Breaking and Entering

My boss and I had a house to stage today that was going to be incredibly easy.  In and out in nothing flat.  We only had to go buy a couch, run by our storage unit to pick up a few things, and go to the house and put it all in.  It was a light staging so we figured it would take about an hour.

Usually when we think that, something is bound to go wrong.

Or in this case, several things.

Our business owns a couch but it's currently in a house that is almost sold.  Since the appraisal hasn't been done it was decided to leave it there.  No problem, we were just going to run to the store and get another one.  It was only $125 so it would be a good investment.  But of course, they didn't carry that couch anymore.  So we bought a $250 one.  Sigh.  It was loaded into the truck and we set out for the storage unit.

The storage unit we use is owned by an apartment complex.  The apartment manager manages both.  We pulled up to the gate and punched in the number to make the gate open....but nothing happened.  Lisa tried again. Nothing.  That's happened before.  No problem.  She whipped out her phone and called the maintenance guy who has helped us before.  And that's about the time that we learned the maintenance guy now lives in Alabama.  No problem again.  We pulled around and headed to the manager's office.  The door was proudly displaying the OPEN sign.  The locked door that is.  Lisa called the managers number and left a voicemail.  And then we waited.  And then she called again.  And again.  After about 20 minutes I had an epiphany.  If she backed the truck up I was pretty sure I could climb from the bed of the truck, over the fence, and onto the gate mechanism box.  And guess what?  I could. 

I made it over, she handed me the keys and the list of things we needed...and left me.  I kind of thought she'd be joining me.  Instead she went back to the office and waited outside.  It was then that I realized my cell phone was still in the truck.  So I just got busy pulling items.  After about 10 minutes she was over the fence and had joined me.  I knew she wanted to.  She was a bit frustrated though.  Can't say that I blame her.  We had a realtor waiting at the house for us and we just kept hitting problems.  When this happened we just had to laugh.

I mean, what else could happen at this point?

After we had everything out we decided to hand everything over the fence, load it into the truck, and head on our merry way.  As Lisa was perched on top of the fence who do you think would be walking up??  Yep, the manager.  Let's just say she was not amused.  I believe she said she hates it when people climb her fence.  Well you know what?  We hate when our rent is paid and we can't get in and you won't answer your phone.

I continued pushing stuff through the fence as Lisa talked to her.  Rent has to be paid within the first five days of the month, which it had, but she'd chosen not to post payments yet.  Um, hello.  You're asking for people to break in!  She said she'd go post the check so that I could get out.  I just waited for her to start walking back to the office and climbed back over. 

As we drove by the office on our way out I couldn't help but feel victorious.  Don't mess with us!  And then my eyes caught something...the black all over the front of my jeans from the fence.  Oh well, they're just part of the memory!

The Great Purse Flood of 2011

I am not a fan of bottled water so we don't often buy it.  Want to know why??  There's an excellent reason.  When I was pregnant with McKinley we were driving home from a trip and we stopped at a gas station to fill up and get drinks.  I was trying to avoid caffeine (I don't know what I was thinking) so I got a bottled water.  Somehow milk must have been spilled near the lid because it smelled sour.  An incredibly thirsty pregnant woman who had almost passed out smelling an over ripe cantaloupe just a few days earlier and sour water??  Those things just don't mix.  Either does that sentence, but we're moving on. 

That just ruined it for me.  That and I've lived in the same town most of my life and I like the water here.  It's very distinctively flavored.  Although as I've gotten older I do like it filtered a bit. 

So on to the actual story that goes with this post. 

You were waiting for that, weren't you?

We do often end up with water bottles though from various places.  Because I'm also cheap, we reuse them.  Recycled water bottles filled with my favorite water; best of both worlds! 

I had some volunteer work to do recently and on the way out the door I grabbed a snack and a water bottle and dropped them both in my purse.  Seven blocks later I reached into my purse to grab something and found that the entire bottle had emptied.  Now, you should know, my purse isn't like everyone else's.  I carry my camera, three lenses, an external flash, and my extra camera battery and charger. 

