Well, Amy's house is 99% done -- the furniture arrived yesterday and last night she and Mateo got all the electronics hooked up and stashed in the new cabinet. Looks good. There's some touch-up stuff to do, but it's essentially done. Whew.
It dawned on me today that the roadtrip is ONE WEEK from tomorrow. Yowza. Lots to do. Today I took the rig to VJ's Auto and got an oil change and check-out and inspection (which it passed). Then off to the tag place in South Forest Center. No penalty for being expired for two years but had to have a new plate.
Then I went out to the rig and it wouldn't start. Had that clicking sound, like it's been doing for months now. I kept telling people (male mechanics) that it was the starter. No, they said, it's too new to be bad (and besides, you're a girrrlll, what do you know?). After I got it to start, I went right back to VJ's and they tested it and, sure enough, it was the starter. So that got replaced and all should be good now.
Need to do some cleaning, both in the cabin and in the cab, and even some outside where the tree has dropped stuff around where the tarp is. Need to defrost the fridge. Need to take the rest of the bins out and store in the basement. Need to put the printer and scanner in the basement. Do a last clothes wash. Get 2nd chair for Amy to sit in at desk.
Before I put away the printer, I need to print out all the trip info, check for itinerary holes, fill them in, print new schedules, recheck, etc etc.
Next Tue. we'll be loading her stuff on board. Wed. am we're on our way. Mateo will be in charge of dogs and cat and house and cars while we're gone.
RIP Elmore Leonard. He'd been a favorite of mine for a long time, though I haven't read him much for the last several years.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Cousins & Gatlinburg etc
Great birthday party last Saturday. About 25 people. Grilling and eating and singing and fire. Sadly, no tiara -- it's lost to the tides of time. I finally went to bed about 1am and the rest went in the house.
Sunday, I got up early and set out for Gatlinburg TN about 10am for a noon lunch with Richard Harris (and wife and friend). We've only talked through email so it would be our first in-person meet.
He is my 5th cousin once removed (we think). There's a Thomas Harris who landed in Providence RI in 1630 along with Roger Penn, and we're both descended from him, me along one line and he along another. When we met, he said, I have cousins who look just like you!
Anyhow, I loathe Gatlinburg, the tourists and the shops catering to them. Richard and his wife Cristina were in town to attend the Arrowmont School of Crafts. He has a son who used to live in Asheville and may have wandered into my bookstore at some point.
We wound up at the Hard Rock Cafe (in Gatlinburg!) and I must say the food was good, though the music was just a touch loud. I know, I know. Told you I'm now elderly. Pretty soon I'll say thing like "whippersnappers" and "get off my lawn" and "why, when I was a child . . ."
It was very pleasant to meet him and wife and her friend Jocelyn (who turned out to be an ex-typesetter/prepress person, like me), and they're going to try to come to Asheville soon.
After I fought my way out of G'burg, I came back by way of 441, through the Cherokee National Forest, a beautiful and twisty drive, into Cherokee (saw the casino) and then through Maggie Valley. Both towns seemed kind of dead after the chaos of G'burg. Of course, they have 4-lane roads through town but there weren't so many people wandering around and much less traffic.
Got back home about 5pm, a long but pleasant day. Car performed well (got 30mpg). Promptly took a nap.
Sunday, I got up early and set out for Gatlinburg TN about 10am for a noon lunch with Richard Harris (and wife and friend). We've only talked through email so it would be our first in-person meet.
He is my 5th cousin once removed (we think). There's a Thomas Harris who landed in Providence RI in 1630 along with Roger Penn, and we're both descended from him, me along one line and he along another. When we met, he said, I have cousins who look just like you!
Anyhow, I loathe Gatlinburg, the tourists and the shops catering to them. Richard and his wife Cristina were in town to attend the Arrowmont School of Crafts. He has a son who used to live in Asheville and may have wandered into my bookstore at some point.
We wound up at the Hard Rock Cafe (in Gatlinburg!) and I must say the food was good, though the music was just a touch loud. I know, I know. Told you I'm now elderly. Pretty soon I'll say thing like "whippersnappers" and "get off my lawn" and "why, when I was a child . . ."
It was very pleasant to meet him and wife and her friend Jocelyn (who turned out to be an ex-typesetter/prepress person, like me), and they're going to try to come to Asheville soon.
After I fought my way out of G'burg, I came back by way of 441, through the Cherokee National Forest, a beautiful and twisty drive, into Cherokee (saw the casino) and then through Maggie Valley. Both towns seemed kind of dead after the chaos of G'burg. Of course, they have 4-lane roads through town but there weren't so many people wandering around and much less traffic.
Got back home about 5pm, a long but pleasant day. Car performed well (got 30mpg). Promptly took a nap.
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