Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Government Insanity, and Other Stuff

As I mentioned in a previous blog (the organized purse blog, I think) I am the builing ministry chair for our church. This means that if anything gets broken, I have to fix it or find someone to fix it. And if anyone wants some special work done, I get to organize it. This can be a very frustrating, yet very rewarding area of service. Today, it's frustrating. I have been asked to handle two construction projects, one in a restroom and one remodeling the nurseries. My ingenious hubby made up project sketches on our computer, I got materials estimates, got budget approval, so I thought, "No problem! I'll just get a few guys together and we'll whip these projects out in no time." I mean, both projects basically involve moving walls, and that's it. Easy, huh? Boy, was I WRONG!! Enter the City of Cedar Rapids Building Department. I went there this morning to get building permits and was told that I had to have an architect design and approve our projects, and then I had to have the fire marshall inspect and approve our changes. This is what state law requires. I about had a fit in the inspectors' office. I mean, the law is the law, but all this over-regulation is driving me insane! Isn't the inspectors' office there to make sure what I do is up to code? If there's a problem, the inspector's there to find it and make us change it, right? But NOOOOOO - since we're an "assembly" structure, I have to pay someone to redraw Carl's drawings and then sign their name to it to make it "legal". Sheesh! So, I'll probably have to choose one project and do it, and table the other project until next year, because the architect will eat up half the money budgeted for these projects. This makes me so mad! Grrr!!

And speaking of Grrr!!!, there's a columnist named Mike Straka who does a weekly column for FOXnews.com called "Grrr". It's usually very funny, because the things Mike writes about are true instances of those little things that irritate us all. He even has his own lexicon; for instance, he calls people who are oblivious to their surroundings and think they're revolving in their own universe "Oblivions" and "Obliviots". I prefer "obliviot" since "oblivion" also refers to a place (ie the place you'd like to send obliviots to). For example, an obliviot is the person in line in front of you at Wal-Mart who waits until all their stuff is rung up to dig out their coupons, and then they pull out their checkbook and start writing out their check. These same people think nothing of backing up right into you, and then giving YOU a dirty look for not moving out of THEIR way. Argh. I think the Iowa Legislature is filled with obliviots who have nothing better to do with their time than write irritating legislation designed to line the pockets of lawyers and architects.

And speaking of Wal-Mart, am I the only person who can't stand those five foot tall singing animated Santas they have? Do they drive anyone else crazy?

Now, for some happy stuff: while I was out shopping today, I stopped at a little orchard outside Cedar Rapids for some of their homemade cider. The place is called Holland Orchard, and it's run by a Dutch immigrant family. They've been there for years, and have the best apples anywhere. They make great cider, and sometimes they have imported cookies and candies. So when I stopped there today, they had a display of cookies that included these little oblong sandwich cookies called "Bokkenpootjes". Funny name, great cookies. They're light, crunchy, with creme filling, rolled in chopped peanuts, and the ends are dipped in chocolate. I can't tell you much more about them (execpt that they're delicious) because the package is labeled in Dutch, but if they have these cookies at the end of the month, I'm going to get some for when my family comes to visit.

I apologize for any misspellings in this blog, but the spell checker isn't working. GRRR!!

Monday, November 29, 2004

Of the first snowfall, and other stuff

We've gotten our first snowfall. Not much, just a trace, but enough to coat the trees in a layer of frosting and get the streets wet. Not icy, just. wet. This is the kind of snowfall I like. It's amazing how a snowfall can motivate children. Hannah was up and bouncing around by 6:45, and Mary was up by 7:00, and was ready for school by 7:30 without any scolding because I promised her that after she was ready she could go out and stomp around the back yard with Judah. So Mary was actually on time for the bus. It's a beautiful thing.

