It’s ALL ABOUT ME!

Happy birthday to my husband, the love of my life, my soul-mate! I love you very much!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

For the last 3 months, JIm has been working on a project. Specifically, he has been putting a 350 engine into a 1992 GMC S15 pick-up truck. The S15 is like the S10 with one major exception: It had a V6 in it. This one now has a V8 in it!

For Jim, this has been a challenge. For me, it’s been a trial in patience! Jim has done this before — several times in fact. He put a new engine in a Monte Carl and in a Capri, and rebuilt the engine in a Chevy Luv truck, so he is somewhat experienced. For 3 months, we have been going through “the transition”. Each week it’s been a different drama. One week it was the motor mounts, the next week it was the drive shaft, the next week it was the exhaust, and so on and so on and so on ad nauseum!

Today he finally saw the fruits of his labor. Actually, today we saw the fruits of his labor. Today was START-UP DAY! I kept my fingers crossed as Jim and his buddy Ronnie worked out the final kinks and turned the key. It took a few tense (on my part, anyway) minutes and a couple of minor adjustments before the engine was making the nice DA da da da DA da da DA da da sound. Anyone who has been even near a muscle V8 know the sound! It is sheer music to the ears.

I was very pleased that the engine started right up and seems to be running fine. We even got to go on a short (.5 mile) drive. I cannot wait to drive it myself although I’m sure Jim won’t be very willing to let my led foot near the gas pedal anytime soon.

All in all, today turned out to be a GREAT birthday for Jim! Here are a few pictures:

The engine:

The gages and shifter:

Jim and Jennifer looking for the fuel-cell paperwork:

Jim making a few adjustments (while Ronnie looks on):

Jim making a few more adjustments:

And a few more:

Christopher recording the first engine start-up sounds with his cell-phone:

The final product:

Here’s a picture of the truck Jim is working on:

As you can see, this was a family affair!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JIM!!!!!

A few months ago, my left leg was hurting on the back-side, near the hip. I went to my doctor who diagnosed an irritated sciatic nerve. She prescribed a steriod, which I took, and I thought that was that. Three or four months ago, the irritation started again. Sometimes it is a throb, sometimes an actual pain, sometimes an electric feel in my foot or going down the back of my leg. I put up with it for several months because I figured it was my sciatic nerve flaring up.

Two weeks ago, it became a real pain (no pun intended) to where it hurt to walk up the stairs at work. I went back to my doctor who thought it was still my sciatic nerve, but thought now that it could be irritated by something in my back. She sent for for an MRI.

The MRI itself was something else. My doctor had scheduled me for an open MRI, but when I arrived, I was informed that the “regular” MRI machine was available and would take less time. I opted for the “regular” MRI. The tube they insert you in is very small, but as long as you don’t think about it as being “casket-like”, you are ok! I survived the MRI without an anxiety attack (which was a small miracle!).

I got the results from my doctor Friday afternoon: I have a protuding disk that is pressing on the nerve. Just exactly what Daddy suffered from 3 years ago. I am relieved to find out that it isn’t something serious, like cancer, but I’m still concerned about what it means. How will this affect my current life, and can it be repaired without surgery? According to their web page, the doctor that my family doctor is sending me to specializes in “non-surgical treatment of the spine”. I certainly hope that he can do something non-surgical, as I am not going to opt for surgery right away. I’m going to do anything I can to prevent having to have surgery. Like I told Jim, right now it isn’t so bad that I feel I’m forced to do something. It’s just an annoyance that I can live with.

It does strike me as interesting that I am suffering from the same thing that Daddy had. Like father, like daughter, I guess!

Christopher decided to drive down and see Jennifer at her new apartment yesterday afternoon. He took off after work and drove down. He hasn’t seen the apartment since we got it put together and he reports that he really likes it. I hope they grow closer and stay that way!

