Just a block up from Beeline the truck makes a horrible sound and dies. Matt coasts it over to the shoulder and tries to re-start it. Again a horrible sound. This is not like any sound I have heard before. Matt popped the hood but it was not obvious what the problem was. Knowing I had a tight timeframe to make it to the park for work, I helped Matt unload the kids and we walked them home. They were understandably disappointed that their trip to the playground had been cancelled! I took the motorcycle and made it in time to the shoot.
Matt had his dad help him and they towed the truck back to our house. It is comfortably sitting in our back yard again. We don't have a clue what the problem is. At first Matt was wondering if I accidentally put diesel in it, because it happened so soon after filling up. I went back to Beeline a week later to check out the pumps. There is no way I put in diesel since there isn't an option for that where we were parked at the pumps. No reports of bad gas from that week either.
The next day our washing machine quit working. Matt pulled it out and took a look at it and had his dad help him and they concluded that it was the motor. Matt did some research and found that from the manufacturer the motor is $150, from Sears it is cheaper, $120, and on eBay we found one that was $60. You can guess which one we went with. Although the purchase of that didn't happen until we got back from Montana. I sent a basket of clothes home with my mom to launder so I could pack for our trip.
We rode with my mom to Montana on Thursday. We had a very nice visit there and enjoyed the time spent with the Baers. More on that later.
Monday night I decided to do some laundry and instead of bothering my mom with it, I put all the towels and jeans in the bathtub. I figured the Pioneers had to do it this way with their washboards, surely I can clean my own clothes and maybe burn some calories in the meantime. It was hard work. I soaked them, agitated them as a group, scrubbed them individually and then finally rinsed them. Wet towels are HEAVY. I felt like I got a really good work out. Trouble is, I can't wring them out as well as the washer can so I ended up having to run the load through the dryer twice to get them really dry. Inefficient!
Tuesday night Gail came by and picked us up after work so we could go blueberry picking with her. I am pleased to report that the kids did fairly well, they stayed close by us and even picked a couple berries that ended up in the bucket. We took home close to 9 lbs of blueberries which should last us a little while. Because of the way the timing worked out the kids didn't really get a normal dinner and neither did I, although I had snacks for them in the car and they ate blueberries. I gave them a little more food once we got home but I didn't eat anything more than a small salad.
I must have been a glutton for punishment because I decided to do more laundry in the tub after I gave Levi his bath. I threw in all the delicates and kids' clothes, which was a real mistake because a couple of them were covered in sand from their new turtle sandbox courtesy of Maureen at work. So because of the sand turning the water all dingy I ended up rinsing and filling the tub a couple times. I think I spent about 3 hours on that laundry. By the time I had them all rinsed and divided up into what could fit in the dryer (again having to run it twice per load) I was so tired I went to bed and fell asleep right away. Matt had been out working on his new office space (Tangent Media) and didn't get home until early AM.
I don't even remember what happened yesterday but I now have two dogs in heat.
Thursday morning I got up and got the kids ready, even had breakfast with them which is unusual for me, I am usually out the door and eat something at work. I put on my helmet and gloves and headed out... only one problem. Where is the motorcycle? I parked it in the driveway last time I used it yesterday (right after I filled it up with gas!) but I knew Matt had ridden it since then. I went back in and asked him where he parked it. He said "on the street...." then a look of horror and he says "I am about to be really furious." He went outside and walked all the way around the house and didn't see it anywhere. The logical conclusion is that someone stole it. I can't believe it. I have never had any large property stolen before. I have had people root around through my car before but never take anything (really, we are practically poverty level, what would we have for them to take?) I took off the helmet and told him to call dispatch, file a police report. I got on my bicycle and pedaled to work.
I guess Levi was quite taken with the police officer because as he saw him taking notes Levi said to him "My name is Levi Lee, write that down. L-E-V-I."
Matt called the insurance company and they are supposed to contact us in the next day or two to see where we go from here. Matt has been researching online to see what this kind of bike is selling for (to get a replacement cost) and it looks like they are fairly valuable bikes, for the age, etc. So maybe we will come out of this ok, except that Matt misses his bike. I rode it because I had to, no other economical transportation. Matt rode it because he loved it. He searched a couple of months before finally finding that bike in Idaho. He has done a lot of work to it to get it (and keep it) running and I know he is really upset about it being gone. There is only one other bike like it in town, and ours has the small side mirrors off the handlebars. License place 9A1466. If any of you see it, please call the cops and then call me!
Today my mom took two baskets of laundry from me to do, and delivered them later that evening. She also watched the kids for a couple of hours in the morning while Matt & Brian had a meeting with a company regarding more video work. Thanks mom!
I got a call from Cindy and she offered the use of their spare car to us. It made me cry. I am so thankful for good friends and supportive family. It seems like lately every time I turn around there is a new hardship to get through, but they all teach me something, appreciation, patience, how to find the strength within. So I am trying to embrace the hard times. It could always be worse! Someday, this too shall pass.
