Christmas Recap

So, let's recap a bit and see what we did and didn't accomplish for Christmas this year:

• Christmas with my family - check
• Christmas with husband's family - check
• Gifts for the kids - check
• Cookies and milk left out for Santa - check (even left out 9 carrots for the reindeer!)
• Cutting back on the Christmas spending - technically, yes, but we did purchase 2 tires and a new washer in December. I'm hoping we come out about even.
• Christmas cookies baked - check
• Too many Christmas cookies eaten - double check!
• Big fancy Christmas Eve dinner - no check (cheese, summer sausage and crackers in front of The Muppets' Christmas special!)
• Church on Christmas Eve - no check (don't tell Mom!)
• Christmas cards sent - this is an almost-check. (I ordered them early, and had them addressed, but wanted to put a note on them before I sent them all out. That's what's delayed me. Sigh.)

So, the moral here - I need to get off the computer and get those Christmas cards finished! ;-)

It's Christmas!

We've had a lazy day today - sleeping late, vegging out in front of the TV and/or computer, raiding the freezer for whatever goodies are down there to make a meal. We did get the girls' sugar cookies made and decorated (and I managed to make colored icing without getting the color all over my hands!). The girls are in bed, and I'm waiting until they're good and asleep before I do anything else. wink.

We did take advantage of the Christmas Music station on the digital cable today - was really nice to have that in the background while baking the cookies and wrapping the last of the family gifts. And I think the version on cable is better than the local radio station who's gone to 24-hour Christmas tunes, because the cable version doesn't have commercials. Although, radio commercials aren't nearly as bad as the commercials on the Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon. My youngest was trying to convince me today that we need the Snugglie - the Blanket With Sleeves! Aaaugh!

This is the first year in many that we've been home for the whole Christmas break. The stars aligned over Columbus, Ohio last weekend and we had Christmas with my family, whereas in normal years, we've made the trip up after the holiday - even as late as New Year's. It was a pretty quick weekend, but well worth it to get the whole bunch of us together. Yay! As an added bonus, we're hoping to see some of our far-flung friends while they're in town with their families.

I think the egg nog in the fridge is calling my name. I'll sign off now, and wish you all a Merry Christmas. ;-)

Life with the New Washer

Sorry for the extended absence. As it turns out, I've been doing laundry!

The new washer is FAN-TASTIC! We're all totally fascinated with the big window in the door. Those clothes slosh and spin like nobody's business!

Video below is from the first water-only run-through. But you can see how fast it is!

The new washer takes longer to go through a load, but after the super-spin cycle, the clothes come out with less water and don't take as long to dry. I've been inspired to catch up on the laundry - towels, sheets, sweaters that I was neglecting, plus all that stuff that had piled up over my month of travel. People here at home don't recognize me. ;-)

I will admit, my new toy in the laundry room is distracting me from the Christmas To Do list. We baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies (about 10 of which are stashed in the freezer for Santa's snacking), and have another couple of batches to work on later this week. It took me three days to re-string the lights on the tree, and then it was another two days before we got started on the ornaments. But, we're back on track, and will have all our Christmas finery washed and ready to wear next week!

Death of a Washer - Part Three - A New Hope

Friday. Office work is done. Today's the day I need to Buy a Washer. My mind is set - don't settle for something small and cheap. If this washer will be replaced, it needs to be Worth It. So, we're headed toward the 4.0 cubic foot capacity front loader.

The day begins with a trip to the Home Improvement store. It's early, and not a lot of retail places are open, but the Home Improvement store is crawling with contractors. And me and my washer research. I'm met by several helpful employees, who put up with my pesky questions and furious note-taking. One thing I read on the washer repair forums, these front-load machines have problems with stuff from the washer draining and clogging the pump. Many of the machines out on the floor here at the Home Improvement store have quick-access panels on the front, offering the at-home user easy access to the pump clean-out piece. (I also read that there's a lot of water that can drain when cleaning out the pump this way - need to file that away for later...) This small detail becomes one of the key features on my Must Have List. Simple, but something that makes sense. (Other Must Haves - an extended warranty.) One model that catches my eye - a German-made Bosch within my price range. Ooh, really?? There are 5 machines at this location that make the Short List.

Next, it's time to call the in-laws to arrange a trip to the downtown appliance store. Several people have expressed the excellent pricing available at this store, and it's worth a look. (They don't publish models or prices on the web site, so a site visit is in order.) The meeting is set, and I've got time to go home and hit the web. More research!

Part of what my research tells me is what brands I don't want. The repair forum is full of stories about the evil few manufacturers. No strong recommendations, but lots of horror stories and common problems. Not to worry - all this helps to narrow down my choices.

