The time spent traveling to Harrisburg was spent wisely. (Read: Debby put her foot down about things, and I know this makes me sound like a tyrant, but this really has gotten out of hand.) He doesn't need all this stuff, but he keeps hauling it home. He can't. I pointed out that he had multiples of power tools. I pointed out that we will not be buying any more houses. These are things that he will not likely ever need or use again. He does not need multiples any more. He does not need 3 buckets of lead. He does not need multiple project vehicles. He has 3 big tractors. He has 2 small tractors. This is nuts.
So.
We got to where we needed to be and we saw the truck. I am not an expert, but the first thing that I saw was that the tires were pretty sketch. Old. Dry rot-y looking. The idea of driving 3+ hours on a scorching day made me nervous. Tim looked it over. The pully that drives serpentine belt did not appear to be turning freely. It was low on power steering fluid. Was it just low, or was there a leak? Hard to tell with just a cursory look. The battery was too big and it was rocking against the hood of the truck. We took it for a drive, and he said, "Yeah. I'm not buying this. I don't think it will make it home."
So.
Poor guy got a few more hours of me on the way home. Again, I used the time wisely.
It took us longer to get home because, at Clearfield on 80, traffic was backed up. Bumper to bumper. Scads of tractor-trailers. It took us nearly 3/4 of an hour to travel 9 miles. I was driving and Tim was eating his supper. What irks me is that the entire 9 miles, there were signs. 'Left Lane Closed' and 'Trucks Must be in Right Lane'. Flashing lights. Over and over and over. And yet we crawled along at a snail's pace. I was leaving plenty of space between me and the truck in front of me so that vehicles could merge right.
Did they? They did not.
To top it off some guy in a big pick up truck behind me got pissed because I was not riding the bumper of the semi truck in front of me and began beeping his horn. He merged left and passed me waving his finger. He was stuck 3 trucks in front of me for the rest of roadblock, so I'm not exactly sure what he felt he accomplished.
Some person in a white SUV went flying past on the shoulder of the road passing everybody at a shocking rate of speed. Perhaps he had to poop. I don't know.
What was the problem? You guessed it. After miles of warnings, people were waiting to merge right until the left lane actually ended. That was the cause of the traffic snafu. Bumper to bumper vehicles were trying to merge into a bumper to bumper lane. It was maddening. I was never so glad to see the Penfield exit in all my life.
We got home at 9:30.
Tomorrow is the day of neutering. I caught one cat. She is safely caged and ready for transport. I waited patiently to catch a second. I watered my plants (I have a blossom on my tomato!), Tim weed whacked and mowed. (I thought he was nuts...the heat. The heeeeeaattt!)
We had driven two vehicles because I had an appointment at PT to get my final measurements done for the surgeon on Friday. After that, I was headed to my friend's to borrow a trap. That was a fruitful visit...she had a chair she needed gone, and it just so happened to match the couch we bought, so...we shook on that. We talked too long. We always do, and we always laugh at ourselves.
Anyways, I set the trap, and before I got out of the garage, I'd trapped Sigh, and put her cage in the basement where it is cool and dark. Here's the heart breaker. I waited and then made my way back to the garage with food. As normal, Possum came running . I had her. I had her by the scruff of the neck. I had her in the trap. I got the crap bitten out of me, and scratched all to smithereens, but I had that cat. When I released her and tried to pull my arm out to shut the door completely, she snaked out past me and was gone just that quickly. I think that she is frightened enough that I will not get a second chance.
I left the trap set and baited. My only hope is that maybe I can catch Tiger. I just feel so bad about this.
Trump's ceasefire did not hold.
I'm shocked.
It sure will not be the sons and grandsons of tRUMP.
I hear that they all have hereditary bone spurs.
I think you're a very patient woman, because I would have lost it on Tim. How much stuff does he need? Anyway, I'll shut up.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got one cat but I doubt the other will ever let you near them. How about a sedative in their food? Would a vet prescribe one? Just a thought. At least it would give you a fight chance.
People that behave like that in merge situations really piss me off, case in point, that jackass in the pickup. All that BS for 3 places in line? Really? Guess he owned you........
ReplyDeleteWell, it was good that the flat bed truck was in poor shape. I do hope you can get Tim to part with some of his stuff. I have stuff in boxes in the basement that I don't need, but that I just like, but there is no where to put them. It weighs on us, that if we leave this house, there's another (there have been two massive ones) down size in our future.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like Tim should be getting rid of things, lots of things, rather than acquiring more.
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased to know traffic works as badly there as it does here.
Pity about the cat. I suppose some trust can be rebuilt in time.
Very wise words quoted.