Here we go again?!

The immigrant is tending babies today.  When she does that and it doesn't happen here, it adds to the chaos and confusion of keeping things ship-shape here at Lark Circle.  When she's gone taking care of me falls to me and I don't do such a hot job of that sometimes.  I try but things never look as nice and clean when I do them as when she does.

I did get a lot done today before setting out for work.  I mopped my bathroom and cleaned the carpet in my bedroom.  I washed the dishes I dirtied last night after work.  I swept which is a chore around here. And I went on a search and destroy mission to find the battery charger for my cordless drill.  It wasn't where I put it but I did manage to find it.  It's the beginning of the things I'm thankful for today.

I have a lot to be thankful for today even though it won't sound like it as I tell the story.  Some of it was my own fault for not doing what I needed to.  Lessons learned the hard way are usually the ones you take to heart and this one I will.  Believe me, I will.  It hurt the pocketbook on both ends.

I want to start out this story by saying I kind of had a feeling I should have stayed home today.  There's no reason to be driving in this if you don't have to.

I mentioned I needed the battery charger for my cordless drill.  I took it downstairs when we had a mini-issue with the plumbing and I didn't put it away.  Someone else did and I had to find it in the garage because the kitchen sink was backed up.  I fixed it just right before work and although late, I ventured off.

The sink couldn't wait because it drained into the dishwasher when I washed the dishes.  And when it filled up the dishwasher some of it leaked onto my tile floor.  I found this out when I about fell on and busted my butt.  Anyway, I put on clean clothes and rand a brush through my hair and walked out the door.

Getting to work was fun.  I almost got dead once.  The front end of Chevron tried to pass the back end but I was able to avoid going around and around.  When I got to work, I checked the truck to make sure it would start again.  Then I uttered a small prayer that the truck would start just one more time.


As I was walking into the hangar, I ran into a co-worker who opened the door and I followed him in.  He knows me and that I belong there.  As we were walking in, he said he called the supervisor on duty for today and told him he wasn't coming in.  Keep that in mind.  I wasn't going to but I told the guys if I could get out of the neighborhood I'd show up.  The snow wasn't nearly as deep as it is now so off I went after I got the sink put back together.

I checked in with the boss but told him I was leaving at seven-thirty.  Remember, the immigrant is tending babies at not here so someone's gotta let out the muttleys.  I don't want her driving in this any more than she has to.  I figured by then, it wold be early enough to run the snowblower without bugging the neighbors and I know from experience that to safely secure my vehicle in the driveway, I have to shovel it first or it'll slip down the driveway and land in the middle of the street.  It's happened before.

Anyway, off to work.  I talked to a couple of other co-workers and went to open my toolbox.  I knew the job I was going to do and went ot get tools to do it, but I looked down around my neck and that's when I noticed my badge and toolbox keys were not where they were supposed to be.  Damn.  There went $320.

I wasn't going to come back in this weather.  I spoke to the supervisor; told him what happened and told him "goodbye".  Off to the truck!

Which didn't start.

Here's where a whole bunch of grateful comes in:

Air Force bases are kind of like their own little city.  They have a department store, a grocery store, a convenience store and liquor store rolled into one.  They also have a garage that sells tires and batteries.  If you're familiar with the shopette on base, you know it shares space with the garage franchisee.  I bought a battery for my truck and a cheap set of tools that was on sale for $9.95 at the shopette.  The battery was $105.  I could have gotten one cheaper someplace else but I wasn't stranded someplace else.

I used to have things that would have helped me out in this situation.  I had a little toolkit I used to keep in my truck.  I also used to have jumper cables.  My middle boy has them both.  I'm not getting them back.

Anyway, I trudge the two blocks in the snow to the shopette/garage and get my battery and a set of tools they have I think will work.  I carry the battery back.  It's snowing hard by now.  I open the hood and that's when I realize the tools I have just bought will not be enough.  I wound up needing them anyway but I needed more tools.  Another trudge in the snow to the main BX.  Keep in mind that in the hangar, I have a great set of tools and access to just about any tool I would have needed but I couldn't access the hangar because my key-card is with my badge and toolbox keys.

I found some tools that would work at the BX.  I needed some screwdrivers too, so I bought a set instead of just one.  That would prove to be a great idea.  Again, the trudge through the snow back to the truck.  By now I'm getting a little cold,  I arrive at the truck and try to open the little plastic box and it wouldn't.  It was held shut with a phillips screw.

OK, I have two of those now with the set of screwdrivers I had to buy.  Opened them up, removed the screw, removed the tools to loosen a battery cable and the block that holds the battery in place.  The toolkit I bought is a 1/4" drive standard and metric set of smaller size sockets.  The first set of tools I bought was a 3/8" drive ratchet set that had larger size sockets.  I'd need that tool set to remove one of the battery cables.  I managed to get the battery changed despite the snow and now I have some tools that will live in Chevron.

When I was making the trek to the big BX, I remembered the lyrics to a song and I looked up to heaven and told God, "I just praise You in the middle of this snowstorm."  I was at a place where what I needed was available.  I wasn't supposed to work tonight.  I went when I should have stayed home and some things happened but God's plan for me was that He would use the circumstances to have me fix my truck.  The things I needed were there.  If I'd stayed home, things would have been different.

Home for some reason is where I belong tonight.  Home is where I'm at!

And waiting for whatever is coming my way!

I titled this thing here we go again.  I'd mentioned a while ago that my former GF/roomie was a lot like someone else I used to know.  Well the same things that happened before are happening again.





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