This post is coming to you from the southeastern tip of Lake Ochechobee in the South Bay library. We stopped off here on the way to camp for the night to check our mail and download applications for Merle Fest.
After we left Susan's house, we went to the Everglades. Saw lots of alligators and even more mosquitos. Went looking for a place to camp on Key Largo and ended up driving all the way to Key West before we were successful. Gosh, the place gets super, super, SUPER packed on Easter weekend! Stayed two nights, then drove back up to Long Key state park. Pretty primitive sites along a boardwalk and the ocean.
Now we're headed to Ocala for the cooler temps and fewer people. Lately it's been in the 80's and 90's. Ick! Sure beats freezing back at home though. :-) When it gets to hot here, we just jump into the ocean with our snorkeling gear.
Time to leave...my 30 minutes are up.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Fun in Florida!
Jesse and I have finished work here at the evil stepmothers house, and are off to start enjoying the real Florida. Remind me never to work for family again, even if it is a pseudo relationship. Blech!
Mom and us have been packing our respective vehicles all morning. She just walked in to find me writing this blog. "Give me a beer, I need to take a sip, Heather's actually updating!"
We just finished lunch, now it's time to hit the road. I'll try to update within a week.
Mom and us have been packing our respective vehicles all morning. She just walked in to find me writing this blog. "Give me a beer, I need to take a sip, Heather's actually updating!"
We just finished lunch, now it's time to hit the road. I'll try to update within a week.
Monday, March 14, 2005
This is the mother speaking :-)
Personally, I'm REAL tired of signing on only to find Update Central still there! Now that Heather is blissed out with her new boyfriend and being in Florida, you might want to check my blog for updates and pics....
http://journals.aol.com/wsm311/WendyUsuallyWanders/
http://journals.aol.com/wsm311/WendyUsuallyWanders/
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Update Central
Working at Sugarbush degenerated from a fun sociological experiment with ski benefits, into an experience not unlike banging my head against a concrete wall for 9 hours a day. The bosses just got crankier through the season while the bureaucratic bullshit piled higher and deeper.
On Thursday night Jesse and I watched the movie Office Space. It's about a cubicle dweller who gets sick of his idiot boss and just stops coming into work. I had had my fill of Sugarbush and didn't want to come in on Friday, especially since Jesse had that day off... so that morning I called the lift ops office and talked to one of our bosses. I said,
"Hi Ben! This is Heather. Last night I watched the movie Office Space, and this morning I had some really great sex with Jesse. So yeah... I just don't feel like coming into work today. Bye!"
I heard Ben gasp "Oh my God!" followed by shocked silence. I hung up and collapsed into laughter.
That day Jesse and I drove up to the Northeast Kingdom to visit his friends who had built two really cool houses up there. The friends were having a get together later that night. Jesse and I really wanted to stay, but that would mean leaving either really late or really early the next morning to make it back to work. Neither option seemed palatable...so we decided on a coin toss. Heads up we quit work, tails, we go back. The toss came up heads, quit work. We both looked at each other - then decided on doing two out of three. The next toss was tails. The third and final toss ......... Heads. I looked at Jesse and smiled. YES! You just can't argue with a coin toss.... :-)
That night I got to meet a bunch of their friends and munch on yummy food. We all stayed up late talking and listening to music. Jesse and I slept on their futon couch while a couple of other people slept upstairs, and a couple more shared the big dog bed with Freedom, the dog. That morning we all enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Jesse and I were a bit in shock, wondering what we were going to do now, and enjoying the feeling of not having to go back to the evil Sugarbush.
We've got it figured out now. We're going to try and sell a bunch of our stuff, then run away to Florida in his jeep. I'd love to take Toby instead, but my car insurance is due in a couple of weeks and I don't have the $324 to spend. We don't have much money between us, but we're undoubtable going to have a great time. Jesse has never been to Florida! It's going to be wonderful to show him all the cool places mom and I have traveled to over the years.
We're leaving within the week, hopefully. Today we're spending getting all of his things together. Tomorrow we tackle my room, then outfitting his jeep for traveling. Then off to Saint J to visit his mom and say goodbye, then Florida, here we come!
We'll go down to Naples to visit my mom and Susan. Explore the Everglades and the Keys. Soak up the sun, sand, and fresh fruit. We'll need to find jobs, or at least rob a bank. We have the gas money to get down there and a stash of food. We'll figure out the rest as we go.
This is so exciting! I'm oozing happiness to have found somebody I can travel, talk, go on crazy adventures, somebody to share life with. Yummy!
On Thursday night Jesse and I watched the movie Office Space. It's about a cubicle dweller who gets sick of his idiot boss and just stops coming into work. I had had my fill of Sugarbush and didn't want to come in on Friday, especially since Jesse had that day off... so that morning I called the lift ops office and talked to one of our bosses. I said,
"Hi Ben! This is Heather. Last night I watched the movie Office Space, and this morning I had some really great sex with Jesse. So yeah... I just don't feel like coming into work today. Bye!"
I heard Ben gasp "Oh my God!" followed by shocked silence. I hung up and collapsed into laughter.
That day Jesse and I drove up to the Northeast Kingdom to visit his friends who had built two really cool houses up there. The friends were having a get together later that night. Jesse and I really wanted to stay, but that would mean leaving either really late or really early the next morning to make it back to work. Neither option seemed palatable...so we decided on a coin toss. Heads up we quit work, tails, we go back. The toss came up heads, quit work. We both looked at each other - then decided on doing two out of three. The next toss was tails. The third and final toss ......... Heads. I looked at Jesse and smiled. YES! You just can't argue with a coin toss.... :-)
That night I got to meet a bunch of their friends and munch on yummy food. We all stayed up late talking and listening to music. Jesse and I slept on their futon couch while a couple of other people slept upstairs, and a couple more shared the big dog bed with Freedom, the dog. That morning we all enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Jesse and I were a bit in shock, wondering what we were going to do now, and enjoying the feeling of not having to go back to the evil Sugarbush.
We've got it figured out now. We're going to try and sell a bunch of our stuff, then run away to Florida in his jeep. I'd love to take Toby instead, but my car insurance is due in a couple of weeks and I don't have the $324 to spend. We don't have much money between us, but we're undoubtable going to have a great time. Jesse has never been to Florida! It's going to be wonderful to show him all the cool places mom and I have traveled to over the years.
We're leaving within the week, hopefully. Today we're spending getting all of his things together. Tomorrow we tackle my room, then outfitting his jeep for traveling. Then off to Saint J to visit his mom and say goodbye, then Florida, here we come!
We'll go down to Naples to visit my mom and Susan. Explore the Everglades and the Keys. Soak up the sun, sand, and fresh fruit. We'll need to find jobs, or at least rob a bank. We have the gas money to get down there and a stash of food. We'll figure out the rest as we go.
This is so exciting! I'm oozing happiness to have found somebody I can travel, talk, go on crazy adventures, somebody to share life with. Yummy!
Friday, February 11, 2005
Insomnia
I can't sleep. Today is the day I go back to work from my two days off. I spent my days off futzing around the house, then yesterday I woke up at 4am and decided to go to Burlington. When I walked out to Toby, the plow was just barely going by. We must have gotten at least 8 inches overnight.
There were people strewn off the highway everywhere. I spent a lot of time going 40 mph. As daylight crept over the mountains, it revealed a fresh white snowscape. Everything was coated in wet powder. The power lines sagged over the road, the pine boughs bent to the trunks.
It feels like a new chapter in life has started. The constant rain two days ago cleared the air, then the snow unified everything under its monochromatic blanket.
Things with Jesse are swell. When skiers getting on my lift ask how I'm doing, I reply, "Peachy keen!" I'm just so happy all the time. Life with Jesse seems open to so many possibilities. I find myself staring at him lost in space, feeling like I've known him my entire life...utterly comfortable. I haven't yet found anything major I don't like about him. So far he hasn't found any of my major skeletons either. Heh heh heh.
Yesterday I stopped by the mountain and rode up the lift to midstation where he was. Gave him some hot cocoa, a clementine, and stole kisses when nobody was watching.
When I came off the mountain I went to a local garage to have my muffled tightened. It had shaken loose courtesy of a snowbank I happened to run over while in Burlington. I had crawled underneath to tighten it up myself, but needed the torque of some air tools. When Toby was in the shop, I had them install the power steering belt I hadn't gotten around to, change the oil and the fuel filter, and look at where my seat was bolted in. They ended up welding the muffler to the piece of pipe that had come off it. Lets see it try to shake loose now! The guys at the Sugarbush Service station were really nice and reasonable. All this took about an hour and cost $60.61.
Last night Jesse and I got dressed up for the heck of it. He wore his bright red pants, pretty white hemp shirt with silver buttons, black hemp vest, and green John Deere baseball hat. I wore the embroidered skirt he had gotten me, a blue crushed velvet shirt, silver dangly earrings and my tiara. Once we got dudded up we decided to go out to eat. A lot of smiles were cast our way.
Time to go get back in bed. I need sleep for work today!
There were people strewn off the highway everywhere. I spent a lot of time going 40 mph. As daylight crept over the mountains, it revealed a fresh white snowscape. Everything was coated in wet powder. The power lines sagged over the road, the pine boughs bent to the trunks.
It feels like a new chapter in life has started. The constant rain two days ago cleared the air, then the snow unified everything under its monochromatic blanket.
Things with Jesse are swell. When skiers getting on my lift ask how I'm doing, I reply, "Peachy keen!" I'm just so happy all the time. Life with Jesse seems open to so many possibilities. I find myself staring at him lost in space, feeling like I've known him my entire life...utterly comfortable. I haven't yet found anything major I don't like about him. So far he hasn't found any of my major skeletons either. Heh heh heh.
Yesterday I stopped by the mountain and rode up the lift to midstation where he was. Gave him some hot cocoa, a clementine, and stole kisses when nobody was watching.
When I came off the mountain I went to a local garage to have my muffled tightened. It had shaken loose courtesy of a snowbank I happened to run over while in Burlington. I had crawled underneath to tighten it up myself, but needed the torque of some air tools. When Toby was in the shop, I had them install the power steering belt I hadn't gotten around to, change the oil and the fuel filter, and look at where my seat was bolted in. They ended up welding the muffler to the piece of pipe that had come off it. Lets see it try to shake loose now! The guys at the Sugarbush Service station were really nice and reasonable. All this took about an hour and cost $60.61.
Last night Jesse and I got dressed up for the heck of it. He wore his bright red pants, pretty white hemp shirt with silver buttons, black hemp vest, and green John Deere baseball hat. I wore the embroidered skirt he had gotten me, a blue crushed velvet shirt, silver dangly earrings and my tiara. Once we got dudded up we decided to go out to eat. A lot of smiles were cast our way.
Time to go get back in bed. I need sleep for work today!
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
The amazing dissapearing Heather
Hi again. Long time no blog. Bad Heather, bad!
Driving home from work last night I was craving something sweet. I made a deal with myself - if there was a parking space in front of La Brioche, I'd buy something. What luck! There was a swath of 4 parking spaces in a row right outside the door. This never happens, especially during rush hour. I took it as a divine sign and bought a rich and gooey creme brule. I got it to go and drove with my knees through downtown, cradling the container in one hand while eating it from my titanium spork in the other.
This morning I awoke with dreams of rich custards dancing through my head. I actually slept in till 7:30! Peter left for work so I had an entire house to play in by myself. I spent the morning tearing apart my room in pursuit of a w-2 form I had put someplace safe and hadn't seen since. Listened to a couple cds from Banjo Dan And The Midnite Plowboys, Zap Mama, and The Bluegrass Gospel Project. Was in a southern mood from the bluegrass and celebrated by frying up a batch of crispy corn fritters. Finger lickin' good!
Cleaned out my van and rigged up a new sound system for it using a portable cd player and the old speakers from the computer. With the subwoofer on, it sounds as good as any car stereo.
I did a bunch of other cool and exciting things, but I don't feel like sharing. I'm entering a phase of wanting to fully savor the events that happen to me and not go writing about them in such a public space. I have a thing against people knowing too much about me. I know that sounds strange coming from a person who has so many web pages about different facets of their life...but this blog is different. It's been more about personal thoughts and feelings, instead of events or projects, like the rest of the web presence has been.
I do have to keep this updated though, so mom can read it and know I'm still alive. Even before she ran off to Florida, we used each other's blogs as a way of communicating with each other. Lately she's been complaining I don't write enough.
