Burns, Freckles and Other Such Things.

These past weeks have been full of amazing moments with my incredible brain.  I've begun writing a book.  Not that that's so amazing, but I have officially begun.  I have also been PTA-ing and Ward Missionary-ing and helping a neighbor move and stuff.  But in between all that stuff there has been other stuff.  And I thought I'd share that stuff with you.

A few weeks ago I burned my arm.  I reached over a just-out-of-the-oven baking dish to grab a paper towel and my arm met the dish.  It burned!  Hurt! Ouch!

Months before this happened I had purchased a box filled with this burn gel.  I put a bottle in each car, in the kitchen, in the linen closet, in the first aid kit, in the 72 hour kits.  And I still have more waiting for a spot.  Anyhoo, Daniel grabbed a bottle and put a ton on my burn.  I reapplied a bit later and the next day my arm was that picture up there.  No blisters, no burning, no nothing.  This stuff is awesome!

Grandpa brought kazoos for the kids when they came for dinner last week.  He told the kids that now when they are asked if they play an instrument, they can say they play the kazoo.  Hah!!

Last week while on my way to grandma and grandpa's to get some peaches, I stopped at the Maverick for a diet coke.  I locked the car door, and, with keys in hand, went in.  I came out and pushed my button to unlock my door and nothing happened.  Nothing!  No beeping, no unlocking, no locking.  Nothing.  So I called Daniel, who suggested I try again.  um.  I have been pushing the darned thing the whole time.  Nothing Is Happening!  So he thought maybe it could be the battery in the key.  So I called my friend Laurie.  I asked her to please rescue me.  She came and took me to the store and she purchased a battery for me.  My purse was in my car.  Which was locked.  So I replaced the battery and pushed the button.  Nothing. Again.  So I called a locksmith.  Laurie stuck with me and we chatted while we waited.  The locksmith came and opened my door.  Good thing, because he wasn't getting paid for his trouble unless he got it opened.  So my key lock still doesn't work.  Daniel can't figure it out.  I did get the peaches. 

I went back in to my eye doctor who looked at my secret freckle.  It hasn't changed.  Yay!  So I am not in the market for a sparkly eye patch.  At least not right now.  

My left hand pinkie has begun to trigger.  It hurts like crazy cakes.  I called the surgeon to see what he could do.  They said I can't have surgery until it really sticks.  Darn it all!  But I could come and get a cortisone shot.  Uh.  No thanks.  I remember the last time they did that.  It felt like rocks were being injected into my thumb.  I think I'll wait.

Sam is taking pictures of the goats for Reflections.  I looked at his pictures and he had about 5 of his nose.  I wonder if this could be entered under the theme.  Believe, Dream, Inspire.  Dream of long eyelashes. Believe your son will take great nose shots.  Inspire with bold shots of the inside of one's nose.  Could work.

Last week while flipping through a newspaper, I saw a nasty picture.  I can't explain the picture, so I'll just tell you what the article said.  You know those flushable bum wipes?  The ones you use on your bum so your bum is clean and fresh and can flush down the toilet?  They are clogging the pipes.  They are causing huge problems for plumbers and for the sewers.  Dang.  Just when you thought you could clean your bum and rid yourself of the evidence, everyone can see that evidence in the newspaper!  That was the picture.  Is there no shame?  Do we keep cleaning our bums and flushing the flushable wipes?  Or do we go back to lousy dry TP.  Oh wait! Apparently the thick TP is causing the very same troubles in the sewers.  Dang.  There's just no way around it.  I have no advice or further comments on this.

Do you see what I see?  Hold it.  Do you see that empty space??  Daniel's old car is gone.  It's in the Scout Master's drive way now.  He's gonna sell it or donate it or something and use the money for the Scout program.  Yay, the car's gone!

And furthermore, after much grocery shopping and PTA-ing, I went to Jimmy Johns to get a #12.  It's yummy.  And I deserved it.  So I order and go to the window.  I pay and get my sandwich.  Then I come home, unload the groceries and go to eat my lunch.  And what do you know?!  It was all the inside the sandwich stuff in a lettuce leaf! Are you kidding me?  Where's my bread?!  I need the bread!  So I eat my salad wrapped in paper and then I had eat a Twinkie.  Because I need a carb.  Or slightly more.  Sheesh!

On a more spiritual note, I went to a fireside the other night here in our Stake.  Sherie Dew and Virginia Pearce came to speak to us.  They just co-wrote a book called "The Beginning Of Better Days"  It has the notes taken by Eliza R Snow of the very first meetings of the Relief Society.  Their thoughts on Joseph Smith's words to the Sisters are inspiring.  And, of course, so are Joseph Smith's words.  If you're looking for a very good, very quick, very inspiring book to read.  Read "The Beginning of Better Days".

