A few nights ago, I was lying in bed, and although I knew the fact, I guess the feeling hit me.
My daughter will be eighteen in November.
My heart ached.
She’s not a little girl anymore.
She got her permit this week, and I have the pleasure of teaching her to drive. I’m not being funny. This kid has a good sense of space and βwhere the car is.β I’m hoping driving is in the blood, and I’ve passed this on to her genetically. But she is excellent for a beginner.
First Drive
But yeah, I’m losing my little girl, and I hope she will find her way in the world as she becomes a young woman and an adult. I can’t cover everything anymore. She’s going to have to face some things on her own.
But I’ll still be right here, kid. When you need me.
And if you can’t get here, I will tear the world apart to get to you.
This week, I’m finding that most people aren’t putting their best foot forward in their work. You’d be amazed at how well you’re actually doing. Keep it up.
Seegars
Quoting myself might seem narcissistic, but when I wrote the quote above this morning, it was a simple observation that people donβt do what is needed to remain at a place in their activity to keep them the slightest bit ahead at work.
That little bit of extra effort this week can save more than an hour of extra work next week.
I’m almost OCD (not making fun of the folk who are) about the way my workspace is at the end of each week. If it’s ready to go the next time I visit my store, I’m already ahead.
I can’t for the life of me figure out why anyone would want to work any other way.
To those of you who put in that extra effort, good on you. Keep it up.
And when your boss doesn’t notice that effort, quietly flip him off when he walks away. You’ll feel better.
Short and sweet, if you have the ability and the knowledge to DIY your car maintenance, do.
I had a bad oil pressure switch in the Ranger, and after watching a couple of videos, I realized that these guys (and one gal) werenβt working the same engine. All the others were on the bottom, mine in the back, up top. Easy fix. A booger to get in.
THAT is Anti-Seize Lubricant #81343 if ya need a new shade for out on the town.
I also swapped a couple of plugs I think were fouled from my leak. Hopefully, this will fix the problem of the rough starts in the morning. But we will see tomorrow.
An oil change and some clean up later and I am hopefully good to go.
I saved time and I saved money. I also enjoy doing this myself. Experiences may vary.
We left the house a little before 8:00 AM and headed for Charleston down the backroads.
We always take the backroads. Why? Because the traffic on the highway is usually horrible, and even when it’s flowing well, a lot of people shouldn’t be allowed to drive. It’s a privilege, not a right.
Secondly, there is nothing to see on the highway.
Year’s ago, I found Mayesville by accident. Then the old downtown was deserted. Now they torn down a lot of the old buildings and refurbished a couple.
I would have never taken my original pics of Mayesville if I hadn’t wandered the back roads and rolled into it by accident.
We stopped by Salem Black River Church as well for a break on the way. It’s one of the oldest churches around these parts and is reportedly haunted. It’s of such interest to local ghost hunters that there are security cameras and patrols after dark. No trespassing is enforced.
We finally made it to Charleston about 11:30 AM and made our way to the SC Aquarium.
The aquarium opened in May of 2000 So this year they celebrated their 22nd anniversary. It’s a great place. They have live touch tanks where you can actually touch some fish: Manta Rays, tiger sharks, starfish, and the like. Pretty neat.
The big boast of the SC Aquarium is the main tank which is called The Great Ocean tank.
The largest exhibit in the zoo is the Great Ocean Tank, which extends from the first to the third floor of the Aquarium and is the deepest tank in North America (42 feet); it holds more than 385,000 US gallons (1,460,000 l) of water and contains more than 700 animals…
We were standing on the first floor and my daughter was really excited and was oohing and ahhing like a little kid. She’s 17.
A volunteer, named Angela, came over to my daughter and said, βhey you wanna see something cool?β.
Let me stop here for a moment, for a little PSA.
You know all those things you tell your kids about not taking candy from strangers? Donβt get into the van? Donβt help look for the lost puppy?
All that went straight out the window.
The next thing I know, we’re following some strange lady through a door and into an elevator. Where were we going? Who knows? I was just along for the ride apparently.