Ok, time to meet my father-in-law for the site visit downtown. All the available models at this have one thing in common - no front access panel for the pump cleanout. They will all require a hex screwdriver and removal of the whole front panel. The more I consider this option, the more I know: Yeah. I really don't like that idea. Their prices are good, though. Maybe when I have to replace my dishwasher (knock on wood).

Back across the river, I decide to run through another home improvement chain to check out another line of foreign-made washers - the LGs. As it turns out, there's an LG in my price range. This model quickly becomes my top contender - ready-access pump cleanout panel, built in water heater, stainless steel wash drum, rear mounted controls (that control stuff is all asthetics - it'd be a better match to my leftover dryer. So much for a MATCHED SET.). Unfortuntely, the first available delivery date is 6 days out, and the associate tells me that the washer will be on sale three days following that date. Well, that's a bummer. I can't wait 2 weeks for a washer. So, that kind of seals the deal on the Bosch. Oh, except the first home improvement chain is supposed to carry LG. The store that offers next-day delivery and is having a sale right now? Really?

Now, it's time to cross the river and visit The First Home Improvement chain store #2. Maybe this other store is bigger and carries the LG line. I am hopeful, but find when I get to the store, they do not carry LGs. Ok. Back to the Bosch, which is still a very good machine. Ooh, but I do see that the washer pedestal, that seems like such a silly add-on, but would make the front-load machine a little easier to reach, and would be a good place to store rags, as I read another regular maintenance issue with a front-loader is to keep the door gasket clean...oh, where was I? Anyway, there's a pedestal drawer for the Bosch washer on clearance. Bingo! Time to hit the office for a little work, and then I'm off to buy a washer.

Fast forward one hour. I'm back at the local First Home Improvement chain store to buy my washer. They have my model in stock, it is on sale, and I can get it delivered tomorrow. Sweet! The only catch is that this store doesn't have any of the pedestals on clearance. I opt to drive back to The First Home Improvement chain store #2 and buy the pedestal there, figuring it can be part of the installation when the washer arrives. (Better that than a possible retro-fit accomplished by myself and Friend Husband. No way, no how!) Grab the kids from school, we're headed back across the river for an adventure!

Three stores later, the washer and pedestal are both purchased. The final challenge...how to get the 15" tall x 27" wide pedestal in the back of my car.

Step 1) shove the junk in the trunk out of the way.
Step 2) slide box off the shopping cart and into the trunk. Try to move the box, not the cart. Yeek!
Step 3) set box on the ground; it will fit width-wise, but not depth-wise.
Step 4) put away shopping cart, move junk out of trunk into front seat of car.
Step 5) hope the person driving by in the SUV is a helpful sort who might maneuver this box for me. I've been in my Tall Shoes all day, and they're starting to hate me.
Step 6) just do it - heave box from ground over trunk edge and shove it. Hey, it fits! Kind of hangs out the end, but it's tight on the sides, and should survive the trip Back Across the River.
Step 6a) Acknowledge comment from female SUV driver - "Hey, I saw you haul that box up into your trunk! Nice job!" Thank you, Jazzercise. ;-)
Step 7) Secure trunk lid with twine.
Step 8) Ride off into the sunset. Literally. It's taken me all day, but I've bought a washer. Whew!
The whole ride home, the kids were plotting their adventures for the appliance boxes. Well, they stopped that after about 10 minutes and started asking about dinner. I have to remember to get the box off the truck tomorrow. That will probably end up being what they still play with after Christmas. Sigh.

Finally, we're home. My secret for getting the pedestal into the house - rolling luggage cart. It's in the front hall, waiting for placement tomorrow in the laundry room. Tonight's mission - clear a path for the installers to bring the new washer in through the front door. I guess that includes fluffing up and re-stringing the lights on the bottom half of the Christmas tree.

More news - and maybe pictures - tomorrow!

Death of a Washer - Part Two - The Internet Strikes Back

When last we met, it was Wednesday, and the Friendly Repair Guy was stumped about the problem with my washer. While he was fetching and replacing the Machine Controller Board, I was doing Internet Research on my washer problem. All the signs are there - the class action lawsuit, the discontinue-ness of the model, the comment from Friendly Repair Guy as he's walking out the door - "Maybe, if you find a new machine, you'd want to consider an extended warranty..." Yeah, all the signs.

My service call fee and job ticket information/diagnosis/parts list would be available for 30 days, so I opted to hold off on the replacement Machine Controller Board and look at options in a new model. I returned to my internet search with a new motive - Could I get a new washer for just over what that new part would cost me?

