The lady of the house has been gone since this past weekend tending to family business. That means that the home front has been downsized to a one-man operation. And I mean literally a one-man operation and not literally as in not literally factual, but used for emphasis.

Even though home alone, I have been acting responsibly and tending to a number of repair, fix-it, and minor improvement projects. I even power washed the deck. I tried that once several years back; I was so disappointed in the final outcome that I have stayed away from that task ever since. A day or two before the lady left town, she expressed her dissatisfaction with the current state of deck affairs and her expectation that something be done about it. This time around, I revised my earlier deck washing technique and employed a lot more patience. The end result supports my re-assessment that deck washing can be a worthwhile venture and my inclination is to do it all over again without waiting several years and then only in response to a direct order.

It was early afternoon, and I was feeling good. There were a couple of things remaining on the most current to-do list, but I also needed some things before I could tackle those items. Why not take a trip to Menards? It is only a 150 mile round trip; I'll just consider it as shipping and handling. I also figured I earned a little time off, so why not a road trip. I consulted with the members of the household present and heard neither an objection nor a word of caution. The weather was great; one couldn't have asked for better September weather for a road trip. I will admit that if the leaves were turning, it would have been downright spectacular. A 3:00PM club sandwich lunch was an added treat; every now and then a trucker has to fuel up and check fluid levels to insure that he keeps on keeping on.