What a... Ride... : )

Oh...My...

: )

This weekend... was a Trick...

: )

It all started... Friday...

I was going to take the FUSO... to the Auction...

He had a light load... for the Anamosa Show...
I thought... I'd have Plenty of Room... for new... Gatherings...

but... when John went to Fire him up...
to get him loaded...

the batteries.... we...Tired.....

and nearly didn't start....

so... he called all over... to find the batteries...
as Justin and I loaded...

{seems... they are hard to find... oh dear....}

I said...

"No Worries!!! I'll take the Ford...."

Then...the fiasco... with Augustine... being stranded....

and getting to the Auction.... just... in the nick of time...

It was a Late Night.... after loading...there... and...ccccccold.....

Saturday Morning.... The weather... was a Mess....

I had arranged for Liz... to help me unload the FUSO... Early... at the show.... so...I could help Dan,{Jo-Dan's} put tables out....at the show... {We knew... Jon, The Promoter's Husband... was under the weather....so...I had to get around... early...in order to help....} 

I had no idea... I'd have a second truck... here, at home...to unload as well...

so...

Liz and I... tried to work the particulars out... on the phone... bright and early....for her to help... drive...another vehicle...as well as unload....

I was so...tired... after a long night.... I was talking in circles....

We needed someone... to watch, Miss. Scarlett...
 Nick had to be to work... earlier, than we thought...

So... we thought she could bring her, to our house.... and John could keep an eye on her... for a bit....
but...

Liz had a Flat Tire... on both of their vehicles...

{they weren't the day before... : ) }

I was... heading to get Fuel... then...the show...... as we talked...
I said... "get there...when you can... I'll start...without ya...."

Liz... moved across town... and thankfully... John's brother... lives close... to her now, so... he pumped her tire up... she went... to have it fixed.... only to find... nothing was wrong with it...

maybe... the valve stem.... so, they replaced that...???

I headed to get Fuel... in the FUSO....

it was near 'E'...

I get...into town....
pulled up....

to the pump...

I could NOT...find my card... or my check book...

PANIC!!!

The Roads... were pure...crap...

I was on...'E'....
{one simply... does NOT let a Diesel... Truck... run out of Fuel... EVER!}

and had to turn the Truck around....

Pray.... I had enough Fuel... to get home...

and get... money...

I called John...and asked him to search the Ford... and my coat pockets... for my card....
I knew...I had them... when I paid at the Auction...
the night before...
but... I was digging in my purse... outside... in the Dark... it was COLD... {could I have lost them... in the dark??? In the Wind??? }

oh...my....

I got home...pulled the Big Truck... in the drive... RAN to the Ford... started Combing through the Cab....
then...

Liz called... as I...was frantically searching the Ford...

said... John had found my card... but... he was at his shop.... because... the house phone was dead... and couldn't call me....

I headed to his shop... RAN.... got my card... went back to Fuel Up...

{I have to kinda crawl under the FUSO to get to the tank....}

{Wind Blowing... Snow Flyin'...COLD!!! }

went to start the pump...
there was a note... taped to it...

 'Card Reader Broken'....
: )

Pulled to another pump...

It took the card...

but... pumped a nickel... at a time....

: ) : ) : )

oh...my... : )

Then... got on the road...

and they... were beyond...

U G L Y....

I called Liz...en route... and said... "DON'T TAKE THE BABY....ON THE ROAD!!!" so...John... went to their house... and watched....little Missy....and brought The Loaded Ford... to her...}

Then...
I was worried... about, 'My' Baby... on the road...

oh...my....

When I got to the show...
I was an Hour...Late...
but... still...

We all...helped each other...{BLESSINGS!!! Dan {Jo-Dan's} Barb and Dan... {Park Place Hotel Antiques, Marion...Sharon... Cecilia and Jon's Daughter, and Wanda, Gatherings...Anamosa, Iowa  along with so many others... Angels... : )}

 Mark... came, with his Daughter... Sarah... and we Hauled It...getting him...unloaded...

then... I spent... the day...and Evening... setting the booth...

It was tricky... getting home... too... and was after 11 before I hit the sack...

then...

up at 5.... to be back, for early bird... at 7:30...

{I got up... Sunday Morn... and realized... I didn't take my contacts out... the night before...

oh... dear...

My Eyes... looked like a road map....}

{still had some finishing touches to do... on the booth... oh my...}

{it's 90 miles... round trip.... from home, to the show...}

The Show.... was amazing.... yet... the crowd...was a bit... down...
I'm sure, due to the weather... on Saturday...

but... seeing...and visiting...with everyone... was... Wonderful...

Mark and I... did Fine....

We are Thankful... for Everyone... who Attended... and, like us... worked so hard... to get there...
The Promoters... Jon and Cecilia... {and Family....} Were Over The Top... WONDERFUL!!!
Some of the dealers... came from FAR...away.... and endured... A LOT.... yet... they were all... Troopers!!!!
it was...a bit... unsettling... tho...
all day...Sunday....

Everyone... kept telling me...

"You...look...so Tired....today..." : )

{Grrrrreat........: ) }

by the time... the show ended...

