Oh Look, A Rainbow...

Oh look, a rainbow !!

Seriously. This wasnt one of those comments where you see someone drool or they are wearing multiple neon colors. This was a day of rainbows. Im not sure of the meaning of seeing one but I was able to see three today. One was a double that was so bright that you could clearly see the purple.

At about 3pm today, I was out on the playground with the kiddies and a couple of my co-workers. We were watching the kids play when I looked over across the street at the McDonalds. Arched up and over was a beautiful rainbow. So of course you can imagine the wisecracks we had about a rainbow over McDs. Not like you see that every day.

We called some of the kids over to look at the rainbow. Of course they were looking at the place they worship. No, not the church next door. The greasy pit under the golden arches. We had to direct them to the sky above it. Then they said Oh, and went back to playing. Well that was a thrill.

But of course there were one or two of them wanting to know where the pot of gold was. Greedy, arent they? So I looked at the direction that the rainbow was coming from and where it was going. My assumption on that direction was that the pot of gold was located at the Dunkin Donuts on the next block. That perked their attention. Of course for us adults, it was all about the coffee.

The next one was on the way home. We had stopped at the local gas station minimart and while waiting, one of the guys that works there stopped to say hello. It started to rain a little and I noticed that there was a rainbow forming. I quickly grabbed my camera and by that time, we saw two rainbows. One abover the other. One was so bright that we could actually see the purple really clear. They were so beautiful. So once again, the question popped up about where the pot of gold was. I couldnt see where it started but I could the the approximate location to where it ended. My guess was the local Walmart.

But there are other places over in that direction. The liquor store, the chinese take out and Adult World, just to name a few.

Its Called Climate Control....

Its called Climate Control.....

I could be talking about the weather. But then again, I might not be.

I think we can officially call it Fall... or Autumn. Which ever you prefer. I like calling it Fall because not only do the leaves fall, but so does the thermostat. Im not sure how they work it here but the heat hasnt kicked on at all. I called the landlord and he hasnt called back. I will call again in the morning but damnit, Im cold. I never bitch about the cold but I am now. The rain and the winds outside dont help much either. Its cold out there too.

It rained all day and its supposed to rain all night. Mom made it to Florida just in time because the little radar screen in showing mixed weather and some light snow in the higher areas. That includes the Catskills. Im sure she is heartbroken that she didnt get to see the snow fall. Oh look, there is that word again. Its why they call it Fall.

I am also having another issue with this weather lately. Like I said, I dont normally complain, but I am now. About a year or so ago, one of the little climate control knobs in my car broke. I have three knobs. One to control the fan, one to control the heat, and one to control the option of heat and airconditioning. The one that broke was the one that controls the heat and airconditioning. So I have been taking the one off the temperature and putting it on the other one to be able to turn it and then putting it back.

The other morning, there was some frost on my car windows. Of course, the knob was on the temperature one and it was set to cold because the other setting was on the AC spot. Murphy must have something against my set of laws because you will never guess what happened next. Yep, you guessed it. I took the knob off and put it on the other one to turn the AC off and it broke. Now what am I supposed to do at 7:30 in the morning and I have to be on the road on my way to work?

There was only one thing that I could do. I took the knob off and threw it on the floor, said a few choice words and then turned the temperature thing with my fingers. I was able to get it to the heat setting. When I tried to do that to the other one, I wasnt able to get it to move. So its stuck on AC and there is nothing coming out of the vents near the windshield. This isnt looking too good. I have a few more words for Murphy and then I turned all my AC vents upward in the hopes that I could thaw something out. I also used about a half a tank of washer fluid as well.

I made it to work on time but it was a hell of a trip. Usually you can only see out of the bottom of the windshield but this time, I could only see out of the top. Learn something new every day. It also doesnt help that Im driving right into the sunlight for the first half of the trip. I probably scared the hell out of some people standing on the sidewalk. But then again, I wouldnt know because I couldnt see!!!! People probably thought I was some blonde chick that couldnt figure out how to thaw out her car. Wrong, I figured out how to but I just didnt have the time to do it the right way. * rolls eyes *

Yesterday on my lunch break, I called some junk yards for some knobs. Its not like I could call a dealer. They dont make my brand of car anymore. Figures. Once they stop making them, thats when shit happens. Murphy strikes again. I called the one I prefer but no one answered. I figured that they were on lunch so I would call them back later. A friend suggested another one so I called them and I was told that they do have them but there is a $25 part charge. What? For a freaking knob? You have got to be kidding me. That would be $50 for two knobs. I guess I was thinking out loud because the man then told me that he would sell both of them to me for $30. Still, not happening. I thought out loud again because he then changed it to $25 for both. Nope, still not happening. But this time he said that I could just use my credit card over the phone and he would leave them in a little box by the door and I could come and get them later. I didnt give him a chance to let me think out loud this time. I just hung up the phone. If he heard me, he would have learned a new word or two.

