Mysterious ways

I dropped my mom and Rachel off at the mall on Monday night. I headed to Target to return something and then was going to pick them back up and meet the guys for our annual Tolley family bowling night. I was in the store about five minutes, came back out and the Jeep wouldn't start. And when I say wouldn't start, I mean it did nothing.

As luck would have it, my cell phone battery was dead. So I gathered up a bunch of nickels from the car that I had "won" from one of Rachel's ingenious games we played to kill time on the way back to Illinois and went in search of a pay phone. (With the amount of nickels I had, I could have called about everyone I know.)

Wouldn't you know that in this technologically-advanced day and age, Target got rid of their pay phone. They let me use one of the phones in the store but it was only for local calls. The only cell phone number I had memorized was my dad's and he didn't bring it with him.

Cursing my stupidity, I went back out to the car and found a sliver of juice left in my cell. I sent a message saying something along the lines of, "Someone please come to Target. Jeep won't start. Cell is dead." to all the bowlers. Then I waited. It was cold.

About ten minutes later I had the brilliant idea to go into Target to buy a car charger for my phone. The car wouldn't start but the battery was fine. (This was the first of several purchases they saw from this whole escapade as we went in later to buy jumper cables, which didn't do a bit of good.)

When I came out of the store with my purchase, my dad and Chad were pulling up...and someone had called mom and Rachel at the mall, who were starting to wonder where on earth I was. It's not like Galesburg is a tough place to navigate.

To sum up the ensuing events, the Jeep was towed and needed a new starter and a new battery. Dad suggested we get it towed to a place that could get it fixed first thing in the morning (and placed a call to the owner when they opened to express the urgency--thanks, Dad!). We were only about five hours late heading back to DC and got home at 4:30 a.m. this morning instead of our planned midnight arrival. All in all, not so bad.

While this whole experience was an inconvenience and definitely threw a wrench into our plans, I was constantly reminding myself that this was by no means a worst-case scenario. The Lord works in mysterious ways, I guess, because this did not happen:

• When three girls and a dog were heading back to Illinois in the middle of the night with a bunch of Christmas presents and a hitch full of luggage
• When it was 18 below zero (last week) and icy
  
• When we were returning to DC through one of several areas with no cell reception, let alone auto shops or tow trucks
• When we absolutely, positively needed to be somewhere else by a certain time
  

So, mental note: If you're going to get stranded, be thankful if you're not in the middle of West Virginia at 2 a.m. with a dog and a car full of stuff. Any other situation should be a reminder that it really could have been worse.

Getting stuck in the Target parking lot--one of my favorite places on the planet--is just an extra bonus. And having the car fixed in Galesburg versus DC saved us a few hundred bucks on parts and labor, too.

Sometimes it really is all a matter of perspective.

My Grown-Up Christmas List

I'd like peace for all on earth just like the next guy, but I also got some great tangible Christmas gifts too. Among them:

• A box of eight "trendy" mini-perfumes from Sephora. Once I figure out which I like best, there's a certificate in there for a full-size bottle of any one I choose. I love this idea because it lets me pick out my favorite scent...and the little sample perfumes will be great when I travel!
• A purse hook, which I can't wait to try out (and figure out). Why buy a nice purse if it's going to sit on the floor at a restaurant? And speaking of "nice purse"...thanks for mine, Chad!
  
• A Topsy Turvy tomato planter, which I am very excited to experiment with on our back fence this spring. We'll have to grow green peppers, though, because Chad doesn't like tomatoes and if this thing works as well as it's supposed to, there will be more tomatoes than I can eat myself!
• A buffet server to keep food hot when we entertain. I usually make a lot of cold dips and finger foods, so this opens up a whole new world.
• Some antique salt-and-pepper shakers from Chad's grandpa. A few antiques here and there really complement a lot of the more contemporary, new stuff we have. Hand-me-downs from previous generations are one of my favorite Christmas gifts. How can you put a price-tag on something like that?
• A shirt from Banana Republic that goes with everything, great sheets, warm socks, quite a few books about teaching your dog tricks (which unfortunately did not come with patience pills), and a bunch of other fabulous things.

