Spent a bit of time since Wednesday on my Daughter in Law's Christmas present. The expectation is that it might even be finished by Christmas. One hopes it will be ready, but when the guy talks about a "bit of Sanding", he's the master of the understatement.
Wednesday, Mrs Juvat and I took a road trip to Copperas Cove, Home of Fort Hood and the 1st Cavalry Division. No, I'm not enlisting in the Army, or even visiting the base. Our mission is to rescue the Daughter's car which had smote a large deer back in early October. 3 weeks to repair, it took (Stop with the Yoda, Juvat!). The Daughter and I arranged a 3 sided rendezvous whereby she brought Little Juvat's jeep over here, we went to Copperas Cove to pick up the car, and then would go our separate ways. Not to be.
The electronic ignition got a little banged up so the car wouldn't start when we got there. They insisted it had worked before they called us. So, I completed the circuit dropping my daughter in College Station where she would be attending the A&M football game with my Daughter in Law. She would then ride with the Daughter in Law home where she would pick up the jeep again and use it until her car is fixed.
So, Mrs Juvat and I drove to Copperas Cove on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving to pick up the car. Coming home was traveling "with traffic". Took us an hour and a half to traverse Marble Falls, a town of about 6900 and less than 5 miles wide. (2.21 to be exact, or as exact as Google Earth is.)
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| An hour and a half to travel down that black line til it crosses the Colorado River? YGBSM! Nope! |
Fortunately, I have a classical music playlist on my phone and my truck has blue tooth.
I've flown Red Flag missions that weren't as involved as the rescue and recovery of the Daughter's Tiguan.
Thanksgiving itself was spent in the People's Republic of Austin visiting my niece, their brand new daughter, her husband and his family. Arrived about 2, and the Grand Niece was a tad cranky. She's 13 weeks old, so all the people was causing sensory overload. Mrs Juvat immediately launched into Mom mode, took charge of the Grand Niece and a few minutes later, the baby is racked out in her lap. Course, that meant to maintain the nap, sustenance must be conveyed to the nap inducer. Proud to serve I was.
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| And we hadn't even had the roasted triptophan yet. |
In between calls for more wine, I watched the Lions play Minnesota, only because the TV was on out back where the guys were hanging out talking. First Pro Game I've watched in easily 10 years. Yawn! WHOGAS? Buncha overpaid thugs.
The dinner was a fairly standard menu, with a few twists thrown in. The turkey was tasty. Smoked Balogna was .....Interesting. The corn pudding was excellent as was the cranberry dressing. Salads and pies were abundant. I tried the former and passed on the latter. The Blood Sugar was taking a hit as it was.
My Green Chili Mac and Cheese was a big hit. I thought it a bit bland, but not knowing the audience, I decided to leave out the Hot Pepper Flakes. Just a dash, really, but kicks up the flavor profile.
The drive back over to Rancho Juvat was uneventful. None of the deer spotted along the road decided to play chicken with me. Given that I have yet to make the first payment on my truck (officially known as "My Truck"), I was grateful.
Friday it was back to sanding. Discretion being the much better part of valor, I avoided Black Friday by staying home....and sanding.
Saturday, my most beautiful Daughter, my Daughter in Law and I needed to venture out to Lowes. I needed more sandpaper, but I actually believe that light up ahead is the end of the sanding tunnel (train whistle be dammed), so I bought the stain and finish.
Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, was early Church. I do like this time of year with the Christmas Hymns. Gets a little dusty in the church at times for me. It's a Trade Days Weekend, so the Wife is out there selling, and my Sister is manning her store against the Black Friday Hordes. The Daughter has gone back to Austin to prepare for her workweek. The Daughter in Law decided to head to San Antonio to do some holiday shopping and contribute to what Instapundit has described as the best Black Friday in 10 years. I wonder how that can be?
Me?
I sanded.....Took a nap......Sanded.......and wrote this. Because....I got nothin' else.
