the late shift – current events with HCR
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Saturday, March 28, 2009
Don't Judge Me
Last night, Samantha came to our door with a stomach ache. It was so bad that she was sobbing (which doesn't really help matters, but...) Anyway, I have a confession to make: I'm kinda happy she was sick. Now before you judge me too harshly, let me explain. It gave me the chance to be "Mommy" instead of just "Mom." I don't get to be "Mommy" to Samantha anymore. She's getting to be such a young lady. But last night, after getting her to lay on her stomach on the floor, I got to lay down beside her. I got to rub her back and whisper encouraging words in her ear. I ran my fingers through her hair. I pressed my forehead against her forehead and told her she was gonna be fine and No, we couldn't sue Little Caesars. I stayed with her until she fell asleep and then I tucked her blanket snugly around her before going back to my own bed. I really enjoyed being "Mommy." So you see, I'm not some freak with Munchausen Syndrome, I'm just a mother who occasionally misses that little girl who used to live here.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Work Begins
This week, we started work on the house this week. And there's so much to be done! Ty wanted to begin by re-vamping the closet in the master bedroom. The previous owners had it full of organizers and it just didn't work. I don't know how they ever had it full of two people's clothes! Actually, when we visited the house when we were still looking, the wife had already moved out, so it was just his clothes and they filled the closet. Anyway, Ty completely disassembled it, removed the drawers, adjusted the length and depth of the hangers, and added shelves to the bottom for our shoes. The end result was twice the closet he started with. He did an amazing job.
When Ty was looking for all the pieces of his table saw so he could work on the closet, he brought several boxes from the storage unit to the house. A few of the boxes were full of books and games, and since we aren't making any changes to the shelves in the living room, I started unpacking a little.
We had to go through all the rooms and remove about a million screws and nails. I don't know how they could possibly had that much stuff hung on their walls! Then Samantha and I went through the rooms with this Sheetrock putty stuff and filled the holes so they can later be touched up with a little paint.
Those white ones are buggers! They are wall anchors and they leave HUGE holes in the walls. I hope the putty keeps.
Do you see all the paint stuck to those nails and screws? That is the epitome of laziness right there. They couldn't be bothered with removing them before they painted, they just painted right over them. There were several layers on those things!
I have been amazed by the things the previous owners have left behind. The cupboards and drawers in the kitchen had all kinds of things left in them.
Besides all the garbage found in the corners, I also found all this. Most of it was crap, but the dish clothes, dish towels, and pitcher are pretty nice.
The backyard is loaded with dog poop. I don't think they ever used a pooper scooper. There was also a plethora of balls, chew toys, and feeding bowls lying around the back porch and yard. But the Pièce de résistance was the cat. Yes, I said "cat"! We couldn't figure out why this black and white cat kept hanging out by the back door. That is until we looked under the blue bucket. do you see the hole cut into the side of the bucket? The bucket was upside-down and there was a pillow under the bucket. It was the cat's little home! Can you believe they LEFT THEIR CAT??? Un-be-liev-able! When we took the bucket out of the backyard, the cat moved on. I hope he's okay, wherever he is.
The cupboards were lined with this contact paper that I think has been there since the house was built in 1982! It was the butt-ugliest pattern ever created and it was peeling up all over the place.
Can you believe all the paper I pulled? It took almost an hour to get it all out. That stuff can really stick to wood, you know? The paper filled that blue bucket from earlier. It was amazing.
There is still a lot to be done. Ty has to run the gas line to the dryer so we can have a gas instead of electric dryer. There is a hole in the guest bedroom that the previous owners cut in the wall in order to get to the water line. That has to be repaired. The master bathroom's wallpaper is peeling off and needs to be removed so we can paint the walls. The plumbing under the kitchen sink is leaky, so Ty needs to get that taken care of. Tristan's room will need to be repainted because there were so many nails and nail holes in the walls that once they were puttied, the walls looked like they were polka-dotted. But you know what? It's all ours! There's a lot of work to be done, but it will all be worth it because it's all for our home. I can't wait to move in!!!
When Ty was looking for all the pieces of his table saw so he could work on the closet, he brought several boxes from the storage unit to the house. A few of the boxes were full of books and games, and since we aren't making any changes to the shelves in the living room, I started unpacking a little.
We had to go through all the rooms and remove about a million screws and nails. I don't know how they could possibly had that much stuff hung on their walls! Then Samantha and I went through the rooms with this Sheetrock putty stuff and filled the holes so they can later be touched up with a little paint.
Those white ones are buggers! They are wall anchors and they leave HUGE holes in the walls. I hope the putty keeps.
Do you see all the paint stuck to those nails and screws? That is the epitome of laziness right there. They couldn't be bothered with removing them before they painted, they just painted right over them. There were several layers on those things!
I have been amazed by the things the previous owners have left behind. The cupboards and drawers in the kitchen had all kinds of things left in them.
Besides all the garbage found in the corners, I also found all this. Most of it was crap, but the dish clothes, dish towels, and pitcher are pretty nice.
The backyard is loaded with dog poop. I don't think they ever used a pooper scooper. There was also a plethora of balls, chew toys, and feeding bowls lying around the back porch and yard. But the Pièce de résistance was the cat. Yes, I said "cat"! We couldn't figure out why this black and white cat kept hanging out by the back door. That is until we looked under the blue bucket. do you see the hole cut into the side of the bucket? The bucket was upside-down and there was a pillow under the bucket. It was the cat's little home! Can you believe they LEFT THEIR CAT??? Un-be-liev-able! When we took the bucket out of the backyard, the cat moved on. I hope he's okay, wherever he is.
The cupboards were lined with this contact paper that I think has been there since the house was built in 1982! It was the butt-ugliest pattern ever created and it was peeling up all over the place.
Can you believe all the paper I pulled? It took almost an hour to get it all out. That stuff can really stick to wood, you know? The paper filled that blue bucket from earlier. It was amazing.
There is still a lot to be done. Ty has to run the gas line to the dryer so we can have a gas instead of electric dryer. There is a hole in the guest bedroom that the previous owners cut in the wall in order to get to the water line. That has to be repaired. The master bathroom's wallpaper is peeling off and needs to be removed so we can paint the walls. The plumbing under the kitchen sink is leaky, so Ty needs to get that taken care of. Tristan's room will need to be repainted because there were so many nails and nail holes in the walls that once they were puttied, the walls looked like they were polka-dotted. But you know what? It's all ours! There's a lot of work to be done, but it will all be worth it because it's all for our home. I can't wait to move in!!!
Friday, March 20, 2009
We're Closed!
A few weeks ago, we noticed this little addition to the "For Sale" sign in the front yard of the house we're buying. So we had to stop and take a picture. A few people drove by as we were getting the picture done and they got big smiles on their faces when they saw what we were doing. I think they were happy for us, too.
This morning, Ty and I met with our Realtor, Kim and the title lady, Theresa at AmeriTitle. Ty wrote a check for the down payment and then it was on to the paperwork.
It took us an hour to get all the paperwork signed. There were so many disclosures and contract agreements to sign. Several were simply repeats of the same thing, over and over again. Ty's hand was very tired by the time we were finished.
Then, outside the front doors, Kim handed Ty the keys to our home. OUR HOME!
(Commercial break: Kimberly Hurley is an amazing Realtor. She bent over backward for us. She was there for us every step of the way. When the seller's Realtor kept screwing things up, Kim was the one who cleaned up the mess. And quickly, too! If anybody is looking to buy a home in the Idaho Falls area, I would strongly recommend Kimberly Hurley-208-313-4148) After Kim gave us the keys she gave us a huge gift basket from Great Harvest Bread. (I think my diet will be suspended until all the goodies are gone.)
On the way home, we had to stop by the house. We tried all the keys and played with the garage door opener. When the kids get home from school, I'm gonna pile them all in the car and take them over so they can run around in the empty house. Ty's already there. He is starting the renovation to the master closet today. I'm so excited that the house is finally ours. Now I can't wait to get everything ready so we can move in. It's gonna be great!
Pathetic Puppy
Mayzee does NOT like to get a bath. If I'm not careful about getting the supplies ready for her bath and she sees the bath paraphernalia, she will hide behind the couch and it's next to impossible to get her out.
She's very good during the bath. She stands very still and lets me scrub her really good, but she looks at you with the most pathetic little face. And that face stays until she's completely dry. She is very good at "The Guilt Trip."
She's very good during the bath. She stands very still and lets me scrub her really good, but she looks at you with the most pathetic little face. And that face stays until she's completely dry. She is very good at "The Guilt Trip."
I Can Do It All By Myself
Zachary is so proud of himself. I decided that it was about time for me to teach him how to tie his shoelaces. I've been a little intimidated about teaching him. I haven't taught anyone to tie his shoelaces since Tristan was 5 years old. (A neighbor taught Samantha, I didn't think she was old enough. -I was wrong!) Anyway, I bit back my unease and began showing Zach how to tie his shoes.
At first it took him a long time to get them tied and his knots were really loose, but soon he got the hang of it. Now he's a shoe tie-ing fool. And he's VERY proud of himself.
At first it took him a long time to get them tied and his knots were really loose, but soon he got the hang of it. Now he's a shoe tie-ing fool. And he's VERY proud of himself.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Beach Combin'
I had a lot of fun playing photographer when we went to the beach. I thought I would share some of my "artistic" photos here.
This pelican was fearless. He was wandering up and down the boardwalk, weaving in and out of the people. Even begging for food from the people fishing.
Pretty seaweed that washed up on shore.
More pretty seaweed. (This is the wallpaper on Ty's laptop.)
The waves crashing on my mom and dad's feet. (This is the wallpaper on their laptop.)
My tootsies in the warm sand.
Taking pictures is so much fun. I want to take some classes.
This pelican was fearless. He was wandering up and down the boardwalk, weaving in and out of the people. Even begging for food from the people fishing.
Pretty seaweed that washed up on shore.
More pretty seaweed. (This is the wallpaper on Ty's laptop.)
The waves crashing on my mom and dad's feet. (This is the wallpaper on their laptop.)
My tootsies in the warm sand.
Taking pictures is so much fun. I want to take some classes.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
5th Street Trailer Trash
I was so lucky to have a chance to fly down to Texas to see my Grandmother last week. I felt I really needed to see her because she has Alzheimer's and it is slowly claiming her mind. I needed to see her before she forgets me. We had lots of Sky Miles, so I used them to get to Corpus Christi.
My parents are Winter Texans, so I had a place to stay. The day I got there, we didn't do much. We hit a really good Mexican restaurant on the way home from the airport and then just headed to the trailer. Mom and Daddy run with a really great bunch of people down there. They are all so nice and boy are they funny! They refer to themselves as "5th Street Trailer Trash." After meeting them, it was easy to see why my parents enjoy going South so much.
The next day, Friday, was very foggy, but it was nice and warm. We decided to take advantage of the warm weather and went to Padre Island to play at the beach. We wandered up and down the beach and picked up lots of pretty shells for the kiddos. The surf was kinda high for Padre. Almost 4 feet in some areas. We took off our sandals and had fun walking in the sand and splashing in the waves.
When we were done playing on the beach, we went to the best bar-b-q joint ever. My family discovered Rudy's when we were stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio. The food is amazing. When we were going to Rudy's, there were only two of them and they were both in San Antonio. Now they have expanded and luckily, there is one in Corpus Christi. My hubby and kids were very jealous of my trip to Rudy's! Mmmm... ribs!
After Rudy's, we went to see Grandmother at her retirement community. I was so excited to see her and it was awesome when she opened her door and she remembered me! I couldn't stop grinning! I love my grandmother so much and I have missed her. It's hard to have family living so far away. We had a nice visit with Grandmother and then we went back to the trailer again.
