Monday, September 26, 2011

Freedom

Karen finally got her car back. I never realized before how much I depend on having a car here, even without a regular job to go to. The number of times I had to take Karen to work and pick her up (over 20 miles away from home) because of kids' appointments, or mine, took me entirely by surprise. But we are, finally, a two-car family again.

And just in the nick of time, too. Thomas is staying with us for awhile. His rooming situation in North Conway just sort of went away, and we are helping him get around to find a car (he's buying one in the next couple of days) and an apartment (which could take a little longer; the rental housing market in North Conway is a bit sparse).

It was also in time for a special treat for Danny. Karen works for Lowes, and they happen to sponsor a NASCAR car, number 48, driven by Jimmie Johnson. Karen's boss gave her tickets to the race, and Danny and I went down to Louden together.

Danny found it very exciting, although I was fairly deaf after the experience. NASCAR puts the loud in Louden. We couldn't stay for the whole 300 laps, because I had rehearsal and had to get home to feed everyone and get the boys ready for school the next day, but Danny was getting a little tired from all the noise and heat anyway, so he wasn't upset about leaving.

Ah, yes, the heat. After having frost warnings a couple of weeks ago, we're now having days in the 80s with high humidity. Welcome, folks, to the New Hampshire Weather Roller Coaster. Those prone to motion sickness or arthritic attacks during temperature changes should probably avoid riding. As if that is an option.

The weather certainly played a role in William's weekend. He was off camping with the Weblos Scouts, and got rained on and bathed in the humid air. And he had a wonderful time. Sorry Karen couldn't go with him this year, but her work schedule didn't permit. I'm hoping to get a picture from the Den leader tonight, and I'll post it in the daily pictures if I do.

Today will be a day of making arrangements for Tom to get his car (pictures of the car soon, too), and of attempted carpentry. My carpentry skills are the stuff of legends. That is to say that they don't exist in real life.

Still, I'm plugging away, trying to get our downstairs bathroom put together, as part of a larger two-week project to prepare the basement for William's birthday party, which he will be having at home for the first time. We already have a huge tube-type TV in the basement that Thomas got free from a friend who didn't have room for it (and it's too big for our living room upstairs; in fact I don't know if I could even move it upstairs). We're going to hook up the video games to it and let the kids play down there.

However, we've got a lot of stuff that's accumulated down there. So there's actually a lot more of cleaning and getting rid of stuff before the party than there is of carpentry and the like. And that suits me fine. I'm better at moving and cleaning stuff then I am at building stuff.

I'll let you know how it all turns out. With pictures, of course.

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