It's time for both of us to grow up. I need to learn to be my own person, shape a life for myself, and she needs to learn to take her pills on time :-)
Driving home from work last night I was craving something sweet. I made a deal with myself - if there was a parking space in front of La Brioche, I'd buy something. What luck! There was a swath of 4 parking spaces in a row right outside the door. This never happens, especially during rush hour. I took it as a divine sign and bought a rich and gooey creme brule. I got it to go and drove with my knees through downtown, cradling the container in one hand while eating it from my titanium spork in the other.
This morning I awoke with dreams of rich custards dancing through my head. I actually slept in till 7:30! Peter left for work so I had an entire house to play in by myself. I spent the morning tearing apart my room in pursuit of a w-2 form I had put someplace safe and hadn't seen since. Listened to a couple cds from Banjo Dan And The Midnite Plowboys, Zap Mama, and The Bluegrass Gospel Project. Was in a southern mood from the bluegrass and celebrated by frying up a batch of crispy corn fritters. Finger lickin' good!
Cleaned out my van and rigged up a new sound system for it using a portable cd player and the old speakers from the computer. With the subwoofer on, it sounds as good as any car stereo.
I did a bunch of other cool and exciting things, but I don't feel like sharing. I'm entering a phase of wanting to fully savor the events that happen to me and not go writing about them in such a public space. I have a thing against people knowing too much about me. I know that sounds strange coming from a person who has so many web pages about different facets of their life...but this blog is different. It's been more about personal thoughts and feelings, instead of events or projects, like the rest of the web presence has been.
I do have to keep this updated though, so mom can read it and know I'm still alive. Even before she ran off to Florida, we used each other's blogs as a way of communicating with each other. Lately she's been complaining I don't write enough.
It's time for both of us to grow up. I need to learn to be my own person, shape a life for myself, and she needs to learn to take her pills on time :-)
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Why Sugarbush Sucks
The bastards at Sugarbush hotlisted my pass yesterday! I was all bouncy and ready to go skiing yesterday when I found out. Being hotlisted means your pass comes up as invalid when it gets scanned by a ticket checker. Mine said I was a "Safety Violator". The powers that be don't want me to be skiing on the mountain, even if it is my day off.
I don't see how they can legally do that. Everybody who buys a ticket agrees to not hold Sugarbush responsible for any injury and/or death that results from that activity. It's no different for employees, especially employees there on their day off. So they don't want me skiing with a broken arm ... that's nice, but it doesn't seem like they're able to legally stop me. If they wanted to disallow me because of my injury, they'd have to also bar everybody else with injuries - or it would be unfair discrimination. I know of lots of people who ski/board while injured, in casts, etc. Not the smartest thing I know, but it's legal. The whole Sugarbush policy seems fishy to me.
At least I got in one ski run the day before. :-) That morning I tripped while going into the lift shack and fell on my broken arm. They sent me for x-rays at the clinic at Lincoln Peak to make sure everything was still ok....which it was. Nothing bent or out of place. When I got back to my side of the mountain, I took one run down on skis before resuming work. Ahhhhh.....it was so nice!
Well after getting hotlisted, I spent the day driving around and goofing off instead. Bought a bunch of fresh, yummy food. Went over to Jesse's house that night and made us fettucine alfredo, sauteed carrots in butter and drizzled with maple syrup, and a salad of baby greens, bell peppers, farmer cheese, and all sorts of other yummy things.
Today Jesse and I have the day off. I made us brunch of french toast with fresh strawberries and vanilla whipped cream. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Supper? We'll see.
I don't see how they can legally do that. Everybody who buys a ticket agrees to not hold Sugarbush responsible for any injury and/or death that results from that activity. It's no different for employees, especially employees there on their day off. So they don't want me skiing with a broken arm ... that's nice, but it doesn't seem like they're able to legally stop me. If they wanted to disallow me because of my injury, they'd have to also bar everybody else with injuries - or it would be unfair discrimination. I know of lots of people who ski/board while injured, in casts, etc. Not the smartest thing I know, but it's legal. The whole Sugarbush policy seems fishy to me.
At least I got in one ski run the day before. :-) That morning I tripped while going into the lift shack and fell on my broken arm. They sent me for x-rays at the clinic at Lincoln Peak to make sure everything was still ok....which it was. Nothing bent or out of place. When I got back to my side of the mountain, I took one run down on skis before resuming work. Ahhhhh.....it was so nice!
Well after getting hotlisted, I spent the day driving around and goofing off instead. Bought a bunch of fresh, yummy food. Went over to Jesse's house that night and made us fettucine alfredo, sauteed carrots in butter and drizzled with maple syrup, and a salad of baby greens, bell peppers, farmer cheese, and all sorts of other yummy things.
Today Jesse and I have the day off. I made us brunch of french toast with fresh strawberries and vanilla whipped cream. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Supper? We'll see.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Tension
Every morning I zip up the access road to Sugarbush at 50 miles per, mind buzzing with ideas and possibilities. I enter my shack, practically quivering with excitement. Then work starts, and I have to put my zest on the back burner. Those ideas bubble up, ferment, just itch to get out and be free. These are ideas on everyday life, to say nothing of those ones involving you know who. The latter are particuarly ummmmm....insert your adjective here.
(Footnote ... I just walked into the kitchen and asked Jesse how much I was allowed to write about him. I got the green light! So long as I don't embarass him too much.)
Speaking of embarrass - Sugarbush employees get the weekly newletter, "Beat Around The Bush". This week's issue has an I Spy column. I don't have it on me, so I'll paraphrase. Basically it says "I spy a jeep driving, snowboarding lifty following a broken-armed fellow lifty out of the parking lot. Is it love?" We haven't figured out who placed it yet. :-)
Anyhoo, I'm over at Jesse's house again tonight. We just came up from his studio in the basement, where he's been painting and I've been writing for the past 2+ hours. Read some things about the dada philosophy. Feel like I'm going to burst out of my skin again. Gahhhhh!!!! Too much pent up energy! How to spend it, what to do.
(Footnote ... I just walked into the kitchen and asked Jesse how much I was allowed to write about him. I got the green light! So long as I don't embarass him too much.)
Speaking of embarrass - Sugarbush employees get the weekly newletter, "Beat Around The Bush". This week's issue has an I Spy column. I don't have it on me, so I'll paraphrase. Basically it says "I spy a jeep driving, snowboarding lifty following a broken-armed fellow lifty out of the parking lot. Is it love?" We haven't figured out who placed it yet. :-)
Anyhoo, I'm over at Jesse's house again tonight. We just came up from his studio in the basement, where he's been painting and I've been writing for the past 2+ hours. Read some things about the dada philosophy. Feel like I'm going to burst out of my skin again. Gahhhhh!!!! Too much pent up energy! How to spend it, what to do.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Jesse
Soooo....about Jesse. Jesse says I'm not allowed to write about him anymore on my blog. Currently I'm over at his house hanging out after a fun filled day at work and evening with him. But you don't get to hear about it, because Jesse prefers to remain annonymous. :-)
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Still At Work...
Not much new. Still going to work, still enjoying it, still broken. I've made an entire zoo of origami animals to keep myself amused in the lift shack.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Lift operations
The first few days back at Sugarbush have been fun. Everybody does a double take when they see me and say "Wow! Didn't you break your arm? Where's your cast?" Then I show them my 13 inch long scar from surgery and wait for them to utter the inevitable "EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!"
Work has been ridiculously easy. All I'm allowed to do now is to push buttons. No flipping chairs, raking the ramp, or any of the other fun things. I'm still sitting around bored like I was at home, but at least I'm getting paid for it. To make up for the boredom I'm starting to come out of my shell and have longer conversations with my fellow lifties.
One of those lifties is a guy named Jesse. On Thursday Jesse and I spent the day working together for the first time. I had to leave early for a physical therapy appointment...but we bumped into each other again down at the Waitsfield post office later that afternoon.
I finally went to bed after midnight. Jesse and I had caught a movie called "The Corporation" at the Eclipse Theater, explored his studio and the rest of the house, listened to him play guitar (I wish I were that talented!), and stayed up late talking. He's been the first person in a long time that actually knew what spanikopita was when I asked. Mmmmmmm.....
Also exciting that evening was when I was describing my van to Jesse's dad. He said "Hmm, are you the one in the paper?" and whipped out a copy of the Village Reporter. Inside was a picture of my van! Somebody had taken it while I was parked at Sugarbush.
Now I'm home for my days off. Time to go on a baking spree! I have a bunch of peanut butter cookie dough chilling in the fridge. I think I'll make brownies too.
Earlier today I crawled underneath my van to tighten up the exhaust. It had gotten loose awhile back when I got stuck in a snowbank coming out of the driveway. Now it purrs quietly, but it's harder to start.
Work has been ridiculously easy. All I'm allowed to do now is to push buttons. No flipping chairs, raking the ramp, or any of the other fun things. I'm still sitting around bored like I was at home, but at least I'm getting paid for it. To make up for the boredom I'm starting to come out of my shell and have longer conversations with my fellow lifties.
One of those lifties is a guy named Jesse. On Thursday Jesse and I spent the day working together for the first time. I had to leave early for a physical therapy appointment...but we bumped into each other again down at the Waitsfield post office later that afternoon.
I finally went to bed after midnight. Jesse and I had caught a movie called "The Corporation" at the Eclipse Theater, explored his studio and the rest of the house, listened to him play guitar (I wish I were that talented!), and stayed up late talking. He's been the first person in a long time that actually knew what spanikopita was when I asked. Mmmmmmm.....
Also exciting that evening was when I was describing my van to Jesse's dad. He said "Hmm, are you the one in the paper?" and whipped out a copy of the Village Reporter. Inside was a picture of my van! Somebody had taken it while I was parked at Sugarbush.
Now I'm home for my days off. Time to go on a baking spree! I have a bunch of peanut butter cookie dough chilling in the fridge. I think I'll make brownies too.
Earlier today I crawled underneath my van to tighten up the exhaust. It had gotten loose awhile back when I got stuck in a snowbank coming out of the driveway. Now it purrs quietly, but it's harder to start.
Friday, January 14, 2005
Work as a lift operator
I'll update sometime this weekend...Saturday and Sunday are my days off. So much fun stuff! Last night was pretty cool - Jesse (another lift op) and I went to see a movie over at the Eclipse theater. Fun fun!
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Doctor suggestions
Any suggestions for funny things to try and get the surgeon to write on the note authorizing me to go back to work?
Doctor's Note
On Friday I went to my general practitioner to get a note saying I could go back to work. She wrote on the prescription pad:
"Heather can resume work as a lift operator @ Sugarbush. No heavy lifting. For complete recuperation, Heather needs physical therapy in the form of feeling Dave Forward's hairy chest at least once a week."
Dave is my boss. :-) The powers that be at Sugarbush thought the note was a hoot. They asked if Dave himself had written it. Well, one of my bosses was all set to take me back to work on Saturday. When we went to talk to the guy in charge of employee safety, he nixed me working until I got a note from the surgeon who did the work ... just in case. My appointment is on Monday.
I hope Dave is getting teased mercilessly about the note. I'm not there, somebody has to do it for me :-)
"Heather can resume work as a lift operator @ Sugarbush. No heavy lifting. For complete recuperation, Heather needs physical therapy in the form of feeling Dave Forward's hairy chest at least once a week."
Dave is my boss. :-) The powers that be at Sugarbush thought the note was a hoot. They asked if Dave himself had written it. Well, one of my bosses was all set to take me back to work on Saturday. When we went to talk to the guy in charge of employee safety, he nixed me working until I got a note from the surgeon who did the work ... just in case.
I hope Dave is getting teased mercilessly about the note. I'm not there, somebody has to do it for me :-)
How many does it take to change a lightbulb?
I grew up Unitarian. It's so true :-)
Charismatic: Only 1 - Hands are already in the air.
Pentecostal: 10 - One to change the bulb, and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.
Presbyterians: None - Lights will go on and off at predestined times.
Roman Catholic: None - Candles only. (Of guaranteed origin of course.)
Baptists: At least 15 - One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad and fried chicken.
Episcopalians: 3 - One to call the electrician, one to mix the drinks, and one to talk about how much better the old one was.
Mormons: 5 - One man to change the bulb, and four wives to tell him how to do it.
Unitarians: We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, you are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your light bulb for the next Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions, including incandescent, fluorescent, 3-way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.
Methodists: Undetermined - Whether your light is bright, dull, or completely out, you are loved. You can be a light bulb, turnip bulb, or tulip bulb. Bring a bulb of your choice to the Sunday lighting service and a covered dish to pass.
Amish: What’s a light bulb?
Charismatic: Only 1 - Hands are already in the air.
Pentecostal: 10 - One to change the bulb, and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.
