Saturday, November 19, 2011

Grayquill Keep Quiet

Do you ever do something with good intentions and then realize well that wasn’t very respectful? I had one of those moments this morning. A little background might be needed….
It was late. The weather man just mentioned we would have near freezing temps tonight. As usual my mind bumped from faucets to pipes to cars….oh yeah my truck!!!
 #$^@!!!
I forgot to add antifreeze to my truck.  I meant to do that. I just keep forgetting. Well, the news guy did say ‘near’ freezing. I can wait. I think I will go to bed now.
A few days passed with rainy, temps in the forties. Do you think I bought the antifreeze? Why would I? It’s not freezing yet.
It was again late and the weather man just mentioned we would have near freezing temps tonight. As usual my mind bumped from faucets to pipes to cars….oh yeah my truck!!!
 #$^@!!!
I forgot to add antifreeze to my truck.  I meant to do that. I just keep forgetting. Well, the news guy did say ‘near’ freezing. I can wait. I think I will go to bed now. Tomorrow I will go to the auto parts store at lunch and pickup the antifreeze.
Tomorrow came, lunch came and I had forgotten all about the antifreeze. The sun was out and there is no prettier place than the northwest when the crisp clear fall air allows the sun to shine on snow cover mountain peaks, highlighting the bright green evergreens contrasted by the reds and golds from the changing oak trees. It was a great lunch, but no antifreeze was purchased.
Heading home the guy on the radio said we would again have near freezing temps. That reminded me. Perfect, I would stop and pick up that antifreeze now, and I did. Now, with the antifreeze in my trunk I headed home with full intentions of taking care of the antifreeze truck problem as soon as I got home.  It was less than a minute or two and that thought was long gone, My mind now traveled down roads of who knows where.
Yip you guessed it. It was late and the news guy just said, we would have near freezing temps tonight. As usual my mind bumped from faucets to pipes to cars….oh yeah my truck!!!
 #$^@!!!
I forgot to add the antifreeze to my truck.  I meant to do that. I just keep forgetting. Well, the news guy did say ‘near’ freezing. I can wait. I think I will go to bed now.
I have this personal problem. Some would call it procrastination but I would rather say, I hold off until the need is directly in front of me. It saves so much planning.
By some miracle the next evening when I arrived home from work the antifreeze was added to my old trucks radiator. The process sparked a memory. I remembered my son telling me he had had a water leak also. He is a bit better than I am! He fixed his leak by putting in a new radiator. Now that’s a fresh idea.  Regardless, if it would have been me, I would probably have forgotten to buy the antifreeze when I bought the radiator. That would have resulted in a new radiator filled with straight water. I would have reasoned I can pick up the antifreeze later.  So, naturally I thought my son probably did not have antifreeze in his radiator. What do you think I did with that thought?  If he was still a teenager the question would probably have been okay, but still maybe a little insulting but at age 25? GEEZZZEE! What’s wrong with me?
I think my son is more gracious than I am, but he did ask me why I was asking such a question.
I need your help. How should I answer?

15 comments:

troutbirder said...

Great stories as always. Your bow and arrow one with the the natural selection make me discount it as well based on my own survival of the teenage & somewhat older year. Or as my Uncle Walt said many time "Vee gets too soon alt unt too late schmart."

Sylvia K said...

Wish I had a brilliant answer, however, since I probably would have done the same things that you did, I would in all likelihood be asking the same question!! I have no doubt you'll come up with the perfect solution! Besides, the sun is shining, the temps are well above freezing -- and tonight??? Ah, who knows!! Stay warm and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Sylvia

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

I think you should confess your own "hold off until the need is directly in front of me" attitude and ask him to remind you about the antifreeze next year. :)

Grayquill said...

Troutbirder: I want to hear your stories.

Sylvia: Staying warm, how about you? BTW-Sylvia your comment is not helpful. I was so depending on your years of teaching the youth of this great country to give me a creative and awesome solution.

Linda: I put that on the list. Thanks.

Anita Jeyan said...

Haha. Procrastination. My Papa accuses me for that. He plans for trivial things decades ahead of it. May be thats why I am what I am today. Anyway good read. But I am totally confused , as much as you are for an answer :(

Arkansas Patti said...

Being someone who knows a new door is needed for my storm shelter, but doesn't think about it till under tornado watch, I can relate.
I like Linda's solution.

TexWisGirl said...

this made me laugh! once a parent, always a parent.

but procrastination? might get you stranded one of these days!

Grayquill said...

Anita: If you come up with an answer send it my way. People like you Papa, makes guys like me look bad. But, I will say I am better than I use to be.:-)

Arkansas Patti: Hmmm….that door. I suppose hanging a piece of plastic won’t work.

TexWisGirl: Laughing at me? Hmmm…I am not sure that will do. As for stranded thing….The art of procrastination is similar to balancing an egg on the sharp edge of a knife. One needs to know just when to jog left and then right. As I get older I am finding a duller knife works best.

Choco said...

The first line in this post will stick with me.

Then I read the post. Headed to wiki and found this:
Antifreeze is a freeze preventive used in internal combustion engines and other heat transfer applications, such as HVAC chillers and solar water heaters. The purpose of antifreeze is to prevent a rigid enclosure from undergoing catastrophic deformation due to expansion when water turns to ice. Antifreezes are chemical compounds added to water to reduce the freezing point of the mixture below the lowest temperature that the system is likely to encounter. Either the additive or the mixture may be referred to as antifreeze.

Yeah Gq. I admit. I did not know. But. I have learnt something new today. And that is always a good thing :)

Then I read the post again. LOL.
I have just woken up. Maybe I need coffee :D
Also sometimes it’s best not to answer…. :)

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

Probably just once a parent, always a parent.

That procrastination though - it doesn't lead anywhere good! ;-)

Thanks for visiting my blog. I got two new followers yesterday, but can't see who they are because my GFC box is acting up. If it happened to be you, I do like to follow back, and would love if you'd just come leave me a comment letting me know.

Brian Miller said...

yeah i think this is a time to come clean on your own story...he will get a chuckle i am sure and not forget himself...smiles.

Hilary said...

Answer with a link to your blog post. Or you could just tell him that by saying it out loud you were reminding your own self.

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

Haha I guess you would likely ask him if he had...?
Should you" well of course. You are the dad and even if you didn't you still must keep up the ego thing.
I love what you write.
Today I saw Patti post you book as a great gift. I'm sorry I didn't have that idea but I totally support hers!
Hope she lures in a few buyers for you.

Gianetta said...

I'd just say, "that's a dumb question. Nevermind."

Dianne said...

the temps are gonna be near freezing tonight
what's anti freeze?