Saturday January 6 2007 “The Carburetor Story”
I really don’t know how to tell the carburetor story because it has everything to do with emotions and so little to do with carburetors. I guess it began early in December when I taught Helen how to tune into her Higher Self. We did it together on the phone two times, and both times we spent almost all day on phone. But the last words Helen’s Higher Self said while I was with Helen on the phone were, “tell Anne to get her car checked out, something is wrong with her car.”
I knew it had to be the truck, not the secondhand Chrysler. So when Bill said he was going to take it in for oil change and check up, I pushed for it hard. “Good idea! do it now!” And I wasn’t so surprised when the phone call came from head mechanic at Regis, the dealership where we had bought the truck originally 15 years ago, saying “you need a new carburetor.” He said the carburetor costs $1400 but he has clients who bought a rebuilt carburetor on line for $400, and it worked out, and he suggests I do that, and then bring it to him to install.
So I called my brother, who buys everything on line, and gave him the specifics that Tony gave me, that it is for an Isuzu truck, and the specifics for the carburetor. And he said he would do it. And that same day I got email: he had talked to Jerry at the rebuilt carburetor company in Florida, and this is his phone number, and I should call him, and I pay him $260, he sends me rebuilt carburetor, but I must send my old one back to him or I will be charged 100 dollars, and it is guaranteed for life. So I called my brother and said “call Jerry right back, you order it, put it on your credit card, give him my address, and I am writing out the check for 260 right now to reimburse you.” So my brother said “fine,”
And two weeks later it arrived. So the Monday before Christmas, Bill drove over with the truck and the rebuilt carburetor for Tony to have his mechanic put it in. And we thought a few hours later the job would be done and Bill would pick up the truck, and we would pay the cost of installation.
However the phone call which arrived a few hours later did not say “come pick up your truck it is done,” but instead Tony said “it is emitting black fumes and guzzling gas, something is wrong.”
And then the emotions began because we both got upset. When I calmed down I called Jerry in Florida. Jerry’s phone number was still on the email from my brother from when he had said “call Jerry and order the carburetor.” I told Jerry, and he said he will have his mechanic talk to Tony’s mechanic and tell him how to fix it, something probably came loose in shipping. So I called Tony and told him that, and he said fine. But Jerry’s mechanic did not call back till late afternoon, and by the time Tony’s mechanic called him back he had left work because of the time change. So we had waited all day in the house for Tony to call and say it was done, but it was never done.
And then the emotions began because we both got upset. When I calmed down I called Jerry in Florida. Jerry’s phone number was still on the email from my brother from when he had said “call Jerry and order the carburetor.” I told Jerry, and he said he will have his mechanic talk to Tony’s mechanic and tell him how to fix it, something probably came loose in shipping. So I called Tony and told him that, and he said fine. But Jerry’s mechanic did not call back till late afternoon, and by the time Tony’s mechanic called him back he had left work because of the time change. So we had waited all day in the house for Tony to call and say it was done, but it was never done.
The next day we waited all day in the house for phone call to say it was done, and I don’t remember what went wrong that day. O that was the day that the mechanics from the carburetor company in the factory in Chicago came back to the office in Florida. That’s right. I was on the phone with Jerry so many times about “have they arrived, so Tony can talk to them, and get instructions.”
By the third day, Wednesday, I realized waiting around the house for the phone call from Tony saying “it is done, pick up your truck,” is big mistake, because it was turning into the phone call which never came. Tony and I had gotten very close from all my phone calls to him asking “is it done yet?” A lot of love was exchanged on both sides. But Bill and I were going stir crazy in the house. The weather had changed, it was freezing cold, we were trapped in the house. In fact in one of my phone calls with Tony, he said it has started to snow.
So on the third day, Wednesday, I said “let’s take the Chrysler and go shopping, we are running out of food and also go swimming, we can stop by Regis and find out what is going on at the end.” The evening before Bill had said “let’s go to the hot pool at Randolph Park just to relax ourselves.” But the 2nd hand Chrysler refused to start in the freezing cold. So I got out of the car and came back in the house. But Bill stayed with it till he figured out how to get it to start. And was able to get dog food, we were out of that, and bread, we were out of that, and lunchmeat, we were out of that, so we could feed the dogs and make sandwiches for ourselves. That was Tuesday night.
So that is why on Wednesday I wanted a real outing, a nice swim, and real shopping, which we did in the freezing cold pouring rain. But we were both so glad to be out, and not at home nervously waiting for the phone call “car is ready.”
We had wonderful swim, and wonderful shopping at Fry’s, and were upbeat again when we drove into Regis parking lot. And before we drove in, we saw our truck being driven around the block. “That’s our truck” Bill said. Wednesday is Tony’s day off, so we talked to Bob the head mechanic. He said Andy finally called him, he followed Andy’s instructions, the carburetor is fixed and in, and being taken for a test drive, and he will call me when it is time to pick it up.