Presbyterians: None - Lights will go on and off at predestined times.
Roman Catholic: None - Candles only. (Of guaranteed origin of course.)
Baptists: At least 15 - One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad and fried chicken.
Episcopalians: 3 - One to call the electrician, one to mix the drinks, and one to talk about how much better the old one was.
Mormons: 5 - One man to change the bulb, and four wives to tell him how to do it.
Unitarians: We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, you are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your light bulb for the next Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions, including incandescent, fluorescent, 3-way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.
Methodists: Undetermined - Whether your light is bright, dull, or completely out, you are loved. You can be a light bulb, turnip bulb, or tulip bulb. Bring a bulb of your choice to the Sunday lighting service and a covered dish to pass.
Amish: What’s a light bulb?
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Van conversion
It snowed today! By tomorrow morning I should be able to look out the window and see 6 inches of new powder. Woohoo! Hmmm, maybe I should go skiing... :-)
Tomorrow I go to the Doctor and try to wheedle out a note that says I can go back to work. If I get one, I'm driving to Sugarbush to drop it off, talk to everybody, and get myself inserted back into the schedule. I'll also do some locker decorating and give everybody homemade peanut butter cookies.
Today I made a huge collage of my favorite pictures to put on the outside of my locker. I'll look at it and be reminded every day of what I want in life. I have pics of various trips I've taken over the years, my van, pets, house, etc. I'm wondering what sort of decoration I can get away with in the lift shack? I'm going to tack up a United States map for starters...
Decorating my van has been a slow process. Most of the curtains are now installed, the parquet floor is dry-laid and the storage system is coming together. When/if it gets warm again, I'm hauling out the goop to lay my floor for real. What will I do with myself once it's finished?
Tomorrow I go to the Doctor and try to wheedle out a note that says I can go back to work. If I get one, I'm driving to Sugarbush to drop it off, talk to everybody, and get myself inserted back into the schedule. I'll also do some locker decorating and give everybody homemade peanut butter cookies.
Today I made a huge collage of my favorite pictures to put on the outside of my locker. I'll look at it and be reminded every day of what I want in life. I have pics of various trips I've taken over the years, my van, pets, house, etc. I'm wondering what sort of decoration I can get away with in the lift shack? I'm going to tack up a United States map for starters...
Decorating my van has been a slow process. Most of the curtains are now installed, the parquet floor is dry-laid and the storage system is coming together. When/if it gets warm again, I'm hauling out the goop to lay my floor for real. What will I do with myself once it's finished?
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Ski resort
Today I drove to Waitsfield to visit Sugarbush. It was great to see everybody again! They were all surprised to see me. I spent three hours hanging out at various lift shacks talking to my fellow lifties, even riding up the chairlift to say hi to a couple of people up there. I also painted the interior of my locker in prep for moving back into it. Tonight I'm going to design a collage of my pictures for the exterior.
It's nice to be able to move my right arm again! I was able to put on and take off my jacket, albiet very slowly. I kept grossing everybody out by showing them my incision. Great reactions :-)
It's nice to be able to move my right arm again! I was able to put on and take off my jacket, albiet very slowly. I kept grossing everybody out by showing them my incision. Great reactions :-)
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Local Library
This week mom has a series of appointments at the hospital to be massaged and wrapped up like a mummy. I'm a mile away at the regional library, amusing myself with the books and computers.
I've had a library card here since before I can remember. Not much has changed in those years....The walls are still adorned with the same 80's era posters promoting reading. The place has the same musty, old book smell. Even the librarians are all the same.
One of the things I like about this library is they don't have any late fees. It's something I appreciate today, having just returned two books that were due on November 29th. Oops. Time to go check out some more!
I've had a library card here since before I can remember. Not much has changed in those years....The walls are still adorned with the same 80's era posters promoting reading. The place has the same musty, old book smell. Even the librarians are all the same.
One of the things I like about this library is they don't have any late fees. It's something I appreciate today, having just returned two books that were due on November 29th. Oops. Time to go check out some more!
Monday, January 03, 2005
Sugarbush
Sugarbush was an eye opening experience for the 20 days I was there. It started in the mornings, when my eyes would snap open at 4am, never fail. I'd poke my nose out from under the 7 blankets to check the clock and temperature. It was always the same - too cold!
I slept in my van in various parking lots on resort property on the nights I didn't feel like driving the hour home. I ended up there most of the time. I usually slept in one of the condominium lots at the Lincoln peak area. In the morning I'd roll out of bed and drive the 1/2 a mile to the gym. It opened at 6:30am on the weekdays. I'd go in in my pajamas, take a long, hot shower, and get into my bathing suit. I'd crank up the sauna, then go for a splash in the pool and whirlpool. Laze around in the sauna to dry off, then into my work clothes. I had to be at work at 7 or 8, depending on the schedule that day.
I'm going to gloss over work here for awhile. I'm more interested in reliving the inter personal soap opera that was going on. What a show! It seemed like everybody was kissing and/or having sex with everybody else...Even the people who were married to others. I hadn't realized the magnitude of my goody-two-shoesness until I listened to the stories people had to tell, and really watched eveybody in action. I personally never did anything...Except tease one of my bosses, Dave.
Dave is in his late 30's and has a reputation of trying to get into the pants of every female at the ski area. Who knows how often he succeeds. I'm betting quite a bit. When I arrived, I became Dave's next project. Poor Dave, he never had a chance...But boy was he fun to tease! One evening we were out at the local bar playing pool, when a lady asked if he was my father. Dave couldn't live it down the rest of the evening. Well, the next morning I came into work, put my hair back in barrettes, and assumed my most innocent looking face. I clutched my teddy bear to my chest, stood in the doorway of his office and said... "Daddy? I had a bad dream last night. Can you do something to make me feel better?" Dave turned bright red. Everybody else in the locker room thought it was a hoot. :-)
I miss the fun I had at Sugarbush. Working the lifts allowed me to have a lot of contact with people from all over. I became less shy, more cheery and outgoing. It's hard not to when your job is to greet people and make them feel welcome! I also discovered the pleasures of a perfectly raked ramp. It was soothing to be out there making a great ramp, lost in the patterns of the steel rake and my thoughts. I had a loooooot of time to think.
I need some more time to think to figure out what to do next.
I slept in my van in various parking lots on resort property on the nights I didn't feel like driving the hour home. I ended up there most of the time. I usually slept in one of the condominium lots at the Lincoln peak area. In the morning I'd roll out of bed and drive the 1/2 a mile to the gym. It opened at 6:30am on the weekdays. I'd go in in my pajamas, take a long, hot shower, and get into my bathing suit. I'd crank up the sauna, then go for a splash in the pool and whirlpool. Laze around in the sauna to dry off, then into my work clothes. I had to be at work at 7 or 8, depending on the schedule that day.
I'm going to gloss over work here for awhile. I'm more interested in reliving the inter personal soap opera that was going on. What a show! It seemed like everybody was kissing and/or having sex with everybody else...Even the people who were married to others. I hadn't realized the magnitude of my goody-two-shoesness until I listened to the stories people had to tell, and really watched eveybody in action. I personally never did anything...Except tease one of my bosses, Dave.
Dave is in his late 30's and has a reputation of trying to get into the pants of every female at the ski area. Who knows how often he succeeds. I'm betting quite a bit. When I arrived, I became Dave's next project. Poor Dave, he never had a chance...But boy was he fun to tease! One evening we were out at the local bar playing pool, when a lady asked if he was my father. Dave couldn't live it down the rest of the evening. Well, the next morning I came into work, put my hair back in barrettes, and assumed my most innocent looking face. I clutched my teddy bear to my chest, stood in the doorway of his office and said... "Daddy? I had a bad dream last night. Can you do something to make me feel better?" Dave turned bright red. Everybody else in the locker room thought it was a hoot. :-)
I miss the fun I had at Sugarbush. Working the lifts allowed me to have a lot of contact with people from all over. I became less shy, more cheery and outgoing. It's hard not to when your job is to greet people and make them feel welcome! I also discovered the pleasures of a perfectly raked ramp. It was soothing to be out there making a great ramp, lost in the patterns of the steel rake and my thoughts. I had a loooooot of time to think.
I need some more time to think to figure out what to do next.
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Heather's World Updates
I'm back at home after three days at the hospital for my broken arm. I now have 3 steel plates and various screws holding them in, and one 5 1/2 inch long screw lengthwise in the bone. Surgery took 8+ hours. The docs sliced me from upper arm to below the elbow and peeled back the skin and muscles to rearrange eveything inside. I have a bunch of interesting looking bruises.
I'm adjusting to life as a lefty and one-handed typer. My arm is slowly getting better, but it will be a long time before I can do much with it. Time to start thinking about tame jobs to do for a living, at least until I'm completely healed up. Any suggestions?
I'm adjusting to life as a lefty and one-handed typer. My arm is slowly getting better, but it will be a long time before I can do much with it. Time to start thinking about tame jobs to do for a living, at least until I'm completely healed up. Any suggestions?
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Heather is in the hospital....
Heather was working the lift at Sugarbush when her boss let her do a ski run on her lunch break. She went out of control, hit a post and lost consciousness. The ski patrol brought her down the mountain and she was sent by ambulance to our local hospital. To read the rest of the story, go to Wendy's blog
Please keep Heather in your thoughts and prayers. She faces 10 hours of surgery on Wednesday.
Please keep Heather in your thoughts and prayers. She faces 10 hours of surgery on Wednesday.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Long time no blog
Gee, I guess it's been awhile since I've sat down to write something!
I'm currently in the library, waiting for Mom to get loose from the hospital across the street. I'm figuring out what to do for the rest of the day....Today and tomorrow are my days off from my lift operations job at Sugarbush.
It's definitely time to clean out my van! I've been sleeping in it over at Sugarbush so I don't have to commute an hour every morning and night. I'm working out the kinks as to what I want to have in my van, where to store it, how to organize, etc etc. Last night I bought some fabric to make new curtains. I'm going to rip out the oriental rug that's currently there and install a hardwood parquet floor instead. I'm almost done with building the cabover storage area and facing everything with aromatic cedar. (The other day my cousin Charlotte said my van smelled like a hampster cage.)
I have a couple of plastic storage bins underneath the bed and am working out a system to store things on higher shelves under there. Right now my bed consists of 5 camping mattresses, a futon, feather bed, cozy flannel sheets, 5 blankets and two poofy pillows. It's the most comfortable thing I've ever slept on. Ahhhhhh. The only bad thing about it is getting up in the morning.
As for how work is going, I've got some pictures to post later. It's very scenic up there, especially when the sun starts to rise and make the snow covered spruce trees glisten.
My coworkers are all really nice and fun to work with, except one. He's a sexist idiot with no regard for safety or being polite. He should be dragged out back and shot. My bosses rearranged the schedule so he and I don't work together anymore :-)
I'll write more later about the intrigue and things that go on behind the scenes later...
I'm currently in the library, waiting for Mom to get loose from the hospital across the street. I'm figuring out what to do for the rest of the day....Today and tomorrow are my days off from my lift operations job at Sugarbush.
It's definitely time to clean out my van! I've been sleeping in it over at Sugarbush so I don't have to commute an hour every morning and night. I'm working out the kinks as to what I want to have in my van, where to store it, how to organize, etc etc. Last night I bought some fabric to make new curtains. I'm going to rip out the oriental rug that's currently there and install a hardwood parquet floor instead. I'm almost done with building the cabover storage area and facing everything with aromatic cedar. (The other day my cousin Charlotte said my van smelled like a hampster cage.)
I have a couple of plastic storage bins underneath the bed and am working out a system to store things on higher shelves under there. Right now my bed consists of 5 camping mattresses, a futon, feather bed, cozy flannel sheets, 5 blankets and two poofy pillows. It's the most comfortable thing I've ever slept on. Ahhhhhh. The only bad thing about it is getting up in the morning.
As for how work is going, I've got some pictures to post later. It's very scenic up there, especially when the sun starts to rise and make the snow covered spruce trees glisten.
My coworkers are all really nice and fun to work with, except one. He's a sexist idiot with no regard for safety or being polite. He should be dragged out back and shot. My bosses rearranged the schedule so he and I don't work together anymore :-)
I'll write more later about the intrigue and things that go on behind the scenes later...
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
My 21st birthday
Break out the confetti, I turned 21 today!
I was in town with mom at her doc appointments today. When I got back, I went on a little baking spree. I didn't make anything for my Aunt Liz's birthday two days ago, so this way we have birthday cakes to go around.
