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Tuesday, July 2, 2019

All I needed was a cause and other ramblings.

This energy drain is really getting on my nerves. There’s nothing worse, to me, than sitting around looking at your list multiplying and not having the energy to tackle it. However I did get a little boost from an  unusual source on Sunday. When I dropped off the baked goods at the farm, I found out that one of my gravel pit neighbors ( codename: Pinocchio) was in the process of trying to get a permit to screen over 50,000 yards of soil. Apparently, that comes out to around 2800 truckloads. Or 2800 trucks going past my house, twice. Plus the noise of the screening. I was so incensed I think there was smoke coming out of my ears.

There is nothing like righteous indignation to give one an energy boost! I got on the Internet and found the email address for the mining division of the DEC.  I then fired off an email to them and sent emails to everyone I know who has any connection with state government. I’ll  do everything in my power to make sure that that permit is not issued. Our road is in terrible shape now, with just the heavy truck traffic that we have with the two mines.  Quadrupling – or whatever-ing - the traffic is not going to make it better. There is also a small bridge that is crumbling and it would be disastrous to subject it to that kind of wear.  Hmm.   Then, again, should the bridge collapse with a truck carrying a full load, I guess that would put a monkey wrench in the traffic pattern.   I digress.

I was pleased that DEC responded quickly,  and I now have names, email addresses and phone numbers, plus some leads to influential people.    I’ve only just begun the fight.


*****


The Little Prince (aka The Butter Pat, The Pat, Mr. Stinky) had to go to the vet this morning for his first seasonal allergy shot.  And nail clipping.  This now involves:  administering half a sedative an hour before his appointment; strapping him into his brace; clipping him into his booster seat, all while Lovey looks on, worried.  He is the only dog I have had (beside Scrappy, who was 99.999% perfect) who just can't wait to get to the vet's.  He almost levitates up the ramp.  This morning, we came through the door and smack into a vastly overweight and amped up lab mix.  Who roared.  This set off the high yodeling of the Pat.  It was chaos.  His vet, Dr. Hannah, came running across the waiting room and scooped him up and trotted back to an examining room, me in tow.  There was much cooing and massaging of little ham legs and carrying-on.  No wonder he looks forward to it.  I would, too.  No one offered to massage my big ham legs, however.  And thank goodness.


While they were waiting until the reception area was clear - the 'fluffy' lab is the polar opposite of the Pat, shedding in fear like a ninja and peeing all over the place - Little Prince managed to draw a crowd - there were two vets, two vet techs and a receptionist, all squeezed into the lab, taking turns rubbing his little cranium and hand-feeding him treats, all talking in high-pitched voices.  It was embarrassing.  By the time we made it back to the car, his little head was drooping and he dozed all the way home.  There was a joyful reunion of siblings - parted for those long minutes - and then he went into his crate on his own, pulled up his blanket and was asleep before I left for work.  I want to come back as the Pat.


*****


I know it's going to be worse before it's better, but this organizing for a yard sale is horrendous!  I have piles everywhere.  There is no surface showing.  I am starting to develop a tic.  It hasn't helped that it's been put off for a week - the weather last weekend was uncooperative.  This Sunday is so-so, but I am not putting it off again.  I had planned on putting an ad in the local rag and went through the grinding process of actually contacting someone.  If you call, you get voicemail.  There is no information in the paper as to the cost of ads ($ per line), so one is forced to send an email.  A full week later, I received a reply.  Eight emails later - with me sending them my copy and requesting a price and never getting one - I got this reply:  "One problem.  Every summer we take the first week of July off and there is no paper."  Seven emails prior to this, I gave him the copy - which included the date of the sale (7/7) and told him I needed it to run in this week's edition.  I do believe he expected me to change the date of my sale to coincide with his vacation.  I will turn to Facebook.  It's no wonder that social media is taking over the world.  And that is not a good thing, IMHO.  Friday I will get my change and start setting up.  Saturday I will finish setting up and take pictures of the 'highlighted' items to post on FB.  Sunday morning, mimosa in hand (kidding.  maybe.) I will brace myself and hope that lots of people come and find just what they've always been looking for.

