I took the boys to visit a friend in the country. This family has a farm. I tried to explain to the boys not to leave the kitchen door open or the goats would get into the house. Four chickens follow me around the yard. I was careful to make sure my car doors stayed shut as the goats had already chewed the upolstory of my friend's husband's new prius. He was now looking at the goats with the hunter's eye thinking goat meat might tast something like venison or better.
We had a lovely time. It felt a little like being dropped into some winter children's camp as my friend also had staying in her turn of the century two bedroom farm house, some of her own relatives children, for a couple of days. They were all in the house as the weather was wet and rainy. It was Mother Goose living in her shoe. We had a delightful time feeding the goats and chickens and exploring the property in the rain.
She had a pellet stove in the dining room off the kitchen that cranked up the heat to 75 degrees. I sat in my chair feeling quite balmy considering the weather outside. We were all toasty warm with children running around everywhere.
This friend of mine is a project queen like me. She has turned a neglected farm into an adorable vintage cottage. I did find one novel concept I would like to steal from her. She had ordered a new stove and it arrived broken. She had sent it back leaving herself without anything but her microwave and her George Forman. I am envious. Take out often or it has to be microwaved. I was truly in my kind of heaven including the chickens and goats.
We did have one scare. One of her children went running ahead down a path by a creek near their home. In the summer this creek is a small trickle. This day it was a swiftly flowing creek full of mountain run off and heavy rains. The boy slips and falls into the creek and is pulled along by the current. He screams for help as his mother races to the rescue. We see him down stream a good twenty feet from where he went in clinging to a root in water up to his chest, unable to pull himself up the three foot embankment. My friend grabs his arm from the shore and manuevers herself into a position where she can lift him out of the water.
I wait a little further down stream in case he escapes her grasp and I have to go in and grab him. I took longer to get there as I had to stop the other children that had been walking with us from coming down the path to the stream and falling in also. By the time She tugs her son out of the water. He is chilled to the bone. He made it a few feet walking before he collapsed in shock. She wrapped him in her coat and carries him to the house to be warmed up in a bath and then sat by the hot fire. Resilliant as children are, an hour later he is fighting and wrestling with his brother and being put in time out.
We drive home later in the day. I want day light driving. I hit rush hour in the city which puts me in a foul mood. I tried so hard to miss rush hour. I make a wrong freeway choice and end up bumper to bumper in traffic. I do not like to drive. I can't wait until the boys do drive. Riley is somewhat of my mind set. He has no urge to learn even though he is way past the age restictions now. I tell him even if he doesn't like it, he needs to know how to drive a car for his own safety and security. I am putting him in drivers Education this spring. Perhaps a none family member will give him a better comfort level.
The trucks kick up rain from the road and the rain comes down from the sky. We finally make it home where I enjoy putting my feet up and hanging with my husband. Tom has been home enjoying the empty house reading the new books he recieved.
As soon as I flop down on the bed the cats and the dog hop up to cuddle with me. Tom looks at the animals and says "That is bull shit". For two days he has barely seen the animals. The dog slept downstairs by the front door waiting for me to come home. He wouldn't even stay with Tom when called to bed. I asked if Tom had fed the dog. His reply was that he gave him his left overs, pizza crusts. The dog should be happy with table scraps. Well, no wonder my poor adorable dog was waiting for his mommy to come take care of him. No wonder my dog poops in the man cave when not let out. I have to say my dog is brilliant with none verbal communication. I gave the dog a big belly rub as he lay between Tom and me on the bed. Then of course I had to give Tom the same thing, so no one felt neglected.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
The Christmas party
What a fun Christmas day party. I had been aiming for that Charles Dickens feeling when Scrooge asks Fred for his forgiveness and if he can come to the Christmas day party with all of Fred's fun friends.
Fancy china and wine glasses and everyone crowded round a festive table with plenty of food and alcohol and beverages to sample, our guests where wonderful and interesting people we have known for years. Some of my family attended. Conversation flowed. A friend gave me a great compliment once about how she enjoyed my parties because they never had just the same old crowd we always hang with. There were new people to talk to and meet. New stories and lives to hear about. Our parties are entertaining. This particular group of friends were a wonderful combination that kept the laughter and conversation loud and boisterous.
Everyone brought lovely holiday brews to sample. I had also gone to the liquor store to stock a variety for the party. I didn't buy the big bottles I used to because I didn't want a lot of booze sitting around later, but the mid size bottles were still a large variety to sample. Everyone could find something they would like. This season the new beverage is a chocolate vodka that is delectable. I put milk in mine for a richer cocktail flavor. I also sampled glog which was a delightful spiced muled wine concoction. Then there was the home made baileys to try from another guest . Thank goodness I don't do beer because they also came with their own home brew to try which went over well with the beer drinkers in the crowd, everyone knowing that we only serve Bud light.
Trevor and I had also spent Christmas eve afternoon making home made eggnog from the family recipe. My father loved my mom's home made eggnog. Mom has passed on the recipe to us. Trevor has fallen in love with the unspiked version which is so superior to the store bought, it isn't even the same thing at all. Whipped egg whites and whipped whip cream folded into a glass punch bowl full of other wonderful ingredients creating a frothy creamy concoction to corrode your arteries. We spike the adult version with Bourbon, but you can also use rum. I had set aside half for the children. Trevor and I made a double batch.
Riley had three glasses. We had also had a party Christmas eve. Just a small one with another couple. Between the day before, an early Christmas eve impromptu party, and the Christmas day party, there wasn't much left of the eggnog, adult or children's version.
It was after 11:00 pm when the guests finally had to go home. Tom plugged in a movie for my sister and her friend who would be spending the night so they wouldn't be drinking and driving. I headed up to bed completely inebriated from all the wonderful various concoctions I had been sampling. Shortly after I found the need to lie on the bathroom floor wrapped in a blanket waiting to puke up my lovely evening. After waiting miserably for the regurgitation I took some Pepto Bismo that would either cure me one way or the other. Twenty minutes later my dinner was gone from my system and I had lost a little weight. The advantage to this whole miserable segment is I woke with no hang over from my mixing beverages and over indulging. I was slow but fully functional. I was also grateful for another quirk in our house, the heated tiles on the floor of my bathroom. I don't know how they turn off or on, but laying on that hard floor I was grateful for that radiant heat, even as I bemoaned my miserable state.
Tom came to bed after watching the new planet of the apes movie and then Troy with my sister and her friend. Both movies were long. It must have been close to 4:00am. My sister found great humor in the next episode. The morning alarms started going off around 5:00am on all the cell phones in the living room. There were three in the room where she was trying to sleep, each set to a different time. The alarms would repeat on snooze.
The result was the phones ended up on the front porch outside so she could sleep. Then Tom's phone alarm started going off in our bedroom. Tom was so sound asleep that my shouting at him to turn off the alarm didn't rouse him. Downstairs, our guests started giggling having just dealt with three of these alarms themselves. My sister told me she could hear me yelling at Tom to turn off the alarm. I was laying in bed in no mood to move my head, to have to rise to a vertical position and walk around the bed to find the culprit alarm, to deal with the alarm myself. I finally swatted Tom to rouse him enough to deal with the alarm on his side of the bed. It was comic to everyone trying to sleep in the room below ours.
In the morning, my sister's friend said she would make breakfast for us, but first the kitchen needed to be cleaned from the party the day before. All those pretty wine glasses and dishes needed to be washed and stacked away from the kitchen. I have yet to figure out where I will store them as the dishes and wine glasses came out of packing boxes and I don't have a good home for them. They still sit on the serving table waiting for a permanent home. But it took three hours of cleaning to get to that stage while my sister and I sat and watched her friend steadily work through the mess of the feast from the day before. It was a lovely gift to me to have someone clean up for me. I told them it would have taken me days to do it all myself.
Three hours later we were served fried potatoes from the left over mashed potatoes, from the night before, scrambled eggs, bacon, and rolls. It was a delightful late afternoon brunch. Tom found a football game on the TV. We all just hung out.
Some time during the clean up one of our guests from the day before stopped by. I had mentioned the mini fridge I had given Tom and that the boys will be wanting one in the dungeon.She was discarding one. I look out the window to see her carrying a fridge down my front steps. A woman after my own heart, not one to sit and let an opportunity slip away when there is a project to accomplish, she was delivering to the boys her spare mini fridge. As she dropped it off though she said it was in trade. She wanted to take home some of Tom's gravy from the Christmas dinner the day before. A compliment to the chef, Tom's gravy is worth it.
We watched one more movie, Kingdom of Heaven, before my sister had to leave. She had to work the next day. I still have the week home with my boys. Not that I will even see them with their new dungeon with High Def TV and enough violent shoot em up x box game to keep them busy all week. I had them invite a couple of friends over to spend the night and play so at least they weren't completely anti social. They tried to pull all nighters like Tom, but I told them they could play until midnight. They were up with those early alarms for a few hours in the morning before their teen bodies told them to sleep. I let them sleep during the morning. The four boys were up and in the dungeon again once they woke.
I am looking forward to tackling that space. I will need to research dropped ceilings as all the wiring runs on the bottom of the ceiling joists instead of through them in he basement. Plus the heating ducts hang down and will need to be framed around.
Our next project is bringing in gas to the house. Next year we need a fireplace along with our remodeled kitchen. Meanwhile I will whittle away at the inexpensive stuff and more unpacking.
Fancy china and wine glasses and everyone crowded round a festive table with plenty of food and alcohol and beverages to sample, our guests where wonderful and interesting people we have known for years. Some of my family attended. Conversation flowed. A friend gave me a great compliment once about how she enjoyed my parties because they never had just the same old crowd we always hang with. There were new people to talk to and meet. New stories and lives to hear about. Our parties are entertaining. This particular group of friends were a wonderful combination that kept the laughter and conversation loud and boisterous.
Everyone brought lovely holiday brews to sample. I had also gone to the liquor store to stock a variety for the party. I didn't buy the big bottles I used to because I didn't want a lot of booze sitting around later, but the mid size bottles were still a large variety to sample. Everyone could find something they would like. This season the new beverage is a chocolate vodka that is delectable. I put milk in mine for a richer cocktail flavor. I also sampled glog which was a delightful spiced muled wine concoction. Then there was the home made baileys to try from another guest . Thank goodness I don't do beer because they also came with their own home brew to try which went over well with the beer drinkers in the crowd, everyone knowing that we only serve Bud light.
