working

I'm tired. I worked 11 hours today, 8 at the office gig and then 3 hours landscaping the bosses new backyard. We pulled weeds & grass & spread mulch. Not real tough, in fact I liked that a lot more than the office crap, but it's just a long time to be away from home. Then the hour each way driving. And I stopped at the grocery store. Now I'm beat. And I can't be the only one.
There has got to be a better way.
If anyone figures it out, please let me know!

car update

Gosh I guess I should update my car situation.
The starter & alternator were a snap to re-assemble to the car and I did it (almost) all by myself. That's so fun! I had to return to the auto parts store for a new belt. The guys were so enthralled with my car stories, they followed me home just to check it out, after they closed of course, and turns out the fuse wasn't melted, just broken, and not blown so not a big deal.
It ran great for a week and a half.
And then it died again. Got me home, and on a Friday night no less. Really good timing not to have to worry about working the next day. So on Saturday after I was done working in my garden I went back to the auto parts store (those people are my friends now) and bought a new battery. Guess once the electrical stuff starts going, I should have expected the whole sha-bang, anyway, picked up a new fuse while I was there and once again, the car is all happy & running like a champ.

Strawberry Park Hot Springs | Welcome to Our Natural Hot Springs

one of the neatest places in the world:

Strawberry Park Hot Springs Welcome to Our Natural Hot Springs

how nice to feel the heat of a fire
a good old fashioned bon fire in my backyard
actually a dead tree clean up
a yard necessity
as yard waste is no longer welcomed
at the landfill
it's a good thing











another look

the smell
of summer
hot dogs
tents
friends
and memories
nights gone by

crackling and hissing
wood crying
as it burns
heat singing my face
like a sunburn
at night
tree changing form
brown into red & orange
ash into grey


I never
was much of a camper
but on occasion
I've been pleasured
by a seriously prepared friend
who had all the supplies
and took me along
to enjoy the ride
I never enjoyed
being in the drivers seat
it was always
too much work

car repairs

So last week my car broke down. It was a good breakdown, as far as they go. I was able to make it to work and on time, called my mother, who just happened to be coming down to Des Moines with her friends and they hung out long enough to follow me home. Right away I stopped for gas and that was it, it wouldn't start. My mom helped me push it to the back of the lot at the truck stop, nothing like having your 70 year old mother help ya push a car. A nice guy jumped in & helped us, I suppose 2 women pushing a car is a hard situation to look away from. So I hardly even got wet although it was pouring rain and she had a candy bar waiting to sooth my nerves. Doesn't get much better than that...

I think it's the alternator although when my friend took it off the car, he noticed a fuse that seems to be melted right into the box. Great. Well we'll jump that hurdle another day. Sometimes more than one problem at a time does not want to fit into my brain.

So when I went to buy a new one, the guys at the car part store (and another shopper) talked me into taking it over to Ames & having it rebuilt. They say it's a better way, higher quality work and much cheaper. Goody, now I can afford to fix the starter too.

So both parts lay in my front porch waiting for mom's taxi to take them to the electrical repair place tomorrow. It's amazing how stranded I feel without my $250 chariot. It did motivate me to take my bike out of the garage to return my video tapes today. Gosh, I shouldn't need an excuse to do that. It was a foggy day & I was extra careful. Oh, the wonderful smell of spring air. And the tv news is recapping all the Iowa tornados today. Wow, they are up to 8! Passing street drains sounded like scenic waterfalls and the birds all seemed happy, happy, happy.! It's so nice to hear the birds singing again. Although I'm a bit jealous they got to go south & I didn't.