I really try hard to buy good Christmas presents, but I'm afraid this year my creativity didn't come close to others!

Christmas chaos

I feel really behind this year and think I will blame the five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas that I've been talking about all season long. After all, it can't be because I've procrastinated or been too busy with other holiday festivities to get my act together. That doesn't sound like me at all!

So it's the day before Christmas Eve and I've spent nearly all of my waking hours finishing up my shopping and wrapping presents. All was going along quite swimmingly until I opened a box of gifts I had ordered and had shipped to my parents. I do this on occasion when I buy online because if it's going to be given in Illinois I might as well not schlep it here from Virginia.

In the box were three items...instead of four. I hurriedly looked for my shipping label, thinking perhaps the gift was coming in a separate order that was on its way--after all, they promised delivery by Christmas. Instead, I found a note saying something like this: "the item that you ordered is currently out of stock and will be shipped when available." Great.

Now look, if you have a few things that are back ordered because there's been a huge surge in demand, fine. And if you can't get your act together enough to have any real-time inventory system on your website so that I couldn't have ordered it in the first place, I understand that too. But at least send me an email instead of just telling me when I get the rest of the order. Don't make me wait until two days before Christmas to learn that I'm even more behind than I thought!

Fortunately, it's a really small gift and somewhat easy to recreate. (And it was from Stupid.com--the irony is not lost on me.) But it's no wonder why people go crazy at this time of year. Even if you think you're in good shape, you're not.

Ice, Ice, Baby

We made it back to Illinois in a relatively uneventful drive yesterday afternoon. Fortunately, we were on the heel of one storm and the tail of another. The roads were dry and the company was enjoyable, meaning the 14 hours or so passed quickly. As quickly as 14 hours can pass, that is.

There’s a crazy combination here of snow, then ice, then more snow, and it’s hilarious to watch Lucy try to chase her buddy Otis (Daniel’s dog). She can’t get her footing and keeps sliding around.

Even though it’s 20 below, she loves going outside. This morning, Lucy woke up when the sun rose at 6:40 and had no interest in going back to sleep. At one point, she was out so long and was eating so much snow and ice, she had an interesting beard of sorts when she came inside. But once she warms up, she's ready to go back out again!

How rude

Frosty, I am appalled.

A holiday tradition

For the last seven years, six of which I have been a part, our friends Mark and Brigid have thrown the most fabulous holiday party. It started out with five or six people and has morphed into a gathering of more than 30 of us. Each year, there are some old faces, some new faces and, this year, some really new faces.

Begun with the idea that we really don't need to give each other any more stuff (or at least that's how I imagine this began), Mark and Brigid a started different kind of secret santa gift exchange among our group of friends. We pull the name of another person who will be at the party, but instead of buying the person something small for themselves, we buy a toy that reminds us of them. This is a no-holds-barred gift exchange where you can spend $15 or $50 because it's really the thought that counts. And for those of us who don't get to shop much for toys, it's a lot of fun to wander the toy aisles!

This year, a friend who loves to bake opened an Easy Bake Oven, our soccer-playing friend got a blow-up miniature soccer ball field with balls, and Chad gave Brigid one of those creepy "Fur Real" cats that purrs and moves its head. (Lucy growled at it the whole time we were wrapping the gift.)

At the end of the night, we load up all the toys and donate them to Toys for Tots so that children in our area who might not otherwise get much will have something to open on Christmas Day. This year, two Marines joined us for the party and they took the toys with them.

We've told many others about this party who have started doing something similar among their friends or family. It's a great way to spend time with people we don't get to see as often as we'd like and make someone else's Christmas just a little bit better. That's what this is all about, right?

