Howdy – it’s been a few days since I’ve been allowed near my computer and I’ve missed talking with all of you. Well, honestly, I didn’t miss talking with you, really, because we rarely actually talk. I would miss it, however, if we talked more. Does texting count as “talking”? If not, maybe it should. I guess that means emails count, also. That being the case, I guess I talk to people all the time, every day, as we all do.
Yesterday, however, was a special treat because I was actually allowed to speak in person to an East Coast Cutie (ECC) who most people call Cheryl. I don’t know what the other people call her … maybe Mom, or Aunt Cheryl, Honey, Dear, Sweetie, Love, or something like that. What prompted that conversation began as a text to my shirt pocket, where my phone was currently residing. It was from Susan, another ECC, wanting to know what my address was. Since I couldn’t answer right away, I forgot about it until a while later when Cheryl called and left a voice message asking the same question … “Uncle Jerrie, what’s your address?” As soon as Sunday Service terminated, I extracted myself to the parking lot where I promptly returned the call, full of curiosity as to why this information was needed. All manner of things flittered through my tiny brain, like they’re sending a hit squad to take me out for some sort of East Coast Infraction I made during my last visit, or they were sending lots and lots of money for just no reason at all, or, perhaps, there’s a pending visit by someone and we’ll have to clean out a bedroom. The possibilities are endless. And, I’m still curious because the short conversation I had with Cheryl didn’t reveal anything significant, other than the fact that we’re still related, and I can rule out the hit squad, I think. I learned, too, that Ruth is learning to get along with Lyle gone. A tough but necessary task.
All in all, it makes me go “Hmmmmmmmmmmm.”
It is now 0800 and Diane just mosied in from the east wing indicating that it’s time for me to stop, get dressed, and head for the golf course to meet Doug. She makes me do this every week, now. So, there will be a short pause as I make myself ready for another nice morning ride and visit with Doug. Perhaps I’ll find the balls I lost the last time out. Perhaps, not. Perhaps I’ll find someone else’s balls. Doug always finds balls and he gives me all the Nike brand balls he finds because I’m not nearly as picky as he is when it comes to free balls.
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That break represents about an eleventy-two hour pause during which I golfed really, really good for two holes, then went back to normal for the remainder of the game. Still, it was good.
I also stopped by to see cousin Don and get some sage advice about replacing the exhaust manifold on my truck. I went home and rested a while before tackling it, then wound up mowing the yard when Diane took her Mom to the store. I believe I’ve explained previously that I normally don’t mow when Diane is home because she’s terribly allergic to the smell of cut grass. Still, I screwed it up because all the windows were open in the house while I was mowing and the house filled up with that unmistakable smell of spring and summer activity.
After Diane returned from the store, she immediately set about getting ready to go play Bunco with her group. She picked Heather up on the way to replace Jennifer who couldn’t play because she had to work. Before Diane left I got to help cut up a pan of brownies that she was taking to the Bunco Girls.
Then it was time to tackle the exhaust manifold. I had previously squirted some Liquid Wrench on all the manifold bolts and all of them came loose very easily. I was just short of amazed since they’ve been in there for so many years. Considering how easy that part was I decided to just get to it and removed the left (drivers) side manifold. Then I got the new Chinese replacement I purchased on eBay and bolted it right up. Unfortunately, the set I got doesn’t have the correct configuration for the LH side. The bolts fit, but the part that connects to the exhaust pipe points straight down, and the old one kinda aims out and back. I left it on anyway and figure I can jerrie-rig it with some flex pipe, or a lot of muffler tape. Maybe both. Now all I have to do is torque the bolts with the handy torque wrench Don loaned me. That will be tomorrow because I packed up my tools and quit once I discovered the discrepancy in the configuration.
I sat around for a while, resting, then took a shower so I would be nice and clean when Diane returned from Bunco, then ate the rest of my supper. I had 3 brownies and a banana. And a glass of water. When Diane returned, she had some leftover blueberry cobbler she’d made and asked if I wanted some. I said, “yes”, of course, then she asked what I had for supper. Being a fairly honest person, I told her, then she said I couldn’t have any cobbler. So, I might just eat another banana instead.
Apple Products … I have to say I’m ‘sold’ on them. I got all my ‘Apple toys’ at Best Buy in Hillsboro, except for my iPhone. I got that from AT&T a long time ago. I’ll be able to upgrade it next month, but I’m going to wait until the iPhone 5 comes out so I can get an iPhone 4s really cheap. That will be in September. Until then, my old one will work just fine and I’ll be content with the remainder of my “stuff” until then. I have plenty of them. And, I have a new iPad 3 because I dropped my old one in the hot tub. Turns out iPads don’t float. I wasn’t worried, however, because I knew it was insured through Best Buy. So, we took a trip yesterday after church to take Diane’s Mom to lunch, at McGrath’s Fish House in Beaverton, after which I went to the nearby Best Buy to get the soaked iPad replaced. This time I got a white one. I also bought insurance on this one, as well as two years of technical support, should I need it.
Now I’m going to eat my banana and go to bed because I have to be up early in the morning to deliver the Subaru to the mechanic for a repair estimate for everything that’s wrong with it. Shouldn’t cost more than an arm and a leg. That won’t be a problem because I’ve got one of each that anyone who wants them are more than welcome to.