Car Troubles

My car is having a bad month.

One morning, I went out to find that I had a flat tire. Yes, I'm the type of wuss that calls AAA to change a simple tire. And I'm not ashamed. It took the dude a bunch of effort and two jacks to get the tire off, and he had real equipment. It would have taken me hours.

I locked my keys in the car. I was in Selma for a council meeting. Selma is two and a half hours from home. Luckily, I noticed my empty pocket before the meeting started, rather than in the middle of the night. It took the AAA guy more than a half hour to open the door. He was bewildered why it was so hard.

After the council meeting (now the middle of the night), the car wouldn't start. I think I had left my computer running off of the cigatette adapter; I had assumed the PC would go to sleep. The City Manager and another kind soul jumped it (which, of course, was harder than anyone expected). I made it home without further incident.

The car had problems starting for the next couple days, but it always managed. I finally got the chance to take it in, and I needed a new battery.

I'm really enjoying not having a car payment, so I hope that the burgandy beast will survive for another good long while. We have a yard to build. 

Ring

I've got a wedding ring. Again. Finally.

I lost my wedding ring in 2004. It was in my pocket when I was moving some stuff in the old house, and it disappeared. Or something like that. We didn't find it in the move. Sadness.

This year, I became motivated to replace it. We went to Joe Escobar Diamonds with RCP's version and asked for a replacement.

The first ring that came back was completely wrong. So was the second.

The third ring was right.

I had them engrave it with our wedding date.

I also wanted it to have continuity to the wedding ceremony. The best strategy was to shave a small (microscopic) amount off of RCP's ring and have that melted onto the new ring.

I picked it up yesterday, and I'm happy. It's big and shiny. Now, I have to get used to wearing a ring again.

Eureka

EJP has discovered his penis.

My First Flight

I drove a plane for the first time last week.

It's probably not called driving, but what do I know? The real pilot let me take the yoke. I wagged the wings a bit, but mostly didn't do anything interesting. My passengers probably would not have looked favorably on more entertaining maneuvers.

On that flight, coming home from Phoenix, I learned a bunch about the mechanics of flying. It was very interesting and enjoyable. I might see about taking some flying lessons, so I can fly for real. It has real appeal to the geek in me -- lots of buttons to push and thinking to do.

I was crying, Mom

I was crying, Mom.

When were you crying? I dont know.

Why were you crying? I don't know.

I was crying because I wanted you, Mom.

Miss Esperanza told me "Shhh!"

Was it rest time? Yes.

Were you making noise? Some of my friends were making noise too.

Mom, tomorrow, you tell Miss Esperanza not to tell me "Shhh", ok? I didn't like it.

That's A Good Hole

DMP dug his first hole.

We had a tree that needed planting. DMP was here, and we started digging. The soil around here is very thick clay, which is a real headache to scrape through. But he used pick-axe, shovel, and muscles to make a large hole.

That's a good hole.

Froggie

There's a frog on our bedroom window. It's small and cute. And its attached to our window.

That kind of thing didn't happen in San Jose. Well, except for the opossum.