Warning, I may be babbling about this for the next couple of days

Today was magical. The weather was gorgeous, and on the way to work I saw TWO Chevy SSRs, one bright yellow, the other silver. (I love those things, and it occured to me that for me, the extravagant gesture I'd most likely be guilty of wouldn't be an expensive bag---instead, I'd mortgage my soul for a really kick-ass ride like that.) Very nice.

Then I got to where I work, and discovered that Hooters was holding a street rod show in their/our parking lot. Did I mention it was an absolutely beautiful, clear, mild day? I got there early enough to wander around whimpering for ten minutes, then went inside and sweet-talked SYT into letting me take 45 minutes of under-time.

Oh GOD. Shinyshinyshinyshiny---!

There were fifty or so magnificent machines inside the ropes, and more outside. I was so smitten, I can't even begin to describe it without flailing. Sparking chrome, metal-flake paint, ghost flames, nitros, details on grilles and wheels, inside and out, American and imported, from tiny to freaking huge, cars so awesome that I was embarassed to park my beat-up oh-so-vanilla Honda in the same parking lot. On the way back in, I spotted two cars outside the ropes that made me whine like a puppy, a pearl white GTO (classic!) and a silver-grey Boss Hoss Mustang. (Not *quite* an Eleanor, but close!)

Like a sign from the Universe, I ran into Biskit, the guy from the garage in Rockledge who told me he'd evaluate Camaro Bob's prospect. (And had a mighty hormone surge in the process. The man falls within the parameters of a type to which I am attracted. Any of y'all ever watch that DIY show "In A Fix"? Remember Justin? THAT type. Except closer to my age. Woot!) He was there with a Model T, a VERY tongue in cheek piece of work---the gas tank is a beer keg, the radiator overflow is a Corona bottle, the door handles are repurposed naked lady hood ornaments---all of it in marked contrast to the glossy wheels around it.

Because I know better than to ignore the Universe, I guess I'll get ahold of Bob about a test-drive on the Camaro. If I give him a heads-up tomorrow or Monday, he may get it moving by next weekend (flat tires). And since I'm not going to know how much cash I'm going to have until Friday---but I AM taking Friday and Saturday off for the Chris Penczak workshops at church---so I'll be free to do that kind of running around in the morning both days. Depending on how tight things are, I might even be able to make an offer/down-payment....

Note to self, get back to work clearing out the freaking garage!

Warning, I may be babbling about this for the next couple of days

Today was magical. The weather was gorgeous, and on the way to work I saw TWO Chevy SSRs, one bright yellow, the other silver. (I love those things, and it occured to me that for me, the extravagant gesture I'd most likely be guilty of wouldn't be an expensive bag---instead, I'd mortgage my soul for a really kick-ass ride like that.) Very nice.

Then I got to where I work, and discovered that Hooters was holding a street rod show in their/our parking lot. Did I mention it was an absolutely beautiful, clear, mild day? I got there early enough to wander around whimpering for ten minutes, then went inside and sweet-talked SYT into letting me take 45 minutes of under-time.

Oh GOD. Shinyshinyshinyshiny---!

There were fifty or so magnificent machines inside the ropes, and more outside. I was so smitten, I can't even begin to describe it without flailing. Sparking chrome, metal-flake paint, ghost flames, nitros, details on grilles and wheels, inside and out, American and imported, from tiny to freaking huge, cars so awesome that I was embarassed to park my beat-up oh-so-vanilla Honda in the same parking lot. On the way back in, I spotted two cars outside the ropes that made me whine like a puppy, a pearl white GTO (classic!) and a silver-grey Boss Hoss Mustang. (Not *quite* an Eleanor, but close!)

Like a sign from the Universe, I ran into Biskit, the guy from the garage in Rockledge who told me he'd evaluate Camaro Bob's prospect. (And had a mighty hormone surge in the process. The man falls within the parameters of a type to which I am attracted. Any of y'all ever watch that DIY show "In A Fix"? Remember Justin? THAT type. Except closer to my age. Woot!) He was there with a Model T, a VERY tongue in cheek piece of work---the gas tank is a beer keg, the radiator overflow is a Corona bottle, the door handles are repurposed naked lady hood ornaments---all of it in marked contrast to the glossy wheels around it.

Because I know better than to ignore the Universe, I guess I'll get ahold of Bob about a test-drive on the Camaro. If I give him a heads-up tomorrow or Monday, he may get it moving by next weekend (flat tires). And since I'm not going to know how much cash I'm going to have until Friday---but I AM taking Friday and Saturday off for the Chris Penczak workshops at church---so I'll be free to do that kind of running around in the morning both days. Depending on how tight things are, I might even be able to make an offer/down-payment....

Note to self, get back to work clearing out the freaking garage!

If you clean it.... (Progress, round 2)

When I got home from church this afternoon, I changed out of the cute little red and black plaid skirt (under a red top and a black cardigan with embroidered cherries) and into my least favorite jeans and an old tee shirt and went out to clean the barn garage. I'm going to need a place to house the Camaro while I'm working on it, it's that simple.

