Catalysts

I doubt a person could ask for a better Monday morning. Sunny, no humidity, cool temps and just a hint of dew on the cars in the parking lot this AM. Bagged up some cold pizza and perc'd a thermos full of Stewert's and I was set. Despite ample recharge time, both Cara and I are feeling brow-beat, and a little bone-weary to boot.

Friday after work I hustled home to change, stopping for 12 minutes at the Walmart I pass by twice daily, to drop off some Kodachrome that's been waiting for months now. There's only one place left in the country that does this development and it's actually more expensive (significantly) to deal-direct than to drop it at the evil box store. We'll see how it turns out. Anyhow, home, changed into my Friday eve garb, got back in the Blazer and high-tailed it to the land to unload and hitch up the trailer to make it to my parent's place by 5:15 to meet Ben. He had a new pair of Maytags to drop off at his place and needed his cart so I figured I'd give him a hand. I made it to the parent's with a couple minutes to spare, but where was Ben? Turned out he had already arrived and left before the meet time. Swell. Though he came through and picked me up later on as I still had this danged trailer hitched up.

We went directly to the PL as the other places around town have just felt…less than stellar? The night Cara and I tried the Cypress I was so disappointed I haven't been back. Really. I can't find any redeeming quality there and I’m not sure why. OK, maybe I can. The beer was warm, the pool priced the same as elsewhere in town, the bartendress non-social and the atmosphere is downright antiseptic at the moment. Plus the odd mojo from that center dividing wall. It use to be the place to go to watch the alternative crowd but I'm not so sure they're hanging out there anymore. The Olive is good for a post-work Martini, but not the place to go when you've been busting your hump in the August humidity and are looking for some cold swill. I can still do Toad's but that place feels a little strange too. Then again, like the tonics they serve, a good patronage-binge has a way of putting you off that establishment for a week or two. On that note, it's been a while for The Tap!

Anyhow, grand time Friday night. We found Cam at his place after a quick McD run and cruise through the crap-lot. From there, back to….the PL.  It was good to see Ben let loose, too. We actually surpassed old-man status and left after midnight, Cam piloting the deVille as there was but 1 car and three of us.

Got crackin' with Cara both Sat and Sunday. Besides laundry and cabinet moving and other sundry details, we both spent our time outdoors in the mid-day heat. Cara running the lawn tractor while I moved blocks, towed the Fleetwood out of position, hauled very heavy cement chunks from the pumphouse to fill voids in the road (times like this I love the tailgate), and other menial tasks. I also brought out the table saw to cut the rear cedar corners and stained those Saturday. Many hours later we got everything packed up, headed in, got ourselves changed and made it to The Library before the rain started for some grog, sandwiches and Olympic gymnastics.

Sunday, more of the same. Cara really got herself sunburnt despite us loading up on the sun block. I managed to get the corners cut, assembled and installed plus another coat of stain on things. Finished the kitchen floor. More outdoor labors, and also moved and cleaned up the interior NW corner and laid down VCT in that area. Around 5:30 we re-hitched the trailer, loaded the mower up, jockeyed this, that and the other and drug our weary bodies in for another hour or so of mower clean-up. And a good wash-down for ourselves.

I'm really liking this UNI-channel. They were showing "Master Hands" earlier this week which is a huge favorite of mine. And last night between Olympic events I'd flip over to catch "Sundays with Science". As they showed some multi-part educational series put out by NASA in the 80's using primarily footage from the early 70's. I'm of the opinion you need both the harpsichord AND the electric organ as background music when viewing Moon's surface. NASA did not disappoint.