Really I dont swear that often but I wasnt thrilled with the offer. So I called the first one again and this time someone answered. They must know me by now because she knew who I was. Either that or it was the caller ID. But she was very pleasant regardless. I told her what I needed and she said she would call me back if they had it. About an hour later, she called back and said she had two of them and that they would be $10 and I could come get them. I said that I was at work and she said to just stop in later and she would have them by the door and to slip a 10 through the key box. That works for me. So I now have two knobs and she has $10 for the morning. Im an honest person and I appreciate that she trusted me to do so. Then again, I was a customer for them a few times before so Im sure that played a part in it.

I havent put the knobs in yet. They are soaking in some KaBoom in the kitchen. Im not sure what is on them but it didnt come off with Windex. But at least the color matches.

Movin On... Part 5

Movin On ... Part 5

I think this will be the last part to this little tale. Thus beginning a new beginning. We are finally out of the old place. Good riddance. My old landlord was sad to see us go. But he understood the need to get the hell out of Dodge. Well thats not where we were living but you get the point. I couldnt stand it any more. Even he himself moved out of that house at one time. Yeah, can you imagine that one? He himself lived there with his family. And you would have thought that he would have fixed up some of that stuff. But he didnt and now he has to figure out what to do next. I highly doubt I will see my deposit though. Ten years of that. And even he commented on that. He saw all the trash outside and commented on it being ten years worth. Well not really but it was a lot. I dont have the room here for it all. I still have a bunch in the storage to go to an auction house.

There are a few cool things here though. I honestly like it here so far. I havent lived in an apartment complex in about...oh, ten years. He he he. I missed having a dishwasher. I was tired of doing that myself. Once you have a taste of it, you regret leaving it. I also missed having a bathroom that I could move around in without having to climb over something to get to something else. Meaning, slide between the shower wall and the sink, just to get to the toilet. If you are thinner than 17 inches wide, then you wouldnt have a problem.

My mom and her boyfriend came to visit one day. We had planned to go out to dinner. It just so happened to be the day we needed to get the rental truck back to Uhaul. So while we took care of that, they stayed here with Cami. Well Cami talked my mom into letting her play on the playground out back. Yep, a playground. Actually there are two. One in the front and one in back of my place. Nice huh?

Well the one out back here has one of those old merry-go-round things like we had when we were kids. You know, the ones that are pretty much banned from modern playgrounds. I remember as a kid, we had them in all the playgrounds including at the drive-in. The playground was located in front of the place, right under the screen. So anything we did, everyone saw it.

My brothers used to get all the kiddies on it and then get that thing spinning so fast that the G-force would suck you all the way to Saturn. You didnt dare let go. If you did, it would hurt like hell and probably require a trip to the ER. So you hung on really tight or you learned to spread your legs around two bars and leaned inbetween them. Just in case you had to puke, it would land somewhere outside of the thing. Preferably on the one spinning the hell out of it.

Well Cami had never been on one before. She really didnt know what to do with it. So she stood outside of it and started spinning it. She got it going fast. Not sure what went through her mind or possessed her to attempt to either stop it or grab it to jump on. We still arent sure which. But she grabbed it and Whooosh..... she was off the ground. She went around twice and then she let go. She ended up with a nasty egg on her shin. I honestly thought it was broken or something. It was every color of the rainbow. After about 2 hours though, the swelling went down and she was walking on it just fine. I think she learned not to do that again.

Another interesting thing that I learned about this place is that someone famous once lived here. Its a cul-de-sac sort of place. So there is a road in and then the circle at the end with apartment buildings all around. This place was once an old military housing unit. Im guessing it was built somewhere in the 50s. The place is quite solid. I no longer live in the house of sticks. I now live in the house of bricks.

I noticed a sort of marker in the middle of the circle at the end of the complex. When I first came here to look at the place, it was in the middle of a circle of grass. But since I have been living here, the grass was removed and it is all blacktop around it. I never thought about what it was til one night I was out walking the dog. Yes, I can do that here. I can go out at night and not have to worry. Imagine that one. Anywho, I was walking the dog and I got curious. So we walked over to the marker and I read it. Whoa. I had to read it twice. And even then I wasnt believing it.

I did my research and yep, it was true. Jimmy Carter once lived here.