Presents under the tree

A huge holiday feast (with Brigid's specialty, seafood pie)

Paul's fancy Christmas sweater
(there is a long story behind this but let's just say it was
lovingly cross-stitched by his mother-in-law)

Janice and Nick all decked out

The wrapping is more fun than the present when you're one year old

The littlest guest (just three weeks old!)

Packing up all the presents

Letters to God

I got this email with children's letters to God today. It was so good, I'm posting my favorites:

Fair trade

This whole Blagojevich thing just baffles me. I don't have enough time or space to pontificate on it tonight, but wanted to include this great cartoon from the Chicago Tribune to sum things up.

What an idiot.

Copy that

A co-worker today sent around a great initiative by Xerox (yes, the copy company). They have created a website where people can select a thank-you card to send to the troops. Xerox will print it and send it to a soldier currently serving in Iraq.

It's free and it takes about 30 seconds. You select a card design, then choose the message you want or create your own message. The only personal information you include is your name, city and state so the soldiers get an idea of all the people who are thinking about them.

Please take the time to do this and encourage others to do this if you can. I hope we flood their mailboxes. We can never say enough thank you's to these guys.

Perfect timing

Sometimes, we manage to have positively perfect timing.

We've had plans to head back home for a good friend's wedding and got to add to the trip by meeting our brand-new niece! She was born the day we flew home.

It was great to see baby Abby at the hospital and spend a little time with both sets of families. Then on Saturday night, we saw a lot of Chad's friends, some he hadn't seen since high school. We even managed to get a picture of the two of us that will be our Christmas card (yes, we were getting down to the wire).

It was a short trip, but we crammed in a lot and can't wait to see everyone again when we're back in two weeks!

Two nieces made for spoiling

Chad & big sister Miriam

Holy smokes

Let me preface this by saying that Chad is a very good cook. His specialties include breakfast, grilling, chili and seafood. He loves to try new recipes (unlike me, who tends to be a tried-it-and-liked-it-so-plan-on-it-every-other-week kind of cook) and everything he makes turns out well.

Except for the other night.

Chad brought home tuna from the store, which we make on occasion. A new recipe he found called for both butter and olive oil to saute the meat. I don't know what they were smoking--maybe literally--but that combination caused one holy mess.

As soon as the butter and olive oil went in the hot pan, rolls and rolls of smoke began escaping the kitchen. We had every window in the downstairs open, plus the ceiling fan going at full blast, and still could barely see (or breathe). Lucy escaped to the basement to wait it all out. The tuna turned out really well, but it took hours for the smell to subside.

We also learned that we need a new smoke detector. It didn't go off.

Live from DC (again)

I completely forgot that I promised to do this interview on CNBC Monday night. They called at 3 p.m. to confirm and my mind was totally blank. After being at work for almost 15 hours, I assure you that I was running on pure adrenaline.

Prior to the interview, they told me to be "high energy" and I laughed out loud. I tried, though! (And no hair-flicking this time!)

Our favorite ad

No matter how often we TiVo past this ad, we have to rewind to watch it. It is just that funny.

I don't see Chad roll with laughter very often, but watching this ad is about as good as it gets!

And in case you haven't gotten enough of him, here is our little friend on the Ellen DeGeneres show as well.

Where the deals are...

Today, CyberMonday.com was named the #1 website to visit on Cyber Monday by Time magazine.

This. Was. So. Cool.

If you haven't had a chance to shop, check it out!

Live from DC

I hate setting an alarm on Sunday mornings, but I did so I wouldn't sleep through this interview!

Mental note: I need to stop flicking my hair!

Tongue-tied

I literally spent so much time talking earlier this week that the words just wouldn't fit together anymore. Typically I'm spot-on with TV interviews, especially the taped ones, but by Tuesday afternoon, forgetaboutit. It was all I could do to create coherent sentences!

Here's a piece from Today Show this morning that I taped on Tuesday. The first sentence out of my mouth was so convoluted I had to listen to it twice. It does make sense, but it's not typically how I would have worded things.