So there you go.  I'm done for now.  I need to rack up more stuff to share with you so I'll be off.

What A Weekend!

We went up to the Ranch this last Friday and Saturday.  We have been waiting for an un-busy weekend to go.  Grandma and Grandpa went too!

Sam looked out the window and saw this little guy staring back.

On Saturday, Daniel, the boys and grandpa got some work done.  This guy gave me a fun ride on grandpa's 4-wheeler.  He wore a helmet and drove the speed limit grandpa had set for the grand kids.  Then he dropped me off and went on by himself.

Not too long later, he came in with dad and grandpa right behind.  He'd had an accident.  He was going too fast and flew off the machine and rolled.  The machine rolled too.  Isaac was bashed up on his shoulder, arm and back. 

The machine rolled so fast there was grass stuck in the wheels.  So we packed those up with us.  That didn't make Isaac feel very good.  Too close a reminder.  We kept reminding him that he was okay.  Nothing was broken on him or the machine.  But he was pretty shaken up and sore.

And here's our carpet money!  I mean the new car.

We are now saving again for carpet to finish the basement.

Our new deadline for finishing is Labor Day. 

We'll just see how that turns out.

Only 9 days left of school!!  Rah Rah!

I Don't Smoke!

So this car has been sitting here in the garage for over a week.  If Daniel were to drive it we think it would explode.  The engine is gone.  Luckily he takes the train to work, so I have been dropping him off and picking him up from the train every day.  No biggie, it's just up the hill and I take him right after Isaac leaves for the bus.  But eventually we will need to get back to being a 2 car couple.  Daniel has been scouring for a little non gas guzzling car. 

He found another little Neon that was cheap and needed to be sold quickly to the gal could make her house payment.  But she wouldn't return any calls after the initial conversation.  I guess she found another way to make the house payment.  But why not answer when it's someone who wants to buy it?! 

Then Daniel found a really snazzy and cute Mercury Cougar hatchback.  He called the guy and left a message.  The guy, let's call him Nick, called back.  Daniel told him he's interested in the car.  The guy, Nick, says to my never taken a drink in his life hubby, "Are you drunk??"  to which Daniel replies to the now obviously drunk Nick, "No", are you??  I mean seriously.  He's drunk on the phone.  But he wants Daniel to come see the car.  It's late and I'm concerned.  So I went with him.  It was dark and rainy.  We found the place and Daniel went to the door.  The car was right outside.  CUTE!  Nick came out and let Daniel look around the car.  Then he asks him again if he's drunk.  No.  Nick says, "I am drunk and I have to use the breathalyzer in the car before I can drive.  If you were drunk, it wouldn't let you drive".  Oh Winner! 

So he has my dear hubby blow into the breathalyzer.  You blow then you hum/blow. So Daniel does it.  Then Nick is excited because it means they can go for a test drive.  Whew!  That was close.

So I get into the cute little snazzy sport car just as Nick's landlord comes for the rent.  Nick is short $75.  Bummer.  The landlord is not walking away.  He wants his money and doesn't want to chase Nick down.  Nick says he'll call him later in the week when he has the moolah. 

Okey Dokey.

So we get in and go.  Then the beeping begins and the car comes to a halt.  Daniel has to blow in the thing so the car will go.  Nick says he can't blow in it because he's drunk.  Thanks, we know.  So my clean as a slate hubby blows and we go.  This is a fun ride.  Except for the drunkard in the back seat.  His language is so unsuitable for the presence of a lady, too.  He asks if we're LDS.  Yes.  He apologizes for the behavior.  Then he asks if we are familiar with certain LDS figures from Joseph Smith's time.  And wouldn't you know it?  We are.  I ask if he's LDS and he says yes but is an alcoholic and has missionaries who come by all the time to talk to him and help him. 

Then our good friend Nick asks us if we're familiar with the Steed family from way back.  Daniel asks if they are from right here.  NO.  Joseph's time.  He continues with how good the family was and the influence they had.  Okay.  Apparently our friend Nick has read The Work And The Glory.  And he is diluted into thinking this fictional Steed family is indeed a real family.  So Daniel and I are ready for the ride to end. 

We get back to the apartment and Nick invites us in so we can discuss when Daniel will contact him after we think about the car.  We love it. But Nick is getting increasingly sloshed as time goes on.  He was on his drunken game when we first got there.  But the alcohol has since killed off another bazillion brain cells.  And I really do think that was a great part of what he's got left.  We are in his apartment for another 15 minutes talking about when Daniel will contact him.  Nick really needs to go to bed.  So I ask him if I can write it down for him.  He pulls out his "brain" and boy, am I relieved that it was a notepad.  More brain cells there than what the alcohol has killed. 

