2010: End Notes

Not my car, thank God

Well, we finally got snow, and boy did it bollix things up...

My wife sees the hand of God in everything, from helping us to not be late for some important event to little league games.  I'm not so sure.  Yeah, I believe in God, but does He personally intervene in sporting events or help us grab that last 50% off item in the bargain bin?  I don't know...

Today at work someone commented on a Men's Health magazine sitting around.  He related how he was reading an issue that contained an article about testicular cancer.  To his horror, he recognized the symptoms, hurried to the doctor, and found himself in cancer surgery the next day.  He's OK now.  It reminded me of my mom's cancer story.  Thank God she too is cancer free after an early 2010 operation.

That's not my car, thank God
It's been snowing in the mountains like crazy.  Monarch Mountain got over three feet; so much that we couldn't get there to enjoy skiing the powder.  It finally snowed here in town today, and on my way home I was trying to call Mrs. Silverfiddle.  She was with the little one at a doctor appointment and I was thinking of her because she hates driving when it's all slippery, and there were car wrecks all over town.  I was going to offer to pick her and little Silverfiddle up but couldn't get ahold of her.

Turns out she forgot her cell phone, had gotten stuck by the Dollar Store near our house, and decided to abandon the ol' minivan and walk home.  I was in the vicinity since I stopped by the Safeway to pick up some Safeway pizzas for us to eat that evening.  It looked like a demolition derby out there.  I spotted our old van next to the curb.  Most of the accidents behind it had been cleared, so I put it in reverse, backed down the hill and into a parking lot.  Having rescued it, I went ahead and drove it home, bundled up and walked back to get my car and bring it home.

I ended up helping two families get their cars out of the road and parked.  They just couldn't get up the hill.  It's so hilly here, and we have so many Californians and Texans driving little cars or rear wheel vehicles that have no business out in this kind of weather.


I should have headed home, but the guy in me kicked in

I have a Ford Escape, and it's a billy goat.  I take a certain un-Christian satisfaction in driving uphill and roaring past the helpless poor suckers hopelessly spinning and slipping and sliding.  I earned it.  I drove an old rear wheel drive Ford Ranger for ten years.  I knew every hill and how to time every light, and I never got stuck, even in the worst snow storm.

I drove down closed roads, the steeper the better, and ended up helping various people.  I was heartened to see teens out at every stop, happily helping people through slippery intersections.  At one stop at the bottom of a hill, I told the kids that the car we were pushing would never make it up the hill.  "No problem, we're parking him up on the right.  We've got it under control."  And they did.  There was a line of cars parked on the right hand side, and another teen was helping those who wanted to do a U-turn and retreat down the hill.

I got home and brought the mail to our elderly friend across the street.  She enjoyed my adventure story of the icy chaos and offered me a rum punch to get me home.  I told her I had a twelve pack in the car, I'd earned it.  She just laughed as I headed out the door.

I brought in our mail, and our second grader's teacher, a dear woman who has had the pleasure?  misfortune? of teaching all of our kids sent a nice card with a note to each one.  I clicked on the Christmas lights as each kid read their card thanking them for the gift card we had sent her.  Teachers spend so much of their own money on supplies for some of the poorer students.  It was the least we could do for her.

Merry Christmas!  From me to me...

I finally broke down and got myself an electronical tuner.  I'm so old school I'd always disdained such modern contrivances.  An older folkie buddy came over and had one, so I figured it was time.  It doesn't just work for guitars.  It works on anything.  It automatically detects the note and tells you if it's sharp or flat.  I  tuned up all my guitars, mandolins and fiddles, and the fretless acoustic bass.  My ear may be going--instruments I thought were in tune were not.  The Guild has never sounded better...

Anyway, It's been a great 2010, and I pray for an even better 2011.

I wish you and yours a most prosperous 2011, filled with love and good cheer.