Bragging Rights

7:20 and the engine revs. The heavy clunking resumes. The lavender leviathan is inching it’s way to my corner of the world and I will be in a panic for most of the day, of that I am sure. I’m not sure, however, when I will have a steady, even heartbeat again. Probably not until they are well past my tree. They seem determined to get on with the process now, finally. They are so close I can feel the reverb from the backhoe clawing the earth. My nerves are shot. I have to go and purchase a washer today too, and the responsibility for making a good choice is almost too much for me. Decisions aren’t my strong suit. But I must get that done, and while I am out, I’m pretty sure the excavation crew will cross the border into my yard. I hope I make it back in time to keep an eye on my tree. I honestly don’t know how they will be able to do all they’ve been doing in the other yards without ramming that huge backhoe into my tree a few times.

My accomplishments are many recently. Let me brag. I am making progress on Cael’s graduation announcements. We took a photo the other day and I got them back yesterday. Those I wasn’t impressed with. I spent a lot of time turning them into black and white and adjusting the contrast and cropping them smaller, and altering Cael’s complexion a bit, however, now I just want a redo. Cael needed a haircut and so we should do that and then just take a new photo. The Einstein look is just not cutting it. It wasn’t his best hair day anyway, and after all I’ve put into these cards, I think good hair is important. Plus he needed to shave and we were in a hurry to get the shots before sundown, so he ran out into the back yard with his long wet hair, unshaven and with a wrinkled shirt. But who knows when a retake might command a place in our schedules. My only other option would be to muster enough skill to alter his hair in photoshop, but that would be beyond time and sanity’s budgetary propriety. Oh if only I could be freewheeling and uninspired so I didn’t feel the need to create and tweak. Life would be simpler. So either I send the card I have or I call for a do over. A decision will be made later today.

I have to give you a heads up on the cellophane situation too. I got through to the window fix-it people. They didn’t really care that my window was banging and clanking with the heavy winds we’ve been having. They won’t come until May 4th. I was concerned that I would be adding window replacement to crank replacement if the wind continued to smack my windows around like that. I called almost a week ago now. That’s a long wait. I guess emergencies don’t matter. The girl on the phone was unmoved by the tremble in my voice, I guess. Oh well. It took most of the week, but the winds have died down significantly. My awnings out back were rattling like crazy and it was a little freaky knowing I depend on those shutters for hurricane protection. But that’s another worry for later in the year when “The Season” begins.

You won’t believe this, but I am off to sign the papers for health insurance. Health insurance, I said! I know. Miracle upon miracle. Now you know I have bragging rights. You’d think, what else could possibly remain on my ever present to do list with so many accomplishments under my belt. Well, you’d be surprised. The never ending repair, replace, and purchase list is as strong and healthy as ever. It is perhaps growing too quickly. Can I just state for the record that having a senior in high school in the house is not for those with weak cash flow. Because high school seniors create weak cash flow, and if it is faltering to begin with, a mother would be positively destitute by graduation day. Add to that health insurance, washer, lawn mower, etc., etc. etc.

So I take a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other and if need be, I crawl one hand and knee at a time to the next thing. But for now I’ll be off to stop at Home Depot and fork over some cash for the washer and get on the delivery waiting list. Timeliness would have helped as one always has to get in line for delivery. Delivery? You ask. Yes, delivery is included! That was the clincher. Clinchers are good for mamby pamby decision makers like me.

Off to deplete my income tax refund stash. It was nice while it graced the pages of my check register. Maybe I should take a picture of those numbers just to remember that for a fleeting moment, they decorated my account with richness. Simple pleasures, like extra digits on the total line. Gotta love that.

Post Script: Returned from my errands almost one thousand dollars poorer, but I got a $25 gift card from Home Depot for my purchase. Woo hoo! The day is mostly wasted and by the time I fill out my two rebate thingies, and make copies of my receipts, I'll have to go pick up Casey. So much for accomplishments. Spending that cash takes no time at all and yet my day is gone in a heartbeat along with my money. Ah well, nice that it was there in my time of need, right? And I think I'm gonna pass on the lawn mower purchase and keep borrowing my neighbor's for a while. But that decision is still up in the air.