Twisted

I'm having troubles. I want the cat yard to be functional but it may never be. I got all these maintenance issues here that I don't want to deal with but I have to. The washer isn't spinning anything dry enough to go in the dryer safely.

I've got backed up laundry. I keep putting it through spin cycle again, hoping it will spin the clothes dry enough for the dryer, but it hasn't done so yet and I need to give up and go to a laundrymat. I thought those awful days were over.

I have to remove the garbage disposal. It quit working three days ago. I don't know how to do these things nor do I have the tools to do these things and it's a pain in the butt.

I've got car issues, too. The back latch lever just flaps against the back of the car. Again, no tools to repair it. I wanted to drill holes through it and the back metal of the car to bolt it on, so it won't fall off again, which seems to be an issue in Scions of the year mine is but I don't have a good enough drill to do that. I found out the back hatch lever falling breaking off, the windshield easily cracking or leaking and the problem with getting gas, the angle of the fuel tank entry, are all problems that other 04 Scion owners routinely face. The fix for the fueling issue is a new fuel tank. Like that's an option. Bolting the hatch lever is the only solution I can come up with for the latch lever. And the suggested windshielf repair is some of a brace, although I forget the technical term.

My computer is about the only thing I have working right now, but starting it up this morning, it did the buzzing thing again, and failed to boot up. I finally got it going, but that has been a chronic problem with this computer over the years. It's an old computer, but I don't want it to quit too. I HATE all the cords involved with a PC. I hate dealing with all these cords.

All these things are frustrating me today. I miss having greenspace to get away from the crap of Albany. I need to exercise but I don't find any joy walking city streets. I don't bike in Albany anymore due to some close calls with pickups. Scared me.

I've got to find a pleasant way to find physical release and relief that I don't have to drive half hour each way to get to. But I don't know anywhere close and I haven't come across anybody who does. People are surprised in town here when I think parks should be more than for sitting on a bench or watching kids play sports or walking endless circles around a track or an algae encrusted fake lake next to the busiest four lane street in town.

I don't know how people in this town get exercise. I don't see many people on bikes. I see a handful of joggers here and there, running up and down 34th street, usually in the evenings, but that's about it. I don't know where to get away close by. There's a park by the river but it's just a bunch of big lawn fields and picnic tables. I can't find any bike or walking paths. There's a park across the river but the walking path is unbelievably short.

There is a duck shit filled pond at TimberLinn Park and one at Waverly Park. They call it a lake, but it's a shallow man made algae and duck shit filled pond. They stock these shallow warm fake lakes in spring with trout, who don't do well in such shallow warm nonmoving waters, so people have to catch them quickly before the water heats too much and they float belly up dead on the surface.

I think Albany recreation is likely the same as most city people have, except the big cities, like Portland, with their massive hiking parks. Urban parks in Albany, perhaps like many low budget cities, entail walking basically on a sidewalk around manicured lawns or man made ponds.

Hiking parks like Corvallis has, are probably not the norm for cities, but I wish they were. People need recreation close by. But I would guess the recreation available in a city mirrors the values of the residents. If people like spectator sports, there are going to be a lot of bench sitting lawn field parks, where people sit and watch kids play games. If people like stocked pond fishing, that's what a city will cater to.

But boy it's driving me nuts, being a country girl, a forest girl, trapped in this concreted car culture drugs and beer town. I don't even shop here. I get my groceries and cat food at either Winco in Corvallis or in Salem. My food and cat food are virtually the only things I buy, besides spays and neuters for cats, and gas for my car.

My birthday is Saturday and I have no plans. Some Corvallis woman wanted me to take her out (paying her way) on my birthday which is consistent with the way she does things. I declined.