'Tis the season

If you have two minutes, you have to watch this TV segment about a little boy's dying wish. It brought tears to my eyes.

Oh, what we all have to be thankful for.

Crash course

We paused our movie on Friday night for a bathroom break and a trip upstairs for more soda. I was back on the couch snuggled under my blanket when I started to hear strange noises.

thud. bang. crash. groan. smack. yelp. boom. screech...

I crept to the bottom of the stairs, realizing that if someone had broken into our house, I wasn't exactly going to be well-positioned to fight them off. I've always been a wimp.

"Chad?" [silence] "What are you doing?" I imagine the worst.

"Just wrestling with Lucy," he replied.

Of course. Why didn't I think of that?!?

The bird and...the other bird

This seems appropriate given that Thanksgiving is almost two weeks away!

A woman recently received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. She tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else she could think of to 'clean up' the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, she was fed up and yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. She shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and more rude. So, in desperation, she threw up her hands, grabbed the bird and threw him in the freezer.

For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then, suddenly, there was total quiet. Fearing that she hurt the parrot, the woman quickly opened the door to the freezer.

The parrot calmly stepped out onto her outstretched arm and said, "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

She was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

As the woman was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

Personal space

Every now and then when we're watching TV, Lucy totally disappears.

Sometimes she's wandered upstairs, or has tucked herself in snugly between the footstool and the chair Chad sits in. The other night, here's where we found her.

Maybe she dislikes scary movies as much as I do.

Baby mania

We are so lucky to have such great friends who became parents this year. Some for the first time and some for the second or third time. A rundown:

Trippton Pierce: February 2008
Patrick Thomas: February 2008
Cailey Nicole: March 2008
Hazel Matilda: May 2008
Sophie Lynn: July 2008
Claire: July 2008
Eric Matthew: July 2008
Garrett Edward and Brennan Paul--twins!: August 2008

(Then there was a dry spell...or I'm just having a brain freeze)

Sarah Kaitlin: Sunday
and...
Violet Lynne: Yesterday

Is this fun or what? And in the next month, we get to welcome a niece or nephew, plus another wave of friends' babies.

Our fridge is so full with baby announcements, Chad and I had to agree on a "one on, one off" policy.

Merci, Monsieur Nusbaum

I'm no good at goodbyes. I avoid them like the plague. And if you know me well enough, I've probably tried to dodge a few of them with you, too, with my "Oh, I'm sure I'll see you soon," or "I'll stop by before I leave..." phrases. I don't like goodbyes, so I just look forward to the next meeting.

But sometimes that doesn't happen.

A little less than a year ago, I was told that one of my favorite high school teachers had pancreatic cancer. I spent three years in Mr. Nusbaum's French class (under my French name, Elise) learning everything from proper French grammar to how to make a quiche. Mr. Nusbaum was one of the most quiet, kindhearted men I have ever, ever met. I took French in college and hated it, which was more a testament to how fabulous Mr. Nusbaum was than anything else.

One of my most poignant (yet mortifying) memories from his class came in my third year. It was the beginning of the hour and we were making small talk, as we did every day to open up the class. One of my classmates, a guy who went by the name of Jean-Paul, came to French after gym class and his cheeks were always bright red at the beginning of the hour. Mr. Nusbaum asked me to tell him about someone in the room, and I said "Jean-Paul est chaud."

Mr. Nusbaum literally almost fell off of his stool: I had said Jean-Paul was hot. I was mortified and, as I remember it, Mr. Nusbaum was shaking with laughter (as was everyone else). My cheeks by that point were as red as Jean-Paul's! Though I was embarrassed beyond belief, I look back on that moment with fondness--it was one of the only times I had seen Mr. Nusbaum emerge from the scholarly, steady persona he created for the benefit of all of us.

So then we fast-forward, a dozen years later. It didn't seem possible that someone so young could have a terminal illness. He was younger than my grandparents. Younger than my parents, even! How on earth is that fair!?!

