"Tell us your phobias and we'll tell you what you're afraid of." - Robert Benchley

A friend sent this to me the other day via Facebook.

I don't ache as much today but I have no energy for anything. As a sign things are getting better my mind says, "Let's go...." but as soon as I stand up my body says, "Ain't gonna happen." And I continue to fall asleep after five minutes of sitting. And no appetite.
The cough that's appeared today can stick around for three more, but better be GONE by Sunday!

Because I've spent most of the day on my butt I've learned some interesting things,

• Roman soldiers wore a variety of breastplates depending on their wealth (Sunday's sermon). 
• the violinist and composer Pablo de Sarasate had so many female admirers that he kept little hand fans in his dressing room to give them when they swooned in his presence.
• Sears and Roebuck once sold a car, the Allstate, through its catalog. I saw one today after reading about it online. Cute little thing powered by a two cylinder, two stroke engine.
• Harper Lee's only novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," has been (or should be) read by every American high school student. It was announced today that she will publish a second novel, a sequel. An automatic must-read. Did you know she was Truman Capote's personal secretary? 

There's a potentially serious problem (read: expensive) problem with the Dodge truck. The oil pressure sometimes fluctuates from zero to normal when I start it up. Once it stabilizes it stays there for the rest of my drive. Stop, get back in and start it up, and the problem will often recur. First step: replace the sensor unit (cheap) and hope that's the problem and not the oil pump. 

I like this truck. It's solid, drives easily, has decent power for a V6, and looks good for a 10-year old vehicle. But no oil pressure is a problem that one can't ignore without serious consequences.

In other vehicle news, in the mail today I got the kit from Eastwood that I'll use to refurbish the Chevy's steering wheel. At 56 years old it's cracked and missing large chunks of the original material in places, leaving the metal ring showing through. A new steering wheel runs $300, but for less than $50 and several hours of work I can have this one looking just as good. Grind out the gaps to get a clean edge, mix this special epoxy and push it in place, grind & sand to the proper profile, and then paint. It's the same way professional restorers do it, so I'm cautiously optimistic. Pics when I start the project. 

If we had it to do over again we'd do the same thing - vaccinate our kids. That said, I'm not comfortable with telling parents what they must do to their children, especially when it comes to putting a foreign substance in their bodies. Everything I've read says the risks are extremely minimal or non-existent (the one study showing a link between the vaccine and autism was debunked and the author lost his medical license) and the benefits very significant, not only for the child but for public health. But the parent's role in caring for their child seems sacrosanct and should only be violated in the most serious of situations, including an immediate and present threat to the child's safety (abuse). 

Yeah, I can see both sides on this one even if the vaccine poses no danger.

Pam will be home in a little under two hours. Between now and then I hope to get the dishwasher emptied, so I've gotta rest up.