VERY Exciting News!!!

See ... I told you someone out there had a voodoo doll of me!!  Take a LOT of stuffing out if you don't mind!!!

My plans for yesterday were completely waylaid.  They just opened Yosemite National Park back up after posting picture after beautiful picture with no people in them.  I would give anything to have been able to do that, but the Voodoo Gods locked the gate.  No entry.

NOW you have to have a parking pass to enter the park.  I knew they would figure out how to make money one way or another.  You cannot enter the park unless you go online and buy a pass, a minimal $2.00 for now, plus the on-line fee of course.  That gets you in IF you have a National Park Pass.  Otherwise it's something like $33 for one day.  

Herein lies the problem.  You CAN get a pass for the middle of July or the end of August, but all other days are blocked off.  Anyone with reservations at the hotels (something like $150-$350 a night) have priority.  If you can plan two months in advance for your day trip and get online at just the right moment, you can get a pass.  There will be no more spontaneous trips to Yosemite for anyone.  

SO .... ON TO THE EXCITING NEWS!!!  I've been holding off because for one, I had other things to talk about, even if they were mundane and boring.  Yesterday I did some super exciting things like vacuum up three pounds of dog hair, tossed off like Pigpen in the Peanuts cartoon.  It's crazy that a Jack Russell can shed THAT much hair.  I could knit a sweater!!  MEANWHILE .........

See this backhoe?  That belongs to Mr. Chance.  Just like in Returning the Flavor with Mike Rowe (my hero), Dan and his son Mark (my NEW heroes) are doing all the work to have an RV cover built at my Arizona house.  Can you believe it?  

It's been an interesting road.  Without Dan, this never would have happened because I don't have the patience for the process, especially since I worked at our local Building Division for ten years and am very familiar with it.  In this case, a building permit was a must.  In the current circumstances, they are not doing anything in person ... it's all over the inter web ways of frustration.

They said my property lines were here ... Dan had to hire a surveyor to prove they were wrong.  They needed architectural plans signed by an Arizona firm ... Dan had to contact the company and get the plans stamped.  He drew up the foundation plans himself (this guy can do anything I tell you), attached them to the "generic" plans with the stamp and submitted them on-line.

Let me say that the REAL plans would cost another $1000.  I put all MY voodoo doll experience to work (and Dan talked to one very nice guy) and amazingly, the generic plans were approved.  Woohoo!!!  ON TO CONSTRUCTION!!

All this has taken maybe two months? or maybe it just feels like it.  It's been hard to keep my mouth shut, not knowing if it could be accomplished.  Keeping secrets is not my forte!!

In the meantime, I'm trying to keep busy vacuuming the outside concrete walk at 5:00 am.  Why you ask?  Because my neighbor had a birthday party last night that lasted until 4:00 am.  There's nothing like a vacuum cleaner to wake you up!!  I'm laughing at the thought!!  

At least this time they forewarned me, and even offered to buy a ticket to the movie of my choice.  Sadly, movies don't last all night long, so I opted for the farthest bedroom.  Truthfully, I didn't hear much of anything except Mr Cooper snoring and one guy yelling at about 3:30.

I'm off to see if there's anything else interesting I can get into.  It helps with that voodoo "stuffing" issue if I'm not sitting around the house, 20 feet from the refrigerator.