the road. Yay!  One of the frogs that I thought I was done with showed back up.  Interesting.  I am cautious about this one.  The old favorite frog did too recently.  Though I must say, he is not my favorite frog anymore.  One of them, but not THE  favorite.  Things change.  They wander in and out.  I am cautious but constant.  Its all good fun and nothing more.

How did your weekend go?  What music do you like best?  Want to share?

Ole

 

This is the bouncing souls.  I love this one.  It really gets you going.  Sometimes I really need something to get me going.  I thought you might enjoy it.  But it is loud... so adjust your speakers to a comfort zone you prefer.  Me... I crank this one up!  A nice pick me up for a lazy Sunday.

The frogs are a croaking.   It could be worse.  Life here isn't very dull anymore.  I like that.  Indeed I do.

Hey... I found a mechanic to fix my Aspire.  Cool beans.  Monday afternoon.  So there you have it... a slice of my somewhat pathetic but happy life.  Well  mostly happy anyway.

100 DAYS

Today was our "100th Day of School" celebration.  The kids bring 100 things to school. 100 Skittles in a baggie, 100 Cheerieos, etc.  It is a fun day full of counting things, eating them and more goodies at the party.

The kiddos get pretty excited about it.  These kings up there are wearing the 100 stars crowns that we made this morning.  Yikes!  Kindergartners with glue.  I un-did and re-did a few crowns that did not quite get to where they were going.  In the end, it all worked out well and the children had a great time.  But I must admit I was glad to see the little darlings hyped up on sugar get on that bus to go home.

Tomorrow we are having an all-school field trip.  We will see a ukulele group.  Promises to be noisy if nothing else.  But I have a feeling that it will be fun.  I get to ride on the bus with the lowest grades.

I can't say much for my weekend at this point.  I think I got my quota of fun in last weekend.  This one is promising to be quiet and home bound. But with a bit of luck, one of my ex-students may put the clutch in my car.  Don't worry, he's a grease monkey.  What have you all got going?

By the way... today was our 100th day of school and to me, that means that I have exactly 59 working days left in this school year.  What do you know... I might just make it out the other end.  Big grins.

Boston - A Man I'll Never Be (audio only)

Squeaky came for a visit today, with Bear and Turkey of course.

It seems like a lot of time has passed since I saw him last.  ( I tell this stuff here to DH and he says "yeah, but its been a loooong two weeks."  Yep, it has.

Squeaky looked somehow taller, older and the divide between us is wider.  I was afraid to hug him hello, then changed my mind.  But when that embrace ended, the boy was gone and a man smiled back at me.

Bear got down to business.  We worked out a price for them to keep him.  I agreed.  He needs things and food.  He's still my responsibility.  But only for a bit longer.  Just until his college financial aid kicks in.

A few months at best.  Then the man is totally on his own.

I visited and watched as he packed up the last of his stuff.  Computer stuff mostly.  All the while this song above ran through my head.  We do not have that kind of situation at all.  Not what's in the song.  But it reminded me that this changeling  is the one who decides what kind of man he will be.  I've done my part.  The rest is up to him... to be the man he wants to be for himself.

A subtle change when he left.  This time he did not fight me or tell me "No touching!" the way he used to when I would sneak up to hug him.  This is not my cuddly child.  The quick and suffered hugs of the past turned into a good long and willing hug followed by the words "Mom, I love you."  and I didn't even have to tell him I loved him first.  

It was five minutes after he left before I snuck off to my room to have a little cry.

Then I thought about what Turkey said...

"Grandma, mom has underwear.  I want to go home." and I laughed good and hard.

You gotta love what goes through a two and a half year old's mind. 

Dan Hicks and his Hot licks-How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away

Happy birthday to youtube!

Well I made it through valentine's day, a date, two days in sanctuary and a trip of a three day weekend. Its 11:34 PM on a workday eve... and I am just now getting home and settled in. Yikes!

Let me say this... the date with S went well.  I had a good time.  Nice diner out.  We watched a couple of old movies and we had a lot in common so we had good conversation. We will see how it goes.

