Campfire Headaches

My head has been aching on and off since the middle of last night.  It is the weekend of our community celebration, so it seems everyone in the neighborhood is entertaining friends in their backyard.  Since we live on the lake, there are about a dozen campfires burning each night.  The smell of smoke has a way of drifting in to the house and that is one of my migraine triggers.  It seems that my pills aren't as effective as usual.  They take away the headache, but it seems to keep returning .  I suppose that's because the trigger is lingering.

We just topped the evening off with a community fireworks display, which causes one of my dogs to freak out.  Her shrill barking is piercing right through me, and I get a stabbing pain with each bark.  Even though the fireworks have stopped, she hears people and car doors banging, as well as the stray fireworks of neighbor kids, and she starts all over again.  This will not be helpful for my head.

Does anyone out there with headaches/migraines have strong smells such as perfume and campfires as their "trigger?"  I was going to try to spray air freshener around the house to eliminate the strong campfire odor, but that will need to be so strong, that my headache will likely be worse.  Perhaps I should go bake something.  That might do the trick.  Or bury my head under a pillow...but then there's that little thing called claustrophobia.  Any suggestions?

Posted by: Abra La Mente on 8/2/2008 at 10:35 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink

Road Trips

I love road trips, short or long.  In fact, I've only flown twice in my life (a one day jaunt in a small plane and an overseas flight), but those experiences could be another blog.

The cost of gas has put a damper on road trips for us.  We used to go on several 2-3 day trips each summer and at least a couple long, leisurely drives each month to check out points of interest around Minnesota and the upper midwest.  Thanks to rising fuel and cost of living increases, coupled with stagnant wages over the last couple years, we do not travel much, even to see family. 

We were lucky to be able to take the children on a few major road trips in their years at home, though most of our trips were camping adventures in the upper midwest.  Our long trips included two to Georgia & Florida, with one on treacherous winter roads (we were able to bring some snow and ice to Georgia with us) and one in the hot, humid summer.  Another trip took us to Virginia and Washington, D.C.  A trip to celebrate my fortieth birthday took us to Canada.  The rest of our trips were upper midwest (Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and all points of Minnesota).

My kids were travel troopers, as long as the trip was long distance.  Give them a 10 or 20 mile journey and they fought like cats and dogs.  I never could quite figure that out! Perhaps it was the excitement of the final destination of vacation trips that kept them in jovial spirits to eliminate the fighting.

We usually had a van or some type of SUV when we traveled in the past.  For one of the Florida trips we took my fifteen passenger day care van - each kid had their own row of seats - that really gave them space!  We were then able to transport a whole host of relatives around to wedding festivities we were attending down in Palm Beach.  On some trips we pulled a pop up camper, which allowed us to frequent campgrounds rather than motels. 

To travel economically, we would pack our own food, but to break up the monotony of lunchmeat sandwiches, would stop on occasion for a value menu burger or chicken nuggets...no side orders, though, as we had fresh fruit and veggies, as well as juice and water in the cooler. 

I've taken a couple road trips to work on family history.  My youngest daughter accompanied me on those, which was a great time for bonding with her during her teen years.  I miss those times of togetherness, as conversations tend to flow on road trips.

My favorite trip, which I've taken a dozen or more times, is to the area of Dubuque, IA, with side trips to points of interest in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.  My oldest sister has lived there for 31 of the past 34 years (they had a brief stint in Germany).  I stayed there the summer after high school graduation and have enjoyed many excursions over the years.  I love to take the scenic route:  HWY 61 from St. Paul to Dubuque.  My favorite side trip from that location is Galena, Illinois, which is probably about 20 miles from my sister's home.  It is a quaint town, though a bit of a tourist attraction, with dozens of antique stores and numerous specialty shops, with a flavor of an era gone by.  There is also a historically restored home once owned by Ulysses S. Grant (1865-1880).

Occasionally, road trips held unplanned for excitement.  At least three separate trips involved wipers breaking during a snowstorm.  The Florida winter trip included three extra overnights in hotels due to icy travel.  That same trip had my five year-old very ill for a couple days...that was scary.  Flat tires, twice on vehicles and once on a camper, made for short delays, but also displayed the kindness of strangers.  Unplanned detours (before the days of internet posted delays) added several hours to various trips.  In one case, the detour led us to explore an area not planned for (the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln in Kentucky). A long traffic delay on a bridge near Louisville had us drenched in sweat, yet also allowed for us to have friendly exchanges with fellow motorists.  Unforecasted and sudden snowstorms on a couple March spring break trips made for precarious driving conditions, once in the mountains and once on the prairie.  A few icky motels were our only choice when we tried to travel too late in the evening.  A wrong turn one evening many years ago brought forth the strong smell of onions, and before we knew it, we had descended on Vidalia, Georgia.  Learned something new that night.  Each of these experiences adds to the memories of road trips.

