Blue Things That Move Things

I am happy to report that cleaning up Maggie's field just got easier. I bought a new poop-boggan! In the winter, wheeling a wheel barrow becomes extremely difficult as the tire bogs down in the snow. We had been employing a plastic cement mixing tray but that started cracking and required retirement. Thank goodness for molded plastic toboggans! They are cheap, slide easily and hold just the right amount of horse poop. I forgot that I was going to try sledding down Maggie's field once before I pressed it into service as a manure delivery system- too late!!
And my next mention is months overdue:

Let's hear it for Trusty! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy! Trusty the Accord may not look like a million dollars but this car has definitely earned my respect and gratitude. Yes, he's been backed into a few times and his headlight is strapped on with metal bands and his finish is splotchy... but beneath that beat up exterior lies an engine that starts (every time) and purrs. A big thank you shout out to Beatrice and John for bequeathing Trusty into our hands. Trusty is in remarkably good shape for his age because Beatrice and John kept him in tip-top running condition. I was skeptical at first because he's... well, OLD. But what is age but a number? (I'm finding this out myself!)
Entertainingly, Trusty DOES have his quirks. True to what my sister Beatrice told me, his radio works "when it's in the mood". Likewise his door locks; Trusty seems to like to play a game of, "Guess which lock will unlock today?" with a peculiar randomness known only to him. Ditto the window up and down switches. But he runs and runs really well! And I have customized his back bumper with my current political affiliations:

See? Bernie's on the left and Pete's in the middle and I'm the "Libtard" who's behind the wheel. (Sorry about the bit over-exposed photo but it's REALLY cold out there and I took this picture really fast with no gloves on!!)

Playing the Field

Oops! That's what I get for photographing myself in a mirror! Hahahaha!

That's better. This is a posting entirely about Democratic presidential candidates. Yes, there are like 15 or 16 too many of them; who knows who half of them are! And even if you do put a name with a face, many seem like carbon copies and unnecessary redundancies. With a few exceptions (okay Hinkenlooper, we know you think socialism is wrong!) they all seem to pretty much get on board with universal health coverage of some sort and think Climate Change is real. That's a beginning! But what we need is (sigh/gasp/moan and belch) to defeat The Orange Menace. Is that special someone REALLY Joe Biden? Oh please! (What's that clammy breath I feel on the back of my neck?!??!) Biden may be beating The Orange Menace handily in multiple polls, but so are a couple of my favorites...
I liked Bernie back in 2016 and I still like him: Consistent! Consistent! Consistent! He's been singing the same songs for ages and it resonates with me. Sometimes I get a bit nervous thinking we need someone (oh forgive me) younger but boy! Bernie has energy! He's an inspiration. (And both Bob and I still have tee shirts and even our bumper stickers in place...)
But then wouldn't I like to see a woman in the White House?!? We got robbed last time (even though Hillary wasn't my first choice...) and there are several well positioned, smart woman running. But for some reason (a few which I won't list here as maybe I'll change my tune as I feel slightly guilty for NOT backing her), Elizabeth Warren doesn't get my interest, although she DOES have a policy position on EVERYTHING and she is obviously qualified but I like:

She's tough, she's smart and I liked her pointed sarcasm in questioning that awful Kavanaugh twerp during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings. People I know have spoken highly of her tenure as California Attorney General and every interview I have seen with her has made me respect her. (And she showed good humor when Samantha Bee featured a piece with her on her show.)
But hold on! My affections are torn three ways!

Oh! I like Mayor Pete! He's young and energetic and has an amazing resume (Oh hell! He got me when it came out that he has two dogs and plays classical piano!) And he and his husband look so happy and positive! Maybe we need a fresh faced polyglot to turn us around?!?!?!?
So I'm rotating my shirts. I think today is a "Pete" day, although we're having dinner guests and I was debating changing my shirt several times just to keep them guessing. Doesn't hurt to flirt!