Trevor and I had also spent Christmas eve afternoon making home made eggnog from the family recipe. My father loved my mom's home made eggnog. Mom has passed on the recipe to us. Trevor has fallen in love with the unspiked version which is so superior to the store bought, it isn't even the same thing at all. Whipped egg whites and whipped whip cream folded into a glass punch bowl full of other wonderful ingredients creating a frothy creamy concoction to corrode your arteries. We spike the adult version with Bourbon, but you can also use rum. I had set aside half for the children. Trevor and I made a double batch.
Riley had three glasses. We had also had a party Christmas eve. Just a small one with another couple. Between the day before, an early Christmas eve impromptu party, and the Christmas day party, there wasn't much left of the eggnog, adult or children's version.
It was after 11:00 pm when the guests finally had to go home. Tom plugged in a movie for my sister and her friend who would be spending the night so they wouldn't be drinking and driving. I headed up to bed completely inebriated from all the wonderful various concoctions I had been sampling. Shortly after I found the need to lie on the bathroom floor wrapped in a blanket waiting to puke up my lovely evening. After waiting miserably for the regurgitation I took some Pepto Bismo that would either cure me one way or the other. Twenty minutes later my dinner was gone from my system and I had lost a little weight. The advantage to this whole miserable segment is I woke with no hang over from my mixing beverages and over indulging. I was slow but fully functional. I was also grateful for another quirk in our house, the heated tiles on the floor of my bathroom. I don't know how they turn off or on, but laying on that hard floor I was grateful for that radiant heat, even as I bemoaned my miserable state.
Tom came to bed after watching the new planet of the apes movie and then Troy with my sister and her friend. Both movies were long. It must have been close to 4:00am. My sister found great humor in the next episode. The morning alarms started going off around 5:00am on all the cell phones in the living room. There were three in the room where she was trying to sleep, each set to a different time. The alarms would repeat on snooze.
The result was the phones ended up on the front porch outside so she could sleep. Then Tom's phone alarm started going off in our bedroom. Tom was so sound asleep that my shouting at him to turn off the alarm didn't rouse him. Downstairs, our guests started giggling having just dealt with three of these alarms themselves. My sister told me she could hear me yelling at Tom to turn off the alarm. I was laying in bed in no mood to move my head, to have to rise to a vertical position and walk around the bed to find the culprit alarm, to deal with the alarm myself. I finally swatted Tom to rouse him enough to deal with the alarm on his side of the bed. It was comic to everyone trying to sleep in the room below ours.
In the morning, my sister's friend said she would make breakfast for us, but first the kitchen needed to be cleaned from the party the day before. All those pretty wine glasses and dishes needed to be washed and stacked away from the kitchen. I have yet to figure out where I will store them as the dishes and wine glasses came out of packing boxes and I don't have a good home for them. They still sit on the serving table waiting for a permanent home. But it took three hours of cleaning to get to that stage while my sister and I sat and watched her friend steadily work through the mess of the feast from the day before. It was a lovely gift to me to have someone clean up for me. I told them it would have taken me days to do it all myself.
Three hours later we were served fried potatoes from the left over mashed potatoes, from the night before, scrambled eggs, bacon, and rolls. It was a delightful late afternoon brunch. Tom found a football game on the TV. We all just hung out.
Some time during the clean up one of our guests from the day before stopped by. I had mentioned the mini fridge I had given Tom and that the boys will be wanting one in the dungeon.She was discarding one. I look out the window to see her carrying a fridge down my front steps. A woman after my own heart, not one to sit and let an opportunity slip away when there is a project to accomplish, she was delivering to the boys her spare mini fridge. As she dropped it off though she said it was in trade. She wanted to take home some of Tom's gravy from the Christmas dinner the day before. A compliment to the chef, Tom's gravy is worth it.
We watched one more movie, Kingdom of Heaven, before my sister had to leave. She had to work the next day. I still have the week home with my boys. Not that I will even see them with their new dungeon with High Def TV and enough violent shoot em up x box game to keep them busy all week. I had them invite a couple of friends over to spend the night and play so at least they weren't completely anti social. They tried to pull all nighters like Tom, but I told them they could play until midnight. They were up with those early alarms for a few hours in the morning before their teen bodies told them to sleep. I let them sleep during the morning. The four boys were up and in the dungeon again once they woke.
I am looking forward to tackling that space. I will need to research dropped ceilings as all the wiring runs on the bottom of the ceiling joists instead of through them in he basement. Plus the heating ducts hang down and will need to be framed around.
Our next project is bringing in gas to the house. Next year we need a fireplace along with our remodeled kitchen. Meanwhile I will whittle away at the inexpensive stuff and more unpacking.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
How old are my children.
Riley woke Christmas morning at five am. I heard noises downstairs as he checked the house for his Santa gits. We had decided to have our general presents under the tree in the living room. The presents from me: socks, underwear, Cologne and new shavers. The boys pretty much know what to expect and appreciate the gifts as they have been requesting socks and underwear, all of them, including Tom for a while. I make them wait until Christmas. The underwear and socks get holes in them over the year and it is Mrs. Claus job to replenish and replace. They did get fancy watches from me also that look really cool. The bands were too big for their wrists so I will need to have them go to a jeweler for adjustment.
In the man cave under the other tree were the Santa gifts. The boys had made their wish lists and Tom on Christmas eve had headed out to get them the x box games rated M for mature that I would never buy for them. He also splurged and bought a 32 inch flat screen TV for the basement so we will never have to even hear or see the children as they now have an acceptable TV in the Dungeon as our basement has now been called. Now I don't have to kick them out of my bedroom when they are bounced from the man cave. Their games can go on for hours uninterrupted by my interferences.
Everyone is now expecting me to finish tackling the basement so we can get the teen dungeon set up appropriately. The resistance trainer is still in boxes from the move. In the mean while they have taken over my boudoir and stripped the guest bed in the basement of blankets to wrap up in from the chill of the concrete floor. It is a teen pit. One rule though is all dishes and garbage must be brought up as we do not want the mice to come back. Thankfully with the amount of use that space is now receiving the mice might have a hard time finding a moment to raid without their own interruptions.
While Tom was out shopping Christmas eve, I had the boys set up for our Christmas day party. More boxes were unpacked to bring out the fancy china. I expanded our dinner table to its maximum capacity of 12 seats. I am again grateful to a friend of a friend who sold me eight Hoosier style chairs of similar design to the four that I already had to make a complete blended set of twelve dining chairs. By the time we were done with the table, it glittered with wine glasses and pretty plates. All we would have to do Christmas day is pop the turkey in the oven and fix up the mashed potatoes and vegetable side dishes. Everyone was bringing their favorite side dishes so there would be plenty to eat.
The turkey had been in the cooler in the garage all week on ice. I could tell it was safe as the ice hadn't melted when I went to replenish it. 23 pounds, just right for 16 people including my boys and their friends and parents.
Riley leaned over my side of the bed at six am. He was pretending to get the dog from between Tom and me, to let the dog out to go potty. He has never voluntarily gotten the dog to let him out. Tom told Riley that his father had to be fed first before getting up and going downstairs. He wanted breakfast in bed. I just wanted another couple of hours sleep. Tom had come to bed around 1:30 am all wound up from wrapping his gifts and wanted to chat. He wanted me to try and guess what he had bought everyone. I had been sound asleep for hours until then. Then waking to the pitter pounding of a teen age boy trying to be quiet at 5:00 am, I looked at the clock to confirm the time.
Riley was so excited to get us up he went downstairs to cook his favorite breakfast of waffles with syrup, forgetting that Tom doesn't doesn't do sweets or waffle. Riley brought up the plate only to be told by his father to go make him some eggs. Riley left the waffles next to my side of the bed and headed downstairs to make eggs and toast. When it arrived Tom commented to me that Riley even melted the butter on the toast which was a pleasant surprise from how I make his breakfast toast. Of course Riley is sent back downstairs to bring up the coffee next.
By this time I have seen the light. Not the real light as its still dark outside, but I was not going to get to sleep in. I jump in the shower. Riley has woken Trevor up about by this time. Everyone is waiting for me. I am thinking we can have presents opened in a short amount of time and I can get a short nap in before I really have to begin the day. Tom is of the same plan. Presents go in a whoosh. Everyone is happy.
Tom thought I was going to get him an electric fireplace, but I knew we were getting gas this year so I didn't see the point. I bought him a fridge for his man cave. There is a counter with a void where a fridge is supposed to go. I thought it was an obvious gift to complete his room. He loved it.
The other gift I gave Tom was two working remotes for the car garage door. He had spent a couple of hours trying to get one to work when the weather had been nicer, but couldn't figure the code out. He wants to park all the cars inside and we can with the three bay garage. I hired a garage door guy to come out and fix the garage door for remotes, then kept it secret from Tom. $46 house call and $38 for each remote. The guy couldn't fix the wall mounted code box so I had him remove it since it was ugly and a distraction. He said the box was too old and was past saving. They get weathered and stop working after a while. A new wall box would not code in with the old garage door we had which worked just fine. To put in a whole new system would run $300. I was happy with what we had, especially now that we had remotes that worked. The house came with no remotes. I am slowly ticking off the "to do" list. Tom loved his gift.
I had asked Tom to be frugal and he was somewhat. I wish he hadn't bought every game on the boy's lists, but he had restrained himself by not buying anything really over the top. He had been thinking a kindle or a nook or an I pad, but decided against them in the end. Riley had said he likes the real books and so do we. The price of the I pad at $500 each discouraged that purchase.
Tom bought me one gift, the perfect gift. Just one gift but it was something I had been wanting that he had originally vetoed in the past. I know you will laugh, but I was really pleased as it truly was something we had been discussing and he had said no. Now he was letting me have my way. He bought me a doggy door for Bucky. He had originally not wanted to put a hole in the house. We have no sliders, just french doors. Full glass windows that can't be adjusted to accommodate a doggy door. This is a fancy doggy door with special extensions to go through six inch walls with insulation and two flaps to keep the heat in the house.