Still, he passed away on Saturday. I grieve for his wife and for all of the students who will never experience his classroom. Selfishly, I grieve for myself, because I never "got around" to sending him a note about what an impression he made on my high school years.

Mr. Nusbaum, who shared his love of French and contagious personality with all of us, was a gifted teacher who was taken too early. He will never know how much he meant to students like me because we didn't tell him in time.

I'm going to make a mental note to do a better job of not shying away from the sentimental goodbyes or the words of thanks, just in case I don't run into those influential people again. I invite you to do the same. I imagine there are a handful of people in all of our lives who might take great comfort and pride in the fact that they meant so much to someone else.

Name-calling

I've really been getting a kick out of the names reporters have been calling me these last few weeks. A few of my favorites:

• A senior vice president
• Vice president of consumer trends and research

(and, my favorite)

• President

Fortunately, today's USA Today got it right.

If I'm going to be all of those things, perhaps I should consider demanding a higher salary. Or at least be able to expense my haircuts and make-up!

Sunday sacrifices

A big thanks to Chad's Granddad Rhodes for sending one of the funniest jokes I've seen in ages:

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed a little boy named Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names and small American flags mounted on either side of it.

The six-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, "Good morning Alex."

"Good morning," he replied, still focused on the plaque. "Pastor, what is this?"

The pastor said, "Well, son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service."

Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque.

Finally, little Alex's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear, asked, "Which service...the 8:30 or the 10:45?"

Swing state

The outcome of the Presidential election in Virginia is up in the air and it's made living here this last month almost intolerable. Coupled with the fact that we're so close to DC and in a swing state, the election has been everywhere: people trying to talk up one guy over another, signs all over the place, messages left on the answering machine while we're at work... And of course people at work are another story, as everyone has their pet issue that they're sure the next President will make his #1 priority.

I've been lobbied so much for and against certain candidates that it almost makes my head spin. And it's divisive enough that I've passed more than one yard with both a McCain and an Obama sign in it.

I was out walking Lucy several weeks ago and literally passed four different people who were going door-to-door campaigning (the northern part of VA is mostly liberal, so they were all out for Obama). I applaud their fortitude and enthusiasm, but don't bug me when I'm trying to watch football on a Sunday, ok? And don't leave crap hanging on my door or send me junk mail either. Your "clever" t-shirts and bumper stickers knocking the candidates insult me and your rhetoric about how the sky will fall if someone loses makes me roll my eyes. Enough, already!

One of our friends got so sick of people coming to the door in support of the candidates that she put a sign out front that said, "don't bother knocking--we've already voted." (In Virginia, it's really easy to vote absentee and a lot of people did, including Chad.) Why didn't I think of that?

Regardless of who wins--and I do have a preference--I am most excited for Election Day to be o-v-e-r. When I voted this morning at 7 a.m., I closed the book on the whole thing.

Now, if I can only get past Inauguration Day.

The Dog Whisperer

I realized tonight that Lucy actually understands words. Among them:

• Upstairs
• Downstairs
• Outside
• Go for a walk
• Go for a ride
• Dog park
• Sit
• Time to eat
• High-five
• High-ten (thank you, Janice...)
• Bed
• Bone

If we could only get her to understand "drop it..."

Jeep Jamboree

It's not every day that someone buys their very first new car! Janice has taken the plunge and joined the Jeep owners. It has 47 miles on it -- that's new.

Nick and I were discussed that this means no more "can you take me to the store," "can you pick me up from work," "can you take me to the gym" moments. I suggested to him that perhaps we should have subsidized this purchase several months ago! Needless to say, we're all excited about it!

Mental notes

Notes to self on what I learned from this interview:

1) Smile already! When you're delivering good news, put a little twinkle in the eye. (And this goes for absolutely every single time you're saying something, because they will inevitably only pick up a fragment of that 20-minute discussion.) And when you're delivering bad news...well, smile more. You look like you're delivering a death sentence! I know it's Halloween and all, but, sheesh...