As it turns out, I could, The shopping began late that night with a trip to the home improvement store. Prices aren't bad, fair number of floor models to do some tire-kicking, but very overwhelming. Brands, tub size, number of wash modes, service records, discounts, free delivery options, pedestals...

So, after a quick lap around the Washer Area, I find that for the cost of the part to replace the old machine, I could have a top loader with a standard sized wash bucket, center agitator and no computer parts. These machines have dials and run forever. The price is right, as this has been a week of bleeding money. But, will that washer make me Truly Happy?

Around the corner from the basic washers, I found the super-capacity, highly efficient front-loaders. There were some machines that were only a bit outside the repair price, but didn't have as much capacity as other front-load washers. The models with the larger capacity were about as much as what I'd already sunk into the carcass in the laundry room, but New and Better. New. Unknown. Really Better?

And finaly, in the other aisle of the display were the new versions of my current machine - the top-loader that that acts like a front-loader. Less water, no agitator, HE detergent. I know this machine. I've used this machine. But, it's flakey. And maybe not yet fully improved.

There's some comfort in the new versions of my current machines - not as expensive or foreboding as the tall front-loading machines, and now with clear lids, so you can see the wash action. But, no. This machine's already cost me big money twice. I can't go back. There is no in-between. It's either old-school top-loader or new-school front-loader. The line has been drawn.

So, we're not going middle of the road, but which end of the spectrum? At this point, I was totally overwhelmed and wanting ice cream. Yeah, the laundry can pile up for another couple of days. This will not be done tonight.

Thursday was Work Day. I had client deliverables to finish up, and a party after work, so there were no field trips for my Laundry Research. I did do a little online research, discussed some price ranges with Friend Husband, and, most importantly, got some antecdotal advice from co-workers and other moms - offering a great perspective on my issue. As in - Go Big or Go Home.

As for tonight, it's time to sleep on it, for tomorrow is another day.

The Death of a Washer - a story in three parts...

Forward: This will be another laundry-centric series of posts. Feel free to skip this series, if you are MY SISTER. ;-)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I spent much of November traveling, and this schedule necessitated that laundry be committed on an as-needed basis. The Basic Three loads became: whites, work clothes/husband socks, kids uniforms/jeans (as space allowed).

Once I was done with traveling, I began the mundane task of Catching Up on Laundry. (To which I respond - how can one ever be Caught Up? Does all the laundry ever get done? Sigh.) It was with one of these catch-up loads that apparently killed my washer.

A little history about my washer - this set was new when we moved into the house three years ago. It's a Sears version of a poor Whirlpool design. I'd purchased this model 2 years earlier as a replacement for a traditional top-load, central agitator machine. When we moved, I bought the same washer and a matching dryer so I could have a MATCHING SET. Very exciting! Yes. I said it. I said this would be laundry-centric.

We'd had to call in a repair on this washer last year - resulting in a new pump; not a cheap fix. In my internet research at that time, I saw that there were a lot of problems reported with this model, and a class action law suit was pending against the manufacturer. But, I replaced the pump, which seemed to be the main cause for concern. That, and the lint-heavy bath rugs I'd been washing when the machine choked, and had been advised against washing in this machine by the original service tech. Since this was the first repair, we didn't qualify in the Class for the suit stuff. I thought we'd dodged a bullet. Hmmph.

Ok, back to last week. My washer's dead and shows me a helpful fault code: Stuck Relay. Hmm. I know a bit about relays, but thought this would be a simple thing to fix. I cheerily fished the damp laundry out of the washer, planning to dry it and rewash after the washer had been fixed. Then, it's back to our As Needed Laundry mode: haul the load of jeans and school uniforms over to the in-laws. Sunday night, I scheduled my washer repair appointment for Wednesday.

Fast forward to Wednesday's repair appointment. The Friendly Repair Guy says the Machine Controller Board is not responding to his magic key combinations asking for more diagnostic information. The Tech Line tells him to replace the Machine Controller Board - doesn't that sound like a more expensive part than just a Stuck Relay? Must be something like the nurses do in the pediatrician's office - it's not a shot, it's just a little pinch. Ugh.

As it happens, Friendly Repair Guy has a Machine Controller Board on his truck. Let's drop it in and run the diagnostics to see what the machine can tell us! Yeah, good in theory, but the new Machine Controller Board didn't turn on either. We've either got a bad part or a Bigger Problem. Oh and that Class Action suit? Settled, and the postmark date for claims has long since passed. Hmmm. Not a good sign.

Well, if you were paying attention to my title, you know this isn't the end of the story. And yes, it turns out, we're in the Bigger Problem category. Stay tuned...