Bucky, bless him, had decided that if we weren't going to let him out regularly enough, then he would poop on the rug in front of the door in Tom's man cave. In the dark, Tom kept stepping in it and walking all over his beautiful new wood floors. If he was wearing shoes he wouldn't even realize he had done it until later. I couldn't help smiling as Tom sitting next to me, tells me that he just couldn't stand stepping in the poop anymore. Tom told me that he wants to install the door himself to make sure it goes in properly.
He asked me how much the fridge cost and laughed because this fancy doggy door cost only a little less than the brand new mini fridge.
I had also gone on line and ordered some books on financial history that Tom likes to read. They turned out to be spot on. Riley also picked a couple out that were a hit for his father. Trevor had a gift already for his Dad, a brilliant find in itself. He gave his father a real Charlie Brown tree with Linus' blanket, in a wrapped box in honor of Tom's last year's tree pick. Tom loved it.
A few years ago Tom had a talk with Trevor and Riley about when someone hassles you, you need to have a good verbal come back, something smart and snazzy, maybe with a zing, that will show that you are smart and yet perhaps break up a fight or tension without violence. Trevor has taken that conversation to heart and become quite the comedian. He has his own style and the Charlie Brown Tree was just another moment when he showed his comic brilliance to his father.
Unwrapping the gifts took very little time. The boys gabbed the new TV and immediately headed to the dungeon to plug it in and start playing their new games. I heard the scrape and movement of furniture. Thus was the end of my private boudoir and the beginning of the teen cave.
I am now seriously motivated to get that basement cleaned up and quickly, so I can have my space back and move the boys into their space. We bought a 5000 square foot house, I thought that there would be no way we would use all that space, but we do use every inch and are now on a mission to make the unfinished areas livable.
I was able to crawl back in bed for a couple more hours of sleep with Tom. I woke first and finished puttering around the beautifully set table and checking the number of serving bowls needed for the side dishes. Tom had said the turkey needed to go in at 11:00 am. I went up to roust him from his sound sleep so he could prepare and stuff the bird. It was a lovely fun and relaxing morning.
In the man cave under the other tree were the Santa gifts. The boys had made their wish lists and Tom on Christmas eve had headed out to get them the x box games rated M for mature that I would never buy for them. He also splurged and bought a 32 inch flat screen TV for the basement so we will never have to even hear or see the children as they now have an acceptable TV in the Dungeon as our basement has now been called. Now I don't have to kick them out of my bedroom when they are bounced from the man cave. Their games can go on for hours uninterrupted by my interferences.
Everyone is now expecting me to finish tackling the basement so we can get the teen dungeon set up appropriately. The resistance trainer is still in boxes from the move. In the mean while they have taken over my boudoir and stripped the guest bed in the basement of blankets to wrap up in from the chill of the concrete floor. It is a teen pit. One rule though is all dishes and garbage must be brought up as we do not want the mice to come back. Thankfully with the amount of use that space is now receiving the mice might have a hard time finding a moment to raid without their own interruptions.
While Tom was out shopping Christmas eve, I had the boys set up for our Christmas day party. More boxes were unpacked to bring out the fancy china. I expanded our dinner table to its maximum capacity of 12 seats. I am again grateful to a friend of a friend who sold me eight Hoosier style chairs of similar design to the four that I already had to make a complete blended set of twelve dining chairs. By the time we were done with the table, it glittered with wine glasses and pretty plates. All we would have to do Christmas day is pop the turkey in the oven and fix up the mashed potatoes and vegetable side dishes. Everyone was bringing their favorite side dishes so there would be plenty to eat.
The turkey had been in the cooler in the garage all week on ice. I could tell it was safe as the ice hadn't melted when I went to replenish it. 23 pounds, just right for 16 people including my boys and their friends and parents.
Riley leaned over my side of the bed at six am. He was pretending to get the dog from between Tom and me, to let the dog out to go potty. He has never voluntarily gotten the dog to let him out. Tom told Riley that his father had to be fed first before getting up and going downstairs. He wanted breakfast in bed. I just wanted another couple of hours sleep. Tom had come to bed around 1:30 am all wound up from wrapping his gifts and wanted to chat. He wanted me to try and guess what he had bought everyone. I had been sound asleep for hours until then. Then waking to the pitter pounding of a teen age boy trying to be quiet at 5:00 am, I looked at the clock to confirm the time.
Riley was so excited to get us up he went downstairs to cook his favorite breakfast of waffles with syrup, forgetting that Tom doesn't doesn't do sweets or waffle. Riley brought up the plate only to be told by his father to go make him some eggs. Riley left the waffles next to my side of the bed and headed downstairs to make eggs and toast. When it arrived Tom commented to me that Riley even melted the butter on the toast which was a pleasant surprise from how I make his breakfast toast. Of course Riley is sent back downstairs to bring up the coffee next.
By this time I have seen the light. Not the real light as its still dark outside, but I was not going to get to sleep in. I jump in the shower. Riley has woken Trevor up about by this time. Everyone is waiting for me. I am thinking we can have presents opened in a short amount of time and I can get a short nap in before I really have to begin the day. Tom is of the same plan. Presents go in a whoosh. Everyone is happy.
Tom thought I was going to get him an electric fireplace, but I knew we were getting gas this year so I didn't see the point. I bought him a fridge for his man cave. There is a counter with a void where a fridge is supposed to go. I thought it was an obvious gift to complete his room. He loved it.
The other gift I gave Tom was two working remotes for the car garage door. He had spent a couple of hours trying to get one to work when the weather had been nicer, but couldn't figure the code out. He wants to park all the cars inside and we can with the three bay garage. I hired a garage door guy to come out and fix the garage door for remotes, then kept it secret from Tom. $46 house call and $38 for each remote. The guy couldn't fix the wall mounted code box so I had him remove it since it was ugly and a distraction. He said the box was too old and was past saving. They get weathered and stop working after a while. A new wall box would not code in with the old garage door we had which worked just fine. To put in a whole new system would run $300. I was happy with what we had, especially now that we had remotes that worked. The house came with no remotes. I am slowly ticking off the "to do" list. Tom loved his gift.
I had asked Tom to be frugal and he was somewhat. I wish he hadn't bought every game on the boy's lists, but he had restrained himself by not buying anything really over the top. He had been thinking a kindle or a nook or an I pad, but decided against them in the end. Riley had said he likes the real books and so do we. The price of the I pad at $500 each discouraged that purchase.
Tom bought me one gift, the perfect gift. Just one gift but it was something I had been wanting that he had originally vetoed in the past. I know you will laugh, but I was really pleased as it truly was something we had been discussing and he had said no. Now he was letting me have my way. He bought me a doggy door for Bucky. He had originally not wanted to put a hole in the house. We have no sliders, just french doors. Full glass windows that can't be adjusted to accommodate a doggy door. This is a fancy doggy door with special extensions to go through six inch walls with insulation and two flaps to keep the heat in the house.
Bucky, bless him, had decided that if we weren't going to let him out regularly enough, then he would poop on the rug in front of the door in Tom's man cave. In the dark, Tom kept stepping in it and walking all over his beautiful new wood floors. If he was wearing shoes he wouldn't even realize he had done it until later. I couldn't help smiling as Tom sitting next to me, tells me that he just couldn't stand stepping in the poop anymore. Tom told me that he wants to install the door himself to make sure it goes in properly.
He asked me how much the fridge cost and laughed because this fancy doggy door cost only a little less than the brand new mini fridge.
I had also gone on line and ordered some books on financial history that Tom likes to read. They turned out to be spot on. Riley also picked a couple out that were a hit for his father. Trevor had a gift already for his Dad, a brilliant find in itself. He gave his father a real Charlie Brown tree with Linus' blanket, in a wrapped box in honor of Tom's last year's tree pick. Tom loved it.
A few years ago Tom had a talk with Trevor and Riley about when someone hassles you, you need to have a good verbal come back, something smart and snazzy, maybe with a zing, that will show that you are smart and yet perhaps break up a fight or tension without violence. Trevor has taken that conversation to heart and become quite the comedian. He has his own style and the Charlie Brown Tree was just another moment when he showed his comic brilliance to his father.
Unwrapping the gifts took very little time. The boys gabbed the new TV and immediately headed to the dungeon to plug it in and start playing their new games. I heard the scrape and movement of furniture. Thus was the end of my private boudoir and the beginning of the teen cave.
I am now seriously motivated to get that basement cleaned up and quickly, so I can have my space back and move the boys into their space. We bought a 5000 square foot house, I thought that there would be no way we would use all that space, but we do use every inch and are now on a mission to make the unfinished areas livable.
I was able to crawl back in bed for a couple more hours of sleep with Tom. I woke first and finished puttering around the beautifully set table and checking the number of serving bowls needed for the side dishes. Tom had said the turkey needed to go in at 11:00 am. I went up to roust him from his sound sleep so he could prepare and stuff the bird. It was a lovely fun and relaxing morning.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Karaoke
Tom and I were invited to a couples Christmas White Elephant party. It was the perfect opportunity to unload one of the auction prizes Tom had purchased at a charity Auction earlier this year. He had bought an airplane parachute drop. Neither of us wanted to use it and I am not letting my boys go do it. Trevor thought it was cool, but he is such a big boy. You have to be strapped on to someone else.
A friend took her niece for a birthday gift to this same place. She ended up with a broken ankle on landing. The whole idea to me was kind of like giving a Japanese person a knife as a gift. You don't because it implies that you want them to commit suicide. I learned that after I gave a carving board and fancy knife set to an ex boyfriend as a wedding gift. My Japanese girlfriend hooted with laughter when she heard what I had gifted and explained to me my error. Giving the gift of jumping out of an airplane falls into that same category. I can't gift it to anyone I like, but in a white elephant exchange some one can choose it for themselves. If anything it is a conversation piece.
We had to take two gifts, one for each of us. The other white elephant gift was a pampered chef ice shaver I had purchased at a party years ago, still pristine in the box, never used. Definitely a white elephant gift, but in the right hands perhaps something someone would want and use.
At the party we drew different gifts. We ended up with a new wine bottle opener, which was perfect as our old one had a piece fall off making it difficult to use. I picked a scarf, but one of the husbands traded me the lovely scarf for the wine opener and gave the scarf to his wife. Tom opened a gift obviously containing a bottle of wine which someone traded with him. some how after all the exchanging was done he ended the gift exchange with a small bottle of Crown Royal.
