New Year, New Scoop

I've been keeping quiet about this but decided to give you a tidbit...

Mr. L is current news. And it's "new" news. Very different from any of the past editions which is a refreshing change. We're both being open to where this may lead, either friendship or otherwise, and it's the complete inverse of any other ---ship I've ever had. We have lots in common but enough differences to keep things interesting so we're not spending time with mirror images of ourselves (which would be "eeeuuuww" by the way).

And meeting Mr. L was very unexpected although my best friend J has had a feeling I'd meet someone since the new year started. What can I say, she's psychic and I'm having a good time.

Watch words are "we'll see".

And It Just Gets Better...

This morning I was out the door at 7:15 am. Don't ask, I have absolutely no idea how or why I was up and moving and ready as early as that.

I backed down the driveway simultaneously pressing the garage door opener/closer. Avoiding the garbage cans, I checked to make sure the garage door was shut like I always do lately coz a month ago the door magically went back up without me pressing anything. I noticed it was a foot and a half open.

Sitting at the end of the driveway, I pressed the button. Nothing. Pressed it again. Nothing. Pulled up closer to the garage.

Pressed the button.

Nothing.

Button.

Nothing.

Button.

Nothing.

Button.

Nothing.

I know what you are thinking, why did I just keep pressing the button? Why do you keep pressing the damn mouse button for the computer, why do you channel surf, why do you keep poking your tongue in that sore part of your mouth? Coz you think it will work/fix itself/get better...

To continue, I got out of the car and heard this great grinding growling noise coming from inside the garage. I tried lifting the door to see if I could get it to latch or catch or something. Nothing but the grinding which finally stopped and resumed a few seconds later.

By fighting with the door and the machine (which was incredibly scary), I finally I got the door open enough so I could go in the garage. I was trying to check things out though I had no idea what in the hell I was looking at or for. Nothing but grinding, which I eventually stopped by unplugging the machine, which may not have been all that smart of an idea but it did stop growling.

I did some dithering around on a ladder and whatnot, still having no damn clue what I was looking at or for, experimented with the release which only let me open the door halfway and no more, and finally manually closed the door, went to work, and called a garage door company I seem to vaguely remember my father using but I could totally be mis-remembering that, oh well, they're local. They said they'd send a DooBee (well, they didn't actually say that, just that they'd send someone) out to check on what's going on and call me.

When I got home, I tested the button. Nothing. So I got out of the car, opened the garage, found the machine still (so I thought) unplugged, plugged it back in, pressed the button while standing outside the garage, and listened to the grinding/growling noise. After the noise stopped, I unplugged the machine. Then checked about 5 times to make sure I could open and shut it manually. When I got inside the house, I had a message that the repairpeople had come to see what was wrong, seemed to have written the wrong # down for my work, it looks like I need some gear something something burble burble, and to call them tomorrow.

Which I will do. At some point during my crazy Wednesday schedule.

Golden sides of the coin: I got the car out of the garage safely this morning. I can manually open/shut it at this time. I was able to put the car away tonight which is supposed to be COLD.

I am sooooooo looking forward to tomorrow. I have an hour's drive ahead of me first thing in the morning and an hour back. Plenty of time for "something" to happen.

Please don't. I'm running out of golden sides of coins.

A Balance is Always Struck

No matter what.

I had such a wonderful Saturday evening out with my friend L. Laughing and talking while enjoying a Scorpion Bowl or two with chicken fingers and crab ragoons. Then off to the local tavern for more talking and laughing and happened to meet up with some of her friends I'd met at the Yankee Swap Xmas party. So we had a nice big comfy group that ebbed and flowed with a number of different people that was always fun and relaxed. The best:)

And then today.

Trapped in a 2 hour meeting that unexpectedly had a Part 2 of 2 hours that I had not been informed of up until 15 minutes prior to it. 4 hours of sitting on some superlatively uncomfortable chairs.

Then driving back to the office, I thought a rock hit my windshield and made a divet and then I thought I drove over something a bit strange but it sounded like I went over whatever it was with both tires so assumed it was a road surface issue. Turns out I couldn't find the divet but my boss told me at 4:14pm that I had a flatter than flat tire on the back passenger side. I rushed outside and what I could see of the metallic thing in my tire looked really nasty. Not at all like times I've run over a bolt or a fork.

Golden sides of the coin:

At least I wasn't driving on the flat.

I had access to a phone.

Could wait indoors for my rescuers.

I have Triple A.

Who came in 45 min and put my spare on.

VIP had been planning on sending their tire guy home but when I called and explained my situation, they said they could fit me in and they'd keep him until I got there.

They showed me the piece of jagged nasty metal that ripped a big ass irreparable hole in my tire. I was told small cars like mine need the same tires on all four wheels so they are going to find a Dunlop tire and call me when they do and "work around my schedule to get it on". So nice of them.

So a balance has been struck: the wages of a super good time on Saturday were an aching ass and a flat tire. In the grand scheme of really bad things that can happen, I'll take the ass and tire any day, Saturday cheer still holds and it's all good.

About Time, No?

I see my mom has been the busy bee with positive new year energy with all her cleaning, sorting, organizing, giving away, and projecting.

I also have positive new year energy going but it's of a different sort than Mom's. I did dust, vacuum, and de-clutter some visible piles on the Wednesday before New Yrs along with a medium deep cleaning of the bathroom to start the new year off right. Let's just say I spent Thursday early morning and day doing things that I should do more of with the emphasis being on "letting go and enjoying the moment". Thursday night my friend J, who came up for the holidays, and I celebrated by having a wonderful time talking and laughing locally. She came over afterwards and was my "first foot" guest. Dark haired and dark eyed people as your first visitors of the new year are supposedly lucky. I fed her pierogis and she got back to where she was staying safely.

New Year's Day I maxed and relaxed in my PJs, sleeping in, and reading with the cats. Then on Saturday evening I shoveled. Then on Sunday morning I shoveled some goddamned more. Luckily my snow-blowin' neighbor helped out by blowing the pile at the end of my driveway that was up to my boobies and would have taken me another hour on top of the 2.5 hours I'd already spent. Sunday evening was spent popping Aleve curled up in my living room nest under a down blanket fighting with Hobbes who kept digging his bony paws into all the fresh bruises on my knees and shins courtesy of pushing the heavy snow-filled shovel over side-of-driveway piles repeatedly. Shoveling with me is an all-body experience thus the aches from a slew of brand new bi/tri-cep, back, butt, thigh, calf, abs, obliques, and even hand/wrist muscles. Think this means increased physical activity during the new year...?

This morning I found out that I'm a murderer. I bought a lawn treatment for getting rid of ants the beginning of last summer but never got around to spreading it on the lawn. I figured I'd do it in the spring. Well, it appears ant poison is looking mighty tasty to some neighborhood critters who have been breaking into my garage, busting holes in the metallic bags, and creating piles of the stuff all along the side of my garage. I shoveled it all into plastic litter containers with lids but I'm sure in my heart that it's too late and there are some dead little furries somewhere close by. What a way to start the day today.

Suffice to say - aches are gone, bruises still here, bathroom still clean, dust re-assembling as I live and breathe, the Xmas tree down and taken by the garbage gremlins, decorations all packed away, haven't found any little bodies yet, my hair is fabulous, turmeric still working, sleep continues to be elusive on alternate nights, my parents are great, my co-workers are funny, my friends are wonderful, and my cats still love me even tho I made them wait until 9am all New Yrs weekend for breakfast each day.