Warning: A Most Political Editorial

Yes, Satan himself makes a guest appearance in my despairing, dispirited post. Election day is only two days away and my stomach is clinching at even the remote possibility that Trump could win. I am old enough to have been through many a presidential election but this one is definitely the weirdest!
I am among the many Americans that finds her/himself wondering... "Just WHAT are people thinking?"* How can anyone ever consider voting for the republican offering? (I mean, I wonder that in years where (groan) people like Mitt Romney or Dubya were presented. But Trump is obviously an even stranger choice!)
 And there is a distinct possibility that Trump could win... the polls are saying how close this election is. And (we all know) it shouldn't be. As you may be aware, Hillary Clinton was not my first choice but she is so obviously head and shoulders better qualified, better prepared and just all around BETTER a candidate than Trump. (And yes, I miss Bernie Sanders! I am wearing his name on my tee shirt and my bumper sticker still shines.)
AND I miss Barack Obama already! A good president (if racist, obstructionist Congress people hadn't prevented him from doing more- like appointing a Supreme Court justice!), a good man, a good dancer, a happily married, non-philandering man with a lovely wife and two great kids; the Obama's even have two swell dogs! Too bad he couldn't have had a third term and let the country come up with more time to sort out dilemmas, such as how Donald Trump became the republican nominee...
So, let's all cross our finger, toes, tails, hooves and whatever other appendages that we have that sanity prevails and Hillary Clinton is elected. And it would be nice to have a woman (nasty or otherwise!) president!

* And I am not going to start listing all the ridiculous and relevant evidence proving that Trump is an appalling and legendarily awful choice to "lead" the country- lead it straight to Hell!

Bureacratic Joy and Sculpture Shows All In One

Yup! The truck's legal as we paid a most inspiring visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles on Wednesday. It wasn't as awful as we'd been told: I heard tell of four hour waits and I always dread the document forgotten at home hell. Don't get me wrong- as we approached the DMV, we could see (despite torrential downpouring) cars circling like so many metallic sharks as there were simply not enough parking spaces to be had. I exited the car, telling Bob optimistically to park it where and when he could and I ran for the door. Only to find that the line inside snaked all the way out to the entry way and the next poor suckers to join us on line were actually waiting outside. We inched forward where a woman came along and issued numbers- mine was D694. I thought, "My life is over. I will be here for the next ten years. I'll never see Bob or my dog or pony ever again". I almost left as I am somewhat claustrophobic and not necessarily the biggest fan of masses of humanity compressed check by jowl. But I figured we'd just have to do this all over again...
About an hour later, I was joined by Bob. We managed to find a seat and waited and waited and waited. I think it was myself who had suggested that we wouldn't need those magazines or books we had debated bringing. Thank God Bob and I always have things to talk about-
Like his wonderful show at ColoColo Gallery. The show looks amazing as it is a large high-ceilinged space with an interesting arrangement of three semi-rooms off of the main gallery, allowing for large spaces and more intimate ones. The woman who Bob is showing with had pleasing and colorful abstract paintings that complemented Bob's austere palette perfectly. Bob has received a really great review in a New Bedford newspaper and hopefully this will draw in masses of the art viewing masses. (Who ever they are. I shall explore my theory of who consumes art in another posting...) So all in all a true triumph!

(Autumn color outside our office window. Red truck, golden yellow foliage. Fall is here!) And as you can tell from the fact that I am posting this blog entry, our number was finally called, we successfully registered the truck and are back home. The Bernie Sanders sticker has been affixed to a clean bumper and we're ready for the next art event. Bring it on!

The Red Truck Decade

As you may recall, Bob and I were hot in pursuit of a new(er) Ford F 150. AND we had such specific requirements: conventional rear wheel drive, short cab, long bed, standard transmission... I am happy to report that we have found our truck and it is here!
We did have to drive to New York state and it did take a few anxious weeks of constant Craig's List/Car Fax/Auto Trader/ Car Gurus etc etc to locate the right truck. And not one of those icky odd green ones that I kept seeing. This truck is "toreador red" (Who thinks these color names up?!) I guess the color comes in handy if we decide to herd bulls.

Here's the front in relation to the old trucks back and vice-versa:

We didn't really want the cap on top, but it may prove handy when transporting delicate art work, and yes, that duct tape on the upper right of the cap! But it's just clamped on so we can lift it off and store it behind Bob's studio when not in use.
But here's a trully awful view of our driveway.

What with our Honda, the old F 150, the new F 150 and Mommy's now deceased Subaru, we have four cars in the yard. Looks like a parking lot.... But hooray! We're more than happy with the new vehicle: Bob said it drove really nicely and feels more like a car than a truck. The dealership was an hour and a half away so he had plenty of time to get acquainted with the new truck on the way home.
Both Bob and I confessed that it was a nerve wracking experience. The dealership has been there for like a million years so I wasn't too scared that they were trying to rip us off (despite this weird Soviet-style sales tax switcheroo. Still don't get that...) but we both admit to feeling stressed while spending thousands of dollars. The truck was a good deal and under our price point so I am pleased, but it's still tough to hand over large sums of money even if you're getting what you want. This must be what it feels like to buy art! Hahaha.
So tonight, we can relax, knowing that we have a newer truck and that the second Republican debate is on for entertainment. We're getting Chinese food, a bottle of wine and our Bernie Sanders bumper sticker is getting applied to the new bumper.