I'm so dizzy, my head is spinnin

Yesterday was a roller coaster of fun, sadness, comedy, discovery and chores. I had the friend and her family coming to get the piano. I was sad to let it go, it was a memory of the way the mate loved me, but I am glad it will be made functional again and a boy may become a player from having it there. I liked the whole pile of them , too.

Before the circus that piano moving resembles began I pulled the piano rolls I wanted for the bar piano and left the rest for the kids to pick over. Then I decided I wanted to listen to the Traveler's tunes on the computer while I worked on the website.

This meant going up to the mate's computer and retrieving my speakers. I hardly ever use the sound on my machine and had let him have the low profile, classy set that came with it. While I was up there I found a spare bulb for the antique night lamp by the extra bed so I decided to change out the burnt out one with a "thank you, mate" for the spare he had already purchased.

The stand beside the bed is a book/magazine stand. Once the light worked I started checking to see if there were any potential re-reads there as I am almost done with the book I am reading. On the bottom shelf were all the photo albums I could not find for the memorial.

The lost loose pages, the critter album, the one the kids and his mom made him after the fire and more of travels and adventures. I was lost in memories in moments. The swamp open house, the trip he took with his BFF, the '75 wing, the bike we called Big Red, the black 1100 wing, the silver 1200 wing, the wedding day, the eldest daughter digging a fire pit, the first grandson as an infant, the five generation photo from a reunion, the big bike break down a friend had on the Midnight Ride one year, my dad.....

They were too big a stack for me to make the stairs with so I left them piled on the bed. I went back to the original project and got the speakers. I left it all up there except the tears, I took them down with me. I managed to find an unused power outlet on my master box and got the speakers set up ok. Then I had the new tunes to distract me. I got back under control. Stifled.

The phone rang. It was my sis in law calling to say the bro in law wanted to work in the basement and to ask if she could she practice her new make up line on me. Yes and Yes, I told her! Anything to get the water levels under control in the basement! Even make up.

I have perfume allergies and mystery allergies. They only developed in my late 40's. I am allergic to wool, the material of my youth for winter, also. This means I shop the detergent and cleaner isle at full speed, holding my breath, and that I don't do candle stores. And I don't wear make up anymore. Too much of the stuff messes me up. But what the hay, I could try it.

So Sis and Bro got there first. He took right off for the basement and we were just getting started playing make over when the piano movers arrived. My GF, her mate and two kids plus her girl's BF, who played guitar; Fairly well for a youngster. I set him to changing my strings while the Sis got two more places set up to do faces. I ran over and coached the male of the pair through removing the screen door and the railing on one side of the porch to get his trailer backed up flush for loading.

The Bro was quietly puttering in the basement all this time. I had three pots of coffee by then and the piano team brought OJ and rolls. I made sure everyone got a beverage that wanted one and then we ladies settled down to gooping up our hands, after sand blasting them, and washing our faces with lots of strange stuff that included more buffing compound for skin. Weird.

I told the boys that they could pick any of the piano rolls they wanted and that I would get rid of the rest. They totally surprised me by being familiar with many of the old songs and gospel tunes I had. We are talking songs that I like from my grama's gen, some of them and they really KNEW them. What a hoot! So they took them all and I threw in the Elvis roll for the 15 year old that loves Elvis!

I got them a couple boxes and when they finished loading them I heard the guitar being played quietly. I hollered for a song, never did get one. He said he doesn't sing. The rolls were fresh, the coffee was hot and so was the humor. We went on with the face project. I did react to one eye product that caused immediate redness but I got it right off and the rest of the stuff worked ok. We did before and after pictures that cracked me up but the Sis enters them in a contest for a free massage so I held still for it. I want to see her make it with this if it is what she wants to do.

I heard a blues riff coming from the living room and bounced up again to run in and show him the really easy one I know to add to his for variety. Then it was time to move the piano. Where two stubborn men with piano caddies had manhandled it in, it took six people to get it on the trailer. Nothing broke, no one got hurt and we didn't lose it when it hung up on the threshold. It was great team work by the family and the Sis. With my hip, I am supervisor for heavy lifting.

The boys went to tie down the piano while the Dad put the house back together. We filled out our paperwork and told each other how nice we looked. I did get some of the face buffing compound to play with but skipped the make up.

The phone rang. It was my bf Daring Dame. She needs to come see me. Ok, I tell her. We set a loose time target for it and we hang up. THEN I remmeber she is allergic to animal hair! All we have done all day is stir up hair!

The family was ready to leave. They gave me hugs, even the BF, and I invited them back anytime with a promise to visit. Just as they pulled out the rain started... I think they got ahead of it. I will hear the rest of the story later.

The bro sent the sis to town for things for the basement. He worked along with a fresh cup of coffee I got for him. I got the air filtration system out and started sucking up dust dinosaurs from where the piano had been. All the stuff from on top of it is on the mate's endtable. Where it stood by the door is a clean, but empty, space I put a bench, an upright chair and a small corner table along the wall for now, but it is, again, different than it was before and different than yesterday.

I tried to hit all the high spots where critter fur tends to collect in our home thinking of my friend as I cleaned. I got all the way around once and put the machine away just as the Sis got back with the parts.

She went down to the basement with her mate and worked with him for awhile . I got the coffee cups and such all picked up and rinsed off, wiped down the counters and called it good enough. They would not let me even pay for the parts so I gave them about 20 pounds of prime beef in assorted cuts with some burger.

I got two more hugs as they left and, of course, forgot their meat. I was too slow to catch them. I cussed to myself and put it back into the freezer for next time. They have kids at home and will use it before I will. I may even get rid of the freezer.

I needed some cat food. I had not gotten the mail. A glance at the clock told me I had time so I ran to the little store. It was closed! I headed for the back door thinking they might have shut down while they were out back for stock and Mar was just coming out. "It's only 7:20, why are you closing early tonight?", I asked. I was concerned, she never closes early.

"It's 8: 20 and happy daylight savings time to you to, Val." she says.

"Rotten Mate didn't change the clocks, darn him! How was I suposed to know?" I complain.

"Oh, let's see.....it happens every year since you were born?"She smiled and went on her way and I went home to my annoying cats. I went to change the clocks and the one on the coffee pot was changed already.....I did the alarm and kitchen clock and then made a quick supper.

The gf called, she hit a snag and we rescheduled the visit. I sent the link to the test layouts to Too Tall and a link to the blog to my little sis then went to bed. I walked throught the empty feeling living room and picked up the guitar. I made it clear through two songs with only a little roughness on the high notes but with serious dents in my practically virgin fingertips.

The dogs were sleeping on the couch, the cat was in the chair, every thing looked peaceful and tidy and my house feels all wrong to me. I crawled off to my secret shame, the bedroom that I have tried to keep for us as it was, and realized that, if the nephew was getting a dresser, that this refuge of yesterdays would be next. I crawled into bed and did what comes naturally.

With all the fun and distractions I try to keep in my days I still have the nights to face. My mate and I loved each other so much and it filled us both so full - heart, body and soul - that being alone feels like I have lost a little more every day of that, once constantly recharged, love. After so long I feel just a shell of myself filled with warm salt water. It pours out endlessly though my eyes. How much water in the human body? How many tears it that? How long can you keep crying? Day 69.