Alexander and the No Good, Very Bad Day

Last Friday was the first time in a long time that I thought about a favorite book from childhood: Alexander and the No Good, Very Bad Day. The reason? Husband and I were both LIVING a No Good, Very Bad Day.

Friday began with an angry conversation with an insurance agent. It seemed like a good idea at the time: to let our insurance company handle getting money from the guy who pulled out head on at me in the alley. Why spend the time arguing with his insurance company, when that is what we pay ours for? Unless they don't do anything about it. On Friday we found out that they had not done a thing yet, even though they had already paid out for the repairs. That set off a series of time-consuming and frustrating phone calls.

As I was standing in the dining room talking to insurance people on the phone, (thinking that I needed to clean the house on top of making soup and bread for guests on Friday night), I found a flea dying on the dining room table where one of the cats had just been. Once I got done with the insurance company, I quickly called the vet to make sure they are open so I could get a new dose of Frontline (flea treatment) for the cats.

In the garage, on my way to the vet's, I heard a crunching sound as I stepped on black plastic. I was confused by what it was, and just kicked it over to the side of the garage for Jff to look at later. Then I sat down in the car, only to realize that the console is empty... there was a hole... in the console...what? Oh, yeah, this is what it looks it when a car stereo is stolen...

Our garage had been broken into. Only Jff's car was there and unlocked, so they stole the stereo and hacked up the plastic console in the process. They stole a few tools and a saw, and then took all the change from the car's change dish. They left behind both of our bikes and our cross country skis, luckily.

After the police made their visit to my garage and harassed me about our bikes not being registered with the city, I head back into the house to try and get several hours worth of stuff done in about two. It almost works, the soup gets done, the bread is baking. The problem? I have no time to take a shower. So I try and do what I can with dirty hair before the doorbell rings.

I am relieved when I hear Jff's key in the lock, but less relieved when he tells me that he thinks he just lots his glasses running for the train. (These are the glasses he can't do much without, doesn't have a replacement for, and were really pricey frames). So instead of having dinner with our arriving guests, he leaves to go find his glasses along his transit route. No dice.

I ended the day feeling like I wasn't sure what was next... What other property could be damaged, destroyed, invaded by pests, or lost? Luckily, nothing else happened, and I was not mugged the next time I left the house. The glasses haven't turned up, but we did make some headway with the insurance company and the fleas. So life is looking up for all involved: Nora, Leo, Husband, myself, and Alexander.

P.S.

I realize I need to stop with the bullet points lately. Nerdy, annoying, and some how very compelling when I sit down to blog.

The Tide Turned Today

In the midst of a lot of what I would call life trauma lately (a forthcoming post), today was a fabulous day for many simple little reasons:

• For the first time in a week, we went for a run this morning. Normally we run regularly and religiously, and with the holidays and what some are suspecting to be a stress fracture in my foot, we haven't gone. Because of that, the run today felt amazing (even with a horrible pain in my foot.)
• I picked up my gloriously beautiful, repaired car that looks brand new and drives like a dream and found out that our mechanic saved us loads of money on the insurance claim. *sigh of relief and happiness for having a mechanic I would trust with anything*
• We went to my favorite deli for lunch. It was so fun to get heaping big gyros and feel like it was a huge treat.
• The afternoon included a visit to the "scratch and dent" sale at an outdoor store and I got a Smartwool long underwear top for $9.
• I finally found the answer to my gym bag woes- for $10. It is so refreshing to find the exact simple thing- no bells and whistles, that I was looking for at the first store I went to.
  
• We attended a championship hockey game of my brother's at nearby rink. It was an exciting game with lots of cheering- and they won!
  
• Jff and I had drinks with a couple that we really enjoy- and they honored us with rare honesty and a conversation about real issues and questions. It is a time with them I will always remember.
  
• I am sitting here blogging while my cats are thundering around the house- upstairs and downstairs, in unison, without anger at each other. They are having fun together. Maybe a first.
• And of course, I am blogging, which I really like.
  

Yippee for an unexpectedly wonderful day!

Team Prince and the Engagement

Today, husband and I were told of an engagement of two of our friends: A and B. The year husband and I got engaged, friend A played on our summer league frisbee team. The next summer, when we got married, we got lucky again and played with both A and B on our summer league team. That summer we all became great friends and have since hung out with A and B (along with other people from the team) quite a bit outside of frisbee.

It has been fun to watch A and B come together, but also the entire frisbee team from summer '06. Most of us came together not knowing each other at the beginning of the summer. Now there is an engagement, roommates, new sports teams, and great friendships that have grown out of that one team.

A big congratulations to A and B- and a charge to team "Prince"- what (or who) will be next other than a great wedding this summer?

Dear Winter: Bring It.

