That’s Fierce!

I have succumbed to watching Project Runway marathons, and OMG, I love it!

Know what I love even more?  That Honey stayed up until 2:30 a.m. two nights in a row watching it with me.

And he liked it!!!

Well, DUH….

67 As a 1930s wife, I am Superior Take the test!

My Brother’s Keeper

I had a quick errand to run today, and as I was leaving I noticed it was time to gas up the car again.  We hopped over to Joe’s Travel Plaza and B ran the money in while I waited to pump the gas.  While I was waiting, a rather bundled up man came scrounging around in the garbage cans.  I figured he was looking for recyclables (this is a common sight in this area), but he picked through a McDonald’s bag so I wondered if he was searching for food as well?

After we filled up and got our change, I scrounged around our car to see if we had any empty cans or water bottles.  We had one, which isn’t much but could be the world to this guy.  So we drove over to where he was standing.  I tried to apologize for only having one bottle for him, but he indicated he didn’t really speak English.  I did understand that he was telling me that God had sent me, and I wished him good luck.

My intentions were to scoot through town to the highway that would take us on our errand, but I couldn’t help but think of this man.  B had asked if we could sing Christmas songs, which I am more than happy to do if the right tunes are playing along!  Sadly, the radio reception has been sorely lacking on the station that is all Christmas, all the time.  I decided we should swing by home (since it wasn’t out of the way of where we were going) and pick up my iPod, and while we were at it we could grab the rest of our cash recyclables for that man.  And hey, why not an apple too?  Oh, while I’m at it, I should toss in some crackers that have peanut butter so he can get some protein, and maybe some Cheez-its because that is at the top of healthful foods we should eat (HA!  OK, ok, really it’s because it was portable for the guy), and ooh, what if he has bad teeth?  I’ll bring some of those tangerines.  And a yogurt.  Don’t forget the fork!  (We are out of plastic spoons).  As we headed back over to the gas station, I thought I should’ve grabbed some bandaids or something.  Good thing I keep a couple of mini first-aid kits in the car.

He wasn’t were we left him.  Lucky I spotted him over by the dumpsters before chasing him down through the neighborhood!

We brought him our meager gifts and expressed our love for him the best we could.  Vaya con Dios-es were exchanged, and we went on our merry way.

I wanted it to be a teaching moment for B & S who were with me.  I knew it wouldn’t take much for B to get, but S is still quite wrapped up in himself and I wondered if he would “get” why we did these things for this man.  I took a quick second to tell them that it is important for us to take care of him because he is our brother.  No, he is not in our earthly family; but he was there with us in the premortal existence,  standing by our side and fighting for the Plan of Happiness that was put forth so that we might return to live with Heavenly Father after our time on Earth.

It didn’t cost any money to help my fellow man.  I gathered a little of what I already had and hopefully we provided nourishment for his body and strength for his soul, because I am certain that we were an answer to his prayer.

What I got in return was more than the few things I put in the bag.  I got an opportunity to teach my children about our Savior’s love for “even the least of these“.

Not Just A Money Pit

They say when you buy a house it becomes your money pit.  You’re always putting something into it, but the money never comes back out!  Well boys and girls, they’re not just talking about money, they mean your time, too!

I thought for sure when we moved right next to the school that I’d have more time.  I’d be able to quilt, to cross-stitch and needlepoint, I’d be able to start canning stuff, life would be bliss!  But, no.  That great killjoy and fun-sucker, responsibility, has crept in and taken over with a vengance.

Now that we’re right next to the school, B & S can come right home after school instead of hanging out at Dad’s until I come to pick them up.  That right there eats a whole 90 minutes of my social schedule up!  And now that I can’t use “I got held up by that train!” as an excuse, they kind of frown upon you being late to pick up the kindergartener.

Don’t these people know I have better things to do like, nap?  And shop?  And laundry???

I swear, the inconsiderateness of some people…

Don’t Be Jealous, Just Throw Money

So, the other day the heat went out again.

It was ugly.

I called the HVAC people.  That was ugly, too.  Ugly to the tune of $275!!!  I was whining about it to Shana the Beautiful when she looks at me and says, “You know that’s what Don’s major was, right?” (Don being her hubby).

ZOINKS!!!

Don the Rockstar agrees to come over later last night to put the new ignition in, so I head home to find out what model my furnace is so I can get the right part for him.  Except, I don’t even know what I’m looking for.

The sweet niblets at SPAC directed me to what I was looking for and how to remove it so that they could tell me if, in fact, it was broken.

It was.

$49.95 later for one ignition thingy and a roll of plumber’s tape (I do not enjoy a shower head that sprays at me out the threads!) later, and I skeedaddle home and put that ignition thingy in ALL. BY. MYSELF!!!

You may bow at my greatness.

And please, no applause, just throw money.

