Put a Period on This One.

 Did you read HERE about my car? 

Now, everything is okay, but not in the way I expected.
I assumed there would be a very detailed investigation.

I really thought Perry Mason or Columbo would come to 

the scene to take measurements, etc. to

determine who was at fault for the Chick Fil A incident.

Since the other driver was backing up and therefore

had extra culpability, and since she bent my 

license plate in half as she backed past me,

 I knew Perry or, ...what was

Columbo's first name?...would readily declare me the

innocent victim.

Well, I called Allstate yesterday to see when I could

expect my check!

I can expect all I want to, but I'm not getting one!

They denied responsibility!

No Columbo, no Perry, no check!

I got very irate, and the agent remained very nice,

but all to no avail.

So...I called my insurance agent.  I assumed

that if Allstate denied, my insurance would have to

pay for the perpetrator's car.

Wrong.

If there's a difference in stories, and no witnesses or video

(Chick Fil A has cameras, but not one aimed where
 the accident occurred) 
evidently BOTH insurance companies

can deny responsibility!

The bad news is, if my car had significant damage,

my insurance company would handle it as if

it were struck by an uninsured motorist.

That would mean I would pay another $250!

The good news?  I can just get a new license plate

holder, and I'm good to go!

I did learn another lesson from this incident.
I don't know that it would have made any difference
in this particular case,
but I should have hopped out and taken a 
picture of the cars while they were still in crash position.
The location of impact would support my
story that the other driver was backing all the
way across the lot--not just turning to back in.

Oh...and the other driver has not even tried to
make a claim against my insurance...

My mother would not allow me to use word "liar,"
but
when last seen, she had smoke coming from her
pants.

  

What's With My Car?

 There's something weird about my car.

It doesn't look weird.

Well, that's not true.  It does right now and periodically.

That's the problem.

My car is a shiny black 2012 Infiniti G25.  

It will not be 1 year old until October 27th, 2013.

Some of you might recall that before it was 4 months old,

it was backed into at the Martin High School curb

 with me sitting in it waiting to give Susannah her lunch.

  "Minor" damage set me back $250 because

the perpetrator was a 52 year old uninsured motorist.

Shortly thereafter, a wandering shopping cart struck

it in the Wal Mart parking lot. 

Not just a scratch--a small dent.

Price to have fixed--around $125, so I'm just

living with that one.

It's a leased car, so hope to pass that one off

as "normal wear and tear."

Then Sarah and I drove it to Fossil Rim, where the 

aoudads' horns did a number on my rear view mirrors.

Now, as you can clearly see, this was Sarah's fault.

JUST KIDDING!!!

The scratches were (still are) worse on my side!

These particular ones were worth it!

Those aoudads were soooo cute, and we had such fun!

But...aoudad horns...normal wear and tear?

That may be a tough sell.

Then, last week after turning into the same garage

for 28 years, I somehow made a slight miscalculation.

I raked my front fender on the frame of the garage door.

I absolutely can't believe I did that, but I did.

The garage had been freshly painted--a light color--

so this one looked horrendous.

We need to stop a minute and consider what happens 

every time another boo boo gets inflicted upon my car.

I make a bee line for Precision Auto Body and

cry on the shoulders of my best friends, 

Andy and Bruce.

 I now just pull up in front of their door, and

out they come.

They didn't have to be shown that last one.

Gobs of "creamy mushroom" paint is hard to

miss on a black car.

The GOOD NEWS:  

 This one could just be buffed off!

That was last week.

Prepare yourself.

Yesterday I wheeled into the Chick Fil A drive thru

for lunch.

A car ahead of me turned into a parking place on

the left (headed into the building.)

Instantaneously, the car shot backward, toward me.

I stopped and frantically honked my horn, cause it was 

headed straight for me!

The driver never acknowledged me in any way 

and definitely was gunning it.

(She was backing all the way across to back into

a parking spot on the right side.)

I honked twice more, as she impacted the front

of my car.  I was so frustrated and angry,

but I just dialed 911.

