Back to Work

My one month summer break is over. Sadly, I had to go back to work last week on Thursday. Very sadly. My desk was gone because the ancient carpet was expected to be replaced in July. It wasn't replaced until Monday, July 31. So I had to find something else to do.

There were lots of waist high weeds growing among the miniature roses in the front flower bed at school, and lots more weeds in the two courtyards. I mercilessly cut back the spindly rose bushes and filled two of the Albany-Lebanon Sanitation yard debris carts with weeds over the two days. I was exhausted at the end of each day. I even came home and took a nap. Friday I was wiped out even though I took a two-hour plus lunch break to deal with an auto body shop, a car rental shop, an insurance agency, and another car repair shop because the Durango kept dying on the way to get the rental car. Perhaps the stress of dealing with people who are supposed to help you but don't really care about helping you is somewhat exhausting as well. Don't even get me started about insurance companies. Fortunately, the Durango was just a $35 repair and we got it back that day.

I had to rent a pickup because that's all that was available. It was quite handy, because Michael next door shared his leftover bark dust with us but it didn't quite cover our flower bed that borders his yard. Will was just thrilled that he had a pickup to go get a load of bark dust. He also took a trip to Home Depot with it and brought home some wood to fix a certain damaged shed door.

Before I took the pickup back yesterday, I put gas in it, wanting it to be half tank just like when I received it so that Enterprise wouldn't charge me $3.80 a gallon. I thought we hadn't driven it very much and asked for $5.00 worth. I immediately realized that was dumb, that's less than two gallons. So I asked for another $5.00 worth. When I started the vehicle, the gas gauge had barely moved. I felt too stupid to ask for another $5.00, so I went across the street to the Shell station because I saw that Eric's friend Molly was working. I told her what was going on and asked for another $5.00 worth. When I turned the car on, it was still less than half a tank. I couldn't believe it. What kind of terrible mileage does this little pickup get? Okay, another $5.00 for a total of $20. This time, the needle went up to 3/4 of a tank. How irritating.

I got my car back today and enjoyed my drive home very much. I'm very happy that I don't have to pay the $1900 repair bill. It's really wonderful when you close your trunk and it doesn't pop right back up. The secretary at the auto body shop seemed pretty concerned that the insurance company might send the check directly to me and emphasized several times that I need to bring it to them as soon as I get it. Do I look like someone who would take the money and run? If only I would have received it on Friday afternoon after my horrible, no good, very bad day.....