The party moved on to Karaoke. Now Tom has banned me from ever singing karaoke on threat of divorce our whole marriage. I have done it once and some how the DJ couldn't find my second selection after I sang the first one. I got the hint. When in eighth grade, the Music teacher asked me to mouth the words as I threw off the rest of the class, I knew I was bad. Tom had imbibed a few cocktails over the course of the evening so he felt comfortable trying out his voice for every one's pleasure. He wanted Stix or the Beach Boys or the Beattles, all popular tunes until he sang them.
OMG, he was awful. He was so bad it was comic. I almost wet the couch I was sitting on laughing so hard. My sides ached and I couldn't stop laughing every time he got his hands on the mike. He kept trying and the crowd generously let him sink his own ship. I lay there on the couch, unable to stop laughing. It was that quiet shacking laugh with no sound until I snorted. I had never really heard Tom sing. In the car he turns the radio way up so you can't distinguish his voice.
Tom was oblivious as he tried to set his own beat to the music, about two beats too slow. Everyone else had some talent and knew the words and were a pleasure to hear. Tom was going at it with deep gusto and heart, but it was hysterically bad. I loved every painful minute as for years he had forbidden me to sing and now I finally got to hear him. He made me sound almost like a Diva by comparison. I have not had such fun and laughed so hard in I can't think when.
I want to get a Karaoke set up for us. Partly we were bad because neither of us knew all the lyrics by heart. If you read the lines as they lit up, you had already fallen behind in the music. You had to know the words prior to their printing out on screen. Practice might improve our performances... or not.
It was a fantastically fun night.
I did have to drive us home. I had been drinking my watered down wine so I wouldn't be hung over. I was prepared to drive. The problem was we had come in Tom's Cadillac with its stick shift. It was a dark and foggy night. The stick shift is not lit up. Reverse and first are next to each other with second behind and third up. The driveway where the party was held was long and unlit with a slightly steep slope right when it meets the street. Of course a car was coming down the road at 1:30am when we left the party which meant I had to stop on the slope before pulling out onto the road. I killed the car three times and burned rubber not realizing I was putting the car in second and not first. Tom was about ready to switch places with me when I finally turned on the dome light to look at the stick shift again and figure out why I kept killing the engine. Once I pulled out on the road it was smooth sailing all the way home.
I woke this morning feeling completely refreshed and grinning ear to ear every time I think about my delightful man trying to sing in front of a crowd of very tolerant people, over and over again. We need to practice more, if that would even help.
A friend took her niece for a birthday gift to this same place. She ended up with a broken ankle on landing. The whole idea to me was kind of like giving a Japanese person a knife as a gift. You don't because it implies that you want them to commit suicide. I learned that after I gave a carving board and fancy knife set to an ex boyfriend as a wedding gift. My Japanese girlfriend hooted with laughter when she heard what I had gifted and explained to me my error. Giving the gift of jumping out of an airplane falls into that same category. I can't gift it to anyone I like, but in a white elephant exchange some one can choose it for themselves. If anything it is a conversation piece.
We had to take two gifts, one for each of us. The other white elephant gift was a pampered chef ice shaver I had purchased at a party years ago, still pristine in the box, never used. Definitely a white elephant gift, but in the right hands perhaps something someone would want and use.
At the party we drew different gifts. We ended up with a new wine bottle opener, which was perfect as our old one had a piece fall off making it difficult to use. I picked a scarf, but one of the husbands traded me the lovely scarf for the wine opener and gave the scarf to his wife. Tom opened a gift obviously containing a bottle of wine which someone traded with him. some how after all the exchanging was done he ended the gift exchange with a small bottle of Crown Royal.
The party moved on to Karaoke. Now Tom has banned me from ever singing karaoke on threat of divorce our whole marriage. I have done it once and some how the DJ couldn't find my second selection after I sang the first one. I got the hint. When in eighth grade, the Music teacher asked me to mouth the words as I threw off the rest of the class, I knew I was bad. Tom had imbibed a few cocktails over the course of the evening so he felt comfortable trying out his voice for every one's pleasure. He wanted Stix or the Beach Boys or the Beattles, all popular tunes until he sang them.
OMG, he was awful. He was so bad it was comic. I almost wet the couch I was sitting on laughing so hard. My sides ached and I couldn't stop laughing every time he got his hands on the mike. He kept trying and the crowd generously let him sink his own ship. I lay there on the couch, unable to stop laughing. It was that quiet shacking laugh with no sound until I snorted. I had never really heard Tom sing. In the car he turns the radio way up so you can't distinguish his voice.
Tom was oblivious as he tried to set his own beat to the music, about two beats too slow. Everyone else had some talent and knew the words and were a pleasure to hear. Tom was going at it with deep gusto and heart, but it was hysterically bad. I loved every painful minute as for years he had forbidden me to sing and now I finally got to hear him. He made me sound almost like a Diva by comparison. I have not had such fun and laughed so hard in I can't think when.
I want to get a Karaoke set up for us. Partly we were bad because neither of us knew all the lyrics by heart. If you read the lines as they lit up, you had already fallen behind in the music. You had to know the words prior to their printing out on screen. Practice might improve our performances... or not.
It was a fantastically fun night.
I did have to drive us home. I had been drinking my watered down wine so I wouldn't be hung over. I was prepared to drive. The problem was we had come in Tom's Cadillac with its stick shift. It was a dark and foggy night. The stick shift is not lit up. Reverse and first are next to each other with second behind and third up. The driveway where the party was held was long and unlit with a slightly steep slope right when it meets the street. Of course a car was coming down the road at 1:30am when we left the party which meant I had to stop on the slope before pulling out onto the road. I killed the car three times and burned rubber not realizing I was putting the car in second and not first. Tom was about ready to switch places with me when I finally turned on the dome light to look at the stick shift again and figure out why I kept killing the engine. Once I pulled out on the road it was smooth sailing all the way home.
I woke this morning feeling completely refreshed and grinning ear to ear every time I think about my delightful man trying to sing in front of a crowd of very tolerant people, over and over again. We need to practice more, if that would even help.
Monday, December 12, 2011
The getting of the family tree
Tom confiscated the first tree for his man cave where it sat naked for two weeks. I told the boys we would go get the tree for the living room. Tom had golf at noon so we had to get up early to get it done with their father.
No one got up. Tom went off to meet his foursome. I drove him to the club. The cold weather had frozen the ground so all tee times were delayed. The club was packed with men waiting to golf. Tom decided that he did not want to do a shot gun start. It was just too cold without his old fancy cart with a heater. He ordered lunch. I texted Trevor in my devious way and told him his father was still available to go find a tree with us all, as his game had been canceled, but Trevor would have to call his dad and ask his father to go. I know my asking wouldn't be enough on such a cold day. I knew if Trevor asked Tom might participate in our family event. How could a father turn down his son when asked to go pick out a Christmas tree.
Tom's phone rings and I hear him pick up "Hello Trevor".
I drove home to get the boys. We all gathered at the club. Tom wanted his own car. I had the rig that would carry the tree. We had bundled up with hats and gloves and heavy coats at home. The boys had helped remove the roof box so we could get a bigger tree that wouldn't fit in the back. Riley road with me while Trevor road with his father. Tom followed me into the hills. I knew the tree farm we wanted to use.
I should have realized with the inclusion of Tom it would not be my turn to pick a tree. Even though Tom had received the first tree, he felt he had not picked it as Trevor and I had delivered it to him. I had been planning on getting another Douglas fir. They are the least expensive. Tom had his heart set on a Noble fir. I parked on the far side of the tree farm and Tom pulled into the first lot by the entry gate. We called each other on the phone asking "Where are you? We found the tree."
Tom walked over to see Riley's and my pick, vetoed it. I moved the car to his area and Trevor began sawing down their favorite pick, but not before we reconnoitered the whole tree farm on foot to make sure that that first tree Tom picked out was still the best.
The sawing took about ten minutes. Everyone tried a few strokes on the saw we received coming in at the front gate. Trevor did the lion's share with much heckling and advice from Tom. Trevor put his coat on the ground so no one would get dirty knees. The coat was covered with dirt ground in by our knees by the end of the process. I had brought the chain saw, but Tom didn't hear any other chain saws so was reluctant to use it. The tree finally fell with a little push from me. The boys sawed off the last splinters and carried it to the car.
We tied the tree to the roof with bungee cords. Tom asked the clerk in one of the tree stations if they had wood bases. They did have the cross board bases for $2.50. We tossed the two boards into the trunk with a long nail. The boys and I headed down to Santa's village for our free hot cocoas. Tom headed home to wait for us and the tree to arrive.
We got home and I gathered the drill for making the hole in the base for the nail. Tom drilled and hammered on the base and Trevor and he carried it inside. Tom set the tree upright, which turned out to be more of a 75 degree angle. The nail hole was crooked. I told him to take the tree back outside and I would run to Walmart for a real base and get some more lights. Tom knocked off the crooked base outside and left the tree on the front porch.
Trevor came with me to Walmart. We passed an aisle with tree top stars. I was just telling Trevor how I didn't like the stars when my phone rings. Tom wants a star that lights up for the top of the tree. Trevor can't help chuckling over the fact I had just moments earlier told him how I didn't like the stars. Ah, well, it was my own fault for wanting to include Tom in the process. We picked out a star for the top.
Trevor fell in love with the new LED lights. They cost $10 a strand compared to $2 for the old style. I bought some more garland and a couple of wreaths and suction cups for the windows. By the time we were done we had spent $200 on decorations. Ouch.
I bought some lights for the exterior of the house, but I am finding with the exotic electricity on this house, I may not be able to plug them in anywhere outside. I would love a plumber and an electrician for Christmas. We have now turned off the main floor toilet until we get around to fixing it for flushing itself periodically. I didn't mind since the boys forget to flush, but it did flush itself annoyingly often.
I came home and put the new base on the tree, tightened it up and stood the tree up, Checked for straightness before Trevor and I carried it into the house. We also put the lights on while the tree was outside, but it was getting dark and without power we couldn't see if we placed the lights right. They needed much adjustment once we plugged the tree in inside.
