End of Order

The last few days have been pretty hectic, though fulfilling.

How to get the most out of a Thursday:
Up before the sun.
Narrowly escape a speeding ticket thanks to the stickler driving in front of me.
Put a good 10 hours on the clock.
Pick up a rusty axle from the flood plain with Ben.
Purchase an Oldsmobile.

Friday: This pitch black at 5:30AM stuff has got to end. Put in another long day of OT at work, then the parts store for a few misc items for Saturday. Needing a plan for Saturday's axle swap, Ben and I met up at the PL. I gave Cam a buzz as well. Not only was the A/C shot and doors propped open, it was too hot to serve tap beer (all foam) and Miller's company was rather lacking. We were feeling pretty nonplussed as it was, so after a couple beers and a tentative plan, we went our separate ways. I returned to the lodge in time for the mosquitoes to take hold and worked on the Olds for a little while before turning in.

Saturday morning….where was the sun? I paced until the fog lifted around 10:30, then was able to start mowing. The temps came up and the sky cleared. I ran the tractor until noon, getting a couple acres done as Ben pulled in. By that point, shirt sweated through and a decent farmer's tan going. And so IT began. One long, hot, humid, sweaty, dirty axle swap. We both agreed that was about our limit for automotive endurance these days. 8 hours baking in the sun, fighting rusty bolts and stubborn iron. Around 4 we got a brief reprieve and headed for Waverly for parts and cassettes at the new Goodwill store. Fought and fought and fought the brakes, which could still use another bleed, but the Blazer is now fully mobile and back in service. Polished off our fair share of Old Mills as we sat in the dining area, unable to move. Shower, dinner, and bed.

I was a little achy Sunday, and in one of those moods where I wasn't sure I wanted to do much of anything, but labor called. Got up and ran the push mower around for an hour taking care of the detail areas you can't get with the tractor. Yes, the sun was beating down. Then time for a little breakfast. Determined to do….something, I made good on this year's promise of taking Cara to Antique Acres for the Old Time Power Show. It did not disappoint! After that, to the car wash, then the parents' place where I caught the second half of Ghandi on AMC. Next, home to try out a pickled egg recipe and bring in the clothes off the line as the sun was setting.

The next morning, back to the grind. An 11-hour day followed by a stop at AZ to return unused parts and loan-a-tools. A sigh of relief to have that off my chest. Then the 'rents, and Fareway, and before you know it you get home and the only thing you can muster is grinding kitty litter into oil on the driveway. That, and a Digiorno pizza. Oh hell, and 45 minutes of ironing while sleeping standing up.

I can't say this summer has been a total loss. It's a different whirlwind mode this year, where even though I'm working constant OT and trying to tie up loose ends outside of work, I no longer must succomb to the whipping of the daily task list. That said, I think a little fall mini-vacation may be in order.