Point in time

I'm sitting in a hotel room in Detroit.

The weekend was spent working at our usual pace at home. A has today and tomorrow alone at home with the kids, so we did everything we could ahead of time to ease the two-baby-alone marathon. (Yes, these two cutie-pies are a marathon, for even the shortest stretch, let alone a solo night/morning/day/and another early night.)

Last week Boatie (see A's blog if that doesn't mean anything to you,) cooked her battery, to the pleasant odor of sulfur/rotten eggs. Since I needed to drive something to the airport, and A needed something safe for her and the two bebes today and tomorrow, I put a new alternator in the pretty blue station wagon.

And while I was at it, I replaced the demolished left motor mount, reinstalled the headlights that someone put in upside down, new hatch struts for the trunk, cleaned her inside and out, and reassembled the dash around the radio that, even with a new fuse isn't making any sounds, and fixed the passenger rear door so it doesn't lock itself each time you start her up. (Super annoying when you walk around to get one of the kids out and the door is locked.) ((Yes, it's hard to stop once you get started.))

And since I was in the mood, I moved on to the tundra, and replaced the front brakes, rotors and pads, cleaned the K&N filter, and cleaned her inside, and the bed outside.

A is almost finished priming the porch, which she's done entirely herself. All 300+ spindles. We have a date this coming weekend to put the paint on. She also ran the Farmer's Market with little a, (C was chilling with me in his buzzy chair while I was under the hood of boatie. And he came with me to the auto parts store.)

Church, very unsuccessful naps, a first lunch out with both kids. Tried to mow the lawn, but a belt snapped on the mower. *sigh* didn't even get irritated at that one, it was Sunday night and dark, so I figured the weekend was ready to wrap up.

We'll be able to have the painting date because A's sister and father are coming down for a 6 day visit, arriving on Thursday. E has been in New Zealand, Australia, and China since January, and we're super excited to see her. And c has not met either E or F (grandfather).

Hmm. We're tired. Taking a week in VT over Labor Day, which we're very much looking forward to. c's first time in VT, and our first flying trip with 2 little ones.

a's 4 eye teeth are coming in all at once. Heart breaking to pick her up in the middle of the night as she sits in her crib crying into her blanket. We're burning through the motrin and teething gel.

mmmm.

I may continue to ramble later.

Our meeting turns out to be way north of Detroit, in Lovernia, or something like that. A suburb that was founded by immigrants from New England, previously from around the Baltic sea. Incorporated in 1950, primary reason being the tax revenue from a local horse track, which has since closed. But it's pleasant, nice greenery and people take care of their homes. Just not the downtown area with the abandoned comercial buildings that I have such a penchant for.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love abandonned industrial buildings? Steel and glass, brick, stone, solid structures with wide open spaces, solid, hard lines, that have a strength and beauty that is super? (Wasn;t sure where that sentence was going.) I just really like them. Old churches, manufacturing spaces, I just really like 'em.

But we're not anywhere near them, and I'm tired. So we're going to try to find somewhere nearby to eat, then I'm curling up and making sure I make the most of this sleeping opportunity. Early morning meetings, then flying home tomorrow afternoon.

so. cheerio.