I Should Have Bred Iguanas...

Internet Withdrawls and COCO IS NO MO'

2008-08-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

This is the last picture I took of Coco. His owners came back.

Apparently, the owners were out of the country for 5 weeks. The dog was staying at their house, which is down and across the street from ours. He got away almost immediately after they left. The relative caring for the house doesn't speak a word of English. I'm not sure why he never at least tried to call, as there was a poster almost directly across the street from his house...but whatever!

They drove up yesterday and said that they believed that we might have their dog. I brought him out and the children ran up to him with such excitement. I don't know if he was excited or scared to see the man, but Coco started to pee as I carried him closer. Either way, he definitely knew these people.

Oh, and by the way, his name is 'Speedy.'

2YO woke up from her nap just as I was carrying 'Speedy' out to front yard. She didn't know what was going on, until they put a leash on her dog and walked him away. Remember, she's the one that called him 'her dog' from Day One. And they were taking her dog.

She had the biggest frown I'd ever seen. Giant crocodile tears streamed down her face as she watched them take her dog away. As Lily came out to see what was going on, she walked over and stood next to her friend. She had started to come extremely protective of 'Coco' or 'Speedy' or whoever he is. We had to hold her back so she didn't follow him to his new/old home with his new/old family.

Lily walked around the rest of yesterday with her ears slightly back. She just knew something was wrong. She's napping in a sunny spot in the backyard right now. I don't know if I ever saw her do that the entire time our guest dog was here. 5YO was fine about the dog finding his owners. 12YO was surprised, but okay. 2YO....well, she's not one to accept ANYTHING that easily! I'm just waiting for the day the he gets out and finds his way back to our front door. He's an escape artist, that's for sure.

Other than that, I spent most of yesterday cleaning the girls' room. How on earth did I let it get so bad? I was exhausted by 8:30 last night! The room is clean now....with the exception of running a vacuum over the floor. I think I did well...except for the toothpick that got stuck in the back of my heel! Why was there a toothpick in their bedroom floor, you ask? Why was any of that crap on their floor??? Because my children are pigs, plain and simple. (Actually, I think they got the toothpick from my nail polish box. I keep a few in there to make flowers when I want to decorate my nails. It was a clean toothpick...at least, as clean as a toothpick on the floor can be!) I'm pretty much barefoot year-round and my heels get really dry and cracked....especially in the summer. The toothpick actually went inside the crack on the back of my heel. OUCH! I am semi-limping today, as it hurts to put weight on my right heel. Thanks to that, my legs are starting to hurt.

Talk about a chain reaction!

I didn't get the chance to even look at my computer yesterday, much less turn it on. I think I was starting to go through withdrawls, actually having something to blog about but no time to do it.

David is on vacation this week. I knew I'd be busy. I knew I wouldn't have as much computer time. I just didn't know how much I would dislike that part!

A few more pics of my hat...

2008-08-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

..and a 5YO who totally thinks she's ready to begin her modeling career!

I am working on actually writing down what I did to make my latest masterpiece....or just 'piece.' (I guess it depends on if you're a better knitter than I am. If you knit at all, you probably are!)

Our a/c is still not working, but the sun is starting to set now so my shirt is no longer sticking to my back. The pool helps, too. We have a lot to do before tomorrow, which begins the second week of school for us.

This is not the exact hat that I will make a pattern for. I have an idea to make it even easier and sort of different. I'm working on one right now. If it turns out the way I want it to, then that's the pattern I'll go with! I knitted a flower to put on the top of this one. 5YO likes flowers AND I was too lazy to neatly close it up at the top. I am much more prepared to do the second hat. And, the flower pattern is totally not mine anyway! You can decorate yours however you like.

Well, it's still 90 degrees in my house. And it's almost 8:30 at night.

Is this what hell is like?

Why is my shirt sticking to my back?

2008-08-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

I've asked myself that question more than a few times this week. School has begun. Isn't it supposed to start cooling down now? Granted, our school starts in the middle of August, but STILL...

Our air conditioner is not working. I'm not sure what the temperature actually is outside, but the cocky asshat on the news today said it was supposed to get to 104. They are never welcome in my living room with news like that! All I know is that the last time I had the energy to venture down the hall the thermostat said it was 88 degrees in here.

And that was my first clue that the a/c might not be doing its job.

Yeah, I'm a quick one, aren't I? In my defense, we usually set our thermostat to about 82 degrees. We are trying to be responsible with energy and have a lower bill and yada yada yada. Usually, it's the bare minimum of comfort, but our energy bill doesn't give me quite the stomach ache, so I think it pretty much all evens out in the end. I thought it felt warm in here, but I'm not feeling at the top of my game anyhow, so I just casually walked by and hit the 'DOWN BUTTON' twice on the thermostat. A few hours later, I started thinking that maybe it's not normal to be sitting quietly in my living room with the a/c on and feeling my shirt sticking to my back.

That's when I discovered that there might be something wrong.

We are just about to be able to say that we've had this a/c unit for three years. Almost. It was brand new and decides to stop working at least once a summer. Okay, so I only have three to count, but still.

So, I found the worst picture possible of me to document how I'm feeling right now. Because it's icky. I told the kids I didn't want to go swimming, but that was before I knew that my living room would soon be turning to what feels like the fires of hell.

I would write more, but I can actually feel the difference in the amount that I'm sweating while I type. Unnecessary movement is just not happening right now.