So we went home and put our groceries away.
Bob called and said the carburetor works fine but the clutch is gone, and that will cost another 800 or 900 dollars. He said the cost of repairing the carburetor was $90, but Andy told him I should pay it and he will reimburse me, and the cost of installing the carburetor is $360. He said he has the new clutch there right now and can do it right now. I said “let me talk to Bill.” Bill and I figured the clutch would last for one more month, but he’d be so nervous driving it, not knowing when it would go out completely. Bill said “the truck is already over there, let him do it now, we'll put it all on Discover Card and pay little by little.” And Tony had said he would put the invoice for the $90 done to fix the carburetor in the box with the old carburetor and ship it back to them. So I called Bob back and said “go ahead.” Bob said the clutch is not here, and I will have to wait till after Christmas. And Bill said “fine.”
So we went home and put our groceries away.
Bob called and said the carburetor works fine but the clutch is gone, and that will cost another 800 or 900 dollars. He said the cost of repairing the carburetor was $90, but Andy told him I should pay it and he will reimburse me, and the cost of installing the carburetor is $360. He said he has the new clutch there right now and can do it right now. I said “let me talk to Bill.” Bill and I figured the clutch would last for one more month, but he’d be so nervous driving it, not knowing when it would go out completely. Bill said “the truck is already over there, let him do it now, we'll put it all on Discover Card and pay little by little.” And Tony had said he would put the invoice for the $90 done to fix the carburetor in the box with the old carburetor and ship it back to them. So I called Bob back and said “go ahead.” Bob said the clutch is not here, and I will have to wait till after Christmas. And Bill said “fine.”
The next morning, Thursday, Tony called and said he found the clutch, and they can do it right away. So on Thursday we waited all day for Tony to call back and say “pick up the truck.” And by late afternoon we both snapped. I had called Jerry in Florida, to say “Tony said he will mail my old carburetor to you, with the invoice for the work they did to fix yours, it comes to $90, and Andy said he would reimburse me.” And Jerry said “that is not how we do things.” It was clear he had no intention of reimbursing me. But he told me Andy is the head of the whole outfit, I have to talk to Andy, whatever he says goes. And I left a message for Andy to call me back, which he never did. And I tried to call him 5 times that day, but Jerry kept saying he is not around.
I called Tony back and said “they expressed surprise about reimbursing me.” And Tony said “I figured that.”
I think that was my last phone call with Tony Thursday morning. I called Jerry in Florida 5 times trying to find Andy. And waited all day for truck to be ready. And by late Thursday afternoon, Bill and I both snapped from the stress. The Sun had come out, we were in the yard, and we both started to yell. We were getting in each others hair being trapped in house together too long with too much stress.
I called Tony back and said “they expressed surprise about reimbursing me.” And Tony said “I figured that.”
I think that was my last phone call with Tony Thursday morning. I called Jerry in Florida 5 times trying to find Andy. And waited all day for truck to be ready. And by late Thursday afternoon, Bill and I both snapped from the stress. The Sun had come out, we were in the yard, and we both started to yell. We were getting in each others hair being trapped in house together too long with too much stress.
Even tho the warm delicious Sun was now out, I went under the covers in my cold room to calm down and talk to my Higher Self. Bill and I were now fighting and telling each other to go to hell, and both saying the truck should go to hell too, who wants it. That is why I had to go under covers in icy cold room and be with my Higher Self and calm down.
It was easy to calm down from being mad at Bill, but not from all the stress. It had been 4 long days of it, it had been too much. Finally my Higher Self said “Call Tony.” It was just before closing time. I said “Tony, it’s Anne, is there any chance the truck is ready?” And he said “I told you it wouldn’t be ready today, I have to find the clutch, we have not gotten to it yet.” This isn’t how I remembered the phone call. But Tony was in such a great mood and so loving to me. He said he found a coupon for 10 per cent off, and he decided to give it to me, because I have been so nice to him. And I said “O Tony I love you.” And he said “I know you love me because you call me all the time.” He was in a great mood, and cracking lots of jokes, and being totally loving. But I was wiped out by all the emotion, altho I was trying to perk up. His first words to me were “Great news! I found the coupon and I am giving it to you.” And I said “I am so happy to hear great news right now, because Bill and I have started to fight.” But Tony was so happy and upbeat, that I caught his wave. When he said “I know you love me because you call me all the time,” I said “I told my mom I am on intimate terms with my car mechanic.” And he laughed his head off, and said “tell her we are already in the clutch!” And of course I laughed my head off at that, it was my first car mechanic joke. “OK I’ll tell her we have reached the clutch!” I said giggling. “But don’t tell your husband” Tony said, “he is bigger than me.” “OK” I said. “Well you cheered me up Tony, I'll go in and kiss my husband now” (I was feeling bad from all the yelling I had done). “Only on the forehead!” Tony warned me. And I burst out giggling again.
