Television madness

When Patrick moved out I was able to unload some furniture that I wasn't particularly fond of. It's just a coincidence that it was Jim's sectional and Jim's dining room set. I don't really care what we replace the sectional with since it's in the basement but I've already picked out the dining room set I want. It's beautiful! I told Jim a few weeks ago that I found the set I wanted but he wasn't real eager to go see it. You see, he's been pricing televisions for over 6 months. He decided that we needed a bigger screen. He also decided (even though I very much objected) that we should have the TV installed over the fireplace. I personally think a fireplace mantel should be decorative and if you have a TV over it how can you have candlesticks, plants, clocks, etc. on it? So, here we go again - another battle I was going to lose. Much like the one where he mounted a 20-year old baseboard heater on the wall in the bedroom downstairs! It seems to me that he was much more agreeable and obedient before we got married!

So he went shopping a couple of weeks ago to get the best deal he could - going from one store to another until he felt he got the best bargain. It took him hours and he must've called me 5 times throughout the afternoon to update me on his progress. When he finally came home, he said he got the best deal, he requested to talk to the manager, etc. and got another $100 off. I think he must've taken lessons from Butch! Anyway, he also told me that the bracket to mount the TV on was $150 plus another $500 for installation! Can you believe that? What a rip-off! I continued to protest the inevitible TV over the fireplace and pointed out that the eyeball lights would be useless because we wouldn't be able to have them on with the TV there. I wasn't fighting real hard because Jim can be very stubborn and it's just not worth it.

Well it just so happened that Jim was home sick from work for 2-1/2 days last week so he had plenty of couch time. When I came home from work one night, he told me he decided that he didn't want to put the TV over the fireplace. He grudgingly admitted that I was right and he didn't want to have to move lights nor be unable to use them. Plus he wasn't thrilled with having to run wiring down the wall. So before he could change his mind we immediately went to Best Buy to take the mounting bracket back and cancel the installation. He got an amazing $684 back! I told him that would be more than enough for a TV cabinet that I would pick out! So we went to a few furniture stores, I found the perfect cabinet and everyone's happy now.

I know what's going to happen next. When I'm ready for the dining room set he's going to baulk because we (HE) just bought a new television...

Super Tuesday Birthday

Every year I brag to Jim about how many birthday cards I get compared to the number he receives on his birthday. I'm not very happy to report that I only received 3 in the mail this year and one was from our financial advisor. I also received 4 with gifts and one from my co-workers.

Here's the outcome of my birthday well-wishers:

Happy Birthday cards = 8
Happy Birthday e-mails = 10
Happy Birthday e-card = 1
Birthday presents = 6
Birthday presents outstanding = 2
Happy Birthday phone calls = 0 (but it's still early!)

Not a bad year, huh?

I guess this proves that although my age may be getting up there, I'm still a big baby.

One down, MORE to go....

Patrick has moved out! He bought a house about 10 miles away from us in O'Fallon. In the weeks leading up to the closing, I assured Jim that I would help with painting but I refused to do any cleaning. Considering all the times we had to harp on Patrick to clean the bathroom downstairs, there was no way I was going to voluntarily clean anything in his house. As it turned out, I wasn't able to help much because the JCI January Board meeting was taking place and I put in a lot of hours (teambuilding, of course) and wasn't available. I painted one night and planned on helping the next night, but lo & behold, someone died & I had to go to the funeral parlor instead. Then the following morning, I had my carpal tunnel surgery (January 18) and there you go - no more help from me! I would be off work for a week and I had a project I could work on. I bought two 5X7 photo albums and organized all my recipes (most I haven't even made) into the books. Barb, you'd be proud - it took me hours! When Monday morning came around, I confessed to Jim that I was feeling guilty because I really could go to work. I was feeling fine but the problem was that I could only type or use my mouse with my left hand because I had a cast on the right. It didn't take me long to get out of the guilt-ridden mode after I told Jim that although I couldn't paint or lift heavy things, I was more than happy to shop for items Patrick needed. I confronted Patrick to ask if he was planning on decorating or just leaving everything plain and boring. He said he'd probably decorate a little. So, I took over. I assured him that I wouldn't use any flowers or anything that might possibly be misconstrued as "gay". My "Barb" mode kicked in and I was practically in a frenzy going from Aldi's (yes, I got a nice shower curtain with matching rings for $10!) to Old Time Pottery to Target to Home Goods (you'd be surprised how easy it is to drive left-handed!). I also got a great deal on clearance pleated shades from Domestications in which he's getting 9 various size shades for $112! After spending another $300 on decorations & a few necessities, Patrick's house looks like a home. There's still more work for Jim & him to do, but it really is a nice house and I had a great week off.

I went to my hand surgeon last Friday and after he freaked me out by saying that the cast would have to stay on for another 6 weeks, he cut it off. The incision really looks awful and is longer than I imagined, with alot of bruising up my arm. I enjoy showing people & grossing them out!

So I went back to work Monday and told Pedro (JCI IT guy) that I was having problems with my laptop. I had brought it home with me and after only a couple of days the screen went blank. Pedro went right to work on trying to figure out the problem and then the electricity went off. No problem, he used the wireless and continued working on it. Turns out that when I received an e-mail from the IRS and tried to open the attachment, my computer got a virus. In my defense, it looked official with their logo and all and I was freaking out because it said they were going to audit JCI (not that we have anything to hide) and I've never been audited at anyplace I've worked. This is the first time I've gotten a virus on my computer and let me tell you that EVERYONE else at JCI has had at least one in the past. We have the privilege of receiving them from all over the world and passing them around the office! Pedro fixed my computer and then the electricity went out again. Needless to say, it was not a good first-day back!

I'm going back to the doctor to get the stitches out this Friday. I guess I'll have to wait until I'm healed all the way before I can start my next project - the dining room.....