To buy us some extra height the tree sits on a table in front of the two story windows. It makes the tree especially tall and difficult to decorate. Lucky I have such tall boys. They stood on the stepping stool to adjust the lights and decorate. I did do my stuffed animals again. They are just so easy and unbreakable. Most of the stuffed animals have a memory or trip associated with them. I threw on some strands of beads for glitter and fill in, and the second tree is now decorated. Trevor stuck a tiny glass angel on the top. Because the tree is so tall you can barely see the angel. Riley thinks we need to add more lights.
Tom's tree in his man cave has lights now, but that looks to be as far as he plans to go with it, not to forget the lit star on the top.
The house is decorated. I like the suction cupped wreaths in the windows, though the suction cups only hold the light weight fake wreaths. I may go get some more for the front windows.
Now I am going to wrap presents.
No one got up. Tom went off to meet his foursome. I drove him to the club. The cold weather had frozen the ground so all tee times were delayed. The club was packed with men waiting to golf. Tom decided that he did not want to do a shot gun start. It was just too cold without his old fancy cart with a heater. He ordered lunch. I texted Trevor in my devious way and told him his father was still available to go find a tree with us all, as his game had been canceled, but Trevor would have to call his dad and ask his father to go. I know my asking wouldn't be enough on such a cold day. I knew if Trevor asked Tom might participate in our family event. How could a father turn down his son when asked to go pick out a Christmas tree.
Tom's phone rings and I hear him pick up "Hello Trevor".
I drove home to get the boys. We all gathered at the club. Tom wanted his own car. I had the rig that would carry the tree. We had bundled up with hats and gloves and heavy coats at home. The boys had helped remove the roof box so we could get a bigger tree that wouldn't fit in the back. Riley road with me while Trevor road with his father. Tom followed me into the hills. I knew the tree farm we wanted to use.
I should have realized with the inclusion of Tom it would not be my turn to pick a tree. Even though Tom had received the first tree, he felt he had not picked it as Trevor and I had delivered it to him. I had been planning on getting another Douglas fir. They are the least expensive. Tom had his heart set on a Noble fir. I parked on the far side of the tree farm and Tom pulled into the first lot by the entry gate. We called each other on the phone asking "Where are you? We found the tree."
Tom walked over to see Riley's and my pick, vetoed it. I moved the car to his area and Trevor began sawing down their favorite pick, but not before we reconnoitered the whole tree farm on foot to make sure that that first tree Tom picked out was still the best.
The sawing took about ten minutes. Everyone tried a few strokes on the saw we received coming in at the front gate. Trevor did the lion's share with much heckling and advice from Tom. Trevor put his coat on the ground so no one would get dirty knees. The coat was covered with dirt ground in by our knees by the end of the process. I had brought the chain saw, but Tom didn't hear any other chain saws so was reluctant to use it. The tree finally fell with a little push from me. The boys sawed off the last splinters and carried it to the car.
We tied the tree to the roof with bungee cords. Tom asked the clerk in one of the tree stations if they had wood bases. They did have the cross board bases for $2.50. We tossed the two boards into the trunk with a long nail. The boys and I headed down to Santa's village for our free hot cocoas. Tom headed home to wait for us and the tree to arrive.
We got home and I gathered the drill for making the hole in the base for the nail. Tom drilled and hammered on the base and Trevor and he carried it inside. Tom set the tree upright, which turned out to be more of a 75 degree angle. The nail hole was crooked. I told him to take the tree back outside and I would run to Walmart for a real base and get some more lights. Tom knocked off the crooked base outside and left the tree on the front porch.
Trevor came with me to Walmart. We passed an aisle with tree top stars. I was just telling Trevor how I didn't like the stars when my phone rings. Tom wants a star that lights up for the top of the tree. Trevor can't help chuckling over the fact I had just moments earlier told him how I didn't like the stars. Ah, well, it was my own fault for wanting to include Tom in the process. We picked out a star for the top.
Trevor fell in love with the new LED lights. They cost $10 a strand compared to $2 for the old style. I bought some more garland and a couple of wreaths and suction cups for the windows. By the time we were done we had spent $200 on decorations. Ouch.
I bought some lights for the exterior of the house, but I am finding with the exotic electricity on this house, I may not be able to plug them in anywhere outside. I would love a plumber and an electrician for Christmas. We have now turned off the main floor toilet until we get around to fixing it for flushing itself periodically. I didn't mind since the boys forget to flush, but it did flush itself annoyingly often.
I came home and put the new base on the tree, tightened it up and stood the tree up, Checked for straightness before Trevor and I carried it into the house. We also put the lights on while the tree was outside, but it was getting dark and without power we couldn't see if we placed the lights right. They needed much adjustment once we plugged the tree in inside.
To buy us some extra height the tree sits on a table in front of the two story windows. It makes the tree especially tall and difficult to decorate. Lucky I have such tall boys. They stood on the stepping stool to adjust the lights and decorate. I did do my stuffed animals again. They are just so easy and unbreakable. Most of the stuffed animals have a memory or trip associated with them. I threw on some strands of beads for glitter and fill in, and the second tree is now decorated. Trevor stuck a tiny glass angel on the top. Because the tree is so tall you can barely see the angel. Riley thinks we need to add more lights.
Tom's tree in his man cave has lights now, but that looks to be as far as he plans to go with it, not to forget the lit star on the top.
The house is decorated. I like the suction cupped wreaths in the windows, though the suction cups only hold the light weight fake wreaths. I may go get some more for the front windows.
Now I am going to wrap presents.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Food fights
In our household food is the cause of everything, the mess, the arguments the happy moments. Low blood sugar after school is a huge problem. I should just have a juice box in the car when I have to pick the boys up.
The boys have been doing make up work after school or at least trying to. Connecting with the teachers has been an issue. Choose the wrong teacher on the wrong day and the teacher has already left the building or has meeting to attend. The bus has already left and so much for after school make ups.
I was running late on another errand when Trevor called saying they were ready. He cajoled me into meeting them at the store near the school so we could pick up some dinner. They really wanted a restaurant but I nixed that idea for financial reasons. We had just brought home Chinese the other night. Tom wanted enchiladas so we needed to get ground beef, small wraps, and sauce, and that special four mix Mexican cheese that just makes everything taste so authentic.
Riley tried to sneak a pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookie mix into the cart. There were other things that had not been on the list that had been added. Some things like oranges and apples were on the healthy scale so I allowed them. I made Riley put back the pie and when he had his tantrum pouting all through the store, I made the cookie mix go away also. I told him if he was on honor roll he could get treats, no honor roll no treats. We stuck to healthy food. Oh, he was so mad at me. He gave me the stink eye all the way home. He sat in the car and refused to unload any groceries. Trevor and I ignored him and began fixing dinner.
Riley finally came into the house and made himself a bowl of soup from a can. I knew right away he had been hungry. Never go shopping when you are hungry or you end up with stuff you don't need like pumpkin pie and cookies. I should have given them a snack at the store before we shopped. Riley would have been more reasonable. He might have even been able to negotiate with me rather than fall into the cranky abyss of a hungry teen.
After the soup he lay down on the couch and took a nap. Right in the middle of all our activities. Trevor and I were trying to see if we could salvage the frame of an old style speaker. We are ditching the old speakers. Santa is probably getting his family a new surround sound system for Christmas. He has told us to toss the two foot tall speakers he has had since before we married. The wood frames of the speakers intrigued me. I thought maybe I could remove the guts and make shelves of them. I got out the tools and Trevor dismantled as much as he could. He ended up hammering out the glued in cover. We realized after bashing in the front that the speakers could not be recycled into book shelves and look nice. I took the pieces out to the garbage and tossed them.
Through all the hammering and discussion Riley slept on. He did not contribute to the conversation. He needed his nap, like a small child who can fall asleep under the table at a party, just wanting to be in the room. The tantrum was over with food and a nap.
The dog meanwhile, had not been fed. I turned around to see him leaping from the floor to a dining room chair and then on to the table to inspect the soup bowl Riley had left. I shrieked and grabbed the dog, putting him outside while I removed the temptation to the kitchen sink. I put dinner out for the dog, bringing him in from the cold, and everyone was happy.
When Riley woke from his nap he helped brown the meat for dinner. Since Trevor had been doing all the chores earlier without complaint, I felt having Riley help with dinner was a nice compromise. You can't get out of chores Scott free because you have a temper tantrum and a pout. In a happy mood, or at least not disgruntled mood anymore, Riley was much more manageable and compliant. Of course after dinner he couldn't resist asking what was for dessert.
I told him "Get your grades up and you can have pumpkin pie." He crinkled up his nose at me. The boys need their grades up before next week. I would hate to be going into the holidays with bad grades. Bad grades puts me in a bad mood. Trevor is really trying hard. I can't tell with Riley. Riley doesn't study at home. He has always used his time efficiently at school. I wish he socialized more, but he spends his time at the library reading.
Trevor informed me he needs more lunch money. I thought he was getting his lunches free. He has been buying snacks and breakfast with his lunch money. I am not sure how I want to handle the situation. The idea has been I was going to put his saved lunch money in the bank, while he worked in the cafeteria, but he is eating more than just lunch. We will have to sit down and discuss his eating. I figure if it is healthy food that is one thing, but if it is gator aide and cookies, I am not going to fund that kind of food. I can see another food fight brewing.
The boys have been doing make up work after school or at least trying to. Connecting with the teachers has been an issue. Choose the wrong teacher on the wrong day and the teacher has already left the building or has meeting to attend. The bus has already left and so much for after school make ups.
I was running late on another errand when Trevor called saying they were ready. He cajoled me into meeting them at the store near the school so we could pick up some dinner. They really wanted a restaurant but I nixed that idea for financial reasons. We had just brought home Chinese the other night. Tom wanted enchiladas so we needed to get ground beef, small wraps, and sauce, and that special four mix Mexican cheese that just makes everything taste so authentic.
Riley tried to sneak a pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookie mix into the cart. There were other things that had not been on the list that had been added. Some things like oranges and apples were on the healthy scale so I allowed them. I made Riley put back the pie and when he had his tantrum pouting all through the store, I made the cookie mix go away also. I told him if he was on honor roll he could get treats, no honor roll no treats. We stuck to healthy food. Oh, he was so mad at me. He gave me the stink eye all the way home. He sat in the car and refused to unload any groceries. Trevor and I ignored him and began fixing dinner.