Then I was off to sanctuary for a couple of days.  S was kind enough to drive me to the bus station.  Very strange sort of thing to kiss one fella good bye as you get on a bus and then kiss a different one hello when you get off it.  But hey... it was Valentine's Day.  One I won't forget.  Too funny!

I had a great time there.  We mostly did everyday things. We helped his daughter move a sofa and a love seat.  I met his youngest son, who I have not met before and we all went out for lunch. They gave me so much food, that it was lunch, diner and tonight's diner too. 

We hung out at home that evening and ate the leftovers, so no one had to cook. A nice relaxing evening.  Watched some Dr.Who episodes.  I think I yakked his head off.

Today I was up at the crack of dawn... no, way before dawn.  The diet I'm on makes me very hyper and I do not sleep a lot.  I have more energy than I know what to do with... so I entertained myself until DH got up.  His mom and step-dad stopped by to take us out for lunch.  His mom and I have become friends. I think the world of her and her husband.  Shoot of the whole family.


When we got "home" we yakked some more, then he worked on his truck while I attacked some blackberry vines in his yard.  It was a war of sorts.  The blackberries got first blood... and well, all the blood... but I won the battle.  I made great progress, but the war will continue another time.  I love to do yard work but have no yard worth working on at home.  (Mine is tiny, in the shade and anything you put in it becomes property of the park.) He came out after he finished doing his thing on the truck and worked too until I pooped out.

The rest of the day and early evening we spent chilling until it was time for me to get on that bus.  Strange episode number two... kiss one fella as I get on the bus, kiss the other one when I get off the bus.  S was waiting and drove me home.  That was very nice, since he had to be up and off to the coast early in the morning. Not to mention it was about a 3 hour round trip for him. We'll see if he decides I am more trouble than I am worth.

Max was here, crashed on the sofa.  So no empty house.  The dog managed to tangle himself around a tree.  Out I went in the rain and wind to untangle him in the dark.  I fed Zitto and thought, yep... I am home alright.

What fun things did you do this weekend?

The Fabulous Thunderbirds-Tuff Enuff

Good morning all!

I closed up the library and headed out for my 3 day weekend, not any too pleased with what I thought lay ahead. 

Lorn moved out while I was at work.  I knew that Max would be there for a bit before taking off to enjoy his friends for a few days up in the town to the left.  Bear would be picking up the car that I'd been using all week to trade it in on a nice Outback.  I'd be back to hoofing it.

I had time to shop and get supplies for the weekend.  Saw the new car and said good-byes to Max and Bear.  Then there it was... 3 days alone.  I had no clue what I was going to do with myself all that time other than clean house and do laundry.  Oh the thrill of that!

Ha.

The house felt strange and empty of sound.  I purposely turned out every light but the one in my room.  I did not want company.  Not the kind that drops in here anyway. 

My house was quiet but the pond was loud and DH and I did our usual email thing.  I had a couple of nice phone calls from two different frogs.  Time passed much more quickly that I thought it would and I was certainly not lonely.

Today I have a lunch date with a frog I have only talked with on the computer who does not live too far away.  He has one of those names that cracks you up... like Ted Bear, or my friend, Mary Jane Stoner.  As usual all the information on him (verified by eharmony) has been sent to the bear, who will call me mid-date to see if I am chunked up in glad bags yet. 

I'm still nervous. No matter how careful you are, you're still flying blind.  This time I am not sure what we are going to do, but I like a good mystery.

Tomorrow if things go right, I'm off on a bus or by car...I'm kind of doubting the car borrowing this time.  Down to sanctuary for a couple of days with one night.  

Very cool beans.

So much for a lonely 3 day weekend and being totally alone.  I'm glad it worked out this way.  I know there will be plenty of time alone now.  But I didn't really want to have a weekend of listening to the clock tick.

CRAZY LIFE

Okay, one of the guys I work with sent me this video.  He knows that I like the White Stripes who originally did this... and that I am a fan of some country.  I got a kick out of it and I hope that you do too.  If it's not your cup of tea, pass it by.