The GTO Runs...and won't quit!

Evidently, there's an issue with the new ignition. The car won't turn off!

Dad did discover that the car turned off when you switch it to Accessory, which is one click to the left of Off, so we didn't have to run it out of gas or cut any cables or anything drastic. This just leaves Dad with something else to tinker with.

Notice how bright and shiney the car is without the plastic wrap! Ooh, aaah!

It's ALIVE!

Attention, siblings and other interested parties: Dad got the GTO running! The engine is a bit hard to hear over the Ready-Heater in the garage, but you can trust me... We took the plastic off the car and Dad took it around the block. Check out the next post for more adventures...

Homemade Marshmallows!

Oh, goodness. Talk about a sugar overload!

Forgive me for my absence from cyber-world...I've been traveling for the last month with work, and weekends only afforded me enough time to restock the fridge, run three loads of laundry, and then head to the airport for another flight out of town. Whew! But, I am home, and just in time for the holidays. Yay!

In my whirlwind of packing, I often forgot to pack any in-flight entertainment - either my daughter's confiscated Nintento DS Lite (shh! She's grounded from it!), or a book/magazine, etc. Sometimes, this wasn't a problem ("zzzzz"), but I did have a couple afternoon flights with long waits and layovers, so I purchased a magazine or two from the bookstore. Reader's Digest only got me so far, and really is a quick read, so on my second stop, I tried a special edition Rachel Ray Everyday magazine - her holiday issue, I believe. Kind of a downer - turned out to be 95% recipies, and only 5% tips and tricks. Not good for in-flight entertainment, but I made the best of it. One of the recipies that caught my eye was kind of a pan-version of s'mores. With Homemade Marshmallows!

Our adventure began last night - turns out, marshmallows are made of gelatin, sugar, corn syrup and a dash of vanilla. Let the gelatin gel, melt the sugar and corn syrup, throw them both together and whip like crazy in the Kitchenaid. WOO! The tricky part - spreading into the pan (lined with Saran wrap and sprayed with cooking spray!) without ending up in a sticky white mess. Cool in the fridge overnight, and they get sliced (kitchen scissors work great!) and tossed in powdered sugar. Quite an event! The clerk at the grocery store and I discussed this project, and she reacted as I did: "How do you make a marshmallow, anyway?" Well, now I know!

Tonight, I finished the recipie. I do have to report that the marshmallow part is the best part of this pan-S'mores project. The graham crackers are easy, and the chocolate part in the middle is another graham cracker dipped in chocolate. THAT was messy. The girls gave it a good try, but the S'more proved to be more than they could eat. I think we'll steal Rachel's marshmallow tricks and save the S'mores for the campfire. (I see some food coloring and shapes in my marshmallow future!)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Fall, y'all!

Did you notice that it's October? Yeah, half-way through, in fact. Tonight is our first real fall-feeling evening - today was rainy, but tonight, the air is cool and crisp, and the leaves crunch under your shoes. (No more flip flops!) Good night for a camp fire.

So, I was driving to Meijer to fetch milk. It was after 9pm, and as I was driving, I noticed the full moon, and these thick clouds moving in front of it. Very cool. Very Halloween-y. Unfortunately, the car is not the best place to be taking photos, especially night/moon photos, and I didn't have my little camera with me anyway. I didn't exactly hurry to get through Meijer (although I should have $$$), and the moon and clouds were still out there when I got home.

(A confession about that "car is not the best place to be taking photos" bit. If you saw my post about a month ago, where I was taking pictures through my rainy windshield, you'll know I have been trying to take pictures from my car. And I did it again the other day - the other morning, the sun was coming up and the bottoms of the clouds were a purpley-red. If you can tell through the blur and dirty windshield. So, aside from the whole "driving hazard" thing, my car pictures don't turn out as well anyway.)

When I got home from Meijer, I got out my little camera and my big tripod. (My other camera is a Canon Powershot S2 15, which is very fun, but the memory card slot is broken. It's on my list to have repaired in October.) My little camera is an Olympus FE-310, which I bought because it's got a small profile, but 8.0 megapixel resolution and a 5x optical zoom. Ooooh, aaaah. The intent was to have a little camera I could keep in my purse for pictures at school and at work and things, and it's really been a good camera.

