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It's been a roller coaster. Anyone want a long, rambling thankful story? That's what i got, so i hope you do want it.
Anyway, the week started last Thankful Day (Saturday) with news that had been trickling in that there were two storms out in the Gulf with their sights set dead on the NOLA/south Louisiana area becoming more than just a trickle.
My decision at that point was to be thankful no matter what the week brought. First it brought Mr. Mike, the Generator Guy. He called to say he was coming on Monday to try to use scalped parts from another old generator and see if by some magic he could get ours going, and i am thankful for him and his constant attempts to help us.
Meanwhile, we were very thankful for Sunday's sunny, beautiful weather, no matter what would happen later on.
Thankfully, too, Sweetie was able to reschedule something he'd planned so he could be there to let Mr. Mike, the Generator Guy, in.
Mr. Mike called through the day on Monday with updates as i worked, and when he finally had to admit defeat, i asked him about the little generator #2 Son had bought and stored downstairs. He said he would come back later in the week if he could get the right plug to hook it up.
When i asked what he meant by that, he said he could hook one of those to the current set-up we have, giving us almost as much power as the old generator! What i'd been talking about was him giving us instructions on how to use extension cords with it like everyone else does. Talk about a thankful thing, even if it would not be in time for these storms, we'd have a back-up plan for the future and not have to worry about running cords through windows and such.
Of course, the hook-ups needed were sold out for that size generator in all of the surrounding area (it's the most common size and type), but at least we had a plan.
Meanwhile, storm Marco fizzled out. We are always thankful when a predicted storm becomes a bust.
Work went on as usual on Monday, including the new client. Ms. PA was thrilled, she'd not been able to do a deep vacuuming, especially of the area around the litter box, in a while, and the little Dirt Devil she can still handle wasn't cutting it.
Work also went on as usual on Tuesday. There was a smidge of rain, but not much. Both Monday and Tuesday, i was able to get to Ms. S's place and keep her caught up. She's doing better, but still needing more help than what she gets where she lives.
Tuesday evening, i got a text from Ms. G cancelling for Wednesday. This news was somewhat unwelcome, as i much prefer to have paid work than not, but at least we would still be able to get to the cat shelter in the morning, and now, there would be no insane rush to get it done.
Because i didn't have to go to work, Sweetie and i were able to both go in Lunceford the Land Yacht, thus not having to burn gas in two vehicles. We were also both in the car to notice that it was running very rough all of a sudden.
While at the shelter, i was very glad not to have to rush. The morning had begun with one of those light-hurts-your-eyes headaches, so the fact that we weren't in a crunch was helpful. Also, the shelter had been storm prepped, so we had cages to move back into place along with the other work.
Also at the shelter, i figured out a better way to work in tandem with Sweetie, especially when i am working more slowly than he. Although the headache dissipated as the morning went on, a short tachycardia episode still left him going "90 to nothing!" as he says, while i was pacing myself. Having a tweak to my part of the routine is going to come in handy.
To top off the shelter stories, two phone calls. One was from the secretary of the lady whose office we clean, telling me the office would be closed Thursday for the next storm so we would have to reschedule for two weeks from now. Thanks for calling, i told her, but i already thought we were only doing once a month anyway, and i had no plans to show up on Thursday!
Turns out it's a good thing she called, she had forgotten to call and let me know they wanted us back to every two weeks, so we wouldn't have shown up anyway.
Then came a phone call from #2 Son -- he finally bought that used motorcycle he wanted. My biggest thankful with this situation is he will not ride it until he takes a motorcycle course at the dealer in town, and he has all of the gear, and he will keep his car for inclement weather. (On a side note, if you ever want to hear a harrowing tale, let Young Jacob tell you about riding one in Colorado during a blizzard, it will curl your hair.)
Sweetie had plans to see his best friend who was in town after we were done with the shelter, so he dropped me at home, took Lunceford the Land Yacht to Kevin and Lenny, and had the friend pick him up there instead of at the house. They had a really nice visit, went out for lunch, then out for coffee. Restaurants are allowed to let people in at 25-50% capacity, so it is once again possible to do that, as long as you pack your patience to wait for a table.
Sweetie's work for The Big Boss on Tuesday had paid him enough that he had the money so he could go to lunch, another good thing about the week.
Also because i ended up not having work Wednesday, i was home when Little Girl texted that her National Guard unit has been called up and could she drop Coda with us? Of course, i told her. We are always glad to have Coda for a few days. Although i work too much to give a dog the attention it needs on a regular basis, i can certainly take care of her for a few days.