In a few weeks, despite the high gas prices, I hope to make a road trip to Washington state.  I am still awaiting the approval of my daughter's vacation request to know the exact timeline, but am looking forward to my first visit to the northwest.  We will be attending the wedding of a good friend, and hoping to put on a few extra days of side trips to visit other friends and relatives.  If I get time to do some research, I may need to hit a few cemeteries for genealogy purposes, as well.  I am looking forward to hours of laughter,  great conversations, and beautiful scenery.  I will welcome a few unexpected moments to season the memories for the future.

Posted by: Abra La Mente on 8/2/2008 at 10:00 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Car Troubles & Gas Prices

Another car bit the dust Friday.  I drove half way to work, and rode in a tow truck the other half of the commute. We have been plagued with car issues all year, but had a few relatively quiet months.  The mechanic where I had the car towed was inconclusive in the cause of the demise, but suggested the repair cost would be $1000 plus, if it could even be repaired at all.  He suggested sinking the money into a different car.  He probably hoped I would buy one off his lot.  I didn't even check them out.

I spent Friday night searching newspaper ads, auto sites, and Craig's list for a car that was inexpensive and had good mpg.  That was like mission impossible.  Needing a car immediately (by Monday), we had to go shopping yesterday.  I can't get into a car with payments, due to the fact that the car would likely meet its death sentence before payoff, due to high commuting miles.  (Plus, with an impending layoff, I really don't need another payment to worry about.) I also couldn't choose to be picky, as I really didn't have a lot of extra cash lying around. 

We first looked at and test drove a 1993 Honda Accord, which I found on Craig's list.  It probably would have made a good commuter car, and it was cheap ($1150), but a couple issues made me hesitant.  The brakes seemed a bit spongy, and it didn't seem to ride smoothly.  There were a couple times in the short test drive where it seemed to sputter or jerk when the gears were shifting.  The odometer read 215,000 miles, while he had told me 185,000 on the phone.  The guy assured us his friend (the previous owner) had placed a new odometer/speedometer in there when it quit working.  Honda's are known to get many miles on them, so higher miles might not have been a factor in the purchasing decision, but how can you really be sure what you're getting since he wasn't up front about it when I called and before I test drove it?  I'd also asked about the body before I drove to see it.  He said it had two small rust spots about the size of quarters.  What he didn't say was they were holes (not surface rust) and they were much larger than quarters (by a long shot).  Also, the CD player it was supposed to have was not finished being installed and the air conditioner knob was missing, so it was hard to test if it really worked.  Since we wouldn't have been able to get it right away anyway, we decided to check out another "sure thing."

Jim, a mechanic and small car dealer well known by my family, almost always has a few cheap used cars at his lot (that's all he really deals in).  A few weeks ago, my daughter was able to get an excellent deal on a car at well below book.  I called Jim yesterday, and while he didn't have much available, he did have an older Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera that was in great shape.  It has a new transmission and newer tires, and because it was previously owned by an older couple, it was well taken care of.  I also got a car with considerably less miles (140,000) than the Honda or my Mazda that bit the dust.  The car also runs much more quietly and smoothly than my Mazda did.  Jim has a reputation of being an honest guy, so I could be assured that even though I forked out a bit more dough than the Honda, I was getting what he said I was getting.  He also advised that I bring my dead car home and have my own mechanic give me an accurate diagnosis.  If it was something fixable, he will look for the replacement parts I need as he has lots of connections in the used parts industry.  I think buying from Jim was a win-win situation.

While conversing about the cars on his lot, I noticed that most that had been there a few weeks previously were sold.  Jim says he can't keep cars on the lot.  Many people, it seems, are buying older cars with better mpg, while hanging on to their gas hogs, in case the price of gas starts to decline.  I'm not too optimistic about that possibility.  I had hoped to find a car with a little better mileage than the one I ended up with.  While not a gas hog, it doesn't get the 35mpg I had become accustomed to.  I guess the fact that I won't be straddled with a monthly payment will make up for the few mpg difference I am going to see.  Plus, sticking more gas in a vehicle may be a motivator to look for a job closer to home. ;-)  

Posted by: Abra La Mente on 7/27/2008 at 3:03 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink

The Frog Catchers

As a child, a summer evening heavy rain or thunderstorm usually meant one sure thing...we would be on frog patrol.  As soon as the worst of the weather passed, and darkness set in, we would be hustled into my dad's work van, with metal bait buckets in tow, to chase down the prolific party of frogs hopping about on HWY 238, along the east side of North Lake.  The can generally had a layer of grass packed along the bottom.  One or two of the little children were usually the bucket carriers, while the older children scooped up the frogs. 

