I'm Feelin' It!

You know that scratchy/sore feeling in your throat that you get right before you get a cold? I'm feelin' it today!

You know how you swallow all the time just hoping that it has gone away? That's me! Nope...it hasn't gone away.

I was hoping that MAYBE I got away from getting sick like Ric got sick a few weeks ago - AND I'm hoping that it's just a minor little tickle in my throat...

I have WAY too many classes to teach this week (Both Stamping and New England Tech) to be sick!

Now...where's my Vitamin C? :)

The ONLY way Rhode Island becomes a Red State!

I'm not much into posting my political views here, and this isn't even political per se. But I had to post something I heard on the radio this afternoon about Rhode Island.

Time Magazine did a poll yesterday about the governor or Illinois and whether or not he was getting a fair trial. Here are the results....

Can you believe that RI is the ONLY state in Red? The ONLY state where the majority of those who voted in this poll thought he was being treated unfairly?

Now...there were only about 9 or 10 people who voted, but that sample amount is similar to other states. Even so...what's up with that?

Thought you might enjoy a good laugh at our expense!

Here's the link to the poll if you are interested.

(No, I didn't vote in the poll.)

I'm Not Complaining...OK, I AM

I'm having a hard time today forgiving my husband for something he did - he really didn't mean to, but in any event he did it. And now I'm going to suffer for it.

Let me back up a little...

It's been cold for the past few weeks. I'm guessing that the ground is probably frozen, which is why our dry well for our washer has been backing up. It's the only thing I can think of, other than a blockage, that would cause the rinse water to come back up the pipe. Obviously, it would be a rather cold and nasty job to see why the water isn't going down the pipe all the way. (We put the dry well in ourselves when we moved in and it's never done this before!)

So after a few garage flooding incidents, Ric attached the hose from the washer to a PVC pipe that goes right outside the back door and into the back yard. It's only water from the washer, so I'm not worried that anything might contaminate. In the process, he moved the washer closer to the door a little and changed the hoses for the cold and hot water to the steel hoses that we've had hanging around since we bought the washer almost 5 years ago.

One reason that we hadn't changed the hoses was because we were told that it would void the warranty if something happened and we weren't using the factory-supplied hoses.

Now...our house is over 50 years old and we've learned in the 5 years that we've lived here that most things are backwards. Any time we've had to rewire, what you would normally think would be the "hot" wire wouldn't be. The same is true for the hot and cold water in the shower AND behind the washer.

Ric forgot about this - and as he was changing the hoses, accidentally hooked up the cold water to the hot, and the hot water to the cold in the washer.

Not knowing this, I ran two loads of laundry yesterday - after the 2nd one came out steaming hot when I hadn't chose that option, I called Ric to see if he had swapped the hoses. In the meantime, I think that running the hot water when it wasn't supposed to be hot must have melted something inside the washer.

Why?

Because now...you can only choose a few of the wash options, AND when you try to press the "start" button, NOTHING HAPPENS!

So here's the deal, we've essentially voided the warranty, because any repairman will ask what happened with the hoses and why they were switched. We don't have money to pay for repairs or a replacement. AND, it's MY job to do the laundry. So I'M the one that's going to be dragging the clothes WITH the kids to a neighbors, or the laundromat to get our clothes clean! Not Ric. (We trade - I do laundry, he does bathrooms.)

Am I ANGRY? YOU BET YOUR SOCKS I AM! I'm so angry I could just spit nails!

I know that Ric didn't mean to make the mistake, but there was no reason in the first place to change the hoses, the others were working just fine. This is an expensive mistake! Not only do we have this to add to the list, but my van needs new tires, Ric just had a flat on the way to work on Wednesday, AND we have very little money to spare until I get paid in 2 more weeks! (Ric's paycheck pretty much goes to the mortgage every other week.)

OK, I'm done complaining...this wasn't something that needed to happen. I guess I know what I'm getting for my birthday in a few weeks! :) A nice washer repair bill! Woo Hoo!

PS - Thanks for listening while I air our "dirty laundry!" heh

Sesame Street...Live!

Ric's sister gave us some vouchers for Sesame Street Live this past weekend. We were a little worried that Megan's head would explode when she saw Elmo, but luckily, she survived! :)

(Isn't Meg cute in her hot pink marshmallow coat?)

