That’s what this week has been: disjointed. Busy, bored. Busy, bored.
Worried, calm. Worried, calm. Just one of those weeks that jumped and started.
My Random 5 kind of matches my week. I don’t have an overall theme, so
these are rather disjointed thoughts that came my way as I sat down to write
this.
I’m linking up with Nancy’s A Rural Journal for Random 5 Friday. Link up and join the fun!
One
Rain. And more rain. Nearly every day, we’ve gotten rain here in Central
Virginia. Even when it’s not raining, the air feels heavy with water.
We’ve had dry conditions for a number of years, so we welcome the water.
But so much has made the ground sodden, and conditions are ripe for flash
flooding.
It’s pouring rain as I write this Thursday evening, and there are news reports
of area flooding. We’re OK where we are, but my thoughts go out to those
affected by it.
Two
I spent a good two hours Thursday evening looking for a photo. I know it’s
here somewhere, but I couldn’t find it. I sifted through pictures I’d forgotten
I had.
For example, I barely remember visiting Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson’s
retreat in Bedford County, years ago. But I found a whole packet of photos I
took while there.
And I found the photo I’ve included in this post. I took a
journalism/graphic arts class my senior year in high school. We were allowed to
borrow the school camera (a 35 millimeter) to take photos to develop in the
school darkroom.
One of the photos I took was of the old mill in the rural area where I
grew up. You can’t tell from the black and white photo, but it was a painted
red. You could give people driving directions by mentioning “the old red mill.”
Three
The picture I wanted to find—the one I didn’t find—was of my first car,
a Ford Maverick. Kathy at You’ll ShootYour Eye Out and I found out this week that we both owned a Maverick as our
first car.
That connection made me think about that car, and I wanted to see it again.
I have no visual for you, but mine was a 1977 model, light gray with red
interior, with an 8-track player. I bought it in 1983 and kept it for two
years.
What was your first car?
Four
My current car is a Pontiac Vibe and has over 100,000 miles on it.
100,298, to be exact.
I am so disappointed that I didn’t notice when it tripped 100,000. I was
going to get a picture of it.
They don’t make them anymore, but this car has served me well, and I
still enjoy it.
Five
Work at the newspaper has been slow. We have slow times throughout the
year, but July is historically slow.
My service date is coming up, and I checked with our HR department to
see how much unused vacation time I had. I discovered I had more built up than
I thought I did. So with my editor’s blessing, I decided to take next week off.
I wasn’t sure if I should at first, but my stories for next week lined up
nicely.
I’m looking forward to being off!
If you suddenly had a week stretching out in front of you with no obligations, what would you do?
If you suddenly had a week stretching out in front of you with no obligations, what would you do?
Mavericks were huge in my Canadian home town, my first car was a Volkswagon bug. I love your highschool photo-did you go on to develope your own photos after school? Great a surprize week off in July, fantastic. Lordy all my weeks are like this but what if...I'd do some of those unwanted little things I normally don't do, mend, iron a bit,clean out clutter, sit around with a lemonade and good book, sleep in ;-) enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your Random 5's. We have been drenched here in NC. I often can't find a photo I am looking for. I need to be more organized. My first car was a 1978 Camaro; red with a white top and black interior. I would love to own a new Camaro! They're so cool looking. A week of vacation sounds good. I would want to go where it's not raining :)
ReplyDeletelots of rain here as well...flash flooding in some areas the other day
ReplyDeleteit is frustrating to try to find something ....I go through that a bit here and I usually put something away and then forget where :)
A week off Yiiippppeeee Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteLove the "Red" Mill it is awesome in B+W.
It rains here every other day we have no cut any hay so different than last year but gives me a lot of time to spend with my Mom:)
First car I thing was a Buick of some kind I had two kids by then and it was the first car I eve had in my own name:)
Take care Tina and ENJOY that week off just go with the flow and enjoy. Hug B
I had a Ford Maverick too -- must have been a popular car for us that began to drive in the late '70s. Mine had a white vinyl top and was a rust color. Good memories. :)
ReplyDeletei wonder about this rain ... it just keeps raining & raining more. ( :
ReplyDeleteyou could drive backwards for a while & the mileage with go back, right??! or is that just a rumor i have heard??! ha. ha!!
My father was a sportswriter for years in Boston. He died in '81 though and so did not live to see the demise and slow down of this business...he also missed the Red Sox strike from back then. Yes, rain, rain, rain here also. Not today though. Today is bright and pretty clear and dry.
ReplyDelete8 Track...now that takes me back for sure. My first car was a VW Bug, loved that car. We've had rain for weeks on end now. Flash flooding, trees down etc. Enough already!
ReplyDeleteRandom 5 Friday
Have a fantastic week off! I never had a first car of my very own. I drove my dad's white station wagon, then later on my husband's old blue van. But the first car I ever claimed as "mine" was a red camaro. Loved it- till I had my first child, and that was that for sporty vehicles. SIGH.
ReplyDeleteIt finally stopped raining her the other day. We had four days of torrential downpours! My first car was a Dodge Shadow lol. Good times :)
ReplyDeleteYay for a week off! Do things you enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI hope that picture turns up at some point. I have over 100,000 on my car, as does my husband. Hopefully they'll keep running well, as we don't have the funds for replacement right now!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your week off.
That barn picture is really nice! I love that it's something you took in high school and just discovered recently!
ReplyDeleteMy first car was a pink 1987 Oldsmobile Calais! That thing was very old fashioned for 16 year old me! And it was only a year younger than me. But hey, I couldn't complain about it, it was free to me!