And dinner had better cook itself....OUTSIDE!!!!

School has started, change is certain.

2008-08-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

12YO started the 7th grade today. 5YO started kindergarten AND got her ears pierced! She didn't shed a single tear nor will she admit that it actually hurt.

This has been quite a day for all of us. I have a bunch of paperwork to fill out and I am going to bed.

More stories to follow after a good night's sleep. Do me a favor and keep your fingers crossed on that one!

Photo Blog...because I'm lazy! SNICKER!

2008-08-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

I can finally make a pretty omelette. Does this mean I'm a GROWNUP NOW???

I'm knitting a hat for 5YO. It was inspired by THIS ONE, but the pattern is all my own. I really liked the ribbing on that hat...whatcha think? I think my KNEE wears it well. Don't you?

That pillow never saw Coco coming!

2YO got into some lipstick. Isn't she PURDY???

Musings from a cluttered desk...

2008-08-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

My desk is a reflection of me. Really, it is. This is not something I'm proud of.

It's just that this damn computer is so darn distracting! When I look at my desk, I don't see the trail of clutter I leave all over. I just see the rest of the world at my fingertips. Everything I need to know or whatever feelings I want to jot down is on that lit-up screen on my desk. I eat at my desk, I drink at my desk. I put whatever is mine and is found anywhere else onto my desk, as does the rest of my family. I do a LOT of knitting at my computer desk, and since I'm not good at dealing with clutter and almost every knitting pattern I would ever need or want is at my disposal...without even having to print it out.

Currently, my desk is covered with assorted knitting needles, Post-it notes, a copy of 'The Omnivore's Dilemma,' craft paint from the last time I attempted to make my nails purdy, nail polish, an old cell phone that hasn't been used in years, various cds, my camera, eyedrops, 5YO's gold purse, a stapler, a box of tissue, some new YUMMY yarn, and I could go on and on. That's not even the entire top layer!

I guess my point is that I don't really see how I get anything done in life, given the state of my favorite place in the house. If I love it here so much, why don't I take care of it? I've even gone so far as to take pictures of my desk with the intentions of posting them online. Maybe some public accountability would do me some good.

Probably not.

Everytime I sit down with the intentions of cleaning my desk, I get sucked in by the pretty lights and colors on my computer monitor. Things pop into my head that I've always wanted to know. It could be checking on a home remedy for a sore throat, looking for a good list of sight words to start 5YO off with, or even needing to know how cinnamon is made! (Which I actually know now! See?) I may not be a tidier person, but I'm a little smarter ever time I get drawn in by the pretty colors of the world wide web.

Besides, the mess will still be there tomorrow, right? I will try to clean it then, just as long as it doesn't interfere with feeding my Neopet or looking at knitting patterns or Googling whatever curiousity might pop into my head at the moment.

I don't like to lie, therefore I won't make any promises!

Peace and Quiet with FIVE CHILDREN

2008-08-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

Can someone please explain to me how this is possible?

I have three children. I babysit B5YO during the week, so it's really like I have FOUR KIDS. 12YO had a friend spend the night last night, so I actually have FIVE KIDS for today. And I've had more time to myself this morning than I have in forEVER. It's like it's some weird formula where more ends up feeling like less. For the day, the extra child is B11YO. She and 12YO are on the same cheerleading squad. Since 5YO and B5YO are just learning to be cheerleaders themselves, they think that everything the older two girls can do is AMAZING. Naturally, 2YO just wants to keep up with the rest, which hasn't been a problem...YET. Eventually, someone will end up feeling left out and seek their revenge by making the others miserable. But, for the moment all is peaceful on the homefront. And what do I have to say to that?

IT'S ABOUT DARN TIME!!!!!

I made pancakes, got some knitting done, and even had my morning cup of tea in PEACE. Honestly, I could have just stared at a wall and still enjoyed the peace and quiet that I so long for. It's been a rough week. We've been to town almost everyday this week and I am exhausted. We did, however, manage to get ALL of the dreaded BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING out of the way. We're done. There may be a few extra things that 12YO needs once school has actually started, but I think we have most of it covered. YAY!!!

I just want to know why these children don't think they need to act like HUMAN BEINGS when we're out in public. 5YO and B5YO were doing one of their 'cheers' for all the wonderful people in the 'Back to School' department at Target. Over and over, the same cheer. Each time they started it, they got a bit louder and a few more people stared. And not all of these spectators looked all that amused. The cheer ends with both girls stepping forward, rasing their right arms and saying, "We are the BEST!" I told them that people might start to disagree with them if they didn't pipe down a bit.

School clothes...DONE! School supplies...DONE! Their backpacks are already stocked up with all the things they could need to begin their school year and their outfits are selected to wear on the first day of school. Well, 12YO has pretty much decided on her ensemble. 5YO had made a choice, but I get the feeling that she will change her mind no fewer than a dozen or so times before next Wednesday! Oh well, I've decided that she and I should always have our 'what she's gonna wear' arguments the night before. Neither of us are 'morning people' and it could get ugly if we saved the arguments until then. We took our final (I HOPE!) shopping trip yesterday where their grandma made sure they had plenty of shoes to start the year with. The shoes are going to be an interesting adjustment for 5YO, as she's worn nothing but flip flops for no less than 99% of her life. Yes, we wear flip flops year-round here. Especially 5YO, as she was born with a reeeeally big big toe on her right foot. She's had it surgically corrected once by the fine people at Stanford. But, it grew back. Apparently, it's pretty much all scar tissue now. She'll probably need another surgery later on, but the longer we can put it off, the fewer surgeries she'll need throughout her life.