16 comments:

jaz@octoberfarm said...

good luck with the yard sale! mine have always been busts! glad you've found some of your energy. willie loves the vet!

Michelle said...

I wish I had your gigantic funny bone to add levity to MY life, but then again, I guess it does in a way – thanks! (Those of us who can't joke take photos. 🤪)

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Best of luck in your dump truck crusade! And for your yard sale too.

Mama Pea said...

Relating all the little (okay, dump trucks are not so little) things going on in your life illustrates why time flies by, doesn't it? Busy, busy, busy and then add a gigantic garage sale into the mix and . . . boy howdy, I'm at a low energy level just reading about it all.

Rain said...

Argh....that must be so frustrating about the permit. I'm glad you're fighting it. Makes me think of the poor people about 4 blocks away who have a nice private home/property next to "crown land"...well some of that crown land has been sold to developers to build condos. I saw a "For Sale" sign go up recently for that little "quiet" property. I hope you win your fight!!

Your Pat story is adorable! If only I were so lucky! :) Good luck on the garage sale!

People can be so frustrating, that's why I prefer the company of my pets.

Joanne Noragon said...

If your local DOT succeeds in rolling those trucks, be sure your township, or whatever local government unit you have, secures an adequate end payment for repair of the roads and other infrastructure. Better yet, secure the payment up front and hold it in escrow. Your local DOT can estimate the cost to repair the damage, before it happens. They know every sewer line out there.

Ed said...

We are fortunate that a neighbor up the street loves to have a huge garage sale every spring and will take and keep track of consignment stuff. All they ask is we pay a proportional amount of the advertisement cost based on total sales and help work the sale when able. Every year I will take over our half dozen boxes of stuff for the sale and spend the day gabbing with the neighbors. It makes me almost forget how stressful it was trying to do the entire thing myself.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

My energy level is a bottom low with this heat wave here. It's downright a pain to deal with, along with Hubby now working nights. Helker skelter for sure all around.

ellen abbott said...

back when we were house hunting in our desire to escape the city we looked at a super cool farmhouse on two acres with a concrete pad and metal roof that just needed walls for a shop. it was perfect and reasonable and surrounded on two sides by gravel pits with those big noisy trucks going by all day. what a shame. I loved that house but in reality it was too big for us.

Retired Knitter said...

I love reading your writing. I always feel like I am standing right beside you saying and do the exact same thing. Trips to the Vet are always filled with the unexpected and the unusual. Our cat also needs to be medicated before going to the vet - not for the vet visit, mind you, but for the ride to and back from the vet. Without meds there is much wailing, drooling and shedding of cat hair - all resulting in a disasterous mess upon arrival. That God for happy pills.

Susan said...

The energy drain is a bummer, I know! The only upside is when you realize you are having a "good" day it is euphoric. If only they came more often. The route to our vet and to the river where we walked the dog was the same for about a third of the way. Cue much howling from the dog from door to deciding intersection, with me yelling it's the river for g's sake, until it shut off instantly as we made the turn. Could she not have learned the word river or did she have me down as an untrustworthy liar?

Lynne said...

What a wonderful little Pat !! Good luck with the yard sale! I would hate to have big dump truck going by my house all day long. Hope you can put a cramp in their style. take care !

Donna OShaughnessy said...

Yes, yard sales require alcohol. Every time I do one I say THATS IT, NEVER AGAIN! Then my husband talks me into doing another one. He loves chatting with strangers all day but me, not so much. I do however love to GO to yards sales and estate sales since I am a reseller on ebay.

Nancy In Boise said...

OMG, ROFL. You go girl! It's going to protest at a time until trying to complain about it later. Glad doggy is getting so much love! Yes customer service stinks sometimes.

Nancy In Boise said...

Good to protest

Goatldi said...

I had no idea you had ham thighs. How enlightening! We need to get together “yeah yeah yeah”. Was I the only who watched Haley Mills in the Parent Trap? Perhaps so back to my regularly scheduled adult beverage.