So I told Bill “the truck will be ready tomorrow,” And he said “today got screwed up because Tony said it would be done today, I was perfectly willing to wait till after Christmas.” “Me, too “I said, “but Tony was so overjoyed to be able to get it done for us before Christmas, he felt he was doing us such a huge favor, I didn’t have the heart to tell him.” Bill and I were soft and sweet and gentle with each other, because it had been a huge tempest in the backyard.
When Friday came, I said “let’s use our head, no more waiting around for phone call ‘truck is done pick it up,’ we see now that phone call never comes, let’s just have our ordinary day, and when the phone call shows up on the machine, it is there.” So the only thing I did on Friday were 5 more fruitless phone calls to Jerry in Florida, trying to reach Andy, and trying to find out if they will reimburse me for the money to fix the carburetor. Other than that we had ordinary day and it was very nice. We all piled into the Chrysler, and drove to Randolph Park. I got to swim in their pool, and Bill took both dogs to the dog run there. And then Bill and I went to PetCo, and he chose a spectacularly beautiful new collar and leash for Beanie. We were so happy. And then we got home. There was the message from Tony “car is ready.” But it was now freezing rain again. Bill didn’t want to walk over, and I don’t know how to drive. Tony said the courtesy car will take 2 hours because there are so many other stops. So I called Bill’s friend Jim, from the club, who lives in our area. Jim’s mechanic is way over on the other side of town, and he has called Bill so many times to drive him to pick up his car that he is embarrassed to call again to ask for the favor again, even tho I told him 10 times Bill is happy to do it. I thought, Jim will be glad to return the favor, and Regis is just a few miles away. Jim said he will come right over. And I told Bill “just pay the whole bill on Discover.”
When Bill returned home and showed me the invoice, Tony had managed to take 300 dollars off the total, which is a tremendous gift. However he had not mailed the old carburetor back to them, it was in the box for me to mail. The new clutch was not soft as butter the way the old one was, Bill had to get used to it. But we had known for a whole year the clutch was going, it was a godsend the new one is in there. He said picking up the car was stressful, now he is going to go over to the hot pool at Randolph and have a long relax. And I thanked him for everything he did, he was magnificent.
The story really should have ended there. Except in my last phone call with Jerry in Florida on Friday he said no one will be there till after New Year’s, so I should call back then to see if Andy is willing to reimburse me, and to hold off mailing back the old carburetor to them till I talk to Andy.
So on the day after New Year’s, which was few days ago, I called back. And this time Andy answered the phone. He said no way is he going to reimburse me 90 for fixing the carburetor, it is not a 90 dollar job, and he said he told the mechanic he would be willing to pay 25 or 30. We had a long conversation, he was hard as nails, I was sweet as sugar. Finally he said he will meet me half way, and pay 45. That I should put the invoice and a letter saying “per phone call with Andy reimburse me 45,” in a zip-lock bag with the carburetor because there will be oil over it. And he had me write down exactly what I would say in the letter. And I was loving and gracious and thanked him.
And that is how we left it. I was loving and gracious to both Jerry and Andy, because that is my way. And I had planned to write a very nice letter along with Andy’s instructions.
Which is why I was so shocked in swim pool when my Higher Self instructed me not to write loving thank you letter, but instead to say “I am sorry it did not work out well for me, and I did not have a good experience with your company, and I think you should reconsider and reimburse me for the whole amount.”
I have now been with my Higher Self for 15 years, and never has she instructed me to do any communication which is not grateful, gracious, and loving. I can see why now. Because I became totally upset in swim pool at idea of writing this unpleasant letter. I hadn’t realized how much it harmonized me to be unfailingly lovely to everyone, no matter what their behavior was to me. “Are you sure you want me to write this unpleasant letter?” I kept asking. “Yes” she kept saying. She said I should not write what I had intended to write, which was to thank them for their help and kindness to me, since they were not helpful nor kind to me. That I should say the truth. That “I am sorry it did not work out for me and I hope their other customers have a better experience with their outfit than I did.”
Of course then I started to add things in my own mind, and it wrecked my peace of mind. I was glad when swim was over, I was going wicky wacky.
Of course then I started to add things in my own mind, and it wrecked my peace of mind. I was glad when swim was over, I was going wicky wacky.
That night, after I watched the wonderful movie “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington,” I went back to the unpleasant letter in my mind. I still couldn’t believe my Higher Self wanted me to write it. Again she gave me the words to say, again I got carried away and added a lot more in my mind, which upset me. So we went over and over the letter, so I would say just what she had me say, and nothing else. And when I turned on TV to see what time it was, I thought it was midnight, it was 4 AM. I guess the movie had come on at midnight, and then I had been beset in my mind about the letter for the whole second movie, it was just ending.
