Local News...

A couple of local news stories of interest here in Kentucky.

The first is the implosion of the tallest state office building in Kentucky. When we moved here it popped out big time when you went to Frankfort, Kentucky. It was taller than everything. I remember some saying they thought it an eyesore since it stuck out from the rest of the cityscape. It was getting older and the studies showed that to bring it up to code was more expensive than tearing it down and building a new building that was much more efficient and would hold more people. 

Sunday, March 11th was the date set for the implosion. This is not something one gets to see everyday. Claude set the television to record it in case we were not home. As it turns out we made out way home in time to see the broadcast. It was amazing.

One of the things they told us about this implosion is the building is set to implode an an ever so slight angle. This make cleaning up the debris easier than if it just pancakes on top of each floor. 

The other item of note was a train wreck in Georgetown. It happened on Lisle Road. This is right at the border between Fayette and Scott counties.

It was quite the mess. The rush to get it cleaned up was on because bad weather was coming and that would only make the clean-up more difficult. The wreckage was in a farmers field and he could do nothing but wait for them to get it cleaned up. I happened to be going into Georgetown the next day and was caught by four huge trucks each carrying a heavy piece of machinery. It didn't take long to realize they were there to lift the wrecked train cars. They were flinging mud all over the place as they plodded their way to turn on Hwy 25. 

Just a little bit of interesting news from our part of Kentucky. 

Crafting...

Busy hands keep one out of trouble...hopefully. It is also helpful for those of us who have a very hard time just sitting still. 

I needed to add a baby afghan for a little boy to my on hand items for just in case. I started this afghan while watching the Mini's. Bailey loved this pattern. It is a spider web pattern. I think it turned out really cute. 

I'm working on Nissa's table cloth. It was going to be surprise but I am happy it is not now a surprise. Now, when I finish a row, I send her a picture and tell her one row down and 13 more to go or two rows down and 12 more to go. She is enjoying watching the progress.  

Working on a wreath but it isn't finished and isn't going like I thought it would. Need to think of how to proceed with it. Will not give up on it but will probably undo it and start again. Ah, the memories of me sewing something or crocheting something and it not being as my dear Mother felt it should be. She would have me rip it out and re-do the work until it was right. Can't get past that habit. But, I do believe it is a good habit.

A Silly Day...

My car was filthy. It had rain and snow mess from Kentucky and Michigan all over it. It was just very, very sad. When I went to Walmart to get groceries, I drove down to Soapy Joe's where we have always washed our cars. But, something was not right. There was this bright yellow tape telling you to keep out all around the place. Mind you, Soapy Joe's has a drive through car wash with attendants, another building with three bays to wash your car by yourself with one of those wands, and a section where you can pull your car in an use a vacuum cleaner and wipe your car now. It covers a nice little corner of the parking lot. It was closed, tape around it and large pieces of yellow construction equipment parked in it. What in the world!!

I went back a few days later and it was still cordoned off and the building with the three bays was leveled. It appears that Soapy Joe's is being replaced or rebuilt. Will just have to watch and see what happens. Now what to do to clean my car. Weather is too cold to do it by hand.

It so happens there is another car wash on Broadway only a few blocks south of the nursing home. I have never used it. It was purchased by Soapy Joe's some years ago but appeared to be the kind you use the wand to clean your car yourself. 

I drove by this car wash and noted there was a place to drive your car in and get it clean but no attendants and I just wasn't sure of it. I drove on down Broadway and turned around and came back determined to 'give it a go' as they say in Australia. I pulled in and figured out how everything worked and purchased a car wash. This worked a little differently as the car doesn't go through the wash. Instead, you park in the building and there are metal arms that move around the outside and top of the car to clean it. When finished I actually liked the quality of this wash better that the one I have used all these years.  

Now I had a new wrinkle in my brain as my Mom used to say when we learned something new.

The other silly thing that happened this day was a text message for Eloise Ferrell who plays the organ for our Sacrament Meeting each Sunday. She had to work the next Sunday and needed someone to sub for her. She has created an eMail list of those who play the organ and piano. She also play the piano for Primary. So she needed someone to play the organ and then the piano for the last two hours of Church. I volunteered to play the organ for Sacrament Meeting. I could not play for Primary as I use that time to go and visit with Papa each Sunday. In a bit Katie Werner volunteered to play the organ for Sacrament Meeting and to play the piano the last hour of Primary. Someone else volunteered to play the piano for Primary. 

