Road Trip

At last I located the perfect car for Phillip.  Yes, it was 175 miles away, but a little thing like that wasn't going to get between me and automotive fulfillment.  You see, having decided which make and model, I had my heart set on this very special Electric Blue paint.  Not because I am any huge fan of Electric Blue, but because it's the exact blue found in the logo of Phillip's favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs.   Having agreed to let him put a Cubs sticker on the car, I had to be sure that we got a color that I could stand to see that on.  Yeah, I know:  I need a life.  What can I say?  Colors matter to me.  A Lot.

So drive, we did.  The four of us piled into my car and headed North, to the dealership with whom I had already made the deal, over the phone.  Nobody panic; I had a trusted friend who was in the neighborhood test drive the car for me, before offering to buy it. 

After a whole morning in the car, the Smallies displayed remarkable patience while we waited for paperwork at the dealership.  Unlike their father, who is notably absent from this picture.  He was pacing the halls at this point, I believe.  Can't blame him, really.  He still had no idea what car he was getting, because I wanted to surprise him.  He knew what model I had been looking for, but not the year or the color.

Finally it was time for the big reveal.  Think he liked it much?

He's still getting used to all the features, but seems confident that he will acclimate.

True, it was a bit of an ordeal for me, but remember who the recipient is:  Father to the Smallies, walker of Scottie Dogs, and most important:  He never complains about the yarn.
 

Mission Accomplished.

Made For Walkin'

In case you were wondering (I know I have been), yes, I do still knit things from time to time, in between automotive and plumbing emergencies.  Although I didn't think I'd pull it off, I managed to finish my first knee socks, while the Knitting Gods weren't looking:
 

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, colorway "Wild Purls".  Get some for yourself here, and tell them Mary sent you.

Did I intend for the little blue tide pools to end up in exactly the same spot on each shin and ankle?  Yes. Yes I did.  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

I've been car shopping this week.  Kill Me.  I think this is how lifelong pedestrians are made:

Slimeball Used Car Dealer:    "I think you will find that your offer is just plain unrealistic."
Me:                "So the price is not negotiable?"
SUCD:           "I have no idea why you would think that!"
Me:                "Because I just offered you three dollars less than the price on the dayglo sticker."
SUCD:            "Well, you know, times are hard.  We have to do all we can to keep the lights on, here at Slimeball Motors."
Me:                "Yes, I'm sure the loss of my three dollars will cause the Slimeball family irreparable hardship.  Have I mentioned how long it takes a knitter to earn three dollars?"
SUCD:            "Knitter, huh?  So is that a union job, or what?"

Good thing my boots have tough soles.  Walk on, dear knitter.  Walk On.

What I Know About Plumbing

...would scarcely fill a drain trap.  So it was with no small panic that I called a plumber last week after returning home to discover my kitchen floor half an inch deep in water.

And I may have twitched a bit when she arrived, and gently let me know that my kitchen faucet had passed on to that great U-Bend in the Sky.  Then it occurred to me that I never liked that faucet.  It came with the house, and reminded me of the previous owners:  Cheap and Cheerful.

My Plumber (I have a Plumber now.  It makes me feel powerful.) is the lovely and talented Andrea, who loves Scottish Terriers (has one of her very own), and so was immediately approved of by Paisley, who supervised the job.

Andrea not only replaced my kitchen faucet with a sassy new pretty one, she installed a new kitchen sink and garbage disposal.  And with Andrea at my side to support the decision, I elected to disarm the Plumbing Gods by replacing the other three, equally crappy, sink/faucet combos in our house.

And now all things washy at Huff House are not only good as new, they ARE new.  Check out my sparkly new sink!  So much easier to appreciate than my new Catalytic Converter.  I especially like that I got to pick out the sprayer.  You should have seen the plumbing supply guy's face when I asked:  "Will this nozzle spray with enough pressure to rinse the detergent out of sheep fleece?"  I do love Muggles. 

So now, I won't panic when the toilets go (obviously that will be next), because I know I can call Andrea.  And hopefully she will turn directly to me for her next Knitting Emergency, should she ever have one.  One good rescue deserves another, after all.