Sunday, November 25, 2012

I'm Losing My Mind? Oh Yeah, And My Computer's Bottom Fell-out

My family, I'm sure... knows, but if you have ever read or was reading my blog... it came to an abrupt stop over a couple months ago. I used other computers, my Android Tablet (iPhone doesn't work) and eventually, I just stopped trying to maneuver to try and keep my blog up-to-date. I still used my journal so I haven't quit writing, but it's basically illegible. I think I've forgotten how to spell and use pretty and girly handwriting. I wrote hundreds of thank yous recently and my writing skills are pathetic and need to start second grade over again.


I've read so many blogs that begin with "It's been awhile since I've written in my blog...." or "Where do I start, my life got ahead of my blog." Yep, it is doing that at this very moment. So I write from today and move forward and backward. I want to stay current with all that's going-on, but yet fill in all the holes of seemly empty time. There's been lots of those moments when I thought how I wished I had a pen and paper, but knowing now, that I'm illiterate or "foreigner" from who knows where, FOB that means "Fresh Off The Boat," naturally.

Saturday and Sunday were big days for me and Friday, too. My Steve and I retrieved the old Mac Fire Engine out on a ranch to be brought in to Station 81 to be polished and decorated for the Christmas Parade. It has what everyone thinks is a radiator problem and a loose back light that I'm surprised didn't fling off while I was following Steve into town and smash my windshield. The Mac definitely needs repair and I was focused on that light to the point of distraction as we headed toward the station.


Steve slowed way down getting-off the 126 highway and it had a huge backfire. I saw the flame and heard the noise, if I hadn't been looking at the stupid loose light, and saw the fast flame, I would've thought that shots were being fired at me or the guy with the white hair driving the fire truck.


The truck was parked on the side of the station and water poured out of the bottom of the engine. I thought it was a broken water line, holes in the radiator, maybe the truck was hit with real gunfire! Nah... It just overflows when the engine moves and the radiator's too full.


My daughter Marnie and her children gave me a ride down to the station early Saturday morning to get in the Mac. It was backed-up against the fence, ugly. No one washed it, it wasn't decorated and it wasn't going to be in the parade. There weren't enough engineers to drive that sweet truck for the parade. I knew Steve had hoped to be in the driver's seat of the Seagrave that's 89 years old and haul our grandchildren with Santa Claus in the back. BTW...he's a great Santa! Adree and Tatum were the exceptions. Adree was "Sparky the Fire Dog" again this year and Tatum wanted to ride shotgun with her dad in his engine. I've been in that truck for parades and it's really comfortable. This time I rode on the left-side of the driver, as drivers do in Europe. I tied my handkerchief to the bell and spent the whole entire time "laughing all the way" down Main Street.

We Watch The Parade and We're Last With Santa



 My arm was so tired by Davis St. at the Clock Tower I was sure I had pulled my shoulder cranking the siren and with the other arm I was ringing the bell. I refrained from pushing the button that stops the engine cold. I did that one year and it was on the railroad tracks. Prayers are sometimes quickly answered because normally that engine doesn't start right-up after hitting the "stop-it" button.  A seemly small call for help was heard and we were able to make it off the tracks and around to the parade. I'm not sure there would've been a train, but it saved my skin. No fire truck for Santa and who's fault would that be? Why do I have this button pushing obsession? Steve watched me closely.

I truly mourn the Mac and we left him out. That engine was always was my favorite. My grandfather actually ordered the Mac truck, while he was Chief 2. I played on the old Seagrave when I was really young, but I really remember the Mac and rode in it so many times over the years. It's color is faded to pink and the doors and hood and back have all faded differently. I think we needed to cover it with lots and lots of decorations and bells and it could've been in the parade. Someone could've drove it.

Days Before-It could've been beautiful
  How bad is it when you're thinking a truck has feelings
 like "Red" the firetruck in the movie, "Cars" or "Fire Truck Mater" ?

Red, The Fire Engine from Cars
The Mac does have a resemblance to Mater and he was just as brave. That particular engine has seen more spectacular fires and has worked the hardest than all the fire engines on our department put together. I can name "The Big Ones" including Safeway, Firestone and all of the packing houses.  Maybe, he just needs to be pink, to show his courage.



This great traditional parade is the real start for Christmas for our family, immediately we all wanted to decorate everything in that great "Clark Griswold" fashion.

Clark in "Christmas Vacation"


 ***Added Wednesday after the parade. We own our town's newpaper front page:

  1. Those are our grandchildren in the firetruck that Steve drove and I was the helper.
  2. We are the place that had the lion, and we didn't call it in, but got a reverse 911 to lock-down. I quess! lol
  3. The hay fire on the big truck (second article, lower right) was put-out by my husband and his crew. He did a great investigation on finding the source of the fire and had lots of quotes. Tricky fire.
We Love Living In A Small Town!

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