Riley finally came into the house and made himself a bowl of soup from a can. I knew right away he had been hungry. Never go shopping when you are hungry or you end up with stuff you don't need like pumpkin pie and cookies. I should have given them a snack at the store before we shopped. Riley would have been more reasonable. He might have even been able to negotiate with me rather than fall into the cranky abyss of a hungry teen.
After the soup he lay down on the couch and took a nap. Right in the middle of all our activities. Trevor and I were trying to see if we could salvage the frame of an old style speaker. We are ditching the old speakers. Santa is probably getting his family a new surround sound system for Christmas. He has told us to toss the two foot tall speakers he has had since before we married. The wood frames of the speakers intrigued me. I thought maybe I could remove the guts and make shelves of them. I got out the tools and Trevor dismantled as much as he could. He ended up hammering out the glued in cover. We realized after bashing in the front that the speakers could not be recycled into book shelves and look nice. I took the pieces out to the garbage and tossed them.
Through all the hammering and discussion Riley slept on. He did not contribute to the conversation. He needed his nap, like a small child who can fall asleep under the table at a party, just wanting to be in the room. The tantrum was over with food and a nap.
The dog meanwhile, had not been fed. I turned around to see him leaping from the floor to a dining room chair and then on to the table to inspect the soup bowl Riley had left. I shrieked and grabbed the dog, putting him outside while I removed the temptation to the kitchen sink. I put dinner out for the dog, bringing him in from the cold, and everyone was happy.
When Riley woke from his nap he helped brown the meat for dinner. Since Trevor had been doing all the chores earlier without complaint, I felt having Riley help with dinner was a nice compromise. You can't get out of chores Scott free because you have a temper tantrum and a pout. In a happy mood, or at least not disgruntled mood anymore, Riley was much more manageable and compliant. Of course after dinner he couldn't resist asking what was for dessert.
I told him "Get your grades up and you can have pumpkin pie." He crinkled up his nose at me. The boys need their grades up before next week. I would hate to be going into the holidays with bad grades. Bad grades puts me in a bad mood. Trevor is really trying hard. I can't tell with Riley. Riley doesn't study at home. He has always used his time efficiently at school. I wish he socialized more, but he spends his time at the library reading.
Trevor informed me he needs more lunch money. I thought he was getting his lunches free. He has been buying snacks and breakfast with his lunch money. I am not sure how I want to handle the situation. The idea has been I was going to put his saved lunch money in the bank, while he worked in the cafeteria, but he is eating more than just lunch. We will have to sit down and discuss his eating. I figure if it is healthy food that is one thing, but if it is gator aide and cookies, I am not going to fund that kind of food. I can see another food fight brewing.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Rental Disaster
We are starting the process of evicting our tenant. She sent me a message after I sent her one inquiring where our rent was. He message was that she could not complete paying the rent this month until the end of December. She was going to visit her children in Colorado instead of paying the rent on time. I had even offered her split payments and she couldn't make those dead lines. So we are giving her the 72 hour notice today to come up with the whole rent or move out. No more split payments no more accommodations for being late.
She shorted us $50 last month plus the late fee. She hasn't paid the full dog deposit we requested when we found out she had got herself a dog without telling us. She signed a no pet contract at the time she moved in. I would have been fine as long as the full deposit was made. Anyway I tried to accommodate. But I will not go past the date when we owe our own mortgage. I told her that. Our late fees are worse than hers.
I have been reading up on eviction law. Any acceptance of partial payment implies that we have accepted rent for that month. Being late is cause for eviction. You only have to be late twice in six months. Our tenant hasn't been on time in six months. Getting a pet without consulting the owners is another cause. There are rules stating that she has so many days to comply, three days for the rent. If she doesn't comply then we get a court order to have the sheriff give her notice to vacate. She has 13 days to vacate. The whole process should take about 21 days. Just in time for the Christmas Holiday. Ho Ho Ho.
Makes me feel used. I really tried to work with her. All she did was push her payments further and further out. Shorting last month and telling me she wouldn't be able to finish paying until the end of December for December was the final straw. It would have made her late in January and on and on.
My property manager wanted her out a month ago. I really thought I might finesse this to work if I let the tenant split payments. Even that didn't work. I am no longer to have contact with the tenant. My Property manager is doing her job and forcing the tenant to pay in the next three days or move out.
I have to find out what happens when the sheriff comes. If he bodily removes her from the house, I don't know what we are to do with all her things. I assume she will move it all out prior to the forced eviction. But what do we do if she just leaves it. Tom says we use her deposit to hire the movers to come and take everything to storage. But who pays for the storage. How long does she have to claim her stuff. We are definitely learning about the rental business in a trial by fire method.
I think she will move her own stuff out as she has pretty nice things. I just think she has a history of making bad choices and over extending herself. Next tenant can't move in unless full payments and deposits are made in the beginning. No more sad stories or hardship cases.
Anyone know someone reliable needing a four bedroom, big 3000 foot house in a great school district in Oregon. Great school districts are hard to find in Oregon.
She shorted us $50 last month plus the late fee. She hasn't paid the full dog deposit we requested when we found out she had got herself a dog without telling us. She signed a no pet contract at the time she moved in. I would have been fine as long as the full deposit was made. Anyway I tried to accommodate. But I will not go past the date when we owe our own mortgage. I told her that. Our late fees are worse than hers.
I have been reading up on eviction law. Any acceptance of partial payment implies that we have accepted rent for that month. Being late is cause for eviction. You only have to be late twice in six months. Our tenant hasn't been on time in six months. Getting a pet without consulting the owners is another cause. There are rules stating that she has so many days to comply, three days for the rent. If she doesn't comply then we get a court order to have the sheriff give her notice to vacate. She has 13 days to vacate. The whole process should take about 21 days. Just in time for the Christmas Holiday. Ho Ho Ho.
Makes me feel used. I really tried to work with her. All she did was push her payments further and further out. Shorting last month and telling me she wouldn't be able to finish paying until the end of December for December was the final straw. It would have made her late in January and on and on.
My property manager wanted her out a month ago. I really thought I might finesse this to work if I let the tenant split payments. Even that didn't work. I am no longer to have contact with the tenant. My Property manager is doing her job and forcing the tenant to pay in the next three days or move out.
I have to find out what happens when the sheriff comes. If he bodily removes her from the house, I don't know what we are to do with all her things. I assume she will move it all out prior to the forced eviction. But what do we do if she just leaves it. Tom says we use her deposit to hire the movers to come and take everything to storage. But who pays for the storage. How long does she have to claim her stuff. We are definitely learning about the rental business in a trial by fire method.
I think she will move her own stuff out as she has pretty nice things. I just think she has a history of making bad choices and over extending herself. Next tenant can't move in unless full payments and deposits are made in the beginning. No more sad stories or hardship cases.
Anyone know someone reliable needing a four bedroom, big 3000 foot house in a great school district in Oregon. Great school districts are hard to find in Oregon.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Delightful busy day
Trevor had his best friend over for his what has become regular Friday night sleep over. Tom and I go up to the club on Friday nights and upon coming home find the boys playing video games on the big TV. I had told Trevor that having his friend over was fine. I feel less guilty about going out if they have a play date also.
When we got back from the club, Tom made everyone watch a Christmas movie, George C Scott in A Christmas Carol. He loved having the company to watch TV with, usually he is solo with the remote while I go to bed, way past my regular bed time as it is.
In the morning, Saturday, Trevor had walk and knock for scouts. They needed extra drivers so I volunteered myself. Four scouts and I did one long road until my car was full of food, then took the food to the loading area. Trevor worked to help load the big truck as the cars pulled up full of food. Tables were set out with people packing boxes of food transferring the bags to boxes. Cans on the bottom of the box then light food above so the box doesn't get too heavy. Trevor helped unload cars, and be a runner carrying the full boxes to the truck and just an all around helper. I pitched in packing food in boxes.
After volunteering we dropped by the scout store to get Trev his uniform shirt and book. He is a few years behind, but not impossible to catch up. A friend told me her son achieved Eagle scout and it helped get him grants and scholarships at college and beyond. She said it was worth the effort. Trevor was given a 2XL size so he would have room to grow. The pants we bought I think are not generous enough in the thigh even at a 40 inch waist so I am going to take them back. I would have to go back anyway as the store clerk pinned the wrong troop number on Trev's shirt. I was putting the patches on with two sided sticky tape and realized the numbers didn't match. Good thing I hadn't given the shirt to a professional to stitch the patches or I never would have caught the mistake in time.
We had the parade Saturday night for the marching band. I dropped Trev off at 3:45 having stopped to buy a pair of black gloves for him and a hand warmer. The hand warmer will have to go back as it is the old fashioned kind that takes a real lighter to light little mini solid fuel sticks. I don't think the school would appreciate real flames for a hand warmer. The store was out of the snap chemical warmers.
After dropping Trev off I went up to the club to warm my insides before braving the streets in this cold weather. Trev had told me there were over 80 floats entrants in the parade. His school was fiftieth. I figured I could go down to the parade route an hour late and still not miss him.
I found a spot just a couple of blocks off the route to park. I passed a mom with a child and asked how far along was the parade. she said her child's group had been sixth so was guessing they were up to fifteenth or twentieth. I flinched and laughed. An hour late had not been long enough. I walked the route looking for bands. One school band passed sounding wonderful, from out of town. All of a sudden I saw Trevor's band. I tried to get pictures but with the dark and the fact they were marching, the pictures came out blurry. Trev did see me, which is really all that mattered. He had wanted me there and asked me to come for once. He wanted to show off the cool uniforms and hats they were to wear and he got to play the snare drums. He has been wanting to do the snares.
When I hailed Trevor after the end, he told me that another school hadn't been ready so his school had been able to slip into their earlier spot. I didn't have to wait another whole hour as a result. Trev had to drop off his drums and uniform at the school so it was a little while before we got home.
Tom had gone out of town to see friends at a guys night out with poker. He had taken a blanket and pillow with him and we planned to see him in the morning.
Sunday, the boys played on the TV and computer until finally I left to go to a friend's house for dinner. I didn't get back until after seven. There had been chores on Sunday to do. I noticed they were still half done when I came home. As a result, we did not get the second tree for the living room. The week is busy so I just wonder if we will get it, or if we will need to wait until break and get it just before Christmas or at all.