My dad drove the van, creeping along slowly behind us, guiding our work with headlights glaring painfully bright, as we did the best we could to catch those little hoppers.  I don't recall much traffic out there late in the evening, so it was fairly safe.  We knew enough to get off the road if we saw headlights.  I'm guessing we thought we'd caught them all, but the morning after evidence of splattered dead frogs along the road proved otherwise...also indicating there was some late-night traffic out there.  Often times, there was a steady drizzle, so we would be soaking wet by the time we were done. This was a frequent activity, as my dad was a die-hard fisherman (still is).  I'm not sure what he uses for bait these days, as he doesn't have a dozen frog catchers living with him any more.:>) 

Fast forward 25 years.  Given my official status as a child frog catcher, it should come as no surprise that when my own children wanted to play with or catch insects, amphibians and reptiles, I didn't object much, but we were more of a "catch, inspect, and release" household, as we didn't go fishing on a daily basis.  When my girls were in elementary school, I was a Girl Scout leader, giving me the opportunity to go with them to camp on several occasions.  At the end of one such visit, a group of girls (my daughter was no doubt the ringleader) had gleefully gathered a container of frogs.  I explained that we couldn't take them with us, as they would likely die, and we had no purpose to keep them contained.  Imagine my surprise, when I stopped to fill an insulated mug with water on the way home.  I popped off the lid and out jumped a couple frogs.  My daughter just giggled.  Yup, she was definitely the ring leader!

Posted by: Abra La Mente on 7/20/2008 at 5:58 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink

Tornadoes

I spent the night trying to sleep through tornadoes.  The actual tornadoes had passed, but they were vivid in my dreams.  I often dream of tornadoes after severe weather.  While some people are avid storm watchers and some get a thrill from chasing them, I prefer to be somewhere safe. 

Last night, I was securing the doors at work when the storm clouds moved in very quickly.  I had some employees out on an assignment and anxiously awaited their return.  Meanwhile, another employee came down to my location to warn me we were in a tornado warning.  I do not know exactly how close the tornadoes were to my location, but it was within a few miles, and what passed over us was probably the precursor to the actual funnel.  My employees that were out on the job assignment witnessed the tornado, though from a distance.

The touchdown in Willmar was witnessed by many, as there are many photos and videos shot, some with sound effects.  The West Central Tribune's coverage has links to pictures and videos (www.wctrib.com).  One witness commented on her experience.  She stated she has become resilient to tornadoes and told of her adventure in the storm last night.  I wish people understood that no one is resilient to a tornado.  A tornado is not choosy in its paths or victims, and can change its course in an instant.  While the photos were fascinating, in some cases, it seems as if people may have put themselves in danger just to get the photo or tell the tale.  I say, leave that to trained spotters and law enforcemnet.

I am not frightened by storms in a way that I get panicky, but I also do not take them lightly.  12 years ago, on an otherwise glorious October day, my brother's home and farm were destroyed by a late season, surprise tornado.  There were no storm predictions that day.  The sun was shining all around the surrounding area, but for that brief spell of time, a tornado swept through, not fickle about what it took with it.  My sister-in-law had only been home from a wedding for a few short minutes, and was preparing to go out again to another event.  She heard the roaring wind, but looking out her east, west, and north windows, saw nothing but a few clouds and blue sky.  The noise persisted, and she walked across the house to look to the south, and saw the wall of black dirt fast approaching.  She did her best to gather her daughters and get to the basement.  She was able to get my three year old niece under the stairwell and was yelling for my six year old niece to hurry.  The house collapsed on them as my niece descended the stairs.  They were trapped under the debris and caved in basement wall.  Luckily, the injuries weren't life threatening, but there was a long recovery period of broken bones, and a much longer emotional recovery period.

In helping with the clean-up and assessing the damage, it was miraculous that there wasn't more serious injury.  I had often heard tornadoes have the power to put a piece of straw through a piece of wood.  I witnessed that type of destruction and more, up close and personal.  I have never thought to challenge a weather warning to this day. 

October 26, 1996

Trying to outrun or outsmart a tornado is not bravery.  It is foolishness.  Please be safe this summer during severe weather.

Posted by: Abra La Mente on 7/12/2008 at 4:15 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink