Our incredible lightening-flash journey from there, to here was splattered with tremendous good luck. As I mentioned here: teddunlap.net/kicked-into-hyperdrive I was extremely grateful for copious quantities of good fortune in making it all happen. As I also suggested in bitterrootbugle.com/rare-birds I DO understand that “good luck” is only part luck.
Nevertheless, I have considered myself to be on an incredible lucky streak with darn-near everything going my way. Then I lost it. The Midas Touch left my hands. Some things just didn’t go my way. I was sanguine about it. I had a heckuva run. I got more than any one man deserves. I was grateful for the long-enough run of luck that delivered Missy and me to Nervana. Love what I got. Make do with what comes next.
Whaddya-know, my hot hand seems to be back.
I’ve been asking around the music scene to find not only no hope of a recreational year-round jazz/blues/dixieland band, but no optimism that such a thing could take place in the Bitterroot. I’ve hit every music teacher, ex-music teacher and musician I have run across. Give me some company to play with … I’m okay driving to Hamilton or Stevensville, but of course would prefer Darby. NO HOPE.
Last night’s sit-in drummer for the Bitterroot Community Band, Alex, is the music teacher for the Darby high school. He is the FIRST ONE to not only express interest, but enthusiasm for a little jazz combo like what I started in Grangeville and Kuna. Yee-Haw!!!
Second area is the Honda CRX scooter I’ve kept on life support for a year and a half. Its fuel economy alone paid for all of its costs in the first 14 months: A free car. I was ready to sell my free car rather than put money into it. I got talked out of that. The CRX got new ball joints, new tires and new brakes. Well under my thousand-dollar budget, the Honda is quite pleasant to drive now and returning 50 miles-per-gallon in my rural Montana driving … saving me money every mile I use it instead of my four-wheel-drive gas hog GMC pickup that only gets 22 miles per gallon!
Yeah, I know I’m a world apart from the average Joe.
So two days after my CRX upgrades, the new brakes get challenged.
Coming the other way on a two-lane, a Subaru station wagon is herding a BIG deer towards me. I had let off and was already slowing down for the upcoming 35mph zone when I rounded the bend to see this pair. I began braking at a reasonable level. Bambi decided to cut across in front of me.
Solid Rock (a zillion pounds) – Solid Subaru (3,000 pounds) – or the possibility of maybe hitting Bambi (400 pounds).
DANG! The new brakes work GREAT!
Better still, my luck has most certainly returned.
Two black streaks lead up to where the front end of my CRX stopped short of Bambi by a foot or so. New brakes are functionaly and fully tested. My lucky streak is back on track.
CRX – VS – Deer body work estimate FAR EXCEEDS the $350 cost of new brakes on all four corners.
And I get to keep the brakes.
Mr. Lucky is back on track.
