one.o.eight

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October 15, 2005

Beware the Ides of October

Firstly, happy birthday to my love! <3

It had been raining here for eight days and nights. I do not exaggerate. From torrential downpour to light drizzle and back again, water had been falling from the sky for over a week without pause. There was major flooding north of here, but not us; the sandy soil letting the water run almost straight down rather than stand were we live.

Then this morning we were awoken early by none other than sunshine streaming through our bedroom window. My love's birthday arrives and we get sunshine! The clouds had parted in the early morning hours and the sun was shining through.

Ugh!

*stuff head into pillow*

So... despite the blasted sunshine our day started as they almost always do on a Saturday; late. Then off for a semi-spontaneous (i.e., unprepared) adventure to Barney, the Barnegat Bay Lighthouse, on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. I would have pics but the stupid camera decided it had just enough power to perform all of its available functions save recording images to memory.

Hulk smash! Well not exactly; though believe me I wanted to do just that!

Stupid camera.

It did capture two images though... of the inside of the lighthouse. Ooo wow! Look at...

what is that?

I'm not sure... um...

*shrug*

Stupid camera.

So up the lighthouse stair (217 steps, 172 feet up) we climbed; thirty-eight pounds of three-year-old held in one arm... OMFG am I ever out of shape!

There was a time I could launched myself over the heads of full-grown adults and land safely on the other side; tucking and rolling of course, but not now. All this time sitting at a desk has taken its toll. :( I'm not fat, but I've lost a lot of muscle mass... but still weigh the same. ;_;

Anyways, after experiencing the fierce winds atop the lighthouse, and the only slightly less exhausting decent of the lighthouse stair, we strolled leisurely along the nearby jetty enjoying the spectacle of the sea, sand, and nearby salt marshes. Jet skiers where zipping about in the inlet launching themselves off the tops of cresting waves; mildly entertaining for a time, but eventually becoming annoying as the buzz of their engines was unceasing.

Then it was back to the car for the return trip home and possibly a nice celebratory dinner... but then things went horribly wrong.

Horribly? Well maybe not horribly? But they could have been horrible, had we not had the fortune of finding our way to the Manahawkin Shell Station.

As we arrived on the mainland over the bridge from Long Beach Island, the instrument panel in the car went dead... (suddenly we were hurtling along at 0 mph but keeping apace of 50+ mph traffic) ...then the transmission started trying to shift (automatic) without the benefit of computer guidance. Very scary feeling. Imagine riding along at 50-ish mph and having the drive train feel like it's going to lock up and rip itself out from under you. An exaggerated sensation no doubt, but still. Scary!

Like a golden beacon in the distance peeking up through the trees stood the Shell Oil sign. We made it into their parking area as the car died.

3:30 pm on a Saturday.

First let me say, the people at Manahawkin Shell on Route 72 are freakin' awesome!

They were busy as hell, but they still had time to inspect our car and determine the alternator had died. Which came strangely as no surprise to me. Telltale signs had been manifesting over the course of the past few months... signs that in hindsight foretold the impending doom of the alternator.

4:00 pm on a Saturday.

Then came the unexpected...

"If we can get the part today, we can have you out by 5:00 pm."

*blink*

Cool!

4:57 pm we were back on the road and heading home.

I wish I lived closer to these guys. If I did, they'd get all my automotive business from here on out. I highly recommend them.

Anywho... a trip to the Outback Steakhouse for dinner on the way home and then a little gaming and sex (not at the Outback, mind you) to round out the evening and our day was complete!

So a very happy birthday to you and yours whenever that may be, but beware the Ides of October for they are rife with hardships for all devices electrical in nature, be they cameras or cars.

Posted by Tacitus at October 15, 2005 11:45 PM

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