Snow in December: I love it! This is the winter I remember from childhood! Although, I may change my tune in March, for now, keep it coming!

I have been delighting in the winter wonderland feeling that everything has these days. All the trees in our neighborhood are covered with a picturesque branch cover, and everything else is clean white. Although it means a lot of shoveling, it just provides me another reason to get outside and be warm in the cold.



Because of snow and below freezing temps so far this month, we have been able to:

• Ski the arboretum, the H. golf course, and at T.W. park.
• Play on the pond in back of the in-laws house on Christmas day.
• Play broomball tonight with part of our team.
• Shovel to our hearts' delight.
• Use the roof rake (fun).

The only time so far this year that I have cursed the weather is on our drive south to family. It was a harrowing trip down the freeway with blowing wind, ice everywhere, and 36 counted cars in the ditch (including 3 semi's). A drive that would normally have taken four hours took about seven, so we stopped and stayed in the town of my alma mater and had a nice night in a hotel.

So, with another batch of snow predicted for tomorrow, I say: bring it on- I am not going anywhere except maybe out to shovel, do some more skiing, or go walking in my new boots.

Construction continues....

As we were working in the basement tonight, I realized an update is in order:

• The basement is entirely framed in (except for one ceiling)- this means there are now rooms! It is neat because it is now much easier to imagine what it will look like when the drywall is up.
• The electrical is completely installed (although not live yet)- this means that the entire electrical capacity of our house has been increased, every room in the basement now has light switches and outlets in it, a new breaker box has been installed, AND that the electrical wires coming in from the outside of the house have been raised above the deck so they are now to code (we got caught...).
• The laundry room is almost completely painted and the laundry is hooked up.
• The shower base is installed in the bathroom.
• The plumbing is completely updated- the drum trap is new, all the pipes in the bedroom, laundry room, and bathroom are new.
  

There have also been a few setbacks:

• The hole that the electrician accidentally drilled through the basement ceiling- and consequently through the linoleum in the back hallway. Oops. But, it does mean brand-new flooring on the contractor's dime.
• The intake pipe that over-flows when the water from the washing machines empties into it. (Also the contractors deal).
• The drain in the laundry room that never quite made it back to where the water pools. Hmmm... Still waiting for word from the contractor on this one. My guess is they will have to do some cement re-working on the floor.

Overall, it is really exciting. Time consuming and difficult, but exciting. We are soon on to thinking about insulation, vapor barriers, and drywall! Pretty soon we will have three or four extra rooms in our house! yippee!

Avoiding the Mud-Lovers

Today I was reminded of an important policy:

Don't fight with pigs- you will both get dirty only, the pig will enjoy it.

It is sad fact that people who play dirty more often than not, win.

But I have been thinking that even if the karma doesn't take them down eventually, that they still have to live with themselves, and that is maybe the worst punishment.

Maybe even the saddest part: they feel they have to play dirty in order to get what they want.

Goodnight moon and everyone else

Oh, today- a day of highs and lows. At the end of the day I say five things:

1. Faith and patience. So important.

2. Being real and letting others be real. Feels good even when it doesn't.

3. A few miles and some down-dog time puts everything in perspective.

4. My latest and greatest question: will it really make a difference in two weeks?

5. There is much to learn from the way that Leo cleans his toes: methodically, patiently, intensely, dedicatedly, and with lots of noise. Amen for pink tongues.

Don we now our gay apparel...

A great holiday party theme... The invite encouraged us to don our most festive, tacky holiday-wear and come celebrate together. For the first time ever, my candy-cane pants left the house and I actually wore the "santa rules" socks that I have owned forever (it was really fun to get dressed at the Y, on our way to the party. I said to one girl, "I really am going to a dress up party." and she said, "Oh, I believe you." hmmm, really?)

For husbands ensemble, neighbor KT and I raided her husband's closet to find some holiday colors. A fetching outfit was born, complete with the obligatory holiday socks modeled here.

The party was a good time. A collection of fine holiday wear garnered from Ragstock, Savers, and ARC. It was fun to see buddies and to talk about up-coming frisbee and broomball. Plus, it was KH's inaugural party in her new house. The foosball competition was even made better by E's comical apparel and Br's 'jingling all the way' bell.


















My personal favorite part of the evening was when, as we were leaving, KH asked us, "hey guys, did you forget your antlers?"

Watch out, it's catching

Watch out, folks it is in the water. I am talking about the P word, or the P condition, rather. It is overcoming amazing odds and shocking people across our region!!! Take precautions, now!

In the last few weeks, I have been told of three, yes three and counting, friends who have been attacked by the case of the surprise pregnancy.

Case #1: Person was taking birth control pills reliably, anticipating that said condition was years off. Or now. Surprise!

