This is Holly at sunrise on some sand dunes in Death Valley.
We drove through the park on our way to see family in California. What a fun trip. And not without adventure. Our waterpump went out on the road, but lucky for us we broke down in one of the first towns past the desert.
More pictures here.
November is for gratitude, but December is for service. If there is a better way to perform service than being a father, I can’t think what it might be.
Here is a picture of Tim and his daughter Jasmine, rolling around on the floor.
My flash non-fiction story “20/20” will appear in the next issue of The Yalobusha Review. This is the first little magazine that’s an actual hard copy journal that will feature my work, so I’m thrilled.
Great way to start off 2010!
So my old BMW Series 3 was creamed by a trash truck in the summer. I can still drive it. But it was too old to get repaired, so I frittered away the insurance money on whatever.
Now, however, I have a problem.
My trunk is filling up with water! Whenever it rains, the trunk fills with water. There is no drain plug to drain some parts of the trunk, particularly the little space behind the wheel well on the drivers side. How annoying is this?! It turns out that in the back fender that got smashed there is a little vent that normally vents the gas tank but the fender around this vent is now mangled in such a way that the vent is allowing water into my trunk at an alarming rate.
So. What are my options?
I tried option #1 for the longest time. But it did not work. Now the carpets in the backseat are soaked with water.
I tried option #2, but this is the Pacific Northwest and it’s rainy season. I can’t keep up!
I am now on my last option: #3.
However, the cold has descended onto the Pacific Northwest so now the towel is frozen in place. There are little ice stalagmites hanging from the bottom of the trunk hood. I have to pry the trunk up to look inside. There is so much moisture in the cabin of my car, I have to scrape the outside and the inside of my windshield to drive. Of course, this is all terrible. I am just going to get a new car.
Meantime, I have one question: Is there any chance that by plugging the vent to the gas tank with a frozen towel that the car might blow up, resulting in a fatality?
No really. Serious question here.
Present Tense 