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| Now, if I can just find my table saw. Source |
Continue to speak/write like Yoda you must. Carry the load by myself I cannot.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read of your adventures in Marble Falls, then looked at the overhead photo, my first thought was that you were going, perhaps, a bridge too far. :)
The green chili mac and cheese sounds delightful. When we (eventually) get down that way, don't pull any punches with us. I think we can handle it. (Sorry about that, I had to wipe the drool off my keyboard.)
Sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving. I expect you'll be eating a lot of "sand"wiches in the days to come.
Sorry, help myself I could not.
Aye, Aye. Speak like Yoda, I must. Cook "Regular Juvat Style" Green Chili Mac and Cheese for Sarge, I will.
DeleteThere are a couple of places in Hawaii where the traffic is like what you encountered.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes it worse is that with the traffic is both directions, all day, every day.
Yep, I can personally confirm the Hawaii conundrum. Fortunately, after we moved on base at Hickam, I was driving opposite direction and at 6AM the traffic going that way wasn't too bad. However, before that we lived in Aiea and the section from where we entered the Highway until you got to the split at the Hula Bowl was usually a 30 minute adventure. Turn signals to signal a lane change were usually a casual shaka sign (fist with the thumb and pinky extended sideways and shaken a little, could have multiple meanings), followed by an abrupt lane change, whether or not you had time to get out of the way. It was an adventure.
DeleteI was thinking more of the "rural" islands where there are only two lane roads that all go through the center of each community.
DeleteI had entirely forgotten about Oahu and it's urbanization.
Honolulu is every bit as urban as any other large city in the US (maybe the world). The fact that it is further confined by mountains and ocean only exacerbates the problem.
DeleteBut, you are right, on the other islands, the problem exists also. Between the laid back Hawaiian culture and the navigationally clueless, but in a hurry, tourists gridlock is somewhat inevitable there also.
Hence, my classical music playlist on my phone. Works better than pills to get me to my "Happy Place".
Sounds as though it was a very good time with family- as it should be. Vehicle challenges being in the least bit fun are long in the past (keeping my fingers crossed). I found the articles on Black Friday setting a record unexpected, and also wondered why/how? Perhaps I am just more hunkered down than most Americans.
ReplyDeleteI have enough leftovers from Turkey Day to last me weeks- some of it will be going into the freezer. Ahh, First World problems....
After the fact, the Wife's Post Thanksgiving/Black Friday sales were good, not great. That also corresponds to the comments from other friends with stores on Main Street. Lots of folks coming in, goodly amount of purchasing but, not the best year nor anywhere near the worst. So, no complaints.
DeleteFortunately, because we traveled for Turkey Day dinner, we're not tempted by the vast amount of leftovers we usually have (and consume). I'm going to mark that one in the "good thing" column, as will my Doctor, most likely.
So, traffic jams are bigger in Texas too?
ReplyDeleteSeems so. I do have a 30 day currency requirement to drive in Austin or San Antonio, just to remind myself why I live in a small town. That having been said, our Main Street can quickly devolve into gridlock. Usually it involves a tourist deciding to jaywalk across it. "Hey, it's just a small town, why do I need to go to the corner and wait for the signal." "Well, The large number of 18 wheelers traveling down a major US Highway might be a good reason."
DeleteWe've lost at least one per year for the 18 years I've lived here to that reason. Cleansing the gene pool does not seem to be helping.
Meh... Hate sanding. That's when you need a BIG belt sander, and two trunk monkeys to run it! Nice looking ride though, even if it is the wrong manufacturer...LOL
ReplyDeleteYeah, to do this right, I'd need at least a 4 inch wide and probably a 6 inch wide sander to get across 3 or 4 2 x 4s to avoid dips. As it is, it's going to have a "handmade" feel to it. Such is life. The next bench I make (yeah right!) will be better.
DeleteThanks. It's a nice truck (or did you mean the VW?).
You have made the complete cycle of belt sander, Orbital, palm, finishing by hand? I know that as a retired Deputy, if I go down to Madison, I keep reaching for where the lightbar switch should be, as so many driver's are idiots.
ReplyDeleteNo, just the Belt Sander and Orbital. Palm will be tonight (only....Please Lord?). Hand finishing might go by the way, you know, to increase the "Handmade" feel, right?
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