The event that really shaped the weekend was the outdoor party/get-together for my family. We had things to prepare, things to buy--You know the drill. The weather didn't just "hold" for us, it was above average. We couldn't have asked for a better weather day to have it.
Anyway, as I said a lot of stuff happened this weekend. Like I told Sue last night, it made the two-day weekend seem longer, and that's always a good thing.
Notable items of the weekend include:
The fireball - This was what happened when I used a little too much (it wasn't really all that much I thought at the time) gas to start our fire pit out in the back yard on Saturday evening. I lost all the hair on one arm and singed the front half of my hair as well as my eyelashes and eyebrows.
The First Annual Williams Family Barbecue - Optimistic sounding isn't it? Sure, we'll attempt one next year too. This one went off very well. Everyone seemed to have a good time, and there was lots of burgers, dogs, and other stuff to eat. The Ping pong table that was set up was also well-received and enjoyed by quite a few of the attendees. My aforementioned skill (or lack thereof) at pyrotechnics was also a hit... Planned or not.
The bat - Not the first bat I've ever seen, but the first one since I've lived here. Putting stuff away Saturday night we saw one flying around in the dim light high above us. It was obviously a bat because we could see his outline against the dim, blueish sky. I've often said it would be nice if we had more bats to help keep the skeeters down, so it was good to see one.
Sunning - We both got a chance to lay in the sun on Saturday afternoon. First time this season!
The new Chevy dealership? - Not really, but we were starting to wonder when brand new Chevy products started appearing across the street at the neighbor's house. All still have the dealership pseudo-plate on them instead of a real license plate. So far, they have bought a new Chevy SUV (I don't know the name), a new Aveo, and two (yes TWO) Camaros. We were starting to wonder if they hit the lotto or something. Turns out they finally had a settlement on a family tragedy from several years ago that escalated into a class-action lawsuit. Good for them. Now they need a bigger driveway...
Visiting ex wife - It's always a good thing when people still get along after they divorce, and it's even better when they get along with a new spouse, right? Teresa and Sarah were up in our neck of the woods at a community garage sale and we texted Sarah to have them drop by. After all, our back yard was spotless and ready for our family barbecue later, so what better time? More importantly, it's good to know where I live in case she has to come here for some reason. Sue sent her home with a baby plant to put in the ground.
The weed whacker - I got a free Echo weed-eater from a moving sale my friend Karla had last year. She didn't know what was wrong with it, but she knew it was useless to her if it wouldn't run. I finally got it going this weekend, and it runs pretty good. I went all through it's little miniature carburetor, cleaning and adjusting, but still it wouldn't start. Turns out it was naught more than a plugged solid fuel filter. It's pretty quiet for a gas weed whacker!
The radial arm saw - The radial arm saw that I mentioned a couple blogs posts back is complete and 100% operational. It looks and runs like new. When I was just finishing up the adjustments, the final thing to do was make the first cut through the new fence (that's the part that you place boards against while you're cutting them to keep them perpendicular to the saw blade). I thought it was complaining a little bit much as I made the cut, but I attributed it to the blade being old. When that was done and there was a nice slice in the fence, I attempted my first "real" cut of a piece of wood. It bogged and smoked like you wouldn't believe! I shut it off and looked at the blade. Backwards! What a doof...
The Harley - I rode it to work for the first time on Friday. Well, the first time since I've lived here anyway. Just to avoid the hassle of squeezing past my truck to get down the driveway, I parked it in front of the house behind my car. When I went out to start it, it kept almost starting. Each time the engine would fire it would kick the starter out. After several of these, the battery finally died. I threatened it with jumper cables and it finally started for me. I was a few minutes late for work, but it was nice to ride to work. Next time I'll just leave it in the garage and deal with the driveway gauntlet.
I'm sure I probably forgot some stuff but that's a pretty good recap of recent events around our house. Next weekend will be a similar repeat (without the fireball) when we host a similar party to Suzie's side of the family.
Wow, do you realize it's already past the middle of May? Get out there and enjoy the summer before it's done gone and whooshed by us.
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