Brake Jobs, Boob Jobs And A Goat Named G....Part I

That pretty much sums up my last few weeks. Nothing says I'm going on a mini-vacation quite like an unexpected trip to see the mechanic. Twice. At least we're not on a first-name basis. Yet. If you've been following along and paying attention I had a picnic, book signing and high-school reunion to go to all in the span of one week. Nothing unusual about this except it required a lot of driving and wouldn't you know it, my brakes couldn't wait until I returned from my trip to Ohio. Luckily, the garage was able to work me in and I got a brand new set of rotors and pads for the front of my car. The first time I drove the car it didn't feel right. Plus, smoke poured from the left front tire. I drove 90 miles to The Atlanta Writer's Club Picnic and back having to stop every ten minutes or so to check the status of the smoke and the smells that were coming from the brakes. I made it home safely but since it was late Saturday afternoon I would have to wait until Monday to take it back into the shop. I packed over the weekend and everything was ready but my car. I had convinced myself that everything was okay, but I still took the car back to the mechanic. I explained everything and he even got in the car with me and took it for a drive but there wasn't any smoke, only the same sensation that something didn't feel right. I made it to Dayton and stayed with Sister for a few days and we did the things that we normally do: eat and shop. Sister got a new van to replace the one that was totaled in May when a guy ran a red light and hit her head-on and it's the exact same color as the one she had. I might have picked a different color but as she says, it matches her eyes. On Friday, I headed to Adams County in southern Ohio and spent the evening with old friends talking about old times and childhood memories. It's always a good time when I get to spend time with Barbie and her family. Barbie is two years younger than me but we played basketball and went to church together, plus we were neighbors and she married one of the boys in my class, so it's always felt like she is part of our class, too. Here are some more of the things I enjoyed while hanging out in my old home town: Doughnuts from the Amish store Soft-serve chocolate from the machine Sam's tastee freeze--best pizza burgers in town, closed now Saturday was a big day and I was thrilled to participate in the Local Author Book Fest at the Peebles Library sponsored by the Peebles Magazine Club. Here are a few of the highlights: My table My Aunt Mary Lisa, a fellow classmate and local lawyer We had a terrific turnout and I was especially pleased to be sitting beside one of my favorite local authors...