My little pocket camera has some pre-set photo modes: action, portrait, through glass, sunset, candlelight and fireworks. I got a chance to try the fireworks mode at the 4th of July party this year - the photos turned out really nicely. (Here's the scene at the 4th of July - kids in lawn chairs taking it all in, husband in the field setting off the fireworks, and my Junior Camera Geek Self: on the driveway, little camera in hand, big camera mounted sideways on the tripod shooting video. Hah!) Tonight, I used candlelight mode and fireworks mode, and the pictures turned out pretty cool. Thank goodness for the tripod - the shutter on this one was open FOR-EVER. There'd be no amount of built-in image stabilization that would have covered me on this shot. Yikes!

Anyway, now I feel like I kind of know what I'm doing with these night photos. Not quite as Halloween-esque as the scene when I left for Meijer, but still pretty cool. And I NEED to get my other camera fixed, so I can play some more!

The Sofa Search

Our house is (and always has been) decorated in a theme I called Early Newlywed - a little bit of everything, mostly hand-me downs. Now, I'm not knocking the hand-me downs...most of them came from my parents' house on their move out west (they intended to downsize right about the same time I was getting a Real Job, so the timing worked out well...except for that whole downsizing thing, but that's another story...). But, the things that are really starting to show their age are the upholstered pieces. Oh, and I don't think I can still be considered a newlywed. ;-)

Exhibit A: 30+ Year Old Hide A Bed Sofa. This relic lived in our family room until I was in high school, and was then relegated to the basement (??) until our move to Iowa. In Iowa, this was the furniture I had in my room (I got the smaller room, since I was in college and only home for the summer and occasional long weekend). It made the move to my house, where it served as either living room furniture, or basement/guest quarters. This couch started life as an avocado-green tweed, then was recovered (by my parents!) in a tweedy brown, and is now sporting a third skin - off white flame stitch fabric. With cat hair. The hide-a-bed frame is steel, we've replaced parts of the innards and the mattress at least once each. It's in good condition, but not the best solution for our basement TV/movie watching needs. But, I guess I'm sentimental.

Exhibit B & C: Pair of 20-Something Love Seats. These were handed down from my grandmother, in another case of downsizing. She kept the full-size sofa, and we took the two love seats. Since coming into our possession, these have had a bit of a hard life - cats, kids, 'nuf said. They're covering the Family Room seating roles pretty well, and are awesome for napping on, but I'm ready for something new.

Aaah. "Something New." Yeah, that's a great concept, except when I have to actually try and pick something out. This upholstery purchase thing is something new to me. I can buy tables and bookcases and "hard" stuff all day long, but to pick out a couch, and colors and pillows and squishiness is new to me. And it seems like such a big decision - being that I've got upholstered pieces from my teenage years, I feel like whatever new couch/es I choose will be expected to last for a long time. Other problems - figuring out what the couches really need to do...this is something I think I got from the home makeover shows on TV - "What do you want to use this room for?"

For the basement, some home theatre seating would be ideal, but, by my rough estimates, we can only fit three seats across the seating area, and we have four people in our family. Plus, this is also the space that serves as our guest room, and home theatre seating does not come with hide-a-beds. So, that's the first dilemma.

For the family room, I'd like an l-shaped sectional, maybe with a chaise on one side, so it keeps the room open visually. But, after seeing this type of couch in the store, I'm afraid it's going to be too big for the room. My rough measurements here have not helped...I need someone to hold the other end of the tape measure, and I think the last set of dimensions I got on the sofa actually measured length as "all the way around the back edge of the sofa," to include around the corner. Hmmm.

I've got time; the furniture is serving us well for right now, and I need a chance to figure out design schemes and paint colors and such. But, I'm also diligently entering in the Bassett Furniture Sofa Giveaway . Maybe winning a sofa and being forced into a decision won't be a bad thing. ;-)

On the Road Again

Hello from the road! I'm in Boston for work. I came out on Saturday to see my sister - we had a good time! Today, in discussing tomorrow's schedule, we realized I didn't allow myself enough time to fininsh my training session and get to the airport. The training sessions here are going really well, and we don't want to reschedule the last session and lose momentum. It's been a while since I traveled through an airport of any real size, so, on the advice of my team, I changed my flight home. Since I haven't blogged since the last time I was on the road, I figured it was probably time to check in!

Steph and I ran through Target on Sunday, picking up a few things for my stay in town, and some stuff for Steph's house. I ended up at a different Target last night with some of the team from work, picking up a couple more things for the trip (and a book to read on the plane home). Good Old Target!

Other Boston Observations:

• The local newscasters don't have the local accent!
• The 99 Restaurant has pretty good food!
• There are more hills here than I expected (not sure why...)

That's it for now!

The Midwest Hurricane

This past Sunday, the remnants of Hurricane Ike blew through our area. Between about noon and 3pm, the wind was whipping around like crazy - 70+ mph...it was still a Tropical Storm! But by 3:30, the wind died down, the leaves settled, and we came out to assess the damage.