Case #2: Person is dating same person, using same method of birth control for a year, and guess what!?! In late April there is a surprise that will be delivered to her, from her own body!! shocking! (unfortunately this is the second such surprise for this person).

Case #3: Person with not-quite-two-year old who had to be artificially conceived. Surprise!! This time worked much better, even through birth control! And this time promises to be double the fun, because surprise, you get two this time!!!

DON'T LET YOURSELF BE CASE #4!! Take precautions now, or you may be the next contestant on "Surprise, You are MULITIPLYING!"

"I couldn't see you coming" is not an excuse

It started this morning when the alarm went off. I had the ugh feeling (and I never have the ugh feeling). You know the feeling- where it is exhausting to even just listen to the story on public radio that wakes you up, where the thought of taking a shower is extremely undesirable because you have to hold your arms above your head for a whole 30 seconds to lather your hair, where your cereal seems to take forever to crunch through.

With no choice to stay in bed, I got out, reluctantly. By the time I was done drying my hair and trying (trying would be the key word) to pick out my clothes I had accepted the fact that it was already a bad day. I told this to husband, to which he said, "I know" and gave me a hug. I was just congratulating myself on at least getting the whole bus ride to read the New York Times when I realized I had to drive today. I never drive, but we had a scheduling conflict and I wasn't going to skip yoga. I complained to husband, "I don't want to drive today".

I was pouting on my way out the door about my bag being too full and it not closing and it being cold outside and it being gray outside. Husband gave more hugs and I slowly moved toward the garage.

As I was driving down the alley, I could see a parked SUV to my right. Then before I knew it, from behind that SUV came another large SUV pulling out of his drive way, right at me, in the middle of the alley. I swerved to the left to avoid him. Except oops, it's winter, the narrow alley is covered in snow, and I do not have snow tires on yet. In a whirling of anti-lock brakes and snow slipping I drove straight... into... the... corner... of... a.... stuccoed... garage.

After the horrible crunch and the realization that I was up close and personal with the garage wall, I started to hear the hissing that denotes all car accidents in the movies. Yep, unnaturally green stuff on the ground. A broken, hissing radiator. check, check.

Did I mention the ugh feeling? the bad day feeling? the not wanting to drive feeling? Yeah, it had just gotten a lot stronger.

As I stepped out of my car and saw the guy who had pulled out in front of me, I refrained from screaming and simply called Jff. "Don't worry, I am not far from home--Just about eight houses down the alley snuggling with a garage. Come soon. on foot."

I did get a little testy once the 24 year old had the guts to say something like, "well, I gotta go to work." I got a little more frustrated when I realized he had backed his car up after I hit the garage so as to appear that he and his Jeep had never been in the alley. Then when I suggested calling the police, he said, "well, that's only if you have over $500 dollars worth of damage". At that point, I was no longer gentle. I think I informed him that there was considerably more damage than that and that he should probably sit tight with a not so nice edge to my voice. (husband can probably attest to this).

So the police came, told me that I was probably driving too fast down the alley, told the guy that he had caused the accident by pulling out in front of me (to which he responded that he hadn't been able to see around the other SUV to see me coming) and left me to confess to the neighbors that I had crashed into their garage.

In the end, the guy's car is fine, the garage is fine, my car is not. Tomorrow it will go to the car hospital, and thankfully I will not be going anywhere near garages or cars except for when the tow truck comes to take mine away. Then I will go back to bed.

Caption: Garage 1, Honda 0

Ornaments of my life

The following post comes from my new found determination to make something good out of the holidays. (Written last weekend).

Last night we ended up with an amalgamation of people at our house- by accident. There were no invites, just people helping with the basement, neighbors coming down the street, and friends driving through the snow to bring cookies and hot toddies to our house. It was a little like an unexpected open house- and a lot like a Christmas party that just happened.

Throughout the coming and going in the evening, I was decorating our tree. We had gotten it earlier in the day, while snow flakes were flying, at our favorite coffee shop (that in the winter also sells Christmas Trees). Happily, everyone let me continue decorating while they played Wii with husband.

As I pulled out each ornament, I was realizing why I like decorating the tree so much. It is because each ornament that goes on the tree, has a story to it... The ornament I got when I first bought this house, the ornament I got from my freshman year next door neighbor in the dorms, the ornaments husband and I got as a present from his aunt and uncle the day we got engaged, the ornament I made in second grade, the ornaments I have always gotten from my grandma, and ornaments that we have received as gifts from friends. All special symbols of our lives.

All of the reminiscing was happening in my own head, of course. But it was so great doing it while I was with people who could tell how much I was enjoying myself, sipping my hot toddy, and occasionally glancing out the window at the falling snow.

The holidays are really fun sometimes.