I instantly starting pulling things out and using my shirt to dry them off.  The only thing I could find in the house I was in that could be used was toilet paper.  My shirt seemed like the better choice.  The camera just had a few drops on it.  The lenses are all wrapped in something so they were fine.  Thank goodness so were the flash and battery.  Even my wallet survived.  So what saved all my precious items in my purse?  That would be the three purse sized packages of Kleenex.  What?  I'm an allergy sufferer. 

So I, and my camera and accesories, survived The Great Purse Flood of 2011.  And yes I've learned my lesson.  I have gone back to carrying my camera in an actual camera bag.  And I don't carry my recycled water bottles in my purse anymore.  Okay, often. 

Lesson learned.  Sort of.

Ethanol

I'm not going to go into gas prices and how I'm not enjoying owning a SUV right now. 

I'm not going to go into gas with ethanol versus gas without it. 

But I am going to share a sign I saw that makes me wonder how stupid people can be.

Do you see it?  I would never buy gas from a place that can't even spell. 

And with my SUV, I need a whole lot of gas.

Their loss.

Lost Love

I love many things about our house, and hate many things about our house. 

It is holding up well for 64 years old though.  

I love the real brick in the entry way.  I hate the fake brick linoleum in the kitchen.  
I love the real wood floors we refinished in the bedrooms and hallway.  I hate the real wood floors in the living room and dining room that couldn't be saved.
I love the original black and white basket weave tile in the downstairs bathroom.  I hate the tile that goes more than halfway up the walls in there.
I love my original vent-a-hood over the stove in the kitchen.  I hate the sound that comes out of it when I use it.

So we called a repairman.  The first thing he told me was I had the Cadillac of vent-a-hoods.  Top of the line for its day.  The two speeds, the light button, and especially the brushed chrome finish were very expensive when it was purchased.  I have always loved the retro look of it.  I'd re-do the whole kitchen with retro everything if it matched the rest of my house and inherited furniture.  I was kind of laughing though at his obvious love for it.  I was so upset to hear that the bearings on the motor were shot.  A few days later I got the call-it can't be saved.  The warranty program we use for home repairs found a white on white one at Sears for the $200 they're going to give us to replace it.  Excuse me?  You don't replace vintage brushed chrome with white on white. 

So Shawn and I went shopping.  

And you know what we found out??  You can't easily replace the Cadillac of all vent-a-hoods.  Apparently the standard width of them is 30 inches.  Ours is 42.  Nothing we do at our house is easy.  Or cheap. 

So we will soon be ordering one.  I'm still struggling with my loss.  Even though the vent hasn't worked for a while I use that light every single day.  Numerous times.  Since the repairman came it hasn't worked.  He must have disconnected it.  I, being a creature of habit, have tried to turn it on about 73 times per day in the last week.  Ask anyone in my family and they'll agree. 

I am slowly losing my mind. 

When I complained to Shawn that it was harder to cook he fixed my problem.  He got the camping lantern out and set it on the stove.  Such a helper.  But when I complained that I liked my lighting from overhead he said he could fix that as well.  He got his camping head lamp out, put it on his head, pointed the beam at the food, and stood next to the stove for me. 

So I'm continuing to cook while we search for the perfect replacement.  But I either have to stop cooking or be medicated.  I can't stop pushing that button!

So, do any of you have a RangeAir vent-a-hood in brushed chrome, with two fan speeds and a light?  Or a Percoset?

Anyone??

The Annual Yearbook Pimple

Don't worry. I'm not going to show you a picture of it. You'd never speak to me again.

Well, read me again.

But if you are going to make me a part of your life, you need to know this.

When I get stressed one of two things is bound to happen. My face either breaks out or I get a huge migraine.

Year one of the yearbook nothing happened. Basically because the person I was assisting didn't let me do anything. Year two when I was in charge I had a migraine on the final day and spent several hours curled in a ball on the floor of the computer room closet crying. Every year since then I've had one big yearbook pimple. Of course when it's stress related it appears on my chin. The hardest place to cover. Unless I become Muslim and cover everything but my eyes. Sadly I think people would worry if I did that for a few days each year.