On Saturday, we went into Fulton and went to the oyster docks. We also got a chance to see Fulton Mansion which is a beautiful home. After that, we went to my cousin, Richard's, basketball game. After the game, we went back to Aunt Leslie's house. It was nice to visit with Grandmother, Aunt Leslie, and my cousins Shannon and Rebecca. I also got to meet Shannon's husband, Jason, who is an awesome guy. any guy who can stand toe to toe with my Uncle Chuck is a winner to me!
On Sunday, we went to another restaurant I miss, Whataburger. Whataburger has, by far, the BEST hamburgers on the planet. I don't know what it is they do to them, but they sure are tasty!
Then we went into Goose Island park. It is home to "The Big Tree" (original, right?). The tree is a ginormous live oak. It's estimated to be over 1,000 years old. If you look closely, you can see iron supports holding up some of the tree's "branches". I wanted to see how far my arms would go around the tree, but there is a fence protecting it from dorks like me.
That night, Daddy built a fire in his chiminea and the entire "trailer trash" crew came over to enjoy the fire and to chat and just have a good time. As I mentioned earlier, they are a pretty cool bunch and it was fun to listen to them tease each other and play around.
Monday, all of Mom and Daddy's friends came by to hug me and say good bye. I felt like a rock star with all that attention. We went to Whataburger for lunch again and then went by Grandmother's to say good bye. She showed my some of the Alzheimer's by repeating almost every story she had told me last time I saw her, but it was nice to see her, nonetheless. She gave me one of Momma Leach's quilts. I am so excited!
Then, Mom and Daddy dropped me off at the airport. I breezed through security and then waited patiently for my plane to board and leave. The flight was uneventful, and that is nice. In Houston, I had to go from one concourse to another. It was quite a ways away. I was thankful for the shuttle that took me most of the way. I only had 45 minutes to get to the next gate, so I was really booking it. Turns out, it wasn't necessary. The plane hadn't even arrived yet. In fact, there was going to be at least an hour delay. My fellow passengers and I were a little miffed, but it couldn't be helped. As I was rushing into the gate area, I had noticed a very tall black man walking ahead of me. I thought to myself, "Hmm, he's so tall, I wonder if he's a basketball player." We talked a little bit and then I turned to my book and he began fiddling with his cell phone. Before long, he was swarmed by boys asking for his autograph. He was Glen Davis from the Boston Celtics! He was a really nice guy and was very nice to all these boys, and a few men, who were hassling him for his time.
Due to the delay in Houston, I missed my connection in Salt Lake and, of course, it was the last flight of the day into Idaho Falls. So, Delta put me up in a hotel for the night. You'd think I would welcome a quiet night in a hotel with a king sized bed, but the truth was, I missed my kids. I missed my husband. I just wanted to be home with my family and in my own bed. Oh well. Tuesday morning, I woke up to a nice little snow storm. A very chatty shuttle driver drove me to the airport where I got to sit in the terminal for 2 hours waiting for my flight. Then, to top it all off, I was so engrossed in my book (Dang you Jodi Picoult *shaking my fist*) that I almost missed my flight! What a mess that would have been!!! The storm made the flight home very bumpy and with the crashes the past few weeks, I didn't deal well with the pitch and roll of the plane. I was very glad when we landed in IF. I was so happy to see my husband at the airport and then to see the kids after school. They missed me, too, so it was a very happy reunion.
I am glad that I had the chance to go to Texas and I am glad to be home again.
My parents are Winter Texans, so I had a place to stay. The day I got there, we didn't do much. We hit a really good Mexican restaurant on the way home from the airport and then just headed to the trailer. Mom and Daddy run with a really great bunch of people down there. They are all so nice and boy are they funny! They refer to themselves as "5th Street Trailer Trash." After meeting them, it was easy to see why my parents enjoy going South so much.
The next day, Friday, was very foggy, but it was nice and warm. We decided to take advantage of the warm weather and went to Padre Island to play at the beach. We wandered up and down the beach and picked up lots of pretty shells for the kiddos. The surf was kinda high for Padre. Almost 4 feet in some areas. We took off our sandals and had fun walking in the sand and splashing in the waves.