(I was afraid it might be an uninsured driver again,

and Andy had told me Arlington is very strict

on uninsured drivers--often even towing their cars.)

As the 911 operator was talking to me, a lovely

female Arlington police officer came out of

Chick Fil A and appeared at my window.  

She helped facilitate the exchange of information,

which was helpful since the other driver

did not speak a lot of English.

But...she did have insurance!

I got my lunch, and guess where I headed.

Yep, Precision Auto Body.

But remember, friends, I was just there last week.

This time all humor was gone.

There is good news, however. 

The main damage to my car was to my license plate

(bent in half)

and to my heavy license plate holder.

(also bent in half!)

This is the other car:

Here the car is in the parking place the driver

 was aiming for--with just a little crash intervening.

 

As I upload these pictures from my phone and post

them, I am struck again by how much

worse this could have been.

Of course, the other driver is saying I hit her.

I was, in fact, sitting dead still, honking!

The fact that she was backing up without properly

checking behind her should be the deciding factor.

I hope so.

I'll let you know.

I certainly hope this craziness stops.

My lease is for 39 months!

 

Poor Linda...______ Finally Got Her

There are soooo many possibilities for filling in the blank.

My daughter would say,

"Lack of exercise" 

Of course, I'm planning to change that today.

Some of my friends would say,

"Consumption of Splenda, Sweet 'n Low, Equal, etc"
 

I personally might say,

"Her sugar-coated arteries"

Because however many teeth I have, that's how many

sweet-teeth I have.

This way of filling in the blank would be 

completely accurate:

"That girl never had five servings of fruits and

vegetables a day in her life."

(Well, maybe a few days.) 
  

Skeptics may say,

"Those nasty statin drugs she took"

but without them it would be...

"Her high cholesterol"
  

Here's a likely one:

"She dried up and blew away because she didn't

drink her 64+ ounces of water yesterday!"
(whilst enduring the pain of her latest kidney stone.)
 

She slipped and failed to take her

"Citracal, fish oil, folic acid, selenium, Centrum Silver,

glucosamine-chondroitin, baby aspirin, vitamin D3,

CoQ 10, and/or Vitamin B12"

or...
 

She TOOK

"Citracal, fish oil, folic acid, selenium, Centrum Silver,

glucosamine-chondroitin, baby aspirin, vitamin D3,

CoQ 10 and Vitamin B12"

  

She 

"continued to eat cereal with milk"

even though she heard that

85% of us are lactose intolerant.

She 

"failed to floss her teeth day before yesterday"

to which her heart succumbed.

She

"was a lazy butt rear thing who did not thoroughly

slather herself with SPF 30+ on a consistent basis."

So kids, don't bother with an autopsy.  Just make

a wheel and spin.  Wherever the arrow points

will be a good enough guess.

  

         

       

Colorado/Cousin Summer, Part 2!

Colorado, here I come again!

I flew to Denver, and Sarah and Dick picked me up for

the drive to Conifer--a most beautiful spot!

My private suite in their lovely mountain home was ready!

 Complete with gifts!!

Sarah had my drinking covered!

 That's a Colorado mug--I collect mugs from my travels,
 you know.

And I guzzled gallons of water from my new paisley glass!

Here we are having lunch in the lovely sunroom!

 And this is our view.

It is peaceful and so pleasant.

Well, folks.  I'm just gonna cut straight to the chase.

This girl got to see WILDLIFE!

More than I saw in all of Alaska!

This first beautiful specimen was spotted by yours truly

before anyone else saw it!

THAT IS A FIRST!

I usually see it last or not at all!

 Are you ready?

I understand this handsome fellow is a mule deer.

He was on the side of the road, and I thought he was a

                               statue when we passed him!

And Sarah and Dick missed him completely!

One evening Sarah and I went wild life searching.
There were reportedly elk in "John's meadow."
Not when we were there.
But we kept searching, and we found this!

Then, just down the road, this!

