Meeting at our house, planning, car issues, Dallas bound(?)

Mama and I met at the house in Chico yesterday evening. I got the keys and one garage door remote from the title company late in the afternoon and Mama was chomping at the bit to get to the house and open it for ourselves. She picked up Victoria on the way and the two of them got there very quickly after I arrived. They brought a skunk smell with them. Man, was it powerful.

We have noticed a strong skunk smell at the Chico house the last several times we have gone there but were never quite sure where it was originating. Yesterday, as Mama and Victoria drove up the county road to the house, she got the impression that a skunk sprayed the truck as they passed. I would not be able to argue with her based on the power of the odor when she arrived.

After sorting out the keys we were given and failing to get the remote I bought programmed properly, we headed home – at least I did. Mama and Victoria went from the house to the local Sherman Williams dealer. I have not learned yet who that is, but they were able to cross reference all the colors Mama had picked out from another paint swatch so the painter can get the right colors per the selections Mama has made.

Painting has always been a challenge with Mama because she likes a large amount of variation from room to room. We have always ended up buying two gallons of six different colors rather than five gallons of two different colors. The end result is a lot of gallon cans with a little bit of paint left in them.

That in itself is not bad. It is trying to match the color several years down the road that has presented the biggest challenge; or trying to touch up one patch of wall only to have the color come our slightly different from the rest of the wall and not having enough volume of paint to do the entire wall. Still, amid the variations in color throughout the house, it always comes out looking good to her.

Grandpa is going to look at the little van this morning because I noticed it leaking transmission fluid at the front of the engine yesterday when I stopped to open the gates at the Chico house. That usually means a loose or cracked transmission cooler line, but I did not have enough light to diagnose it yesterday evening.

Depending on how that turns out, Mama and Grandpa will leave this fairly early this morning for Dallas to pick up my oil and to get the gas range we have been negotiating on. I told Grandpa that if the little van needs to go to the mechanic they should drop it off on their way out of town. If it is an easy repair, that is all the better.

Mama is not sure about making the trip today to get the gas stove from the guy selling it. I do not know if it is only the time on the road, her fear of Dallas traffic, or thinking something is amiss with the seller, but she is a little reluctant to go today. She asked me last night if I was going to the extra effort and expense of putting in a gas stove just to make her happy.

Well, duh!