So I missed Monday.

3/6/07 Tuesday
OK, so I missed Monday. It actually wasn’t a bad day but it was a busy one. I think I got most of the trailer unloaded Sunday but it may have been yesterday. Not real clear on that as the memories often blur together. I do know that there are two pieces of furniture left on the trailer. One is a desk but the other is the credenza I had to get Nate to help me load on the trailer back in Toledo. Not sure how I will get that off by myself. For that matter I’m not sure how I managed to both load and unload this trailer by myself. It’s amazing what you can do an inch at a time.

I just downloaded the pictures I have on the Kodak and they helped me remember what I’ve been doing. It obviously has been a busy time with our return to this farm. First there was the unloading of the essentials such as our clothes and such. Cherie went into Stanton to pick up mail and buy some groceries to replenish our fridge. While she was gone I got much of the trailer unloaded. Actually the first part of that involved rearranging the garage to accommodate what was in the trailer.

In the process of figuring out what goes where we decided to make the living room Cherie’s sewing area. There is no question that the back room will not be enough because we now have the woodstove in the middle of it. We looked at it and then brought in the big mahogany or cherry credenza top in. That sucker is ten foot long. It was decided to cut the top in six and four foot sections. I am thinking of stripping the top and may do so as I found a can of stripper in the stuff I brought from Toledo.

The problem is that I will need to buy a finish for it if I do. Our budget is a bit squeezed after this trip. Cherie fearfully approached the task of reviewing our expenditures on this journey. Yeah it was a bunch. The total cost of this visit was $1560.00. A few hundred of that was covered by the generosity of our family. They picked up the cost of our hotel stay. What a big help that was. We did splurge a bit at the antique malls but are willing to pay the price to obtain items that are not as available here in West Texas. Cherie found an oil lamp and lots of doilies and lace that she will use for crafts and gifts and on a quilt she is planning. I got two two man saws for a steal of $38 bucks for the pair, a couple of draw knives, a woodworkers vise for my bench, and a few other items that I will use. Cherie paid bills and looked at what was left. “It’s going to be a tight month” she announced.

It was worth it, the trip that is. Just wish we could have spent more time up there. There is a noticeable change in Cherie. She seems more confident in herself and comfortable with the new life we are creating here. It was good for Cherie’s family too. They all still needed to say goodbye some more. The first one was good but the absent feeling they experienced when we actually went away brought it home. Now the connection is actually stronger, or at least it seems so to me. We got along better and were more open with each other.

I did my best to reassure dad. He tends to be a cranky old guy who worries too much. There is no doubt he was not pleased to see me return and remarry his daughter but he accepts it. He wants Cherie to be well cared for and has the standard fixed ideas of how things should be based on his generations standards. That would be for the man to work a good union job and for the wife to stay home, clean house, and cook. Now I am on disability and Cherie was the working one while I kept house in Toledo.

Cherie mentioned that she would look for work and get her sewing business going when she gets back here. That was a trigger for Dad. “Why don’t you try that? You know, looking for work. You need to get a job. Get off this disability. Why don’t you have a job?” dad-in-law said as he glared at me. “I have a job” I replied. “I work every day building this home, fixing the house. Then I have a farm to build and that’s my job. I work hard”. This was a good time to change the subject but I think he understood. Mom jumped in to support me reminding Ted of what it was like when he was building the house they still live in. That helped a bunch.

As we were saying our final farewells there was of course the crying hugging thing that always goes with these occasions. I looked at Ted and said “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your daughter. I’ll have to because I know if I don’t you’ll kick my ass”. “Damn right I’ll kick your ass” he rose to the occasion. I always try to bring humor into life so I retorted “I really wouldn’t like that cause it’ll take you so long, you’ll be beating on me for hours before you get it done”. “What” was dad’s reply as he pondered what I said. Mom was laughing hysterically at this and gave me my good by hug as she did so.

Nate had a ton of stuff for me. This is quite a complement from him, his way of saying he approves of me or something positive like that. Check this out, here’s the air compressor he gave me. Ran out and found an electric motor for it that day but the thing didn’t work. I told him I was grateful for the compressor without a motor. Who wouldn’t be? I suppose there are some who would be. Also he got us a washing machine. Said it may need a new gear box but had one for it. His question was if we would want the washer at all if it still needed work. We are grateful for anything and don’t mind putting in some work.

The items that we need the most and that I was looking forward to getting were the two breaker panels Nate had gotten for us. One was new in the box. When Nate went to look for them they were no longer where he had left them. It would seem that Jeremy had taken them. Now I try to see the good in any situation. Sure we need the panels but this event may have a greater result. It hopefully is the straw that broke the camels back.

Jeremy is one of those losers who seems unable to change. He is trouble and brings trouble with him. This is a petty thief who cares about himself more than friends. I understand one who steals to feed his family but one who steals from friends and family is a lower rung on the ladder. So he stole the power panels. Nate gave me two air conditioners that Jeremy had left there. Both of them have cut power cords and there has been a rash of thefts where small window units like these are snatched right out of windows. Like I said, Jeremy brings trouble with him. So I hope this will motivate Nate to finally and completely sever his relationship with Jeremy. That would be well worth the price thus be the good out of the situation. “Your better than that” I said to Nate.

I hope Nate doesn’t get pissed I put this here. Thanks for the stuff Nate. You’re a cool nephew in law. Come on by and visit anytime you’re in the neighborhood. Here’s a nugget from the “Expounding Wisdom Of Bob” book of philosophy. You rise or fall to the level of those you are around. Whether you rise or fall depends on who you decide to hang with. The wrong people only lower you. The right people will lift you up.

So…what else? I looked at the pictures and used them to remember other parts of the last couple of days. It became quickly evident that there had been some serious wind while we were gone. The metal trash can I had upside down at the water spigot was gone. Just disappeared. So was anything else that wasn’t tied down.






Opening the screen door we see sand piled up between the screen and the front door.









But inside it was kinda neat to my weird sense of things. The force of the winds had pushed sand and fine dust through every crack and crevice it could find. There were sand trails everywhere.















Here is how the wind blew through the joints of the chimney. I can only imagine what it must have been like. There was a fine layer of dust everywhere.










More pictures of sand coming under and over the baseboard in the office.











So it’s welcome back! You’re home now. Clean up time. Here’s Cherie getting reacquainted with Skittles who, true to his name, wasn’t too quick to cuddle up. You can see him leaning into it now.




So back to the pictures to see what else happened. Here you go, the piece of wood. This may get a post of it’s own.





It did. It's called "The Plank"




We are listening to the sound of the planes spraying their poison. They were out yesterday and you could smell it strongly as they sprayed the field next to us. We went in and closed the doors. All part of the package.

Cherie went to the doctor yesterday. It’s the first time she has seen a doctor since we moved down so she was nervous. The good news is she’s found a doctor who will work with cash customers but more importantly one she likes. That is a great relief for her.

I didn’t get much done today. It took me four or more hours to write and then post the journal. I went out and tried to move the credenza off the trailer. I broke it. Definitely was a two person job. I can put it back together later. So the trailers clear. Now I can go get those telephone poles.

We’re watching American Idol now and I am definitely done for the day. Night all.