I was in a bit of a funk today, probably a carryover from my failed attempt at buying a truck. I went to the library first thing and printed out a document, which I then took to the bank. I spent some time organizing my car then went down to the valley. My first stop was the Kubota dealer. They were at lunch but I saw my mower in the shop, so at least that is progress. Next I went to a supposed trailer dealer, but the place didn’t sell trailers. I came back to the Mountain and stopped by next door to see Debbie and Charles. Randy came by and he gave me a tour of the whole property, then we walked all behind the cottage as well. A guy that wants to buy the Sequoia came by and test drove it. Now all I need to do is get the paperwork sorted. I went to the new property and did some work on my log ballast, mostly disconnecting it from the tractor and preparing to reattach. I forgot my grinder so couldn’t finish the task. After that I went back to Debbie’s and we all chatted for quite a while. I was thinking to go photograph but it cooled down quickly and I didn’t have any warm clothes. I went to Piggly Wiggly for some food and have just been looking at trucks online since.
Houston we have a problem.
The day started off great. I woke up with the sun, had a nice shower, checked out of the hotel, took my very first Uber to the auction, waited a few minutes for them to open, and finally had a very nice lady help me with the paperwork for the truck. All I had to do was go out to the parking lot, find my truck, drive it to the check-out gate, then be on my way. I walked to my truck and checked it out. It was dirty, as the pictures had indicated, missing the rear view mirror, which I hadn’t noticed, and was overall well used. But it was still the truck I wanted. It cranked right up and I put it into drive. Then the issues started.
It hesitated then jerked into gear. I had a sinking feeling but continued to drive to the exit. As the opportunity to drive a little faster arose, I hit the accelerator and there was again a long hesitation before another jerk. By this time I was feeling pretty sick. I drove to the exit building, parked, and went in. I found a guy and told him about the issue. He came out and drove it, said he experienced the same problems, went back inside, and came out to tell me that I would be refunded. So that was a huge relief. I got another Uber back to the airport and booked another Southwest flight while sitting in the lobby. I was again able to check in and get through security quickly, and only had to wait an hour or so before boarding. This time I had the whole row to myself and our flight was even shorter due to a tail wind. I exited the plane and the terminal, and Liz arrived to pick me up about ten minutes later.
It was an easy drive home and Luke had just woken up from his nap when we arrived. I had lunch with him then packed up before hitting the road. I stopped at the trailer dealer in Winchester and a mini mart in Pelham before ascending the Mountain. My first stop was the supply store where I bought some bolts. I drove by the lots to see if the excavator had come. He had not. I went to Lake O’Donnell around sunset, then over to the Templeton Library. Next I stopped by the Monteagle library to use the internet before getting some food at Piggly Wiggly. I talked with Liz on the phone for a few minutes, now I am just trying to recover from an exhausting day.
On an adventure.
This morning we took Luke to Home Depot since we didn’t go yesterday. We also went to Target. On the way home Luke went “cowboy tinkle” for the first time. After we got Luke a snack at home we drove up to the airport and they dropped me off. Check-in and security were a breeze – both took only about fifteen minutes or so. The plane wasn’t too crowded and I had a window seat along with a vacant middle seat. Wearing a mask the whole time was a bit of a pain but the flight lasted less than two hours. The Houston airport was a bit confusing, but eventually I got to the right place for the hotel shuttle to pick me up. That was a quick ride and I checked into the hotel. It was pretty nice. I walked next door to Sonic for dinner and have just been watching stuff about the Mayans and Aztecs on the history channel since then. I will call Liz in a little bit and try not to go to sleep too late.
Taking advantage of the nice weather.
This morning Liz and Luke made breakfast cookies. Once the light rain ceased we went to the playground in Spring Hill. Luke had a good time despite the fact that it was pretty crowded. After that we went to Kroger for a few things. Lunch was nice but Luke failed to take a nap. After quiet time went to a car wash in Liz’s car, then to a park in Columbia. Luke had a good time there and it was a bit of a cross-cultural experience. We came home for dinner and then Luke had his bath and bed time. Those went well because he was so tired.
Slow, unseen progress.
I slept really well last night, and a little bit later than planned. I organized my car some this morning, but the address signs in front of the new lots, and then drove down to the courthouse in Jasper. That went well and I took a different route back to Monteagle. I went to the bank and Piggly Wiggly, ate lunch at the cottage, then began the journey home. I stopped at trailer dealers in Fayetteville, Lewisburg, and Columbia on the way. I wasn’t too impressed with any of them. I arrived home about three and Luke was still napping, so I made some phone calls and did a bit of work on the computer. After he woke up we did a video chat with my parents. Dinner was nice and then we cleaned up and he had bath and bed time. He went to sleep more easily than I expected given his long nap.