Shiny Object!

The stalking continues unabated, as it has all week:


Meanwhile: Remember this day not so long ago? Yeah, that sucked. And I get off the bus at the park-and-ride lot yesterday, start up the car, pull out of the lot....and right into the next lot because I had a flat. Again. Same tire. Again. Guess the patch didn't hold up. I'm going to have to have words with my mechanic. I told Travis about it and he said the guy better pray he never gets a hold of him.

(Psst: Travis is my mechanic.)

I called Travis and told him about it, but he was only just then leaving work. So I sat in the car for about five minutes before I decided to change to the spare myself. Last time it happened, I waited for him due to the fact that I was in downtown Orlando and in just the time it took me to get out of the car and observe the flat, a homeless person scuttled over to offer to change my tire for two dollars. Having no desire to spend 20 minutes attempting to be a Strong Independent Woman while also battling off hordes of indigents in need of a couple bucks - I only carry so much petty cash on me at a time - I waited it out that time. But waiting it out in little ol' Clermont when I am completely capable of changing the tire myself - well, that would have been a little too intimate an embrace of my utter laziness. Besides, there might be Sundara yarn waiting in my PO Box, and I must get to it!

So I changed my tire. And here's why I love my town - in the brief time it took me to change it, four different people pulled over to offer assistance. There is still hope for the world. However, it was very hot outside and I didn't want to drag anyone onto my Lanai of Sweat and Curse Words without a lemonade, so I declined. This particular exchange amused me most.

Guy in SUV: Hey, can I help ya? I was driving by and my kids were yelling, "Stop, Dad, help her, help her!"
My brain: Hey, kids, thanks for keeping daddy from being an arsehole. Keep up the good work.
My mouth: Haha! No, thanks, I'm fine. You got great kids! I really appreciate it.

I'm glad I didn't say what my brain did - I certainly don't think not stopping is an indication that someone's not a good person. I just found it amusing that he basically copped to the fact that he might not have stopped if it weren't for his kids - though I do concede that their compassion had to come from somewhere, so the parents must instill it. But then, children are great that way - they're so aware. I don't know what happens to us as we grow up - our self-preservation instincts increase and we become suspicious, or we're too busy to notice. I can't bear to give much thought to the "too busy to care" possibility...I'm sticking with "too busy to notice."

(Oh, to tidy up that loose plot point up there - no Sundara yarn yet. Probably today.)

In knitting news: I finished up the first Groom's Sock last night. So that's one of those, and one of mine. And for those of you who were beginning to doubt me - I cast on this morning for the second Bellocq, thankyouverymuch. I managed to work the toe on the bus ride in. (Note: Wrap and Turn not so much fun on the chugging delapidated bus. Lots of pokeys.)

In I'm-A-Bad-Person news: I read this post today. (Ping!) It wasn't me to whom she was referring, but I've done what she's talking about. (In case you're short on time, her post is about people who "borrow" photos from another blogger without expressed consent and post them, even with credit to the photographer or their blog.) Her point is that one should always explicitly ask for permission before doing that, and she is absolutely right! I know here recently, I borrowed a photo from Michelle to plug a big Yarn Pirate update at The Sweet Sheep. The intent was "lookit the pretty colors, go buy yarn," but you know, I should have asked permission to post her photo, even if I did say it was hers.

See, never apologize for posting rants on your blogs! It's helpful, because sometimes it helps someone like me wake up and realize that I'm not adhering to proper Internetiquette! So I apologize to Michelle, and thank you to Sweet Pea. (And I hope whoever did that to Pea was just clueless or had a "duh" moment like me, and not an intentional douche.)

(I should mention the disappearing post. Some of you might have noticed an absent post yesterday that showed up on subscriptions - yeah, I posted a nice long one, decided that I didn't like the photos, and moved it back to draft. I'll put it back up later, with decent pictures - I'd planned to fix it yesterday when I got home, but after 30 minutes changing a tire in dress clothes in 90 degree heat, I just wanted to lie halfnekkid on the floor near an air vent for a while. I don't know how people work outside in this place. I wanna move to Oregon.)

Mwah!