I made Tunisian almond cigars, poppy seed cake, and lekach, a type of Jewish cake redolent of ginger, cinnamon, and honey. The recipes were from a book called Jewish Cooking, by Marlena Spieler. It's an excellent cookbook! The dishes are delicious and the pictures exquisite. It also has some Jewish history and interesting tidbits in the front.
I was in town with mom at her doc appointments today. When I got back, I went on a little baking spree. I didn't make anything for my Aunt Liz's birthday two days ago, so this way we have birthday cakes to go around.
I made Tunisian almond cigars, poppy seed cake, and lekach, a type of Jewish cake redolent of ginger, cinnamon, and honey. The recipes were from a book called Jewish Cooking, by Marlena Spieler. It's an excellent cookbook! The dishes are delicious and the pictures exquisite. It also has some Jewish history and interesting tidbits in the front.
Monday, November 29, 2004
Good Book
I picked up an interesting book in the aisles of the local library today and didn't put it down until just now, upon finishing it. Great book! In fact, it got an award for being one of the 500 best books written by a woman since the year 1300. It's called:
Princess: A true story of life behind the veil in Saudia Arabia
Princess: A true story of life behind the veil in Saudia Arabia
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Featured
Just found myself featured on the front page of Claire Wolfe's Blog. Pretty nifty! You should stop by to read her blog, and perhaps go to the library or bookstore to check out some of her books.
Monday, November 22, 2004
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Dancing
Last night's band was amazing! The bands that usually play are always good, but these guys were out of this world! They had the usual instruments and a killer sax player.
Now that I'm becoming a regular there again, the guys have started to hit on me. Last night one guy kept telling me the reason the place was so packed was because they had all come to see me, another guy who was drawing me a map to get to another dance gave me his phone number, and a couple of other guys hit on me as well...one casually remarking on how good a local cafe was, and that that was where he was going after the dance.
I was in such high demand that I didn't get a chance to dance with the nice guy I have at the previous dances. I did feel his hair though. :-) It's only a 1/4" or so and feels exquisite when you run your hand over it. How could anybody resist?
Have you ever heard that joke that goes; "Why can't a girl find a guy who's smart, funny, cute, sensitive and kind? Because all those guys already have boyfriends." Lately all of the guys I've had crushes on are gay. I've got a 12 to 1 bet with myself that this guy at the contra dance is too. I keep meaning to ask, but it's kind of hard to casually sneak it into the conversation...
I drove home in the rain and sleet with my noisy, blown up muffler. I felt pretty wiped out and a little queasy from the nonstop action of the night. A couple of miles from home I started to feel like I was going to puke. When I started to walk across the field to the house, it suddenly hit me - that watering that starts in the back of the throat and signals imminent upchucking. I dropped my stuff and got off the path just in time. Blech! I felt instantly better though.
I slept in till 11 this morning. I'm starting to feel old. I never puke or feel tired! I suppose it's inevitable though...My 21st birthday is in 9 days.
Now that I'm becoming a regular there again, the guys have started to hit on me. Last night one guy kept telling me the reason the place was so packed was because they had all come to see me, another guy who was drawing me a map to get to another dance gave me his phone number, and a couple of other guys hit on me as well...one casually remarking on how good a local cafe was, and that that was where he was going after the dance.
I was in such high demand that I didn't get a chance to dance with the nice guy I have at the previous dances. I did feel his hair though. :-) It's only a 1/4" or so and feels exquisite when you run your hand over it. How could anybody resist?
Have you ever heard that joke that goes; "Why can't a girl find a guy who's smart, funny, cute, sensitive and kind? Because all those guys already have boyfriends." Lately all of the guys I've had crushes on are gay. I've got a 12 to 1 bet with myself that this guy at the contra dance is too. I keep meaning to ask, but it's kind of hard to casually sneak it into the conversation...
I drove home in the rain and sleet with my noisy, blown up muffler. I felt pretty wiped out and a little queasy from the nonstop action of the night. A couple of miles from home I started to feel like I was going to puke. When I started to walk across the field to the house, it suddenly hit me - that watering that starts in the back of the throat and signals imminent upchucking. I dropped my stuff and got off the path just in time. Blech! I felt instantly better though.
I slept in till 11 this morning. I'm starting to feel old. I never puke or feel tired! I suppose it's inevitable though...My 21st birthday is in 9 days.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Pinstripes
Somebody has been stealing the gasoline out of our cars. It's been happening off and on for the past couple of weeks. Mom and I now have locking gas caps, and Eric installed a huge hasp and padlock on his gas door.
Yesterday I tried to start my car and got nothing. The spark plugs weren't sparking. These are brand new spark plugs and wires..... I'm starting to think whoever's stealing the gas has been monkeying with other parts of my car. Bastards. Time to buy a shotgun and sit out there at night.
I bought and replaced the distributor cap and almost everything inside it. I'm going to install the new coil tomorrow. When I tried to start my van earlier today, I got nothing except a huge BANG that shook the house and scared Mom. I have to figure that one out tomorrow.
After that excitement, Mom and I went to town for her doc appointment. We brought her motorized wheelchair so she could test drive it around the local mall. While we were there, I went inside a frou-frou clothing store to see what it was like. They were having a sale on suits ... pinstripe suits! I've always had a thing for pinstripe suits and have always wanted one.
I tried on a few to see what I looked like. Snappy! Too bad I never have an occasion to wear something like that. It's not the most practical thing to wear while working in the garden or on my van. Perhaps I'll get an office job this winter as an excuse to get it. I wonder what kind of office drone I'd make? I bet I could have a lot of fun being someone's secretary. Mmmm, office supplies...
Yesterday I tried to start my car and got nothing. The spark plugs weren't sparking. These are brand new spark plugs and wires..... I'm starting to think whoever's stealing the gas has been monkeying with other parts of my car. Bastards. Time to buy a shotgun and sit out there at night.
I bought and replaced the distributor cap and almost everything inside it. I'm going to install the new coil tomorrow. When I tried to start my van earlier today, I got nothing except a huge BANG that shook the house and scared Mom. I have to figure that one out tomorrow.
After that excitement, Mom and I went to town for her doc appointment. We brought her motorized wheelchair so she could test drive it around the local mall. While we were there, I went inside a frou-frou clothing store to see what it was like. They were having a sale on suits ... pinstripe suits! I've always had a thing for pinstripe suits and have always wanted one.
I tried on a few to see what I looked like. Snappy! Too bad I never have an occasion to wear something like that. It's not the most practical thing to wear while working in the garden or on my van. Perhaps I'll get an office job this winter as an excuse to get it. I wonder what kind of office drone I'd make? I bet I could have a lot of fun being someone's secretary. Mmmm, office supplies...
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
My van!
Hallelujah! My van finally has an inspection sticker on it!
I spent 3 hours at the garage, asking a zillion questions of the mechanic as he worked on my van.... "What's this, how's that work, what's that do?"
He tightened up the exhaust, drained, refilled and put a new filter on the transmission, installed a lower balljoint on the right hand side, and inspected it. Total cost: $169.
My van purrs now. According to the nice mechanic, he can't see anything else wrong with it. He says it's in really nice shape. Woohoo!
I spent 3 hours at the garage, asking a zillion questions of the mechanic as he worked on my van.... "What's this, how's that work, what's that do?"
He tightened up the exhaust, drained, refilled and put a new filter on the transmission, installed a lower balljoint on the right hand side, and inspected it. Total cost: $169.
My van purrs now. According to the nice mechanic, he can't see anything else wrong with it. He says it's in really nice shape. Woohoo!
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Contra dancing
The place was packed last night! Great band, lots of people, and it lasted a little longer then usual ... from before 8 to midnight.
The kids and I had a great time! We danced with other people and each other, at one time doing a 4 person waltz with the nice guy I waltzed with last time.
Now we're all in recovery from too much fun :-) My feet hurt, Peter has a headache, and we all slept in late. Charlotte conked out even before we left the parking lot.
The kids and I had a great time! We danced with other people and each other, at one time doing a 4 person waltz with the nice guy I waltzed with last time.
Now we're all in recovery from too much fun :-) My feet hurt, Peter has a headache, and we all slept in late. Charlotte conked out even before we left the parking lot.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Water droplets on Maple leaf
I've always loved macro photography. There's something soothing about capturing the beauty in a small object that's often overlooked.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Out dancing
Last night the kids, Peter and I went to a contra dance in Montpelier. They have them every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturdays of the month. I haven't been in years. Long time no dance. It felt great to do it again!
I was still a bit rusty with the dance moves. I had forgotten how to do a lot of them, and I'm not that great at remembering the sequence they're supposed to go in for each one. I had a blast anyway!
There's this one guy there that I've danced with before. He's really nice, always smiling, and looks a lot like our favorite hiker Radar. I danced with him a couple of times tonight. He had to teach me how to waltz again. He showed me how much easier it was to follow him if I put my hand on his chest near the shoulder joint. You can then feel the slightest change of direction and follow before he starts to move that direction. Try it sometime :-)
We were out until 11:30pm. The kids conked out in the back of the van on the ride home. I was still jazzed up from the excitement and didn't get into bed till late. It's good I got out tonight and danced up a storm - I polished off half a gallon of eggnog over the past couple of days. It's my yearly holiday treat :-)
I was still a bit rusty with the dance moves. I had forgotten how to do a lot of them, and I'm not that great at remembering the sequence they're supposed to go in for each one. I had a blast anyway!
There's this one guy there that I've danced with before. He's really nice, always smiling, and looks a lot like our favorite hiker Radar. I danced with him a couple of times tonight. He had to teach me how to waltz again. He showed me how much easier it was to follow him if I put my hand on his chest near the shoulder joint. You can then feel the slightest change of direction and follow before he starts to move that direction. Try it sometime :-)
We were out until 11:30pm. The kids conked out in the back of the van on the ride home. I was still jazzed up from the excitement and didn't get into bed till late. It's good I got out tonight and danced up a storm - I polished off half a gallon of eggnog over the past couple of days. It's my yearly holiday treat :-)
Friday, October 29, 2004
Office safety
I was searching for that statistic on toilet seat injuries when I ran across this funny article:
Workplace safety
Workplace safety
Idiots
Somebody sent me a letter recently and said that research had been done about IQ levels and being understood. Evidently, if your IQ is 30 points higher than the person you're talking to, neither one can understand/comprehend the other. That statistic sure is evident in the comments section over on Rob's blog. Some people just take the information in front of them way out of context and derive totally opposite views than what the information really states.
Did you know that the average IQ in the U.S. is 100? Pretty scary!
It seems like a lot of people in this country don't know how to reason, or think, or form opinions on their own without somebody else telling them what to think.
I'm sick and disgusted of all the airtime the 9/11 incident has been getting. About 3,000 people were killed. Whoopie! More than 10 times that amount die each year in this country from the flu. See the CDC website for more info. Why don't we declare a war on germs and classify them as enemy combatants?
Did you know that over 1,000 people visit the emergency room each year for toilet seat related accidents? Priorities people, priorities!
Did you know that the average IQ in the U.S. is 100? Pretty scary!
It seems like a lot of people in this country don't know how to reason, or think, or form opinions on their own without somebody else telling them what to think.
I'm sick and disgusted of all the airtime the 9/11 incident has been getting. About 3,000 people were killed. Whoopie! More than 10 times that amount die each year in this country from the flu. See the CDC website for more info. Why don't we declare a war on germs and classify them as enemy combatants?
Did you know that over 1,000 people visit the emergency room each year for toilet seat related accidents? Priorities people, priorities!
My Butt
Boy, I was really incoherant when I wrote that last entry! Chalk it up to not enough sleep. When I re-read it this morning I realized it needed more detail.
Yup, I have stitches. They're underneath the skin.I was supposed to keep on the three butterfly bandages that were holding the outside skin together, but I ripped them off 4 hours after surgery. They hurt. Everything feels fine now :-) Though I suppose the doc won't be pleased ... they were supposed to be left on for a week.
I'm supposed to take it easy for the next couple of days. I think I'm going to catch up on my reading. If I go outside, I'll be tempted to work on my van again ...
Speaking of my van, I picked it up from the garage last night. They installed my brake lines and looked it over for inspection. It needed a couple of things done before they could inspect it, so I made an appointment to have them done. It looks to be November 9th before I can legally drive it again. (Sigh)
This garage was really nice and quick. They charged me $55.50 for the brake line work, which I consider fantastic! Both my uncle Eric and and I had tried to get the lines off previously, but couldn't budge them. I tried for several hours. It's such a relief to have them done now! The braking capabilities definately improved. My right front brakes had been locking up if I stomped on them too hard, now they work properly.