Mondays have become volunteer days at their old elementary for the chess club after school. We all go and get to see the boys' old teachers and play with the students learning chess. Its our second week and the boys are loving it. I wish they had chess in high school.
The teacher in charge set up a problem board, check in one move. The kids had to try to solve the puzzle. Riley got it. Trevor taught his group pawn wars. I taught a squirmy group four player chess bug wars to keep them engaged. Riley played a real game with a bright child that knew the game better than some.
When we got home we ate quickly and then Trevor had to read the first chapter of his scout manual to me, the one on child abuse. It is part of his initial requirements and application to rejoin scouts. We discussed safety and reviewed the scout sayings so he was refreshed and if asked could give intelligent answers. I dropped him at his friend's house so they could go to meeting together.
I told Tom that my day really doesn't begin until after school. That is the time I have to start moving my players around and being organized. I like to take the boys shopping with me upon occasion, so we get what they want to eat and they realize the costs. It is a bit of a hassle and usually costs a bit more than when they are not with me, but they need to know how to shop and be aware of expenses.
Tomorrow, Trevor is staying after school for another school class, make up work. Riley has weight training. I told them I could get them at 4:30 pm. Trev wanted to call a friend of mine to pick them up so they wouldn't have to wait or walk home. The weather is lovely. I told them they could walk or wait for me. They could not call in favors from my friends. Spoiled brats, I say that with a smile as I can't help admiring their ingenuity as I tell them "No".
When we got back from the club, Tom made everyone watch a Christmas movie, George C Scott in A Christmas Carol. He loved having the company to watch TV with, usually he is solo with the remote while I go to bed, way past my regular bed time as it is.
In the morning, Saturday, Trevor had walk and knock for scouts. They needed extra drivers so I volunteered myself. Four scouts and I did one long road until my car was full of food, then took the food to the loading area. Trevor worked to help load the big truck as the cars pulled up full of food. Tables were set out with people packing boxes of food transferring the bags to boxes. Cans on the bottom of the box then light food above so the box doesn't get too heavy. Trevor helped unload cars, and be a runner carrying the full boxes to the truck and just an all around helper. I pitched in packing food in boxes.
After volunteering we dropped by the scout store to get Trev his uniform shirt and book. He is a few years behind, but not impossible to catch up. A friend told me her son achieved Eagle scout and it helped get him grants and scholarships at college and beyond. She said it was worth the effort. Trevor was given a 2XL size so he would have room to grow. The pants we bought I think are not generous enough in the thigh even at a 40 inch waist so I am going to take them back. I would have to go back anyway as the store clerk pinned the wrong troop number on Trev's shirt. I was putting the patches on with two sided sticky tape and realized the numbers didn't match. Good thing I hadn't given the shirt to a professional to stitch the patches or I never would have caught the mistake in time.
We had the parade Saturday night for the marching band. I dropped Trev off at 3:45 having stopped to buy a pair of black gloves for him and a hand warmer. The hand warmer will have to go back as it is the old fashioned kind that takes a real lighter to light little mini solid fuel sticks. I don't think the school would appreciate real flames for a hand warmer. The store was out of the snap chemical warmers.
After dropping Trev off I went up to the club to warm my insides before braving the streets in this cold weather. Trev had told me there were over 80 floats entrants in the parade. His school was fiftieth. I figured I could go down to the parade route an hour late and still not miss him.
I found a spot just a couple of blocks off the route to park. I passed a mom with a child and asked how far along was the parade. she said her child's group had been sixth so was guessing they were up to fifteenth or twentieth. I flinched and laughed. An hour late had not been long enough. I walked the route looking for bands. One school band passed sounding wonderful, from out of town. All of a sudden I saw Trevor's band. I tried to get pictures but with the dark and the fact they were marching, the pictures came out blurry. Trev did see me, which is really all that mattered. He had wanted me there and asked me to come for once. He wanted to show off the cool uniforms and hats they were to wear and he got to play the snare drums. He has been wanting to do the snares.
When I hailed Trevor after the end, he told me that another school hadn't been ready so his school had been able to slip into their earlier spot. I didn't have to wait another whole hour as a result. Trev had to drop off his drums and uniform at the school so it was a little while before we got home.
Tom had gone out of town to see friends at a guys night out with poker. He had taken a blanket and pillow with him and we planned to see him in the morning.
Sunday, the boys played on the TV and computer until finally I left to go to a friend's house for dinner. I didn't get back until after seven. There had been chores on Sunday to do. I noticed they were still half done when I came home. As a result, we did not get the second tree for the living room. The week is busy so I just wonder if we will get it, or if we will need to wait until break and get it just before Christmas or at all.
Mondays have become volunteer days at their old elementary for the chess club after school. We all go and get to see the boys' old teachers and play with the students learning chess. Its our second week and the boys are loving it. I wish they had chess in high school.
The teacher in charge set up a problem board, check in one move. The kids had to try to solve the puzzle. Riley got it. Trevor taught his group pawn wars. I taught a squirmy group four player chess bug wars to keep them engaged. Riley played a real game with a bright child that knew the game better than some.
I ran into the football coach while shopping with my boys after the chess club Monday. He razzed Trevor for not going to after school weight training. He said Riley was going, which is good because I didn't think Riley had been going from what I could see.
When we got home we ate quickly and then Trevor had to read the first chapter of his scout manual to me, the one on child abuse. It is part of his initial requirements and application to rejoin scouts. We discussed safety and reviewed the scout sayings so he was refreshed and if asked could give intelligent answers. I dropped him at his friend's house so they could go to meeting together.
I told Tom that my day really doesn't begin until after school. That is the time I have to start moving my players around and being organized. I like to take the boys shopping with me upon occasion, so we get what they want to eat and they realize the costs. It is a bit of a hassle and usually costs a bit more than when they are not with me, but they need to know how to shop and be aware of expenses.
Tomorrow, Trevor is staying after school for another school class, make up work. Riley has weight training. I told them I could get them at 4:30 pm. Trev wanted to call a friend of mine to pick them up so they wouldn't have to wait or walk home. The weather is lovely. I told them they could walk or wait for me. They could not call in favors from my friends. Spoiled brats, I say that with a smile as I can't help admiring their ingenuity as I tell them "No".
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Numbers
Interesting numbers and then not so interesting. The doctor had not received his copy before I went down to the lab and picked up my copy today. I faxed him my copy. I have a call in to him to see if he wants blood again in a month or whether he wants to see Riley for a check up. Our scheduled time is end of January, the 26Th, at this point.
Plateletes 140
Hemoglobin 12.2
RBC 4.14
WBC 4.73
Neutrophyls 2.27
Monophyls 15 **
The Monophyls are what caught my attention. Part of the white cell family, they were high. The nurse told me sometimes they can be counted in the neutrophyls when young and immature. The bump could be a good sign. Riley's numbers have been just kind of drifting just below normal.
Nurse just called back. No concerns from the doctor regarding the numbers. She suggested more water or have his eyes checked regarding Riley's headaches. Nothing in the numbers indicated any problems. I know he has a lazy eye so I will get that appointment in for glasses for Riley. The Doctor was pleased with the Monophyl bump as it could show more recovery happening. I just wish we could get those platelets up. I was warned that this could be where Riley could settle. Not quite good enough for sports, i.e. getting back to skiing or football, but good enough to get on with other activities.
Riley hadn't been thrilled with contact sports, but I wondered if that was because he was sick and he instinctively new the dangers. He will need to find some sort of physical activity for his health. Weight training wouldn't be bad at all. He needs something interesting to get him reconnected in school. He doesn't want to do make up weight training after school unless Trevor comes along since Trevor knows everyone and the coaches. Trevor is staying after school already so he can stay on top of all his classes. Tomorrow it is the science class to make up a missing lab.
We are going to get Trevor his Boy scout gear on Saturday. He called to find out the hours of the local offices and store. They are open until one on Saturday. He is also in the parade with the band Saturday afternoon. Busy boy to keep up with these days. I went to pick him up today outside the school. Trevor was leaning against a pillar on the covered walkway outside the school talking pleasantly to a lovely girl with beautiful long blond hair. I wonder if he got another girl's digits. He looked quite happy when he walked to the car.
Riley meanwhile had taken the bus home and was lying down taking a nap on the couch in the family room. He woke from his nap to give me a hug and tell me he was sorry he didn't stay after school. For the first time in his life he is being challenged academically. He is learning the need to study. I would rather he learn it now than flunk out of college. It is just going to be tough for a while as he readjusts to being a normal boy having to do things the regular way.
Plateletes 140
Hemoglobin 12.2
RBC 4.14
WBC 4.73
Neutrophyls 2.27
Monophyls 15 **
The Monophyls are what caught my attention. Part of the white cell family, they were high. The nurse told me sometimes they can be counted in the neutrophyls when young and immature. The bump could be a good sign. Riley's numbers have been just kind of drifting just below normal.
Nurse just called back. No concerns from the doctor regarding the numbers. She suggested more water or have his eyes checked regarding Riley's headaches. Nothing in the numbers indicated any problems. I know he has a lazy eye so I will get that appointment in for glasses for Riley. The Doctor was pleased with the Monophyl bump as it could show more recovery happening. I just wish we could get those platelets up. I was warned that this could be where Riley could settle. Not quite good enough for sports, i.e. getting back to skiing or football, but good enough to get on with other activities.
Riley hadn't been thrilled with contact sports, but I wondered if that was because he was sick and he instinctively new the dangers. He will need to find some sort of physical activity for his health. Weight training wouldn't be bad at all. He needs something interesting to get him reconnected in school. He doesn't want to do make up weight training after school unless Trevor comes along since Trevor knows everyone and the coaches. Trevor is staying after school already so he can stay on top of all his classes. Tomorrow it is the science class to make up a missing lab.
We are going to get Trevor his Boy scout gear on Saturday. He called to find out the hours of the local offices and store. They are open until one on Saturday. He is also in the parade with the band Saturday afternoon. Busy boy to keep up with these days. I went to pick him up today outside the school. Trevor was leaning against a pillar on the covered walkway outside the school talking pleasantly to a lovely girl with beautiful long blond hair. I wonder if he got another girl's digits. He looked quite happy when he walked to the car.