Mr. Mike, the Generator Guy, also called Wednesday afternoon with great news, "My friend found the plug you need for your generator in Plaquemine, I'll be there tomorrow morning to hook it up!" Upon my telling him not to rush, as we couldn't find or buy a gas can for love or money, he also said he would lend us two of them until things calm down and they are back on the shelves.
Kevin and Lenny called mid-afternoon, Lunceford needed spark plugs, a coil, and was desperate for a fuel injector cleaning. No wonder it was running rough. They promised it by Thursday afternoon, and again our bill with them is going in the wrong direction, but we are so thankful to have mechanics who take payments and do great work.
While the original plan for Thursday was to work as usual for Ms.SE and leave the key hidden for Mr. Mike, a quick text to her changed that. Not only were she and her husband not going to work that day, both kids were out of school and her mom, dad, and grandmother were visiting. There'd be no way we could clean, and really no need, as both her mom and grandmother were helping her keep up with everything. Again, no pay for the day, but it meant we would be able to be there to pick up Lunceford when it was ready, and not have to leave a key for Mr. Mike.
It also meant that Mr. Mike would be able to give me specific instructions and even show me everything i would need to know if we had to use the generator.
#2 Son came by on Wednesday evening to check the pump downstairs. Thankfully, dry as a bone, which is how we want it when you expect a huge storm to move through in the night.
At 4am Thursday, i got up and took Coda out, figuring it was as good as time as any as it was not raining. While out there, i noted that it hadn't rained. All day Thursday, while we were supposed to be getting storms, we got spurts of rain and wind, but not too bad, followed by nothing, and then by afternoon, enough sunshine to make the day hot.
The storm had come through well off of the original projected paths and while it had caused damage, it hadn't done nearly as much as was originally feared for the size it grew to be.
Damage around here was minimal, we were very blessed and we know it.
Mr. Mike did come on Thursday, got the small generator hooked up, and taught me how to use it. We were also able to pick up Lunceford, which Sweetie told me after he drove it home that it was still running rough, in fact, a bit worse!
Because of the expected weather, Kevin and Lenny closed early, so Lunceford would have to wait for Friday. Meanwhile, Mr. Mike, upon leaving our house, stuck his head back in and yelled, "By the way, somebody has a flat tire!"
Brother-in-Law had apparently managed to score a direct hit on one of our infamous car-cracker potholes around here, and it damaged the tire, bent the rim and his tire was flattening quickly. Because Brother-in-Law and Sweetie both have bad backs, and i am strong but not strong enough to budge lug nuts, Mr. Mike and his assistant stayed long enough to put on the spare, then had to scoot to get to their next appointment.
The spare was flat. Yes, of course it was.
At this point, my biggest thankful was that i did not lose my mind.
Brother-in-Law called a friend who managed to come by after he was done with his work and bring a stand. They propped the car and took both tires to a shop that sells used tires. They aired up the spare (it was fine, just hadn't been used in so long it lost air), hammered the rim back into shape, and put on a used tire that has at least a year left to it, like the other three on the car already. All that for $40. Talk about a thankful thing.
Meanwhile, because the weather cleared up so well on Thursday, i was also able to take Coda for a few walks, and to the field across the street to play fetch the stick, her favorite. No i don't throw the stick as well as Little Girl, but i think Coda had fun and was thankful i tried.
Friday morning started out as usual, but then when Sweetie went to help me load my car to leave for Bible study, he slipped and took a hard spill on the brick porch. Hurrying to help him up, i decided to stay home and join the study by phone, the way we'd been doing it and the way Ms. S is still doing it.
Sweetie survived, his glasses survived (a thankful in and of itself, he cannot see anything without them and his are expensive, unlike mine), he scraped his elbow and knee and his pants are now good only for farm and yard work with the big hold ripped in the knee, but all in all, no real lasting harm done. That's an amazing thing when you are almost 67, to fall and only end up with scrapes and a bit of a sore knee for the rest of the day.
When i did leave to go to work, Sweetie took Lunceford the Land Yacht back to Kevin and Lenny. The whole time he was doing that, i was thinking, wouldn't it be great if it were just that one of the spark plug wires didn't get put back on tight enough yesterday?
Guess what. The Almighty has a sense of humor. One of the spark plug wires had come loose, it had not been put back on quite right when they changed the plugs the day before. Took all of two minutes and no charge, of course.
Ms. S took a while as she needed an errand run and i hadn't been there in two days so i had to catch up. Meanwhile, i am very thankful Sweetie got to Ms. GA's and got started. He was able to finish in time to finally run the errand that had been put off since Monday, and i know he was thankful for it (and i am thankful that now i don't have to listen to how he's tired of putting it off!).