We just tell her it's her 'special toe' and nobody else has one just like it! For now, she's okay with that. We'll see how long it will be before she becomes self-conscious about her toe. I just look at it this way: If one funky toe is the worst thing she ever has to deal with, then she has it pretty good, dontcha think? Of all the billions of things that can go wrong with a baby while they're developing, her toe is a gentle reminder of how lucky we really are.

I think I'll bake some brownies for these kids. They are being so good! I might have to run errands later, but I'd really rather not. Think it'd be okay to carry a squirt bottle full of water and some duct tape in my purse? You know, for when the natives get restless in public?

Oh come on! Like you don't think that's a good idea!!!!

I won't be quitting my day job...

2008-08-05T11:50:00.001-07:00

I have turned the heel of my first sock!

From here on out, these socks shall be called my 'Ugly Socks.' I love them and will wear them no matter what, but especially since they look AWESOME from the top and bottom views. The side views, however, leave something to be desired. The sides are full of twisted stitches and holes. But, those will not show so much when I am wearing my clear shoes that I intend to buy when I finish the mate to this not-so-attractive sock. I need to find a whole pattern that I like and actually follow that pattern from start to finish! I just get so hung up on certain stitches that I do not know that I want to have something EASY. Plus, I hate picking up stitches and feel there is too much room for mistake when it's left up to me where to pick the stitches up from. I want actual instructions, PEOPLE!

I have not been knitting nearly as much as I'd like. I'm just so busy. Knitting is actually relaxing to me. A tired Leann I Am tries to knit and Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........

I'm lucky to get a row or two in before I'm OUT COLD. Sure, I still knit at the library during Story Time and when I'm waiting in a doctor's office, but that hasn't been enough lately. I do know that I will NOT allow myself to buy any more sock yarn until I have finished an entire pair. And I am almost halfway there. I just have to make another one just as ugly as the first and they will be a matched set. And I will wear them with pride, because they were my first. When my sock knitting is prettier, I will knit for others. And those others will have even SMALLER FEET than my own! Plus, I think my girls would LOVE THESE SOCKS. What little girl wouldn't? I wonder how much knitting I'd have to do to make them PRETTY...

I am off to figure out where this day will take us. I need to figure out what to do with the gates in my yard so the dogs cannot crawl out from underneath them. Large rocks halfway buried? Bricks? Stepping stones? I cannot have them getting out anymore and I'm sick of waiting for David to do it. He would be much better at coming up with a solution than I am. He thinks outside of the box and has done so many other creative things to solve past problems. But, I am here and willing to do it NOW. I have locked the dogs inside for the day and just have the girls taking them out on leashes every couple of hours until I come up with something.

But, nothing will get done at all if I don't get up and get my butt moving.

What's the solution for a lazy ass?

The "C" Word

2008-08-01T18:22:00.001-07:00

What 'C' word are you talking about, Leann?

Could it be the clever spirit of Soccer as he finds a way to make laundry a calming experience?

Maybe, but it's not!

Could it be the contentment of the two dogs taking nap in the morning sun?

It could be, but it's not that either!

Then, what IS the 'C' word?

You still can't make me say it! But, if you look on the ads on my page, they are all pertaining to this particular word. A word I don't believe I've mentioned in FOUR POSTS NOW! Call me crazy, but my main goal is to blog about something that will actually get a few of those same old ads off my page! I'm serious!

DOGS!!!!!

DOG FOOD!!!!!

CAT FOOD!!!!!

LOW COST SPAY AND NEUTERING!

(I'd actually want to click on that one myself....but I won't!)

DOG COLLARS!!!!

DOG OBEDIENCE!!!!!

Come on, Google! Give me some ads about something other than the 'C' word! Because, honestly, I don't even drink the stuff anymore! These days, I'm all about my herbal tea.

HERBAL TEA!!!!!

I'm still waiting for a good recipe to make pie crust! I have all the stuff and I know exactly how I want to fill it....but I want a few suggestions about a homemade pie crust. You know, from scratch? Like Mom used to make? Yeah, that one! So, dig through your recipe boxes (or your favorite sites!) and find me a recipe!

THE PERFECT PIE CRUST!

We might end up keeping the dog, but I'll let you know. It turns out he's actually not had a home for about a month or so. Someone called me yesterday and asked if I had found the owners yet. She said she'd had him for three weeks before he got away. We've had him for a week now. One month, no owners in sight.

Does this mean he's ours? Because I have a laundry list of things to do to make him a more likeable little guy. Namely, we need to get him fixed! He needs all of his shots and a microchip and a buttload of obedience training!

And I think we're up for the job...

The One Thing I've DONE Today

2008-07-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

I was lucky to have a piece of some Strawberry Pizza Pie last weekend.

It really got me thinking: How hard would it be to make something like this on my own? With a basic pie crust, some cream cheese and powdered sugar whipped together, and some strawberries would be a really yummy and easy treat!

I'd been craving it all day. I tried my best to put the thought out of my head, but I could almost taste the flaky crust and strawberries as I tried to occupy myself with other things. Nothing worked, nothing got done. I managed to figure out a pie crust and throw this together pretty simply. I will try another recipe for the crust next time. This one tasted good, but the texture wasn't as flaky as I'd hoped. It feels good to experiment, though!