Carl and Big Red got to work OK. Whew! I always freak out a little when a vehicle goes down, and here's why: When I was in high school, my parents owned a full-size Dodge van, and from the day they brought it home, Dad knew something just wasn't right with the engine. So he tinkered and tinkered and tinkered with it, but he never could get it fixed the way he thought it should be. (Therein, perhaps, lies part of the problem.) Anyway, so early one morning I get shaken out of bed by the telephone. There's some guy named "React" on the phone. "React", I found out later, was actually a group of CB'ers who took emergency messages from people and relayed them on to whoever needed the info. So React tells me that my parents called, they're stranded out on I-74, and could I please go get them. Armed with no more information than that, I threw on some clothes, jumped in the car and drove off. It was raining, and I was speeding because I was scared, and on the ramp between I-80 and I-74 I hydroplaned a little. I managed to keep the car under control (no problem) but as I'm coming up one hill I see this dribble of black goo running down the shoulder, and I'm thinking, "Oh, brother, what now?" Then I finally arrive, jump out (in shoes but no socks, with my nightgown sticking out in various places where I couldn't stuff it into my clothes, in the rain) and there's the van, goo running out from underneath, the hood open and Dad fit to be tied. The highway patrol was there, too, helping Dad arrange for a tow truck. Dad growled something at me, then he got in behind the wheel, Mom got in beside him and I crawled into the back seat. (This was a Dodge Colt compact wagon. I'm tall, and there just isn't alot of room back there.) Dad drove Mom to work, and she called John Deere (where Dad worked) to tell them what happened and that Dad had missed his plane and thus his business trip, and Dad drove me home to change for school, then dropped me off at school and went on his way. I'm not sure exactly what happened to the van, but I know the "engine blew up" and it cost $1076 to fix it (and fix it right). So now I get concerned whenever a vehicle goes down. It's not a pretty thing.

But the snow today is pretty, and I think I'll take Candy out (carefully) and get some pictures, in da schnow?!?

Sunday, November 28, 2004

Manly Geniuses

Well, Big Red is back in our good graces, thanks to the genius of my husband and my Uncle Hepburn ("Hep"). Last night, Hep brought out his handheld diagnostic tool and they figured out that the number 4 cylinder was misfiring, so I went into town and got a replacement fuel injector. It's a good thing O'Reilly's Auto Parts is next to Pizza Hut. So Carl installed that (the fuel injector, not the pizza) and the "Check Engine" light went out, but it still wasn't right. So this afternoon Hep came out again with some type of diagnostic gizmo-gadget and they figured out that the injector coil was bad (it had shorted to the chassis) and that the spark plug harness was shot as well. So off to town Carl went and got the appropriate parts and spent all of this evening putting Red back together. And viola! success. The truck is back up and running right. The real test will be tomorrow morning when Carl drives into work. I hope the truck doesn't die on him because he has to be at work by 6:00 am to do rig testing, and I don't want to have to get me and the girls out of bed to go rescue him. Brrr!

You know what I just realized? I just rattled off a bunch of stuff about auto repairs and rig testing and I have absolutely NO idea what any of that means. The only parts I understand are A) Carl fixed the truck B) it's working C) Carl has to go to work very early in the cold dark of early winter and D) Uncle Hep dug us out of yet another hole. Thank God for Uncle Hep, a certified genius with a heart of gold. He and Carl have those things in common, genius and gold heartedness.

This episode reminds me of an incident that happened to me in high school, where my parents' van broke down and I had to go get them in the rain, but I'll save that story for another time.

I'm tired. Good night!

Saturday, November 27, 2004

Trucks Have Feelings, Too

My husband drives a Ford F-150 pickup truck as his primary vehicle. It's a nice truck; it's dark red with gold trim (San Francisco 49er's colors) and has the smaller 4.6L Triton V-8 engine, 4 wheel drive and a decent stereo. We use it to pull our camper and to haul large loads in. It's affectionately known as Big Red. Affectionately, that is, until today.

You see, today I needed to run down to the Tanger Outlet Mall in Williamsburg to do some shopping. I took Candy and the girls, and had quite a successful run. Carl also went shopping; he got a really good deal on a portable DVD player (at Sears) and also picked up some lumber for a project in our shed. But when he went back outside from Menard's and started the truck, the engine went CRASH-CLANK-GRIND and two cylinders went out. Carl managed to limp the truck home and get it in the garage. This afternoon he'll dig into the engine and see if its a sticky valve or a clogged fuel injector or something worse. (I hope its nothing worse.) He called me on the cell phone to tell me what happened (I was between Amana and Cedar Rapids) and on the way home I figured out why the truck went down: he's angry, and jealous. Poor ol' Red. For the past two years he's shared a garage with Moby and was the top dog. Suddenly his friend is gone and replaced with a shiny new SUV (which is getting all the attention, and has a larger engine) so he blew a gasket. Literally. I mean, Red's only human. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have a name.