Now, as life would have it, I woke up with a disconcerting dream the night before. I dreamed I was asked to play the organ for General Conference in Salt Lake City. I went in to set up and someone was already playing prelude at the organ. So I decided they must be playing for the meeting and felt I needed to use that time to take some pictures. When I returned from my picture taking outing, it was time for the meeting to start and there was no one playing the organ. I hurried to get to the organ and realized I didn't know what stops to use and had not practiced it. I awoke in a state of anxiety about the meeting not going well because I hadn't covered the bases for playing. 

When I saw Katie also said she could play the organ for Sacrament Meeting, I felt the same feeling I had in my dream when I woke up. Not good, really, not good. I responded on the text to Katie and told her she could play the organ for Sacrament Meeting and I would play another time. Katie said it was okay with her if I played. Oh dear. Anxiety again. I sent Katie a private eMail and explained my silly dream. I told her I really didn't want to experience that anxiety so we would just set that she was playing. She said that would be fine. 

Such silliness that a dream can cause you such concern. 

KMEA Competition...

Tuesday morning, March 13th, found me up dull and early. Dull because a big fog came in overnight. I was off to see Hayden at the actual KMEA competition. I believe KMEA stands for Kentucky Music Educators Association. This was held at North Oldham County High School. Driven past it but never been there before. Google Maps to the rescue. I-75 to the Snyder to Hwy 42 to North Oldham County High School. 

Once there I had to navigate the parking lot while kids were being dropped off for school. I made a loop and then as I circled back through a part closer to the school there was a teacher out making sure buses went where they were supposed to and kids got into the school as they were supposed to and, as good fortune would have it, he made sure lost Gramma's found where they were supposed to go. I stopped right by him and said, "Can you tell I don't know where I'm going?" He chuckled and asked if I was there for the KMEA Competition. I told him yes. He said, "If you will back up, I will move this cone and there is one parking spot left in the visitor's parking area." Yippee!!

Then it was inside to check in at the office. In today's atmosphere of school shootings, there are security things that must be done to be sure you should be in the school. They assigned a student to walk me down to the auditorium where the competition would be held. Such a nice young man. We had a little chat on this long walk. I tried to remember where we turned so I could get myself out the same way I came in.

Once in the auditorium, I had to figure out where to sit. Based on the Thursday night concert, I picked a seat that I thought might allow me to get a picture of that Grandmonster of mine. Then I waited for them to come in. I was able to see two other middle school bands perform before Hayden's band came in. This was nice because it let me compare how well Hayden's band was playing. 

Then his band came in and they walked to their seats in an orderly fashion. Hayden is so much shorter than the others and he sits in the second chair from the end. A very tall boy sits on the end. In the pictures below, they are on the next to last row. Hayden is second from the end. 

Once again, they kids were over the top good. I may sound prejudiced but I am not. They were much better than the other two schools I listened to first. And those schools were good. Andie sent us an eMail and said they were given 'Exceptional' for their ratings by the judges. We are so happy Hayden is participating in band and enjoying it so very much. 

The Fender Bender Saga Ends...

On Saturday, February 17th, I had a fender bender with a sweet young lady named Bailey. Here is the end of the story.

She was to have had the repair work done on Monday, March 12th. She took her car in and they took the bumper off only to find she needed more work than in the original estimate. We had agreed to pay out-of-pocket what the original estimate was for the repairs. Since this substantially increased that amount, Bailey's father called me and informed me of the new estimate. He said he would eMail me a copy. I told him I wanted to go over it with Claude and would get back with him. I was on the way home from visiting Papa when he called.

I got home and opened the eMail to see the estimate. It turns out there was a light that had to be removed to get the bumper off and then it had to be replaced. This is how cars are made nowadays.    Everything connects to something else so you never just replace something simple. You have to replace an entire assembly. 

Claude and I reviewed it and determined we would still pay out-of-pocket instead of dinging the insurance. I called Bailey's dad and left him a message to continue with the repairs. 

Monday, May 16th I met Bailey at Kentucky Collision and paid for the work done. She is just a sweet, sweet young girl. She was grateful she was in an accident with someone that was nice and I was grateful this accident was with someone who is honest and nice. 

Now, just don't have any more accidents, ever, ever, ever!!

This was an expensive day for us. I paid for this accident and Claude paid for his new crown to go on is tooth implant. Yike!!