They now need to replace the front wheel bearings, tighten up the exhaust to the manifold, and patch a couple of small holes they found in the body. Then I'm all set! Woohooo!
I need to figure out what to do this winter. I need to get a job and pay off my debts ... and buy some new toys. I really need a circular saw, jigsaw, and a drill. Especially if I go down to Florida this winter to work as a carpenter!
I'm fairly sure that's what I'm going to do - Florida needs carpenters, I need money. Plus it'll be nice to hang out in gorgeous weather all winter. (Side note...while looking at my butt picture, I realized just how low my tanline really was. Jeez! I didn't know my pants hung that low)
I'm off to read some good books. I'm trying not to go out to the driveway, scooch under my van, and fix that exhaust. That's how I got this splinter in the first place. :-)
Yup, I have stitches. They're underneath the skin.I was supposed to keep on the three butterfly bandages that were holding the outside skin together, but I ripped them off 4 hours after surgery. They hurt. Everything feels fine now :-) Though I suppose the doc won't be pleased ... they were supposed to be left on for a week.
I'm supposed to take it easy for the next couple of days. I think I'm going to catch up on my reading. If I go outside, I'll be tempted to work on my van again ...
Speaking of my van, I picked it up from the garage last night. They installed my brake lines and looked it over for inspection. It needed a couple of things done before they could inspect it, so I made an appointment to have them done. It looks to be November 9th before I can legally drive it again. (Sigh)
This garage was really nice and quick. They charged me $55.50 for the brake line work, which I consider fantastic! Both my uncle Eric and and I had tried to get the lines off previously, but couldn't budge them. I tried for several hours. It's such a relief to have them done now! The braking capabilities definately improved. My right front brakes had been locking up if I stomped on them too hard, now they work properly.
They now need to replace the front wheel bearings, tighten up the exhaust to the manifold, and patch a couple of small holes they found in the body. Then I'm all set! Woohooo!
I need to figure out what to do this winter. I need to get a job and pay off my debts ... and buy some new toys. I really need a circular saw, jigsaw, and a drill. Especially if I go down to Florida this winter to work as a carpenter!
I'm fairly sure that's what I'm going to do - Florida needs carpenters, I need money. Plus it'll be nice to hang out in gorgeous weather all winter. (Side note...while looking at my butt picture, I realized just how low my tanline really was. Jeez! I didn't know my pants hung that low)
I'm off to read some good books. I'm trying not to go out to the driveway, scooch under my van, and fix that exhaust. That's how I got this splinter in the first place. :-)
Thursday, October 28, 2004
I wish I had the camera in the operating room! I could barely see a thing from my position on the table. It was pretty cool to be totally numb but aware of what was happening.
The doc had to poke around for quite a while to get the metal out. It kept moving around inside, so he had to lengthen the incision from the original plan ... it's about an inch long. Now my official pain in the butt has been removed and now sits on my shelf in a urine specimen jar. :-)
Monday, October 25, 2004
Saturday, October 23, 2004
van cedar
My van took another step towards completion today. I installed aromatic cedar planks on the top and sides of the lip where wooden paneling meets fiberglass roof. My handy dandy rope lights are behind the side planking, and the top ones make nice candle or other small object shelves.
The other day I gave the exterior another coat of paint. Today I finally reinstalled the black rubber weatherstriping that encircles the roof cap attachment point.
Recently some yahoo sent me a letter saying how awfully I was living my life, that my van was a waste of money and I should have bought a newer car, etc etc. I get the idea that the letter writer totally missed the point of my life.
I see my van as a great investment. With it, I'm learning valuable mechanical skills and getting a huge self-esteem boost every time I figure out how something new on it. I now have a home on wheels and a snazzy work vehicle. My van isn't as likely to get stolen as some other vehicles out there, and I can easily spot it in a parking lot. My van has also been invaluable in terms of therapy.
I get great enjoyment out of my van and the rest of my life. Rather than save up all of my money and time for two weeks of vacation a year, I enjoy the money and time now. I could get run over by a bus tomorrow...But more likely, I could get an auto-immune disease like my mom. It doesn't make sense to save up money and fun for a time that may never come. It's nice to have money in the bank, but I'd rather use that money on things I can enjoy now...like cool carpentry tools for work, and outdoor gear for play.
There is a strong incidence of auto-immune diseases within my family. There's a chance I could get something like Lupus or Myasthenia Gravis later in life. If I do get something like that, I would like to have at least lived a little before hand.
If you don't like the way I live my life, then bite me. :-) And only send letters that overflow with genuine flattery and adoration.
Friday, October 22, 2004
Mechanical bill
I'm in a better mood now :-)
I still haven't found the mechanic, but I figure he'll finally find me/call me back if he wants to be paid. I'm going to give him a bill for his 'services'.
He originally wanted $77.24. $45 for the part, $30 for labor, plus tax. Well, I've done some calling around. Being a mere customer and not dealer, I could only obtain that part from the dealer instead of a parts shop. They would sell it to me for $21-27. Being a dealer, you know they mark it up substantially. The part probably really only costs $8-10.
The bill I'm thinking of sending goes something like this:
Original Bill:
$45 Part
$30 Labor
$2.24 tax
My Bill:
You charge $5 a day for cars not picked up promptly after fixing. You did not begin to fix my car until 7 days after I brought it in for the original appointment. $5 a day times 7 = $35
You did not bother to inspect my car like I asked you to. Nor did you install the two brake lines because in your words, "It would cut into the other work I'm doing elsewhere". My car's inspection grace period expired while it was sitting at your garage. I have been unable to go to work until I get it inspected, and the soonest appointment I could get from a reputable garage was 10 total days/7 working days after you released my vehicle. I earn more than minimum wage as a carpenter. Even at minimum wage, I would have lost $378 thanks to not being able to use my van to get to work.
My uncle graciously fixed the crooked steering column and wiring you screwed up. At the $30 an hour you charge, he should be fairly reimbursed for the 2 hours it took him. $30 x 2 hours = $60
Total Bill:
$473
minus cost of your bill of $77.24
You owe me $395.76
Have a nice day :-)
I still haven't found the mechanic, but I figure he'll finally find me/call me back if he wants to be paid. I'm going to give him a bill for his 'services'.
He originally wanted $77.24. $45 for the part, $30 for labor, plus tax. Well, I've done some calling around. Being a mere customer and not dealer, I could only obtain that part from the dealer instead of a parts shop. They would sell it to me for $21-27. Being a dealer, you know they mark it up substantially. The part probably really only costs $8-10.
The bill I'm thinking of sending goes something like this:
Original Bill:
$45 Part
$30 Labor
$2.24 tax
My Bill:
You charge $5 a day for cars not picked up promptly after fixing. You did not begin to fix my car until 7 days after I brought it in for the original appointment. $5 a day times 7 = $35
You did not bother to inspect my car like I asked you to. Nor did you install the two brake lines because in your words, "It would cut into the other work I'm doing elsewhere". My car's inspection grace period expired while it was sitting at your garage. I have been unable to go to work until I get it inspected, and the soonest appointment I could get from a reputable garage was 10 total days/7 working days after you released my vehicle. I earn more than minimum wage as a carpenter. Even at minimum wage, I would have lost $378 thanks to not being able to use my van to get to work.
My uncle graciously fixed the crooked steering column and wiring you screwed up. At the $30 an hour you charge, he should be fairly reimbursed for the 2 hours it took him. $30 x 2 hours = $60
Total Bill:
$473
minus cost of your bill of $77.24
You owe me $395.76
Have a nice day :-)
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Agitated
I went mechanic hunting today, unsuccessfully. Andy Morse of Morse's Garage was nowhere to be found. According to his mother, he plans to take this whole next week off. She wouldn't tell me where his house was, and the directions I obtained from his cousin were kinda vague. I went to both the Calais and Worcester town clerk offices to see if they knew where he lived. I walked around where his house was supposed to be and bumped into some neighbors of ours, who didn't know he was even living in the neighborhood. I tried a different but almost parallel road and asked a couple of the neighbors down there if they knew of him.
Everywhere I went, I explained why I was looking for Andy. Pretty soon both towns should know what a crappy mechanic he is. Both town clerks like to gossip. :-)
I'm still peeved he'd consider the job done and hand the car back to me with the drive shaft installed crooked and more problems then when it came in. The snot.
I fixed some of the problems today. With the help of my Uncle Eric and his cool electrical probe thingy, we figured out the back left blinker and got it to work. But now the left front side and right rear side blinkers don't work. Lovely.
My bed is lumpy, I'm irritable, my car's inspection has inspired, the idiot mechanic is nowhere to be found, I have no money thanks to being vanless/workless for a week, and my credit is shot thanks to normal living expenses and a present I bought myself yesterday. :-) I can't wait to use it...it's a carbon fiber kayak paddle and a nifty wetsuit that I've been lusting after for YEARS.
While I was at the kayak store getting my goodies, I took one of their kevlar kayaks out on their pond for a little test drive. What a gorgeous boat! It's so swift and curvaceous. Very light too...only 46 pounds! It's on sale - only $2,400. Such a steal! I need a roof rack for my van so I can go somewhere. It's either that or take up whitewater kayaking...then I could fit the boat inside the van. :-)
Everywhere I went, I explained why I was looking for Andy. Pretty soon both towns should know what a crappy mechanic he is. Both town clerks like to gossip. :-)
I'm still peeved he'd consider the job done and hand the car back to me with the drive shaft installed crooked and more problems then when it came in. The snot.
I fixed some of the problems today. With the help of my Uncle Eric and his cool electrical probe thingy, we figured out the back left blinker and got it to work. But now the left front side and right rear side blinkers don't work. Lovely.
My bed is lumpy, I'm irritable, my car's inspection has inspired, the idiot mechanic is nowhere to be found, I have no money thanks to being vanless/workless for a week, and my credit is shot thanks to normal living expenses and a present I bought myself yesterday. :-) I can't wait to use it...it's a carbon fiber kayak paddle and a nifty wetsuit that I've been lusting after for YEARS.
While I was at the kayak store getting my goodies, I took one of their kevlar kayaks out on their pond for a little test drive. What a gorgeous boat! It's so swift and curvaceous. Very light too...only 46 pounds! It's on sale - only $2,400. Such a steal! I need a roof rack for my van so I can go somewhere. It's either that or take up whitewater kayaking...then I could fit the boat inside the van. :-)
Monday, October 18, 2004
Don't go to Morses Garage
The guy I took my van to is an idiot.
I made an appointment with him to have my van's left flasher fixed, new brake lines put in, and have it inspected. I made the appointment 5 days ahead of time. I bought the brake lines and put them on the passenger seat so he could get to and use them easily. Told him to use them. Dropped my van off on Monday. When I dropped it off, I asked him to do one more thing ... fix the flashers that had become permanently stuck on the drive over. Was told the work should take a day, no problem.
He kept reneging on his promise of when it would be ready. First it was the next day. Then the end of Wednesday. Then Thursday. Then, he told me he might work on it on Sunday, but it probably wouldn't be ready till Monday. In the meantime, my van sat at his shop.
My van sat there for a week. The grace period for having my van inspected after registering it expired while it was there. I'm no longer legally allowed to drive it, unless it's to an inspection appointment.
I went to pick it up tonight. It's a good thing I didn't pay him yet ... he totally screwed it up. When he put my steering column back on, he did it wrong. The gear shift indicator no longer indicates the right gear. The gear shift lever no longer works smoothly or correctly...I have to shove it. The blinker knob won't shift smoothly either, and he screwed up the wiring. Now when I have my high beams on, the brightness level fluctuates depending on how much I'm stepping on the gas.
Bastard.
I'm going back tomorrow morning and will politely refuse to leave until he fixes the problems he caused. I would also like to walk away with an inspection sticker so I can go back to work.
I forgot to mention that he didn't install my brake lines or fix my left blinker like he had originally promised to do. His excuse for why he didn't do my brake lines? He said they looked fine already. This is after repeatedly assuring me that the brake lines would be no problem to do. He also said that doing them would cut into his other repair jobs.
Well excuse me dingbat, but why did I make an appointment with you 5 days ahead of the fact? I thought making an appointment meant you would be put into the work schedule.
I made an appointment with him to have my van's left flasher fixed, new brake lines put in, and have it inspected. I made the appointment 5 days ahead of time. I bought the brake lines and put them on the passenger seat so he could get to and use them easily. Told him to use them. Dropped my van off on Monday. When I dropped it off, I asked him to do one more thing ... fix the flashers that had become permanently stuck on the drive over. Was told the work should take a day, no problem.
He kept reneging on his promise of when it would be ready. First it was the next day. Then the end of Wednesday. Then Thursday. Then, he told me he might work on it on Sunday, but it probably wouldn't be ready till Monday. In the meantime, my van sat at his shop.