So now Red's in the garage with his hood up, cackling evilly at me because I have to share my brand new vehicle with Carl, and Red knows that if Carl can't get him fixed I'll be stranded at home without a car because Carl will have to drive Candy to work. This is intensely frustrating. I HATE being without a vehicle. What's next, all the bicycles will get flat tires? I wouldn't be a bit surprised.

I wonder if Judah's strong enough to pull the wagon...

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

My SUV's Here!

Yes, it's official. My new red Expedition is in our garage and awaiting its first real trip. We're not taking it to Mom & Dad's for Thanksgiving - we're taking the pickup because we have to help move some appliances for Mom this weekend. But anyway, it's here. According to the sticker, the official Ford Exterior Color is Red Fire Clearcoat. But in the garage it looked kinda like the red color of Brach's cinnamon disks, which then inspired the vehicle's name: Candy. Yes, I named my big, tough SUV Candy. But, lest you feel like laughing, there was a song from the movie Romy and Michele's High School Reunion called "I Want Candy", and it goes like this:

I know a guy who's tough but sweet
He's so fine, he can't be beat
He's got everything that I desire
Sets the summer sun on fire

I want candy, I want candy

Go to see him when the sun goes down
Ain't no finer boy in town
You're my guy, just what the doctor ordered
So sweet, you make my mouth water

I want candy, I want candy

Candy on the beach, there's nothing better
But I like candy when it's wrapped in a sweater
Some day soon I'll make you mine,
Then I'll have candy all the time

I want candy, I want candy
I want candy, I want candy...

That pretty much sums up how I feel about my SUV. Tough but sweet, has everything I desire, and now I have Candy all the time.

Ain't life sweet?

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

A Fond Farewell to Moby

It's official - I now own (via Ford Motor Credit) a red 2004 Ford Expedition, and Moby belongs to the dealership. We got a really good deal because Carl is a good negotiator, and Ford is selling off their 2004's to make room for 2005's. And this vehicle has all the features I wanted except the DVD player, but Ford gave us money (rolled into the loan) to buy an after-market unit. Wal-Mart carries them, but they only had one brand, so I'll have to send Carl to various electronic stores to see what they have to offer. Gee, what a difficult task to send an engineer on: "Honey, would you go to the electronics stores and see what kind of vehicle DVD players they have?" Geek heaven.

Here's some of the details on my SUV (ooh, that sounds good!) - it has the 5.4L Triton engine, 300 horsepower, power windows/doorlocks/rear seats/etc, cruise, CD - 6 changer, towing package and fog lamps. It's red, but not bright fire engine red. It's more of a dark, Tampa Bay Buccaneers red, but not maroon (burgundy) like our F-150 is. It's really nice. Tomorrow it's going to the shop for after-market body treatments (rustproof, etc) and then Carl will pick it up after work. Yee Haw!

That means that Carl will drive poor old Moby to work for one last time. All in all, Moby's been a good little van, even though the transmission went out on me in the Westdale Mall parking lot. However, when we got the minivan seven years ago, I had to trade in my Ford Ranger, a vehicle which I really loved, and I never quite got over the resentment of losing my pickup. I like the feel of sitting up and looking over the traffic. Vans are better than sedans, but I still felt like a blue state soccer mom in Moby. Well, no more. But when Mary realized we were trading Moby in, she cried. "I'll miss Moby! He was my friend!" Ooh, those little seven year old tears just ripped into me. I'm sure she'll get over it, though, the next time we drive to Bettendorf or South Dakota and she can watch movies all the way there.

So adieu, Moby. Thank you for all the safe trips to craft shows with all my stuff piled in the back. No, I won't miss dragging out your bench seats, but oh well. Thank you also for all the safe trips to the Quad Cities, Illinois, South Dakota, and Atkins Elementary School. Thanks for tolerating the food spills, grocery hauls and dog hair. Thanks for the good gas mileage, which is the only thing about you I'll miss (other than the fact that you were paid for). Thanks for being cheap enough when we needed you, and big enough to hold two adults, two baby seats, a diaper bag, and suitcases all at once.

Goodbye, Moby. It's been a real trip.

