terrshee's Diaryland Diary

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Late Summer Rituals

I have finished the late summer ritual that helps me get mentally ready for the fall/winter. The car is washed, waxed and vacuumed thoroughly. The plastic mats have been laid to protect the carpeting from the nasty wet weather to come. The windshield wipers are replaced to ensure they don't fail at a bad time. Small stuff, but reassuring to me.

I realized yesterday I need to get three more years out of this vehicle (time enough to pay off the HELOC and perhaps get a down payment together). There's a few spots of wear that could use some attention, like the spot on the front seat that is getting frayed from my butt rubbing it every time I get in the car. And of course various chips and dings. With luck and attention we'll make it through.

Mom called last night to say that her doctors have determined that she can't have surgery after all. The tumor is too close to her spine and its removal could entail nerve damage. Couldn't they have figured this out months ago? I'm peeved, especially since she didn't want the surgery in the first place and had finally made up her mind to go through with it. Now we're back in Limbo until after the next round of radiation treatment. Grrr. And Grrr again. Poor Mom.

My inner XY chromosone can now go back to sleep for a bit. I managed to get the light fixture hung once I went back to the start, step-by-stepped the instructions, applied spacial logic, and bought some new hardware because the supplied stuff didn't quite fit. The new stuff doesn't quite fit either, but it is on the too long rather than the too short side. I can work around that.

The visit from the heating/cooling sales person was helpful. When in doubt ask a professional. I don't need a new air conditioner. I need a new air conditioner repair company. He says I've clearly got some leaks, both in the tape on the air processing unit and likely in the lines for the freon. He said to get a leak test done and have them plug the holes. So next spring when it comes time to renew my service contract, I'll call Sears. It is too late for this summer, but next year I'll refuse to suffer.

Today I'm off to donate blood for the first time in ages. I'm a little nervous. I guess because I've been rejected the last few times (either low iron count or been out of the country too recently). Still, it is part of my trifecta of diaster relief; money, blood, airline miles. Ain't I virtuous? Nto really. It is necessary, that's all.

6:39 a.m. - 2005-09-03
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past tense - always tense - future tense