Cornfield update! and other stuff

When to Clarksville to do some work on Somewhere and my how the corn has grown! Didn't realize until I uploaded that I had taken the picture through the screen in the window so sorry it's not the best picture of a corn field, LOL. I'll do better with another update. This is a way for me to gauge how time is flying by and April '09 will be here before I know it.
As planned, I was going to locate the fuse for the hydraulic jacks and see if that was what caused them to not work. Well, the fuse was not where I was told to look so I got the owners manual out to see if I could locate it that way. Not to be, so I guess to the shop it will go. That works out pretty good because I am planning a trip to Natchez Trace State Park on July 2 and I have an appointment at Cullum & Maxey on June 26 to have the jacks and a few other tweaks worked out. Cindy and I have it worked out as to how I'll get her on the 26th and still leave my car in Nashville. Man, we are good! Can't wait to actually spend five days in Somewhere in a cg w/lake, w/kayak, w/hammock, just doing nothing.

That should be a good relaxing vacation for me before my busy, busy, July, August, September begins with Edison training. It is official our Edison computer go-live is October 1, which means I have to get all of our employees trained before September 16. It's rather exciting to be involved in this transition. I believe the new computer system will be so much better than we have now and when employees get used to it, they will know it was the right thing to do. However, the learning curve is going to be huge for our field people. Some of them don't know how to operate a computer so, ta da, that's where I come it. Gotta love it, I do. I am hoping that I will earn quite a bit of comp time during this period, then I can leave even earlier!!!! I am so looking forward to retirement.

I talked to sister Wanda last night and we were talking about a family reunion. When I went to the wedding, many cousins were talking about how they wished we would have a reunion. Wanda and I talked about how if it were to be done, probably Shirley, Wanda and I would be the ones to plan it. I told her I could help if we would wait until Oct '09. I would be free to help out because I would be retired. Oh that was soooo sweeeeet to say. I think my time will be filled quite nicely in doing what I want to do and not what I have to do. Look out, there may be no stopping me. LOL

Oh, another purchase! Bed Bath and Beyond had paper lanterns that run off AAA batteries and I just could not resist... getting them. They are so bright, can't wait to see them at night. In my excitement I had to go ahead and put them together so I have them hanging inside. When I get someplace where I will stay for a while and I have my awning out, I plan to put them outside with my other lights Missi got me. It should look so festive.

I'm beginning to shop for a toad. A toad is a vehicle I will pull behind my RV so when I get to a destination I won't have to drive Somewhere while sightseeing or to the grocery, etc. It is sometimes referred to as a dinghy. I want one that is towable 4 down, that means all four wheels on the ground. From my research, 4-down is easier to hook up for one person than putting it on a dolly. My current vehicle, '01 PT Cruiser is not towable 4-down and would cost too much money to have it towable ready. So I'm looking. So far I like, the Saturn Vue but I think it's maybe too big, the Pontiac Vibe is really cute and it doesn't weigh a lot I haven't driven it but it's a close 1st. Of course the Smart4two is just precious and weighs only about 1500 lbs. It comes towable ready, base plate and all which is appealing but it is only for two people. Since I have Jonathan & Taylor who may visit, I sure don't need a vehicle for two. But is sure is sweeeeeet! I also like the Honda CRV, the Toyota Matrix and the Saturn ION.

It's funny when I went into the Carmax and I told the salesman that I wanted to look at vehicles that could be towed 4-down. He came back to me and said, any car that is manual transmission could be towed 4-down. I told him I wanted automatic and he said, oh, that won't be a problem, every car we have can be towed 4-down w/out modification. Well, now folks, I have done my homework and I told him I just wanted to see the owners manual that I didn't believe he knew what he was talking about. Not a good way to get started out w/a salesman w/an attitude. So he takes me out side, where you can't just go, you have to be escorted, and the first we look at is a Jeep Liberty (I liked these too but didn't much think they would work for what I wanted) and he said oh, yes, this can be towed 4-down. We looked at the owners manual and guess what???? Nope, it cannot be towed 4-down. I just wish you could have seen his face. He was dumb founded. We looked at a couple of others that I knew could not be and then I asked to see the Honda CRV, which I knew could be, and he got the owners manual out and lo & behold, it had the recommendation and said how to do it, etc. By this time, he was curious and interested in finding out more.

We looked at a few more and then he had the appraisal back on my car and when he told me how much they would give me for mine, I said, no thanks and tired to walk out...notice I said tried. It seems that you have to be taken over to their "Carmax would never sell this car because..." model and let the salesman go over their pitch of why you should by Carmax. NOT! Anyway it's a little early to get my toad so I'll keep looking and maybe something will come up.

Oh, I did see a '03 Chevy Tracker convertible for sale by owner that is cute as a button and can be towed, in fact, it's set up for towing but Chevy doesn't make Trackers anymore and I'm just not sure about it. Something will come along for me.

Next time you hear from me, I'll have returned from Destin, FL. Theda and I are going there for a long weekend and I just can't wait to get away to the beach. Other friends were supposed to go but it didn't work out for them. Their loss, not ours. We will go and have a great time.

Life is good right now!

Later...