Coffee..Comfy Clothes and Cars

I've been layed off this past week and I will say, I've enjoyed every minute of it. I worked around the house, worked on the hearse and basically did squat. Every morning I got up at 6am, made coffee and perhaps around 9-ish, started thinking about what I wanted to do. What a great life this would be every day.

The part I'm going to miss now is my morning coffee and bumming around in my Pj's. I now can make a great cup of coffee, in the past that was something I couldn't do. Maybe I can't and my taste buds have just adjusted to my crap coffee, who knows.

I've been getting the hearse ready for our next show at Fifth Third Ball Park this Saturday. This is a great show and it's the show where I fell in love with Ken. You see Ken invited me to see his car at this show about 4 years ago. Gosh I can't believe it's been that long. Anyway, he told me about his Nova and how cool it was so I thought I'd get him off my back and go see the stupid thing and maybe if I did he's leave me alone..lol

He even went so far as to draw me a map cause I'm not very good with directions if it's not in Holland. The fact is, driving to other places by myself scares me. So, after debating over if I should or not, I headed out the door, map in hand determined to get his guy off my back and see his car.

Ok, I drove to Grand Rapids and followed the map and about 60 miles out of town I realized, after asking someone at a rest stop, that I was almost to Saranac. I wasn't even close to the ball park and that stupid map was wrong. I was so pissed that NOW I was going to find that ball park and give my thoughts to Ken for getting me lost.

I found my way and found the ball park but now I had to find that red Nova in a sea of cars. I walked down every isle and then I found him! I kept thinking what a godly car and you sent me 60 miles out of my way. And when I said hi, his eyes lit up, he offered me a chair that he had brought for me. He offered me a pop and not just any pop but ones he brought for me after asking the guys I work with what kind I drank at night. He did all of this not even knowing if I was going to show up that day.

At that point, those simple jesters melted my anger and he won over my heart. We often laugh at this story and how I could drive 60 miles out of my way but that's just me. I even have the map he drew and the home phone number he wrote at the bottom, he was a sly dog. I still believe he draws wrong maps but he'll tell you he didn't...men what ya going to do with them?

It's Alive

Yes..it is alive, the flames that is... Here's the motley crew who did the deed. Ann and Bob, Thank you from the bottom of my heart and "Yes".. Ann, you are a great taper. Phil, you are a super friend and I love the fur coat..Thank YOU. Don..what can I say..Best flame man there is...

My First..

I can't believe I just won my first trophy for my hearse. It was such a cold and rainy day but we went out and figured..what the heck. Most of our club members cars are either being repaired or are still getting ready so it was just the hearse. Ken's car hasn't even been started yet. He's been spending his time getting mine ready but he's almost done. This is super and I'm so excited. It's been a long day and I'm off to put up my feet and watch a little TV...

Doctor Death..again

Well I had another appointment with Doc Death and you know things don't change much. My appointment was at 11am so they tell you to get there 15mins early so you can have your lab work done. I arrived at 10:40 and my labs where at 10:50 and then I waited till..wait for it..wait..11:40 for my name to be called into a room! That's a one hour wait and by the time I was called the lobby was so full people where standing cause all the chairs and wheel chairs had been filled.

A one hour wait there was so depressing. It brought back all the memories of that time for me. So many sick people with cancer so many who couldn't even walk in on their own. So many with no hope in their eyes and it was terrible.

After my name had been called , I then waited another 10 mins in the room for him to come in. He spent less then 5 mins with me. Asking how I felt and such and the asked me to change and he would be back. It took him another 10 mins to come back after that to do my exam and answer a few questions I had.

After the exam, he told me to dress and he'd be back. He came back after another 10 mins to tell me things where great and he wouldn't have to see me now for another 4 months! So that's another 35 mins just to be told things where great and see ya in 4 months. Ok, that is super news cause I had been seeing him every 3 months.

I went to look for my chemo nurse after that cause I like to cause her some grief since I'm there anyway.. It was so depressing to see all the chemo chairs full. I thought to myself how lucky I was to have an extra 1 hour and 35 mins of my life to be there and that I wasn't one of those in the chair... Different perspective I think.

Down the Road..

There's a song that states..You can never look back..you can never look back but I did spend some time doing that today. I let my mind walk down the road that I had closed off for awhile. I opened the box that someone once told me if I put all my memories in, they would just stay there and not in my head.

I was thinking about morning coffee and about the fact that I couldn't make a good cup of coffee to save my life. About early mornings and the smell of pines wet with dew. Picking up pine cones to make a Christmas wreath. Sitting around the fireplace warming my butt and sipping wickiy (Whiskey)..

There's more but I don't want to go to far into this box, I think I'll just shut it and put it back on the shelf. I could have went down this road and at time I wish I had but I didn't. I took a different path, my own path, one which I made for myself.

I'm not sure where I'm going for now but I know I'm going to go there in style cause it wouldn't be me if I didn't...

Billy Boy

As you can see Bill is working hard on my car. This was the first outing for Bill but I am sure there will be many more. Bill started out as a skeleton called a budget bucky. They are 4th quality medical skeletons that are sold as not quite right. Ok, I know I'm not quite right.

Now, getting him to stand on his own wasn't that easy. He has metal rods c-clapped to his knees to keep them straight. I guess you can say he had knee surgery and now has rods in place. Bill wouldn't be Bill without his work coveralls and shoes. He's also sporting one of my skull caps that I worm during my chemo last year.

Both my buddies wear my skull caps just to remind me that there is fun and life after cancer...

Getting Ready

Wow, when the weather breaks there's so much to do. I've been working on getting the hearse ready for the show season. She has a name now..Rosebud.which is really my kick name I like to use but it fit her too.

1..My friends at Speed Cult are making me two side window markers with skulls and the name Rosebud in the middle, powder coated in you guessed it..blood red.

2..I've just finished the back curtain in that Alex Henry fabric that I love so much.

3..I've had the center rims on the wheels powered coated in red and the skull from the fabric I used is now in the center cap. I had a graphic design artist copy the fabric and make vinyl centers for me.

4..The back door has been repaired with the truck bed liner that I used on the roof. And, now has a chrome skull and cross bone emblem on it.

5..The new skeleton has arrived but now I have to figure out how to make him stand by himself under the hood. A uniform place helped me with his outfit complete with his name tag "Bill". This is going to be a fun prop.

6..Holland Supply Inc which is a funeral supply place helped me with new flags and a sign for Rosebud.

7..Express Muffler put on a brand spanking new exhaust for me. Two glass packed shorties on the back which now have the two skull exhaust tips on it...SWEET!!

I'm sure I am leaving out more but hey..I'm a busy gal here...