It happened. Monday night. I came home, life was good, the end of Monday.... Or was it?
I turned on the stove, or rather TRIED to, and no lights. Oven? Nope. Okay, so I check the breaker and it is not flipped, but I go ahead an reset it anyway for old times sake. No light on the range. I pull it out, unplug it, wait a few secs, plug it back in (the low-tech version of a reboot), and HEY it works! For a little while, anyway. Soon, the light is out, the partially cooked meat sits in the skillet. Being the creature of habit that I am, I go through the same motions I went through last time. After all, I'm not sure which of my voodoo moves got it kick started, right? Not this time, buddy. Dead. Nothing.
I look online for help, clues, anything. The manufacturer site says to check the outlet. Outlet? Okay, maybe if the house was a hundred years old or something, but come on... I think it's the element, thermostat, or something. Then again, I have no idea what I'm talking about, so there ya go. Supper is effectively ruined.
Fast forward 30-60 minutes... We all decide to head to the school to help Shan get some things done in prep for the start of the new year. We walk out the front door, and POW! My truck has a flat tire. Not good. And, here is where I begin to recite the same lines I heard my father-in-law saying not long ago, "I knew better... I knew better.. I just knew better than that!" Yeap. You see, for the past week or so, I have been telling myself that I need to get my tires changed. I'm no mechanic, but I know when my tires are "worn slap out," as they say... And mine were. But, you see, I *WAS* going to stop at the discount tire place in Texarkana on Monday while I was down there... However, in my frustration with the tech situation there (refer to Monday's post), I forgot all about my withering tire. I knew better...
So, we went up to the school because there was NO WAY that I was going to change my tire in 100+ degree heat. I also wasn't going to change it later that night because I don't like doing things like "sticking my head under several tons of truck" in the dark. Maybe it's just me... So, I decided to wait and change the tire at 6am today (Tuesday).
Off to school we go, and I help hang a few things by pounding cement nails into the mortar and stone walls. Legalized destruction of school property... Man, how can you go wrong? :-)
Fast forward to today (Tuesday). Wake up at 5-something, snooze for a bit, and finally get up at 6-something. I don't know if you have ever changed the tire on a big ol' honkin truck, but it ain't easy with the tools they give ya and it ain't too much fun either. The biggest problem I had was figuring out how to connect all these goofy metal poles together in order to make a lever that turns in order to lower the spare tire from under the bed. I finally figured it out, but really, figuring out the Sharepoint search was easier (and if you've been playing along, you KNOW what a mess THAT was!).
Next, if you've changed a tire on a car or minivan, there are these nice little notches that guide you where to place the jack... Not so on a truck. Instead, I had to look in the book only to find out that I have to use the lower rocker arm (or something like that) as my brace. Okayyy... Get the tire changed, take the truck to Goodyear, Goodyear takes me to work and I am thrust into the madhouse!
Today was our annual staff meeting, which I had somehow managed to know nothing about, or blocked it out of my mind, or something.... Let's just say that staff meetings at work are a mixture of infomercial and circus. The highlight of the meeting was the discussion on pandemic outbreak. Ah yes, in the continuing trend that is the world we live in, we were warned of a major flu outbreak that could happen any time... blah blah blah... Frankly, just like all the other things we are supposed to cower in fear of, I took it all with a huge lump of salt. I refuse to be swayed by talk of death, destruction, trials and tribulations. If it happens, it happens. No sense in getting all wiggy about it.... Now, in my boss' defense, she did a good job of trying to temper the fear with fact and calmness, but really, when talking about pandemic, the goal is fear. That is, after all, the way of the world these days, isn't it? Yeesh.
Tonight, I helped Shan in her classroom again, and I have to say her door is decorated VERY cutely! We'll take pictures and post them here... :-)
There's more to post, but the kiddos just got back from "Family Night Swimming," and they demand my attention (loosely translated as 'wont leave me alone to finish my thoughts')... Until next time, Hide-the-Oats!
Should've called me. I coulda told ya how to change the tire on that truck! Been there, Done that! (sorta--I have triple A, so, when they did it, I watched them!) And I think part of the story is missing. If the truck had a flat, how did you get to the school?
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