Heavy Loom and Opening Day

In the category of making lemonade from lemons, Elaine had a pretty good week. Of course, when Elaine has a good week, it usually involves me lifting something heavy.

If you have followed Monner’s Mumblings for a while, you might remember that Elaine celebrated thirty years of service with the same electrical engineering firm. Along with some kind of glass table ornament, Elaine was gifted a substantial amount of money to be used for a pre-determined gift. Elaine chose to use the money to buy a loom. The exact model of loom she used in college so many years ago.

Much to her parents dismay, Elaine received a degree in weaving, not the underwater basket weaving degree, just good ol’ on land, fiber weaving degree. OK, I had better stop in case Elaine decides to read this. Elaine has an art education degree with a concentration in weaving.

Yes, Elaine has/had a teaching certificate. Being on the receiving end of one little stabbing incident with a student was all it took to give up teaching. No amount of coaxing from myself and her mentors could talk her into teaching those little (construction language) again, she never lost interest in teaching, just little (construction language)'s.

The university mistakenly sent Elaine two diplomas, one in Humanities and one in Fine Arts. They asked Elaine to send one back, but by then I had taught her some construction language and she told them, “(Construction language), come and get it. Molon labe!

Excuse me, I think I was rambling.

Anyway, last year Elaine ordered a hand built loom with her gift money from a company on the east coast. The same company that built the loom she had used in college. Keep in mind Elaine was in college more than a few days ago, and it is very impressive that this company was still in business. Loom companies come and go.

At the time Elaine ordered the loom, she was told it would take about six months to build and deliver the loom. Six months is a long time, but Elaine was willing to wait.

The six months went by quickly, but sadly the loom did not arrive. Elaine called the company and was told Elaine’s loom would be next in line. Seven months, eight months, Elaine was hanging in there. Me? Not so much!

Me: Where is your loom? Elaine: I’ve been calling them, they say its next. Me: I doesn’t take that long to build ANYTHING! Elaine: They haven’t even cashed my check. Me: That loom is never coming. Elaine: Stay out of it, it’s coming.

Well, Elaine was right. (It really hurts to say that.) A couple months ago the company cashed Elaine’s check. A delivery date was set, which incidentally was EXACTLY one year from the date the order was placed. Elaine was so excited.

Elaine: My loom is being shipped. Me: Finally. Elaine: I’m saving some money by having the loom shipped to the store. Me: Sounds good.

Along comes BEERVIRUS and we must close the store. The loom is coming to the store and no one will be there. After several phone calls to trucking companies, it was decided Ol’ Monner can meet the truck at the store and bring it home to Elaine.

Here is the heavy lifting part. Two-hundred fifty pounds. We have looms at the store that weigh less than two pounds. We have looms at the store that weigh sixty pounds. One hundred pounds; we have ‘em. Elaine was not interested in any of those. Elaine had to get a loom that weighs two-hundred fifty pounds. Why? Why? She wore bell-bottomed jeans in college, she doesn’t wear them now.

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Ivy and I got the loom in the house. Elaine is extremely happy, so much so she is actually enjoying her beervirus quarantine. Me? Not so much.

I love baseball. I love playing it, watching it, coaching it, I love baseball. It seems my employers love baseball also.

In my childhood years, the closest major league team was hundreds of miles from my home. Going to a major league game was near to impossible. I finally was able to attend a game in Houston while I happened to be working there. (My beloved St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Houston Astros. I loved the Cardinals because I played on the Little League Cardinals in my hometown.)

This year, my employers bought tickets for the entire company to go to the Opening Day game for the Colorado Rockies. I have never been to an Opening Day game. BEERVIRUS! Who knew, someone eating undercooked bats (Bear Gryllis wouldn’t even try that) on the opposite side of the world ruined Opening Day for me. Of course, Elaine has a new two-hundred fifty pound loom. Me? I’m just wondering how the game would have turned out.

To add to the family disappointment,while Elaine plays with her two-hundred fifty pound loom, Ivy’s half-marathon and my four mile race was cancelled. I guess cancelled, isn’t exactly what happened. The race turned into a virtual race, where you ran 13.1 miles by yourself and sent in your time and a description of the course you ran to the race organizers to receive your accolades. Yesterday, Ivy ran 13.1 miles while I provided encouragement riding next to her on my bicycle. Elaine, you guessed it, quarantined with her loom. (She was not complaining.)

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Please, stay safe, stay healthy and God Bless. Oh yeah, don’t eat bats, under or fully cooked.

Our crazy lives!