An elk family!
Sarah took this picture, while I looked at them through
binoculars.
Then I heard a car coming and was afraid I was
going to witness the demise of the elk family!
But--no problem.  Drivers in Conifer are prepared.

Our central location allowed us to go north one day
and tour Rocky Mountain National Park.
We started in Estes Park, where we saw this:

The Stanley Hotel featured in The Shining!

Sarah and I found the greatest spot for a photo op outside
the Stanley!

We thought we were so cute!
Then we discovered this sign.

How embarrassing.  We are a little old for this.

Jack would have loved this Stanley Steamer.

Just one picture of the beautiful park.
It was amazing to get to see this. 
These mountains are said to have inspired the 
"purple mountain majesties"
line in America, the Beautiful! 

Emily and James, Sarah's and Dick's daughter and
son-in-law, invited us down the road to their fabulous
home for quite a spread of appetizers!

Dig this view from their deck!

  
On Sunday we went to a little church, then drove to
Evergreen, where we walked around its lake.
(The longest 1.3 miles in CO or maybe the world!)

Sadly, Evergreen was involved in the Colorado flooding.
We wonder if these flowers by the lake entrance were wiped out.

Another day the "Lynn girls" had a great time here:

We had hotdogs and root beer floats by this 
beautiful river! 

Then on our last full day we headed south to
Pike's Peak and the cog railway!
What an experience!

And on the ride down--more wildlife!

I think those are bighorn sheep.
(If they aren't, please don't tell me!)

We drove through the Garden of the Gods.

It's funny.  I've heard of the Garden of the Gods all my
life but had no idea what it was.
What it is is amazing!

I thought when I went to visit Sarah I would only see Conifer.
The possibility of seeing Pike's Peak never occurred to me.
To get to visit there AND Estes Park AND 
Rocky Mountain National Park, etc., etc., etc.
was a truly incredible adventure!

I've seen more of Colorado this summer than in all the 
rest of my life combined, and
I LOVE IT!

I'm Back...

Although no one has told me so...

I know you've been missing me.

Well, it's like this.

I have a beloved group of friends with whom I play bridge.

There are 8 of us, so we play 8 months of the year,

and we are hostess 1 month of the year.

September was my month.

Now most people won't admit that they obsess over their 

hostess duties, but I don't hesitate to do so.

I even missed choir Wednesday night, cause I was home...

obsessing.

But, it paid off.  I am successfully done for the year!

Here's what the table looked like:

 

The plates are so fun.

   They feature vintage European hotel logos.

And yes, vintage "cracks!"

The flatware is also different.  In the early 1900s hotels

mixed their flatware patterns for an eclectic look.

So the pattern of each piece is different.

I ordered all of this years ago and love using it!  

We start at 10 A.M. with breakfast goodies and coffee.

These were delicious Danishes from Whole Foods

on my warming tray which did not warm!

Very good anyway. 

Now let me show you what my sweet Susan did for me!

She offered to help, so I asked her to plant

something in this urn for me.  (It was sitting there empty!)

What she did was a knockout!

But...while she was here checking out the size of the urn,

she spotted all my other empty containers.

She comes back with her little HHR loaded with gorgeous

plants.  Just look!

I was thrilled beyond words!

I felt like I had an outdoor showplace!

 

Susan is also responsible for this:

 I love love love this!!!!!!

(In case you're curious, the picture of Madeline and me

was taken on Congress Ave. in Austin.  Someone had 

painted the "I love you so much" on a wall.  Our

entire family has now had his or her picture made there!

Thank you, unknown graffiti artist!)

 

I got this new little piece--

Nifty, huh?

 

Now all this took place last Thursday.

Then on Friday night the husbands are included.

We had 16, or 4 tables of bridge.

 

Since Jack has been gone, my partner has been 

my dear friend, Charlotte Irwin.

It just so happened that Charlotte's birthday was nigh,

so we had birthday party bridge for her!

 

I think a great time was had by all--including me!

It was such a blessed weekend.  

Over and out for another year!