Excavating produced a number of cries of "That's where that went!" and a few "Where the hell did that come from?!" and tomorrow, it's probably going to provoke cries of "Oh, my God---I'm so sore!"---but it's progress. I went at it for a couple hours, to the point where there are now a couple full garbage cans, several boxes and bags and two dead chairs beside the road for trash pickup. I tossed fallen sheetrock, dead bedding and pillows, and crumbled greenware.

There's now a second path from the front to the back---a bit narrower than the first one, but it's passable. There are two pieces of furniture in the middle, piled high with boxes, and that's going to take some organizing (but it'll get there). One is a small entertainment unit I have no qualms about parting with, the other is an Art Deco vanity that I want to reclaim. It lived happily in my bedroom for years, until H.W.S.N.B.N. came along and decided he *had* to park his computer desk right there.

Meanwhile, I'm looking at doing three or four loads of laundry to see if some of the stuff I've uncovered is usable by me or if it will survive for anyone else to use. For some reason, there's a fair amount of sizes 22/24---currently too small for me, but with life left in it. The funny thing is, I don't recall wearing ANY of it when I was last that size.

When I got to the point where I was feeling fairly in control of things, I went on to replace the knob that was last week's failed project. This time, the doorknob actually worked right, so I don't have to take it back to Wal*Mart yet again. Unlike my previous attempt, it took me fifteen minutes, tops, which is more like my idea of what something like replacing a simple doorknob should take.

I may be sore all over tomorrow, but at least I'll have something to show for it!

If you clean it.... (Progress, round 2)

When I got home from church this afternoon, I changed out of the cute little red and black plaid skirt (under a red top and a black cardigan with embroidered cherries) and into my least favorite jeans and an old tee shirt and went out to clean the barn garage. I'm going to need a place to house the Camaro while I'm working on it, it's that simple.

Excavating produced a number of cries of "That's where that went!" and a few "Where the hell did that come from?!" and tomorrow, it's probably going to provoke cries of "Oh, my God---I'm so sore!"---but it's progress. I went at it for a couple hours, to the point where there are now a couple full garbage cans, several boxes and bags and two dead chairs beside the road for trash pickup. I tossed fallen sheetrock, dead bedding and pillows, and crumbled greenware.

There's now a second path from the front to the back---a bit narrower than the first one, but it's passable. There are two pieces of furniture in the middle, piled high with boxes, and that's going to take some organizing (but it'll get there). One is a small entertainment unit I have no qualms about parting with, the other is an Art Deco vanity that I want to reclaim. It lived happily in my bedroom for years, until H.W.S.N.B.N. came along and decided he *had* to park his computer desk right there.

Meanwhile, I'm looking at doing three or four loads of laundry to see if some of the stuff I've uncovered is usable by me or if it will survive for anyone else to use. For some reason, there's a fair amount of sizes 22/24---currently too small for me, but with life left in it. The funny thing is, I don't recall wearing ANY of it when I was last that size.

When I got to the point where I was feeling fairly in control of things, I went on to replace the knob that was last week's failed project. This time, the doorknob actually worked right, so I don't have to take it back to Wal*Mart yet again. Unlike my previous attempt, it took me fifteen minutes, tops, which is more like my idea of what something like replacing a simple doorknob should take.

I may be sore all over tomorrow, but at least I'll have something to show for it!

Energizer 'Fluffy

I'm gonna be dead to the world tonight: I've done a load of laundry---misc. garage stuff---all the way to the dried-and-sorted stage, cleared a path between the kitchen and dining room---the kitchen opens into the dining room and the hallway, and only the hallway has been open for the last few weeks---and done the dishes. (I haven't seen the bottom of both sinks at the same time for at least a month.) All that in addition to the garagification described earlier....

Bearing in mind that this is being written at about the time I usually get out of work, I feel like I'm getting my second wind. I ought to write something, but the prospect of coming down the hall in the morning to find a kitchen I can cook a proper breakfast in---it's SO much easier to create in peaceful surroundings! Maybe it's just that this is the first time in ages that it's been comfortable when I was in a productive frame of mind. (If I *had* to be out of work for six months, why couldn't it have been the *other* six months?! Doing housework in a non-A/C'ed house in Florida during the summer is asking for heat exhaustion!) I've got a couple steno pages to transcribe...the beginning of the next John-Nancy arc, Known and Unknown.

Not bad for my first day off!

Energizer 'Fluffy

I'm gonna be dead to the world tonight: I've done a load of laundry---misc. garage stuff---all the way to the dried-and-sorted stage, cleared a path between the kitchen and dining room---the kitchen opens into the dining room and the hallway, and only the hallway has been open for the last few weeks---and done the dishes. (I haven't seen the bottom of both sinks at the same time for at least a month.) All that in addition to the garagification described earlier....

Bearing in mind that this is being written at about the time I usually get out of work, I feel like I'm getting my second wind. I ought to write something, but the prospect of coming down the hall in the morning to find a kitchen I can cook a proper breakfast in---it's SO much easier to create in peaceful surroundings! Maybe it's just that this is the first time in ages that it's been comfortable when I was in a productive frame of mind. (If I *had* to be out of work for six months, why couldn't it have been the *other* six months?! Doing housework in a non-A/C'ed house in Florida during the summer is asking for heat exhaustion!) I've got a couple steno pages to transcribe...the beginning of the next John-Nancy arc, Known and Unknown.

Not bad for my first day off!