So, we're back from our "vacation" and getting back into the daily routine of things. Which means I'm pretty busy doing "things" around the house. You should see our yard! I know lawns are an artificial construct, but, mine has taken this "get back to Nature" schtick a bit too far even for me.
Our Vaycay? Well, I'm glad to be home cause I need a break from Vacation. Aside from doing all the driving I spent two weeks busting my ass trying to get my FILA's garage (and house) de-cluttered and cleaned out. There was so much stuff to do. So much.
(At one point I had all the boxes he'd saved up over the past two years flattened and in the back of his van. Filled the thing! Luckily we found a recycle place that took them off our hands. Guy asked where I got all the boxes and I told him that my FILA had saved them. He asked "Why? Are they limited editions or something?")
Even bought a 6x10 dump trailer to facilitate getting rid of stuff. BUT, I filled the trailer with limbs and garage trash once then couldn't find anyone that'd let me dump it. Oh, some places in Ohio (around Toledo) took garage trash; just not mixed with "lawn clippings." Meaning the limbs. Others would take the limbs; but not the garage trash. Finally found one place that took both but charged me $150 and I got to dodge the big garbage trucks. Unfortunately we couldn't burn the limbs because his proximity to the gas refinery and fuel pipelines going through the field next to his house. (The pipelines in the field; not the refinery. The refinery's 3 blocks away. Nevermind.)
At the end of two weeks I still hadn't accomplished what I wanted to and pretty much gave up. I needed a break.
Meanwhile, my 83 year old FILA absolutely needs a live-in house keeper. Who should be paid a LOT.
He did give me his Shop-smith and table saw; which was another reason I bought a utility trailer. Bought a $84 winch (without a cable guide) at Harbor Freight to help me pull those items into the trailer; and promptly bent the damned thing pulling the Shop-smith up the ramps. My bad cause I wasn't watching the winch but was watching what I was pulling into the trailer. So, bought another one, with a cable guide, and got the 400 lb table saw loaded without a hitch. Or problems I should say. Without problems.
Once the trailer was loaded with those items and several toolboxes full of tools and sewing magazines (in boxes) and everything we were going to take back it all came to about a ton. Trailer handled that rather nicely.
Ride back was a bitch tho. Just once I'd like to head West and NOT have to fight a headwind all the way! We used twice as much gas coming back as getting out to Ohio (even considering the trailer and it's ton of cargo). At one time in Western Iowa, I had the cruise control set at 75 and was managing only 68; thanks to the wind. Was getting only 7.1 mpg that day. In the non-windy spots (all 4 of them) I got 15-18 mpg. (Over all for 6400+ miles we got 15.7 mpg. Not bad for a 8 cyl Silverado.)
Gas ran the gambit from $4.20 in Washington to to $4.50 in Toledo to $3.99 in mid-Iowa to 4.99 in Kansas to 5.99 back in Washington. We Spent A Butt-Ton On Gas! Especially coming back.
Won't be doing that again for awhile. Thanks Joe Biden.
Also, I gained 10+ pounds somehow! Even with all that physical work and effort the Fast Food and sodas piled it on. Fuck.
Crap. Forgot to post this last night.
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Keep it nice.