We are off to cheer practice pretty soon. That will make TWO THINGS I've done today.

(Then, if you count the two pieces of this thing I finished, that would make FOUR!)

I think I've had a pretty productive day, so long as I look at it that way!

Any good crust recipes, OH WISE INTERNET? I want something flaky and light, but doesn't contain any shortening or margarine.

And if it has NO CALORES OR FAT OR SUGAR...that would be nice too!

*giggle*

I'm just DARING a headache to come my way now!

Now, where did I put that migraine medication?

Temporary Houseguest?

2008-07-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Since we don't technically KNOW his name, this dog has been called a variety of things: PITA (Pain In The Ass) and Juevos Rancheros (Because his BALLS are the biggest thing about him!) and the girls want to call him 'Coco'....I mostly want to call him 'Meatball' or 'Giant Nutsack'....but that's not something I want the kids picking up!

We've had him since Saturday. I have posters around my neighborhood and I've called our local shelter. He was soooo obnoxious when we first let him in. His 'inside manners' leave something to be desired and I often wish I could take his batteries out. He didn't calm down or turn off that first day (OR that first night!). He has since mellowed a bit. He follows Lily all day and they nap at the same time and play together. He still wants to play more often than she does, but she is sure to let him know she's not in the mood when she's tired. Then, he just plods off and finds a kid to annoy. Lord knows we have plenty of those!

He's not nearly as annoying as he was. I'm not SAYING we're keeping him if we don't find his owners. But, there is always a chance. He's small and doesn't take up much space. I figure that I'll give his owners a week to claim him before I find him a home or choose to keep him. He needs to be fixed IMMEDIATELY. Since we don't know whether he's a real purebred Miniature Pinscher or not, we cannot just fix him without his owner's consent. Since he has his tail docked and he LOOKS just like many of the minpins I've seen, I don't want to mess up someone's plans. Then again, wouldn't they have called by now if someone had this expensive little dog that they actually cared about? I will wait a week, then we will decide.

In the meantime, I am of the opinion that he should not breed. He's the 'poster puppy' for ADHD!!! He's cute, but I'm still trying to find where his batteries are kept! And I don't want the shelter to have to take him. There are cooties there!!!! They all do their best to keep our shelter clean and safe, but so many dogs come in and out that I'd hate to know he came down with something or didn't get adopted. He's fine here...and Lily's training him for me!

In the meantime, I've put flyers up all over the place. Nobody has called. The shelter has my number and I keep checking all the lost pet websites. Or, most of them, anyway! There are a TON of those sites!

Sooooo...that's pretty much what's happening in our neck of the woods! School starts in a couple of weeks. Cheer practice has already begun. Life just got more insane...

But what's new, right?

Ch-ch-ch-changes.....

2008-07-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

5YO is set to start kindergarten in a little less than a month.

While I don't consciously think that it bothers me, a dream I had the other night makes me think otherwise. A year ago, I would have been much more nervous about 5YO starting school. Then again, she was a different child a year ago. My 5YO is painfully shy by nature and even family gatherings would cause her to look at the ground and hug my leg. And God forbid someone actually look at her or try to speak to her! She was perfectly fine at home around close family and friends, but take her somewhere else or throw a few strangers in the mix and she becomes about as antisocial as they get.

Last summer, we signed her up for soccer. She was terribly shy at the beginning, but soon started to come out of her shell a bit more. She made it through the soccer season with a bit of determination and the incentive of a kitty that her daddy promised her. We realized that we didn't actually need to bribe her with a cat, but David had already promised it to her if she stayed on the field for every game.

The kitty's name is Soccer and he's the most kid-friendly cat I've ever known.

It was the first day of school. I was in the back of the house getting ready to take 5YO to school. The bus comes by about 45 minutes before school starts. As I'm walking down the hall, 5YO, B5YO and the neighbor boy from across the street all ran down the driveway and jumped on the bus without another thought. I didn't even get to see her get on the bus...or take ANY PICTURES.

Sure, I could have easily driven to school to meet her as she came off the bus and still walked her to her class and met her teacher. That may have very well happened. But, the last thing I remember from the dream was the feeling of being very hurt and just feeling so, so helpless.

That afternoon, I made 5YO promise me that she would allow me to drive her to school on her first day. She looked at me as if I were crazy and rolled her eyes.

I'm thinking that I don't have much to worry about.

I hope.

Maybe my anxiety is more usefully directed toward my 12YO who is started junior high the very same day. Then again, I think I've just been avoiding those thoughts altogether.

The saga continues....

DUMB MOMENTS

2008-07-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure I should be sharing this for the whole world to see, but here goes:

18 or lower is supposed to be a good thing, I guess!

[X] Gum has fallen out of your mouth when you were talking.

[X] Gum has fallen out of your mouth when you were NOT talking. (Another reason I don't chew gum anymore!)

[X] You have run into a glass/screen door.

[ ]You have jumped out of a moving vehicle.

[x] You have thought of something funny and laughed, then people gave you weird looks.

Total=4

.......................................................................................................................................

[ ] You have run into a tree.

[X ] It IS possible to lick your elbow

[X] You just tried to lick your elbow.

[ ]You never knew that the Alphabet and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star have the same rhythm.

[ ] You just tried to sing them.

Total so far = 6

.........................................................................................................................

[x] You have tripped on your shoelace and fallen.

[x] You have choked on your own spit.

