I can't win

I see a horse and buggy in my future.

I'm not sure if I mentioned the bent rim on my Ford Fusion.

An icy intersection, turning the steering wheel right when I should have turned left, the unyielding curb on the other side of the street all lead to the rim being bent just a few feet from my home.

That was three weeks ago.

Finding a rim at a decent price was a trick, but I finally found one last week at a junkyard in Detroit.

Thankfully a friend who lives in the Metro Detroit area was working in Saginaw so he picked it up and dropped it off at my nephew's house in Bay City.

By Saturday, the rim was in the back of my truck and I continued my travels to West Michigan to hang out with a friend.

Sunday, as I was traveling back home, I noticed the battery light was glowing bright on the dashboard of my truck.  The alternator gauge showed the battery was charging, so I continued on. I hoped to make it as far as I could (hopefully home).

As life would have it, I lost the alternator about 20 miles west of Bay City... But I continued on, turning off all non-essential power draws and praying all the way.

By the time I was about two-miles west of Bay City, I pretty much had no lights (it was dark) and an angel in a large truck followed me, illuminating the road ahead and protecting me from traffic behind.

I made it to the Walgreen store parking lot and, just as I was pulling into a parking spot, the engine died.

The battery was dead.

Thankfully I have AAA road service that will haul a vehicle 100 without a charge to me.  I was about 50 miles from home.

So, the flatbed truck arrived and the pickup was loaded.

Today, between my work commitments, I will be making a phone call to my mechanic to be both the car and truck repaired.

I'm worried the car has more damage than the bent rim.  This could get costly.

Perhaps I'll look into a horse and buggy too.

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com

Running the Roads

It looks like I'm going to be running the roads this weekend. Like that is a surprise.

A late afternoon trip to Detroit is necessary to pick up the car wheel (rim) for my 2011 Ford Fusion. On Christmas Eve, I managed to hit the curb hard enough to bend the rim on the car.  A new one costs $225 or more. This one is just $100.

And yes, I have figured the gas so my price is going to be more in the $150 range.  But, I'll taking care of some other business while I'm in town.  You know, killing two birds with one trip to the city.

After I pick up the rim, I'm headed back to Bay City.  I hope to catch Pinconning Michigan native and Comedian Rob Little's show at the State Theater. They're taping the shows (a second show was added after the first was sold out) for future DVDs.

Following the show, I'm going to crash with a friend in Bay City.

Saturday may take me to Big Rapids to hang with my buddy Andrew, but those plans are still up in the air.

On Sunday, I'm headed back to Bay City, for dinner and maybe a movie.

All this hustle and bustle will make me appreciate getting back to my Monday morning routine all the more.

Happy weekend everyone!

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com

Not My Thing

I’m always amazed at the narrow-minded view so many people have of the world.  Their lives revolved around a few well-known, tried and true activities that seem to keep them content.

Recently, I've made it pretty clear that I do best with a routine. But that doesn't mean I’m not willing to explore and enjoy new adventures.

It’s really quite saddening for me when I invite friends to join me for an activity and get a “that’s not my thing,” response.

Case-in-point: I recently asked a friend to join me to see a play, a local production of a well-known Broadway hit, as my guest.  Dinner and a show.

The offer was refused with a rather stern, “You keep asking me, but it’s just not my thing. I find plays boring.”

Really?

Now I know I have a special gene that allows me to enjoy the arts more than I do sports.  I’m not sure where it came from since I was born and raised in Huron County Michigan. This area can be all about guzzling beer and watching football.

Upon further investigation I discovered that the only plays my friend had ever seen were local-yokel productions that, I’m sure would sour most people’s taste.

I certainly understand the desire to not be bored.

Maybe I’m a martyr? I've suffered through some really boring (and sometimes annoying) events for the sake of friendship and spending time with the people I call friends.

Sometimes doing things that’s “not your thing” is the thing to do!

How do people sit at home, night after night, watching TV? Talk about boring!

But then watching Dancing with the Bachelor, Survivor of Downton Abbey or Monday Night Basketball… Well, it’s not my thing.

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com

Surprises!

Surprises come in many forms. Some are good and usually welcomed while others are bad and, of course, unwelcomed.