Jessica started moving into her apartment! Tuesday night she cleaned it and moved a few boxes in. Yesterday, she moved more boxes, and Christopher, Gay, and I helped her move the heavier boxes and the furniture. Sometime between now and Saturday, we plan to move the things from Gram’s house and pick up her new couch. Her apartment is very cute! I cannot wait to see it once she has all her things situated. Maybe I will get some pictures published in the next few days. I bet she is going to love living on her own — now if her mom and I can convince her to keep those doors locked!

We did it…. we moved Jennifer. It has been a busy and tiring weekend. Oh, and expensive — did I mention that? We must have gone to Target 5 times for different things. Thursday afternoon we picked up the U-haul truck. That was an ordeal in itself. I drove the truck about a mile before I realized it was a piece of junk. I’m not kidding — I had serious doubts as to whether it would make the trip. I called the rental place back only to be told that they couldn’t give me a different truck because that was the only one in that size they had for one-way rental. When I informed the clerk the “check engine” light just came on, she had me return the truck and she exchanged it for a larger truck. (This ended up being a good thing because all Jennifer’s stuff wouldn’t have fit into the smaller truck.) When I returned to exchange the truck, the clerk said that U-haul would probably charge me for the miles put on the hunk-o-junk truck. I informed her in no uncertain terms that I would not pay for those miles. In the end, we got the bigger U-haul and I didn’t have to pay for the miles!

When we first saw her apartment, Jennifer was crestfallen. The apartment wasn’t exactly like the one we looked at in the beginning, and Jennifer was ready to turn around and go home! I told her that with a little paint and cleaning, everything would be fine. In the end, that is exactly what happened! We worked like dogs (except Sadie — she just ran around watching us like we were crazy) and got the place in order. Jennifer now has a great apartment and seems to like it! Here are a few pictures:

Jennifer moves tomorrow. She’s so excited. I must admit that I am a tad bit jealous — I always wanted to move out on my own! We have the moving van and her car loaded and we’re ready to hit the road bright and early tomorrow morning.

Sadie does not understand what’s going on! She keeps running ino Jennifer’s room crying. Then she picks up her little stuffed animal and runs around the house crying. I guess she thinks we are kicking her out beause her bed and “room” are now gone! I wonder what she will think of her new apartment! I hope she and Jennifer love it!

Sue is leaving tomorrow. I know I’ve said it a million times, but we have the best time when she is here. For this visit, I promised her I would not make her shop one time. I kept my promise. It isn’t my fault we spent most of our time in one store or another or in the mall. I can honestly say that none of the shopping was my idea!!!

Anyway, I’m so sad to see them go. I sure wish she would move back to the South.

I still can’t believe it! I was thinking back this morning and realized that Terry’s is where Jim and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary last year. 11 years ago, we celebrated Daddy’s retirement there. My own children were starting to go to Terry’s to meet their friends. As Jimmy said: “sigh”.

Here’s an article from The Huntsville Times about Terry’s.

Yesterday, I told you about my bad day. Jimmy told us about his bad day. Now I’ll tell you about Otis’ bad day. Otis had a sore come up on the side of his face on Sunday. We treated it with hydrogen peroxide, but knowing Otis’ history, I knew it was only a matter of time before he had to go to the vet. I went ahead and made the appointment and took him yesterday afternoon.

Doc took one look at him and pronounced “hot spot”. Turns out a hot spot is bacterial infection that comes up suddenly and can grow huge in a matter of hours. Doc told me that we brought him him just in time to get it treated early. I had to leave Otis for about an hour while he was being treated. His face was shaved around the sore, and the top couple of layers of skin were scraped off. We were given pills and a cream to use to continue the treatment at home. Poor Otis! He was still “drunk” last night from the pain killers Doc gave him and was so not himself. I felt very sorry for the poor pup. He was feeling much better this morning, but still not 100%. I guess if someone shaved 2 layers of my skin off, I wouldn’t be myself either!

This latest veterinary problem with Otis cost a mere $170.00, but that’s ok. As I explained to Sue, if anything happens to Otis, I will have to have Jim put to sleep!

Poor puppy!