My van sat there for a week. The grace period for having my van inspected after registering it expired while it was there. I'm no longer legally allowed to drive it, unless it's to an inspection appointment.
I went to pick it up tonight. It's a good thing I didn't pay him yet ... he totally screwed it up. When he put my steering column back on, he did it wrong. The gear shift indicator no longer indicates the right gear. The gear shift lever no longer works smoothly or correctly...I have to shove it. The blinker knob won't shift smoothly either, and he screwed up the wiring. Now when I have my high beams on, the brightness level fluctuates depending on how much I'm stepping on the gas.
Bastard.
I'm going back tomorrow morning and will politely refuse to leave until he fixes the problems he caused. I would also like to walk away with an inspection sticker so I can go back to work.
I forgot to mention that he didn't install my brake lines or fix my left blinker like he had originally promised to do. His excuse for why he didn't do my brake lines? He said they looked fine already. This is after repeatedly assuring me that the brake lines would be no problem to do. He also said that doing them would cut into his other repair jobs.
Well excuse me dingbat, but why did I make an appointment with you 5 days ahead of the fact? I thought making an appointment meant you would be put into the work schedule.
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Fun with Math
Like I said, I've always hated math with a passion. Though I love physics, theories, and explanations on how and why the universe ticks...As long as it's not too heavy on the numbers. Numbers are just so dry and technical. Give me something juicy and exuberant!
I don't know why I don't like math. I think I'm just allergic to things people want to make me do. For instance, The most miles I've hiked in a day is 38. I enjoyed it imensely. But if somebody told me I had to hike 38 in a day...I think I'd develop a sudden case of leg cramps and insist I would die if I didn't get some immediate bed rest.
A couple of weeks ago a switch flipped in my brain. I suddenly had the urge to do some math. I've been slowly working on it bit by bit every night and find myself having a fun time. I've been studying out of a couple of great books I highly recomend. One is called Math To Build On. It's math geared towards people in the building trades. Lots of nice illustrations, easy to read, and it starts off really elementary. It progresses fast, but it's easy to follow thanks to the easy to understand text. If I only had one math book, I'd want it to be The Tratchenburg Speed System. It's amazing how simple math becomes once you understand this different way of mathematics.
I don't know why I don't like math. I think I'm just allergic to things people want to make me do. For instance, The most miles I've hiked in a day is 38. I enjoyed it imensely. But if somebody told me I had to hike 38 in a day...I think I'd develop a sudden case of leg cramps and insist I would die if I didn't get some immediate bed rest.
A couple of weeks ago a switch flipped in my brain. I suddenly had the urge to do some math. I've been slowly working on it bit by bit every night and find myself having a fun time. I've been studying out of a couple of great books I highly recomend. One is called Math To Build On. It's math geared towards people in the building trades. Lots of nice illustrations, easy to read, and it starts off really elementary. It progresses fast, but it's easy to follow thanks to the easy to understand text. If I only had one math book, I'd want it to be The Tratchenburg Speed System. It's amazing how simple math becomes once you understand this different way of mathematics.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Johnson State College
Every week my 7 year-old cousin Charlotte asks if I have a boyfriend yet. When I tell her no, she insists I need to go out and get one. She suggests finding one by going to college.
Today I went to the open house at Johnson State... Not to look for a boyfriend, but to check out their outdoor education program. I've been interested in them for several years now and finally decided to visit campus. Pretty interesting place! They seem to have a lot of things going on there. The professors were all really nice and talkative, the library had a lot of comfy chairs and good views, and the food actually tasted decent.
College gets more appealing the older I get. I want to be surrounded by enthusiastic people who are into the same things I am. I'm not interested so much in the learning as the smushing myself into a tiny dormroom with a complete stranger and being enveloped by the hyper social scene.
I'm seriously considering taking the SATs and starting the whole college application process. It would be a different experience...
Today I went to the open house at Johnson State... Not to look for a boyfriend, but to check out their outdoor education program. I've been interested in them for several years now and finally decided to visit campus. Pretty interesting place! They seem to have a lot of things going on there. The professors were all really nice and talkative, the library had a lot of comfy chairs and good views, and the food actually tasted decent.
College gets more appealing the older I get. I want to be surrounded by enthusiastic people who are into the same things I am. I'm not interested so much in the learning as the smushing myself into a tiny dormroom with a complete stranger and being enveloped by the hyper social scene.
I'm seriously considering taking the SATs and starting the whole college application process. It would be a different experience...
Friday, October 15, 2004
What things suck
GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!
On Monday I brought my beloved van to the mechanic for its appointment to have the wiring fixed and brake lines put in. It's now Friday and I've learned the mechanic just started working on it today. Previously he had promised it would be ready by Thursday. Now he says it won't be ready Monday, and he won't be able to fix the wiring. Time to start charging him.
In the meantime, I'm paying insurance for the privelage of having it sit in his lot. He's had it so long that the grace period for me being able to drive it without being inspected has run out. I can't get it inspected without the lights working, which he can't fix because he doesn't know how.
GRRRRRRRRR!!
On Monday I brought my beloved van to the mechanic for its appointment to have the wiring fixed and brake lines put in. It's now Friday and I've learned the mechanic just started working on it today. Previously he had promised it would be ready by Thursday. Now he says it won't be ready Monday, and he won't be able to fix the wiring. Time to start charging him.
In the meantime, I'm paying insurance for the privelage of having it sit in his lot. He's had it so long that the grace period for me being able to drive it without being inspected has run out. I can't get it inspected without the lights working, which he can't fix because he doesn't know how.
GRRRRRRRRR!!
Thursday, October 14, 2004
New Bumper Stickers!
Some new stickers that I nought over the internet arrived today. Yay! They say:
Eschew Obfuscation
If going to church makes you a Christian, does going to the garage make you a car?
I saw Elvis making crop circles
Support your local revolution
I give evolution two opposable thumbs up!
I have an ulterior motive for my hidden adgenda
Bipartisanship I'll hug your elephant if you kiss my ass
Congress gave huge tax breaks to the rich and all I got was this lousy bumper sticker
Invest in America - Buy a congressman
Where are we going? And why am I in this handbasket?
Actions speak louder than bumperstickers
Please forgive me, I was raised by wolves
and a sticker with the Christian fish emblem that says inside it: & Chips
Eschew Obfuscation
If going to church makes you a Christian, does going to the garage make you a car?
I saw Elvis making crop circles
Support your local revolution
I give evolution two opposable thumbs up!
I have an ulterior motive for my hidden adgenda
Bipartisanship I'll hug your elephant if you kiss my ass
Congress gave huge tax breaks to the rich and all I got was this lousy bumper sticker
Invest in America - Buy a congressman
Where are we going? And why am I in this handbasket?
Actions speak louder than bumperstickers
Please forgive me, I was raised by wolves
and a sticker with the Christian fish emblem that says inside it: & Chips
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Horoscope
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Events in the coming week will bring the beginning of the end of an influence you love to hate. They will also usher in a turning point for your relationship with a person you should treat better than you do. And that's just a fraction of the many adventures headed your way, Sagittarius. Finales and climaxes will be in the works everywhere you turn, and you will get one last chance to fix a long-standing mess before it explodes. Is that dramatic enough for you? No? You want even more? OK, then, how's this: You may finally realize what you want to be when you grow up.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Something Different
I want to do something different this year. A new experience. An activity to stretch my comfort zones and expand my mind. I feel like I've been doing variations of the same thing for the past few years. Hiking, trailwork and carpentry are all well and good, but I need to try something else!
I have an urge to go someplace, reinvent myself, and try new things. I have no idea WHAT. Vermont is getting claustrophobic. Maybe I'll emigrate to Canada and play with the mounties.
I have an urge to go someplace, reinvent myself, and try new things. I have no idea WHAT. Vermont is getting claustrophobic. Maybe I'll emigrate to Canada and play with the mounties.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Why Heather needs a life
Last night I was watching a couple episodes of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and laughing my head off. Mom remarked from the other room that she misses me laughing that way...throaty and uninhibited, like I used to do all the time as a baby.
I miss it too. I wish I could be more uninhibited when it comes to my personality in public. I'm really quite a shy person when other people are present.
Like the other day at work. I dropped in at the barn to see what Sam and Eric were working on. Sam had finished pounding down the texture of the granite from rocky peaks to a surface that was more like the prairies of the midwest, and had started polishing it. He invited me to run my hand over the silky areas. I started running my fingertips over the buttery soft granite but became instantly shy. Sam was watching me.
If it were just me there....I would have run both hands over the entire block, marveling at the roughness of the raw granite crystals juxtaposed against the newly satin surfaces. I wouldn't have given a whit about my actions ... I just would have done them. And enjoyed it without reservation.
I miss it too. I wish I could be more uninhibited when it comes to my personality in public. I'm really quite a shy person when other people are present.
Like the other day at work. I dropped in at the barn to see what Sam and Eric were working on. Sam had finished pounding down the texture of the granite from rocky peaks to a surface that was more like the prairies of the midwest, and had started polishing it. He invited me to run my hand over the silky areas. I started running my fingertips over the buttery soft granite but became instantly shy. Sam was watching me.
If it were just me there....I would have run both hands over the entire block, marveling at the roughness of the raw granite crystals juxtaposed against the newly satin surfaces. I wouldn't have given a whit about my actions ... I just would have done them. And enjoyed it without reservation.
God versus Bush
More bush bashing, this time in the form of a funny jpg illustrating God's will through hurricanes.
http://bash.org/GODvsBUSH.gif
http://bash.org/GODvsBUSH.gif
Monday, October 04, 2004
School
I stumbled upon this article. In some town whose name I didn't catch, the daily newspaper publishes it every start of the school year.
"Summer died last night. Never mind the calendar date, and never mind what the meteorologists say about the autumn equinox. Summer went quietly, and its trappings with it.
While children slept, frayed cut-off denim shorts disappeared from bedposts to be replaced by stiff new jeans or slacks.
And lined up on the floor, shoes; shoes to imprison feet grown tough through a barefoot summer.
It all went so quickly; the bright green, blue and golden days, the soft windless nights punctuated by the gossip of tree toads and crickets. Now it is ended. Wind, sun and rain no longer matter. Now their days are ordered by unnatural things: buzzers, bells and disembodied voices coming from the walls.
What shall we do today?
You'll do what you're told, that's what. Thou shalt not run unless I tell you to run. But I ran all summer when I wanted to run.
Thou shalt not talk unless I tell you to talk. But in the summer when I had something to say, I said it.
Thou shalt not laugh unless you see that I am amused.
So the schools reclaim the children, taking them away from non-productive pursuits to Prepare Them For Life. And being children, they adjust.
Besides, it's not all unpleasant. There are old acquaintances to be renewed, summer experiences to be shared, and in the sharing a certain reliving of those precious hours. There are things to be learned, skills to be discovered and enhanced. Knowledge to be accumulated and stored until test time when it can be summoned up, set down and then forgotten to make room for more dispensable knowledge. And that is all for a purpose.
These are your most precious possessions, the educators say. Give them to us and we will give them back to you better than they were before. Maybe. Maybe not. No guarantee goes with the service. No warranty. No money back if not completely satisfied.
All that's certain is that there will be other summers. But this one's dead.
A yellow bus came in the early morning, its lights cutting through the thick gray fog, and carried summer away."
"Summer died last night. Never mind the calendar date, and never mind what the meteorologists say about the autumn equinox. Summer went quietly, and its trappings with it.
While children slept, frayed cut-off denim shorts disappeared from bedposts to be replaced by stiff new jeans or slacks.
And lined up on the floor, shoes; shoes to imprison feet grown tough through a barefoot summer.
It all went so quickly; the bright green, blue and golden days, the soft windless nights punctuated by the gossip of tree toads and crickets. Now it is ended. Wind, sun and rain no longer matter. Now their days are ordered by unnatural things: buzzers, bells and disembodied voices coming from the walls.
What shall we do today?
You'll do what you're told, that's what. Thou shalt not run unless I tell you to run. But I ran all summer when I wanted to run.
Thou shalt not talk unless I tell you to talk. But in the summer when I had something to say, I said it.
Thou shalt not laugh unless you see that I am amused.
So the schools reclaim the children, taking them away from non-productive pursuits to Prepare Them For Life. And being children, they adjust.
Besides, it's not all unpleasant. There are old acquaintances to be renewed, summer experiences to be shared, and in the sharing a certain reliving of those precious hours. There are things to be learned, skills to be discovered and enhanced. Knowledge to be accumulated and stored until test time when it can be summoned up, set down and then forgotten to make room for more dispensable knowledge. And that is all for a purpose.
