Pimp My Ride

For the past week, I have had to drive my mother's 2000 Buick while mine is being repaired.  Let me describe these "wheels"....big brown, 4 door with "old lady" written all over it.  What distinguishes it from the retirement community is the taped up rear passenger window which no longer functions.  I suspect old people with hearing problems are able to shut of the hearing aide and not notice the whistle of the wind.  Today it became a true redneck eyesore....the front passenger window refuses to return to the top, so double layers of plastic and tape have been applied to the entire front window/door.   Hopefully this will keep out the rain, but I anticipate the sound will send me over the edge in the five hour  "return to owner" drive coming up.  (I will say it fits right in at the Walmart parking lot)  Still wondering if my sanity might be worth the $385 they want to fix the damn thing......

Changes over time

When we were kids, we used to climb to the top of the barn, holding a rope.  Once we reached the top we would swing to the other side.  Sometimes we walked across the ceiling beams pretending to be tightrope walkers from the circus.  One time we actually managed to climb onto the roof of the barn and sit at the peak teasing our frightened mother below!  I am trying to remember just when heights began to scare me.  I now avoid the ferris wheel although it is the only carnival ride that doesn't make me sick.  I bravely climbed onto the garage roof to help shingle a few years ago.  I remember that when my brother and nephew came down for a drink or shade, I stayed put knowing I would never go back up if I came down.  Friday after work, I opened the extension ladder and began scraping the upstairs window trim with great trepidation.  I even managed to crawl onto the roof to scrape the wooden trim at the edges,   Saturday, I continued my mission knowing that each step up the ladder might be my last.  It has been a productive but miserable weekend.  The wind is blowing today, granting me a reprieve from my balancing act.  I am thinking I will not be able to muster up the courage to continue until I have at least made out a will.

Road Trip

Nearly twenty years ago, my sister and I took our kids on a camping trip from Rapid City to Washington state.  She has always referred to it as the "vacation from hell".  Neither of us had ever towed, parked, opened or used a pop-up camper before that trip.   Our kids bring it up every now and then--mixed reviews.  Kathy &I had the opportunity to drive that same highway last week.  Our drive there was hurried, but we took some time on the way back to try to find some of the spots we visited years ago.  Of course, we were both very glad we weren't camping; but, a bit nostalgic about those times with our kids.