We never lost power at the house, but my inlaws did, and are still out of power. Most of the rest of the city is also out of power, so school is cancelled, street lights are out, stores aren't open...

And I'm getting this all second hand. I'm out of town!

When I left for the airport on Sunday, I got an idea of how much of a mess Ike left behind - a HUGE tree had fallen across a road outside our neighborhood, all the traffic lights were out on the way to the interstate, leaves and limbs all over. I believe some areas are getting their power back, but the schools have been closed all week. I was at the airport when I saw the message from school that said they didn't have any power. As it turns out, this may actually be working out better for my husband, in that his sister is also out of school, and has been watching our girls at her house all this week. So, he doesn't have to drive all the way through town to drop off and pick up the girls.

Having deserted my husband and children at home in this mess, I'm anxious to see what state everything is in when I get home. I'm thankful that we have power at the house, and that everyone is safe and sound, even if they are having to hang out in the dark. ;-)

Fall is on the way

You would think I could tell this just by looking at the calendar. Well, yes, the calendar is a helpful indicator, but being that the weather is what we normally associate with Fall, the weather lately is also indicating that Fall is coming. And in my area, Fall is marked with rain just as much as cool, crisp air, the need for long sleeves in the evenings, and earlier sunsets. We were out at a friends' house last night, and sat on the porch after dinner, enjoying the lack of humidity, and after about an hour, I realized I needed some sleeves. Aah, Fall.



So, anyway, back to our First Fall-ish Friday. The morning was foggy, but warm (so Summer isn't giving up the ghost just yet!). The whole day was gray and drizzly, but not enough to warrant an umbrella, just like you were walking through a mister. All day. Not the formula for a Good Hair Day.

As I drove to work, the fog had settled in just at the tops of the buildings downtown. Since I've been carrying my new pocket-sized camera just about everywhere, I thought I'd try to capture the fog. Don't tell Mom...I was driving while I was taking these pictures. Isn't that the point of a point-and-shoot camera? It only takes one hand? Well, anyway, I'm sure if I'd pulled over and stood at the side of the road, these pictures would've turned out better (and the camera wouldn't be focused on the raindrops on the windshield). But, I didn't sit and review all the pictures while I was snapping away. I was totally focused on the traffic. Totally.

At some point, I guess I realized my camera was focusing on the raindrops on the windshield. I hit a traffic backup, and tried to capitalize on the artsiness while crawling along at 10 mph. Kinda cool.




For someone that's used to taking pictures of kids and people and using them to tell a story, I'm not sure what I'll do with these rainy pictures of my commute. Other than to share them on my blog! ;-)

From Behind the Camera

I found out at work today that our newest customer has requested bios and pictures of the project team. "Well, bummer," I thought, because we'd just had family pictures taken the night before for the church photo directory, and the photographer asked if we wanted individual photos of all of us, or just group shots. I thought, "school pictures are just around the corner, and I don't need a new picture of my husband for my desk..."

"Oh, we don't need any individual pictures," I said. "Not even of you and your husband?" asked the Helpful Photographer-slash-Sales Guy. "Oh, no. We'll be OK," I said, trying to be a little price-conscious. And self-conscious. Whoops. Is it a coincidence that the offer of a photo of myself and the need for a photo of myself are a day apart? I really need to start paying better attention to these signals.

Back at work, mulling over the idea of a head shot that's appropriate to share with a business prospect (even a customer!), I realized, I don't have any! At my first "real" job, the company put together a Who's Who book for employees - you received a book on your first day, with photos and trivial information about the other employees. New employees showed up at the photo studio a couple weeks after they started work, posed for a headshot, and a half-sheet photo/bio page was handed out to everyone about every quarter. A sizable expense, I'm sure, but a real nicety, especially for a new employee. I believe we'd talked about updating that photo book at some point during my tenure at that job, and even thought about putting it on the company Intranet. I believe we were hard-up for some content.

So, my last (first, and only) head shots are from 1994. It's one of my favorite pictures of me, but I don't match it anymore. Probably not a real option.

Back at my desk, I mentally flipped through recent pictures we'd taken - our trip to the Kennedy Space Center, the beach, DisneyWorld...what kind of impression would that give to this customer? I take a lot of vacations? I did toy with the idea of cropping the rest of the crew out of this picture and submitting this version of me. "I am out of this world!!" ;-)

But, this is also probably not appropriate for the customer. Other photos are of me making silly faces (those always seem to turn out better), or wearing silly hats. Again, probably not the right message to send to a business prospect. And really, to tell the truth, because I'm always behind the camera taking pictures of everyone else, there aren't that many pictures of me to pick from. Sigh.

