Breakdown

Murphy's Law of Sanders Automobile Breakdowns:

1. They are going to occur on a Sunday or after hours.

2. They are going to occur on the most desolate stretch of road that is to be traveled that day.

3. They are going to happen when it is either blazing hot or freezing cold.

This morning, as my husband and I were coming home from a lovely weekend in Memphis, we broke down in West, Mississippi (population 220.)

Some things were on our side. We were able to make it to the shade of an overpass before the van quit entirely, my cellphone had 5 bars, and I have AAA roadside service.

So, I dialed AAA. When asked where I was, I told her the mile marker and the names of several small towns that we were probably near. It took her a while to find a town large enough to have a towing service. We got lucky with Durant, a metropolis of almost 3,000 people a few miles down the road.

We were told that it could take up to an hour and a half for a tow to arrive. At this point, the temperature was 98 degrees and I explained to the lady (who was probably in some cool place up North) that it was hot, supposed to get hotter, and that if I get too hot, I start having difficulty breathing. The nice lady then put us on a priority list and that tow came in 45 minutes.

The truck arrived and the driver, wearing an Ole Miss cap, smoking a Camel, and covered with tattoos got out. He looked like an angel to me. Fortunately, because it is not football season, I had none of my LSU stuff in the van. This was probably a good thing. Derrick packed us up in the wrecker and drove us to the big city of Durant where we were left at a truck stop to wait for Bubba, the owner of the shop our van was being towed to. Bubba promised us that he would get on it first thing in the morning.

So we waited in what was obviously the hotbed of Sunday afternoon activity in Durant for my sister to drive up from Clinton and get us, leaving our van in the hopefully honest and capable hands of Bubba.

Have mercy.

Drained

What is it about sitting in a hospital room that is so draining? Even if your person sleeps most of the time and is not demanding, there is just something about hanging out in a hospital room that is exhausting. I know I am not the only person to experience this.

My theory is that even while sitting, my mind and body are in a state of hyper-alertness, ready to deal with any situation that might come up. There is no real relaxed state in this situation. I guess after several hours in this state, it is not unusual to feel like I have been "beat with an ugly stick" (as my mom used to say) when I leave a hospital after sitting with a loved one.

My "shift" starts at 5 PM. I think I am gonna take a nap.

Store Closing

I was informed today that one of my main happy places, The Craft Store, is closing its doors in a few weeks. This is where I have taken art classes, had things framed, and been able to get at least some of my art supplies locally.  The stores core clientele is dedicated, but there are just not enough of us to keep them afloat. 

Most of all, however, it has been a place to gather. A place to talk. Over the years, Pam, Barbara, Carla, Kathy, Teresa, Sam and I have solved the problems of the world, laughed till we hurt, and been there for each other through good and bad events. 

I am going to miss it terribly. 

Musings

Our air conditioner is out again. My husband reminded me that it went out last year as well. Thankfully, this time it is only in the 80s and not the 90s. Hoping for a quick and and cheap fix. Hope the guy that fixed it last year is still available. He was a peach.

I also had my first experience with what my iMac book calls the "spinning beach ball of death."  My mac hung up for the first time, forcing me to have to shut it down at the power button. I wish I had a video of me frantically combing the book for a better solution, all the while knowing what would have to be done. 

My iMac hung up after I downloaded something called "Scorch" so I could download Andrew Lloyd Weber's Pie Jesu to sing in church in the morning. I have it, but it is in the low key. I am singing with our local lyric-coloratura diva, so I had to find the high key. Thank goodness for sheetmusicdirect.com!

I bought another new watercolor book. I am trying to figure out what books I can rearrange or get rid of in order to make room for my watercolor book collection. Anybody want the entire Mitford Series? Free to good home!

Enough rambling for one night. 

Flip Side

Today I read that Susan Boyle has been hospitalized for exhaustion after having a "breakdown" of sorts.  It has become obvious that this shy, sheltered, learning disabled lady simply does not have the mental toughness that it takes to handle fame. 

If she is able to continue her career, I imagine that it will need to be as a recording artist in a sheltered studio. Maybe a limited number of singing engagements in fairly controlled environments. Maybe the stress of her past weeks would make almost anyone crack. 

Get well, Susan. I still want your CD.