working on cars

im not exactly what you might call 'good at working on cars'. i dont even know how to change my own oil. and im ok with that. the problem, though, is that all my michigan buddies are. so, often times i will find myself hip deep in a conversation about rear pin axle manifold mods and wonder how i got there (i dont think thats even a real thing...). like a deer in the headlights. i have a hard enough time remembering what kind of car i have, let alone what size engine or horsepower. i dont mind those times when they talk about cars and stuff, i just try my best to not look too dumb, and just stay out of the way.
well, friday night was one of those 'car' nights. the guys were at jeffry lee's working on a car. i rolled in around 6:30 and just hung out. they were working and getting dirty and stuff, and i was just standing around with them enjoying the company and the light hearted conversations. there were plans to go out that night, but the car stuff came first. we ended up in the garage till about 10:30, but at least the car was running (certainly through no help from me). it was kind of a drag to me at first, we were hanging out in a very cold garage, and i had no idea what they were doing, and am too ignorant to be able to help. but, as the night wound down, i realized that it was actually more fun than if we had gone out and hit the scene. we had some quality time just talking, laughing, and working (not me, them), which was so much more rewarding.
i guess thats kind of what friends are: even when you are not interested, they are still interesting.

snow snow snow!

earlier this week we finally got hit with snow. up until monday night all we had had for the whole season was just a couple light dustings of snow. but then we got a wallup!

note, the bottom of my bedroom window is about 2 1/2 feet high. it wasnt this high everywhere, but the wind caused some cool drifting- it almost looks like a 'snow wave' is about to hit the side of my house!

dear diary

dear diary,
what a week this has been! on tuesday i got something i have been waiting and waiting for since i first started working. i had heard rumors about them, but i was still unsure if such a magical thing really existed. but this week i finally got to see that mythical thing called a 'snow day'! oh, and what an amazing thing it was. that morning i went about my activities like normal. but for some reason, i decided to check my answering machine before my shower. and lo, what did i find? a message which uttered those truly beautiful works 'no school today'! after six long years of hoping against hope, of anticipation and letdown, i finally was able to let its beauty and joy wash over me like a thousand tiny drops of 'yipee!'. i turned on the tv to see if it was true, and it was!
as if this glorious event werent enough, by days end i recieved a call which once again uttered those illuminous words: 'looks like schools off for tomorrow too'. oh, the rapturous joy! i must tell you, dear reader, that it is true- i have been touched by magic not once, but twice.
and it is glorious!

oh the bitter cold!

it has been a rough week and a half to live in northwest indiana (well, i guess its true of most of the midwest lately). the weather has been truely wretched. now, i am a big fan of the cold. i enjoy a 45 degree day much more than an 80 degree day. but lately its been rediculous. we have had almost 8 days over the past 10 where the temperature has been below zero! and then theres the wind chill... i have been holed up under a blanket for quite a while! fortunately i finally bit the bullet and called the furnace guy just as this whole whing was starting. ive been struggling with my heat for quite a while now (and by quite a while, i mean a year or two...). and it turned out to be fairly cheap! there was just a little part that needed to be replaced. so for the first time in far too long, i have been able to set the heat and actually have that temperature reached before the thing turns off! what a blessing! saints be praised! so ive been treating myself lately, and have even turned it up to 68 degrees- absolutely scandalous, i know!