So the next morning, in all that beautiful Sunshine, and Spring in the air, I got out all my bills, I had not paid December bills. And first I wrote out checks for all of them. I did it all at the table in the backyard. Then I went and got the carburetor in the box. And I was going to get paper to write my unpleasant letter. But first I asked Bill “where is the invoice from Regis,” because I wanted to include that. Andy had said make a copy of that for myself and send him the original in the ziplock bag with my letter. And I studied the invoice. There was the installation of the carburetor, it said how they had to fix the malfunctioned carburetor. And then it was for the clutch. Parts and labor were listed separately. It was 900 for labor for both, which I guess is 10 hours, but nowhere was there separate itemization for labor spent fixing carburetor.
And as I studied the invoice I realized a lot of things. I realized there never was a 10 per cent off coupon which Tony had decided to give to me because I was so nice to him. That was the story he gave me to explain why he took 300 off my bill. That he had taken 300 off my bill to be swell to me, by leaving out things he had done. He took off the 90 spent on fixing the rebuilt carburetor because when I told him Jerry was reluctant to pay it, he knew they weren’t going to. And he found 210 elsewhere to take off. That was why he gave me the carburetor to mail back to them, because there was no invoice with it for work they had done.
Also after having slept on it, I was no longer upset about writing the unpleasant letter. All my emotions had gone away. I was perfectly willing to write the two sentences how it did not work out for me. I was able to be calm with it. This helped me, because it strengthened my hold on my peace. I actually thought that with my Higher Self holding my hand, and taking down dictation, I could be just as peaceful writing “I am sorry it did not work out for me, I hope your other customers have a better experience,” as if I were writing “thank you for all your kind help.” I was willing to trust my Higher Self knew best, what was best for all.
It had taken a full 24 hours to reach that place in my mind.
And so my Higher Self said "Then let’s forget all about the letter, Tony didn’t charge you for the work done to fix the carburetor, they don’t have to reimburse, let’s forget all about it, let’s just bring the carburetor to post office today, pay the 25 to send it back to them, and your dealings with them are over.” “What about the 45 Andy said they would pay?” “Forget about it, you’ve had non-stop hell dealing with them, let it be over now.”
Bill said “good idea.” He said an unpleasant letter would upset them and upset me, and we saved so much money, let’s just bring it to the post office.
It had taken a full 24 hours to reach that place in my mind.
And so my Higher Self said "Then let’s forget all about the letter, Tony didn’t charge you for the work done to fix the carburetor, they don’t have to reimburse, let’s forget all about it, let’s just bring the carburetor to post office today, pay the 25 to send it back to them, and your dealings with them are over.” “What about the 45 Andy said they would pay?” “Forget about it, you’ve had non-stop hell dealing with them, let it be over now.”
Bill said “good idea.” He said an unpleasant letter would upset them and upset me, and we saved so much money, let’s just bring it to the post office.
And 3 days ago we did. Bill said “I’ll carry it in for you.” And the man in post office was kind enough to tape it all up for me. He was very sympathetic and kind. I gave him very abbreviated story. I just said “how can I not buy the rebuilt one, when a new one costs 1000 more, but it turned out to be broken, so things were difficult.” He was so loving to me. He did everything. He packed up the carburetor in the old box. He taped it all up. He wrote out the address label for where it should go. He suggested for 65 cents I pay for proof of delivery. I said OK. And then I said “I bought my friend Sally a very pretty skirt for Christmas,” and I showed him my stamps, and he put the stamps on that. And he said “do you need new stamps? the quilt stamp is very pretty.” So I bought a book of quilt stamps, and some ones and twos for my old stamps. And it was all love and joy and help.
And I arrived back at the car and said “SUCCESS! carburetor is on its way to Florida, it’s all done and over with.” And Bill was so happy.
And we drove to swim pool for glorious swim in the Sunshine.
1/5/07 Friday “A Nice Afternoon”
Well the new year is launched. It is Friday, it is January 5th, on Monday it will be January 8th. I am upbeat. I think it will be a good year. We took the dogs to Fort Lowell Park yesterday. Beanie in the front with Bill, Lulu in the backseat with me. It is our third excursion together. And quite an adventure for all of us. Nothing is routine about it yet. It is high adventure from start to finish. It begins off with the adventure of getting the dogs into the car. Bill leads Beanie out on his leash, I lead Lulu out on her leash. Bill did not make me lock up the house because we took our dogs with us. I had never realized all his careful rules about shutting all the windows which open to front yard had to do with protecting the dogs. He said I didn’t even have to lock the door. Altho I was stunned when we returned back home that I had left front door wide open, I had meant to close it but not lock it. When we go with the dogs to the park, Bill and I do not get testy with each other in the car. We are each sweet as sugar because we are on suspenseful adventure. We drove into the parking lot and I took Lulu out on leash, he took Beanie out on leash, then he took both dogs, and said to me “you can swim for a whole hour.” And I saw him head with them in the direction of the duck pond. (He takes the dogs for long hike in the wash behind the park.)
