This Trip was a Little Different

We just returned from a 10-day trip to Michigan for a high school graduation party, with a stop in Chicago on the way back.  As per our brand, we did it at the Highest Difficulty Setting.  

We were in Louisville on Thursday, and we got to see some friends who live there.  But then, as soon as they left, Nightingale left me in the pool to go talk to her parents.  The parents who 1) live in the same town we do and 2) were going to see every day for the next 4 days.  I was pissed because she didn't even give me a chance to get my iPad or swim wear.  She just went to her parents' room like her umbilical cord was tugged.

On Friday, after a 6-hour drive, we had to get some food and go to SIL's house, an hour away, even though we were going to (check notes) see her every day for the next 4 days.  To be fair, we just didn't think it through: we should have had her come to us, and the food would be warm, and we had access to a hotel pool.

SIL and Confederate Jethro opted to drive all the way to Dearborn on Friday, and this worked out for us because I had forgotten my eye drops.  It didn't work out for them because the car they rented had issues.  The check engine light came on because the oil hadn't been changed on time.  They had to scramble to fix the problem and didn't get to Dearborn until much later than expected, only to find their room had a lot of dead bugs in it.  I feel bad for the kids who had to spend 13 hours in a car.  I don't feel bad for my BIL.  

On Saturday, we decided to go to Legoland, and it was mostly okay.  But during lunch Confederate Jethro just couldn't stop from saying shit that would get you called into Human Resources in Corporate America.  I couldn't take it any longer and told him to stop, but he wouldn't. I mentioned this to his wife, and all she said was "I didn't hear what he said". Right, because he never says this stuff in the car or at home or at his Klan rally.

So when we got back to the ranch, I exploded on my in-laws.  MIL decided to take matters into her own hands and gave him a talking to when he got there, which made him sulky for the rest of the trip.  It didn't stop him from still saying shit but he did avoid me.  On the last day, his wife made him take a gummy so he was more chill.

Then there was the Chicago Leg.  We cannot stay at my mom's crapshack, so we need a hotel.  NG used points, so it was technically free, but really, we are using points for something instead of for something fun.  We have to pick my mom up, and she will stay with us the entire trip.  Her hearing is mostly gone, so I have to raise my soft voice for her to hear, which makes it sound like I'm shouting.  

I didn't get to see anyone this trip.  But at least I got the car washed and went to a spa for a facial.  Down here, men don't get facials.  They get face massages, which are very lame.  But I had to do something about all these white and black heads, so I indulged.  I also got our knives sharpened because everyone down here sharpens their own knives.  

The thing is, whenever we talk about going to Chicago, Nightingale mentions all these things we can do.  But once we get here, all we do is spend time with Katness and her boys and my mom.  We only have one vehicle, so it's tough to see anyone.  We are supposedly going back for Thanksgiving week, and I could literally tell Nightingale that I have no plans except to meet So-and-So on Wednesday at noon, and when we get there, she will forget and make plans for noon on Wednesday.

Werner 55-1 Attic Ladder Spreader Arm

 If you look to the left of this ladder, you will see a hinge. Formally known as Werner 55-1 Attic Ladder Spreader Arm.

About a month ago, the one on the right bent such that it was impossible to close the attic access.  We had to undo the spring and try to find a replacement part.  As you can imagine, these are very proprietary, and I ended up calling the manufacturer directly.

They, in turn, referred me to some vendors that supply the parts.  And not to get too political or anything, but they are both American-based.  Which doesn't really make a difference, except one place was significantly cheaper than the other and could ship sooner.

had to cut this part

So once the part arrived, I read the instructions (and turned in my Man-Card cause we ain't supposed to do that) and was please to find that it was a good thing I called the manufacturer's support line first.  If I had done something most guys would have done, I would need a new ladder.  But because I called and read, I saved myself about $500.

Perpetual Sleep Deficit

 Because of the weather, school was canceled on Monday and Tuesday.  This put a hold on some projects I wanted to get done.  With school resuming today, I got around to those projects.

I have been awake since -3:45 am.  I went to bed around 9, so I did get a good night's sleep. However, at my age and since having children, I feel like I am in a perpetual sleep deficit.  And when you have already been awake for 8 hours and it isn't even quite noon yet, you feel....strange.

First, I was able to go to my In-laws home and put a coffee table in their attic.  We like this table that we got for free but don't really have a place for it in our current home.  I've tried to sell it, but I just cannot give it away because I'm holding onto the hope that this will not be our last house.

Second, I was able to borrow FIL circular saw and cut a large piece of plywood down to a more manageable size to get into our attic.  Our attic is unfinished, and putting down random pieces of plywood increases storage space.

Over the weekend we fixed the broken attic ladder.

Third, I put in a shelf in the awkward base cabinet in our kitchen.  i can only assume it had a Lazy Susanne in it at one point based on shape and the drill holes in the bottom.  It wasn't a perfectly built shelf (FIL helped so I'm blaming him) but it will do to increase/optimize the storage space.

I did stuff like this back at my condo when DIY and HGTV were all the buzz.