So I worry every year about what's going to happen, as well as if I'll finish it on time. Do I want a migraine that will last one day but keep me in bed curled in a ball the whole day in intense pain, or do I want at least two weeks of being embarrassed by my face? Really. What would you choose? I usually opt for the pimple and thank God I don't get a migraine. But still. Shouldn't it disappear the minute the yearbook is submitted? It's only fair I think.

But I submitted all my pages a few hours ag0 and it's still there. Probably because the teacher and friend that works with me and does all the classroom pages submitted hers and something went horribly wrong with the names. As in it renamed the children. That is a big problem.

I guess the pimple is now a sympathy pimple.

Still...good grief.

Well This Is Interesting

Just when I thought adding a captcha to make a comment on my blog would keep me from getting trash...I get this.


BOYCOTT AMERICAN WOMEN
Why American men should boycott American women

http://boycottamericanwomen.blogspot.com/

I am an American man, and I have decided to boycott American women. In a nutshell, American women are the most likely to cheat on you, to divorce you, to get fat, to steal
half of your money in the divorce courts, don't know how to cook or clean, don't want to
have children, etc. Therefore, what intelligent man would want to get involved with
American women?

American women are generally immature, selfish, extremely arrogant and self-centered, mentally unstable, irresponsible, and highly unchaste. The behavior of most American women is utterly disgusting, to say the least.

This blog is my attempt to explain why I feel American women are inferior to foreign women (non-American women), and why American men should boycott American women, and date/marry only foreign (non-American) women.

BOYCOTT AMERICAN WOMEN!


I didn't click on the link. But I did delete the comment.

Don't even get me started on some American men. Most of which I dated before I found my wonderful husband:c)

Please visit my virtual friend Nicki's blog to read what she said to this man. She said what I wish I had!!

How Did I Miss These??

So maybe because I'm behind on laundry....I missed this.

But how in the world did I not see these until Shawn bumped his head into one?? I'm in the kitchen every single day. Several times a day. And three days later...they're still there.

What?? I don't know where the box is they go in.

Okay, okay...but I know where the attic is that they go in.

Getting up now.

Sonic

We have a love of Sonic in this here house. It was a very rare treat before the wonderful incredible thing called Happy Hour came into being. I usually go twice a week. Diet Dr Pepper with cherry and easy ice? It's a little sip of heaven. I treat the girls to it every Monday because of voice lessons right after school.

In our last five or six visits we haven't gotten very good service. Now, we don't just go to this one because it's close, but because it's the best. Something has changed though. I've waited up to 20 minutes for four drinks.

And Monday this happened.

A cup with a hole in it. Because we were in a hurry to get to voice I told her to cover it with her finger. But soon that wasn't holding it in. So she attached her mouth to it. It was very hard to drive when I was laughing so hard.

Then she decided to just drink it one drop at a time.I was crying at this point. Sadly we went last night for dinner. Just three Wacky Packs and a drink. I placed the order four times and when it was repeated, it was wrong. Every. Single. Time. The last time I asked for her to repeat it she didn't. I pushed the button to make sure it was right, but she didn't reply before the food came. Of course when the food came it was wrong, and only one of the three drinks they brought was right. We'd ordered four drinks. The car hop left the straws and took the drinks back. He came back six minutes later with three drinks. All once again wrong. He left more straws and took the drinks back. Then the manager came with three drinks. Two of them were right. He left a handful of straws and took the wrong one back. I was so mad but could not stop laughing because at this point I was holding 12 straws and three were already in use! When the manager came back the last time all the drinks were correct and I handed him 12 straws before he tried to hand me one more. We were now in a hurry to get to church and I had to get away from that place. As I backed out I realized I hadn't paid. In the five times someone came to my window they never asked for money.

I felt no need to pull back in and bring that up.

I think we'll be taking a break from Sonic. And I'll be making a phone call to a 1-866 number.

Have any of you ever had service so bad you stopped going to a favorite place? I can't be the only one!

Good Grief

Did anyone notice that in my last post about how busy I am I forgot to end the last sentence?

Yep, that's how crazy it is right now. I can't even finish a sentence.

Coming soon.

Why my birthdays suck.

Let me warn you now, it will involve whining.

But really, don't most of my posts include that??