It was a beautiful day. The sky was the prettiest shade of blue, the Sun was warm and brilliant. The adventure began at noon. So I had already spent the morning in the sunshine of the backyard wrapping Christmas presents. Beanie had already been taken for a little walk around the neighborhood. The idea of taking them both to the Park did not come to Bill till he had returned with Beanie to front yard, called for Lulu to be brought out, and was enjoying sunshine in front yard with both dogs.
“Maybe we can go to post office after park with the dogs and mail the presents” he said. “No” I said, “I only started wrapping the presents, I will finish wrapping them when we get home, it takes a while because I also write out the cards.” So I left everything on round metal garden table in backyard. The wrapping paper, the scissors, the scotch tape, the Christmas cards, and all the calendars we had bought as gifts for our families. I did not change my clothes. I was wearing long, very dark brown corduroy ruffled skirt, and a blue sleeveless blouse I had changed into because Sun was so hot. All I did before getting into backseat with Lulu was grab my bathing suit and towel.
After I saw Bill and the dogs off in the distance by the duck pond, I slipped my bathing suit on under my clothes, grabbed my swim bag, and headed for the pool. Samantha the head lifeguard was there. “I guess the water is back up to 84 degrees?” I asked before I took off my clothes and dived in. “No” she said, “it is 78, one of the heaters is broken and the boiler is broken too.” “78!” I said, “that is too cold, I won’t go in the water.” I saw a lot of other swimmers, but some people like swimming in cold water, I like it warm.
So I stood on sunshine filled deck and talked to the pretty brunette lifeguard because Sam had to go in office to do work. We talked for her whole shift, and had a very nice talk. Usually in winter the pool is deserted, except for the few hard core swimmers, which swim year round like me and Bill. But this winter the pool has been jammed every day, I can’t understand it. The pretty brunette lifeguard explained it is all businessmen who arrive on their lunch hour, they arrive in their fancy suits. “I thought businessmen belong to a gym” I said. She said “they swim here on their lunch hour and then go to the gym after work.” I asked her if she was going to swim and she said 78 is too cold for her. Her parents own a share in a hotel on Alvernon Road, so she will swim in their nice warm pool after work. None of the lifeguards had been in the water, 78 is too cold for all of them.
I said to her “you must know a lot, because you are here every day watching.” She said “yes, I am paid to observe.” I found it interesting about the phenomenon of the new Tucson businessmen, who drive up in fancy cars she told me, and swim on their lunch hour. I still find it odd they would choose the public pool. Each time one arrived from bathhouse in swimsuit, I said “it is only 78.” I was trying to warn them. But they said “perfect! I like cold water,” and dove right in for their work-out.
After her shift was finished a young man lifeguard came out and we chatted. He said “we are in an era of anything goes in terms of dress.” And I said “that is a good thing then.” He said “it is very extreme, anything goes means way out there.” I said “that is a good thing, because of freedom, if way out there is the norm, then it means you can wear anything in between and be fine, it gives so much freedom.” He said he doesn’t approve because “they show too much,” and he is Mormon and believes in modesty. I said “I still think freedom is the best.” He pointed out the pool is going to close in half an hour. And I said “I may as well summon up my courage to swim one lap, and then rush to hot shower.” And I started to put the cream rinse in my hair. I said “I have to do this, otherwise it turns into dreadlocks from the chlorine.” He had a crew cut, but he said his hair is the same, when he has long hair it is thick and curly like mine, and turns into dreadlocks when he swims. It made me feel so close to him that we have the same hair and that same problem with dreadlocks from swimming.
“Once I visited my mom when my hair was all dreadlocks from swimming and she said I looked like a wild woman, it upset her.” And he said “my mom does not like it when I have long hair.” “I guess moms like us to look normal” I said. That must have been the conversation which led him to tell me the style of dress now is way out there. I must have chatted with him long time before I finally braved the water.
Then I summoned up all my courage and dove in and to my huge surprise the water was just perfect. I couldn’t believe I had carried on thru 3 shifts of lifeguards and with 3 lifeguards about the too cold water, when the first thing I did when I got into the water was to kick myself I had spent my whole swim time chatting on the deck. The water was not 78, it was 83 and divine. Not only that, for first time in any of the pools, they had gotten the chemicals just right. They were finally very light and did not sting my eyes. The swim might have been abbreviated, but it was glorious. I called out to all the lifeguards that the water is perfect. It really was a heavenly swim. I couldn’t believe I had lucked out that way. I had assumed I would force myself to do one lap in freezing water, and instead I was having the loveliest swim of my life. It was such a treat. I relished every instant of it because I knew the clock was against me now. Which has its own advantage. Usually when I swim I think “how will I possibly stay in long time.” I look at the clock and hope it will move faster. It made it delicious treat that I didn’t want the clock to move, I just wanted to stay and enjoy myself. It really was a nice swim and was a special treat, because I hadn’t expected to swim at all.
