It must be spring because Linda and I have sprung into action to clean things up around our place.
The warmer weather was a motivating factor, of course, but so was news that it was our turn for the Project N.I.C.E. program in which residents are allowed to take all of their unwanted bulk items out the curb and the city will haul it away for free.
Well, you wouldn’t believe the amount of stuff we’ve been hanging on to that suddenly was expendable as long as we didn’t have to round up somebody with a pickup truck to help take it to the dump ourselves.
Clearly we aren’t the only ones in our neck of the woods who feel the same way because the boulevards are bulging with heaps of refuse from old used up or broken furniture and appliances to great chunks of decrepit fencing and spent lawn equipment.
Our junk went out on Friday and by Saturday evening..much of it was gone; taken away not by the city..but people in pickups roaming the N.I.C.E street neighborhoods; people who have a totally different idea of what is trash and what has years of usefulness left.
I’m anxious to check Craig’s List in the days ahead to see if our broken recliner, old oscillating fan and rusted out garbage cans are getting a second chance in the marketplace.
I’ve also been meaning to make some important changes in my man cave; mainly to get rid of the wobbly stand holding my antique Windows XP computer and purchase a new desk. Linda’s had her eye on one at Office Max which went on sale over the weekend..so off I go…hoping Big Red has enough room either in the trunk or back seat to haul it home if I made the deal. I did and, in spite of weighing about a hundred pounds and being 60 inches long..not to mention the sales guy’s serious doubts that it would ever fit into a car..it slipped right in to the back seat.
People in their little Hyundais, Toyotas and Fiestas may wag their environmentally sensitive fingers at me in my big old gas guzzling Lincoln..but they sure do envy all the room Big Red provides at times like this.
Getting the desk “inside” the car was one thing…trying to wrestle it out..another. Thank goodness I didn’t throw away the dolly cart I bought many years ago..when I was still of a mind to move heavy things from one place to another. Hasn’t been used in ages..but it sure came in handy bringing that big old box into the house. There it sat until Sunday evening when I ran out of excuses not to begin the assembly process. 
It should be noted that I’m not the guy Red Green talks about on his tv show when he says, “If women don’t find you handsome they should at least find you handy.” I’m too old to get by on my looks and have never been handy so I was dreading having to put this desk together. As always, when I tackle jobs that require many pages of instructions, my concerns about incompetence at such things were justified. But eight hours later in the wee hours of Monday morning..the job was done and all pieces accounted for. I decided, too, that the big desktop computer with it’s tower, monitor, speakers and jungle of power chords had outlived its usefulness and will serve in a back-up capacity downstairs. My new laptop works just fine here.
You can say all you want about Red Green..but Linda has been especially sweet on me since the construction project was begun and completed.
Oh, I also…finally..replaced my broken smart phone with a new model that’s even more complicated. Many hours of trial and error await as I try figure out all the options and applications now at my disposal.
I think I was smart about one of the new smart phone’s features; an unbreakable screen.
I also spent extra for an Otter Box.
Sort of a belt and suspenders approach to protection, I suppose, but I don’t want this thing to need replacing after a two foot tumble from my pocket to the pavement like the last one.
Speaking of the pavement, we’ll be hitting it this weekend as we point Big Red south to Lincoln, Nebraska where our Granddaughter, Zoey Josephine Moser, will be confirmed.
I really like the idea of Confirmation being the affirmation of Baptism…especially since I was in Los Angeles, California 14 years ago where Zoey was dedicated to God by her parents..sponsors and members of tiny St Paul’s Lutheran Church of Thousand Oaks. (Linda had been to L.A. earlier to help out shortly after Zoey was born.)
It was tough for Zoey’s mom and dad to leave Hollywood and move back to the Midwest; their dreams of professional acting giving way to the reality of competition and plain dumb luck. But today, both have found challenges and success as a University administrator (Suzan) and High School drama teacher.(Joe)
And Zoey? Well, she has blossomed into this incredibly beautiful and talented young woman who amazes her grandma and me not only with her accomplishments academically and musically but through her compassion for others and love of the Lord.
Suzan , Zoey and Joe at Easter this year.
It’s going to be tough for this old Norwegian Lutheran to keep emotions in check on Sunday as Zoey affirms for herself..a commitment we all made on her behalf in that little California church so many years ago.