You can raise your kids. You can give them all the knowledge possible. All of a sudden, forgotten!
Some weird things have happened to us over the years just by chance. This is how we ended up in an abandoned park on top of a mountain. Thatβs an older story. Today was pretty neat.
The tank that I was talking about earlier, The Great Ocean Tank, is where she was taking us.
We got a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the aquarium. One of the cooler random things that has happened to us.
Caretta, the resident loggerhead turtle.
The wife loves turtles and got to meet Caretta today. A lot closer than most visitors do, I suppose.
Caretta will turn 28 years old next month, and weighs over 220 pounds. She came to the Aquarium in 2001 at the age of 14. As a hatchling, a couple had taken her out of her natural habitat on a beach in Florida to keep her as a pet. Not realizing how large loggerheads become, they soon discovered that she was outgrowing the small enclosure they had kept her in. Once too big to care for and deemed non-releasable due to her upbringing in captivity, she was brought to the Aquarium du Quebec in Canada. The South Carolina Aquarium was in search of a sea turtle and she was transferred to our facility to live in the Great Ocean Tank in 2001. -From the aquarium website.
The moral of this story, I guess, is that sometimes, very rarely, stranger danger isn’t a thing.
And to think I wanted to go to the zoo today because it would be way cheaper.
We got more than our money’s worth today. Special that ks to Angela. You made our weekend.
More from today tomorrow. We just rolled in. It’s late.
Earlier this week, I posted about wanting to go to the mountains. Later this week, I was outvoted, and we are heading to the coast tomorrow. Charleston, SC, to be specific.
Which is fine.
I am not a fan of the coast. I do not like the beach. I would rather stand on a mountain than get sand in every crack and crevice of my body.
But Charleston is great for a day. The Aquarium, historic downtown, maybe weβll stay for the ghost tour, who knows?
I’m on a wander, and Iβll get some decent pics, I’m sureβplenty of history and graveyards. Maybe I can get the crew to travel on a little further to the Angel Oak. The only problem with that is the last time we went there were so many people you couldn’t enjoy the size of the tree. It’s an incredible sight. It’s a lot to take in.
We shall see what we shall see. And then I’ll show it to youβthe pics. Not…never mind.
The daughter wants to hit the aquarium and I know the boy hasn’t been on a ghost walk.
Why not make a full day of it?
But I’m not taking that boat ride to Ft. Sumter. Nope. I remember what happened last time. There’s a reason I was in the Army and not the Navy. The old dudes ain’t making fun of me again. π
I’m a little excited. Gotta charge the camera batteries and pack out the day bag.
I was taking my lunch break today out in the truck and a lady pulled up beside me and went into the store. Nice blue Hummer.
She came back out and opened her hood. I didnβt notice that until I got out and I asked if she needed help. She said, βNo, thank you Iβve got it.β
I had to go around that side of the truck to roll up my passenger side window and noticed, she most definitely didnβt have it.
She was using one of those small jump boxes. The battery was dead. But that wasnβt the problem.
Not the actual battery. It was worse.
One of her posts on her battery was covered in corrosion. The buildup was keeping her from starting her truck.
It was so bad I was chipping chunks off with my knife. Luckily I keep tools in the toolbox (irony?) and I was drinking a Pepsi with my lunch. A soda like that is great for cleaning that buildup off.
I cleaned it up and put the new battery in sheβd purchased. I explained she should try to charge the old one and see if it was still good. I also explained dielectric grease to her.
IF youβre a guy and your lady is out here with a nice ride like that in that condition, you need to find your dad or some other man to teach you how to take care of not only your vehicle but your woman. Thatβs the rare PSA you’ll see in this blog.
I know they’re strong and independent, but neither of those traits will help her if she’s stranded in a Walmart parking lot at a loss for what to do.
I’m so glad my dad taught me enough simple things under the hood to get me going to where I can fix my own truck now.
Always help people. Not just because it’s a good or right thing to do. Just because you can.