I write very specifically what time Daniel will call and tell him he needs to go to bed.  We also remind him, when he asks what he told his landlord, that he needs to call the guy when he has the, how much do I need to give him?, $75.  Thank goodness we were there!

Nick just loves us.  He thinks we are the nicest and most kindest people in the world.  We aren't judging him, but we are helping him.  He tells Daniel that he will keep his number in his phone for anytime he feels he needs to talk.  Umm.  He also tells Daniel that he can now teach a class about the breathalyzer!  Awesome!

So we finally leave.  The problem is.. I love love love this little car.  And I fully understand the car isn't for me.  Really.  I do.  But I would be willing to drive that little thing around anytime.  But the back has only 2 bucket seats and we have 3 kids.  And you know all the kids will want to ride in the snazzy little sports car with us.  Then we realize what has been wrong with the whole situation.  Other than the drunken car owner with the breathalyzer.  Cigarette smoke.  The car and his apartment was permeated with it and my lungs are burning.  It didn't take long before we knew we would not buy this little car.  I was bummed enough to want to look past the smell.  But as my lungs burned through the night, I knew we wouldn't buy it. 

So let's get to the next day.  Daniel called our friendly drunkard and told him that the cigarette smell was the clincher.  We would not be buying.  To which our good friend replies, "I DON'T SMOKE!".  I beg to differ dude.  He was upset.  I am pretty sure he removed Daniel's number from his phone.  He probably drank a little to get over us.  I hope not, but, you know. 

So we are still looking.  Daniel found another little Cougar hatchback.  I really want it, but we need to seat 3 kids in the back.  So, there  you are.  I'll get back to you when we make a purchase!

Steri Strips And Pull Overs.

On Saturday Ruthie sliced her knuckle on a can.  Sliced it right open.  We put bandages on it and she just bled right through them.  All weekend.

This morning we woke up to another soaked bandage.  So we thought it best to take her in and see if she needed stitches.  So I bandaged her finger up again and we went in. 

The doctor looked at it and said if I had brought her in on Saturday he would have put a few stitches in.  But now it is starting to heal around the edges.  He opened the "flap" to look at the inside.  He had a nurse come in and clean it and put steri strips on it.  Better than stitches!!

On our way back to school I was just driving safely along.  Not bothering a soul and keeping all my points in check!  All of a sudden there were flashing lights behind me.  Seriously?! Where did he come from and what did I do wrong??  So I pulled over and when he got out of his car he went right to the back window and it all made sense!  Our tags expired last month.  We are waiting for the sticker and have the paper saying we've done the registration in the back window.  He came to my window and said it looks like the paper has expired.  So I got out the paper that Daniel put in the glove compartment and the paper expires on September 20!  Whew!  Got time.  So he sent me on my way with a smile and have a nice day. 

Have a nice day!

My Lovely Car.

My Durango.  Oh how I love my Durango.  See it all nice and resting peacefully in the garage?  Sunday, after making a deal about needing to leave a planning meeting early, I get out to my lovely Durango and it's dead.  Totally and completely dead.  So I called Daniel who came to the rescue, as usual.  My knight in a Sunday suit.  The battery was dead but also corroded so he did what he could in the church parking lot and after about 30 minutes, got it started.  I drove home and once I was in the drive way it died.  Again.  So early Monday morning Daniel ran out and got a new battery.  It works like a charm now.  Not that I got to drive it today.

Hey!  It's Boy Scout Isaac.  It's about 6:30 this morning.  He and Daniel took my lovely Durango to Scout Camp.  In the Uintahs. 

They hiked in a couple miles.  Anything they'd need up there they had to pack in themselves.  Except the food.  Isaac looks so excited!  I hope he is still excited. Way up there in the Uintahs. 

This is what I'm driving now.  Do you know that's it's like 1000 degrees outside??  Oops.  One too many zeros.  It's hot!  Dang hot!  Daniel's car had a bad radiator so he ordered a new one and put it in.  Then it began leaking like a sieve.  Gushing!  Can't hold its water.  So he decided on Monday he needed a new car.  Then he called the radiator company and they're sending a new one.  That works. 

Until it comes and Daniel comes home, I keep putting bottles of water into the radiator.  So far I've been able to drive with the A/C on.  Yay!  'Cause when it overheats I have to turn on the heater.  Yuck.  They are gone until Saturday.  Hopefully we make it through the blasted heat!