What a weird day.  The power went out in our end of the gorge and so school was held in the mostly dark.  Yep, I was teaching kids to read by flashlight.  I have to tell you the journey to the bathroom stalls in the  windowless restrooms was a bit of a trip too.  I don't know how many little ones I escorted by the light of my cell phone... which I had to keep closing and opening.

So I left work early.  No sense in sitting in a dark library.  Instead I went directly home and took a nice long nap... until the light I'd left on to alter me woke me up when the power came back on.  Nice.


Not much doing tonight.  Had my usual with DH on the computer.  Cracked myself up more than I was truly funny, but hey... I have fun and he's a good sport about it.

New frog in the pond.  Frog S... who lives close and is good at flattery.  I keep my brain in straight though.  The other frogs are there, but less.  That's okay.  I am still having fun with this nonsense and unless you have actual interaction, you do run out of things to say and tell.  That is one of many good things about DH... I know his world and he knows mine.


I had an interesting offer.  Not from a frog, but from a friend's mother in the area where I want to relocate.  Relocating is tricky.  You have to have a place to stay while you find employment that is suitable.  No running off just because I'd like to be there.  It has to make sense, there has to be work and a source of income.

I do get paid year round.  By the end of the school year, I will have made the money that I am paid in the summer.  It won't run out until the following fall.  That gives me time to find work there.  But there are still expenses to consider.  Let's see if you can follow this friend line long enough to get through it.


Ny friend's mother, who is my friend, has  friend who had a stroke.  He can basically care for himself.  But he would like a housekeeper and a cook.  Well, geez... I can do those things.  In exchange, I would get my own room and as much time as I like for social life or work.  That is a huge savings.  Think of how much you pay to rent or own your house each month.  That money that I spend could go into the bank.  I like that. The bonus of course is that I would not be exactly alone in a place and would live in a very nice area that I would not otherwise be able to afford.

Have I got enough compassion to do that?  Sure.  I get along with almost everyone, especially men.  So I am thinking about it.  I told her that I would have to meet him first and then could better decide.

But that would buy me time to get on with the district there.  And really, once I meet him and it's all good, there is no reason why I cannot go ahead and apply before I move in that direction.  Use the remainder of my school year here to fish for a job there.  If jobs aren't happening, then I would know before I tried to move.


The big thing here is that I want to stay in the state school system... I would not lose my health care or my retirement.  I need both.  It is iffy at this point... but what do you think?  Is it another case of kissmet?  Like when I got my job because I was trying to get permission to use the soccer field?  She did not know that I was looking.  She thought that maybe I would want it as a summer job...that might work into something more that I liked.

What do you think?  Is that crazy?  I do crazy, sure enough.  but is it too risky? 

EMPTY NEST

 

Squeaky moved out today.  I have waited a long time for this… to reclaim my independence and be a single person without obligations in tow.  Oh, Max and Lorn are both still here temporarily.  But they are adults.  They come and go as they please and I do not keep tabs on them.  They will wander on their way as opportunity arrives.  Both leave for extended periods to stay elsewhere.

It feels funny.  Not hahahaha… but ODD.  I have gone through so many changes this past year.  Married to single.  Not dating to dating.  Lots of physical and emotional changes.  You know that I am contemplating a move.  Yet I have kept my balance through all of that.  No problem.  I was moving forward instead of standing still.

I would be a liar if I did not say that this event… Squeaky making his move for adulthood… has not thrown my balance off.  I was expecting it in June.  I had in mind a nice family BBQ to celebrate his last evening at home with fare thee well wishes and laughter. 

Today he moved out quietly while I was at work, oblivious.  Oh, Bear informed me last night that it was happening.  That they wanted to keep him and he wanted to stay.  I agreed.  Still, I did not expect it to happen this way.  The heart is a funny thing.