So, this photo thing needs to go on my to-do list for the weekend. I'd do it tomorrow at work, but it's Wear Your Colors Day, so I'll be sporting my new UW shirt (a souvenir from the trip to Racine). I'll take in my camera. Maybe I can make it work. Go Big Red!

I'll keep you all posted with my progress.

Saturday Spring Cleaning

Well, I guess I can't call it Spring cleaning, because it's August. But, "August Cleaning" just doesn't roll off the tounge. ;-)

Today's cleaning was inspired by a) the fact that the house needs it and b) the impending visit from my parents and sister over Labor Day weekend. Plus, Kim's been asking if she can use the mop. This, mind you, is not a real mop she's interested in, but the Pledge floor care system - bottle of solution, absorbant scrubby pad that attaches to the bottom of their stick mop. Kind of the disposable razor version of a mop. So, she was asking about it, and I figured I'd let her try it out.

First off, of course, was all the pre-mopping stuff - sweeping, moving chairs, and so on. And while I was doing that, Kim was out investigating the mop and all its parts, chomping at the bit to start mopping. I finally swept up as much cat hair and cereal crumbles as I could, and got Kim set up to start mopping. Her favorite thing, the trigger on the mop handle that sprays the cleaning solution onto the floor. I've never had enough solution on the floor to make suds, but Kim got us there! Kate evidently got wind of the cleaning frenzy going on downstairs, and came down to check it out - she got a turn with the mop as well.

Here's the Bad Mommy part: I figured the kids had the mopping under control, and didn't want to stand over them making sure they got the whole floor. I figured I'd have to re-mop some parts anyway, especially after I saw Kim and the mop and the suds. So, I snuck off to work on the computer. (As part of last week's software search, I found my camera utilities, so I wanted to install them and fiddle. More on that in a minute...)

Next thing I know, Kim's in asking if we have any more stuff for the mop. "No," I said, "today we'll just mop the kitchen and back hall."

"No, Mom," she says. "We need more of the spray."

Yeah, that bottle was about half full, and the two girls managed to mop with all of it. I knew it would end this way. I was just hoping to get another 10 minutes out of it. Sigh.

Now, as promised, some of the results of my Bad Mommy Moments on the computer. On our trip to the Kennedy Space Center in May, I fiddled with the panorama setting on my camera. I couldn't ever put the panoramas together, because the software got eaten the last time we overhauled my computer. But, after finding the software CD, this is what I was able to put together:


Launch pad with Shuttle on the left, Vehicle Assembly Building on the right. And trees.




This shot shows both launch pads. And the tour bus. And Paul. Hi, Paul!

20 years plus one week

Well, it's been a little more than a week since my 20-year high school reunion. I'm glad I made the trip - it was great to catch up with my high school friends, and really interesting to go back to my hometown for the first time in almost 20 years. So much has changed, but so much has stayed the same - that applies to the people and the places, I think!

What was even more interesting, was sitting at our friends' dining room table last night, going through the list of must-haves for their high school senior! I knew Senior pictures had to be done early, but they also had the order form for the graduation announcements, party invitations, senior memory book and the cap and gown. Seems a little early for those things... oh, but the Senior Key and extra tassles, and engraved photo frames? Anybody still have theirs?

Side note - I don't think I had to purchase the gown - I think it was a rental? We did buy the cap and tassle - mine is still is in my cedar chest (which, after going through the archival material stashed in my yearbooks shouldn't surprise anyone), but I know if I'd had to buy the gown, I'd still have it. Case in point - my sister's graduation gown is still hanging in a closet at my parents' house (not quite 20 years later, but several moves later!! And it's a lovely shade of electric blue. Yikes!!).

Ok, for those that are curious - here's what I had stashed in my yearbooks: Graduation announcement, program from the graduation ceremony, my public library card, my permanent hall pass (bonus!!), all four years' worth of class schedules... Yeah. You'd be afraid to see what my house looks like. Where's that blog for living simply??

Sir Nils Olav the Penguin

Ok, this is funny!

High School Reunion - MasterCard version

Round trip airfare from Kentucky to Wisconsin: $250.00
One day plus 6 hours car rental: $150
(bonus: free upgrade to a Ford Mustang!!)

Two nights hotel: $150
Ticket to reunion: $65

Reuniting with BFFs from High School (you all know who you are!): Priceless!

And that's what reunions are all about! (No, not the Mustang! The BFF's!!)