These are your most precious possessions, the educators say. Give them to us and we will give them back to you better than they were before. Maybe. Maybe not. No guarantee goes with the service. No warranty. No money back if not completely satisfied.
All that's certain is that there will be other summers. But this one's dead.
A yellow bus came in the early morning, its lights cutting through the thick gray fog, and carried summer away."
Lights....lights....lights?
My van is being persnickety. This weekend I stomped into the house and declared to mom that if my van had a neck, I'd be wringing it. The electrical system is something else!
I dug out all of the wires from behind the walls and tried to make sense of it. I spliced together 4 loose ends and got the back lights to work again. All I needed to do was to get the left blinker to blink. So far I've failed at that task, and am back at square one. None of the back end lights work.
Perhaps I should let a professional deal with it :-)
The auto electrical shop I went to the other day had a sign:
$32 an hour
$36 if you watch
$40 if you help
I dug out all of the wires from behind the walls and tried to make sense of it. I spliced together 4 loose ends and got the back lights to work again. All I needed to do was to get the left blinker to blink. So far I've failed at that task, and am back at square one. None of the back end lights work.
Perhaps I should let a professional deal with it :-)
The auto electrical shop I went to the other day had a sign:
$32 an hour
$36 if you watch
$40 if you help
I need a sign like that for my carpentry business...
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Mooooo
I'm running away from home soon. I already have cabin fever. Where to go? What to do? What bank to rob to finance it all? I just came in from working on my van. It's been a frustrating weekend!
My rearview mirror took a couple of hours to put up. It's a long story, and involves Gorilla Glue, a kit of super-duper mirror epoxy, 3 types of screws, one rivet and gun, a clamp, 3 broken drill bits, a dead battery and exponential amounts of swearing. In addition, one of my fingers sustained some damage when the drill I was holding sliped and started boring into my flesh with the bit going at high speed. I now have two parallel, ragged cuts. The final outcome? One mirror, mounted upside down to the steel van frame.
This is why when I came in, I liked this picture of the cow. Very soothing. I took its picture as it stood in the middle of the Appalachian Trail last year.
Friday, October 01, 2004
Poser
Sam posing with the granite
I told Eric he was on the web. He was so engrossed with his work, he hadn't noticed I had taken pictures of him. Sam though...what a ham!
Like the goggles/dust mask/ear muffs with built in radio? I personally like the carhartts...As most people who have read my site know. I need to get another pair myself. Mom made me throw out my 4 year old, well broken in pair. She wasn't going to drive me back home from Arizona unless I did.
Pray for my butt
I got home from work today and read mom's blog to see what was new. She's currently asking for people to pray for my butt. Why? Well...
I have a metal object lodged inside my skin, to the left of my tail bone. I must have gotten it while sliding around under my van about a month ago.
My doc says he's always wanted to prescribe a butt x-ray, so he sent me to get one yesterday. My aunt Liz said they'll probably find my head up there. Today the doc called back to say the thing is a metal, needle-like object that's more than an inch long and is in such a tricky place, they need to operate to get it out. My surgery is next week. I hope they let me keep it when they dig it out. It'll make for a great conversation piece.
I have a metal object lodged inside my skin, to the left of my tail bone. I must have gotten it while sliding around under my van about a month ago.
My doc says he's always wanted to prescribe a butt x-ray, so he sent me to get one yesterday. My aunt Liz said they'll probably find my head up there. Today the doc called back to say the thing is a metal, needle-like object that's more than an inch long and is in such a tricky place, they need to operate to get it out. My surgery is next week. I hope they let me keep it when they dig it out. It'll make for a great conversation piece.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Stickers on van cap
These stickers from left to right read,
Who would Jesus bomb?
Don't believe anything until it has been officially denied
Stop repeat offenders - don't re-elect them
Drive carefully! 90% of all people are caused by accidents
Come the rapture, can I have your car?
The buck doesn't even slow down here
I'm marching to a different accordian
Vizualize using your turn signals
Buckle up! It makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of your car
Homeschooling The world is the classroom
No, you can't have my rights. I'm still using them
Religions are just cults with more members
God is too big to fit into one religion
I love my country but fear my government
HELL it's not the heat, it's the humidity
Don't pray in my school and I won't think in your church
Militant Agnostic I don't know and you don't either
Oh no, not another learning experience!
Support organic farmers
Unmarked police car
Under republicans, man exploits man. Under democrats, it's the opposite
A leading cause of stress is reality!
Not all who wander are lost
Queen without a country
What would Scooby-do?
Sam
This is Sam. He lives in the apartment over the garage at the house I'm painting. Normally he lives in New York City, but he's up here to work on granite for a few months. He has a couple of stones, and this one pictured is a 3 ton chunk of granite that he's going to break into about 80 pieces. He's going to polish some, leave some rough, and make it so the stone can fit back together as one. After he's done creating his masterpieces, he's going to tote it home to his loft/artist studio in NYC. Luckily it's an old warehouse and has strong, steel beam floors!
I took this picture while standing on a beam up near the ceiling. It was fascinating to watch Sam and Eric (My current employer) work on the granite chunks. Sam is young, strong and passionate, and approaches his stone with zeal tinged with a bit of confoundment. Eric has been carving granite for 30 years. He approaches it methodically, sure of every movement.
Eric
This is Eric. He wears his "Superdad" hat to work almost every day. He's a super granite sculptor too. Anything you wanted, he could probably make. His creations dot the landscape around here...from the tiered granite embankments for the local swimming area on Curtis Pond, to the benches out front of one of the local libraries.
Monday, September 27, 2004
My job
It always happens on a job. The customer will say, "Since you're here, could you....?" Sometimes the request is for something small, like an extra half hour job. Sometimes it becomes bigger than the original job. Last year, a 3 day stair mending job became a May through October full-on house makeover job.
I started working where I'm at now around the middle of August. The job was originally to paint the ceiling and posts of a small side porch. The job mushroomed into painting the rest of the trim around the entire house. Which morphed into painting their entire apartment above the garage. Then it moved inside their house to start painting the wainscotting and trim in the kitchen. Then the living room. Which then became the bathroom ceiling and window, the stairwell leading up, and today, it became the master bedroom windows. The only thing left to paint is the outside doors and the windows in the 2 other bedrooms. Hmmmm...I wonder if that's next?
I can't complain. I really love having a paying, steady job. All of my current money is being funneled into my van project. Every week I say, this weekend I'll get it on the road! Soon... very soon...
I tried bleeding the brakes after installing new calipers and pads. Nothing will come out. I think it's a clogged brake line. I have the new lines, but I can't get the old ones off. I think it's time to hand it over to a "real" mechanic. The other problem is my left tail light won't blink. All of the other lights work great. I discovered it has a cut wire. Time to remove the insulation around it and work on it from the inside. Bzzzt!
I took everything out of my van, then vaccuumed and beat my rug yesterday. It looks so clean now! I want to find/buy a foam mattress soon. As soon as I get my van street legal, I'm going camping!
I started working where I'm at now around the middle of August. The job was originally to paint the ceiling and posts of a small side porch. The job mushroomed into painting the rest of the trim around the entire house. Which morphed into painting their entire apartment above the garage. Then it moved inside their house to start painting the wainscotting and trim in the kitchen. Then the living room. Which then became the bathroom ceiling and window, the stairwell leading up, and today, it became the master bedroom windows. The only thing left to paint is the outside doors and the windows in the 2 other bedrooms. Hmmmm...I wonder if that's next?
I can't complain. I really love having a paying, steady job. All of my current money is being funneled into my van project. Every week I say, this weekend I'll get it on the road! Soon... very soon...
I tried bleeding the brakes after installing new calipers and pads. Nothing will come out. I think it's a clogged brake line. I have the new lines, but I can't get the old ones off. I think it's time to hand it over to a "real" mechanic. The other problem is my left tail light won't blink. All of the other lights work great. I discovered it has a cut wire. Time to remove the insulation around it and work on it from the inside. Bzzzt!
I took everything out of my van, then vaccuumed and beat my rug yesterday. It looks so clean now! I want to find/buy a foam mattress soon. As soon as I get my van street legal, I'm going camping!
Three proofs that Jesus was...
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS JEWISH
He went into his father's business
He lived at home until he was 33
He was sure his Mother was a virgin, and his Mother was sure he was God
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS IRISH
He never got married
He was always telling stories
He loved green pastures
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS PUERTO RICAN
His first name was Jesus
He was bilingual
He was always being harassed by the authorities
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS ITALIAN
He talked with his hands
He had wine with every meal
He worked in the building trades
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS BLACK
He called everybody "brother"
He liked Gospel
He couldn't get a fair trial
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS A CALIFORNIAN
He never cut his hair
He walked around barefoot
He started a new religion
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS A WOMAN
He had to feed a crowd, at a moments notice, when there was no food.
He kept trying to get the message across to a bunch of men who just didn't get it.
Even dead, he had to get up because there was more work for him to do.
He went into his father's business
He lived at home until he was 33
He was sure his Mother was a virgin, and his Mother was sure he was God
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS IRISH
He never got married
He was always telling stories
He loved green pastures
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS PUERTO RICAN
His first name was Jesus
He was bilingual
He was always being harassed by the authorities
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS ITALIAN
He talked with his hands
He had wine with every meal
He worked in the building trades
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS BLACK
He called everybody "brother"
He liked Gospel
He couldn't get a fair trial
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS A CALIFORNIAN
He never cut his hair
He walked around barefoot
He started a new religion
THREE PROOFS THAT JESUS WAS A WOMAN
He had to feed a crowd, at a moments notice, when there was no food.
He kept trying to get the message across to a bunch of men who just didn't get it.
Even dead, he had to get up because there was more work for him to do.
Saturday, September 25, 2004
What's new
I slept in until 11am this morning. Ahhhhhhhhhh. The previous two nights, mom and I have gone late-night grocery shopping.
When I did get up, I played around in my van. I cleared out most of the junk and tools, vaccumed the rug, and put another coat of paint on the exterior cap. I read a couple of books while I was out there. One of the books was from the 70's and had this to say:
"If you are going to panel the entire interior of your van in mirrors, you will need a glass cutter."
Lots of great info on wierd window shapes, quirky design ideas, and tips on how to install shag carpeting.
Haven't been updating lately because I've been working. I'll finish up this job within the week...
When I did get up, I played around in my van. I cleared out most of the junk and tools, vaccumed the rug, and put another coat of paint on the exterior cap. I read a couple of books while I was out there. One of the books was from the 70's and had this to say:
"If you are going to panel the entire interior of your van in mirrors, you will need a glass cutter."
Lots of great info on wierd window shapes, quirky design ideas, and tips on how to install shag carpeting.
Haven't been updating lately because I've been working. I'll finish up this job within the week...
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Birthday
Today is my cousin Sam's 10th birthday. Wow, a whole decade old!
Mom and I had thrown her a birthday party in Arizona earlier this year, thinking we weren't going to see her for a while. Since we already gave her presents then, I'm going the cheap and easy way this time- make her a card and enclose 10 bucks.
I wonder what kind of cake I should make? Last time I made spice cake with cream cheese frosting. Maybe something chocolate this time....I'm going to the kitchen to figure it out.
It's Peter's dish night tonight. Perhaps I'll make a 10 course dinner. :-)
Mom and I had thrown her a birthday party in Arizona earlier this year, thinking we weren't going to see her for a while. Since we already gave her presents then, I'm going the cheap and easy way this time- make her a card and enclose 10 bucks.
I wonder what kind of cake I should make? Last time I made spice cake with cream cheese frosting. Maybe something chocolate this time....I'm going to the kitchen to figure it out.
It's Peter's dish night tonight. Perhaps I'll make a 10 course dinner. :-)
Friday, September 17, 2004
Bloggerific!
Heather in the bathroom mirror
Somebody sent me the first prank boyfriend application today. He describes himself thusly:
i'm very hairy and short, my interests are watching television, and scratching
myself, i hate animals and children, i want to be your man
Sounds delightful :-) Except for the hairy part...I've never felt a hairy chest. It appeals. Both mom and Liz really like them, in fact it was requirement #1 for Liz's man hunt. My mother has asked several men if she could feel their chests. All have said yes. She even felt Rob's while he was here to visit. :-)
Cooking
Pasta in alfredo sauce
I've forgotten to take my happy pills for the past couple of days. Now I know why I haven't felt much in my right mind. I must be crazy today...I cooked up a storm, on MY dish night! For lunch I roasted 3 colors of potatoes with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, chives, onions and garlic, and grilled two marinated steaks apiece. I sauteed some onions and garlic to smother the steaks with.