It is beyond any doubt the best thing for him.  He has lacked a male influence in his life that I cannot give.  Mikey P will fill that void.  He will not spoil him.  He will make him toe the line.  He will finish teaching him how to drive and make sure that he gets a license.  Tomorrow (or is it today Bear?) they are signing him up for college and they will take care that he does the work to get his financial aid.  He will begin college at spring term.  Cool beans! 

I know that he will be safe in that healthy household.  I know that there will be curfews.  Good rules.  I know he will make friends that I do not know for the first time in his life.  Maybe he will meet a nice girl.  His adult life is just starting… an exciting time as I recall.  For all these things I am thankful.

Okay… so I have waited a long time for this moment.  To re-start my own independent life.  I have not missed him an iota since he went up there to stay, knowing where he was and who he was with and that he was having a good time.  Tonight is no different from last night or the last few weeks with him gone.  So tell me, why am I blue?

Change is hard for me.  But Squeaky, I am proud of you.  Time to fly.  Best wishes!

Not the song you expected is it?

Wow a day of surprises.  Lorn just told me that he is moving out too.  He decided last week to do it, when the opportunity came up but did not know how to tell me or Squeaky.  Problem solved.  Another baby bird leaves the nest.  Not that he was really mine, but you know, you worry about young ones.
So congratulations to him too.

Caprica

Okay. I am hooked. Are you?

The way this starts is a real tickler. Two men lose their daughters to a senseless tragedy.  That sort of thing is too big to fit in your head. So they are trying to find ways to cope with it.

An opportunity arises to be able to see their daughters again... in a virtual setting.  One man embraces the idea, the other is repelled.  "That is not  my daughter! She can't even feel her heart beat." 

Interesting question.  If I lost my child, would I find visiting with him or her in a virtual setting acceptable or would I be repulsed?  I know that answer because I know my self.  I would see my child any way that I could.

What would happen next?  I don't know.  Cylons, Pet Cemetery... does it ever turn out good to bring your child back from the dead?  Yet, I know that I would not be able to walk away without trying if there was an option.

So what do you think of Caprica?

Ghost Rider - Ghost Riders In The Sky ( Spiderbait - Cage )

What a fun movie! One of the things I got to do this weekend was see Ghost Rider. I really like this song... interesting version don't  you think?

Well, I'm home again and back into my normal grind. 

The drive down was fast.  In fact, I could not believe how fast other cars were going and I thought I was pushing it! 

I had another great visit with DH.  I got there about 9:30 AM on Saturday. Felt sort of strange to drive in the daylight, but had no car troubles at all.  It did take me about an hour and a half to figure out the cruise control on the way.  People were zooming past me like there was no tomorrow.  I glad to get off the freeway and relax.

Saturday we did a bit of shopping but otherwise spent the time visiting.  His daughter and her kids dropped in.  The only other time I have met them was very briefly.  Her daughter was shy.  She's an adorable little thing.  This time she walked in the door, smiled at me and said "Hi grandma!"  Cracked us all up. Well, I am a grandma after all... just not her grandma.

But that's okay.  I'm glad she likes me.

DH got some comedy DVDs.  We watched Abbot and Costello.  I had no memory of them having a variety show, so I was a bit taken aback, expecting more of their stand-up routines. They had some acts that would have been very entertaining to someone in the 50s.  Acrobats and tap dancers.  Neither of us were terribly impressed by them. The skits were funny though.

Mostly we watched videos.  More of The Lost Room mini series that was on SciFi last summer.  I am not sure if we will ever get through all of it at this rate.  Its a great story, but both of us fall asleep.  Its one of those movies that is dark.  I mean the sets tend to be in the dark a lot.  I think that contributes.  Of course we also tend to watch it pretty late.

This morning we watched Ghost Rider. It was on FX. Did you know that his bike in it was based on Captain America's bike in Easy Rider? Cool how Peter Fonda was Mephistopheles in it and even commented on what a nice bike it was.  I liked the song, so it's up there.  Interesting version.  Another interesting thing was that Sam Elliot plays a similar character to the one he plays in The Big Lebowski.  I suppose I should mention that it starred Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze.  Fun movie.