[ ]You have seen the the Matrix and still don’t get it.

[x] You didn’t notice that in the last question “the” was spelled twice

[x] You just looked at it.

Total so far = 10

..................................................................................................

[X ]Your hair is blonde/dirty blonde.

[ ]People have called you slow. (At least, not to my FACE!!!)

[ ] You have accidentally caught something on fire

[X ] You tried to drink out of a straw, but it went into your nose/eyes/cheek.

[X] You have caught yourself drooling.

Total so far = 13

.................................................................................................................

[ ] You’ve fallen asleep in class

[X] If someone says “fart” you laugh.

[ ] You just laughed

[ ] Sometimes you just stop thinking

[X] You tell a story and forget what you were talking about. (ALL THE TIME!)

Total so far = 15

.........................................................................................................

[X] People are often shaking their heads and walking away from you

[ ]You are often told to use your “inside voice

[ ]You use your fingers to do simple math.

[X]You have eaten a bug.

[X]You are taking this test when you should be doing something important

Total so far = 18

(Should I even KEEP GOING at this point? I'm thinking less and less of myself with every question!)

............................................................................................................................

[X] You have put your clothes on backwards or inside out, and didn’t realize it. (I've even put my daughter's shoes on the wrong feet!)

[X] You’ve looked all over for something and realized it was in your hand or pocket

[ ] You sometimes post bulletins because you are scared that what they say will happen to you if you don’t even when you know it won’t happen to you.

[X] You break a lot of things.

[ ] Your friends know not to use big words around you

Total so far = 21

...............................................................................................................

[X] You sometimes tilt your head when you’re confused

[X] You have fallen out of your chair before

[X] When you’re laying in bed, you try to find pictures in the texture of the ceiling (But I always considered that to be 'creative' or a 'sign of intelligence!)

Total = 24!!!

Well, I guess the proof is in the pudding....I'M A DUMBASS!!!

Now you know why I hate these quizzes....

CONSUMER RANT Well....maybe!

2008-07-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

I might have a bone to pick with a certain online company.

You see, I received a very nice coffee maker for Christmas this past December. It’s a 10 cup coffee maker, it’s an espresso machine….what more could a girl want? This coffee maker has served me well the last seven months or so. That is, until I broke the carafe. I’m not even drinking coffee everyday anymore. I drink it about once a week, usually on Sundays when we’re all home and have nowhere to rush off to. Sunday seems more complete with a cup of coffee in hand.

This particular brand of coffee maker doesn’t seem to sell replacement carafes. I’ve gone to the website and I’ve Googled just about as many different combinations possible with the words ’10 cup’ ‘replacement’ and ‘carafe.’ In addition to that, this carafe is sort of an odd shape. The base of the pot is smaller in diameter than most, so your run-of-the-mill generic replacement carafe will just simply not do.

By the way, I made coffee yesterday using a 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup and a butter knife to hold the ‘pause and serve’ button up so that the coffee would keep flowing. I then transferred said coffee to my thermal carafe to stay warm. That actually saves some energy and might consider doing that again, but without having to stand there with a butter knife the whole time.

So, I finally found a couple of sites that appeared to sell the exact carafe I needed. I ended up Googling the model number and the words ‘replacement carafe’ to get to some sites I hadn’t found in the past. Out of the few companies I found, I selected the one that gave the most information, or at least it seemed to! I placed my order and paid right then and there.

Well, I received an email from that company just this morning telling me this:

“We understand that you attempted to place an order with us over the weekend.
Unfortunately our website was experiencing server problems and the shipping was misquoted.

The shipping on your order should have been $8.95.
If you would like us to continue with your order, please email us.
We apologize for this inconvenience.
Customer Service”

Well, $8.95 is a dollar more than they had listed on their website Saturday. A dollar more than I paid. While a buck is not a lot of money when you’ve already spent more than you’d care to admit on a piece of glass with a plastic lid, it’s more the principle of the thing now.

Now, I know that everything in this world seems to be going up in price. I feel it every time I go shopping for groceries and spend more, even though I leave with less.. I see our energy consumption going down and yet our bill going up. I won’t even talk about the hit we are all feeling at the gas pump. That pretty much goes without saying! We are a single-income family and are feeling these hits just like everyone else. I know companies are making less money and having to charge more for things like shipping and usually have their own steadily increasing set of bills on top of that. I expect for the price of things to be going up all around me. And I do not think I am above those increases.

What I do not expect, however, is to purchase something at one price, only to be told AFTER I BUY IT that they need to charge me more. Even if it’s just a dollar, that is not what I consider to be good customer service. If your servers are giving you problems, you fix them as soon as you can and eat the difference. They should be grateful that it was only a dollar! I mean, how many people could have possibly ordered something from them that same weekend and chosen that exact same method of shipping? Maybe they all went up, I don’t know!

My point is that, with all the things getting so much more expensive and everyone having so much less to spend, we need good customer service now more than ever. Some days, it's all we seem to have left. That person ringing us up at the supermarket had better greet us with a smile, thank us when we leave, and tell us to have a nice day. It’s the only thing that can ease the pain of having to pay almost four dollars for a gallon of milk, and it’s the least they can do. It’s just good customer service and it should not be a thing of that past.

It would be so easy to just pay the extra dollar and know that my coffee pot is on its way. But, when was the last time that anything worthwhile was easy? And I am frustrated with the company who actually makes the coffee maker. But, I’m more frustrated with myself for not doing a little more research about things like replacement parts. Other than that, the coffee maker is wonderful and I have no other complaints.

