Paraphrasing Second Contact
On the whole -- there have been certain unpleasant exceptions -- peace ... has prevailed for the past ninety years -- forty-five of this planet's revolutions ... I freely admit it is not the sort of peace I would have desired. There were, however, many times when I thought it was more than I would ever get.
I wanted to get that line from the first book of Harry Turtledove's Colonization trilogy just right, and then I'm paraphrasing it to make it work for my birthday yesterday. This birthday weekend for me was also my excuse to finally get our oil change which I know should be every three to four months, but we've let it linger on both vehicles since we haven't really gone out of town with them all this year! And Tires Plus here in town had such awesome prices and service -- now I don't even have to get out of the car, they took my card and processed everything right there. That and my Christmas bonus coming earlier than I think I've seen it helped too!
We would have gotten to Breakfast with the Boys at church Saturday except I had set the wrong alarm and didn't wake up right after Martha did (it was one of her 5 am Saturdays where she had to help open Burger King) ... but it's no lie the kids and I could use the rest too. I topped off the gas tank -- something else we haven't done in a while -- and then drove to Tires Plus to get an oil change done on our Lumina. We made it ok and the car even started when the wind chill was -20, but after I'd paid and turned the key in the ignition ... it clicked. Several times. Fortunately it was able to be jumped (Jeffrey appreciated the irony of having car trouble in a garage!) and we've had no problems since.
Please, no battery replacing this Christmas unless it's in a toy! We met Martha when she got off work and I took our Town and Country for the same job, and I got in and out quick enough, even with replacing the air filter. And the mechanic who rang me up would likely have not rung it up if I hadn't said something ... so it was rung up half off. It's no lie that just because I have the money (in addition to my bonus, see paragraph one) I don't like spending the lion's share of it on car repairs. And I didn't. Sunday I woke to the strains of Martha, Sarah, and Jeffrey singing "Happy Birthday" to me and serving me breakfast at the kitchen table.
Breakfast in bed is somewhat awkward the way our bed is situated. The kids made me cards and while I was out changing the oil and strolling the mall (and by mall I usually mean any bookstores) they bought me a giant popcorn tin for my birthday. After church Sunday we went to lunch at Ebeneezer's, a local restaurant set up like an Irish pub where one of their signature dishes -- the Fat Frog, a hoagie with chicken strips and Irish fries on just the sandwich -- is really filling! I'd swear I've been here before with Martha and her family before we were married, but now I'm not so sure. And we got some more gift and clothes shopping done. At Walmart. That was my one downer of the day.
But the rest was very much up, and I expect the rest of December will be too. I got to the office this morning and put together a Christmas tree of books I have here. Looking at it now, and for taking an hour to arrange it just right it's a pretty piece of work. And after work tonight begins the season of Christmas programs -- I'll be leaving the office tonight to hear Sarah among the instrumentalists playing at Ramstad, Tuesday the kids have Grandparents Bingo rescheduled from a snow day two weeks ago, Thursday Sarah's singing at Longfellow's program, Saturday's the kids' program at church ... we'll be booking, but I haven't felt so relaxed about it in years.
I get many good things as I begin my forty-sixth revolution, David
I wanted to get that line from the first book of Harry Turtledove's Colonization trilogy just right, and then I'm paraphrasing it to make it work for my birthday yesterday. This birthday weekend for me was also my excuse to finally get our oil change which I know should be every three to four months, but we've let it linger on both vehicles since we haven't really gone out of town with them all this year! And Tires Plus here in town had such awesome prices and service -- now I don't even have to get out of the car, they took my card and processed everything right there. That and my Christmas bonus coming earlier than I think I've seen it helped too!
We would have gotten to Breakfast with the Boys at church Saturday except I had set the wrong alarm and didn't wake up right after Martha did (it was one of her 5 am Saturdays where she had to help open Burger King) ... but it's no lie the kids and I could use the rest too. I topped off the gas tank -- something else we haven't done in a while -- and then drove to Tires Plus to get an oil change done on our Lumina. We made it ok and the car even started when the wind chill was -20, but after I'd paid and turned the key in the ignition ... it clicked. Several times. Fortunately it was able to be jumped (Jeffrey appreciated the irony of having car trouble in a garage!) and we've had no problems since.
Please, no battery replacing this Christmas unless it's in a toy! We met Martha when she got off work and I took our Town and Country for the same job, and I got in and out quick enough, even with replacing the air filter. And the mechanic who rang me up would likely have not rung it up if I hadn't said something ... so it was rung up half off. It's no lie that just because I have the money (in addition to my bonus, see paragraph one) I don't like spending the lion's share of it on car repairs. And I didn't. Sunday I woke to the strains of Martha, Sarah, and Jeffrey singing "Happy Birthday" to me and serving me breakfast at the kitchen table.
Breakfast in bed is somewhat awkward the way our bed is situated. The kids made me cards and while I was out changing the oil and strolling the mall (and by mall I usually mean any bookstores) they bought me a giant popcorn tin for my birthday. After church Sunday we went to lunch at Ebeneezer's, a local restaurant set up like an Irish pub where one of their signature dishes -- the Fat Frog, a hoagie with chicken strips and Irish fries on just the sandwich -- is really filling! I'd swear I've been here before with Martha and her family before we were married, but now I'm not so sure. And we got some more gift and clothes shopping done. At Walmart. That was my one downer of the day.
But the rest was very much up, and I expect the rest of December will be too. I got to the office this morning and put together a Christmas tree of books I have here. Looking at it now, and for taking an hour to arrange it just right it's a pretty piece of work. And after work tonight begins the season of Christmas programs -- I'll be leaving the office tonight to hear Sarah among the instrumentalists playing at Ramstad, Tuesday the kids have Grandparents Bingo rescheduled from a snow day two weeks ago, Thursday Sarah's singing at Longfellow's program, Saturday's the kids' program at church ... we'll be booking, but I haven't felt so relaxed about it in years.
I get many good things as I begin my forty-sixth revolution, David
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