FRIDAY STIR FRY - Good-bye Betsy

 

The time has come for a newer car. Notice I didn't say new. A used one will do me fine. Betsy has been a good ride for 13 years but she's starting to get cranky and that tends to make me cranky.

 

Although she still has fairly low mileage (92,000) her parts are starting to wear out. My friends on facebook have heard this all before. For the rest of you, here is a list of some of the things that don't work:

 

The automatic door locks are no longer automatic unlock. And when they lock there is a horrible grinding noise. I've put up with this for a few years. Inconvenient and annoying but not a deal breaker. 

 

The hydraulic lifts on the trunk are broke. This is a little bit more annoying because if that trunk lid falls on you it will not be pretty. Picture decapitation.

 

The front speakers have been blown out for a long time. Ehhh.

 

The defroster doesn't work. This is very annoying because the heater takes a long time to thaw out winter snow and ice from the windows. Just ask my son Zach about being almost late for his college graduation.

 

There is an annoying whistling noise especially in the winter. The mechanic says it's probably (note the word probably) a hose vacuum seal under the engine. They would have to pull the engine just to check. Ah, no.

 

Here is the deal breaker Betsy. The driver's inside door handle is broke - meaning I have to roll down the window (after I remember to pull up the lock) and reach out to open the door with that handle. Okay, I have been doing that for a few months now. No biggie right? Wrong. What if my power window decides to quit AGAIN? No big deal, just climb to the passenger side. Not so easy for this old, fat woman. I have this fear of having to call AAA to get me out of my car.

 

 

So what am I doing this wonderful Labor Day weekend? Yep, going to the bank to see about a loan then start looking for a car. Yuck. Not my idea of fun.

 

I hope your weekend plans are a lot better than mine. Have a safe and happy Labor Day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

FRIDAY STIR FRY - You May Not Know

Something you may not know about me. I like to scrapbook. I'm not one of those people who go to scrap-ins or whatever they're called. And I don't do it all the time. Just when I get a wild hair. And, don't tell anybody, but I'm kinda addicted to scrapbook supplies. A trip to Michaels is like crack cocaine for me.

I love looking at books about it. I get up early on Saturday mornings to watch Scrap Soup on PBS. I'm talking 7 a.m. folks. My pages never turn out that creative. But, I love trying.

So far I've done a book about a trip to Chicago with my son and his first wife; one for my son and his second wife's wedding; and currently I am working on one just about me. Places and things I've done and enjoyed. You know like concerts, sporting events, parties. Someday I want to do a family tree book.

Although my main passion is writing, scrap booking gets my creative juices flowing in a different way and actually helps with my writing. I know a lot of my writer friends like to take a walk to get a new perspective. I am limited in mobility, so I think this is the next best thing.  I take a memory walk.

What creative endeavors do you enjoy?

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Putting It In Perspective

Life happens. Or it doesn't.

My supervisor at work is dealing with her husband's incurable cancer. She's been gone a lot and when she's here, there are a lot of tears and calls to doctor offices. They've been married over 40 years. She will soon lose the only person she has said good night and good morning to every day for most of her life.

I'm sure she is thinking about all the fights she wish never happened and all the missed opportunities to spend more time together. I see the regret in her eyes at times.

It makes me realize my problems are very, very minor.  The rejection letters that are starting to accumulate don't mean a thing. I still have time to keep trying and keep writing my stories.

Time is running out for Erma and Aubrey. Death is knocking on their door and won't go away. 

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Another Day, Another Fifty Cents

As I've stated in previous posts, I'm struggling at work with the new computer system. And, it's not just me. Ask anybody I work with and they will roll their eyes or groan or even cuss. Several of us have threatened to quit. I was actually doing some calculations to see if I could live on my 401K. Unfortunately, I can not. That's kind of why I haven't posted in a few weeks.
Brain is frazzled.


That, and I may be just a little lazy.

I've also been collecting rejection letters for Beyond the Horizon. Yeah!

On a brighter note, I believe I've figured out the beginning scene of my WIP.  At least for now. I was also struggling with a plot twist. Should I kill him or not? Because I couldn't make up my mind and I was using it as an excuse not to write, I've decided to start a re-write and see where it takes me. If I end up killing him again, so be it. Sorry Charlie.

I realize in the great play that is life, my problems don't add up to a hill of beans. (Quick, what movie am I paraphrasing?)

They are my problems and I'm going to embrace them for a while. At least until I strangle the life out of them.

Are you struggling with anything right now? Work or writing? Relationships? Air your complaints here. I promise I won't judge.