It was so much fun to be deliciously happy in the water when I thought my whole time would be spent on deck missing out on my swim. It was the surprise swim. Of course if I had known how wonderful the water was, I would have swam whole time, instead of schmoozing with lifeguards on deck. But there is something special about how it all worked out. I mean it’s nice having all that long conviviality with the lifeguards, getting to know them and letting them get to know me, and the swim being the cherry on the top. It’s even nice that I carried on so much about the too cold water, and then when I hit the water was in pure joy. Because the lifeguards all work so hard to make the pool nice for people. They had no idea the water really was a joy till I squealed in ecstasy when I was in it.
Bill and dogs arrived at fence just at last minute of swim. “Do I have to get out now, Sam?” I asked. She said “you have 3 more minutes.” I said “I will take it.” Bill called out, “Beanie found you, he found you in the pool.” And I called out “Hi Beanie! Hi Lulu!” Then at the very last instant I began to swim towards my swim bag. “You don’t have to stay out and watch me, Sam” I said, “I am a junior lifesaver.” She said “it is so nice out here in the sunshine, I want to stay out.” So then I rested on the ladder in the water, and Sam and the 2 lifeguards and I all kidded around about the pool. I said “when are you going to put in those hot tubs in the girls and boys bathhouse, Sam?” She said “when I win the lottery.” There are no roofs in the bathhouses at Fort Lowell Pool. So I said “it will be nice to be under blue sky and sunshine naked in the hot tubs.” And the lifeguards all teased each other about who will call up Jimmy, who runs all the pools, to request the naked hot tubs. “You call” the young man said to the pretty brunette, “but don’t give your name.” The lifeguards have all been working like dogs to remove the algae from the water, plus all those phone calls to maintenance to repair the broken heater and boiler. Sam said “we have been marketing the pool wrong, we have to call it a spa, and say how the cold water makes your skin so lovely, and the algae gives it exquisiteness.” We were all happy in the sunshine making jokes about when the public pools will put in naked hot tubs for all of us.
I had arrived at the same time the plumber for the Parks Department had arrived to fix the sink in the girls bathhouse. I said to Sam “I’ll wait to take my hot shower till he is finished, I’m not going to stand naked under the shower while he is there.” Sam said “the sinks are on the other side, you can take your shower.” “Are you saying I can be naked under shower while plumber is there,” I giggled, “OK whatever you say, Sam.” When plumber left, I was still on deck, and he made that sign with your fingers, that O which means all is perfect now, and smiled at me. And when I was leaving, I started to giggle. I thought “Sam won’t have any more trouble getting plumbers to fix problems in women’s bathhouse, now that she ruled they can work while the women are naked in the shower.”
I took hot shower and washed my hair, and put on a lot of cream rinse because the dreadlocks are beginning again. And when I arrived back on deck, it was the most glorious view. The blue sky had turned into startling deep blue, the mountains were etched against it, it was a view from heaven. And I found Bill and both dogs by the bench by the duck pond, and it was beautiful watching the ducks swimming in the water. And one flew and that was incredibly lovely, that white bird flapping its wings. It was so nice sitting there amidst such beauty that Bill didn’t want to leave at first. But then he said “OK, back into the car.” And when we were in the car he said to all 3 of us, “I gave you all a nice treat,” which was true. And then we got back home and I discovered I had left front door wide open, and I was surprised at myself. But it was luxurious just to walk right in my house. Then I closed the door and took Lulu off the leash and Bill had to spend 20 minutes coaxing Beanie to come out of the car.
Beanie must like driving in the car because when we get home he won’t get out. I was already back in the backyard wrapping presents again, when Beanie finally arrived. I was able to give Lulu her lunch in peace, Beanie has problem of stealing Lulu’s food, because he was in the front seat of the 2nd hand Chrysler refusing to get out, while I cooked lunch for myself, served Lulu delicious fried chicken, and then went to backyard and gift wrapped calendars.
It was a totally nice afternoon....