When we were done playing on the beach, we went to the best bar-b-q joint ever. My family discovered Rudy's when we were stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio. The food is amazing. When we were going to Rudy's, there were only two of them and they were both in San Antonio. Now they have expanded and luckily, there is one in Corpus Christi. My hubby and kids were very jealous of my trip to Rudy's! Mmmm... ribs!
After Rudy's, we went to see Grandmother at her retirement community. I was so excited to see her and it was awesome when she opened her door and she remembered me! I couldn't stop grinning! I love my grandmother so much and I have missed her. It's hard to have family living so far away. We had a nice visit with Grandmother and then we went back to the trailer again.
On Saturday, we went into Fulton and went to the oyster docks. We also got a chance to see Fulton Mansion which is a beautiful home. After that, we went to my cousin, Richard's, basketball game. After the game, we went back to Aunt Leslie's house. It was nice to visit with Grandmother, Aunt Leslie, and my cousins Shannon and Rebecca. I also got to meet Shannon's husband, Jason, who is an awesome guy. any guy who can stand toe to toe with my Uncle Chuck is a winner to me!
On Sunday, we went to another restaurant I miss, Whataburger. Whataburger has, by far, the BEST hamburgers on the planet. I don't know what it is they do to them, but they sure are tasty!
Then we went into Goose Island park. It is home to "The Big Tree" (original, right?). The tree is a ginormous live oak. It's estimated to be over 1,000 years old. If you look closely, you can see iron supports holding up some of the tree's "branches". I wanted to see how far my arms would go around the tree, but there is a fence protecting it from dorks like me.
That night, Daddy built a fire in his chiminea and the entire "trailer trash" crew came over to enjoy the fire and to chat and just have a good time. As I mentioned earlier, they are a pretty cool bunch and it was fun to listen to them tease each other and play around.
Monday, all of Mom and Daddy's friends came by to hug me and say good bye. I felt like a rock star with all that attention. We went to Whataburger for lunch again and then went by Grandmother's to say good bye. She showed my some of the Alzheimer's by repeating almost every story she had told me last time I saw her, but it was nice to see her, nonetheless. She gave me one of Momma Leach's quilts. I am so excited!
Then, Mom and Daddy dropped me off at the airport. I breezed through security and then waited patiently for my plane to board and leave. The flight was uneventful, and that is nice. In Houston, I had to go from one concourse to another. It was quite a ways away. I was thankful for the shuttle that took me most of the way. I only had 45 minutes to get to the next gate, so I was really booking it. Turns out, it wasn't necessary. The plane hadn't even arrived yet. In fact, there was going to be at least an hour delay. My fellow passengers and I were a little miffed, but it couldn't be helped. As I was rushing into the gate area, I had noticed a very tall black man walking ahead of me. I thought to myself, "Hmm, he's so tall, I wonder if he's a basketball player." We talked a little bit and then I turned to my book and he began fiddling with his cell phone. Before long, he was swarmed by boys asking for his autograph. He was Glen Davis from the Boston Celtics! He was a really nice guy and was very nice to all these boys, and a few men, who were hassling him for his time.
Due to the delay in Houston, I missed my connection in Salt Lake and, of course, it was the last flight of the day into Idaho Falls. So, Delta put me up in a hotel for the night. You'd think I would welcome a quiet night in a hotel with a king sized bed, but the truth was, I missed my kids. I missed my husband. I just wanted to be home with my family and in my own bed. Oh well. Tuesday morning, I woke up to a nice little snow storm. A very chatty shuttle driver drove me to the airport where I got to sit in the terminal for 2 hours waiting for my flight. Then, to top it all off, I was so engrossed in my book (Dang you Jodi Picoult *shaking my fist*) that I almost missed my flight! What a mess that would have been!!! The storm made the flight home very bumpy and with the crashes the past few weeks, I didn't deal well with the pitch and roll of the plane. I was very glad when we landed in IF. I was so happy to see my husband at the airport and then to see the kids after school. They missed me, too, so it was a very happy reunion.
I am glad that I had the chance to go to Texas and I am glad to be home again.
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