IT WAS NOT A CHICKEN DINNER DAY!

These mornings in Central California are coming fast and furious.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm not the least bit busy or if I'm TOO busy!!  No rain here, that's the sprinklers that are straining to do their job and keep the lawn acceptably green.  In a neighborhood of fancy houses, you have to keep up with the Jones' lawn.  

It wasn't fancy when I bought this house, in fact every one on the block was in bankruptcy, so we all got REALLY good deals.  Keeping up appearances is important I suppose, so I do my best.  Just don't look over the fence in the back yard!

Doesn't she look weird?  Truly, especially since losing all that winter coat, she is not the prettiest one on the block. She is VERY appreciative of everything I do for her though.  She's waiting for her morning scrub with the brush, purring up a storm.

Breakfast was unusual for me.  I don't even remember the last time I cooked an omelette.  This one is stuffed with cheese and those OH-SO-TASTY tomatoes I snagged at the lodge.  It was delicious with a capital D!!  That's Cooper's little share on the left.

Since my Trustee meeting wasn't until 6:00, I decided to try for a re-smog on the van.  I had good thoughts going in since I was sure it was NOT in regen mode, as evidenced by the 6% particulates in the filter.  These people are just the nicest EVER.  We discussed the whole thing, and they were more than happy to show me how to come up with the info on MY code reader.  

The problems were INSTANT!  Both HIS reader and MINE said this was a GAS engine.  Are you kidding me?  How could that be??  It's a DIESEL.  The very nice guy went and got his OWN reader from his truck and tried it.  NOPE ... they all say it's a gas engine.  WHAT THE BLEEP?????

His reader said it STILL had that stupid PERMANENT CODE and NOTHING will clear it, therefore it will NOT pass smog.  He asked if I ever had a check engine light.  Not that I remember, just one that said I was low on oil, because of course there's no way to CHECK the oil except when it tells you on the dash to ADD OIL.  By now I'm as mad as I've probably been my entire life.  This is ridiculous!!  I'll just drive it until I get a ticket.

Here's the thing ... you have to do all that crazy driving, using up pricey fuel, to get the MILEAGE on it,  which is over 300 miles, THEN you have to let it sit overnight.  When the engine is cold, you start it up and let it come to temperature.  FIFTEEN TIMES!!!!!  Is that the stupidest thing you've ever heard of?  

He showed me how to use my code reader to go through all the sections, and there it was.  I've already done that TEN times and I have FIVE TIMES TO GO!  Nothing else will get rid of that code.  

Here's the best part ..... if you try to DELETE THAT CODE, it will start completely over again and you have to go through all the driving and cold starts from scratch.  I've never heard of anything so ridiculous in my life!!!  I had to laugh or I would have cried!!

There's nothing like starting off your day in a great mood to be SLAPPED DOWN like a mosquito!!  At this point, I wish I had never bought this van, because I live in California where they have STUPID RULES!!!!

Once back home, I tried to change my frame of mind, but it was't happening.  Even putting the last border on this quilt didn't help.  When finished, this one will be auctioned off at the Veterans Dinner.

And that brings me to the Trustee meeting.  I'm already in a terrible mood, right?  I didn't find out until 30 minutes before, that only two of us trustees would be present.  Everyone is at the County Fair.  NO trustee meeting ensued.  I was okay with that, when the only other guy that showed up bought me a glass of wine.  

At this point, it's pretty much us older conservative members against them.  They want to spend every dime while we are trying to keep the lodge afloat.  It's too bad it has come to this.  I suppose it happens to all groups sooner or later, but this group was the best for so long, it's hard to see it at this point.

It didn't help that the only other two people who agree with us were not in attendance either.  And so after sitting at the bar having that small glass of wine on an empty stomach, I became nauseous enough with a splitting headache, that I walked out and drove home.  I found out later that meant they could not carry out any business without a quorum either.  

I think the Universe is trying to tell me something.  I need to go on a trip and drive the you-know-what out of that van so the BAD CODE will go away!!  

So there is NO winner winner chicken dinner for me.  I had a few crackers before hitting the hay with Mr. Cooper.  This morning I'm off for a haircut before attending the Flag Ceremony and having dinner with friends. I'm sure that will improve my attitude tremendously!!