The holidays in a nutshell

It was a great holiday season for us. The Smith Family came in Thursday evening, Dec 20th and the party began!
We started off by playing poker. Ronnie came over since he was off work Friday and Angie & Patrick joined the table. I was sitting next to Ronnie and had to reprimand him a few times for his constant chatter. I know it's hard to believe but he was talking so much that it was annoying. I got so fed up that I had to echo his own words from the past, "Are we playing cards here or what?"
I was off work Friday and we went to the Science Center to see Body Worlds 3. It was pretty neat and somewhat creepy seeing bodies with no skin on them. I had sent the website to Joyce & Scott to make sure they thought it would be appropriate for Devon & Madison and they said okay. I don't think the girls liked it too much but, hey, I pride myself in trying to shock them. We also went to the Hill so Joyce could buy the blocks of provel cheese and salami that she likes to take back to South Bend. That night Ron & Janet came up and we went to see a light display that was synchronized to music in the O'Fallon area. It was really cool but we had to cut it short since Scott had to use the restroom and Ronnie whined about being hungry. Another night of poker rounded out Friday.
Saturday was the only day we planned on staying home but managed to go visit Mom for a couple of hours in the afternoon. The girls got the opportunity to see my & Jim's handiwork as we had decorated Mom's front porch. There was a competition in her complex and Mom wanted to beat the lady who won last year. Imagine that, competitive at age 76! I went over there to take the decorations down the other day and she told me that she won and she's got more ideas for next year. I can't wait!
Sunday we went to Matt & Sharon's house and played more poker.
Monday, Christmas Eve, Jim & I went to his dad's for the Miller celebration. While we were there I got a telephone call from Jennifer as she was supposed to pick up Mom and there was no answer at her door or on her phone. I won't get into the details but suffice it to say that Mom gave us all a scare. It seems she's getting forgetful these days. By the time Jim & I got back to the house, the party was in full swing. We played rob your neighbor and the number game and everyone had a good time. Uncle Tony was absolutely delighted with the GM jacket Matt had contributed and Greg was thrilled with the purse he ended up with. He even posed for pictures! It was a great time with family, food & drink.
Christmas Day we went to Ron & Janet's for an open house. It was fun visiting with her brother, sister-in-law, nephews and Gene & Maggie Schuermann. We played more poker and I ended up winning back what I had lost (sorry Mike) on previous nights.
The Smiths left Wednesday after breakfast. All-in-all, it was a great holiday season but I did miss my big sister & her gang.

Signs of the season

I was only back from Turkey for 2 weeks when winter hit us with an ice storm. It wasn't as bad as the one we had last year that devastated numerous trees, already weakened by a strange wind storm which occurred the previous summer. Some of my friends said they could hear trees cracking & breaking under the weight of the ice last year but luckily, we heard no such action from the trees in our yard or on the bluff behind. We did lose a small flowering tree in the front yard but I don't think the ice or wind storm was to blame.

The ice came on a weekend and some of the kids had to get to work which caused Jim to begin the search for the ice scrapers. We had already been up in the attic getting the Christmas decorations down and he couldn't remember seeing them up there. You see, ever since we moved into the house in June, 2006, Jim has been "reorganizing" the garage. The problem is that since he won't part with his 4-wheelers, they take up a car's worth of room and you can imagine the amount of "stuff" we have after combining our households with accumulations of years in the making!

Patrick had to leave for work and Jim's years of being Mr. Mom kicked in. He went up in the attic to check and the ice scrapers were not to be found. Thus, the mad dash began. When I suggested that Patrick just start his car, turn on the defrost & let it warm & defrost naturally, Jim said he still needed an ice scraper to keep in his car. I also suggested that Patrick buy one on his way to work but Jim searched the garage, the two storage rooms in the basement, the closet in the entry hallway, the entry cabinet and God knows where else. He was like a madman driving himself crazy over where he could've put the ice scrapers! It finally dawned on me that this was our second winter in the house and perhaps he had given out the ice scrapers last year. I told Jim that I had an ice scraper in my trunk and he probably gave them out last year. You could see the relief on his face. He admitted that I "might" be right and proceeded to check with each kid as he saw them. Lo & behold, everyone had an ice scraper except Patrick!

This past weekend was our first big snowstorm for the winter. We were having a Christmas party Saturday night so Jim decided to keep up on cleaning the snow off the sidewalk for our guests. Thus, the search for the snow shovels began. Last year we had a big snowstorm and Angie & I (snow day for JCI!) were the ones to get out and shovel the driveway while the boys slept in and Jim went to work. The shovels were all bent and crappy and probably 10 years old. We didn't get the whole driveway (parking lot) cleared, it would've taken us 8 hours and why should the females do all the work! When I talked to Jim later and complained that we girls did all the work, he said that he doesn't shovel snow, he waits until it melts on it's own, but if we were having guests, he'd clear it off. When I commented that maybe he should consider shoveling so I didn't fall on it, he laughed.

I won't get into the frantic search for the snow shovels, you get the idea. He never found them and proceeded to go outside every 1/2 hour to sweep the snow off the front walk with the broom. The only thing I can think is that the shovels were so crappy we threw them away. Guess what someone's getting for Christmas?

Last week Jim & I started working on the Christmas cards. The deal was that I'd address them and he would sign, seal & mail them. I did my part in one night. The only thing I was missing were the last names of two of his recently-married nieces and their addresses. So Jim's assignment was to get this info and we'd be done. He was happy to report that he got the names the next day, but unfortunately, he didn't write them down so when I asked him last night, he couldn't remember and had to call his dad to find out again. They are now in our address book so we shouldn't have this problem next year.

I woke up this morning with a cold. Welcome winter....