I've had some surprises in the past few weeks.

The unwelcomed column includes an overnight stay in the hospital, a warning light flashing on the dash of my pickup, being unfriended by two Facebook friends and the recent slushy snow I didn't expect.

Some welcomed surprises, that added a smile to my face, included a forgotten $50 bill tucked away in my wallet, unique personalized Christmas cards from friends from my past and a personal visit from friend I assumed I wouldn't see again for several weeks.

Surprises can, for someone who functions better with a routine and schedule, cause chaos and havoc to a normal day. They're a twist in life out of left field.

For the most part, the surprises in my life are welcomed and enhance my life. Even the bad surprises lead to lessons that help me grow and an individual.

Making all surprises positive is really all about facing life head on.

But that's no surprise.

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com

This blog was written on Monday, January 7, but I forgot to "publish" it.  It's interesting how I the topic was surprises because later that day, I was surprised by a belated-Christmas gift from my friend Wanda Eichler (http://fromunderthewillow.blogspot.com/)  That was one of those unexpected, but welcomed surprises!  Thank you Wanda!

Tuesday Tally: Movie Must NOT Sees

I haven't shared a Tuesday Tally in a while. So why not share something odd:

Here's a short list of Movie Must NOT Sees.  These movies either showing or have opening dates coming soon.

Texas Chainsaw 3D —  January is often horror film month. TC-3D is, according to one report I read, the 47th variation on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. I missed at least 45 of the previous versions, so I don't think I would understand the plot.

A Haunted House — While this sounds like another horror film, it's actually looks like a horrible film. It's not officially part of the Scary Movie series, but it has that feel. Unfortunately, the Scary Movie movies haven’t been good since The Wayan brothers left. I think you'll see the best of the worst by watching the trailer here.

The Last Stand — The Last Stand is an attempt to revive the career of a Hollywood relic, former California Gubbanator Arnold Schwarzennegar. Personally, with all the swirl around Arnie, I'm not all that jazzed about the return of Schwarzennegar. This very well could be The Last Stand for Arnold.

Parker — Another one of Jason Statham’s biannual movies, Parker will probably be remembered as the Statham Movie in which he wears a cowboy hat and Jennifer Lopez walks around in her underwear. That's probably a sellling point for some movie-goers, but if you want a movie with any substance, make another pick.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters — What's with taking fairy tales or real life people (Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter) and turning them into hunters of the unreal.  Fantasy meet fiction? H&G: Witch Hunders will either be the worst movie of the year or sweep the Oscars (because awful movies sometimes do that!).

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com

What a Difference a Day Makes

In my world, it's amazing what a difference a day makes.

Often, when we're troubled by something, if we just set it aside for a day the problem will lesser or perhaps disappear.  If nothing else, we will have a new perspective and can see the concern in a new light which allows us to deal with it in a new way.

"Let me sleep on it," is a (semi) common phrase when making a big decision. There are laws that allow you to rescind a decision -- often on a major purchase like a house -- after 24 hours.

Studies have shown that when given a project, many individuals show a much more creative and detailed completion of the task when they have had at least a day to work on it.

A day can make a difference in your health as well.

How often do you feel fantastic one day, and sick as a dog the next?  We've all heard stories of people in the hospital, near the brink of death, suddenly opening their eyes on morning, fully revived.

This past week was a roller coaster for me.  The holidays and time off work had my schedule totally missing. Add in some travel and late nights with early mornings and my world can become a little less friendly.

These highs and lows, coupled with an on-the-road diet lacking proper hydration and the re-introduction of my customary daily pot of coffee, and was feeling the physical effects by Wednesday.

Overnight, the backflips I could feel from my heart, disappeared, but returned Thursday afternoon with an intensity that sent me to the emergency room.

An overnight stay in the hospital with lots of tests and a fast running IV, made me feel good as new the next morning.

Now, this morning, the beginning of the weekend, I'm getting back into the groove, my routine.

And I'm feeling pretty good about it.

Ah, what a difference a day makes!

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com

Home with Dada

This video started my day out with a smile, so I'm sharing it with you.  Happy Thursday!

(Life with Dada is borrowed from YouTube.com)

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com