C.E. Grundler's Blog, page 5
March 30, 2020
Sewing Masks for our Troops…the video
Yes, readers, this is me, in social isolation – (the pandemic version, not my usual behavior, which is pretty much the same.) I know, I know. Hardly a picture in years and now, this. I’ll go into what I’ve been up to in a coming post, but first things first. Along with others, I’ve been... Continue Reading →
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March 23, 2020
Victory Begins at HOME!
This is the time for the sewing community to mobilize! Sew MASKS and MORE for those on the frontlines of this battle against Coronavirus.
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November 4, 2019
Overdoing it
I had fun on Halloween. Way too much fun, which says something about me. I never said I didn’t have a dark streak, and that’s the one day a year I can truly express it. But these days I have to pace myself or I’ll pay, which is why it’s taken till now to post... Continue Reading →
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October 25, 2019
It’s that time of year again!
Once a year, my favorite day rolls around. I’ve always adored Halloween – it’s the one day I can walk around in public carrying a bloody hatchet and no one questions me. I get a number of nervous smiles, a few averted glances, and some good laughs. But those who know their history recognize my... Continue Reading →
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October 9, 2019
Refinishing a Century-Old Sewing Table
September 17, 2019
This site’s currently being overhauled…bear with me
September 13, 2019
An update on the updates
September 6, 2019
Dorian
September 4, 2019
TDI + CRV = GTI
Back in 2010, I posted about finally getting my hands on the car I’d always wanted; a Volkswagen TDI Sportwagen. It was a great car; the little turbo-diesel engine was torquey and quick enough to satisfy my speed demon tendencies while at the same time delivering fantastic mileage, far better than the window sticker promised. The manual transmission made it fun to drive, and it gradually accumulated various Golf GTI modifications. And when I became too ill to drive for a time, I insisted that my daughter and her boyfriend (now husband) take it on a cross-country road trip they’d been planning. It was a perfect road trip car and I felt they’d be safer and less likely to be stranded somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Below is one of the photos they sent back to me along the way.
[image error]We’re definitely not in N.J. anymore!
By the time they returned I was doing better, medically speaking, at least for a while, and back at work at the marina. Because I arrived before most customers, I was able to park in a space just outside the office in a spot where it was safe from other car doors and potential nicks and scratches. And then the great TDI scandal broke.
It turns out my super fuel-efficient, sporty, zippy little VW wasn’t quite as green as I’d thought. It hadn’t passed the emission tests; it had cheated on them. The high resale value of these cars were known for nosedived, and as far as anyone could tell at that time, VW didn’t have any fixes in the cards. In fact, they began buying the cars back, offering bonuses and incentives to get them off the road. The bigger problem was that I really liked that car and didn’t want to get rid of it.
FATE MADE THE DECISION FOR ME
As I’ve said, marinas are strange places where strange things happen, and not just on the water. And late one afternoon a group of dockhands came running into the office to inform me there was a car on top of another car in the parking lot, just outside the office. No one was hurt, they told me, but they were all looking at me nervously. I instructed one employee to call the police while I headed out to assess the situation, even as one of the kids told me, “it’s your car.”
I’ll admit, my first thought as I stepped outside was ‘how could it be my car? My car was parked right over…’ And then I saw it.
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There was my car in its usual spot, more or less, with a Honda CRV parked on my windshield. Yep. That’s my car. The first thing I did was locate the driver the CRV, a very sweet and shaken older customer who was thankfully unhurt and insisting she had pressed the brake as hard as she could but the car wouldn’t stop. She was more distraught about the damage she’d done to the other car and how the owner would react when they saw it.
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I assured her not to worry, it was just a car and that’s what insurance was for. She kept shaking her head, certain that car’s owner wouldn’t be so understanding. I assured her they would probably just laugh. She asked how anybody could laugh at something like that. I told her, “Well, I’m laughing, and that’s my car.”
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I guess it was the absurdity of it all. What else could I do? Laugh, and admit that the Honda CRV’s got some pretty aggressive four-wheel-drive. In the grand scheme of things that life has thrown at me, this was just another speedbump on the road of my existence. It’s a matter of perspective; the world is full of far greater tragedies than a squished Volkswagen.
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Amazingly, despite appearances, the car was not structurally or mechanically damaged, and insurance covered the repairs needed, even as Volkswagen continued their buybacks, which it qualified for so long as it was in driving condition. The writing was on the wall.
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*sigh*
[image error]To keep the rain out, the police kindly covered it in a ‘fatality’ blanket. It made a great conversation piece around the marina that weekend.
I enjoy driving – a lot. It doesn’t take much strength to turn the wheel, push the clutch, and shift gears. Even as I’ve grown weaker over the years, when I’m behind the wheel the car becomes an extension of me, and I become quick and agile. Driving is my antidepressant, and now I was going to have to change medications. Fortunately, my husband had noticed a pretty little 2 door 2013 Golf GTI with a six-speed stick in a nearby dealership, pre-owned, but immaculate. Granted, it doesn’t get as amazing mileage as the TDI, but theoretically, the emissions are cleaner. I’m still waiting for the Mr. Fusion option, but that’s not available just yet.
[image error]Who needs back doors? Not me, and certainly not the dogs.
Sometimes I think the purpose of life is to keep learning lessons, and one of the biggest lessons is not to resist what you cannot change. Or put more simply, shit happens. And when it does, it helps to laugh. That, and go for a drive.
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August 30, 2019
Where did the books go?
Once upon a time, this blog was all about my boat, writing, and my novels, Last Exit in New Jersey and later No Wake Zone. These were the first in what was to become a series revolving around murder and mayhem. Then everything fell apart. It started with my health, subtly at first, then progressively worse. I was exhausted all the time, unable to focus or even sit at the computer and write for long stretches. The first two books were selling well, and I was moving along on the third as best I could, and it didn’t help when Sandy dropped a tree in the middle of our house, taking out my computer, notes, and completely derailing my progress.
Things will get better, right?
That’s what I kept telling myself. But they didn’t. Then they did, but I was so busy catching up on everything else in life that writing was on a back burner. I was offered a great job with fantastic and much-needed pay in a large marina, and I was sure as my health rebounded I’d be able to finish that third book at long last. There’s nothing like working in a marina for inspiration – you’d be amazed what you see on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, my body had other plans. My heart started stopping, and even a shiny new pacemaker couldn’t stop the progressive weakness in my arms and legs. Needless to say, I loved the job but I couldn’t continue. Another chapter of my life ended.
Depressing, right?
I wasn’t writing or blogging, and I wasn’t marketing in any form. I couldn’t explain why I’d disappeared from the face of the earth, and truth be told at that point I often wondered if I’d even be around much longer. It was the last thing I wanted to talk about, so I didn’t.
This is the new reality
I went through all the stages. Denial and isolation. I would’ve bargained if there was anyone to bargain with. Anger. Lots and lots of anger. Depression. And finally, acceptance. Yeah, I’ve got this weird invisible illness most of the medical community has never even heard of or understands, and I’ve gotta live with it. I’ve had to learn my limitations and how to work within them. And I got back to work on my third novel, already outlined and half-written.
As for the first two books, sales had languished down to a point where I had the option of regaining my rights in full, and I took it. I will be re-releasing Last Exit in New Jersey and later No Wake Zone, along with Evacuation Route, as individual books as well as a three-book collection, though I’ve learned my lesson. I’m not saying when. At least not yet.
This blog used to be all about boats and books. At this point, it’s about life, momentum, and perseverance.
