Vacaville

This is cow town for those readers who don't know. It was in the middle of nowhere at the edge of the central valley before it built up. I drove there today and it was a lovely drive. The hills were green and verdant, the trees were pink, rosy, yellow or bare, and the fields of mustard were buttery. California, like any state, is beautiful in the spring. It's going to soak us this weekend, ensuring the green hills will last another few weeks

Travel is SO broadening

Greetings from the Richmond (which has 3 syllables, by the way) International Airport, where I am quaffing beer while waiting for Cuz to get off work and fetch me. I love it when I get to go to a new airport, and this one is quite nice, fairly new, and I have a lovely view of the runways. This is one of the flattest places I know.

I must say I like the people I work with. They are a lot of fun and even the pointy HBWT only skewered me once. We have one class clown who really could do stand up comedy so that is vastly entertaining. Everyone hugs and jokes and it is not too dull. Of course, I like to hug the people I like. I tried to hold out my hand the PHBWT when we parted, but she insisted on a hug. Whatever.

So I went to Philadelphia Airport today after my meeting finished. I tried three terminals before finding the right one, got checked in and dumped my bag, made it through security and went to check out the ladies' room. I found a stall big enough to get my computer bag and me into at the same time, arranged myself and found myself staring at a very substantial latch on the door with a label reading " Hiny Hidey". Yup, I'm not making it up.

ahHA. There it is

By golly, I found that sweater at last. I knew it must be here somewhere, as I had found the bill of sale. In the outer pocket of a suitcase I seldom use, there it was, all new and a bit wrinkled, still with the tags on. I'm so glad I found it before it got too warm to wear it this winter. Pshew!

A work in progress

It seemed like a simple enough idea to lay some pavers next to my new rosebushes on the edge of the new veggie garden. And so it was until the resident engineer stepped up to suggest improvements. Bags of sand and gravel and a quantity of lumber needed to be purchased, and then of course the soil must be removed to put in a frame. So while I thought it was straight and level, it did not pass inspection. We are the proud owners of a used jackhammer from Home Depot rental store, and have purchased a shovel attachment for it. So Sunday it all came out of the garage, got assembled, and I got instruction and started to remove more earth. That thing is fast, it's heavy, and the shovel does not, thankfully, cut the extension cord, just dirt (don't ask). I can only use it as a digger, not an actual shovel due to the weight. I'm probably about half way there, and the path needs to be more level, but I can see it happening. Monday my hands hurt so badly I needed both naproxin AND aspercreme. Today is better, we are down to just naproxin. Can you see the rosebud on the new bush? It's going to be nice. But this may be the last walk I excavate.