2) Turtlenecks do not look good on TV.

3) Even if you don't have a TV interview scheduled, do not wear said turtleneck to work the week of Halloween. (Remember? You made that same mistake on Tuesday when you wore a bright pink turtleneck sweater and then the local Fox station came by. That didn't look good either...do you not learn?!?)

4) A red shirt and brownish-red lipstick do not work. Folks, do not try this at home. And definitely do not try this on TV.

5) At least you don't look like the guy from the Charlottesville costume shop.

6) You are your own worst critic. [At least...I hope!]

Orange you glad...that I wore green?

When I was at CNN yesterday, they told me the Halloween segment I taped would air all day. I jokingly mentioned I should have worn orange. The producer said he was so glad I didn't! Apparently everyone was showing up in orange to talk about Halloween and it was becoming a running joke in the office.

That didn't stop me from wearing an orange shirt today, though!

Boo

Yes, it's been a week since I updated my blog. So, I'm sorry. I've been drowning in Halloween press calls and TV interviews (really, I have).

But when I got this cartoon from Janice, I just couldn't resist a quick update:

A "pair" of shoes

I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge shopper, so when I need something I stock up to ensure I won't have to make another trip for awhile.

The other night, I decided I needed a new pair of winter shoes. I ran to the store after dropping Chad off for football and made it back in time for the start of the game. I was gone less than 30 minutes.

Later, he asked if I had found a pair of shoes. Yes, I said, I did.

What do they look like? he asked.

[silence]

"Which ones? I bought three."

They were on sale, I needed shoes...and I've worn a new pair every day this week!

The 30 verdict

I sure was dreading it, but, man, my 30th birthday was fabulous! It started with donuts at work around 9 a.m. and concluded with drinks and dinner with some of my favorite people in the whole world about a dozen hours later.

If I knew 30 was going to be this fun, I would have done it years ago!

Group of girls

Friends from softball and former jobs

Me and Chad

Goodbye to my twenties...

More than a month ago, Chad told me not to make any plans for my birthday weekend. (Nevermind that I already did have plans, though I managed to cancel them.) For several weeks, it was a great mystery what we would be doing or where we would be going. I asked a lot of questions to figure this out but Chad held steady, which is impressive considering I did my very best to get him to slip up.

The night before we left, here's what he told me to pack:
1) an outfit for a nice dinner
2) a swimming suit
3) clothes to hang around in

It turns out that numbers 1 and 2 were simply to throw me off--I didn't need either!

On Friday afternoon when I got in the car, Chad gave me our destination: a cabin in the Shenandoah (a place near where we'd been earlier this summer--that I loved--but not the same place). We got there around 5 p.m., just in time to watch the sun set.

The other surprise was that, while Chad went to the store to buy food for dinner, Rachel and Paul showed up! We spent the weekend reading magazines, playing cards, eating (a lot), fishing (a little), and hanging out by a fire. Talk about relaxing!

It was such a fun weekend and a great way to say goodbye to my 20s. I wish I had a few more of them left (both days in my 20s and days at the cabin), but it was a pretty awesome trip. Chad put a lot of thought into what I wanted and I'll always remember what a thoughtful, perfect getaway he planned.

Some highlights:

Our little cabin in the woods

A rare moment when neither of these two is movingWatching the leaves fall Rachel and Paul by the river Making s'moresStaying cozy by the fire

Tote-ally unacceptable

On a walk home from Shirlington last night where we had dinner, I told Chad I'd take the leash for a bit and give him a break from walking Lucy. I handed over the bag with Lucy's bowl, a toy and some treats I bring along when we take her with us and eat somewhere outside. The little thing is quite convenient to just throw stuff into--and it's washable, so I don't worry if dirty toys get in there or if it's drug on the ground.

