...."Though much is taken, much abides" Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Wow, what a week. Not only do we have a murder trial going on (Both sides are pretty wacked people) over 2 cows, but our office has been like walking on egg shells. I feel so bad for my co-worker, Anne. This week I have been the favored one while she has been treated horribly. Anne is such a tender hearted sweet person. And who knows, next week she might be the favored one and it will be my turn to take the heat.
My hot water heater broke down and we had a couple of days with freezing water while I debated calling an electrician. So I was at my computer googling "Hot water heater doesn't heat the water" and I layed my head down on the keyboard and said "Oh Lord, heal my hot water heater!" Then I went out to the breaker box and once again flipped the breaker. It worked this time!! Woo hoo! Thank ya Lord!
Last weekend I took Bethany and Ashley to Lagrande to get new hair do's. Ashley was driving on the way and I was in the passenger seat. So off we go up the Minam hill and there is a rock, a HUGE rock on our side of the road. So I say "Ashley, don't hit that rock." And there was silence on the other side of the car. And I know at that moment this was not going to be good. I looked over and she was concentrating so I knew she was going to try to straddle the rock rather than go around it. Silence.................Then crash, bounce crash, bounce, and she says "Do you think I hit it?"
I said "why yes, (trying to stay calm) Ashley, I think you did." and she says "What happens now?" And I reply (Still calm) "Well within 15 seconds that tire is going to go flat so prepare yourself to pull over" And it is silent again in the car as we wait...............and all we can hear is Ashley saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" in this little squeeky voice. Sure enough the noise of a flat comes loud and clear and we pull over, get the spare on (while Ashley is crying her eyes out) and head for LaGrande and good ole Les Schwab. All the way I am trying to reassure Ashley that this happens, it has happened to me, it is no big deal, etc. and I can't figure out why she keeps crying. So we get to Les Schwab and they put on a different tire (they had a used studded tire just my size!) and so as we wait I keep telling Ashley it is ok. What I didn't realize is that Bethany, who is the biggest tease and prankster in the world, had sort of told Ashley that a new tire would be over $1,000.00 while we were on the hill changing the tire to a spare!
Well the tire was free (gotta love those little cutie patooties at Les Scwab!) and I re-assured Ashley that it still would not have been over $1,000 even if I would have bought a new tire, and she felt better. And gave Bethany a look that would kill. Then the girls went off to get their new haircuts!
Well, then I got to worrying about my car. The rock made quite a clatter under there, in fact I originally thought the back tire went over the rock too. So two good friends took my car yesterday to a heated shop and put it up on the racks and checked it over really good to make sure there was no more damage under it. And it was fine! So woo hoo! I was so thankful for that! They also took it to Les Schwab and got air put in the other three tires. Checked my oil, said it was good for another thousand miles. So I am so thankful for good friends! These two guys are my dad's age and they are loving having a "daughter" to take care of.
So even with disasters, blessings have come along and everything is fine. Oh! but Jerry did tell me something interesting...so Wallowa County!
While he was at Les Schwab getting my tires filled with air there was a girl there that had just bought a used car from Milligan's. She was there to get winter tires put on. The boys from Les Schwab opened her trunk and there was a bomb inside it! So they call the police and they come down, the lady insists she needs her car, so the police take out the bomb and take it to the back of Les Schwab and call the bomb squad from Pendleton. Well, as it turns out, it was a practical joke. It was a cylinder looking part that was replaced and someone in the shop wrote on it "ACME Dynamite" as a joke. Good thing our police have a sense of humor.......................

AND YES, Eric does have a serious girlfriend.............................