April 17 – “… not a minivan”

Big news today – and unexpected.  Mom and I went to Luby's for lunch today, since Chris was in Houston / Bay City doing the doctor appointment thing.  After we ate we dutifully went by the house, even though the texture was complete yesterday and the contractor is out of town camping this weekend. (Poor guy.  Camping is evil.  Every time I have attempted it, Satan has reared his ugly head in one way or another.  Worst headache I have ever had.  Skunks preventing young children from reaching their parents.  Torrential downpours that rained into our tent and flowed over the dam, just to name a few).  Anyway, imagine my surprise when I looked to the side of the house and saw a brand new air conditioner compressor.  We had to go check that one out.  It is huge.  Looks like about twice the size of our last one.  I think our house will be very cool.  Of course, there's no thermostat yet.  Installation of the compressor is another of the payment breaks the company has.  We have to pay another 30% before they'll install the thermostat.  Makes a lot of sense.  Can't do it until the contractor gets back, though.  They only work through him.   I spent the afternoon downstairs at Omega Bay doing some salvage cleaning.  I sprayed some Clorox solution in the laundry basket that Chris used to sleep in as a baby.  It's still drying, since the rain finally hit us.  I also wiped down the Bible Chris got when she was nine years old and an old German Bible I got several years ago.  It was published in the 1800's.  I tried to dry off some baseball, basketball, and Marvel Comics cards that were in those plastic display pages.  I think they'll have to stay in the pages forever.  I was working on some of Chris' recipe cards that got wet when she got home, so I stopped there.    Chris got to see the painted fireplace for the first time.  She seemed to like it.  Mom says it looks new.  I don't know if a Franklin fireplace is supposed to look new or look like an antique.  It definitely looks fresh if nothing else.  I can't wait to see it in our house, even if we never hook it up.   Josh texted me last night to say he bought a "sport utility vehicle … not a minivan."  I replied that minivans are quite utilitarian.  Haven't heard from him since.  Nathan and April are looking for a bigger car, too.  I think they want one of those utility vehicle things, too.  Kel and Christina have been looking for a long time.  I guess we need to start looking, too.  Our Explorer (which is a sport utility vehicle, as I understand it), is leaking in the back somewhere.  Maybe we can get something smaller.  Whoa.  Something is backwards here.  I think I'm getting old.   Proverbs 17:6 says, "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children."   Father, I'm sure proud of my grandkids.  I hope my sons are proud of me, even if I drive an old SUV.  Amen.