Well the new year is launched. It is Friday, it is January 5th, on Monday it will be January 8th. I am upbeat. I think it will be a good year. We took the dogs to Fort Lowell Park yesterday. Beanie in the front with Bill, Lulu in the backseat with me. It is our third excursion together. And quite an adventure for all of us. Nothing is routine about it yet. It is high adventure from start to finish. It begins off with the adventure of getting the dogs into the car. Bill leads Beanie out on his leash, I lead Lulu out on her leash. Bill did not make me lock up the house because we took our dogs with us. I had never realized all his careful rules about shutting all the windows which open to front yard had to do with protecting the dogs. He said I didn’t even have to lock the door. Altho I was stunned when we returned back home that I had left front door wide open, I had meant to close it but not lock it. When we go with the dogs to the park, Bill and I do not get testy with each other in the car. We are each sweet as sugar because we are on suspenseful adventure. We drove into the parking lot and I took Lulu out on leash, he took Beanie out on leash, then he took both dogs, and said to me “you can swim for a whole hour.” And I saw him head with them in the direction of the duck pond. (He takes the dogs for long hike in the wash behind the park.)
It was a beautiful day. The sky was the prettiest shade of blue, the Sun was warm and brilliant. The adventure began at noon. So I had already spent the morning in the sunshine of the backyard wrapping Christmas presents. Beanie had already been taken for a little walk around the neighborhood. The idea of taking them both to the Park did not come to Bill till he had returned with Beanie to front yard, called for Lulu to be brought out, and was enjoying sunshine in front yard with both dogs.
“Maybe we can go to post office after park with the dogs and mail the presents” he said. “No” I said, “I only started wrapping the presents, I will finish wrapping them when we get home, it takes a while because I also write out the cards.” So I left everything on round metal garden table in backyard. The wrapping paper, the scissors, the scotch tape, the Christmas cards, and all the calendars we had bought as gifts for our families. I did not change my clothes. I was wearing long, very dark brown corduroy ruffled skirt, and a blue sleeveless blouse I had changed into because Sun was so hot. All I did before getting into backseat with Lulu was grab my bathing suit and towel.
After I saw Bill and the dogs off in the distance by the duck pond, I slipped my bathing suit on under my clothes, grabbed my swim bag, and headed for the pool. Samantha the head lifeguard was there. “I guess the water is back up to 84 degrees?” I asked before I took off my clothes and dived in. “No” she said, “it is 78, one of the heaters is broken and the boiler is broken too.” “78!” I said, “that is too cold, I won’t go in the water.” I saw a lot of other swimmers, but some people like swimming in cold water, I like it warm.
So I stood on sunshine filled deck and talked to the pretty brunette lifeguard because Sam had to go in office to do work. We talked for her whole shift, and had a very nice talk. Usually in winter the pool is deserted, except for the few hard core swimmers, which swim year round like me and Bill. But this winter the pool has been jammed every day, I can’t understand it. The pretty brunette lifeguard explained it is all businessmen who arrive on their lunch hour, they arrive in their fancy suits. “I thought businessmen belong to a gym” I said. She said “they swim here on their lunch hour and then go to the gym after work.” I asked her if she was going to swim and she said 78 is too cold for her. Her parents own a share in a hotel on Alvernon Road, so she will swim in their nice warm pool after work. None of the lifeguards had been in the water, 78 is too cold for all of them.
I said to her “you must know a lot, because you are here every day watching.” She said “yes, I am paid to observe.” I found it interesting about the phenomenon of the new Tucson businessmen, who drive up in fancy cars she told me, and swim on their lunch hour. I still find it odd they would choose the public pool. Each time one arrived from bathhouse in swimsuit, I said “it is only 78.” I was trying to warn them. But they said “perfect! I like cold water,” and dove right in for their work-out.
After her shift was finished a young man lifeguard came out and we chatted. He said “we are in an era of anything goes in terms of dress.” And I said “that is a good thing then.” He said “it is very extreme, anything goes means way out there.” I said “that is a good thing, because of freedom, if way out there is the norm, then it means you can wear anything in between and be fine, it gives so much freedom.” He said he doesn’t approve because “they show too much,” and he is Mormon and believes in modesty. I said “I still think freedom is the best.” He pointed out the pool is going to close in half an hour. And I said “I may as well summon up my courage to swim one lap, and then rush to hot shower.” And I started to put the cream rinse in my hair. I said “I have to do this, otherwise it turns into dreadlocks from the chlorine.” He had a crew cut, but he said his hair is the same, when he has long hair it is thick and curly like mine, and turns into dreadlocks when he swims. It made me feel so close to him that we have the same hair and that same problem with dreadlocks from swimming.
“Once I visited my mom when my hair was all dreadlocks from swimming and she said I looked like a wild woman, it upset her.” And he said “my mom does not like it when I have long hair.” “I guess moms like us to look normal” I said. That must have been the conversation which led him to tell me the style of dress now is way out there. I must have chatted with him long time before I finally braved the water.