Well we have heat then rain in the evenings... heavy rain!!! I know what it is like to have weeks like you had!!
ReplyDeletewell, congrats on a spur-of-the-moment week off! especially if it is slow, then that'll be good to just get away.
ReplyDeletemy first car was a ford pinto. orange w/ a white roof. 4 on the floor, bucket seats. what fun!
Lots of rain here,too,Tina. It definitely affects my mood after a while. The sun is out today, though! Hopefully it will last. Love your photo of the old mill!
ReplyDeleteWe had a few raindrops, thats all. I would rest, enjoy peace and quiet and look for photo opportunities. I really like yours!
ReplyDeleteMy parents had the Mercury Comet, an equivalent to the Maverick. My first car was a 1968 Buick Special with a 350 V8...I paid $395 for it in 1976 when I was about to go to college. That crazy car was a tank, but I loved it! These days we have a Toyota Camry, 2001. It's in good shape, but we don't use it much these days since we can walk to nearly everything in town. Hopefully we'll keep it another ten years!
ReplyDeleteSince I don't have a day job, my time in theory is always my own, but my garden tends to yank me around. Mother Nature has a way of dictating my schedule! I spent the entire morning harvesting, freezing, and otherwise standing on my feet in the kitchen dealing with the bounty. It's a good thing, but sometimes I have to get away from the house for a few days...when I do, I am happiest taking a long hike somewhere!
Enjoy your week off!
My first time participating in Random5Friday.
ReplyDeleteWe're in the "dry" season here and rain is not likely until late August. It's cooler thought today which is nice.
My first car was a Mercury Comet but I don't remember what year it was. I'm guessing something from the late 60's though and it was a weird mint green color.
It was good to note that I'm not the only one who searches for photo's. Mine are on the computer but because I rarely take the time to label the folders as to what is in them it takes me forever sometimes to find a certain photo.
Enjoyed my stay here.
I had a range of emotional days this week Tina. I was in a funk and then out of the blue I was called and invited to do this monster (really long haul) bike ride on Saturday with some friends and a cook out afterwards and I went from feeling blue to just ecstatic so I guess I was bored. Ok, so my first car was a Ford station wagon. It was old and not very hip but it belonged to me so I loved it. As far as vacation goes, I really have a whole list of things I want to do. Most need super planing because they are overseas trips but I want to see the Grand Canyon too.
ReplyDeleteOur car recently passed the 100,000 mark too. I thought about taking a pic of it but didn't do it! I guess you'll tell us what you decide to do with your week off.
ReplyDeleteWa-Hoooo! a week all you own . . how spiffy is that??? I'm looking forward to your posts - I'll want to know all the good stuff.
ReplyDeleteBet that car photo shows up when (and where) you least expect it.
Love & Love,
-g-
Dry as a bone here in Central Texas....please share some of that water. WE are TIRED of droughts....year after year now has take toll on lots of trees and plants. Sad.
ReplyDeleteMy first car(actually, my fourth car...but I didn't have any of the first three long enough to consider them mine....my dad had a car lot and I got to trade a lot the first year) was a Plymouth Cricket. It was army green. I loved that car. I wish I still had it. I would pick up 4 other girls and take them to school everyday. We pooled our change on Friday afternoons and would fill up the tank with a couple of dollars. Gas was 25 cents a gallon then. Oh, for 1971 to come back!
I work at a hospital imaging records and July is historically slow for us, as well. Maybe because lots of the doctors go on vacations with family and they don't schedule surgeries that are elective during July. That's our theory.
Have a wonderful vacation! I love your photo of the old mill. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd we sort of need rain here. It's been sunny and in the low eighties for about 2 weeks. I hesitate to say we need rain, because here in Oregon, it's pretty much all we have all winter long, and into the spring. AND in late fall. lol. But the reservoirs get low pretty quickly. I'll send you some sunshine, and we'll take some of your water! How's that? :)
I love the photo of the old mill. Even though we can't see the red color, it looks great and very vintage in black and white.
ReplyDeleteMy first car was a Pinto! Really! Bright blue :)
Have a relaxing week off! I would be out taking photos, then home reading. Enjoy yourself!
How fun to have an unexpected week off. Finding one photo in my stacks of 1,000's is next to impossible for me anyway. Good luck on your hunt. I didn't get a car until I got married, but our first car was a Buick Special, red & a convertible. Pretty snazzy!! Enjoy!!
ReplyDeleteOh we've had a TON of rain here too. And when it's not raining, it's extremely humid. It's been a strange summer as far as the weather is concerned. Hope you guys don't have any flooding.
ReplyDeleteboy oh boy oh boy this rain... after 2 full weeks of non stop we are finally seeing some rain inbetween the showers we are still having.
ReplyDeleteLOVELY PHOTO!
Go to Disney World!
ReplyDeleteawww, we all have weeks like this!! i could have one more full lifetime, if i could get back all the time i have spent looking for things!!
ReplyDeletehave a happy sunday!!
My first car was a baby blue Comet station wagon that my father bought me so that they wouldn't have to take me and pick me up from work one summer. I have no idea what year it was but it wouldn't go over 40 mph. That car was dangerous! lol. The first car I bought myself was a 68 Ford Mustang. That was in 1975. Great car! I should have hung on to that beauty. Oh, well. Thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeleteI will be anxious to hear all about your unexpected week off...Have fun and do some things that make you happy.....The rain gauge in NC is full too...rain, rain, and more rain...My first car was a green VWBeetle...I loved that car and I sure did put many many miles on it....This was a fun post...Thank you...
ReplyDelete