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Persistence only
Pays off if you're doing
The correct thing right.

18:17 31 JULY 2004

Been a long day so far... neither JD nor I got to sleep very early last night, we went to bed at about midnight, and I tossed and turned until about 01:00 and got up... JD must've heard me, 'cause he came into the computer room a few minutes later. Finally went back to bed, probably got to sleep around 02:30 or so after waking Karen up and getting a backrub.

She can almost always put me to sleep with a backrub... almost always.

Got up at 06:30, and I banged on JDs' door at 06:50 and he got up around 07:00 and we were on the road about 08:15 or so. Karen had to get up early too, she and her kids were going to Parsons to clean JEDs' house up for the realtors. Should get it on the market next week or so.

JD and I stopped in Emporia and got breakfast and coffee, and then once again at the Des Plaines rest stop for more coffee, and we made it into Enid at 12:30 or so.

We came to Moms', and she's doing great and looking well. She was napping when we got there, and we hung around for a little while before going to Braums' for hamburgers and chocolate malts (for JD and I). Came home and ate, then rested a bit.

Washed the window that we were going to put the AC in, in the SW bedroom, and I went outside to do that part. Mom had bought some window-washing stuff that fit on the end of a hose, a piece of equipment that I was not familiar with. I Turned on the water and picked up the thing to turn on the spray, but I was a split-second too late... the hose had been laying in the sun, full of water, and the heat had evidently loosened the plastic threads, 'cause it almost exploded in my hands. I didn't quite get thoroughly drenched, but close to it. And with hot water, no less.

Anyways, I got that cooled off and figgered out and tightened up and got the window washed.

And then it was time to put the little AC in the window. It had ("had" as in past tense) accordian sides to seal up the space. Not anymore, though, it had degenerated pretty thoroughly into small plastic slivers.

So we (JD) cut a piece of board that Mom had laying around... with a boxcutter. It was 3/8-inch plywood, and it did take a little while.

JD caulked around the board, and next time I come down I'll bring some foam and trim for the outside, maybe make it look a little bit nicer, and then we'll paint the inside part.

Next up: the rug on the back porch. The rug that we brought down was about six inches too wide, so we put a new blade in the boxcutter and went to work... made it lay out really nice, then we used the rest of the caulk on the thresholds. I do hope that that stuff holds up, it's not exactly carpet adhesive, so I'm not really sure about it.

We had to do some pretty fancy footwork with the appliances, but we had thought it out aforehand and it worked out well.

O'yeah, before we did that, we moved the washer and dryer closer to the wall by about four inches, having to cut a bunch off of the plastic dryer vent hose... it had been installed with about an eighteen-inch U-shaped loop in it... I can't figger that out, and I'm not gonna waste my time tryin'.

Mom was wanting to be able to reach the window sill to put plants there, I haven't asked her if that worked yet, and I don't know if she's tried it or not.

Did some other piddly little stuff, replacing light bulbs, kinda worked on the front gutter... stuff like that.

And shortly JD and I are going to get something to eat and then... I'll probably hit the sack, and I imagine that JD feels about the same way about it.

I really hate to see JD heading out tomorrow, it's been so nice to spend a week with him. He's seriously considering getting a job in Kansas, and I would *so* love to see that happen, y'know? And then it would be Tyler's turn to make the big move back to where there are real seasons!

I talked to my buddy Jess, he's doing a lot better, he finally got his IV out, been in there for five months now and he was really tired of it. Just on oral and inhaled antibiotics/anti-fungals. And his wife will have her last chemo next Tuesday for her breast CA, then she has to have a surgical revision done, since the surgeon evidently messed something up. Anyway, the should both be getting healthy now, and we will be able to have our Crane Junior High re-union soon....

OK, time to eat... although I hate to interrupt JD and Mom, they seem to be having a nice conversation without me. But... my belly is starting to grumble a little bit, so it's time.

OK, it's 22:22 right now, and I'm tuckered.

JD and I went to Big Lots, ostensibly looking for a power center for me... you know, those controllers that people used to set under their monitors, with a switch for everything? I really need a couple for the studio, and I haven't been able to find them anywhere locally. So we thought that we'd go there, just on the off chance....

'Twas not to be, though. All kinds of power strips, but no control center dealies.

I'll have to go looking on-line, shoulda done that in the first place, but I didn't think that I'd have this much trouble.

So we went to the Chinese Buffet and had a nice meal, then off to the new Wal-Mart to see what they had. As we stopped at a stop sign, I saw the moon rising.

It. Was. Beautiful!

Orange, like old dried blood. And luminous, lord was it luminous! Sent a chill through to my spine, it did.

Blue Moon....

We pulled into the Wal-mart and looked at it for a few minutes, then went inside on the same doomed errand. Nothing, of course, but I did buy a gallon of windshield wiper fluid, and I used the self-checkout, which was kinda cool.

And now, fer sure, bedtime!