Vehicles

What a week it has been.

My construction career has provided me with a company vehicle over the last few decades. Before you get all giddy thinking how lucky I am, I've paid taxes on that little benefit. Leaving my construction career last fall, left me for the first time in years, without a company vehicle, not to mention a company computer and credit card. I didn't mind losing the computer. I didn't like all that (construction language) data entry anyway. I did like that credit card. Calm down! I didn't abuse the credit card. In the old days, I had to save receipts and bill my employer monthly for expenses. You guys are out of control this morning.

Vehicles, let's get back to vehicles. When the twins became drivers, actually just Girl Twin, I "loaned" her "The Beast". Boy Twin thought he could outsmart the system. If he waited, he would not need to get a learner's permit. Turns out he was right. It had something to do with waiting a year and being a country kid. Actually saved me from having to l"loan" him a vehicle. I had another vehicle to loan him and we will talk about that later.

Surrendering my vehicle hurt a little, but "luckily", I didn't have a job to drive to. Elaine worked from home three days a week, so with a little planning, I could use her car. Here comes that week thing, I was talking about.

Most of you know, Elaine is employed by a company that designs electrical powerlines. With all you guys rushing out to buy electric cars, Elaine's company is very busy. OK, I stretched the truth a little, it has nothing to do with electric cars, but I can't help myself. However, it does have everything to do with those "shovel-ready" jobs that the president told us about. You remember that president, a couple of Presidents ago. Well, it turns out the jobs weren't "shovel-ready". As a matter of fact, Elaine's company is designing the "shovel-ready" electrical, grid just now, two Presidents later.

Monner, what in the (construction language) are you talking about? Stick to the vehicle story.

Elaine's company was awarded a contract to design a powerline in eastern Colorado, a one hundred thirty-mile(+) powerline. I guess the farmers in eastern Colorado are buying Teslas. Just kidding! Elaine was asked to work in the office for a while. She would need the car. I would either need to go to work with her or stay home. I chose both, depending on the day.

I going to drift a little here and tell a quick story, that is kind of related but not. Wednesday I went with Elaine to work. I used the car to run some errands, but my errands didn't last the entire day. I had a choice to drive forty miles home and come back to get Elaine at quitting time or try to find something to do. I chose to find something to do. I found a shady spot in the parking lot and started listening to sports talk. Time passed. I'm not sure how much time, because when I woke up, one of Elaine's supervisors was staring through the windshield of the car. He didn't say a word, just kept walking. I hope I was drooling because, well, I'm like that.

I mentioned I had another vehicle for Boy Twin to drive if he had chosen to drive. Parked in the pasture southwest of my/our house I had parked a 2000 GMC flatbed truck. I can't say that is a rule, but you can't feel like a true mountain man if you don't have a vehicle parked in a pasture. I'm not sure exactly when I parked it out there but according to the license plates, it was sometime in 2014.

It was time to walk out to the pasture and bring the old truck to life. Yeah, we could buy another vehicle but How long was I going to keep the old truck out there?

Sadly, I never officially named the old truck, we just called it the flatbed. So that's what we're going to call it, "the Flatbed". The Flatbed has been towed to a mechanic. Of course, it didn't start. It might have, but it needs a new battery.

I want to talk about one or two more things. During my last fall's health scare, you might not have been scared but Elaine was; I was put on blood thinner meds. Tomorrow, I have an appointment with a hematologist that is God willing prepared to take me off blood thinners. His words. I have reasons for getting off the meds. Yesterday, checking out in the self-checkout at Queen Soopers, I looked at my arm which had blood dripping down to my hand. I didn't/don't know how but I was bleeding. Just a word of advice, when you are bleeding in the grocery store, people will get out of your way!

As I might have rudely announced last week my friend and sister-in-law passed away last week. Natalie was my youngest brother's soul mate. When he died a few years back, much of Natalie died with him. I miss them both. For those of you wondering, she just let herself die. She died of a broken heart. She is with Larry now.

I must go now. Hug them, blink your eye and they can be gone.

God bless.

Our crazy lives!

Monner