We started building a deck yesterday at 4:00. We got enough done that we were able to drink coffee out there this morning. We'll be almost done by the time we go to bed tonight. Pictures to come this evening.
This morning, we went to Mom's and I hooked up her new wireless router. I brought her old "junk" one home, and installed it here. So far, it's working great! I'll have to borrow her laptop later, though, and see if I can connect through it. Maybe they could drop it off on their way out of town? *hint hint*
I'm looking around and noticing that my house is very messy, considering how hard we've worked this weekend. I think I should have thrown some of that effort toward a vacuum or a washing machine. Oh well, the view from the deck is pretty!
Well, there is a convention that we hadn't planned on attending, and the powers-that-be decided yesterday that we needed to be there. The lady that gets this stuff together usually has months to prepare, and needs at least a few weeks, and now she has one. I am going, which causes undo stress on my husband.
The girls will get home from Grammy's, I'll see them for 1 1/2 days, then I'll leave for 3 days. Thankfully, Grammy agreed to stay up here and help, so the girls don't have to get up at 5 am and cramp Mom and Dad's life even more, so that's good. Thanks, Linda. Kevin was pretty grumpy about it, but I reminded him that my last pay increase came with a knowledge of this kind of travel. That didn't help much, but it helped a little.
August the 4th is Kevin's birthday. We get 3 day birthdays around here, so he has been planning his out for a while. Now that plans are changing, I thought I should let the world know how his birthday week will go.
I fly out of Kansas City on Sunday, July 29. I return the evening of Wednesday, August 1. I have August 2 as a vacation day, but he doesn't. August 3, I have 2 teeth extracted. August 4 is "the day", and I'll be mumbling and sore with a swollen face. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HONEY!
It's all quite frustrating, but there are some good points to the trip. The good points benefit me, and me alone, so the family still suffers, so it's hard to get excited, but here goes: I will be staying at the Peabody. I didn't know what that meant, so people have been educating me. There is the march of the ducks thing, which is supposed to be so cool. The trade show hours are fairly short, so I won't be standing in a booth for 5 hours a day. Memphis is cool.
OK, now off to talk sweet to my dear husband, and try to convince him that next year, his birthday will be better. *sigh*
If we leave the dogs in all day (12 hours), Lucy will potty all over the house. She does great when we're home, but 12 hours is too long for her. If we put them both out on the back porch, I feel guilty because it's a small, hot space. If I put her out, and leave Hawkeye in, she barks so much that he pukes and poops in the house (something he does NOT do if they're both in.) We can't afford to put up a fence and leave them outside. What's a girl to do?
Lately, this is what we do. I wake up after Kevin is long gone to work. I shower and get ready for work, then turn off the a/c. The door to the back porch is open (so Lucy can potty...she thinks it has to be concrete, dammit,) and she doesn't freak out, so Hawkeye can make it 12 hours. The first one home let's Hawkeye out and closes windows and doors and turns on the a/c. It's only uncomfortable for an hour.
After the house cools down, we're fat and happy for the night, and the next day, we start all over. The dogs are happy, and I'm not cleaning up any manner of foul dogness. Do we win? Probably not. I could come home to a cool house, but now I must wait an hour for relief. BUT...even though the a/c is working harder to cool a 90 degree house than it would if it's on all day, I can't believe it uses more energy than running for those 12 hours. I think I'm saving money.
I know, maybe I'll close the back porch windows and put up curtains to block the sun. Maybe cooling the uninsulated back porch is cheaper than cooling a 90 degree house in an hour? I don't know. I have to get a fence, or get rid of some dogs. Actually, getting rid of ONE cute little angel would fix things. Anyone want a Jackahuahua?
I grew up without a/c and I didn't feel like it was that bad. Hell, Mom and Dad STILL don't have a/c, other than in the bedroom, and they're fine. And they're OLD! LOL, just kidding, Mom. I think our current plan is working. I'll live with it. Until I convince Kevin to unload that silly little dog.j
P.S. Russ, the lunchmeat is making me spit Diet Coke out my nose, so you're fine. I'm just loving the pear, dude. I have an idea for a book of the pear cartoons...email me, I have plans.
1) Questioning my parenting skills. They are healthy and happy and on the A Honor Roll. How did YOUR kids turn out?
2) Jerks in traffic. I know you have A/C and you're on your cell phone and life is good, but I do NOT have A/C and I'm NOT on my cell phone and I JUST WANT TO GET HOME!
3) People dumping work on me, pretending not to know how to handle it, but truthfully just not wanting to deal with it.
4) Coming home and finding there's no new pear cartoon. (just kidding, Russ.)
5) Lying, deceitful, liars. You know who you are.
OK, I have to stop. I'm getting mad again, and I was over it.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Grammy arrived Friday evening with my girls and my nephew, Steven. We had a laid-back evening, followed by a good weekend. Kevin mowed, I ran the weed eater, and I got the weeds all pulled from the flower beds on Saturday. It was a mess out there, but it looks good now.
Saturday evening, I went to a friends house for a going-away party for her 18 year old son. He is joining the Navy. It was hard, knowing what Ben went through, but the girls and I spent a couple of hours over there, just hanging out and showing support. Alex and his Mom lived with us when Brett and Alex were new-born babies. I have a tight connection to this kid, I mean, Man.
We hadn't been home very long when I went out to smoke (we don't smoke in the house when we have company) and I saw the sky. It was the most breathtaking thing I've ever seen. I called Kevin and Linda (Grammy) out to see it, and we ooh'd and aah'd a while. Then, Linda said, "If it's this beautiful down here, imagine the view that Steve has." Within two minutes of her saying that, we saw it.
A little cloud appeared, looking JUST like an angel. It stayed for about 5 minutes at most, then it was gone. We were all awe-struck. It's one of those little signs that helps you get through the tough times. Yes, I know it was a cloud. Just moisture in the atmosphere. I know that. BUT...But you didn't experience it. We find ways to comfort ourselves, and last night, we saw Steve.
Today, we had Mom and Dad, and my aunt Charlene and her husband Pat over for a barbeque. The food was awesome. I didn't take enough pictures, because I was busy cooking, serving, and eating. Maybe Mom got some. ::shrug:: We had steak, twice-baked potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, and baked beans. Linda even made the jalepeno poppers from Pioneer Woman's journal. Double yum.
Oh yeah, when we were waiting for everyone to arrive, the dogs were tied out. Lucy found the end of a mole run by the concrete, and started going to town. I was sure she'd wind up in China. It was very funny, and we had a good time laughing at her.
This is a very short entry to answer a couple questions. My girls are in town for the weekend, and I won't be spending much time on here.
Debbie, Lucy is a Jackahuahua. LOL Her Dad was Chihuahua and her Mom was Jack Russell. They were not supposed to date, let alone "get jiggy", but the owners underestimated the Chihuahua's tenacity. Lucy has the annoying characteristics of both breeds, but she's also smart, loving, and sweet as she can be.
Pamela, I was referred to that messed up "upside down" site from a work friend. You can find it at http://www.revfad.com/flip.html . Just type your text in a box, it flips it for you, and you copy/paste the flipped text into an email or whatever. It really messes with your head.
I have an amazing husband, 4 kids ranging in ages from 21-33, only one of whom still lives at home. We have 2 fat dogs and nothing about us is normal. But normal is boring, right?