The weekend ended with the Superbowl.  Congratulations to The Saints!  Both teams played well.  It was a good game that could have gone either way.  But it was the first time The Saints have made it to a Superbowl, so it was nice that they won.  DH was rooting for them.  Naturally, I was too.  Fun stuffs.  

Then I had a quick diner and hit the road home. Thankfully, there were no car problems at all this time.  DH is going to call around and see what kind of deal he can find selling my Prism.

Hopefully the Aspire will be done soon and I'll be back behind my own wheel again.  Cheaper on gas too.  I've missed my little clown car.  I miss my independence.

So it was a fun weekend.  Relaxed and low key.

I can't ask for anything better.  As always, DH was great company and sent me home smiling.  Now I'm ready to get back to the stuff of my everyday life.

Have a great Monday. 

TRAVELING MUSIC

What do you think... good traveling music or what? Yep... off again, thanks to bear and mikey p. and the loan of their car. Good company and the Superbowl before I head back again.

Enough serious stuff for a few days.  I hope you all relax and do whatever it is that makes you happy. I am.  What will you do?

If you are into it... what team are you behind for the Superbowl?

Either way, Saints or Colts, it promises to be a good game.  Best of luck to your team.

The weather here is actually behaving spring-like!  I hope it stays that way.  But rain or shine, it won't matter much to me.

I always have a good time there.

It looked like I might have to miss it.  What would I do without my family and the people who keep me smiling?

Today, tomorrow and Sunday are gifts.  Enjoy!

THE HARDEST THING I EVER DID PART 2

This song used to really speak to me. But you kind of have to have been there. :-)

I promised to tell you what the hardest thing I ever had to do was... since some of you shared, it is only fair. The hardest thing I have ever done was getting over depression.

  

THE HARDEST THING

Okay... here we go. Got a  question for you. What is the hardest thing you have ever had to do? 

You tell me yours and I will tell you mine.

PERSPECTIVE

Cat Stevens and I have had our issues. Mainly about censorship. That battle is put aside today in favor of using this song to make a point. These words are simple but wise. Think things are bad?  

My recent car woes have preoccupied most of my thoughts.  How to get around this mess... get my life on track again.  Solution and action.  I pace, I think, I try out ideas and obsess.  I tell myself that at least I am staying positive and moving forward. Then a different reality came to land on me first thing this morning.  I am thankful it does not much belong to me.  My part here is tiny.  Nothing really.

I work with a wonderful woman who is by marriage part of my grand daughter's mother's family.  That makes her in my head, part of my family.  We work together in her class everyday and get along very well.  She is a strong support for me in my job and otherwise.  She is a positive support for my Sookie in a sometimes crazy life.

Today she told me a story that gave me a strong sense of what is important in life.  

Most of us have breathed a sigh of relief that the swine flu has passes us by unscathed.  Not much of a threat after all, we think... so what was the big deal?

Sookie has an aunt that is very young.  She has been married about a year to a sweet young man who contracted the swine flu.  This lead to heart damage, an emergency heart operation that was not successful.  It was decided that he would require a heart transplant to save his life.  He was put on a list.  Last night his heart failed and he was rushed into the hospital.  The news this morning is that he cannot survive long enough for a transplant.  He is dying as you read this.  He is twenty years old.  He was as healthy as any twenty year old man a matter of weeks ago. 

You get the point, I'm sure.  If nothing else today, be thankful.

BACK HOME AGAIN

Not the best shot, but here is Pecker Rock.
(Oh... and you know you can make it bigger right?)

Well, I am  home now.  Monday was a grinder of a day.  I got up when DH got up for work, made myself a pot of coffee and waited to be able to call the mechanic that fixed my car.  I began chatting with his mother on line and explained why I was still there.

She called me in a bit and I told her what the mechanic said... that he would not come that far to tow my car back.  But he would look at it... for a price... if I managed to get it to Dumb Potter's Hell.  She decided that they would come and tow my car back to DH's and she would get a mechanic she knew to give an opinion.

