Stories and other stuff

I paid $35 for a "fan" belt for my washing machine today.  $35.  That's $15 more than the serpentine belt for June's Saturn cost me.  That's outrageous!  But not as outrageous as the sign I saw at the first place I went to get the part. Here's what they wanted for labor:  $60 for the first 30 minutes, then $17 for each 15 minutes thereafter.  That's $70 an hour.  I took me a little over an hour to change the washing machine belt.  I had to bend the idler pulley arm back into place so that took some trial and error.  It must've bent when the belt let go. It's not a permanent repair, either.  Something caused said belt to break and by how loud the washer sounds when it spins, it almost sounds like a bearing in the thing is going bad.  When it finally does, I'm getting a new used washing machine.  I can't afford the parts and after looking on KSL yesterday, a used washer might be the way to go.  I can't afford a new o...

I think that things break in proportion to the amount of money you have available to fix them.  In the last month, we've killed two microwave ovens, a washing machine, and now the garden tractor.  Unfortunately, the microwaves are throw away items.  The washer repairman will be called on Monday.  I don't know enough about washers to fix it.  It won't spin.  Someone will come who will make it spin again or I'll buy a used one to replace it. The garden tractor is another matter, though.  It's very useful this time of year.  I have lots of tools to take care of loosening the soil, I have a plow.  But it needs a new starter.  The teeth on the old one are worn out, so that's an easy fix. You'd think. My tractor is old.  Sears doesn't sell parts for it nor do they even list parts for the engine anymore.  Fortunately, it's a good old Briggs and Stratton and they do list parts for it.  Finding the parts was a process. ...

Some days it seems that as King David writes in Psalm 51, "my sins are ever before me".  But one thing I know, I have no intention of being who I used to be.  This is a great song and says more about my day than i could. I hope you enjoy it.

I was digging through the alternate filing cabinet (my dresser drawer) yesterday when I came across something:  My old Levi 501 jeans.  These are the last pair of 501s that I have.  They've been put in a drawer because they're a little frayed at the bottom from the time that I caught fire.  They were only damaged a little so I cut the burned part off of them and kept them for bumming around in. And they're perfect for work. I haven't worn these jeans in a while but they still fit me just as well as they did the last time I wore them.  They're very comfortable and I always liked the button fly vs. the jeans with zippers.  501s from back in the day were indestructible.  Oh, you could tear them up, but you really had to work at it.  The new ones, not so much. I've gone through four pairs of them in the last two years, but my 501s that I've had for better part of a decade are still in great shape, sans the scorched material missing on the right le...

Spring sprang. I know, two posts about spring, but it always amazes me that year after year, these beautiful flowers keep coming back and I don't do anything to make that happen. I like daffodils.  They remind me of teacups.  Maybe that's from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory where Gene Wilder drinks something from a candy flower and eats it.  Funny what sticks with from your childhood. On another note, Bucket has a bit of a tummy ache.  Something foul just sneaked out of him while I was writing this.  Thanks for that, pal. I can't take credit for the flowers.  The ladies of the household planted them.  Some I really enjoy.  Later on, this little bush will grow and purple flowers will bloom.  We have two of them.  They're my favorites. The sweet williams are growing like weeds.  The snow on the mountain is trying to eat the flowerbeds a little early this year, too.  June won't let me roundup it.  So I p...

listen to this For your enjoyment:

I know, I should be outside.  I'm going to be in just a bit.  I had some inside stuff to do this morning and it's all but taken care of.  I'm thinking a quick trip to the commissary may be in order today, too.  I just got back from the depot but may have to go back.  I found something outside that needs to be corrected.  A hammer and nails will fix it once I have the gutter hanger in hand.  It was a hidden casualty from the big windstorm this winter. I did go outside this morning to see what's coming up.  A couple of weeks ago I raked out the flower beds. Glad I did.  My flowers are coming up.  I have daffodils and these little mini buttercup daffodils that are in bloom.  The roses are growing nicely.  The peonies are just starting to pop through.  The irises are; the lilac and the bush that looks like honeysuckle but isn't are also leafing out  The apricot tree is starting to blossom and I had to laugh about that. ...