He took the bag, but a few moments later when I looked over, he had bunched it up and was carrying it under one arm like a rolled up blanket. Frankly, it didn't look comfortable. I told him it was perfectly acceptable for him to put the bag over his shoulder, the way it was meant to be carried. Apparently I incited a controversy.

"Men carry backpacks and duffle bags," he said. "They do not carry purses."

I told him it wasn't a purse, it was a tote, upon which he told me that men do not carry totes either.

So I gave him back the dog and the "tote" and I had a nice walk home.

Off the beaten path

Chad and I both had Columbus Day off so, after the appliance pick-ups and deliveries, we took Lucy to Teddy Roosevelt Island, a literal island in the middle of the Potomac that is a national park.

Neither of us had been and it seemed like as good of an idea as any for a beautiful afternoon. Plus, it was about ten minutes away and free...you can't beat that.

The trail through the woods was really peaceful. We didn't pass many people and it was incredibly quiet considering it's near just about everything. There were several times while we were walking around that I thought it smelled and looked and sounded just like home. And it was quite a bit like home. It just cost a lot less to get there!

Crossing the bridge onto the island with a view of Georgetown

Taking a dip in the Potomac (this seemed like a good idea at the time but Lucy has been sick all week and I'm pretty sure this is why)

On the nature trail, appeasing me as I make them pose for a picture

Christmas comes early

All of the appliances are here! The range was delivered today, which finished the project.

Strangely enough, I was a bit sad to get rid of my stove. The fridge and dishwasher I couldn't care less about, but I had a lot of memories with that oven...one of the most memorable being when it died one Thanksgiving and I had to go to a friend's house to bake the pumpkin pie I promised to take to Chad's boss's house for lunch!

But it also saw me through lots of great meals, too. It's funny that one can be sentimental about a stove.

Anyway, here are a few pics.

Soundbites

This is what you call one soundbite repurposed. It's funny that the interview lasted fifteen minutes and this specific answer was picked up both times. But I do appreciate that NBC didn't make me go there twice to say the same thing!

I taped this interview last Saturday for a piece that was supposed to air last Sunday. I was hoping that taking two hours out of a beautiful weekend day wasn't fruitless. Eight days later, pieces from the interview finally ran.

Alone time

It's 9 p.m. on Friday night. Both of my sisters are out of town. Chad and a basement full of guys are watching baseball and playing poker. Lucy, not wanting to be left out, has joined them.

I am by myself. I have nothing to do.

This is weird.

I have already taken the dog for a walk, cleaned the kitchen, folded laundry and paid bills. I could go to sleep, but I'm not tired. I could read a book, but that requires more thought than I'm willing to commit. I could work, but I've been doing that way too much lately and prefer a break.

Since I can't remember the last time I had a legitimate night to myself, I will savor this for awhile...then probably get bored and go looking for a project.

Curb appeal

We got our new roof yesterday! And new gutters. They also took down the huge antenna that was up there and some snow guards which serve no purpose on the East Coast. (The roofer said that he isn't sure why we had them and that they don't make sense. I told him that most of the things the people who lived there before us did made no sense.)

They had the roof off by the time Chad went to work yesterday and were finishing everything up by the time we came home. While the roof wasn't leaking (yet), it was almost 30 years old. We knew that when it comes time to sell this place, a new roof would make a big difference in asking price...and that was that.

We're very happy with how it turned out!

In case you missed it...

My first holiday 2008 TV interview. And there will be more to come...

Sports strain

This weekend's itinerary:

Saturday
3:30 p.m. -- Watch IL vs. Michigan
8:30 p.m. -- Go to Chad's flag football game (now 3-0)
10:07 p.m. -- Watch Cubs vs. Dodgers

Sunday
1:00 p.m. -- Watch Bears vs. Lions
9:30 p.m. -- Go to Chad's flag football game...yes, it starts at 9:30...
10:25 p.m. -- Watch Cubs vs. Dodgers...hopefully!