They did that.  Try to picture two people in their 70s and batty me out on the freeway in rain and spray from the cars and trucks trying to figure out how to use the tow straps and use a come-a-long to pull it onto the tow dolly.  Oi!  We were soaked and frazzled but we got it back to DH's.

Unfortunately, her mechanic said that he did not think the car was worth what I would have to put in it to repair it properly.  I pretty much expected this news.  DH had said as much too.  I can't afford to throw more money away on it.  Sigh.  So DH and I will find out how much I can get for it from a scrap yard... and get it out of his driveway.  (Though he is being very nice about it.)

We visited for a bit with the surprised DH, who did not expect to see me or my car there today when he got home.  Then they left and I sat around with DH until Bear and Cousin J came to rescue me.  They had the little angels with them.  But Bear finally got to meet DH and visa versa.  That was nice.

We said good-bye again, then off the five of us went... the two angels bickering almost all the way home.

As we neared the exit, I was filled with gloom.  Crap.  Back here again.  No car until the Aspire is finished.

I'm thinking now is the time to get that bike and turn this coal into a diamond.  I think most of the bad weather is gone now.  Sure, we have rain, but I am used to getting drenched.  That is part of life here.

Besides, I can use the exercise and it will be a nice change.  

Thanks to billy pilgrim's comment on yesterday's post, I found the cure for my blue mood.  Max and I have sat up way too late laughing ourselves silly over episodes of "Fawlty Towers".   If you have never seen it, check it out.  If you have and like me, have forgotten much of what happened... check it out too.

Very cool beans!

HERE WE GO AGAIN

First off, I had a wonderful 3 day weekend.  It was great seeing DH. We have not seen each other since New Years. Funny how quickly you can fall back into the same comfortable pattern.

I got some fun photos.  One of "Pecker Rock"... yes, it is a big rock shaped like a giant penis.  I got some photos of  Autzen Stadium with its big "O".  We checked out his fishing spot.  We took a drive around the area and DH pointed out the highlights of his life in location.  I like stuff like that. This is a beautiful area. Springfield is not big as cities go.  You are in the countryside within  minutes.  Rural drives like that are very relaxing. 

We went to a home improvement center to shop around for drawer pulls for a cabinet he just finished building.  I have photos of that too.
I take photos of everything.  Okay... of most things. 

Then we went to his son's house and met his son and his gal. Turns out that they had visiting relatives, so we met them too.  These people had just stopped in Dumb Potter's Hell to use the restroom.  Small world!  DH's son is a DH Jr.... so they have the same name.  So do his son's girlfriend and I. The relatives got a big kick out of that one. It is funny.  What are the odds of that?

The weekend was supposed to end with the Pro Bowl game. But I had to leave at half time in order to get home early. We said our good-byes... me promising to be back for the Super Bowl... and away I drove.  Within twenty minutes I was pulling to the side of the road and calling DH for rescue.

What's wrong with the blasted car now... I don't know.  I do know that I just paid over $600 in repair bills and it should not have had a problem with overheating.  DH says he thinks it's worse than overheating this time.
Now the car sits at the side of the freeway, waiting for me to arrange a tow.  I'm sitting in DH's office on his computer, wearing his flop-feet and sweats.  Bear will be down to get me this afternoon.

When upsetting things happen I sit down and count those things that have happened that were good.  It makes me feel better. So here we go... I am thankful that I got to spend 4 very enjoyable days and nights with DH, that I met some nice new people, that I arrived safely and when stranded... was rescued and that this time when I was upset, there was someone there to listen to me mutter until I fell asleep, even if he did wake me up to tell me I was snoring and needed to roll over. (Can anyone tell me why I can sleep through my snoring but no one else can? You'd think it would wake me.)





Well wish me luck with the car and getting it and myself home.  I know I'll make it home okay with Bear... but the car, I'm not so sure about.  I may have to donate it to the great state of Oregon.  Time to get the Aspire back on its clutch.