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February 16, 2006
The Bath Made Me Feel Better For About an Hour
Yesterday was pretty rough. I came home up the driveway from a tiresome day at work to find Roomie packed and waiting for me. Oh yeah, I told her we would go to look at latilla's in Corrales. So I quickly and grumpily change into play clothes. We jump into Iris (oh dear Iris!) and I turn the key. ZZZZZ. ZZZZZ. (Repeat many times.) Added fuel to the tank. ZZZZZ. ZZZZZ. We are not going to Corrales or anywhere else in Iris tonight. While Roomie goes inside to call Joe A. and tell him we are not going to make it, I pour some gas into the top of the carb. She fires right up! Then she dies as soon as the dribbles are burned off. Conclusion: fuel starvation. Best case scenario: blocked fuel line or bum fuel filter. Worst case scenario: bad fuel pump.
I dread calling the mechanic and pull the Chilton manual off the shelf. I hate the Chilton manual, because (a) I never look at it unless something is wrong and (b) it tends to assume a working knowledge of what is where. I decide to give it a shot over the weekend. Ah the weekend. Once it had so much promise now it has so many things to do.
We go inside and Roomie begins to cook. We are one onion short of a batch of chili. We discuss Roomie's earlier conversation with Termite Guy #2, who wants to charge us $95.00 per hour so he can use his new termite-seeing thermal imaging camera. And he has no idea how long it will take. "Hopefully, an hour or less." We still have not heard back from Termite Guy #1 with the report he promised "within a day or so." It has been a week.
The phone rings. Before picking it up, I announce "Officer MacDougall." Indeed it is he. He explains that we can save $300 by paying the roofers cash. Not much of a discount, and it feels to me like the roofers are extorting the extra money for tax. "Either pay us cash or pay extra." Officer MacDougall patiently explains that the choice is ours, that he wants to save us money. We discuss and opt for the cash deal, even though it means that Roomie will have drive cross town to get the cash out.
Tonight's calendar, and the weekend's, are filling up quickly. It appears as though guests are merely one additional layer of business on our already multi-layered lifestyle.
Posted by Underblog at 7:42 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 12, 2006
Timing
Mike from PJ's called yesterday to let me know that the 851 is all done. By some coincidence, the garage happens to be done too. Still waiting on Juan to come back and pour the apron, and Gene and I (and of course Roomie too) discussed the doors yesterday.
My father leaves today after concluding a two-week visit to Duke City. As we drove down Stanford Drive yesterday, he actually said that he was going to miss this place. I think he meant the house rather than Albuquerque, though he did seem to like Spruce Park. I think that he will miss the novelty and adventure outside his door, as well as what familial companionship I was able to provide (more than was convenient to me, but less than what he needs).
On deck are two more sibling visits and now the beginning of the New Studio Project. Plus there are all those people from Saint Paul, who will be getting a little tired of winter come calendar spring. Life is busier than we would like, but I am hopeful that the business will make what quiet times we are able to share that much more rewarding.
Posted by Underblog at 7:34 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack