Visiting the neighbor

Sunday, 7:23 pm

By Kate

Feb

03

2008

A couple of days ago, my across the street neighbor had about a quarter cord of wood delivered in her driveway. This afternoon she was out stacking it and looked as if she was growing a little weary. So I went over to ask if she’d like some help. I think she was pleased with the offer, but she declined saying that she really needed the exercise. Her daughter is getting married in a couple of months and told Mom that she needs to lose a couple of pounds. Kids are so sweet, sometimes. ;)

I asked if she had a new wood stove and she said yes, it had just come this week. But she had a slight problem. The stove is very tiny (and wicked cute), but her wood is very large. It doesn’t fit in her stove. She invited me inside to take a look and it’s true—I’ve never seen a stove that small. It looks as if it might require wood lengths around 8-10 inches. She’s going to have a problem finding pre-cut wood for it. She wondered if I had any suggestions for making her wood smaller. I said, “Well, maybe a chainsaw.” She seemed to think that was a good idea. I dunno. I wouldn’t be enthused, but she does have a lot wood that she can’t burn.

While I was there, she gave me a tour of her house. It’s absolutely beautiful. She said that it had been in rough shape when she moved in (aside from the brand new granite kitchen counters) and she had gone through every room repainting, installing new woodwork, putting in new windows, and replacing all the doors with pretty wood panel doors. And the cutest darned door knobs I’ve ever seen.

Her color scheme just made my mouth water. Kind of a pale dove gray in the living room with white woodwork. And the kitchen and dining area were painted a very pale pastel yellow, also with white trim. Just beautiful. And so cheerful. I told her so, too.

I came back home and looked around my house. Yeah, it’s time for a change. New paint, new colors, new doors, new woodwork. Yeah…

That’s what going to visit the neighbors does. Gives me ideas. 

Attacked by paintballs

Sunday, 12:19 am

By Kate

Feb

03

2008

Excitement clings to me like a magnet, I swear.

Tonight I drove over to the grocery store. A couple of streets from my house, something hit my car really hard. I thought it might be a chunk of ice falling from a tree, but I wasn’t sure. Nothing seemed amiss, so I kept going. By the time I’d finished shopping, I’d forgotten about it.

On the way home, several somethings hit my car REALLY hard in exactly the same location. This time there was no doubt that someone had thrown some sort of object(s) at my car.

When I got home, I took a look at the one side of my car and found a very long and very wide gash in my paint...on the roof. Also some abraded paint just above the door. And a similarly large scratch on my trunk and hood. Very upsetting.

I called the police department, not really expecting anything, but the dispatcher wanted to send an officer to the house to take a report. When the officer arrived with his bright flashlight, the story became much clearer. I’d been attacked by the paint ball brigade. The front of my car, on the other side, was pasted with paint ball splats.

I asked the officer if a paint ball could possibly put scratches like the ones on the roof and trunk and hood of my car. “Oh yes,” he said. “When they’re cold they’re as hard as rocks. It’s a good thing you didn’t have your windows open. You could have been hurt.”

I hadn’t thought of that. He was quite put out and was especially pleased that I knew exactly where it happened down to the house and yard. I don’t know that anything will come of it, but I’d be really happy if the little brats got caught. I think they owe me a new paint job on my car. They really did a number on it.

After the police officer left, I took a bucket of soapy water out and washed down the car. He suggested I might want to do that sooner rather than later so the chemicals in the paint wouldn’t further damage my car. Just what you want to be doing on a 35 degree night. So, my car is at least clean now, if slightly the worse for wear otherwise.