I was... shaky...

seriously....

I was trembly...

my knees.... were weak...

hands.... shaky...

I.... was a Mess...

I...truly... wasn't sure... I could go on.

Thankfully... Polly... {Polly Ann's Mt.Vernon, Iowa...} had Almonds... and Chocolate....

I had eaten... but... not enough.... and...had little coffee...
{Started a pot... then... left it... unplugged...no time... to get any... }

I was on a DEAD RUN... Friday....Saturday....and... Sunday Morn....

my body... said...

"ENOUGH!!!"

When the show ended.... I called Liz... to come back, and help load...

Nick...again.... was called in...

to work.

I said... come later... I'll keep packing... I don't care... if I'm the last one out the door...
 I'm not... in a hurry....

She... came anyway... with...Scarlett...

 {oh my... I couldn't have Scarlett there... it was a Zoo.... with everyone loading...}
 Liz said....

"I thought you'd have everything ready to load... by now..."
{It was an hour, after the show ended....there was No Way! }

I said..."Honey... this won't work.... we can't have Little Missy here.... go home.... I can do this..."

Just then.... Nick called.... he was home...: )

so...

Liz... took Scarlett.... 40 miles... home....
then...40  miles... back....
by then...

Mark..was all loaded... and done....

he took Sarah home...

and came back.... and helped me.... load...too...

: )

When Liz, got back... we made fast work of it... and had the Truck... loaded...in no time....

I insisted, on buying them Supper....

It felt so.... good.... to just sit down....: )

Then.... Liz and I... took both trucks home...

Bailed... in Sally...{The Mustang...}

and...I took her, a half hour... across town...

to her... home...

{as we sat in her drive.... I said....

"can I just... sleep... here...
 in Sally...
in...your drive....tonight????...

It's warm...
 the music...is good..." : ) }

oh my...

Then...I FINALLY... headed... Home...

Called Peg...

en route...

: )

I was hunting for a smoke... while visiting....

and realized... I must have lost them... somewhere...

between home.... and Liz's....

oh my...

{I parked... in our drive.... and searched Sally... for the pack, I had....to no avail... still chatting...}

I started Sally back up... and went... to buy... more...

{Last Pack....out of the carton... was the one...I had lost..}

I get to the store... still talking to Peg... Patty... was working there....

{I don't talk on the phone, usually...when at a store... but...Peg and Patty are friends, too...and we got the mutual 'Hello's'... from each of them...while... visiting... {small town stuff...: ) }

yes... she had a carton... but... it wouldn't scan...the code... was torn...

Patty said... {loud enough for Peg to hear...}

"THIS IS A SIGN....FROM GOD!!!! QUIT SMOKING!!!"

{by then...I was... pulling my frickin' hair out... }

 then... Patty searched for another carton...

there wasn't one...

{I...Told her...There Wasn't One...Before She Went to Dig!!! } 

{I let the Guy... who was watching the Fiasco...unfold... go ahead...}

Finally... get back... home....

get in the house...

open my purse...

and find...

my pack...of smokes... I had lost...

all... while talking to Peg...

oh...

frickin'...

my...

We visited... for an hour...longer...

We Both... Laughed... 'til we cried...

I was.....

Slap Silly.... MINDLESS!!!

I told her...

I'd LOVE...to have a Nite Cap...

but...

all I have in the house...

is...

Champagne...

and...

I was too tired...to open it...

It's sad....

when a 'Bed'... sounds more Inviting....

than a Glass...of Champagne...

: )

oh...dear....

I hit the sack...

when I awoke... this Morn...

my bed... looked like a bunch of Monkeys... had been Jumping in it...

all night long....

All the pillows were on the floor....

the sheets.... were at my feet....

the blankets...with them... in a ball...

the mattress cover... was pulled off...the ends...

and rolled up... underneath me....

what the heck...???

I looked at Polly...

and said...

"What The Heck?"

? ? ?

I took off... this Morn...made deliveries... 

stopped and visited... with a dear friend... who happens to live...next door, to a couple... who have a pair of cupboards, for sale...I went to see...

{Thanks... Gail.... : ) }

Then... on the way to the store... stopped... and found...

some...

Amazing...Chairs... and piled 'em on the Ford...
 When I saw them... the first words... that came to mind... were...
'Grand...Funk'...

{the 'Bones' of these Gnarly Chairs...are somethin' else...: ) : ) : )
yeah...they are...
Some...Kinda...Wonderful... : )  }
{see fb... I HAD to carry them... out, beside the '49 Ford... tonight...through the snow...
and capture... images of them...
 as The Beautiful...New Snow... was Falling...
{A LOT... of Snow... oh my... : ) }
am I Insane...
Crazy...
?
Yes...
but...then...
All The Best... People...
Are...
: )
Love to ya...
Barb C.
{Peg said... I had to share... all of this... weekend's Adventure... with you....
I told her... she has been with...on similar...adventures...
she said... "No...Barbara... Had I been with you... this weekend...
 I would have put a gun... to my head..."...
oh...
dear...
: )