We had a great time! The show was just long enough for the kids (and adults) and the music was really cute!

I can't imagine how hot it must have been to dance in those costumes!

Megan was really friendly with the people in front of us, so they offered to old her at the front row rail for better look - she loved it!

All Ryan has been asking for since are more tickets so we can go again...maybe we'll be just as lucky next year!

Check this out - post # 500!

WOW - this is actually post number 500! If you're still reading - thanks! :)

This one is quick though, I put another post up on my Preparedness blog that I had to share with everyone. It's all about my SCORE at the grocery store this week. Make sure you check it out!

I was practically paid to shop!

Happy Thursday!

Hurry Up and Wait!

As I'm typing this, HUGE snowflakes are falling and we just got the call that there's no Church today. Poor Ryan - it's the 3rd week in January and he STILL hasn't been to Primary the whole time yet! He was pretty upset that we wouldn't be going.

This week I completely agree with the cancellation. The roads are really dangerous, and since the snow is still falling pretty quickly, it will be a while until they are safe to travel.

Oh well...at least Ric and I can enjoy our newest Sunday TV show - The Phantom Gourmet. (It's a local cable show that's on during Church so we usually miss it!) Not that we go out to dinner a lot, it's fun to see what's "cooking" at restaurants around here!

We call this...

...playing by "rear" :)

(Please pay no attention to the junk piled up on top of the piano - nowhere else to put it!)

Just wondering...

Do you think it's considered child abuse if I tell Ryan that if he poops in his diaper, he can sit in it until Daddy gets home because I 'm not changing any more of them?

Get back to me on that one.

Only in Rhode Island...

...will you get a phone call on a Saturday night that Church has been canceled BEFORE the first flake falls.

(Not that I'm complaining...a break will be nice, but this is just nuts!)

Hungry?

If a diet isn't one of your New Year's Resolutions...get a load of THIS! If it is...at least you can drool at the picture!

Yep - I made it last night, IT IS TO DIE FOR! The recipe isn't online yet since this is a current issue of the magazine, but I'll either scan and post it or find the link when it's up. If you like peanut butter, brownies, mousse, and a chocolate ganache, you HAVE to try this recipe.

(Want a taste? Come on over!)

Fun with Food Storage!

Hey everyone! You don't want to miss this!

A BRAND NEW website with TONS of ideas for your Food Storage! Because they are brand new, they are having a PARTY and celebrating with TONS of giveaways! (Do I say TONS too many times?)

The website is Fun with Food Storage (http://funwithfoodstorage.net/) - don't miss this opportunity to first, get more food storage ideas AND to win some great prizes!

Overheard last night....

Ryan was sitting on the couch with Dad, this is what we heard:

Ryan: Daddy? Why aren't the Simpson's on TV?

Dad: Because there's a special two-hour '24' show on instead.

Ryan: Or maybe '25'?

Dad: Yeah, 24, 25, whatever it takes.

PS - no comments from the peanut gallery about the fact that we let Ryan watch The Simpsons once in a while! :)

This Kid is TOO MUCH!

Right now, Ryan's little friend Michael is over here while his mom runs some errands. The living room and everywhere else all three of them run (because Megan can't be left out) is just chaos. I'm grumpy from getting up at 3:45 against my will and Ryan is constantly begging for something.

He just asked me for some chocolate milk and I told him I'd get it in a minute. The next thing you hear...

Hey everyone, Come on! Chocolate milk and candy in the living room! Come on!

Um....yeah...

(PS - I told them to leave the kitchen as I was getting it ready, they ended up in the chair - all three of them. We'll see how long that lasts!)

Overheard EARLY Saturday Morning

Last night, Ric and I went on a "date." It wasn't all that exciting except that we didn't have kids with us - woo hoo! We came home with some things from Home Depot, including four 5-Gallon buckets with lids.

Ryan instantly turned them into "Blue Man Drums." This morning, here's what was heard...

Ryan: Mom, can I use your drumsticks?

Mom: (Too tired to argue because she's been up and down since 3:45am, that's another story) Yes, let me get them.

I hand him two of my marimba mallets, thinking first, that he wouldn't know the difference, and second that it wouldn't be as noisy.

Ryan: No, those are for the marimba! I want your drumsticks!

(I give up.... at least he knows the difference! That's my boy! We'll see how long this lasts until someone gets hurt!)