2002-08-11 - 8:11 p.m.

Now playing: "Tanglewood Tree" off the album of the same name by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer.

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I forget what I said the last time I wrote, but it doesn't really matter much because not much has changed since then.

Days which seem like they're going to be simple when you wake up often don't turn out to be so.

Today I drove up to Northampton to get new shock cord to replace that which broke in one of the tent poles of the tent I was borrowing from Uncle Bill. Auntie Val was down this weekend and needed to bring the tent back to him as he is going camping with one of his grandsons. Anyway, as soon as I left the camping supply store and got on the highway, I realized I'd forgotten to get replacement tent pegs for those I'd bent, so I stopped at the local sporting goods mega-mart to get some. I got home, and went to pack up the tent, and couldn't find its bag nor the bag of pegs. It turns out that Melanie had them - that I'd given them to her when I gave her the tent to hang out on her clothesline - so I had to drive over to her house (about 8 miles). She asked me to do her a favor and pick up a picture she'd had framed...and of course the framing place is right next to the sporting goods mega-mart..so back I went, and proceeded to wait through Their Production. I finally got to Melanie's, whereupon she tells me that she has to go to the grocery store to fill a prescription. Being the kind of man I am, I said I'd go too, so off we went...An hour later, we return. I had the brilliant idea to thread (ha!) some sewing thread through the end of the shock cord, with the needle still attached, to make it easy to thread it through the poles. To make a long story short, the needle broke once, I broke the thread three times, and I had to cut off the glob of clear nail polish I'd used to fuse the ends of the elastic together. It was Quite A Production. By this time it was 4:15, and Melanie had to leave at 4:30. So I didn't even try to put the tent bag in its original bag, and instead delivered the whole kit and kaboodle back to Auntie Val in a garbage bag. At least I fixed the pole. Uncle Bill can laugh about his pathetic flatlander nephew a bit; I won't mind it being at my expense.

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5 days till Lindsay and Fred's wedding! That reminds me, I still have to find their wedding present. I think I've decided on what I'm getting them. It's something I'd love to have. I always like giving gifts of things I'd like to keep for myself. :D