I replied to their email and basically told them that, should they really feel that they need to charge that extra dollar, then they can just go ahead and cancel my order. I then told them that I would make sure that everyone I knew was aware that this company goes against what they say. Who wants to buy something when they could be charged more afterward? AFTER THEY BOUGHT IT. I also thanked them for giving me a great thing to blog about.

So, do you have a beef with anyone? Is there a company out there giving you ‘the shaft’ and you’ve had enough? Speak up! Share! Use your voice! I know I think hard about giving someone my business when I read about something good or bad about the company. Good reviews can be just as powerful as bad ones when choosing a company to deal with. We have more choices than ever before when it comes to whom we choose to give our business. On that note, we should also acknowledge good customer service when we find it. People should be given the proper credit for a job well done.

I will give this company some time to respond to my email. What I blog about next really depends on their next move.

I will keep you posted.

Good Hump Day....I think!

2008-07-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, they say our lovely temperature gauge made its way up to about 109 degrees. Pair that with all those California fires that are above and around us and you get air that is sticky, smelly, and just plain unhealthy!

Our newly acquired pool is wonderful, but feels more like a heated spa already! The heat wouldn’t be so bad if it would just cool down at night. But, noooooo….the weather guy was actually smirking when he said that it was still 95 degrees at 11:00 last night. Now, I know that we shouldn’t shoot the messenger, but did he have to be so cocky about it?

Even with the A/C on, it just doesn’t feel right in here. I love it when I can open the windows in the evenings or even eat dinner outside because it’s even cooler outside than it is in the house. Now, it feels gross outside no matter what time of day or night and being inside just makes you feel…..well, sort of trapped and suffocating.

My poor husband doesn’t feel like moving when he gets home from work, and I can’t say I blame him a bit. Not only is he out in the heat all day, but he spends a good portion of his day sorting the packages in the back of his big, brown oven on wheels. I guess that this would be a good time to remind you not to ship anything that cannot handle heat right now!

The girls and I have been keeping busy doing ‘inside things’ to entertain ourselves. I bribe them with swimming once a day, but I really can’t see how it’d be all that healthy to be outside playing much more than that right now, the air quality being what it is.

I went to the dentist for the first time in a very long time yesterday. For some reason, it just seemed so easy to put off my own appointments (for the dentist, anyway) when I had the appointments of so many others to deal with. Mom comes last, right? Well, I was surprised to hear that my teeth are actually very clean. I have one filling that needs to be replaced and two minor cavities. Considering the number of cavities I’ve already had in my lifetime, I think that is very good news! I was so amazed with the new technology in my dentist’s office. For example, the x-rays are digital now and the picture almost instantly appears on the monitor hanging in front of me as the images are taken. I’m not sure what made the whole appointment easier. It could either have been all the new-fangled gadgets surrounding me (I looooooove gadgets!) or it could have been the fact that I’ve been flossing a lot more lately. I was worried about the amount of coffee and tea that I consume on a daily basis, but my dentist was not. He said that many teas contain a natural fluoride that actually strengthen your teeth and to keep on drinking it, without sugar of course! I haven’t put sugar in my coffee or tea for about eight months, so that’s not a problem for me at all!

Plus, my dentist is hilarious! Now, how many people can say that about their dentist? Many dentists have gone through so much schooling that they actually seem to lose a bit of their personality and some basic social skills. Then, they get so used to the money aspect of their careers that they sort of see ‘dollar signs’ instead of patients. As a kid, my dentist was not what you’d call mean….but he would certainly not be considered nice either! He did, however, drive a very nice car! It just would have been nice to see him smile once in a while, you know?

After cleaning my house like a madwoman for Saturday’s party, I’m working on keeping it that way. I’m not sure how easy that will be with no real discipline or any sense of real routine on my part…but I’m gonna give it a try anyway! Even with this yucky valley air, I breathe a little easier when things are clean and in place. Plus, it will make it easier for David to come home from work to a more organized house after the sweaty, chaotic days he’ll be having. Did you know that someone can sweat so much that they can leave actual salt on their clothing? Like actual salt crystals. From sweat!

Well, B5YO just got here. She’s still sleeping, but I need to get myself something to eat. I’ve been eating horribly lately and I’m afraid to even go near my scale until I’ve had a few ‘good days’ first. In a couple of weeks, we are taking the kids to the beach for a few days. I’m so excited, because it’s bound to be cooler there right?

I have David’s lunch to make and our day to plan. I need to update the options in the ‘Good Bowl’ because my house stays cleaner that way and the kids won’t feel so confined and at each other’s throats.

WISH ME LUCK!

I'm three pounds heavier now....

2008-07-06T14:56:00.001-07:00

...but it was SOOOO worth it!

Yesterday was our 1rst Annual Indian Taco Family Get-Together-Majig. Okay, so we don't actually have a name for it yet, but I sure hope we have one again next year! In case you don't know what an Indian Taco is, let me tell you: Deep-fried bread dough served like a big, open-faced taco.

Actually, let me just share the recipe with you:

Indian Tacos

1 Cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Pinch of Salt
Milk

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Add enough milk to mix to make semi-firm dough. Cut and roll dough together on a floured surface, but don't knead it too much! Form the dough into a ball and flatten until it's about 1/2 to 3/4" thick. Roll it flat and drop in in at least 3-4" of preheated oil. Flip it once, making sure both sides get crispy and golden brown.

