So…

So, I was going to update with tons of cools stuff last night.

But I went up front and laid down on the couch around 9PM and woke up at midnight. Then I went to bed.

No update for you.

SYFPH

Yes, I know I haven’t updated. I’ve been busy.


Backyard Spa

This weekend I sanded down the spa and then painted it with the nasty pool paint. When I get some time, I’ll update about geocaching & E3. Until then, go somewhere else.

Two things

1 -> A few minutes ago the doorbell rang. I answered the door and a young woman was outside with a clipboard. I knew she was selling something. She began her rap, “Hi, I’m with the blah blah blah and we are learnign marketing blah blah blah…” I interrupted and asked, “What are you selling?” She said “Don’t freak out when I show you the card, k?” She showed me the card. It was a subscription form for the Pasadena Star News.

I said “We already get that newspaper every morning.” This created a brief eye in the verbal windstorm. She reached into her clipboard and pulled out another card. “How about this newspaper?”, she said with a smuh look on her face. It was a subscription form for the LA Times. I said “We already get that newspaper every morning, too.” “You get both?”, she questioned. “Yep”, I replied. Disbelieving me, she said, “Show me.” I said “OK.” and turned toward the side where the trash is and where the used newspapers go.

Seeing that I was not kidding, she gave up. “That’s OK. I believe you.” As she walked away, as I was shutting the door she said, “Go to church, Jesus loves love.” I’m not sure why she said that. I don’t think she recognized the Mezuzah on the door.

2 -> I’m overwhelmed. All of the sudden I am overwhelmed by the complexness of life. It happens to me every once in a while where they day to day things build up to the point in which I feel paralyzed. I don’t know what set it off today, but at about 7:30 the combination of the emergency Walmart trip, the missing tree in the backyard, the laundry, the full dishwasher, and children crying over linens seemed to toss my normally calm view 90 degrees out of kilter.

I feel like one of those toy dipping birds. You know, the kind where the water is added to the bird one drop at a time while the bird stands upright. Finally at the addition of one final drop, the bird can no longer resist the urge to tipover and spill out all the water. Once the water is spilled out, the bird returns upright to catch more water.

Somehow the last little drop of water for added to my mix and I feel as if I’m tipping.

Found

I hadn’t mentioned it before, but on the last geocache trip, my mother lost her wedding ring.

Ever since her new arthritis drugs have been working, her ring has been loose on her finger. It seems that while my dad and I were looking for the cache, my mom dropped her ring while playing with the girls.

She realized the ring was missing when we got back into the car at the trailhead. We searched everywhere nad my dad walked back to the site where we had been looking to no avail.

The next day, I talked to my mom and I could tell she was quite upset. I found out that I could rent a metal detector for $10 in Pasadena. $10 bucks? It’s worth a try. I picked up the detector, listened to the brief instructions, and headed home.

I changed out of work clothes and into some hiking clothes, grabbed Zoe, and drove to the park. Zoe and I hiked in to the spot where Mom had been sitting. Along the way, the metal detector had been going off and I thought the chances of finding the ring were low.

At the spot, I started hunting while Zoe played. I dug up a few metal things like part of a soy sauce packet and a bottle cap. The detector went off over a large rock, next to the boulder Mom had been sitting on. I crouched down and started scraping and looking. It was tough to get my fingers between the rock and boulder. I decided to pull up the rock. As I did, I saw a flash of gold roll into the hole created when I lifted the rock.

It was a gold ring. It was THE gold ring. Success.

We then proceed to look for the elusive Geocache. Still no luck. That box is hidden well.

Sore

I woke up this morning sore. It must be the combination of scrubbing the backyard spa, going to the Fun Fair and climbing the rock wall, and the unsuccessful geocache hunt.

Sunburn and a sore ankle are making this a slow morning.

Time to have some tea.

BTW, here is the story of Geocache attemept 4 for your perusal.
Beware the dead skunk.

Dead Skunk