Honest, Officer, My Dog Was Driving

My days of being a minivan driver are numbered. I won't go into details about upcoming vehicle test drives, but we're definitely heading in a new car direction. Anyway. Since I won't allow the dog into my new vehicle, in a burst of guilt I decided to let the dog have as much in van time as possible before Moby (the van) goes bye-bye. Therefore, today I let the dog accompany me and the kids on their rides: Hannah to the middle school bus stop, and Mary to the elementary school (as she missed the bus AGAIN!!). The first ride was fine: Judah sat in the front passenger seat and the girls rode in back. But on the second trip, after dropping Mary off at school, Judah (who was in the back seat) thought it would be fun to torture me. So he jumped from the back seat to the middle seat and stuck his snotty wet nose in my ear. That made me jump. Then he saw a squirrel out the window and went ballistic - whining, jumping, running back and forth across the center seat until finally leaping onto the front passenger seat where I'd put my purse. He landed square on my purse, which holds my PDA and my cell phone. He got a back leg stuck through the purse handle, and in his struggle to get into the seat he shoved his butt against my right shoulder. I swerved and nearly sideswiped a parked car. I managed to get stopped, put the gear into park, turn on the emergency flashers and remove the dog's leg from my purse handle and my purse from underneath the dog. I'm fortunate to live in a small town where the side streets have little to no traffic after 7:00 am, when all the bedroom-towners go to work. (This town is about 70% bedroom-towners who work in Cedar Rapids, and my husband is one.) But I digress. So I get the dog and the purse untangled and continue home. Later this morning I get to take Moose Mutt with me again, this time to Cedar Rapids, but the joke's on the dog since we're going to the vet. But when I get back I have to get the van washed, and then (by spousal order) I have to vacuum up all the dog hair and clean the snot marks off the inside windows because tonight we're test driving the Expedition and Carl wants to see how much the dealer will give us for Moby. I'm guessing the dealer will offer about, oh, say 25 cents. So I'm still looking for a buyer for Moby, my white Windstar.

FOOTBALL UPDATE: I lost again but remain 7th in the league.

Friday, November 19, 2004

Any Color But White

This is what I told the Ford dealer this afternoon when I went out in further search of the perfect replacement vehicle for my Windstar. This guy was a good sales rep, who definitely knows his product. I had already been to a different Ford dealership and also a Mercury dealership and neither of those sales reps knew their elbow from their, well, I can't say because my Mom might be reading this. Anyway, the sales rep at this particular Ford dealership knew what he was talking about, and after listening to what I wanted, he took me out to the lot and showed me a Ford Expedition. Now, I had seen the Expedition before at the previous Ford dealership and was not impressed because when you fold down the seats, they don't go flat (or so I thought). I need flat interior storage space for my craft show stuff. But when I said that to the rep today, he walked around to the seat I was complaining about, flipped a lever and viola! The seat (this is the second row seat) went flat! And I was impressed. So much so, that I took it for a test drive. This is a very nice SUV - it handles well for a large vehicle, and with the Triton 5.4L engine, it has a lot of pickup. (HA!) I didn't get a chance to check out the sound system, but oh well. And, after we went back to the dealership to talk some more, the sales rep tells me, "Oh, by the way, we're having this promotion where if you take a test drive you get a free turkey. You want one?" So I came home with a renewed sense of confusion over which vehicle I like better (Grand Caravan vs. Expedition) and a frozen turkey.

My girls have a friend over. My oldest just got a book "How to draw 50 dogs" and she's showing her friend the pictures she's drawn. She just said, "And this is a Kerry Blue Terrier. Not like John Kerry." I'm still chuckling.

Another great quotable movie is Singing In The Rain. In this quote, Gene Kelly (G) and Donald O'Conner (D) are trying to annoy Gene's speaking coach:

Both (in rhythm) - "Moses supposes his toeses are roses but Moses supposes erroneously"
D: A mose is a mose
G: A rose is a rose
D: A toes is a toes
Both: Hoop dee do dee doodle!
Then they start singing and dancing. (Big surprise there)

Tonight, I have to watch that movie again.

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

I Was Wrong

In my last blog, I said that I'd put my favorite all time quote in a previous blog. Well, I went back to double check on this, and discovered that I had NOT put this quote in anywhere. Sorry for the screw-up, folks. But I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Here is my all-time favorite quote:

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read" Grouch Marx

Updates, Thoughts and Quotes

Football update #8 - I lost again, but maintain my position as 7th in the league.