It only takes a few minutes per piece of bread. Make sure the oil is hot enough, or you will have a soggy, greasy mess! Then, serve it IMMEDIATELY with all the toppings you would normally serve on a taco. For best results, don't let it cool down before you eat it.

Since we had about 30 people here, we had three fryers going. We had hoped to have all the toppings ready when the bread got going, but we were a little off. This was the first time we had ever made these things and we would definitely have an easier time with it in the future. The toughest part for me was getting the house ready, but that was my own fault for being such a pig to begin with! Plus, I added the task of hand-scrubbing all of the grout in my kitchen floor to my already long list of things to get done before yesterday. But, I actually so feel like I can breathe a little eaiser knowing that all the grime and dirt is off of my grout (for now!) and it appears to be the color it's actually supposed to be!

If I'm so much happier with a clean house, why don't I just keep it like this?
Because I'm a PIG, and I LIVE WITH PIGS, that's why! And because I've barely been near my computer in three days or knitted a single stitch of anything...and I like those things much more than cleaning anyhow!

In addition to the Indian Tacos, we had chips and dips and crackers and meats and cheese and.....I made CarliGirl's recipe for homemade ice cream. Now, THAT was YUMMY....so yummy, in fact, that it also contributed to my weight gain! There were also cobblers and pastries and my aunt's famous 'Okie Cake!' That and homemade ice cream and it tastes just like the 4th of Julys of my childhood! I ate sugar and flour and grease and....mmmmmmmmm.....

I will probably have a migraine later, but it will be totally worth it! The picture above is the Indian Taco that I just made today with the leftovers. The bread is not nearly as good as it is when it's fresh, but it's still SOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOD regardless! I didn't bother with the corn or the olives or the onions today. But, the meat and beans and hot sauce and sour cream and guacamole and lettuce and tomatoes and....

I think I need a nap now!

The girls are begging David to take them swimming, but I think he'd rather vegitate in front of the tv watching the 'Hogan's Heroes' marathon. We are all tired today and don't feel like doing much at all. I've already spent the first two hours of my morning just scrubbing the burnt-on grease from my stove top. Next year, we are doing ALL of the frying OUTSIDE!

Well, it looks like David caved and is heading to the pool. I doubt I'll be able to get out of going, too. PLUS, I have about a HUNDRED beach towels to wash...and hand towels. We must have had a lot of things to dry and messes to wipe up because I am totally out of clean dish towels!

Soccer and Lily didn't seem to mind the crowd at all! Soccer napped right by the front door most of the day, completely oblivious to all the foot traffic around him. Lily just followed me around for the most part. When she wasn't doing that, she was lying near the folks sitting out on the lawn under the tree, staying cool and waiting for someone to drop food! Everyone was so amazed with how calm and sweet she was! And they were even more amazed that we'd only had her for about a week and half! I was so busy with other things that I completely forgot to put Lily's hat on, but she did wear her stars and stripes bandana around her neck all day long! We also discovered that she looooooves to chase laser pointer lights just as much as a cat does. Plus, she was bouncing around through the weeds in the back and she looked like a little deer or something! My cousin and I were laughing about it and it really got me thinking: This dog TOTALLY needs a pair of antlers for Christmas!!! And she would probably wear them with pride because she's Lily and she's AWESOME!!!

....but she's still sort of afraid of my CAMERA!

I have a sneaking suspicion that one of my chickens MIGHT be a smoker!

2008-06-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

I've recently discovered WHY this happens to chickens...but it really cracked me up when I first saw it! It's actually a sign that a chicken could be going into a moult, or so I've been told!

Summer is here in full-force and time is limited. We always tend to think that life will somehow slow down when you take the kids' school schedule out of the equation....but nothing could be further from the truth! We have story time at the library on Monday, summer reading program on Wednesday, waterpark on Thursday, and so many other things that keep us having to do something almost every single day.

We also adopted a dog, who is fitting in even better than I could have expected! Her name is Lily and she's said to be about four years old. She was pregnant with a litter when she came to our local shelter and a good friend of mine ended up fostering her. She had seven of the most adorable stinkin' puppies and was a great mom. She was so mellow and not at all nervous about strangers messing with her pups! I am in no place in my life to want a puppy right now, or ever. I like dogs. Puppies are cute, but I have no desire to own one! Lily doesn't chew, doesn't whimper, and is already housebroken. We know exactly who she is as a dog, as her personality and limits have already been established. She's a smart little dog with lots of energy, without being high-strung in the least. She's about 20 pounds and almost knee-heigh to a short adult. (Okay...ME!)

Day 1 was a bit rough for her:

But, by Day 2, she and Soccer were forming a pretty decent tolerance of one another:

...and she was modeling the latest doggy fashions (that you can find at Target for a DOLLAR, anyway!) with ease and grace:

She's a real natural, isn't she?

And, just today, she has come around a lot more and is running all over the place with the energy of a puppy, without all the whimpering and extra spots in my carpet!

If you are thinking about getting a dog, you really should think about adopting an adult from your local shelter. There are so many wonderful companions that may be left undiscovered without someone to give them a home and a life. And, for goodness sake PLEASE get your pets spayed and neutered!!!! All it takes is a trip to the shelter to see the realization of how many of those helpless animals will be put to death because 'their people' let them down. Maybe they never even had people, but at some point some person screwed up in order for these furry friends to end up where they are.