The Light Is On But Nobody’s Home or What Sallygirl’s Been Doing For The Last Week

Fair warning, this post is long.  Exceptionally long.  And not at all fun in the beginning.  In fact, you may skip right to the good parts and I won’t blame you one bit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I’ve been meaning to write since the day after Thanksgiving, but my mental illness got the better of me.  The thing that’s the hardest about chemical depression is that there’s no rhyme or reason to it.  It just is.  I could be having the best day ever and then out of nowhere some kind of sensory overload comes and it’s like you killed my dog (and I don’t even have a dog!).

In my head I know I have everything to be grateful for and happy about, but then this switch just flips and suddenly I’m the biggest loser in the universe, and not in the good way.  I saw my therapist yesterday and had a great session, and then I saw the Rx Dr. today and it was like I was four completely different people.

Do you know what it feels like to know that there’s nothing you can do about it?  Like you have a big, fat, bold “L” stamped on your forehead to warn everyone what a loser you are.

I have a whole toolbag of things I can do (or that some well-meaning but completely insensitive person might tell me to do) and it just doesn’t matter, the feelings will come.  I can affirm myself until I turn into Stuart Smalley, I can lose myself in service, I can pray, I can get a blessing, I can “choose” to not feel that way, but the second I stop or get distracted from force-feeding myself good feelings I am flooded with bad ones.

I accept that this is my lot in life and do what I can to take care of myself (medications, therapy, self-care, etc.) but I still have times when the “fun sucker” sneaks in and ruins it for everybody.

Ok, now that I’ve put all that lovliness out there… On with the show!

So, we moved into the house last Tuesday.  The one right before Thanksgiving.

Here’s what’s happened since then:

- We had not closed when we painted the house on Monday.

- We had not closed when the fridge was delivered Monday afternoon.

- We still hadn’t closed when the ward moved us out of the apartment and into the house on Tuesday night.

- We were pretty sure we closed on Wednesday night, but not 100%, just 99.997%.

- Our dear friends who had us over for Thanksgiving called that morning to let us know their little one had been dry-heaving all morning.  We were still welcome to come but they wanted to warn us.

- We had no heat for a week (or so we thought) so we went anyway.  It was freaking fun and little Dude ended up not killing anyone with his cooties.

- As we’re getting ready to leave, Shana the Beautiful calls to see if I want to do Black Friday with her.

At 2:00 a.m.

- Despite being freaking tired and exhausted, like the sucker that I am good friend that I am, I decide to do it.  She’ll pick me up at 1:30.

- Met a man who’d been in prison in Arizona for 7 1/2 years and knew a guy named “Peaches”.  Told us all about his “store” he ran in prison.  Had the best. time. EVER!  shopping and laughing about all the funny people we met in line and at the mall.  We took pictures, but I’m too lazy to post them.

Maybe if you beg…

- Shopped Toys R’Us like the pros that we are, hit the mall, and ate breakfast at the counter at Denny’s where we ate like lumberjacks from all our hard work shopping with the masses.

- Had two “emergency” paper signings (we were closed, but the title company chick is retarded and yes I know that’s not PC but I don’t much care) at 11:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Friday.

- Cried myself to sleep from being so cold.

- Cried all during Sacrament meeting at our new ward, and not in the good way, but perked up after the xanax kicked in.

- Was brought housewarming gifts (a new dresser for D and mirrors!) and slave labor from one of my bestest friends, Banana (and Squishy!) on Monday morning.

- Cried for joy when the PG&E man came on Monday morning to turn on the heat and hook up the stove so we could cook real food.

- Cried again when I learned that there wasn’t anything wrong with the heat, we’re just idiots who don’t know how to use an ancient thermostat.

- Gained 500 lbs. eating out because our garbage disposal is busted (yes, I pushed the red button underneath and yes I jammed the blades with a broom handle counter and non-counter clockwise and it still is broken) and the sink doesn’t drain properly so we can’t wash dishes that cooked food would be on.

- Almost, ok not but I felt like it, kissed the cable man because now I can watch House when it’s really on instead of playing catchup on the internet.

- Stayed up wayyyy too late watching “The Real Housewives of Orange County” Tuesday night.

- Stayed up wayyyy too late watching “Top Chef: New York” Wednesday night.

- Had a nervous breakdown about the chaos that is the un-boxed but not un-packed house that I now live in on Wednesday, Thursday.

- Saw my oldest son perform in the school choir at the town tree-lighting ceremony and went to my old ward’s RS Christmas Dinner on Thursday evening.

- Had another cry-fest from being overwhelmed about all this crap that keeps coming up the joys of being a new homeowner today.

- Had another bestest friend, Shana the Beautiful, come over tonight and help me clean up and put away most of my kitchen so I could break down less often.

And now you know what I’ve been up to for the last 13 days!