CONTESTS ARE FUN
I entered a drawing at a blog I visit and won a selection of adorable greeting cards by a new upstart company out of Georgia, Hoote + Annie. Go check out the cards, which are precious, and visit her blog, too -- she's very funny.
The cards she sent me are so clever and sweet, I'm going to have a hard time parting with them and actually mailing them out. If you receive one from me, it means you're VERY special. (Mhaw!)
CARS SUCK
No, I take it back. I'm sure your car is just delightful. Mine, on the other hand, sucks furry cat balls. It's been dying a slow death for years, but so slowly that it never seemed worthwhile to replace it. It's a 1992 (!!I know!!) Mazda Protege, and its latest trick is to leak moisture at the windshield. Which is no big deal on a sunny day, but during these damp, dank winter days, lots of wetness accumulates on the inside of the windshield (and side and back windows, too), which means that my drive home after work in the pitch dark is a little, um, interesting. There have been mornings that I've had to use my ice scraper on the INSIDE of the windshield, and that's just WRONG. And I hate buying cars. And I'm
I have absolutely no ego when it comes to the car I drive -- my requirements are simply that it be manual transmission and that it get me to my destination with excellent gas mileage. I'd love to have a 5-door for my next vehicle, but $22k seems like a lot to pay for a used Subaru Forester, don't you think? Me too.
I HAVE A TEENAGER
Quin turns 13 in April, but he's already got braces (oh hell yes), so I think we can safely call him a teenager now, don't you? The top grill was installed yesterday evening, and he chose green and red rubber bands to commemorate his favorite new Bionicle. (I keep waiting for the Bionicle obsession to fade, but it hasn't happened yet. Maybe when girls start to get interesting?...)
I have decided that, as Quin's a for-all-intents-and-purposes teenager, his room decor (currently cartoon fish and day-glow turquoise trim) really should reflect his growing maturity. (I actually decided this way back during 2008 some time, but then I got busy with fundraising and
But! I recovered from my cold around January 1 and inspiration struck. On Sunday, I ordered Quin a metal-framed loft bed with a desk underneath and a really cute graphic rug. We'll have the room repainted in cools blues and browns to match, and replace the current horrible swag hanging light with a sleek ceiling-mounted fixture. A couple of comfy chairs or beanbags should finish the room off nicely. I will take before and after pictures, just so you can appreciate the current horror and appreciate the face lift. Also, so you can give me decorating ideas, because this is so NOT my forte.
PLUMBING ALSO SUCKS, POSSIBLY EVEN MORE THAN CARS
We had our annual holiday open house the Sunday before Christmas (90 people! a record!). The smartest thing I did was hire my friend's teenage daughter and HER friend to help out in the kitchen during the party. They kept me and Michael sane (which is no mean feat), and I've already booked them for next year.
(I do have pictures from this year to post, and I will. I promise.)
What does this have to do with plumbing? Only that our kitchen faucet decided to rupture just as we settled in late Sunday night to wash the mountain of dishes left in the party's wake. Have you ever tried to get a plumber to make an emergency call three days before Christmas? Good times. We tripped over the mountain of dishes and ate Chinese take out until it eventually got fixed, around dinner time on Tuesday. All was quiet for the next week or so. Then, our (four year old) hot water heater went spastic on January 1, first heating the water to scalding, then not heating it at all. Another plumbing call yielded new thermostats, and I'm $500 into plumbers and the year's not even a week old.
Don't they frockin' know I need a new car?........
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5 comments:
I LOVE the new room ideas. We also bought a metal frame last year (for bunk beds, for all of those cousin sleep overs we have) and have plans this spring to buy metal lockers and shelves from IKEA to give his room a more grown-up look. The racecars might last another year or two. I plan on painting his walls a nice gray color and having red accents. Once we get rid of the hideous blue rug, that is.
Oh, and I already have checkered flag material for the curtain.
Relevant to the plumbing... when we bought our house in New Jersey about two years ago, it came with a home warranty. I've renewed it twice since then. It runs about $40/month, and it just paid for itself--our central vacuum and our refrigerator failed within a week of each other. With the home warranty, fixing the first and replacing the second cost us two $50 deductibles.
Our house is about 25 years old, and it still has the original central air conditioner, furnace, and water heater. I figure the home warranty is a good investment until they fail (or, conversely, having the home warranty will PREVENT them from failing). :-)
How does one get one of these home warranties. Oh and an invite to next year's open house. JS
I need a new car too. I am not spending big bucks for it. NOT!
So we're basically saying Happy Freaking New Year together. Now you've got me worried ;-)
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