Neck Pain

This morning I woke up with a pain in my neck and upper back. I do not have to go to the doctor as I have self diagnosed it. The pain comes from carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Sometimes the weight is distributed better and sometimes it just sits there weighing heavily on me. At 11 am a man will be coming to my house to show my husband a car. If my husband likes it, he will want to buy it. That is where I come in. I need to get the insurance cards. I need to type the bill of sale. I need to get copies of DMV papers and make sure they are filled out correctly for the purchase and the registration. He will stand there with a rag and buff the car.

Driving Miss Crazy

My husband is looking for a car. The process is "driving" me crazy. He turns into a raving lunatic whenever he switches cars. Papers flying. Phone calls being made. Negotiations. Pacing. Yelling. He repainted the garage floor in anticipation of the new "baby". I knew this would happen even though he promised that it would be a no drama situation. This whole procedure had better be over soon or the new car he will be driving in will be a hearse.

Hot Spot

The past few weeks have been hotter than ever. People were moving slower or trying not to move at all. This summer's heat impaired more than people. I have a large round thermometer hanging on a tree in my backyard. Every day I look out to see the temperature. This summer I saw it rise from 70 to 80 to 90 and even close to 100 degrees. I have had this thermometer  for quite a few years and it is the best one I ever had. After the heat wave I noticed that the thermometer was stuck on 80 degrees. It took a few days for me to even realize that it had stopped moving. It must have overheated or melted on the inside as it has just given up and decided to rest at 80.

Series Completed

My summer lecture series is completed. Last night was the end of the three part series. It was a full room and half of the people came to all three lectures. I feel like I have new friends. They all asked if I was coming back again and I told them that the library is the one to choose the topics and dates. They asked for the name of the main librarian so they could request more lectures. They did not realize that I learn as much as them from these discussions. It is always enriching to meet new people from various walks of life. Some of the people that came to all of the lectures traveled from Brooklyn and New Jersey. Even though a one hour lecture really takes 6 hours of time including travel, I love being there. 

Cooling Down

This morning it feels like the end of summer is approaching. I walked the dog in cool weather and almost needed a jacket. My final lecture of the three part series is tonight and it will probably be dark out when I board the train to return home. Two more weeks of no traffic until school starts. Time sure flies.

Close Eye

Many parents are admonished for not keeping a close eye on their children. We cannot be with our kids 24 hours a day so you have to hope that they have common sense not to do the wrong thing. That is why I find it odd that the President of the United State's daughter was caught smoking pot. I find this odd for two reasons. First, she is followed night and day by the Secret Service. Secondly , because if she had a brain in her head, she would know that her every move is watched and smoking pot in public is a no no. This is a girl that "intends" to start Harvard in 2017. I "intend" to win the Mega Millions next week. Common sense is not acquired. You are born with it. It all leads back to the question, "Are you smart or are you bright or are you just plain dumb?"

On Paper

On paper, everything looks great. I am realizing that even more since my husband is looking for a car. Last night we drove 30 miles to see a car that looked great on paper. When we got there reality set in. While the body of the car looked nice, the front seat was all ripped and cracked. The owner knew nothing about the car he owned for 22 years. He never knew that the spare tire was under the car. He could not remember his last oil change. He did not think he ever had it tuned up. When my husband asked for a test drive, the man jumped in the drivers seat and took him for a ride. The car felt ok. When my husband asked to drive the car, the man looked uncomfortable. My husband drove the car one block and could feel the rattling underneath him. He told the man that he was not interested in the car and we drove home. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought that the car was fantastic. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but reality is worth a million.