Then I summoned up all my courage and dove in and to my huge surprise the water was just perfect. I couldn’t believe I had carried on thru 3 shifts of lifeguards and with 3 lifeguards about the too cold water, when the first thing I did when I got into the water was to kick myself I had spent my whole swim time chatting on the deck. The water was not 78, it was 83 and divine. Not only that, for first time in any of the pools, they had gotten the chemicals just right. They were finally very light and did not sting my eyes. The swim might have been abbreviated, but it was glorious. I called out to all the lifeguards that the water is perfect. It really was a heavenly swim. I couldn’t believe I had lucked out that way. I had assumed I would force myself to do one lap in freezing water, and instead I was having the loveliest swim of my life. It was such a treat. I relished every instant of it because I knew the clock was against me now. Which has its own advantage. Usually when I swim I think “how will I possibly stay in long time.” I look at the clock and hope it will move faster. It made it delicious treat that I didn’t want the clock to move, I just wanted to stay and enjoy myself. It really was a nice swim and was a special treat, because I hadn’t expected to swim at all.
It was so much fun to be deliciously happy in the water when I thought my whole time would be spent on deck missing out on my swim. It was the surprise swim. Of course if I had known how wonderful the water was, I would have swam whole time, instead of schmoozing with lifeguards on deck. But there is something special about how it all worked out. I mean it’s nice having all that long conviviality with the lifeguards, getting to know them and letting them get to know me, and the swim being the cherry on the top. It’s even nice that I carried on so much about the too cold water, and then when I hit the water was in pure joy. Because the lifeguards all work so hard to make the pool nice for people. They had no idea the water really was a joy till I squealed in ecstasy when I was in it.
Bill and dogs arrived at fence just at last minute of swim. “Do I have to get out now, Sam?” I asked. She said “you have 3 more minutes.” I said “I will take it.” Bill called out, “Beanie found you, he found you in the pool.” And I called out “Hi Beanie! Hi Lulu!” Then at the very last instant I began to swim towards my swim bag. “You don’t have to stay out and watch me, Sam” I said, “I am a junior lifesaver.” She said “it is so nice out here in the sunshine, I want to stay out.” So then I rested on the ladder in the water, and Sam and the 2 lifeguards and I all kidded around about the pool. I said “when are you going to put in those hot tubs in the girls and boys bathhouse, Sam?” She said “when I win the lottery.” There are no roofs in the bathhouses at Fort Lowell Pool. So I said “it will be nice to be under blue sky and sunshine naked in the hot tubs.” And the lifeguards all teased each other about who will call up Jimmy, who runs all the pools, to request the naked hot tubs. “You call” the young man said to the pretty brunette, “but don’t give your name.” The lifeguards have all been working like dogs to remove the algae from the water, plus all those phone calls to maintenance to repair the broken heater and boiler. Sam said “we have been marketing the pool wrong, we have to call it a spa, and say how the cold water makes your skin so lovely, and the algae gives it exquisiteness.” We were all happy in the sunshine making jokes about when the public pools will put in naked hot tubs for all of us.
I had arrived at the same time the plumber for the Parks Department had arrived to fix the sink in the girls bathhouse. I said to Sam “I’ll wait to take my hot shower till he is finished, I’m not going to stand naked under the shower while he is there.” Sam said “the sinks are on the other side, you can take your shower.” “Are you saying I can be naked under shower while plumber is there,” I giggled, “OK whatever you say, Sam.” When plumber left, I was still on deck, and he made that sign with your fingers, that O which means all is perfect now, and smiled at me. And when I was leaving, I started to giggle. I thought “Sam won’t have any more trouble getting plumbers to fix problems in women’s bathhouse, now that she ruled they can work while the women are naked in the shower.”
I took hot shower and washed my hair, and put on a lot of cream rinse because the dreadlocks are beginning again. And when I arrived back on deck, it was the most glorious view. The blue sky had turned into startling deep blue, the mountains were etched against it, it was a view from heaven. And I found Bill and both dogs by the bench by the duck pond, and it was beautiful watching the ducks swimming in the water. And one flew and that was incredibly lovely, that white bird flapping its wings. It was so nice sitting there amidst such beauty that Bill didn’t want to leave at first. But then he said “OK, back into the car.” And when we were in the car he said to all 3 of us, “I gave you all a nice treat,” which was true. And then we got back home and I discovered I had left front door wide open, and I was surprised at myself. But it was luxurious just to walk right in my house. Then I closed the door and took Lulu off the leash and Bill had to spend 20 minutes coaxing Beanie to come out of the car.
Beanie must like driving in the car because when we get home he won’t get out. I was already back in the backyard wrapping presents again, when Beanie finally arrived. I was able to give Lulu her lunch in peace, Beanie has problem of stealing Lulu’s food, because he was in the front seat of the 2nd hand Chrysler refusing to get out, while I cooked lunch for myself, served Lulu delicious fried chicken, and then went to backyard and gift wrapped calendars.
It was a totally nice afternoon....
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