Thank You Gorilla Glue and Walmart

About seven years ago when I was still living in the desert heat of Phoenix, Arizona, a piece of trim that went around my left front wheel well started coming loose.  I glued it back on with Gorilla Glue and used a binder clip to keep it in place until it dried.  It wasn't pretty but it held tight.

About two weeks ago I noticed the only thing holding my front bumper on was this piece of trim...

I could see what appeared to be a hole for a bolt and I could feel there was a matching hole above, but I kept putting off doing anything further figuring I'd have to get down on back on the ground to see what needed to be done. 

I think the road I take to the spring may be at least partly responsible for shaking anything loose that can be shaken loose...

Washboard almost all the way.  You can't drive slowly enough to prevent it from rattling your teeth.

Today I had to go to Longmont.  I had a shopping list I'd been adding to for about two weeks and I prefer either of the Longmont Walmarts over the one in Erie.  I got an early start.  I knew it would be too hot down below to leave Dixie in the car and I wanted to be gone before she got here so I didn't have to drive off an leave her.  As I was driving down the canyon and hoping the glue held, the bumper didn't fall off and cause me to either drive over it or drive off the road, down a steep cliff and into Boulder Creek, I decided I'd take it the automotive center at Walmart and see if they could put the car up on the lift and at least provide a temporary fix.  Turns out the newest Walmart in Longmont has no automotive center, so after I'd done my shopping, I drove to the one north of town which does have an automotive center. 

I asked a young technician if he could put a bolt in the bumper.  He said he wasn't sure they could do that, but his older co-worker told him to go ahead.  Here they are making the fix...

Turns out the bumper was originally affixed with two small plastic pieces that snapped together.  The bottom was missing.  This was one still affixed to the top and they had to pry it out...

The bolt doesn't keep the bumper as tight as it should be so I may have to take it to a body shop for a true fix, but at least I know the bumper is not going to fall off.  The best part was that they didn't charge me a thing!  Talk about customer service.  I may just have to go back and see if they can match the two summer tires I managed to wrest from Sears after they a) told me the other two were too worn to put back on, and b) kept the two good ones  "by mistake" resulting in my having to call back and have them dig them out of the recycle pile and hold them for me until I could drive back up there and get them.  Only part of a very, very bad experience at the Longmont Sears Auto Center last fall.

So tomorrow I have to clean out the woodshed because that's where those two tires are stored.  I'm fairly certain we aren't going to have any more major snows--it had to have been in the 80s in Longmont today--so I can get these snow tires off before I put any more wear on them. 

Are you spring cleaning?  Teddee

Happy Easter!

This is probably it for me.  I had one of these for breakfast...

...now I can see that would have been cheerier if I hadn't already eaten the yolk.  What is it with eggs and Easter?  A holdover from pagan days?  Fertility?  Oh, no.  Let's not have any of that again.  I was aghast not too many weeks ago to read a blog on which everyone was congratulating the blogger because her sister had just had her tenth....I repeat, tenth...child!  Whatever happened to Zero Population Growth?

I digress.  I did not find any sander at Walmart yesterday to compare to the one I'd seen at Ace and by the time I returned to Nederland, Ace had been closed several hours so I'm not spending Easter Sunday sanding.  Of course I had had to stop at Savers and Goodwill in Boulder even before I headed out to the Longmont Walmart.  My friend Paula had alerted me a new Goodwill would be opening in Longmont, but that isn't until next Saturday.  That's going to be a crazy day if I allow myself to get caught up in it because it is also, finally, a 50% off Saturday at all Goodwills.  They haven't had one for some reason for several weeks.

I had a filled punch card at Savers, so used the 30% off on some fabric and tie-backs I may eventually use to curtain off the bunk area.  The tie-backs were $4.99 each less 30%.  One of them still had an original shop tag on it of $8.50.  They are both luscious and well made.  I think the one created from ribbons is the most interesting.

The orbs are apparently Christmas ornaments or were used as such--they have monofilament loops on the tops (color coordinating again!).  They are really heavy but I can't determine of what the core, around which the wire is wrapped, is made.  I got the pair for $2.99 less 30%.

I love the colors in the fabric, which is a drapery panel ($6.99 less 30%), but think both the fabric and colors might be a heavy for summer.  It can actually get hot in the afternoons here even at this altitude and when that occurs it takes a while for the temperatures to cool off after the sun goes down and you're opening all of the windows and praying for a breeze.  I think if I get the rods in place, I can use something lighter and paler for summer and switch over to this for fall and winter...or I may just forget doing anything this summer.  We'll see how it goes.  I did purchase an off-white king-sized flat sheet the other day for possible use this summer, but it doesn't have much character.

I also nabbed these little fake wooden books to use as risers to bring things up to the proper height in tablescapes and shelf vignettes.  They are individual pieces so can be used separately or stacked in whatever combination needed.  If you enjoy arranging your "finds" on table tops and in bookshelves then you can't have too many plate holders, small easels and pedestals and other items you can use to change the height of items. Grab them whenever you see them, especially if, as in this case, they're only $1.99 less the everyday Colorado Goodwill senior discount of, what?, 10%?  I think it's 15% on Mondays.

My "big find" was this case of 60 watt standard light bulbs or bombillas if you prefer. 

These will no longer be made after January of next year I understand and I am going to be quite sad and frustrated as I detest the light the "new" energy saver bulbs emit...and no one can tell me it is more "natural" than that produced by incandescent bulbs.  I kept trying them when they first came out and not only is the illumination reduced, but there's something just plain weird about the color of the light.  But I'm going out in real sunshine right now and take a walk.  It is truly a gorgeous day.

Is the weather cooperating where you are?  Teddee