For supper I made fettuccine in alfredo sauce with a sprinkling of chopped basil. Was going to make dessert, but decided there were enough dishes. Neither mom nor I can cook without using almost every dish in the house. It's a special talent.
Mom wrote about me dousing myself with pepper spray today over on her blog. Yesterday I went to the dentist. The day before, I was sticking the lizard in the stovepipe of an outdoor stove when I realized too late that there was a wasp nest in it. A couple of days before that, I had accidentally dropped my van off of the jacks and came thisclose to the wheel falling into the dirt. An hour later Eric dropped the other side of my van, and bent his jack out of shape. That same day mom accidentally broke his tail light out with her ATV.
While getting 3 of my teeth sealed yesterday, the novacaine wore off just as the dentist was grinding down my back molar with his drill. I screamed. Quickly got another shot of drugs. When I left, they told me it would take at least 6 hours for the numbness to wear off. I was normal within 3. When I got back, I learned it always wears off quickly for mom, and it doesn't even effect my aunt Liz.
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Good book
I picked up a fascinating book at the library today. It's called
Cooking for Mr. Latte
A food lover's courtship, with recipes
I started reading it at a stoplight. I was so engrossed that the person behind me had to beep to let me know it was a green light. People in Vermont never beep.
Cooking for Mr. Latte
A food lover's courtship, with recipes
I started reading it at a stoplight. I was so engrossed that the person behind me had to beep to let me know it was a green light. People in Vermont never beep.
Relationships
I have not been in a relationship in 474 days. It's been an interesting time so far. I've been through a lot of phases.
At first I started looking up born again virginity.
Then involuntary celibacy...
Which led me to wonder what different cultures had to say about sex for unmarried women.
I pondered if arranged marriages made good sense.
I perused several dating sites.
I usually read the personals ads for amusement. I crafted a few of my own. How to describe my personality and wants in 30 words or less?
I decided that relationships were unhealthy for people my age. How can you develop your life, interests and goals, while trying to mesh with someone elses? Your entire life's course can be altered depending on what sort of mate you choose. I thought of the types of men I'm attracted to....
1) Italian guy with large family
Hmm, I could marry one of these, have a few dozen children, and live happily ever after in Italy on the family vineyard.
2) A carhartt and 3-day-old beard wearing trailworker
We'd spend our lives building trails and leading conservation corps, possibly starting our own conservation organization. Retire in Alaska.
3) Hunky construction worker
We'd build our dream house, or possibly rennovate a fixer-upper Victorian with great lines. Perhaps rennovate a bunch of other classic houses in good neighborhoods and rake in the rent/sales cash.
4) Outdoor nut
We'd meet while working at the REI flagship store. Our paychecks would be spent on gear purchased at steep employee discounts. Our free time would go to exploring every outdoor pursuit out there. We'd hike the triple crown, do a lot of adventuring in other counties. Pardon me while I drool over the nice chest this guy would have...
5) Cultured Yuppie
We'd see the world via a beautifully crafted mahogany sailboat. When on land, we'd have a sprawling but not ostentatious big house-little house-barn, spread on several hundred acres in the country. We'd throw dinner parties for our enviro-conscious, Mensa member, politically active, Volvo-driving friends.
Think of how drastically your life would be altered if you were to spend it with a different mate.
I have no idea what I want to grow up to be like. How do I know what type of man and future life I want, too? I guess that's why people date...to try on others and see if they fit.
At first I started looking up born again virginity.
Then involuntary celibacy...
Which led me to wonder what different cultures had to say about sex for unmarried women.
I pondered if arranged marriages made good sense.
I perused several dating sites.
I usually read the personals ads for amusement. I crafted a few of my own. How to describe my personality and wants in 30 words or less?
I decided that relationships were unhealthy for people my age. How can you develop your life, interests and goals, while trying to mesh with someone elses? Your entire life's course can be altered depending on what sort of mate you choose. I thought of the types of men I'm attracted to....
1) Italian guy with large family
Hmm, I could marry one of these, have a few dozen children, and live happily ever after in Italy on the family vineyard.
2) A carhartt and 3-day-old beard wearing trailworker
We'd spend our lives building trails and leading conservation corps, possibly starting our own conservation organization. Retire in Alaska.
3) Hunky construction worker
We'd build our dream house, or possibly rennovate a fixer-upper Victorian with great lines. Perhaps rennovate a bunch of other classic houses in good neighborhoods and rake in the rent/sales cash.
4) Outdoor nut
We'd meet while working at the REI flagship store. Our paychecks would be spent on gear purchased at steep employee discounts. Our free time would go to exploring every outdoor pursuit out there. We'd hike the triple crown, do a lot of adventuring in other counties. Pardon me while I drool over the nice chest this guy would have...
5) Cultured Yuppie
We'd see the world via a beautifully crafted mahogany sailboat. When on land, we'd have a sprawling but not ostentatious big house-little house-barn, spread on several hundred acres in the country. We'd throw dinner parties for our enviro-conscious, Mensa member, politically active, Volvo-driving friends.
Think of how drastically your life would be altered if you were to spend it with a different mate.
I have no idea what I want to grow up to be like. How do I know what type of man and future life I want, too? I guess that's why people date...to try on others and see if they fit.
My life
My horoscope says I'll soon realize the meaning of my life:
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Physicists have been on a roll for the last hundred years. Beginning with Einstein's theory of relativity in 1905, they've uncovered secrets of the cosmos that would have seemed like magic to nineteenth-century scientists. Yet they still haven't found their Holy Grail-the "Theory of Everything" that would tie together all their discoveries and, in the words of Stephen Hawkings, allow them to "read the mind of God." According to my understanding of the astrological omens, you Sagittarians have been on a similar ride in the past 12 months. You've gathered tantalizing clues to the greatest mysteries of your life, but have not tracked down your personal Theory of Everything. That could change in the coming weeks, though. You're closer to the Grail than you've ever been.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Physicists have been on a roll for the last hundred years. Beginning with Einstein's theory of relativity in 1905, they've uncovered secrets of the cosmos that would have seemed like magic to nineteenth-century scientists. Yet they still haven't found their Holy Grail-the "Theory of Everything" that would tie together all their discoveries and, in the words of Stephen Hawkings, allow them to "read the mind of God." According to my understanding of the astrological omens, you Sagittarians have been on a similar ride in the past 12 months. You've gathered tantalizing clues to the greatest mysteries of your life, but have not tracked down your personal Theory of Everything. That could change in the coming weeks, though. You're closer to the Grail than you've ever been.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Back from a mini-vacation
Heather under a tree near Canada
I woke up on Monday and felt awful. Sam and Charlotte came home with school cooties and kindly gave some to me. Grossness. I was complaining about not wanting to go to work when mom decided we should run away together somewhere for a few days. I called the people I was to work for to let them know, then mom and I packed and hit the road.
Mom wrote about some of it on her blog.
I need to get back into the groove of blog writing. I've been slacking horribly! To get my writing juices flowing, here a random facts about Heather's World:
My feet are women's size 10 1/2 E
I received the LL Bean Christmas catalog today. I want one of the male models pictured. They look so outdoorsy and delectable.
I get an average of 3 boyfriend applications a week. Two in the past few days have been women offering their best friends.
I bought a bullwhip for 99 cents. My aim is getting pretty good...
I'm currently reading Lip Smackin' Vegetarian Backpackin'
Current chocolate addiction? Lindt milk chocolate with extra fine cocoa nibs.
Tomorrow I go to the dentist.
Monday, September 13, 2004
Lizard under hood
I bought a giant plastic lizard at a garage sale for my aunt Liz. She had a smaller version perched on her dashboard already. I brought it home and was poised to superglue it to her hood when mom talked me out of it.
Since then, Liz and I have been surrepticiously putting it in various odd spots around the driveway.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Friday, September 10, 2004
Visit to our farm
Rob Cole posted pictures and stories over on his blog about his recent trip to our house.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Brakes
Just got back from the parts store. My expenses:
Quart of brake fluid - 3.77
Two Complete Calipers - 23.99 each
Two Brake hoses - 26.99 each
Gallon GoJo Fine Italian Pumice hand cleaner - 12.95
Two Tail light bulbs - 1.39
Two cans Fix-a-flat (One to replace what I owe eric, one to keep in my van) 5.98
Two sets Brake pads - 11.99
With tax, it came to $145.72 I'll get back $10 when I return my used calipers. It's from a thing called a core. It's like a bottle deposit for auto parts. You return the old parts so they can remanufacture them.
This is the first thing on my van I've actually HAD to fix. Everything else has been preventative maitenance. When I was driving my van around the block a couple of days ago to see how the exhaust system sounded, I got to a flat spot and applied the brakes. I hopped out to look at the skid marks to see if all 4 wheels had locked up properly. When I got back in, the right front brake wouldn't disengage no matter what I tried. I had to drive almost a mile back home with it stuck. My wheel smoked for quite a few minutes after I had parked it. I pried off the hubcap to let it breathe better and found burn/soot marks on the inside of the hubcap. Hmmm.
When I disasembled everything yesterday, my brake pad was firmly stuck to the rotor. I used a hammer to whack off the caliper. Sparks flew :-) Everything looks in fine shape now and rotates properly. I am going to pry off the cover and stick more grease in my bearings if they need it.
Charlotte has been pressuring me to get the van ready so I can take her camping. Liz has even started up a campain to run away with me and see how far the tank of gas will get us. She wants to go to Wanakena Forestry school with me. :-)
Quart of brake fluid - 3.77
Two Complete Calipers - 23.99 each
Two Brake hoses - 26.99 each
Gallon GoJo Fine Italian Pumice hand cleaner - 12.95
Two Tail light bulbs - 1.39
Two cans Fix-a-flat (One to replace what I owe eric, one to keep in my van) 5.98
Two sets Brake pads - 11.99
With tax, it came to $145.72 I'll get back $10 when I return my used calipers. It's from a thing called a core. It's like a bottle deposit for auto parts. You return the old parts so they can remanufacture them.
This is the first thing on my van I've actually HAD to fix. Everything else has been preventative maitenance. When I was driving my van around the block a couple of days ago to see how the exhaust system sounded, I got to a flat spot and applied the brakes. I hopped out to look at the skid marks to see if all 4 wheels had locked up properly. When I got back in, the right front brake wouldn't disengage no matter what I tried. I had to drive almost a mile back home with it stuck. My wheel smoked for quite a few minutes after I had parked it. I pried off the hubcap to let it breathe better and found burn/soot marks on the inside of the hubcap. Hmmm.
When I disasembled everything yesterday, my brake pad was firmly stuck to the rotor. I used a hammer to whack off the caliper. Sparks flew :-) Everything looks in fine shape now and rotates properly. I am going to pry off the cover and stick more grease in my bearings if they need it.
Charlotte has been pressuring me to get the van ready so I can take her camping. Liz has even started up a campain to run away with me and see how far the tank of gas will get us. She wants to go to Wanakena Forestry school with me. :-)
Monday, September 06, 2004
Where I've been
Pile of cucumbers
I've been working on my van a lot lately. Finished putting in the exhaust system, it sounds great! Slowly cleaning out the interior. You can read what I did today and see a good picture of me swearing at my brake calipers over on mom's blog.
As I was stomping on the lug wrench to get enough leverage to take my tire off, I was thinking about quality tools. I'm slowly building up my mechanical and carpentry tool cache. The slowness is due to lack of much money and the fact that I usually buy the best tools I possibly can. For instance; my miter saw. I could have saved $500 by buying a 10 inch stationary chop saw. Instead, I saved and saved, and bought a top of the line Dewalt 12" compound, sliding double miter saw. It cost me $600 and is worth every last penny. It's built to last and can handle almost every possible angle encountered on a job site. A smaller saw with lesser bevel angles would have worked at first, but also would be having me cursing its limitations by now.
Cheap tools are never worth it. They cause more problems in the long run that counter the initial cheap and easiness that attracted one to it in the first place. Quality tools feel and look good , do the job effectively and pleasurably, and they last. It's a wise lifetime investment to always go with the best. It pays off in droves over the lifetime of the tool.
This got me thinking of men. Why settle? Being in a relationship just because it's easy and convenient instead of being of high quality and built to last makes as much sense as buying a wrench from the Dollar Store, made in China. Both will break apart and leave you with frustration. You're left with less money, nothing to show for it, and a sourpuss attitude.
I'm waiting for quality.
I can amuse myself pretty well in the meantime. :-)
Sunday, September 05, 2004
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