And, most of your local shelters have foundations and programs set up to offer low cost spay and neutering. If you can't afford that, maybe you shouldn't have a pet to begin with!

I'll admit that I have been part of the problem. Now, I'm working on being a part of the solution. Where do you stand?

What I'll most certainly lie to you about, and other things I've discovered about life...

2008-06-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's been awhile since I've really been here. I had to dust off a few cobwebs, but things seem fine here otherwise. Just a bit sad and unchanged, much like my hairstyle.....

Come to think of it, it really shouldn't be legal to neglect a blog as badly as I've neglected this blog!

***************************************************

The phone rings. It's 10:00 at night, or 12:30, or even sometime in the afternoon. It doesn't matter, really. What matters is whether or not I'm sleeping. More importantly, it's a matter of whether or not you will ever know the truth!

Now, I don't know why I do this, but I always lie to someone about them waking me up when they did, in fact, wake me up! It might be because I hate the feeling that I have when I know that I've woken someone from their slumber with a phone call. There are a few people in my life who have less-than-traditional sleep schedules and I might be waking them up no matter when I call them. I actually try my best not to call them unless I absolutely need to because I hate the way it makes ME feel when I'm the one who wakes them up!

*I just realized how self-centered that actually sounds*

OOPS!

Soooo....call me and wake me up and you'll probably never know it!

Moving on...

I've made an interesting discovery when it comes to my kids recently. First of all, let me tell you how I acquired this little snippet of information: My neighbor. We all know someone who just seems to have 'it' together a bit more than most people, don't we? They are not perfect, but still seem to manage a home a family more consistently and efficiently than the rest. Well, she's THAT neighbor and I really think I could learn a lot from her when it comes to routine and priority. And discipline.

So, we were visiting her a week or so ago. School had just gotten out for the summer a couple of days earlier and she was mentioning that she's already had to pull out the 'I'm Bored Bowl' for her seven-year-old son. She then showed me the bowl, which was just a plastic bowl with a lid full of several folded scraps of paper. Anytime her son comes to her claiming that he's bored, he draws a slip of paper from the bowl. Some of the scraps of paper have fun things scribbled on them. Some don't. He runs the risk of either getting to watch a movie, play a video game, dust the living room, clean the bathroom, or doing a math worksheet with every claim of being bored. The funny thing is that he's actually excited to carry out these things and the pressure is taken off of his mom as far as being the 'bad guy.' I mean, he's drawing his own fate so it's not her that is making him clean his bathroom. She told me that she actually got the idea from another mom awhile back. Still, I think she's a flippin' GENIUS just the same!

I decided that something like that would be great to implement into my own home. Afterall, I have three kids of my own and one that I keep 10-12 hours a day during the week. Then again, my kids never really come to me claiming to be bored. They are quite content to entertain themselves and leave a trail of destruction that often ends in me having to threaten violence in order to get them to clean up after themselves. There just has to be a better way. And I think I might have found it....for now!

I put my own spin on her concept by making two separate bowls. While we don't have a problem with actual boredom in this house, we still have your typical bugging, pushing, tattling, and non-sharing problem that seems to be universal with most children. So, we have a 'Good Bowl' and a 'Bad Bowl' instead. The Good Bowl is filled with all sorts of different things that the girls would enjoy. They could draw me a picture, play with Barbie dolls, jump on the trampoline, paint their nails, have a popsicle, or even do five somersaults each when they draw from the Good Bowl. I even picked up some Play-Doh and some more foam letters to add to options in the Good Bowl. Our first couple of days with this system were a complete success. Fighting, bickering and tattling are no way to earn a drawing from the Good Bowl so they have been more than friendly to one another. Too much of that poor behavior can lead to one or all of them drawing from the Bad Bowl.

Which brings us to yesterday: The first time we drew from the Bad Bowl. 5YO and B5YO were just bickering and fighting and tattling to no end. Well, there was an end to it all once 5YO scrubbed ten sections of grout in my kitchen floor and B5YO picked up some trash that the wind blew down the driveway. Other possibilities included putting one's nose against a wall for five minutes, putting all the shoes in the house (which always end up in a box by the back door!) in the correct rooms, or even sweeping the hallway and front bathroom. Some of these are worse than others, but none of them seem too difficult or cruel for the children. (Not they they would AGREE, but you know how it goes!)

We try to emphasize the Good Bowl, for obvious reasons. Days can consist of several drawings from the Good Bowl. These kids are suddenly eager to find out their destiny and happily play nicely with whatever is drawn. They even clean up after themselves without being asked to do so in order to see what the bowl will let them do next! I have complete control over the contents of the bowl and can add or subract as the day goes on. If I'm not willing to carry it out, I take it out of the box! We painted nails last week, and I will keep that option out until I'm ready to do it again! The contents of both boxes are constantly evolving and changing. And my house has never been cleaner and the kids (for the most part!) have never played so well together.

I've never been really good at keeping things structured. But, somehow, this method allows for structure and still keeps things random enough to keep our attention. Unfortunately, this system doesn't allow for as much 'me time.' (Otherwise known as computer, knitting, reading, and talking on the phone time) But, at the end of the day, we're all a bit happier and more content this past week or so. And we laugh a lot more, too.

I've never really been all that disciplined or organized, but this was all just so easy to put into place that I cannot believe I had never heard of it before!

You live, you learn, and try to do it even better the next day!