Yes, we’re on day three since the snow arrived, but it’s scheduled to go away soon according to all the weather people everywhere. They nailed it with the snow arrival and even correctly determined how deep it would be. During the entire snowing event the temperature did not get above 20 degrees so it was very dry. It was very windy, too, so the snow was blown all over the place. It would have been easy for me to shovel the walks and driveway, but I didn’t do it because I’m old. I’m not a shoveler.
I started this a few days ago thinking I could stay current, but time got away from me, like normal and here I am, again, running late.
The freezing temps are gone for a moment, and the snow is almost gone from the roads so getting around is much easier now. Still, we needed to visit Jennie and family yesterday evening. Considering how the evening ended, we should have stayed home.
After a nice visit with the kids we bid our adieu and headed for the truck. The sidewalks were clear and we were doing real well until we got to the end of the garage wall. A that point we had to make a right turn to make a shorter trip to the truck. Diane was leading the way and made the turn just fine. Sadly, when I turned the corner I hit the ice, lost my balance, knocked Diane into Jennie’s Honda, I fell down and hit the ground shortly after Diane. She made it half way under the car but I managed to stay where I hit. Neither of us broke anything but Diane, I’m sure, messed up her right rotator cuff and she was terrible pain.
Going to urgent care right away for Diane wasn’t going to happen. Sitting in a small room populated with people ready to share their ailments isn’t her favorite thing to do. But, if the pain doesn’t get better, that’s where she’s going to go. I’ll let you know how that goes.
It’s morning now, it’s almost 41 degrees, and the sun is shining brightly, and the hazardous ice is dissipating. The snow will go away soon, too. When that happens I’ll wash the truck.
Lots of it. That’s what’s happening in our backyard right this minute. It’s been going this for most of the minutes this morning. Just like Matt Zafino and Rod Hill said it would. They are Diane’s favorite weathermen on one of our local channels. I don’t remember which one but that’s not revalent. No, make that relevant. Something like that. Let’s pretend it’s channel 8. I think that’s KGW. That’s probably not prevalent either. It might have been channel 6.
The forecast is that the snowing in progress will continue throughout the day, into the night. The snow really isn’t a problem because it’s too cold to be actually slippery. I know this is true because I bundled up myself and Max and we took a hike around the block. We both survived the brutal cold (17 dergrees) and it was actually not too bad as long as we were going with the wind. Blowing directly on my face kinda froze my eyeballs making it hard to look at stuff. So, I just walked backwards when necessary.
When we got back to the house we did a walk around the perimeter of the yard to so Max might figure out what his boundaries are. Until recently he’s been turned loose to investigate stuff but with the crick running high and fast it’s risky. At least we think it’s risky. Max doesn’t see it as a problem. His only experience with falling in to fast flowing water, somewhere in Utah, must have made a lasting memory because he’s pretty careful at home.
At the creek we discovered that when most people have removed their Christmas decorations, Mother Nature was not done with the season, yet. Quite stunning.
Max, however, was oblivious to the beauty surrounding him unless you consider the intoxicating aroma of moss on a rock. He spends most of his time walking doing just that – smelling everything, for a long time. I think he’s adicted.
Diane’s almost done cleaning everything in the house so It’s time for me to stop this and offer my help. She will say my help isn’t needed, of course, because I’ll’ve timed it just right.
I just realized, like just now, really, that I’m on the verge of failing my 2024 resolution already. And it’s only the 8th! I suspect that some of you might disagree with the “on the verge” claim and, instead, believe I’ve already exceeded the self-imposed timeframe for failure. For those of you on that side I submit that whatever rule I imposed is subjective meaning that I can change it any time I want. So, I’m still OK here.
It’s cold out there. Wet, too. Because of that double whammy it’s an adventure to take Max for a walk. My raincoat actually keeps me dry but Max’s raincoat is more like a sponge. I think it’s more of a coat to keep him warm instead of dry. But, that’s all he has. Considering the weather, I think Diane should do a little shopping and get something that’s a little more waterproof for the little guy. Don’t you? Maybe after she reads this, she’ll do it.
It might be a good idea to get him one that serves as a life jacket, too, because the creek out back is getting pretty high, almost to the point of overflowing into the yard. Keeping Max dry is our problem, not Max’s. He likes the water and doesn’t care how high it gets.
It’ll go back to normal eventually. Thankfully, he hasn’t fallen in while it’s running this high and fast. He’s not afraid of it but he respects the potential disastrous results should he venture in for a swim. I’ve had talks with him about that and I think he gets it. If he falls in my only recourse would be to make a beeline to the point where Milton Creek joins the Columbia River. That’s only a couple of miles away. If I miss him there then he’s getting a trip all the way to Astoria, another 60 miles. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to be dog-paddling that far. So, he keeps his distance.
We were going to make a trip to the coast later this week to watch the King Tides, and maybe see a couple of whales on their way south, but the rain, and the forecast for more rain isn’t encouraging. I know, we’re Oregonians and we love the rain. That’s true. But we don’t have to go out a play in it like we did when we were 7. Did I mention that it’s cold, too?
We’ve been dealing with RV woes for the past couple of months, trying to get new weather stripping around the slides and seal up a couple of leaky spots that annoy us. Nothing catastrophic, just annoying. I took the RV to a local dealer who recently moved to St. Helens from Gresham (I think) and explained what I was hoping to accomplish, and they gave me a quote for “about $700” which I thought wasn’t too bad. Labor’s the biggie at $159/hr. After they had it for about a week I was called and told the job is done and I could go get it.