At least my eyebrows look good.

Someone Hit Me!!

Well. Not me exactly. I wasn't in the car. Apparently no one was. But yesterday while outside playing at piano lessons, I noticed a dent in the Durango. I didn't think much of it though. But then I really looked at it. Closely. It is a nice round dent and there are those classic "marks" that are the norm when you are hit by another car. Because I know about hitting another car. Or another car hitting me. So I went through my day. Then my week. And it quite literally could have been weeks ago. Because I keep my car in the garage and then just get in and out without really looking at the smooth blue exterior. This was the first time my car was out in the sunshine with me actually there looking at it.
So I'm peeved. There was no note. No one waiting to tell me. I mean, look at it. It's not terrible. Daniel can knock out the dent, the paint wasn't scratched, and the marks will wash off. But my hope in humanity has diminished. Just kidding. I still have hope for humanity. But I did really think about what I would do if I ever hit someone's car in a parking lot. I did already have a plan..I would wait or go in and ask for the license plate to be paged or leave a note with my info. Now I know that I will for sure no questions asked make sure the owner of the other vehicle knows it was me. Had that been done in this case they would have been off the hook for the damage, but my respect for them would have been paramount!

And humanity would get a gold star for integrity.

The Ranch and The Other Tire Story.

Hey! I'm on a roll. Here's another post already! We spent a weekend up at the Ranch with grandma and grandpa and aunt Mary Alice, uncle Richard and 2 of their kids, Austin and Audrey. We had loads of fun. One day it rained. And rained. See the rain?
Look at the grumpy girl. She didn't want to go for a ride with us in the Durango. We had new tires and could drive 2 mile road without thought. But we were disrupting 4 wheeler riding. But it had just rained buckets, so we were going somewhere else. Sam came too. Isaac got out of it.

Here's what happened to the new tires we'd just put on the Durango. Caked with mud. It had just rained buckets, remember? Duh. Driving on dirt roads that have just been rained buckets on turn to mud roads. Deep mud roads.

We sloshed and slushed and thought we were gonna die as we swished from one side of the road to the other. One side was mountain, the other? drop off. But we got some great pictures of the surrounding beauty as we sloshed and slushed along.

Beautiful flowers and stuff. Everything had just been washed from the rain and was clean and bright!

But the road wasn't. It was just deep mud. And so on we went.

It's really hard to tell how much mud was really there. My tires aren't that thick. There was like 3 inches of mud on each tire and caked under the truck. But, boy was it fun!

When we got to gravel road we enjoyed the scenery better. We also took potty breaks. But I didn't get pics of that. There were lots of cows and calves and sheep. We saw this deer, too. Did you know that the deer in the mountains of southern Idaho have one side of legs shorter than the other? It's so they can stand on the mountain side and eat. When Daniel told me that I believed him. Then I started thinking about when they wanted to turn and walk the other way... April Fool! Daniel laughed pretty heartily at my expense. Don't worry. I'm used to it. And I laugh plenty at him in turn!

I'm so glad I got so many pictures of the prettiness. But the only people pic is the one of Ruthie girl up there. Sheesh. It is pretty. But my kids are way cuter! When we got back to the Ranch Richard and Mary Alice and their kids and Isaac had gone 4 wheeling. When they came back they told us about the tracks on the road that looked like someone slid all the way through. That would be us. So glad we made such an impression!

We had a great time and got to ride 4 wheelers to our hearts' content. Eating great food, shooting guns and totally not sleeping. We slept really well when we got home and even missed Sacrament meeting. Yikes! We are so glad we have a fun place to go that even has a shower with hot water now! It's definitely a great family getaway.

Vehicle Woes and Heart Attacks.

Where was I.....

Let's go back about a month. And let's talk tires. These are the new (expensive) tires on the Durango. It's needed new tires for a bit, but we just didn't get to it. Then Sam and I went to Pack Meeting last month. We parked, got out of the truck and Sam starts to tell me the tire is going flat. Whatever. So I walk around to the other side of the truck and, sure enough, air is seeping out of the back tire. Sssssssssssss.

So we went into Pack Meeting. I mean, what was I supposed to do? Daniel was on his way to us from work, so I would leave it to him. I had a few dads come and ask me if I wanted them to change it or drive it somewhere to get fixed. I thanked them and said Daniel would come and rescue us.

