We started yesterday with a phone call from our son Travis, wishing Terry a happy birthday. They chatted for a little bit, and then we got ready to head into Holly Hill, a northern suburb of Daytona Beach. As I wrote in yesterday’s blog, we had an appointment at Global Mobile Detailing to have them put a coating on the new windshield we just got installed in the Laramie. This is the company that put the ceramic coating on the pickup truck and my Mustang, and along with the ceramic coating, they include a glass treatment that makes the rain bead off and makes it a lot easier to get bugs off the windshield. It only took a few minutes to get it applied, and we really appreciate their continued excellent service.
Since we didn’t have anything else on our agenda, we stopped at a couple of gun shops and pawn shops to see if they had anything we couldn’t live without. Back in the days when I was working hard trying to keep a business afloat and raising a family, I could walk through a gun shop and find a hundred things I wanted to buy if I only had the money. These days I have the money and not nearly as many obligations, and it’s surprising that I very seldom see anything I want to take home with me.
We did stop at one pawn shop that had just taken in a huge collection of very high-quality used firearms from an estate. They did have some goodies I would not have minded making room for in the safe, but they weren’t priced yet, and when they are, I’m sure they will be more than I’m willing to spend. The lady working there was joking with Terry that someday when I’m gone, she should give her a call, and they’ll make her a deal on my guns, too. Hey ladies, did you even notice that I’m in the room?
When Travis called later in the day, he wanted to know why it was Terry’s birthday, but I was taking her to gun shops. Well, because she likes guns, too, son. He should know by now that she’s never been a girly girl.
We also stopped at Books-A-Million and browsed for a little bit but didn’t see anything there that caught our eyes, either. Well, darn, sometimes it’s hard to find something to buy a lady for her birthday when she doesn’t want anything.
At least I knew she wanted to eat by then, so we went to Red Lobster for Terry’s birthday dinner. The food and service were great, as always, and we had a nice time chatting about our lives together while we ate. Even if you didn’t factor in the million and one other things that are wonderful about this lady, how could a guy not fall in love with that smile? I do, all over again, every time I see her.
After a stop at Home Depot for some plumbing parts to fix a leaky toilet valve, we headed back home. I had not had a chance to wash the truck since we came home from our trip, so before pulling into the garage, I used a garden hose to wash it down and used a miracle cloth to rub off the stickiest of the bugs that had been on there for many miles. Thanks to the ceramic coating, they came right off with little effort.
We ended the day with a call from daughter Tiffany wishing Terry happy birthday, then sitting in our recliners watching television until it was time to write the blog. The perfect way to end a great day with my girl.
Terry wants me to thank all of you who sent birthday messages, blog comments, and Facebook comments. She read them all, and they touched her heart.
I’ll say it one more time. Happy Birthday, Terry. I love you very much.
One final note – several readers have asked how my back is doing now after my RF nerve ablations on Monday. That evening and night were very uncomfortable, much more so than when I had the same procedures done previously. But by Tuesday morning, I was feeling much better. There was really no pain at all. As I write this just after midnight on Thursday morning, even after a day on the go like we had, then coming back and washing the truck, I feel good and have no complaints at all. Here’s hoping it stays that way.
It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl by Samantha Wilcoxson. It’s a novel about Catherine Donohue, who worked at Radium Dial in Ottawa, Illinois, and the secret lurking in the greenish-grey paint the company used that magically made things glow in the dark.
To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed.
Thought For The Day – A calm house equals a calm heart, which equals a calm life.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!