I was happy to do that because there’s a huge mattress in the garage that needs to go back in it so we can park the truck inside. When I got there, I paid the bill, then I went to get in and take it home. First, however, I checked the items I had address to see how it was done and discovered that, gee, it wasn’t done. I know, should have checked first, right? True, but I’ve had other items fixed by them since they moved in and trusted them.
The Reader’s Digest version is that they addressed all the issues but didn’t finish any of them. The bill was over $900. I received assurance that all the discrepancies I pointed out while serving as their QC guy would be fixed at no additional cost to me.
Another week goes by and I get another call to come get the rig because the work was done. I paid them a visit and let them know I was going to check it out. The maintenance supervisor went with me. I checked all the items I’d previously address and found that it still hadn’t been addressed and the main leak in the driver’s area was worse than ever.
Another week trickles by and I get another call to come check it out and find that the leaks have stopped, the floor was dry, but the gasket around the main slide was still in the “partially fixed” stage. The same stage it was in the first time I was called to claim my finished rig. I personally pointed it out to them 3 times what I figured should be done and was obviously ignored. The lead tech acknowledged the failure on their part claiming that the guy he had working on it was focused on the leaks, not the gaskets. I believe he might finally understand that Jerrie isn’t pleased as he headed for the exit.
That’s where I left this mess last week sometime and I’m waiting for them to call me again to report completion. Diane told me to be stern and “don’t pay them another dime” or else she’ll go talk with them and it won’t be pretty. So, to keep from having to scrape up some bail money for her, I need to follow this to the end all by myself.
Looking forward to the next phone call reporting completion of this project.
This is the rig, you may recall, that we took on that Utah trip, pulling a big Silverado. It worked great but I decided during that trip that I’m getting too old to drive something this big.
So, not long after returning home we bought a replacement that we can tow behind the Silverado. Makes more sense, right?
Now, on another note, did you know that the front glass on an iMac is held in place by magnets and that the LCD screen is secured with only 8 teeny, tiny, little screws.
I’ve always wondered what the insides of this thing looked like.
It’s official. 2024 is here to stay. I know that’s true because we made it through January 1st with no mishap. We were also invited to a friend’s home in Vancouver for brunch to start the year out properly. The first thing we had to do was pack a bag for the trip and find a sitter for Max because we were going to be gone for an extended time. Visiting Vancouver is like that. It’s really a long way away – 30-40-50 miles, or so. That’s just one way! Then we must go home. That makes it imperative that at least one of us stays sober so they can drive responsibly. Well, at least more responsible than those on the road that shouldn’t be there. It’s always a crapshoot in that regard but makes trips exciting no matter where we go because those guys are everywhere.
Talking like that makes me sound a little pompous, I know. Like I’m one of the most responsible drivers on the road and it’s true. I am. Just ask me. Diane makes that happen because she keeps me centered in whatever lane we’re in by letting me know when I’m crowding one line or the other. She, and Max, don’t like it when I make it all the way out to the rumble stips those road builder guys installed to wake people up when they start drifting. I think the rumble strips are there so those self-driving vehicles will know when to adjust their trajectory. We see on the news once in a while how well that’s going.
Rick & Jody, one of the participating couples in Vancouver, at Don & Linda’s abode, drove their Tesla all the way from Michigan and I was given a memorable ride by Rick. It was the first time I’ve ever been allowed inside a Tesla and it was quite pleasing. They can go very fast. It wasn’t Michigan. It was McMinnville, where Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose lives. That’s it. McMinnville. I knew it was an “M” word. It’s much closer than Michigan.
The group at this gathering was created 20 years ago when PT Cruisers were in vogue. All of us have one. Some had two. Throughout the PT craze, Diane owned 5 of them. They were fun little cars. We might get another one even though they quit making them in 2010, or somewhere around there.
Where was I? Somewhere in Vancouver, right?
I can’t remember the names of all the people at this gathering, but I recognized their faces. The fact that I couldn’t remember all their names didn’t keep me from hugging them, or from them letting me hug them.
That’s all of them. You would have thought I’d have taken more photos, wouldn’t you? But, I didn’t even take this one. It was magically done by a time one of the Jody’s activated from her wristwatch. I probably should have asked about that, but I didn’t. Pretty tricky. But, I didn’t even take of the vehicles in the parking lot. What a bummer.
I did, however, get a lead on a PT that might be for sale
We’ll see how that goes …
We had some great food at the party and we spent about 5 hours visiting with the gang, then Max called and suggested that we head home before everyone else in Oregon decided to clog up the roads. He was very insistent. It was really a surprise because neither of us knew Max could use the phone. It’s good to know that he can figure out stuff like that. I suppose next he’ll want a cell phone.
I was allowed to sleep until about 0730 this morning which is unusual. Normally my bladder gets me up about every 4 hours and I’ve given serious thought to getting a permanently installed catheter so I can extend my sleeping time. Diane, however, doesn’t think that would be a good idea. I’m sure she’s right. Doubling up a couple of depends might work. Haven’t tried that … yet.
Because Max is so good, I took him for a walk before getting my first coffee of the day. He was pretty happy about that and blessed me with two (2) partially filled hand warmers for the trash. Most times it’s only one.
Now we’re going to Lowe’s in Longview to get something. I’m not sure what it is but I’ll let you know later. Until then, Max the lap dog bids you adieu.
Temporary Sanity ... 