He did. He got it home and changed to the spare and the next day took it in for the inevitable. 4 new and expensive tires. My garage smelled like a tire store for weeks. They are really nice tires and they will come in handy at another time.
You see this?? Only Daniel's lonely and sad car in the garage. By itself. The kids and I go to see summer movies with my friend Kim and her girls. A few weeks ago we got out of the movie and into the truck and started out of the parking place. This weird noise began. So I pulled into another place and got out. My first thought was that the front bumper that I bumped another car with and had to have Daniel pull up with something to hold it there had fallen down and was hitting the tire. (Whew) The bumper was fine. But then Isaac saw all the fluid foaming out of the engine. And the trail of stuff we left behind us. I got back in to park better and realized what was leaking out. I couldn't steer. It was power steering fluid. I called Daniel and Kim mentioned the Napa auto store right there. Daniel suggested it was most likely a hose. But we went in and got the youngest and shyest of employees to help. He came out and put the stop leak in and then the steering fluid. I started the truck and all that new fluid came bubbling and gurgling out again. Bummer.

So Daniel left work and I made Kim go home and the kids and I went back into the theater to watch a movie until Daniel arrived. After looking for what the problem was (not a hose) he decided to drive it to get it fixed. This was Wednesday.

The next morning the car place called back and said it was a little part attached to a bigger part but they couldn't just replace the little part but had to replace the entire part (translation:expensive) and it would take some doing. Only they used better and more fitting vocabulary.

Meanwhile, I had a doctor appointment to get an EKG done because I'd had chest pains for a while. So Daniel stayed home so I could take his loverly vehicle and he could be with the kids, just in case. Just in case a what?? A heart attack on my part because as a diabetic I have to treat my heart "as if I've already had a heart attack" and any chest pain is something to sweat about. Anyway, the EKG was fine but I had to go into the hospital in a few days to do an exercise stress test (you know, the treadmill kind where they run you ragged and you sweat like a hose and then fall off the treadmill because you can't keep up) and the car place called and said it would take about a week to get the part to put in. Hell's bells.

So Daniel took a few more days off to help me and because we just didn't have enough vehicles to get things done and because we were a little bit worried about me. We decided on Friday to just go to Lagoon (because a ride on a roller coaster is awesome for a possible heart attack) but had to stop by the car place to grab our parking pass. Umm. The truck was gone. When Daniel went in they said it was done and they were getting the alignment done at another shop. Hip Hip Hooray. So we came back home and waited for the call to come get it. Then we went to Lagoon and then we enjoyed our weekend. Aahhhh. I love 2 vehicles in the garage. I had just tucked them in...

On Monday I went to the heart institute and it really wasn't that bad. I was only on the treadmill a total of 10 minutes and the cute nurse guy kept telling me that all I had to do was tell him to stop the tread mill and not just jump off. Hah! He also kept telling me what a fantastic job I was doing. Maybe because I was sweating but hadn't passed out? Hmm. The heart doc said it's not my heart. It's actually very healthy if you must know. It comes down to my chest wall being a bit inflamed and it's gone now. All's well.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my heart. It's awesome. I'd also like to thank the tire guys for the new ones and the other car fixing place for getting my Durango back in such a timely manner. That's all.

She Does The Damage. He Fixes It.

At least that's how we do things. I was leaving a parking lot and rear ended a very nice young lady with her small niece and baby boy in the car. Guilt? U-huh. My right (your left) fog light left a nice white mark on her pretty red bumper. But I'm sure it will wash off. My car?? Oh. My poor Durango. See that guy under there? Daniel left work so he could come save me. And let me get home in time to get my kids from school. And because we don't want to pay the many many dollars it could take to fix said bumper, he is working on it.

I had to get out of the parking lot exit and on to the side of the road. So I drove it. And that corner of the bumper curled up against the tire. Luckily the tire didn't explode. I would have had to have a tow truck come get it. Luckily Daniel knows how to get things done.
I got to pick up my kiddos in this.
Oh yes. The special car.

He had just made a really good "She does the damage and I have to fix it. That's how we do things" face. But I captured the look after that for all posterity.

And no one was hurt!

An Era Is Over.

The tow truck finally came.

The dude loaded it up onto the truck.
Loading. Loading.

Then he began to drive away.

Good bye mini wimpy van.

Have I told you how much I LOVE my Durango?!

Something New. Something Blue.

Wanna see what's in my garage??

It's blue.

It's new.

At least it is to us...

It's our new 2005 Dodge Durango.

Look at that!

Leather seats even.

Isn't it pretty?!

We found out really fast that the DVD player doesn't work.

We brought the price down and wrangled up to $200 from them to fix or replace it.

Helps to wrangle.

It looks good in the garage.

Even better on the road!

I'll wave as I pass.

You may not see me though.

This thing packs some power.

Freeway driving is awesome!