Lost and Foundry or let me sing you a few bars

Whew, I have been on the road once again. Yesterday hubby calls and says jump in your car, get it to Moron Brothers to get it inspected and then get over here to the office cause we need to got pick up some parts in Hazelton PA which is only 256 miles from the office. We arrived in Hazelton just before closing hours at the foundry-ugh. And there I was with no overnight bag. We found a Kmart and bought toothbrushes, toothpaste, cheater glasses for Vern who forgot his, a new coat for Vern who had oilstains on his, and forgot shampoo- what kinda motel doesnt supply shampoo???? We did manage to have extra soap so I had a bar of soap to put in my sheets. Yes, I know that sounds kinky or like maybe I am only into clean dreams but actually I always sleep with a bar of soap in between the fitted sheet and the mattress pad. It helps you from getting leg cramps and restless leg syndrome and believe me when I tell you it really works- no one knows why but it works, and you can always play kick the soap if you have a partner! So anyway, last night I slept with the soap and this am I warshed (as we say it W. PA) my hair with it. My hair was clean and that was about it.

The place we spent the night waiting on opened this morning only to tell us they hoped we were in no hurry because it would be about 6 weeks till they could have the part we need- I think need is a realitve word here- need as in add it to your inventory right???? Nope- need like in: we just drove 250 miles, spent the night in a motel and ate bacon on a bun in order to get here on time to drive this needed part home today to get it put in place so that we can be warshing coal first thing tomorrow NEED. Change of plans; we then drove the turnpike back to Pittsburgh were we worked out a deal with some dealer of pump parts for a different company and we scarfed up some "scrap" parts to build a new pump outta spare parts strewn all across the coal yard. It was a lovely adventure all in all.

We took the scenic route from Hazeton to I-81. Dont know how it happened but suddenly we found ourselves wondering how 81 could be two lane trails with coal refuse piles on either side. There we were driving through farms and I mean to tell you through as in the house is on one side and the barn is on the other, and then through almost nameless little backward towns that had a charm and character rarely understood by most today. Mom and Pop stores like the Puff Tobacco Shop- great name there. Skinny 3 story houses with just enough room inbetween to send a push mower through one time- made it easy to open a window and ask the neighbor for a cup of sugar. Guess there are no secrets in that part of town and you would always know what your neighbor was having for dinner and which radio station they preferred. This whole area was built on coal mining. These were the hardy deepmining people that helped to make Pennsylvania a giant in the coal business and in the steel industry. Today we drove past 3 energy plants that burn coal refuse. This is the leftover stuff when the coal is taken that is deemed not high enough in BTU's to be of value. Their boney piles measure in the millions of tons and someone has figured out how to get the remaining heat out of this coal and to burn it clean enough to be allowed. Nice idea. Build the energy plant right there where these huge piles are- not much trucking and lots of supply to keep up with demand.

Update on my Mom: For those who don't know or forgot my Mom is now dealing with a form of Bone Marrow Cancer. She had been doing very well with it but lately she has been having a great deal of pain. They discovered that she had compression fractures on her spine and twice they have gone in with miracle bone putty and pasted her up and she was doing pretty well. They decided that her blood was needing a boost and put her on a low dose,, do it at home twice a day, Chemo which she was tolerating well so they boosted it up a bit, and they told her to begin water therapy and walking more to strengthen herself. Yesteday Mom, who is 70, fell while walking through the living room and broke a couple ribs- guess she wont need to dig out that bathing suit for a while yet. I know she is getting pretty discouraged and feels like she will never be done with all the pain. Ah well, atleast I know that she comes from a very strong, determined blood line. We Nebraskans are a hardy and stout people with a determination that conquers much and a resolve that survives where most quit.