Stormy Saturday

[ksmith]

Just had a thunderstorm push through, bringing with it a bit of hail. I usually don't mind hail as long as it's small. When it's small, it's neat. When it's bigger than pea-sized, I start worrying about the flowers, new leaves, and my car.

Made a discovery during the initial clean-out of the garage, namely, my copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare that I'd used in college. Other than a film of greasy dust, it actually looked ok. No tears or water damage. I wiped off the cover and the edges of the pages. Now I just need to find room for it in one of my bookcases.

Another visit to the hardware store today. I bought a cordless drill, a tool cabinet, a laser level/stud finder, and other assorted objects. Had an embarrassing moment when my check card was declined. This has happened before, and usually means that some relay switch somewhere has broken down. It doesn't mean that there are INSUFFICIENT FUNDS IN THE ACCOUNT, but that's what you wonder if people are thinking. Even though the guy behind me in line piped that he had an account with the same credit union and his card has been declined too, well, it's still embarrassing.

Cut the front lawn today. Raked more pinecones than I could count. Assembled the tool cabinet and put away tools. Now I'm stiff and tired, and wondering where the heck Saturday went. Soon it will be Sunday, which means the day after will be Monday which means back to work which means *phfft*.

Just finished reading Rankin's STRIP JACK. Not one of his better efforts, imho. It's an earlier work, and you could say it had yet to hit his style stride except that earlier books just rocked. Sometimes it happens with series. If every book just got progressively better, authors would start to vibrate around book 5 and spontaneously combust around book 10. Sometimes the stone skips and other times, it just sinks.

Comments

[hittite.livejournal.com]

Wow, you are a regular handywoman, powertools and all! Stupid cards, they do embarrass you like that sometimes, but at least they are not as annoying as the people who write a check for 20 minutes to pay for a 12.99 grocery purchase, while the line in front of the cash register reaches all the way to Indiana!

Heh heh, great line about spontaneous combustion; I can just imagine some vibrating authors and some who became one with the universe, thanx for the image ;)

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I am not skilled with power tools, but I want to learn to do some basic things. I'll be putting up some shelves in the garage in the coming weeks, which will give me a chance to try out the drill and the laser level.

I need to buy a good book on decent home repair.

What bugs me are people who don't even take out their checkbook until the cashier gives them their total.

As for spontaneous combustion...well, it's nice to think your skills grow with every book. But sometimes you take a chance with a POV, or try for humor when you're usually serious or vice versa, or take a different approach with a plot, and you don't quite pull it off. And sometimes a story just dies on you, but you still need to turn in the book and while you do your best, it just never clicks. So you take a deep breath, and hope for better luck next time.

[trolleypup.livejournal.com]

Yay tools!

Studfinder?

At least your pinecones weren't a foot long (sugar pine) or shaped like an overweight football and covered with wicked spikes. Amused my trailwork partner by pitching a large number over the edge doggie style.