Has anyone noticed that, besides liberalism, the one thing that Britney Spears, Bruce Springsteen and Barbara Streisand have in common is their initials, B.S.?

In a previous blog (somewhere) I submitted my favorite all-time quote. It's by Groucho Marx, and if you want to read it you'll have to search back through all my blog entries. However, there are lots of great quotes flying around out there. Some of the best are from movies, and I now submit a few of my favorites:

"Well, what would you do with a brain if you had one?" Dorothy, to the Scarecrow, in The Wizard of Oz. This is the world's greatest covert insult.

"Do I still have to sleep in the cupboard?" Chip, at the end of Beauty and the Beast

"Mahwagge. Mahwagge is what bwings us togevar, today." The Priest in The Princess Bride. This movie is so full of great quotes that I can't even begin to list them all.

"You remind me of the man."
"What man?"
"The man with the power."
"What power?"
"The power of the hoo-doo."
"Hoo-doo?"
"You do!"
"Do what?"
"Remind me of the man..."
I don't know which movie this is from, but it's a conversation between Cary Grant and some lady. I only caught a snippet of this movie, and this conversation caught my attention because it is sort of repeated in the movie Labyrinth, by David Bowie.

There are quotes I'd like to post from some Mel Brooks movies, but the best quotes are "R" rated, and this is a "G" rated blog site.

Have a favorite movie quote? Let me know in the Comment section, or e-mail me and I'll add it to a later blog. Now, I must go paint, for I have a show on Saturday. Ciao!!


Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Football & Show Updates, Plus Other Stuff

Football update #7: I won! Barely, but I won. I'm still 7th in the league, but at least I'm not dropping.

Show update: I think I will net around $290 after the board adds everything up and they take their cut. I probably won't see a check until December, but at least I'll get a check.

And speaking of checks, Carl told me that he will be getting a nice merit bonus check from his workplace. He also said that when we combined it with the income tax refund and the trade in value on our current minivan we should be able to get a new vehicle in late January. He gave me permission to start researching vehicles, so I started today at the Dodge dealership. I checked out the Durango SUV and the Grand Caravan minivan. I rejected the Durango outright because it has minimal storage capacity and I need a vehicle I can haul my craft show stuff in. However, the Grand Caravan was intensely impressive. It has "stow and go" seating, which means when it's time to load up for a show, all I have to do is pull a few straps and the seats disappear into storage wells. The van I looked at (and eventually test drove) had all the neat bells and whistles like a DVD player (with RCA jacks) CD player, power sliding doors (on both sides) and power hatch. And when I drove it, it was smooth, had great acceleration and a sound system worthy of cranking up when the Doors came on the radio. The engine is built for do it yourself maintenance, with all the fluid intakes within easy reach and an oil filter that's right up front, and you don't have to reach into the engine compartment to get it off. I still need to go check out the Ford SUV's and the Freestar minivan, but they're going to have to have something really impressive to beat out the Grand Caravan.

So...anyone out there want to buy a white Ford Windstar?

Friday, November 05, 2004

Show Update and Random Thoughts

An amazing thing happened to me yesterday. Actually, the whole thing started Wednesday evening during supper. I had just spent a little over two hours setting up my booth for my first craft show when I got a call from one of the board members who run this show. She told me that "my tags were illegal". Grrr!!! An explanation: this is a show with a community register. Every vendor has a number and when the customer checks out, the board keeps your tags and then pays you what you earned (minus their expenses cut). Vendors are supposed to have a certain size tag, and if your tag is the wrong size, its illegal. Well, I bought my tags several years ago, and recently the board went to a larger size tag, and I didn't realize it. But I was furious that I'd bought tags from them and now had to buy NEW tags, and they wouldn't reimburse on the old ones. Anyway, so to keep things legal, I went in as soon as I could Thursday morning to change out each and every tag I had. It took me two hours. Grrr!!! again. However, while I was on my knees stamping and writing out tags, a couple came up and looked at my cake pan clocks. Another explanation: I took some 8" cake pans, drilled holes through them, painted them and inserted clockworks. The couple just gushed over those clocks. The lady turned to me and said "Did you make these?" I said "Yes, Ma'am" and she said "This is what I like to see, something original. Not the same old stuff they have every year." I was already speechless by all this praise, but then I went into complete shock when her husband turned to me and said, "You're very clever." I'm used to having my stuff called cute, but to be called clever by someone other than a family member totally blew me away. They were very nice people, but I wish (since they were so impressed) that they'd have bought one. Oh, well. By my calculations I made around $160 yesterday, and there's still two days left to go.