Selling money for money

 Two collectors told me essentially the same thing.  These silver certificates aren't worth more than $1 each but I should hold onto them or sell them on Facebook Marketplace.  I did the latter and got some quick responses.  I took an offer for $20 for the fifteen of them.  (Some knucklehead offered me $14, probably as a joke and I quickly insulted him before the post got archived after the sale).

What this tells me is that One Dollar Silver Certificates, especially in the condition these were in, are not worth a professional collector's time and effort.  But perhaps an amateur collector can sell enough on volume to make a difference.

I asked the guy who bought them what he was gonna do with them and he said he just likes to collect old coins.  That's probably it.  

I'm now free of those dollars.  I will slowly reintroduce the coins back in the currency population and empty that box out.  The foreign coins and bills will go to the donation box the next time I'm at a museum.  Go Me.  

These Eyes have seen a lot of things

Since writing about the clinical trial for eye drops, I've made 3 more visits, the 9th one this morning.  It was probably the shortest I've ever been there.  My blood pressure was better than last time because I've gotten a little exercise in.  My diary/log sheet didn't have the usual re-writes since I took my time filling it out over the last six weeks.

The bad news is that I was hoping to get some lunch at Mr Rusty's Real Taste of Chicago.  It's about a 20-minute drive from the clinic, so I figured I'd be first in line.  Unfortunately, they changed their hours and didn't open until 10:30 am.  I couldn't wait another half hour, plus the wait time for food, so I headed home.  

So I just have three more visits to go.  I've earned $1175 but won't get paid until the end of the trail.  I'm hoping there isn't some loophole or something I've missed that will allow them to not pay me.  And I'd be happy if something happened like a job or relocation back to Chicagoland would make me have to quit the trial but with only three more to go, I think it will happen as planned.

Jerk in the truck made it hard to take this photo

The kids are finished with 4th grade next Friday.  The weekend after Memorial Day we are headed to Michigan for a high school graduation/big celebration which I am not looking forward to.  I do not like how the Adamas treat me in my own home, it's gonna suck even more on their terf.

On the return trip, we will swing through Chicago to check on my mom.  She isn't doing well and actually had a fall the other week.  We cannot manage her from here and she won't move down here.  Not that we have the space for her.  IF she would just sell her house, we could find a way to buy a better home in Chicago and take care of her.  

Cleaning Out My Closets

Every now and again,  I get a flyer about a roadshow where they will evaluate your old coins.  They will also look at comics, memorabilia and jewelry, specifically gold and silver.

I finally got my act together enough to go out there with my box of coins and a few other things I hoped they take off my hands.  I had no delusion that I owned anything of five-figure, four-figure or even three-figure value.  I just wanted to put my mind to ease that I wasn't putting a quarter back in circulation that might be worth a dollar.

It was a very pleasant experience.  I thought it would be a conference style format and you had to go to different booths, but instead it's two guys in a hotel's "We-Office" facility and you have a one-on-one discussion.  Along with my coins, I had brought some comics, some memorabilia and jewelry.  The only stuff that was worth his wild were some coins and some jewelry.

And that's fine. They have to make money and they likely know what they can sell for just a little bit more and what won't move.  

I left with a check for $225.  half was from some coins, specifically some coins the local coin shop didn't even bother taking out of the bag when I went there a few months ago.  The rest was for a silver bracelet I got in Mexico in 1994, a 10K gold ring and a couple of other items.  I actually took back two rings that weren't worth much but I thought my kids could enjoy.

But the best part is that now I am free to put the rest of the money back in circulation.  I've carted those boxes around from apartment to apartment to condo to house to house.  Why?  And I can pitch all that other stuff too.  

While I was there I was able to talk to Ronnie about his industry.   We talked about how those stories of someone finding a rare coin worth XXX money makes things harder for his industry because that is such a rare, rare event.  But people like my mom hoard things because they believe it will be worth more some day.

he said he has been doing this for almost a decade now.  it tickles my heart that someone could find something that they enjoy and pays the rent as an alternative to the florescent lighting of Corporate America Hell.  While I only spent less than an hour with this guy, he seemed intelligent, knowledgeable and could probably flourish in many other industries.  But he gets to do something he genuinely seems to enjoy.  

Life in the South part 29

Reptiles: Hey, you've got A/C and Netflix. Can I come in?

Cats:  Sorry you weren't on the E-vite.

Me: How did the lizard get into the house in the first place?

Kids:  That's a mystery that will never be solved.

I posted the above on the Book of Faces, although this happened a few days ago.  I suspect the poor creature got into our bathroom because we currently have a hole in our shower where some tile has fallen off.

Our cats probably had a field day tormenting and then finally, perhaps accidentally, killing this guy.  

In other news, last night we had a Tornado Warning around 1 am.  Nightingale woke us up, and we put a mattress from the kids loft into what amounts to a hallway between the bedrooms and bathroom until it passed.  

Usually, these warnings and events are all NothingBurgers, but it's better to be safe than sorry.  It seems we are experiencing a lot of weather conditions down here.  More snow.  More cold.  and More Tornado warnings than in past decades.  But Climate Change is not real, right?  /end sarcasm font.