Much effort, small results

Today I got my nerve together to keep my auto dealership appointment. I'm trying, still, to get the state inspection decal showing I'm legally driving this car. The agency has put a couple of postponements on the deadline, but nearing the end of the second I thought I'd go in. 

After three months of home, it's become intimidating to drive anywhere, need to get my chops back.

 Is this the lady who thought nothing of driving to Virginia in a glackity State car, eight hour one day round-trip for a business meeting?? Or a trip way up to Ithaca, own car, to meet friends?? Connecticut likewise?? Where are the chops of yesteryear, aye, where are they? Villon would never have written that if he'd known what the likes of me would do with it.

Anyway, booked the service, full explanation of what's up. They acknowledged it all by email.

 Got there, steaming hot day, customers outside only, and they tell me they don't have the state decals. They searched, just in case, but no. Would have been nice to know that ahead, that being the main event.

 So I also cancelled the maintenance order the screen tells me I need, too hot to wait outside indefinitely, their shuttle too chancy, high touch.

 And settled on just getting the key duplicated., a 20 minute job, they said. Three hours later, I got out, got down the road, found the temporary State doc was gone from the dashboard. U turn, back to ask where it went. This is a vital piece of paper, if I'm stopped for lack of a decal.

Manager, supervisor, mechanic all get involved. Two of them search the car, nada. So I looked, found it buried under the back offside seat. 

So I finally left, and at home met my neighbor, great audience for this story.

 There was  a nice customer sitting out near me under the one tree, primo seating, and we had a nice grumble while we waited all morning. The kind where you say, well, can't complain, really, then complain at length.

Finally home, haven't even tested the new key yet. I'll croak if there's a problem.

But, after talking plants with neighbors and handing over two clumps of tomato seedlings and some of those marvelous squash seeds, I felt better.

Then I looked out and saw on the patio a male Downy with a baby! The baby hadn't got the hang of the feeder, slid right down the pole to the ground. Then he jumped onto the Adirondack chair, and Dad flew down with a beakful of suet mix and stuffed it in. Baby then tried to climb tree, got stuck in a little fork, Dad brought more food, while the baby kept going. 

Reminded me of a toddler who wants to get back to playing after a couple of bites.

So nature returned me to a better frame of mind. Also being in the ac helped. I don't do well in heat. 

So that's where we are, hydrating busily, pleased to have got out bravely. Falling down laughing at my current idea of brave.