Meanwhile, my dishwasher is still broken and will remain broken until either the Thanksgiving or Christmas breaks. It could be worse. It could be my washing machine and/or dryer that broke. I don't have to go to a laundomat and sit there doing nothing while my clothes wash. With my dishwasher broken, I can handwash dishes while my laundry's going. I can handle this.

My dog has developed the habit of standing in the back yard and barking, and then when I scold him and tell him to be quiet, he comes to the door and begs to come in. Oooh, that dog is a pro. Those big, sad brown eyes, the floppy ears kinda perked up, the tilt of the head, his little whine. I have a hard time saying no. Only my youngest daughter is a better beggar than the dog, because she's cuter and knows how to hold my hands, hug me, look up at me with her big blue eyes and say "Plleeeeze Mommy?" Grrr.

Speaking of "plleeeeze" I get really annoyed by singers who, in an attempt to wax emotional during their song, drag out their "L's". For pete's sake, people! You sound like your tongue is stuck to the roof of your mouth. Go put away your emotive 70's and 80's ballad CD's and get some REAL music.

I recommend Bob Seger.

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Now I'm Organized!

I bought a new purse the other day. Now, that's not a strange comment for a female to make: however, this is no ordinary purse. This is an ORGANIZED purse. Actually, its one of those backpack/briefcase hybrid - thingies. It has two big pouches on the inside, a flap with a zippered pouch on the outside, and a place for pens and credit cards. I bet you're asking yourself, "How can this be organized? She'll just dump everything from her old purse into her new purse and it will be just as messy as before." That's where you're WRONG!! You see, the nice thing about this purse is that each inner pouch is big enough to hold a 7" x 11" x 2" Plano fishing lure storage container. That's right! I sorted the contents of my purse into two flat style tackle boxes and put one box in each inner pouch of my purse. I have one box for my "medicines" (Tylenol and such, plus wet wipes and kleenex) and one for my tools. That's right, tools. I carry a measuring tape, pocket knife, multi-tool and a roll of black electrical tape in my purse. I know most women carry lipstick, compacts and other makeup in their purses, but other women aren't the chairs of their church's Building Ministry. I'm always having to fix something, or get measurements on something to have it fixed. So it's convenient to carry these tools with me. Besides, no amount of makeup can change my face. (Take that remark as you like. ) But don't worry, Mom. I'm not going completely tomboy on you. I do carry hand lotion, a comb, and a few other "feminine" things in those tackle boxes, so don't freak out.

SCARECROW UPDATE: Now that both Halloween and the election are over, I have taken down my Candidate Scarecrow display. I thought I was going to have to leave it up for a few more weeks while the politicos fought over Ohio, but fortunately Mr. Kerry very kindly and wisely conceded the victory to Mr. Bush. Whew!

Well, I must go. Boo-Boo will be home soon. Bye!

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

Football Update 6, and Other Ramblings

To say I lost this week's game is an understatement. I got the everlovin' snot whupped out of me. I've made some roster changes, so hopefully I'll win the next game. I'm still 7th in the league, though.

My first craft show of the season starts Thursday. I'm not as nervous this year as I have been in past years, because this year I'm only doing two shows and rather than going through books and magazines trying to figure out what the buying public wants, I'm just painting what I want. I'm using up projects that have been sitting around my shop for years, so I haven't had to invest that much in new stock. I'll let you know how the season goes.

In a previous blog, I mentioned that I sat outside with my dog on Halloween handing out toys to the kids. I said that Judah really liked the kids, but I forgot to mention that he liked most of the adults, too. The one guy he didn't like was a fellow wearing a Miller Lite jacket and a cap that said "Over The Hill Hippie". Judah growled and barked at that guy. Hmph.

I went and voted this morning, and the line (for a town of this size) was pretty long. But because it's a small town most of the people in line knew each other and we were able to talk and joke and generally have a good time while we were waiting. The weather was cold, cloudy and windy, but our polling place is the town fire station so us voters were able to wait inside, away from the weather. This is nice town!

Well, I must continue preparations for my craft show. See ya!