Love/Hate Relationship

Reasons to LOVE my Chevy Equinox

1. It has 4 wheels, 4 doors, and a steering wheel.
2. It keeps me connected to the American economy via my fun-filled weekly trips to the gas station. It also allows me to improve my prayer life while I am vigilantly watching the Empty gas gauge because I have once again waited too long before heading to my fill-up appointment.
3. And not be overlooked - it is MINE, free and clear!

Reasons to HATE my Chevy Equinox

1. A gas tank the size of a thimble. Seriously, I think my bladder holds more. I am considering coming up with a "beer hat" for cars. You could strap two tanks to either side of the car and then run some tubes into the existing tank. Has real potential, don't you think? Of course, these days it might be safer to just paste cash on my car.
2. An air conditioner that only blows cold air when the gas pedal is fully depressed. The other day the breeze outside was so much cooler than the air inside my car that I swore there was air conditioning flowing out of the ATM.
3. A turning radius that requires no less than 3 open lanes and even more prayer in order to complete any maneuver. There is also an added joy in wondering which parking space you will land in. Was it the one you were aiming for or the one three spaces over . . . or both?

Which leads me to the atrocity my particular Icky-nox performed just the other day. I tried to make a quick stop for lunch so we could make it home in time for naps. Once I was in the drive-through, I realized that the menu and the intercom were at a right-angle to each other. Unfortunately, I forgot that I was driving an SUV with the heart of a schoolbus. I turned and the Equinox decided to take on a yellow post. Of course, the post won by a long shot and the Equinox and I limped off with a yellow war wound. It was humiliating.

Oh, and it was on my birthday!

End of an Era

So after 7 years of having a multi-purpose room, we finally are moving on up to the big people table. Up until now we have had

• a banquet room (baby showers, bridal showers, a brunch, and several Halloween parties)


• a sewing room (always good to have somewhere to set up things that have a 6 month lead time)


• an exercise room (the balance ball was parked in there for an extended stay)

and

• a storage shed (for wall-to-wall bric-a-brac)

Now we hereby christen the room previously known as the Black Hole, as the Dining Room!

The final step in our move up the feeding chain was obtaining a china cabinet. What is a girl to do when she has wedding china and no china cabinet? We crossed that off our list last weekend.

Welcome to our family, medium-sized china cabinet with cherry wood and moulding details! May you enjoy a long and happy life here, just as those who came before you.

I have to say that this purchase comes with a little sadness. We have spent our entire married life looking for furniture, registering for furniture, travelling far and wide to go to furniture stores, admiring the new furniture of others, hunting for more furniture, and trying to overcome my lack of innate furniture selection skills without becoming obsessed with the furniture! Now I can't think of a single large furniture purchase we have left to make. It's the end of an era.

Food Fight

So does anyone know how to get Country Berry Applesauce off of a vaulted ceiling? In an epic struggle over a spoon, said applesauce was launched to the heavens by the Usual Suspect. His defense: Mom dared to feed him baby food with pasta. The applesauce was just a helpless bystander in the greater food war.

THE CRIME SCENE

THE USUAL SUSPECT

Wet and Wild

Summer is Here! Jackson has been celebrating in style.

First he tried out the Lightning McQueen sprinkler that his Aunt Michelle got him over Memorial Day Weekend.

The hose turned out to be the most exciting part.

Then he decided to try out his pool.

He LOVED it!

Race for the Cure . . . for insanity?

Unfortunately, the cure for my schedule-induced insanity appears to be light years away . . . but, the cure for breast cancer is within our grasp. To ensure this, we participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this morning. While this cancer hasn't touched our lives personally, we know so many that it has. So every year, we've been making an effort to get everyone to the Race for this cause that is (literally) near and dear to our hearts. Jackson loves to see all of the people and give us orders from his stroller.

Waiting for the Race to start

Explaining things to Aunt Michelle

By the way, "race" is a total misnomer for my family. Unlike my friends who are blessed with the runner gene, I feel little compulsion to run anywhere. And if the thought crosses my mind, I quickly lie down. We Stroll for the Cure.

Mmmm . . . Movie

After the busy morning, I went somewhere I have not been in a very long time . . . the movie theater! My friend Devon and I went to watch Sex and the City. I have to say I was disappointed. The movie was well-written and the characters were true to form, but when you are used to getting their story in little bites, this was too much all at once. It was like eating wedding cake when all you wanted was a Pop Tart.

Trash Elves

We made some expansions to our patio this week. See below.

Aren't you impressed? No? Well, you should be. That dark spot to the left of the pavers used to be occupied by 195 red bricks. 195! They came with the house when we moved in and for several years we have had great illusions of all the things we were going to do with them. No more!

How did I accomplish this feat? I called upon the Mighty Trash Elves. You see, for my own personal Earth Day celebration this year, I signed up with my local chapter of Freecycle. As a result, I get bunches of e-mails from people who are either requesting things (small things that someone might be getting rid of like an ice cream maker or baby gate) or offering things. Absolutely no money exchange allowed. The other day there was a posting requesting bricks for a lady making a brick patio. I contacted her and viola! 195 bricks worth of space have been reclaimed! I think I am a believer.

Furmination Nation

We LOVE the Furminator!

Our once clean home had become a collection zone for yellow fur tumbleweeds. They were literally rolling across the floor when you walked through a room. Add to that the fact that I was about to blow up my Dustbuster by completing hourly vacuuming sessions, and a furry emergency was brewing. In my war against the fur balls and their creator, I found the Furminator.

This baby promises to reduce shedding by 90%. Hmm. So this could leave me with a 6 lb Labrador? And of course, the price tag is disgusting. By miracle and sheer tenacity, I found a lower price. The little Fur Destroyer arrived Thursday. I was practically running in from the mailbox with glee. Molly was immediately trotted outside and attacked with the Furminator.

The results were indescribable. There were little fur clouds drifting down the alley. It was beautiful and disgusting all at once.

Three sessions later and she is a new dog. Not 6 lbs, but definitely thinner and sleeker. My Dustbuster is gasping in the corner. Now I might be forced to notice other areas in need of cleaning. Be warned corner-dweller spiders.