Watering the Cat

Inspired partly by my brother-in-law's feline watering system (aka: fancy filtered water bowl), and partly by the grunge at the bottom of our cats' existing water bowl, I purchased a new watering system for the cats. It does not include a filter, but it does incorporate a pump, which leaves the water bubbling happily in the dish, instead of sitting there collecting dust. In their younger days, our cats enjoyed a fight with a drip from the sink faucet, so I figured if only for the entertainment value, a new bubbling water dish would be worth it.

The box arrived, and after a thorough inspection of the box and all it's claims, the girls and I unboxed and assembled the new water dish. Filled it up, waited for the water dish part to fill with water, and let it bubble. (Of course, both girls had to stick their fingers in the water and check out the bubbling. Hah!) One of the features that I liked when I chose this water system was the fact that the pump apparatus is not integrated into the water dish itself; there's about three feet of tubing between the pump and the dish, so the cats won't get freaked out by the humming of the electrical parts.

After the girls were in bed, the cats came out for the evening, and stopped by the kitchen for dinner and drinks. Well, I saw Buger downstairs checking things out - Dusty only operates under the cover of darkness. Anyway, Buger sat about a foot away from the bowl, staring at the bubbling water for a very long time. I don't know that she ever drank from the bowl, and I don't know if I'll ever catch her actually drinking. There is, however, proof that someone's been investigating - there are splashes all over the floor around the new bowl.

Next purchase: motion-activated low light spy camera. To see if the cats are drinking from the dish or just splashing.

First Day of School Photos

So, the girls started school last Friday. Really, it snuck up on all of us, because it was a really rough morning. Kim said she didn't sleep because her pillow fell out of bed. Kate did a better job getting ready - I think she was about to try and drive herself to school, she was so anxious to get on the road! Anyway, due to forces beyond our control, we did not get our acts together and get First Day of School Photos on Friday.

We did try to recapture the moment on Monday. And, to shake things up a bit, I had the girls pose by the new rose bush out front, instead of on the front porch. I think that's a change for the better (especially since the front door needs a coat of paint!) Our weather, by the way, is nothing like it should be for August. No sweltering humidity, no brown crunchy grass. Odd. (Hopefully, I've not jinxed all of Kentuckiana for the rest of August and September!)

Iron Maiden

My iron was dying. I bought a replacement as part of the back-to-school shopping trip (at Target, of course!). It's a Sunbeam with average features, but it's purple!! (I had some help in picking it out!) To tell the truth, a purple iron felt pretty frivolous, especially next to the dignified silver and white model next to it on the display. But, purple won the vote, so into the cart it went.

I got home with the new iron, and left it downstairs for a few weeks. Maybe my sensible old blue and white iron wasn't really dying, maybe I was just imagining things. So, my sensible old blue iron and I limped along for a bit, managing, somehow, to get enough wrinkles out that I looked presentable at work. Sometimes.

Yesterday, I got up in the morning and set out to iron my work clothes. I added water to my sensible old blue iron, ironed my clothes, and set off to work. When I got home, much like a new puppy left in the house alone too long, I found my iron sitting in a puddle on the ironing board. Oh, Iron. There was the proof. My sensible old blue iron had developed a leak, and should be replaced.

I sauntered downstairs to fetch the new purple iron. I unpacked it, and noticed the sleek lines and slightly translucent water reservoir. Ooh, and it came with a little pitcher, so you can add water without pouring it all over the front of the iron (and onto the ironing board!). I even detected a bit of a scent, something along the lines of "new car smell." This new iron might be fun. Not as frivolous as I'd thought.

I plugged in the iron, and turned it on. The heat selection dial was very ergonomic. And, I discovered the four steam settings. I cranked up the steam and pulled out one of my most challenging ironing projects - my khaki pants. The new purple iron got hot right away, and ironed those pants like nobody's business! I even set out to iron a dress shirt to wear with my khakis, and it came out smooth and crisp. Oh, I love this new iron. Who would have thought??

So, the moral of the story: Just because something is purple and flashy, that doesn't mean it won't function well! At least, not in this case! And now, I think my ironing board cover needs replacing, to match my iron.

Camp Caufield - Now Open for Business!

Check it out! I've got a blog! Woohoo! Sitting on my couch, watching beach volleyball at the Olympics, and blogging!

I guess I should add some substance - let's see, part of the reason I was inspired to start this Blog is to keep up with my friend Sharon. Who, by the way, needs to see this, as I think it explains what happened to her garden gnome, Olaf. Hee!

Olympic check - whoops! There's a commercial, which means it's time to swap the laundry. Guess that's it for the blogging tonight. Shouldn't there be a way to tell the programming board on my washer that it's time for a new load?