Got materials for fireplace installation - finally

I got the things I need for putting in the fireplace at long last. It was a close call, trying to get the stuff, since the truck that I finally got to use was one that had just finished getting a new transmission put in it. My brother-in-law took me into town while my sister stayed here with dad. A few miles down the road the truck seemed like it was running out of gas. Switched tanks on it and it went a couple more miles and ran outta gas. Damn. Okay, it coasted into the place beside the gas station, just had to push it back to the gas station. No problem... push push push... damn thing is a slight uphill grade to the pumps. Grrrr... Finally get it almost to them and realize they're the diesel ones, the regular gas pumps are that much further away up a steeper slope. GAH!!! Why the hell don't them people carry a gas can in the truck? Luckily fellow at the diesel pumps gave us a tow to the regular pumps. Thank you thank you thank you!!

Okay, get gas, I sort through trash and find a six pack worth of empty Budweiser cans so we can put a little gas in the carb and prime it to start. Starts and we head for town.

First place we go to prices are expensive, so we head over to the other store where I had already priced it at half that. Hmmm... they changed prices there - now it's more expensive there than at last place. Dangit. Okay, so we head back to the other store again. Get about halfway there and truck dies. Coast it into Cottonwood Creek Mall (okay so it's Target now, it will ALWAYS be Cottonwood Creek Mall to me), and we sit there pondering what to do. Bro-in-law don't have a cell, I accidentally left mine on piano as I left house. Hmm.

Fiddle with things for a bit and the truck starts. Bro-in-law determines was electrical, we never ran outta gas before, it was the wiring in the steering column. We head for home store and truck dies again just before we get to it -- just as we're turning off main street into the place. End up stuck there for 15 minutes trying to get the truck started. Truck finally starts and we start to head off street only to have it die again before we can get off the road. Grrrr. Okay, more fiddling and futzing and finally it starts and we get it up the hill and into the parking lot of the store.

We get into the parking lot and it dies. Get it started and it dies a few minutes later parked sideways across several spaces. Okay, we're far enough from other cars and lot empty enough we leave it there and go inside to call my nephew. Bro-in-law asks me if I wanna get what I came there to get and I tell him it's a wasted trip if I don't, but I don't wanna leave it in back of truck in parking lot all night. With assurance that truck is not being left there overnight, I head off to buy what I need - or at least what can not be hauled without a pickup.

2 sheets of Dura-Rock, a sheet of plywood and 18 cinderblock pavers later I am in checkout line paying for the stuff. I know I need more, but this will get me started and I already have the cement at home from that fake rock me and mom never got built this summer.

We get things back out to the truck and wait.. and wait... we'd be inside where it's warm, but place announced closing as I was getting pavers, so it is all closed and we're in the cold. Nephews finally arrive and we futze and futze and get the truck started. I'll spare the details of the rise home, but suffice to say the truck died a LOT on the drive back (20+ times).

We parked it at garage and they fixed the trouble, brought me my stuff this afternoon. Now I have the Dura-Rock leaned up in there waiting for me to decide my next move.