My day made better

To those of you who think it's impossible for me not to talk about something, I would like to first note that I've kept a secret for a whole week! (...from my mom, anyway...and I did this by not calling her...)

Yesterday morning, my mom was selected as one of the teachers to receive OfficeMax's "A Day Made Better" package. She was surprised in her classroom with a new chair, a digital camera, and a bunch of school supplies. They do this to bring attention to how much of their own money teachers spend in their classroom every year and, of course, for good PR.

I would have loved to go home for it, but since it was in the middle of the week, it didn't work out. So I was excited to see the Register-Mail article and the video they posted on You Tube! It made me feel like I was there.

Congrats, mom!

Night walker

The only part about fall I was dreading was taking Lucy for walks at night in the dark. She hates shadows, I'm always worried about walking into something (parked cars, street lights, you name it...), and there just isn't as much to look at. But I've found a silver lining: when we walk at night, I can peek right in on all the houses in the neighborhood.

Last night while we were out, I discovered some really interesting floor plans and creative decor (and a few things I'd never do with my own house...). From one place to another, I could smell dinner being made (and, in one case, burned), see families playing board games, and snoop on who was watching what on TV. You can tell a lot about a person by if they prefer Gossip Girl over CNN.

I also realized how easy it is to tell if people are keeping their place clean. I made a mental note to keep my living room more tidy in the event that all the passersby walking by our house are peeking in my windows, too.

My thoughts exactly

Today, the US Treasury released a new $1 bill.

Here's what it looks like:

Thanks to a co-worker for the laugh.

And I thought our water bill was bad...

From the don't-worry-your-life-could-be-worse department, read this article about the poor guy who got stuck with a $9700 water bill.

AND they made him pay it!

Top dog

Our friends Linda and Brian have the "top dog" in Kansas City, at least according to people who read the Kansas City Star.

Hundreds of dogs were nominated, but Truman won!

I think his name alone got him some votes. I mean, how can you not vote for a dog named after the only President ever to come from your state? It's practically treason!

Home on the range

As a part of the decision to stay in our house another 3-5 years, we're buying new kitchen appliances. Chad wanted to go stainless steel. I was just excited about the idea of having a fridge whose doors actually shut, a dishwasher with all of its pieces and a range where all four burners worked evenly.

It's not as easy as I thought to just "pick out" appliances, especially for those of us with Type-A personalities. On top of trying to find the best prices, factoring in things like delivery charges, and wanting to make sure we got a product with good reviews--both from the experts and from people who have purchased them--we have spent a ridiculous amount of time at Sears, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Best Buy. I might even be missing a few places.

Chad finally threatened that if we hadn't made a decision by Columbus Day weekend that he was going to go out and buy them without me. (My first reaction to this was total relief.)

The process was incredibly overwhelming, made more disheartening by the fact that we were working within a really small space for the fridge. (It took me hours to settle on a french door model, which I loved, that ended up being too deep. So it was back to square one.) My disappointment over having to settle with a top-level freezer was offset a little bit when we found one with a built-in water dispenser and filter.

If you ever wondered who on earth those people are who spend tons of money online on items they haven't even seen, look no further. We ended up ordering a fridge and a dishwasher over the internet tonight for about half the price we were planning to spend in the store. (As a bonus, shipping was free and there was no tax!) If this works out, it could be the deal of the century.

We do still need to make a decision on a range, but that's a decision for another day. Tonight, I'm just happy we've settled on two out of three.

Sudsy Saturday

They say you're not supposed to bathe a Lab more than twice a year (something about the natural oils in their coat), but after an hour at the dog park with Chad, Lucy was covered in sand and smelled like river water. It had been a few months, and it was time.

For as much as she loves water, Lucy hates being sprayed with it. So here's a glimpse of Lucy's afternoon bath:

Sudsing

SprayingShaking Drying (whew!)

After Lucy gets a bath, she doesn't look much like a Lab. (She gets super puffy for awhile.) But now she's back to her regular self. Just better smelling.