"Luckily, I had a piece of duct tape on my knee!"

Also, overheard recently:

"Hey! You just wrapped your gum in my snot!"

Gosh, i love having a 12 year old! k. so. the Dakota has been a bit under the weather of late -- nothing serious, just overheating earlier this week then making an extremely loud intermittent "sprinkler" sound THEN overheating AGAIN this morning... Quick, let's take a quick poll. How many of you out there would have taken this truck which we (royal we) claim to be "in love with" to the mechanic at the first sign of trouble (e.g. the initial overheating.)? Um, hm. And how many of you would have maybe let that initial indicator slip but responded to the clearly distressed loud, wet popping sound that caused both passerby as well as concerned security guard types to check in/recommend various hypothesis vis a vis what might be wrong? i see. Well, clearly you people are not me. Me, i turn the music up. I say, if it can't take a little coolant spurting out of a hole in the water pump onto on the engine then what the hell good is it??! I have however, been known to change my mind about things (and i really do love my truck -- plus, I have not entirely forgotten that the OTHER truck died due to lack of moisture. See! I can learn! ish...) so i actually did take it in today to get fixed. It's much happier now. I'm much poorer but happy as well.

in other news, i think i found a nice little (used) tool box for the back so i don't have to keep trying to figure out a way to some how move the camper shell from one truck to the other and/or carry around a whole lot less stuff. it's not to much but it's hecka far away. Still though, beats both of my other options which, clearly, are not things i'm even remotely capable of so.... Beside, I like it the back all open . Reminds me of The Homeland.