back to real life

After nearly two weeks of fun and surprises it's back to real life--well, not completely yet since the kids are still on Spring Break and it's General Conference this weekend--but a little sad, just the same. My sister and brother-in-law left on Sunday. Michelle got to stay on for a few more days; her flight left early this afternoon. Her time here seemed to pass all-too-quickly. We each snapped a SP at the airport curbside before saying goodbye.

She is such an enjoyable, uplifting person to be around. She is so mindful of others' feelings and is always looking for ways to help, strengthen, and include everyone. Spending time with Michelle makes me want to strive to be more like her--more Christlike in the way I view and treat those around me (and how is it that her lipstick is always perfect in every photo?! What gives?).

Sarah rode out with me to the airport and on the way home we decided that a nice big batch of Rice Krispie treats was just what we needed to stave away the blues. We stopped at King Soopers for marshmallows (which, happily, were on sale for $1/bag). Nothing quite like a large batch of this gooey comfort treat to make you feel better!

Then, on to the computer to do some catching up on blog reading. Never mind that I really need to be catching up on laundry, ironing, cleaning--hey, it's still Spring Break, right? While reading I suddenly noticed a howling wind and looked up to see another blizzard swirling outside! Boy, did that come on quickly. An April Fool's joke, for sure.

Part of me was relieved that Michelle's flight left as early as it did, and part of me wished she would have been stranded for another day.

So now it's nearing dinner time, I'm not hungry so I don't want to cook anything, and the laundry and ironing still await my attention. *sigh* I think I'll go pull off another sticky piece of Rice Krispies.

it seemed like a good idea

Me (at 6 p.m., after a full day's work and day that required me to get up at 4:45 this morning): "Let's go to Taco Bell/Pizza Hut for dinner. Sarah, we can use the coupons you got from school for reading to get two free Personal Pan pizzas."

Sarah: "But I really want tacos instead."

Me (after a small moment's pause): "Okay, John can have both pizzas and I'll buy you some tacos." That will hardly cost a thing--and it will be worth it because it will be really quick, allowing me to get down to the basement sooner to start the sewing night shift.

Cut to drive-through at Taco Bell/Pizza Hut.

Me: "I'd like three tacos and two Personal Pan pizzas--"

Sarah (interrupting): "Can I have a root beer?"

Me: "--and a root beer, please. I have coupons for the pizzas."

Fast Food Attendant: "We're out of root beer. And my manager says we don't take those coupons."

Me: "Oh."

John (from the back seat): "Don't forget I have Mutual tonight, Mom, and it starts in less than an hour. Can I have a Baja Blast with my pizza?"

Me (eying the lineup of cars behind me): "Make that one pizza combo, two drinks, and three tacos. Wait--" (throwing caution to the wind) "--add a medium Diet Pepsi, please." Maybe that will help me make it through the night shift.

Fast Food Attendant: "Okay, that will be $12.72. And we're out of bread sticks. Can you wait for seven minutes?"

Me (weighing the pros and cons of waiting vs. leaving without the bread sticks): "Sure, I guess we can wait a few minutes."

Fast Food Attendant: "Just pull around to the front and I'll bring them out."

Cut to parking lot, fifteen minutes later.

Me (falling asleep in the driver's seat while John and Sarah eat pizza and tacos respectively): "John, why don't you go in and check the progress of those *%^@!&! bread sticks!"

Another ten minutes pass.

Me (upon seeing John finally emerge from the restaurant): "Finally!" I'll bet they gave him a few extra to compensate for our interminable wait. "Did they give you any extra?"

John: "No. They forgot about us."

Me: "Good grief." I shouldn't have changed into my lounging clothes before leaving--I totally could have worked it to get some extra bread sticks. Oh, but I forgot, my feet were killing me and I was going for ultimate comfort, and I really just want to get home and start sewing.

Home, at last. Kids have already eaten.

