The mornings after the storm are often clear and bright.

Went thru that lousy migraine last evening and into the night. This morning it's gone. I feel decent. And am working.

So don't think I'm just sitting around in a heap. I don't waste any opportunity. .

Will have some pics later.

Thks,
Gary

It is great to read this day is starting better! I hope it stays that way.

Scott

It is great to hear that you are feeling better. Artist at work. ...

It's only a dandelion but ....... What a beauty to go with a BRITE morning . Glad things are better .

Thanks
Kurt

Hello Kurt,

I've looked at this a few times this week. Beautiful. Sunny. Thank you.

I'm improving. Working hard at it.

Thank you.

Gary

Those reading .... keep faith. I'm not going anywhere.

Glad your migraine left, hope you start seeing less of them!!

Gentlemen: Kurt, Scott, Pedro, Don. Thank you so much.

I got thru the day without a "Shut down/Restart". Had dizzy areas I could work thru - but junk work like running a Gas Trimmer and picking up a few things at Lowes and Tractor Supply. But those interactions were good for me. Listen to this story ....

I was at Lowes about 1pm. I'd been feeling pretty dizzy - had no way to check my BP. I was picking up some blades for the trimmer, researching a watering pump I may need, and got some 2 by 4s and a few boards that I just always need for odds and ends, and a few bags of cement I always need. I'd put maybe ten or twelve things on this heavy blue steel push cart. I began feeling lousy - and I realized that my light breakfast was long gone - with a belly of pills. Due for more pills and getting more dizzy. I parked the cart where I hoped it could hang out for a few, and approached the Commercial Desk at the far end of Lowes. (Let me finish on the keyboard in a few ...)

Ha - readers already.. Rotorhead and Sal are Cliff Hanging ....... haha

So; there are quite a few people at the Commercial Desk. Several Employees were working with Contractors. My cart was within sight, and the big roll up door out to my truck was right there. I just hung back 15 feet, and waited until I could catch the eye of one of the Desk Crew. A woman in that 39ish bracket with the nametag "Amy", looked at me and seemed willing to hold the gaze for a moment. I smiled, pointed to my cart tucked in tight near the lifts of drywall ... "Can I let that there for a few minutes - I have to go out to my truck to take a pill). I bothered going thru this, because Lowes will not let unattended carts sit for very long before they will assign someone the task of putting all the stuff back on the shelves. Don't ask me how I know ..... (I've written my name and Cell# on wooden planks filling carts before .... )

Amy looked to the cart of stuff, gave me the all clear with an eye gesture .... and resumed what she was doing. I started to move toward the door - which actually brought me closer to Amy. At the apex, she stopped what she was doing totally ... and reacquired my eye ... and said in a responsible tone .... "Are you alright?" I said, "Thanks. Soon as I take the pill I will be." She nodded.

I had not said another word. I'd tried to avoid any appearance of butting in. I'd smiled and been concise. I even remember having had the personal thought shortly before ... "I'm walking well - not limping - even feel taller ... huh ... wonder why ... but it's good." So; I wasn't doing my Quasimodo Impression. She was just a very decent person.

I walked out to the truck, had a bottle of water, sorted pills, caught up ... made a promise to head immediately across the street to BK for a quick burger after I check out. I was a few minutes getting back. I came back in the front, checked a pc. of lawn equipment, dropped by the Wash Room, headed back to my cart. It was there, and I pushed it across to the Commercial End Checkout line. Waited quite a while since there were several conflicts with items and policy with the lady ahead of me. Amy was called over to approve a discount for the customer. No surprise she was a manager.

As she was turning away, she looked at me and asked if I was OK. She said more quietly that she had followed and made sure I'd gotten to my truck ok ... not passed out. I said thanks, I was good. After I paid, I saw that Amy had a break in activity. I walked over and extended my hand, told her I really appreciated her concern - thank you.

Guys ... THAT would have never happened in Maryland.

The burger helped. Enough so that I went to Tractor Supply Company. Got several things. A nice young man helped me sort and load some awkward and heavy items from the workyard outside. The guy was an animal! Honest to God, he tossed the bags of concrete around like pillows, while rearranging my Lowes items, to load the new. I honestly felt like the skinny kid in the "kicking sand at the beach" stereotype. He was maybe 18-20, and showed no displeasure in having to get the items free from the bundles by unwrapping tight rusty wire, working with me to get it loaded, in a truck that was already full .... and doing this before I'd paid. He said .. just tell them inside that you got two "Hog
Panels" (described later if you want) at the register.

This is right after another young guy about 25 had shown me several items in the yard, discussed my pump idea - told me where they were inside - and left me alone to look, while he helped another guy load bales of hay for horses. Imagine employees trusting you to behave responsibly for a few minutes while unattended.

THAT would never happen in Maryland.

No headache today. Dizziness was manageable. I accomplished a bunch of "homestead" chores.

It was a good day. Doesn't pay well. Didn't move the ledger. But, every day won't be a record day.

Guys - thanks for reading.

Gary

It's good to know there are a few good people still left in the world.
I'm glad you had a manageable day. Hopefully you can do 2 in a row.

Scott

Way to leave me hanging Gary! LOL. Glad you had a good day!

talk about your cliffhanger endings...

Southern hospitality. It is quite common here and did not exist in Connecticut!

My theory is that there's an inverse ratio between the size of a town and how helpful and friendly the employees are at the average retail establishment. The bigger the city gets the less friendly the average inhabitant will be to a random stranger, and this is reflected in the attitude of the staff at most places. Obviously there's exceptions to the rule, but small town people are almost invariably friendlier to the people they meet at their jobs compared to big city folks.

I spend way too much time in and out of the local hardware/big box stores up here, the downside of trying to fix up a creaky old house. My experience with the various employees has been all over the board, some barely competent and some so eagerly helpful you have to reign them in before they hurt themselves. Overall, I'd say that the best tactic is to look around a bit before you ask for help, and try to match the employee with the task at hand. If I need help finding exactly the right plumbing or electrical part, I look for an old codger that seems familiar. Chances are if I've seen him there before he'll at least know where the parts are in the store. If I need help loading a bundle of lumber or a stack of heavy bags, I try to find a fresh young face who's skinnier than I am so that I don't have to climb up into the truck myself.

Glad to hear it all worked out OK, and it's good to hear the occasional positive impression of mankind to go along with all the negative we see everyday on the TV. Especially lately, up in MD