Friday afternoon, while i was working in Mr. BA's shop and garden, a good, hefty summer afternoon rain came in. Getting wet working outdoors in the rain has a great advantage, it's not nearly so hot as it could have been! Since there was no lightening, i really did not mind and i was thankful to get the hours, it means more pay later.
When we got to the shelter, there were new volunteers being trained! That's a lovely and happy thankful thing.
Today we are thankful to be able to go to NOLA to clean for Grandma and Grandpa, and to take Coda with us. She and Lulu are best buddies, they will have such a great time.
As promised, a roller coaster ride of thankfuls for the week, i know i got to more than a dozen, but i'm not going back to count.
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Today is:
According to Hoyle Day -- death anniversary of Edmond Hoyle
Ashura -- Islam (optional day of fasting that ends at sundown, local observances and national holidays may vary)
Birthday of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
Chop Suey Day
Day of Loose Talk -- Fairy Calendar
Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist (Patron of baptism, bird dealers, converts, convulsive children, cutters, epileptics, farmers, French Canadians, lambs, monastic life, motorways, printers, tailors; over 70 cities and countries around the world; against convulsions, epilepsy, hail and hailstorms, spasms)
Head Day -- Iceland (a weather omen day; whatever today's weather, it will stay the same for at least 3 weeks)
Individual Rights Day -- on the birth anniversary of John Locke, the first philosopher to argue that a human being has basic rights based on his status as a sovereign human being, and that people are not slaves of their government, but their human rights should be protected by government
International Day Against Nuclear Testing -- UN
Judgment Day -- according to "The Terminator"
Lemon Juice Day
More Herbs, Less Salt Day
National Sarcoidosis Awareness Day -- US (by presidential proclamation in 1991)
Runic Half-Month Rad begins (Motion)
Slovak National Uprising Anniversary -- Slovakia
St. Medericus' Day (also called Saint-Merri or St. Merry, acclaimed as the Patron of the Right Bank of the Seine River in Paris)
Tour de France -- through Sept. 20
Birthdays Today:
Lea Michele, 1986
Rebecca De Mornay, 1962
Mark Morris, 1956
Michael Jackson, 1958
`Richard Gere, 1949
Robin Leach, 1941
William Friedkin, 1939
Elliot Gould, 1938
John McCain, 1936
Richard Attenborough, 1923
Charlie "Bird" Parker, 1920
Isabel Sanford, 1917
Ingrid Bergman, 1915
Preston Sturges, 1898
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., 1809
John Locke, 1632
Today in History
Era of Diocletian (Martyrs), the last major time of persecution for the early Christian churches, begins with Gen. Gaius Aurelius V Diocletianus Jovius becoming emperor of Rome, 284
Japan mints its first copper coins, 708
The last Incan King of Peru, Atahualpa, is executed by order of Francisco Pizarro, 1533
The first Indian "reservation" is formed by the New Jersey Legislature, 1758
Michael Faraday discovers electromagnetic induction, 1831
The United Kingdom legislates the abolition of slavery in its empire, 1833
Treaty of Nanking signing ends the First Opium War, 1842
The first motorcycle is patented in Germany by Gottlieb Daimler, 1885
The chef of a visiting Chinese Ambassador invents "chop suey" in NYC, 1896
The Goodyear tire company is founded, 1898
The Quebec Bridge collapses during construction, killing 75 workers, 1907
Ishi, considered the last Native American to make contact with European Americans, emerges from the wilderness of northeastern California, 1911
The Soviet Union tests its first atomic bomb, 1949
Speedy Gonzales makes his debut, 1953
The Beatles perform their last concert before paying fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, 1966
Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union suspends all activities of the Soviet Communist Party, 1991
Hurricane Katrina devastates much of the U.S. Gulf Coast, 2005
Sumatra's Sinabung volcano erupts for the first time in 400 years, killing one and causing Indonesia to evacuate thousands of people, 2010
London holds the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Paralympics, 2012
Austrian researchers announce they successfully grew 'cerebral organoids' or mini-brains, containing several distinct regions of the brain; the mini-brains will help scientists understand how brains develop, and what causes schizophrenia and autism, 2013
Hurricane Harvey sets a rainfall record of 51.88 inches in Cedar Bayou the most ever from a tropical cyclone in continental US, according to US National Weather Service, 2017
John McCain lies in state in the rotunda of the Arizona State Capitol Building in Phoenix, only the third person ever to do so, 2018
