06.11.10 Been a few miles around town since last posting.

My brain (*"If I only had the brain") just isn't as reliable as I wish. I know I've been triking. And I know I've taken pictures. And I know I've downloaded the pictures into Picasa. But, I cannot find them :-( I know I labeled them. I have a new (cheap) digital camera which has a functioning zoom. But, apparently I have not learned how to find where they are in Picasa.

Sad note re: recent traveling. Not traveling on my trike. Traveling in my Element. The other day, I stopped at the local Dollar Tree to buy a water gun for a friend's birthday. Well, that 25 cent water gun (4 in a pack, which cost $1) ended up costing me $46! Upon exiting the store, I reached in my pocket to retrieve my door unlocker clicky fob. It wasn't there. Then, I remembered that for some reason I wasn't paying attention between loading groceries into my Ele and driving over to the Dollar Tree. I had tossed all my keys into the front of the vehicle while I quickly transferred groceries from the Amigo cart because it was beginning to rain (aha, this is the aforementioned "for some reason"). Fortunately, I purchase AAA every September as a portion of my family's birthday gifts. UNfortunately, I've used all allowable roadside services until Sept 1st.

Last time I called AAA I specifically asked if there was a limit to the number of service calls I could make. I was informed there was no limit. At that time I was concerned they would cancel my policy b/c I'd made many calls to them lately (my brain doesn't work so well post accident). I was assured there was no limit.

Well, when I called for this week's "locked key in the vehicle", I was told I could pay for the locksmith or have a family member present when the locksmith arrived. All my family members were over 1 1/2 hrs away and I had a meeting in less than one hour. The AAA person said I'd used up all my service calls and said that someone had misinformed me re: no limit. :-( So, that water gun better be greatly treasured by my friend. Would've been much cheaper to purchase one at the grocery store.

Service calls w/i the past nine months: 2 @ YMCA (key locked inside); 1 @ college (key locked inside); 1 on OH turnpike (dead battery - left lights on); 1 @ clothing store (key locked inside). I guess AAA allows 5 calls. The water gun purchase was #6. That makes for 82 (EIGHTY-TWO) more days of making sure I don't: lock the key inside, run out of gas, leave the lights on, . . . . Perhaps, I should travel only by trike until 9/1.

I am sitting @ the Honda dealership getting routine maintenance completed and a couple (minor) warranty issues fixed. They are investigating whether my model makes a remoteless fob w/ the key inside it. That will help me immensely. In the long run, I imagine whatever it costs will be less than a few more locksmith calls. Also, I purchased a magnetic key holder to place underneath my vehicle. Trouble w/ that is I can't find much metal w/i arm's reach underneath the vehicle. I suppose I may have to always be attired (or keep coveralls in my Ele) to be able to lie down on a parking lot and slide underneath this machine which has the keys locked inside, to obtain the spare in the magnetic key holder.

My daughter suggested the magnetic key holder. I poo-pooed the idea thinking that car thieves would automatically check "all the right places" for the magnetic key holder, thereby making their "job" much easier. My daughter laughed at me. She said thieves need the thrill of breaking into a vehicle and hotwiring it. She assured me that if there was a magnetic key holder underneath the vehicle, theives would bypass my vehicle b/c it wouldn't be "fun" for them. I'm trusting her. She's WAY smarter than me. So, I bought one of those magnetic key holders and gave it to the Honda techie to tell me where to place it. Gosh, I hope he remembers to show me where he placed it or that I remember to ask.

Life is not easy. Should've brought my trike w/ me. Could've ridden it all around this city vs sitting in the children's play room in a cushioned rocking chair and ottoman. But, it's pouring rain. Glad I didn't go to the effort to load the trike, only to get here & not be able to ride b/c of the pouring rain. So far this morning, four little girls, ages: 3, 3, 2, 2, have come in for tea parties (all together for 1/2 hr). Two families of 3 & 2 yr olds. Their dads were terrific - they sat down and enjoyed all the food served by their little ones. NOW, wouldn't it have been cooler if the dads had prepared and served the food for their daughters? Life is not easy.

There are many more things I brought in my rolling backpack to address while waiting for "at least half a day" to get Ele's needs managed. Glad this blog is now caught up to date :-) Hopefully, I'll figure out how to find pictures and upload them to here. Supposed to get rain all weekend, therefore, likely not much triking anytime soon.

*When my "WAY smarter" daughter was really young (ages of the tea partiers this morning), she loved, L-O-V-E-D the movie, "The Wizard of Oz". She and her older brothers memorized that entire movie. With tremendous gusto, my daughter, very loudly & with a switch of articles, would sing the Scarecrow's song, "If I only had THE brain". I have A brain. All the information I use to have is in there. Just scrambled around. Seems like there must be THE brain that will make me not lock my keys in my car, nor leave the lights on, not forget how to transfer & locate pictures. I guess the good thing, better thing, is that I am much, much better at living in this one simple moment. Most of my focus goes here vs there, too. Even when I am walking through my house. Whatever I see if what I do, unless I turn my head. Then, I move on to the other thing, not remembering I was doing something else and didn't finish it. Simply living in "the here & now". Fortunately, I remembered to put the raw chicken in the refrigerator last night -- it was still cold (how do I put an image here of crossed fingers?).

GOD is and that is all that truly, eternally matters. Chicken can be re-bought. In Sept, AAA will, once again, pay a locksmith for retrieving the keys I lock inside my vehicle.

Blessings Abound!
~A~