Monday

I had full intentions of posting an entry here yesterday, but the old body had a very poor response to the DeWitt ride yesterday, and I spent a majority of the afternoon and evening on the couch.  It was almost like I had a 24-hour virus of some sort.  Extreme body aches, upset stomach, headache, and loss of appetite. I am marginally better today.  Kinda like bad shrimp.  Whatever.

So the big news on Maplecrest is my acquisition of the latest BEATER.  My "new" 1996 Ford F-150 was picked-up late yesterday afternoon.  This is a very basic vehicle with few extras.  With only 110,500 miles, it should have plenty of useful life ahead of it.  I'm sure that there will be some repairs on it in my future, but I'm glad to get back into a truck.  Soberingly, this truck is 15 years newer than my first F-150 that I drove in the early '80's.

The purchase transaction was not without a procedural snafu.  The truck was located on a farm about 10 miles into the country from town.  I was to meet the seller's dad there at 4PM to complete the paperwork.  When I left my house, I was sure that I had locked the door with the set of keys that had remained in the lock since returning from the DeWitt ride before lunch.  And I was equally sure that I had dropped said set of keys on the floor of my friend's car when I got into the car for the ride out to the farm.

When we got back to Maplecrest with the truck, I didn't have that set of keys with the "stuff" (paperwork, garage door opener, pen, pliers, checkbook, etc.) that I had transferred to the truck at the farm.  And they weren't in my friend's car. I figured that I had somehow dropped them in the course of putting the license plate on the truck and helping the seller' dad clean out the glove compartment and other areas of the truck.  Typical mental displacement when doing unusual, non-repetitive tasks.

The extra element of aggravation was that that set of keys belonged to MARGRET.  And, I think, my only set of keys for MARGRET.  So I call the seller's dad.  No answer.  I then conclude that I had to go out and scour his gravel/grass driveway and near-by areas where I may have walked.  Which I do.  10 miles out.  10 miles back.  Again.  Absolutely no luck.  Consternation.  Irritation.  Frustration.  A real gloom on what should otherwise be a fun/enjoyable situation.

When I get back to Maplecrest, I'm still singing the blues on my inattention.  It just didn't make any sense.  So I make an effort to mentally retrace my steps from the original departure to the farm, remembering that the keys had already been in the lock from the return from DeWitt.  And I remembered that I had considered not even locking the door for the trip to the farm, it being the middle of the day and the likelihood of an intruder being extremely remote.  But I did anyway...

That's when it more or less hit me, I may have locked the door, but could I have just dropped the keys into the geraniums to the side of the steps like I do when I head out for a bike ride?  Uh, yes you mental giant, there are your keys, right where you left them!!  Amazing.  Really.

The truck takes up a lot more space in my driveway than did the Taurus.  It makes backing the Buick out from the garage a little more exciting.  And it will make things really cozy in the Winter with the truck in the garage (after MARGRET goes to storage on Century Heights).  But I sure like sitting truck-high on the road again.

More carnage on Wall Street today.  Every pundit has their own spin. Everybody says that China is a big part of the problem.  Add in the business about interest rates and the price of oil, and you have lots of doubts out there.  Cash sounds pretty good these days.

Really enjoyed these pics of the kids yesterday.  They are growing up so quick!

All for now.  Hope it is a good week in your neighborhood.

BCOT