The Neon Nurse's Charting

(I shouldn't post saying not much is happening. I know better, WHY do I do it?)

This weekend was Lamar Days, an annual town holiday that gets more packed with activities every year. Our county Dems wanted to have an entry in the parade, so on Friday evening I went over to help decorate the truck we were going to use. Only two of us could make it, but it didn't take too awfully long, and I was able to get some yard work in later.

Saturday morning early Mike and I went back over to help finish the last few minor details before driving into town. The first snag we hit was that the truck's owner had accidentally left the key turned on in the ignition, so the battery was dead. No prob, I know how to jump a battery. I figured if that was the worst thing to happen all day, we'd be lucky.

While it was charging, I went to where we had stashed our blow-up donkey, intending to plump him back up, as he'd sagged a bit during the night. This is a BIG vinyl balloon animal, 5 foot high at the ears, a zebra with a paint job to make him look donkey-esque. I think maybe the paint has weakened the vinyl over the past few years, though, because JUST as I was checking him for firmness and deciding he was almost but not quite full--he BURST!

I started to think that saying about the worst thing again, and I mentally SLAPPED myself.

But we made it on time and the parade went fine. (And I have thought of a way to fix the donkey!) Later on, Mike and I went back to town to enjoy the carnival rides and the Longhorn cattle show. I forgot it was the grand re-opening of the Big Timbers museum or we would have gone to that too.

But maybe it was just as well, because even though I took a nap and went to bed early (at midnight!), I was ZOSTED on Sunday. Mike presented me a a hanging basket of petunias, and Caro made a wonderful salmon dinner (Mike picked out all the meal components!) plus cookies later. And I took another nap, but I was STILL zosted.

I was feeling much better yesterday, which was lucky, because as Mike and I were getting into Dreamcloud after mailing our packages, an older lady I've spoken to a few times stopped me to ask if I could help her move a bookcase she'd just bought from a local store.

Well, you know I said yes. It wasn't far, and I don't mind helping someone out--strangers have helped me plenty of times, after all. Plus, since you ask, yes I AM responsible for everyone in the whole world. If you don't believe me, you can ask my inner child, who is The Big Sister and therefore in charge of Everything.

It took a little while for the store guy to get us loaded up, but the bookcase fit, and all seemed well. With Mike's help, I carried it into the tiny house she had just recently moved into, and then at her direction moved a little more furniture to find a place to put the bookcase. Okay. All was well. EXCEPT she wondered if I could drive her to Wal-mart, as she was not sure there were enough hardware pieces for the shelves, and also she needed an adaptor for the air conditioner her landlord just put in for her....

Here's something else you probably know about me. I try to avoid people who are maybe not so good on boundary issues because *I* have a severe deficit in the 'saying no' department. I would be a perfect target for one of those practical joke reality shows, because once the key player aroused my sympathy, I would just keep agreeing to EVERYTHING. "What, drive you to Mexico? Um...ah...well...today?"

As it happened, though, I had already planned to go to Wal-mart to pick up one of my prescriptions. And all in all, other than my back seizing up a little bit later on, from the unexpected carrying, the ordeal wasn't that much of one. Plus she WAS nice and she INSISTED on paying me five dollars, finally dropping it in the seat where I wouldn't notice until too late.

I was zosted again, though.

Excitement didn't care. We had just finished watching Heroes, and Mike was trying to avoid going to bed as usual. So I was a little suspicious when he asked, "What are the sirens going off for?"

They were going off so I could spend the next hour and a half nervously watching out the front and back doors at the vivid lightning-y sky, trying to spot the tornadoes that the NOAA website kept telling us were being reported in our area. In the end, there were half a dozen sightings and touch-downs various places 4-12 miles from Lamar. So far as I know, though, no damage.

Probably, what with Holly in March and Greensburg (only 200 miles from here) recently, everyone is just a tad antsy about tornadoes. Zosted or not.

So. LOTS of excitement here lately, no new excitement need apply. We're fine. No, we really are. Thank you so much for asking. She said excitedly.