Me (relishing the fact that I at least have some of my favorite salad in the fridge to have for dinner--and the fact that I finally have a moment to sit and relax): "John, are you ready for Mutual? It will be time to go soon. Sarah--you'd better get started on your homework."

Sarah (with enthusiasm--apparently bolstered by her nutritious taco meal): "Can I play you the recorder song we learned today in Music? It has CD accompaniment to go with it!"

Me (steeling my nerves and feigning enthusiasm for her musical suggestion): "That would be great, honey." *sigh*

over the river and through the woods

After a fun-filled holiday week with the girls at home and my brother and his family for Thanksgiving, I hastily packed and fly off to Pennsylvania to help Susan with Christmas set-ups for her wealthy interior design clients. I arrived in the City of Brotherly Love late Sunday night. Poor Susan and Fred had been driving all day in heavy traffic, returning from Jessie's house in North Carolina. As they pulled into the airport to pick me up, however, Fred's car--which had just had a new battery installed last week--died. Wouldn't move. Couldn't roll up the window. Made everyone behind him in the parking garage irritated and inclined to use lewd gestures.

It was 11 p.m. and we were stranded at the airport. This is our sad-airport-face picture.

Approximately three-and-a-half hours later we made it to Susan's house--she and I via taxi, and poor Fred with the tow-truck driver for whom he had waited three hours. Great start to a very busy week.

For a recap of our daily adventures, see Susan's blog. We're attempting to post about our decorating adventures, but thus far have been so exhausted every night that we fall into bed for our 4-5 hours of sleep with nary a moment to post.

Stay tuned.

"What the??" Part II

It's 9:30 p.m. and the trucks are still at work outside my front door, complete with that loud BEEP*BEEP whenever they back up, which seems so much louder in the dark than it does in the daytime.

Rewind: When I returned to the kitchen to finish up dinner after posting about the dirt pile earlier this afternoon, what do I find but two firetrucks--with all lights flashing--and a street full of firemen in full regalia.

Apparently, all that digging this afternoon did something to puncture a natural gas line. I was just about to call my parents to tell them they would have to park on another street (remember, I was unable to get my car out to go pick them up myself) when I saw a fireman approaching my front door. 'Oh no,' I thought. 'Are we going to be evacuated? That will surely ruin my dinner.' Then I realized he was carrying a box--a strangely familiar box--one of my mother's flat boxes from Costco in which she carries food. A young, rather attractive fireman in his full gear was delivering a box with my mother's part of the dinner in it to my front door! Apparently my parents had already arrived and been instructed to park a block or two away and the kind fireman who informed them of this volunteered to carry my mom's food box up the street. That's what I call a public servant!

Of course, the first thing I said to the cute fireman as I took the box from him was, "I really want a picture of this!" He just sort of did the Smile-and-Nod, and as I was rather distracted by everything that was going on, alas, I missed a great photo opp. My dad, shaking his head as he came in the house, remarked, "Well, at least when the explosion comes, they'll be ready to put out the fire." Always the optimist, my Dad.

When the missionaries arrived a few minutes later, also having had to walk a few blocks, they told us that a fireman started to approach them on their way up the street. Before they could explain that they were in fact not tracting, but rather coming for a dinner engagement, the fireman took off his gloves, extended his hand in greeting, and with a smile said he was a member of the Church, too (not as common an occurrence in Colorado as in say, Utah).

Anyway, it was quite an eventful night--still ongoing. The firemen are gone, however, replaced by the Public Service utility guys.

I just hope I can get my car out of the garage in the morning.

Like Jill said. . .

"What the?. . ." This is what is going on directly outside of my house today:

Yes, that is my driveway. And this is the view from my kitchen window:

It's a good thing Mark has a four-wheel drive vehicle, as that four foot wall of dirt blocking the driveway could pose a problem in getting into the garage. Hmm. And tonight would be the night I've got the missionaries and my parents coming for dinner.