Fourth of July fell on a Thursday this year. On Tuesday morning I stopped for gas on my way to work and discovered an interesting dilemma. I could not open the door to the gas cap. The gas attendants scratched their heads, and my paint job while they tried to pry it open with a key.
There was little I could do aside take it to the nearby VW dealership and repair place. I was very low on gas and I worried that taking it to my regular mechanic for such a completely odd issue would result in me needing to take it to VW anyway.
I Ubered into work and at the very end of the work day got a call from VW “Well, I have never seen this in all my years here!”
Great. The back windshield wiper fluid reservoir had broken and fluid had leaked and shorted out the motor that opens the gas door (I thought it was spring loaded but OK), as well as the back tail light.
Long story short, it was a very very expensive repair that would take days. Fortunately, Mom had ridden to the Cape with Dad, so I could use Mom’s car to get to the Cape for out 4th of July gathering. I was very lucky to have Mom’s car available!
The long weekend, which for me started Wednesday night was really great. Great company, excellent food, and Harlow got along famously with nearly one-year-old Addie, who is a boisterous labradoodle. Actually, I was really impressed with how Harlow just patiently took all of Addie’s jumping and yipping. Addie was also obsessed with Harlow’s ears, and not once did Harlow seem to have an issue with Addie biting on them!
The weather, while not rainy, was odd. One day, fog rolled in and out for the duration, and the bugs were unreal the whole weekend! Like, mosquitoes the size of train-cars. Gross.
We actually ate every dinner inside! I will definitely appreciate the outdoor meals even more moving forward.
Before leaving to come to the Cape, I found someone giving away a “walkydoggy” device online, so I went to claim it. I’m glad I did! The device is a metal bar that attaches under the seat of your bike, and allows you to ride your bike with your dog running alongside. Harlow is afraid of bikes, so I wondered how she’d do, but she actually really seems to like it. We tried it out on one of the bike that were given to the house by the neighbors recently.
Between my lacking cycling skills and her powerful body, I thought there might be a disaster, but we managed fine, and I was sure to really only use it for no more than five minutes at a time. I didn’t want to press my luck, safety wise, nor did I want to hurt her by over-running her.
The Fourth of July itself was pretty calm. Saturday was a bit drizzly, but it didn’t stop the neighbors from throwing their annual bash. Lucky for us, their terrible band didn’t show this year. At least, not that we could hear anyway.
We were just about to sit down for dinner when the neighbor’s fireworks display began. The incredible booming had Harlow in a nervous frenzy, and I wrapped her in a ThunderShirt quickly, before Dad and I put leashes on her and Bootsie, and took them in the Jeep down to the beach a ways away, so we could watch the display and get the dogs farther away from the noise.
Harlow was beside herself, and then someone came to the beach with a dog and Oh! All the feelings she was feeling! She wanted to meet that dog but also, that noise was so terrible!
Meanwhile, Bootise was completely unfazed, having lost her hearing around Thanksgiving. I did get out fo the air conditioned Jeep to take some photos of the fireworks but it didn’t last. The bugs were SO AWFUL I couldn’t stay out for any length of time.
Still, I’ll take the bugs in the Cape on the 4th over anyplace else without bugs on the 4th!
After many years of gathering with my family and the L family, we’ve gotten really good at cooking in a way that had us eating what’s left by the end and still having lovely meals. On our last night, I decided I would make berry shortcake with the leftover fruit. I whipped up some fresh whipped cream with a small amount of vanilla and sugar, and some Bisquick biscuits.
When I tasted the whipped cream, it seemed…weird. I knew the cream was fresh, and after tasting is from the bowl, even CJ assumed I just didn’t add enough sugar when I’d whipped it.
I served them all up and we dug in and CJ said with a pause “It was salt”
Yup, I’d confused the salt with the sugar through the entire process! Salt on the biscuits, salt on the berries, salt in the whipped cream. In my defense, the jar of salt looked more like a jar of sugar because it was so huge. Who needs a GIANT jar of salt? Especially when there is a container of Morton’s salt on the shelf?
I baked some cookies from the dough I’d mixed earlier, and prevented any future salty incidences by properly labeling that freakishly large jar of salt the next day.
It was a good laugh though!
On Sunday I gave Harlow a hose down in the shower in the afternoon before packing up to leave. As I walked her back to one of the porches, I mis-stepped off a step and fell spectacularly onto some rocks!
Both ankles turned and I landed on both knees. It hurt like the blazes for a moment, then the pain went away. To be careful, I iced one of my knees which felt a bit of pain. It seemed fine enough and I piled Harlow in the car to head back home.
By the time I was home, it was clear I wasn’t OK. I stopped at the pharmacy for some batteries I’d need for a shoot on Monday, and I could barely walk. I went to the clinic the next day and learned that I’d sprained my foot.
While I am hobbling around my house today and unable to work for a few days (in truth likely much more since I’m not supposed to walk on it if it hurts), I am grateful it happened at the end of my lovely weekend instead of the beginning!
Little victories!
BEAN'S BABBLETORIUM 