Hwy 77

Yesterday my blood pressure was extremely high - the meds I'm taking are not as effective as I'd like. Gina recommended that I head back to the gym since my blood sugar numbers are down. Jose' suggested the same. I went and worked out and my blood pressure went down to a normal level. I can't depend on pills and diet alone. My energy did not fail me today. I got on the treadmill and used the strength training machines at GSCC.

I crashed later in the day after picking up the girls. I had a headache, but glad the numbers went down. I've got to stay on top of this thing. I dozed off for about an hour during the late afternoon after helping Kelsey with her homework. Gina called and told me to take some asperin for the headache. I got off the couch and did as she asked.

She called me ten minutes later. The van died in a bad place on Hwy 77 - south bound traffic in front of The Fisherman. I loaded my girls into the van and made my way to her. I called AAA and requested immediate help. They usually take too long in response but they were on top of things tonight. By the time I got Gina, she was in good hands. Our neighbor (the FBI dude) saw her van and stopped. He turned on his lights. Gina was stopped on the hill without any lights - alternator related - no emergency flasher. Thank you God for FBI agent neighbors with flashy lights in their cars. Two policemen had joined the light show. One parked in front of our van and the other behind it. Gina's voice was no longer strained - she was out there chatting away and laughing with the officers and our neighbor. AAA showed up and hauled the car off.

I was glad that help reached her before I could. I was glad that Gina wasn't out there without lights as cars came up that hill. Every time we have that van hauled away, I wonder if it's the last time. We really can't afford a big fix or a new used vehicle. Our neighbor (the FBI dude) looked at her odometer and remarked how those Caravans aren't made to roll that long. Gina likes her old van - I don't know why - most of the buttons, doors, and switches don't work anymore.

Something interesting happened to me this week. Yesterday while pulling out from Leota onto 77, I noticed shattered glass on the road. I stopped the car and looked at the glass. I saw oodles of pennies. As I looked, I saw other coins too. No one was behind me, so I put the car in park and picked up as much of the found money as I could. Eventually a car stopped behind me and I decided to move along.

This morning I did the same thing. I didn't see as much money. No quarters, dimes, or nickels this time - not at first. I decided nevetheless to do the Ben Franklin thing and go for the pennies. Funny thing, almost every time that I reached down to pick up pennies, I saw dimes and nickels. I would try to stand up and look for silver coins but I didn't see any. I only saw the silver coins when I reached down to pick up the meager pennies. It wasn't until I lowered myself to grasp that which was of the least value - was I able to see the reflection of a coins of greater value.

I don't know if that means anything to the reader, but it meant something to me. There I was picking up pennies amid the glass and finding something of greater value in the process. The glass caught my eyes first and then the pennies. I only caught the sun's reflection in the silver coins as I bent down to pick up the pennies. I looked at all the found coins - they weren't very pretty after being in the road all that time. Dented coins - but still of value. Pretty cool moment.