Riley meanwhile had taken the bus home and was lying down taking a nap on the couch in the family room. He woke from his nap to give me a hug and tell me he was sorry he didn't stay after school. For the first time in his life he is being challenged academically. He is learning the need to study. I would rather he learn it now than flunk out of college. It is just going to be tough for a while as he readjusts to being a normal boy having to do things the regular way.
A tree for Dinner
Yesterday I finally dragged my sick body out of bed at Tom's recommendation to go see a friend for lunch. We met at the Nordstrom Cafe where I had the most delicious sweet potato Jalapeno soup, just spicy enough for me to taste through my stuffy nose. The thick river is still running down my throat but lying in bed for for five days didn't seem to make it any better, just made me feel lazy.
After lunch I had to head back. I promised the boys I would pick them up after school if they would stay after school and do make up work. Riley also had a blood draw that I almost completely forgot about in my pleasure just to be out of bed for the day. I ran into a girlfriend at the school who reminded me, asking how the blood draw went. I rushed Riley over to the lab. He is fast. We swung by DQ as I like all doctor visits to contain something fun and positive which usually revolves around a food treat. It is something my mom used to do with me, buy me a milkshake after we would visit the dentist where he would threaten to pull out my teeth. I wouldn't baulk at going or throw a tantrum if I knew the end result was a treat afterwards. We wont get the results until the next day on the blood draw. Since it is the local clinic, they wont be as fast getting back to us.
Trevor had patiently waited in the car for us. the boys know not to complain or whine or the treat will disappear and we will go straight home. At the DQ Trevor orders the special of the month which is two double cheese burgers for the price of one along with an Oreo blizzard and fries. Riley orders the Oreo blizzard with a chicken strip basket. I eat half of one of Trevor's sandwiches and some fries from both boys. We get home and find Tom has already arrived from work. I ask him what he would like for dinner and he says a Christmas tree.
Last year the boys gave Tom a really hard time over the "tree" he brought home. The tree was waist high to me. Trevor called it a bush and went out to the car to see where the real tree was hidden. This year Tom has been refusing to participate in the tree hunt as a result of his sensitive feelings having been hurt. He has yet to live down the "Charlie Brown" tree. Trevor and I were amenable with going out looking for a tree even though it was dark out, anything to avoid having to cook. I made a few calls to friends asking where the tree stands were. It was too dark to go cut one down and the tree farm would be closed by this time of night. By the time we left the house it was almost seven.
We drove to a place where I thought we might get a cheap tree but it was already closed. I don't mind seconds or trees that have a hole. You just face the hole to the wall and save yourself $15 or $20 in cost on something you will be throwing away in a month. Put a huge ornament or stuffed animal in the hole and no one notices. We ended up at the Lions Club. Kind of pricey around $5 a foot more or less depending on the kind of tree, Douglas, Noble, Grand fir, no holes to cover up. I only had $15 which would have bought another charlie brown tree. Trevor and I told the guy to hold on while we drove to my local bank and hit the ATM for more cash. I negotiated an extra foot on a grand fir and ended up with a six foot tree for $30. It was perfect with no flaws. Once a tree top ornament is added it will be the perfect height for Tom's room with its standard 7 foot 3 inch ceiling. We shoved the tree gently into the trunk of my now very expensive jeep and drive home.
Tom was extremely pleased. I put the stand on the tree in the garage and sprayed it with fire retardant. By testing the stand in the garage I don't have to deal with adjusting it in the house and knocking lots of needles onto the floor and making a mess. Much easier to toss the tree around in the garage making adjustments. I find that the retardant seals the needles so the tree doesn't get so dried out over the course of a month considering how long it stays up in the house when you get it the week after Thanksgiving. At least I get my moneys worth by having the tree up as long as possible. Trevor and I carried the tree upstairs where Tom has a spot already picked out. Everyone is happy.
Today I am picking the boys up after their after school make up time to go cut down a tree at the tree farm. Riley has weight training. Trevor has what ever Trevor wants to do for his after school, sometimes It is just getting his homework done before he comes home. He can also go to weight training. As I pointed out to Trevor yesterday, I couldn't have brought two trees home in the car anyway. There wouldn't have been room.
Trevor tried to see if he could remove the roof box on the car to get a bigger tree but it was too hard to see in the dark. I think the tree is the perfect height and just barely fit inside the car. I want a similar tree when we go to the tree farm. It is safer to transport the tree in the car than on top of the car anyway.
I have set up a table in the living room in front of the two story windows, with a beautiful golden sheet over the table to hide it for our next tree. It can again be six feet tall but when we set it on the table it becomes nine feet tall and without having to deal with a width issue where the base branches would be so wide nothing else would have fit in the room. It will keep the tree to a narrow size and leave room for packages beneath, or not, depending on my mood as we approach the holidays. The table top is what confused Tom last year. He brought home a table top tree not understanding that the table was to boost the height not diminish the tree.
AS I dwell on what presents to purchase this year I am stumped as usual on what to give Tom. I like experiences and vacations. Tom feels if it doesn't happen on the day then it doesn't count. A honeymoon is not a honeymoon unless it is right after the wedding. I would love to receive or give a plane ticket or reservations to a resort. I wanted to do a family cruise to Alaska next summer but Tom didn't consider that a Christmas gift. I think the time distance discouraged him. It is also when he will be looking for his next work project. Until he lands his next project he wants to be a bit conservative. Though those cruise trips to Alaska are pretty cheap, around $500 a head and that includes feeding Trevor for a week.
I am going to give the lab a call and see if I can get our test results this morning. Hopefully, since Riley has been well for over a month, his numbers will be better than last time.
After lunch I had to head back. I promised the boys I would pick them up after school if they would stay after school and do make up work. Riley also had a blood draw that I almost completely forgot about in my pleasure just to be out of bed for the day. I ran into a girlfriend at the school who reminded me, asking how the blood draw went. I rushed Riley over to the lab. He is fast. We swung by DQ as I like all doctor visits to contain something fun and positive which usually revolves around a food treat. It is something my mom used to do with me, buy me a milkshake after we would visit the dentist where he would threaten to pull out my teeth. I wouldn't baulk at going or throw a tantrum if I knew the end result was a treat afterwards. We wont get the results until the next day on the blood draw. Since it is the local clinic, they wont be as fast getting back to us.
Trevor had patiently waited in the car for us. the boys know not to complain or whine or the treat will disappear and we will go straight home. At the DQ Trevor orders the special of the month which is two double cheese burgers for the price of one along with an Oreo blizzard and fries. Riley orders the Oreo blizzard with a chicken strip basket. I eat half of one of Trevor's sandwiches and some fries from both boys. We get home and find Tom has already arrived from work. I ask him what he would like for dinner and he says a Christmas tree.
Last year the boys gave Tom a really hard time over the "tree" he brought home. The tree was waist high to me. Trevor called it a bush and went out to the car to see where the real tree was hidden. This year Tom has been refusing to participate in the tree hunt as a result of his sensitive feelings having been hurt. He has yet to live down the "Charlie Brown" tree. Trevor and I were amenable with going out looking for a tree even though it was dark out, anything to avoid having to cook. I made a few calls to friends asking where the tree stands were. It was too dark to go cut one down and the tree farm would be closed by this time of night. By the time we left the house it was almost seven.
We drove to a place where I thought we might get a cheap tree but it was already closed. I don't mind seconds or trees that have a hole. You just face the hole to the wall and save yourself $15 or $20 in cost on something you will be throwing away in a month. Put a huge ornament or stuffed animal in the hole and no one notices. We ended up at the Lions Club. Kind of pricey around $5 a foot more or less depending on the kind of tree, Douglas, Noble, Grand fir, no holes to cover up. I only had $15 which would have bought another charlie brown tree. Trevor and I told the guy to hold on while we drove to my local bank and hit the ATM for more cash. I negotiated an extra foot on a grand fir and ended up with a six foot tree for $30. It was perfect with no flaws. Once a tree top ornament is added it will be the perfect height for Tom's room with its standard 7 foot 3 inch ceiling. We shoved the tree gently into the trunk of my now very expensive jeep and drive home.
Tom was extremely pleased. I put the stand on the tree in the garage and sprayed it with fire retardant. By testing the stand in the garage I don't have to deal with adjusting it in the house and knocking lots of needles onto the floor and making a mess. Much easier to toss the tree around in the garage making adjustments. I find that the retardant seals the needles so the tree doesn't get so dried out over the course of a month considering how long it stays up in the house when you get it the week after Thanksgiving. At least I get my moneys worth by having the tree up as long as possible. Trevor and I carried the tree upstairs where Tom has a spot already picked out. Everyone is happy.
Today I am picking the boys up after their after school make up time to go cut down a tree at the tree farm. Riley has weight training. Trevor has what ever Trevor wants to do for his after school, sometimes It is just getting his homework done before he comes home. He can also go to weight training. As I pointed out to Trevor yesterday, I couldn't have brought two trees home in the car anyway. There wouldn't have been room.
Trevor tried to see if he could remove the roof box on the car to get a bigger tree but it was too hard to see in the dark. I think the tree is the perfect height and just barely fit inside the car. I want a similar tree when we go to the tree farm. It is safer to transport the tree in the car than on top of the car anyway.
I have set up a table in the living room in front of the two story windows, with a beautiful golden sheet over the table to hide it for our next tree. It can again be six feet tall but when we set it on the table it becomes nine feet tall and without having to deal with a width issue where the base branches would be so wide nothing else would have fit in the room. It will keep the tree to a narrow size and leave room for packages beneath, or not, depending on my mood as we approach the holidays. The table top is what confused Tom last year. He brought home a table top tree not understanding that the table was to boost the height not diminish the tree.
AS I dwell on what presents to purchase this year I am stumped as usual on what to give Tom. I like experiences and vacations. Tom feels if it doesn't happen on the day then it doesn't count. A honeymoon is not a honeymoon unless it is right after the wedding. I would love to receive or give a plane ticket or reservations to a resort. I wanted to do a family cruise to Alaska next summer but Tom didn't consider that a Christmas gift. I think the time distance discouraged him. It is also when he will be looking for his next work project. Until he lands his next project he wants to be a bit conservative. Though those cruise trips to Alaska are pretty cheap, around $500 a head and that includes feeding Trevor for a week.
I am going to give the lab a call and see if I can get our test results this morning. Hopefully, since Riley has been well for over a month, his numbers will be better than last time.
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