Monday, May 16, 2011

Monday Car and coldsore both start with "C"

Before you start reading this post you might want to get a cup of coffee and a snack you will be here a while:) 


Okay, okay.  This was last Thursday.  I had a huge amount of things to get done and it was my busy teaching day.  So up early with my list and I went out side in the pouring rain to feed the chickens. I decided it was too cold keep them out and proceeded to open the coop to set them in the warmer  Well because I was in a hurry I failed to close the large door behind me.  As I was scooping up chickens I turned around and saw several ducks and chicks escaping out the door.  The chase was on!  Who said chicks can't survive in the wild?  It took me over an hour of running , cussing, sliding, crawling to get those little buggers back in the coop.  I only accomplished this with the help of a client who came to get a bridesmaids dress altered. I am sure she will never be back.
     Now bear in mind I have very curly hair.  I blow it dry and straighten it with hot rollers.  So running in the rain for an hour created what my children call ( why we never bought our mother a chia pet) look.   I am now an hour behind, soaking wet, cold, dirty.  I get cleaned up call clients and put off things until Monday.  I continue to pay bills and get ready to teach 5.5 hours.
     Daughter #1 is flying in and I have borrowed an infant car seat which is by the back door with instructions for my husband, as he has to pick up family at airport and will need the seat. I proceed to do errands before going to studio.  I have house clean and laundry done everything is in order and daughter # 2 brings over 10, yes, I said 10 loads of laundry and dumps them by the back laundry door.  She leaves a note Mom I don't have any clean scrubs and Bonnies cat (room mate) got sick on my bedding.  This child has enough  clothes to not do laundry for weeks.  So now the back entrance is trashed and smells like old socks and cat barf!  She is gone to clinic so I can't even reach her to kill her.  I start the laundry and spray Febreeze!
     I leave about 2 o'clock to run around and pay bills in my trusty old bomb.  It is raining hard and I must be careful as the fan belt slips when it is wet, if it slips off I am screwed.  My last stop is the insurance office,  because it is pouring I decide to drop off at the window.  Well I am short and cannot quite reach so I take off seat belt and open door and streeeeeetch, still no good, then I just get out and reach for window.  Car is old and very loose in the joints.  Becuse it is wet my hand slips off the door and the door shuts, but not all the way!  Too late door is half-way locked with the car running and the wind shield wipers going in the drive up for the insurance office.  I have 15 mionutes to get to the studio. Daughter #1 one calls and says they are just boarding plane.  I am in tears and explain my dilemma, she is not sympathetic as she has heard way too many car horror stories from me. 
Here I am standing in the rain again, I go into office and get agent to take me to my house to get spare key.  He does:  But the key is not there! 
   Now because I am key and door ADD we have a spare set of keys for every car hanging by our back door.  There are spare keys to every vehicle there but mine.  ARGHHHH!!!!.   I am late to get to studio so I ask him to drop me at Dental school as the Laundry Queen must have the spare Key.
     Laundry Queen does not have spare key, so I must suck it up and borrow her car ( I can't even yell at her).  I call daughter #3 she has the spare key on her key chain,  Why?  It is supposed to be hanging by the back door, she has no excuse but tells me that she and boyfriend are headed to the insurance office and they will take care of my car.  Oh good at least I can save face.  If I have to look at Miss size 0 insurance secretary with perfect, shiny, Vidal Sasoon hair one more time today I will go over the edge.
   If you think this is the first time that this car has locked automatically with out warning you are wrong.  For some reason the locking mechanism is messed up and the car just locks and unlocks itself on a whim. I will be driving and it will start locking and unlocking the doors.  My kids say the car is possessed.  It has caused a  lot of trouble and I have had to be rescued many times, but I just try to be extra careful, as this car is paid for and I don't want to get a new car right now.  I also would not get a new car until Husbands truck was paid off.
     I am cursing my luck, my car, my kids, the weather.  I get to the studio.  One of the older dancers is there and she has started my class, bless her little hide.   I explain to parents why I look atrocious and I am late, they all think it is hilarious, especially the part about my old bomb  (yes this is a small town and my car has a reputation) blocking the insurance drive threw still running with the wind shield wipers going. I am grateful we are in full blown rehearsal as I have many older students available and I have to now go and pick up daughter #2 at clinic and bring her to studio.  We have an argument about my car.  She says , "Mom look at you,  look at the stress this is causing!"  Daughter #3 calls and says that fan belt has just slipped off my car as boy friend is leaving office and it is stuck sideways on one of the busiest streets in town.  (More tears) They push it to the side of the road and leave it.  I continue teaching making note to self to call neighbor boy down the block to go and put fan belt back on (this will cost me 20 bucks).  I call him during a break and he says he will do this and also says Mrs. H, I think it is time for w different car.  I thank him for the advice and make a note to pick up car later tonight before it is towed.

      It gets better!

     Husband calls, how does he get the car seat into to back seat of his truck?  I told him to go to the airport and daughter will show him how.  I get another call from daughter (baby screaming in the background) "Mom this truck is not designed to hold an infant seat in the back.  We can disable to airbag on the front seat, but it is pouring rain and we can't put all the baby gear in the back of the truck. Are you telling me you don't own a vehicle that can transport the family?" (more tears, excuses, explanations) I sent daughter #2 up to airport with her car and they all arrived home.  Now I must ask to borrow daughter #2's car for the entire weekend and she will have to drive Martha (my car's name).  She agrees but is not happy, well she is about as happy as I am with her laundry.
     Husband and I pick up Martha at 11 o'clock that night after we clean our government buildings.  He is upset with me about the car.  I have broken down into tears three times because of the car today. How does he know this?  I have cried on the phone with each of my children, who  have all talked among themselves and have snitched on me! I am not a crier.  I must be really pushed to show this kind of emotion.  Remember what I do for a living.  Live theater and stage are stressful, we roll with the punches.

Moral of story:  I have a newer car!

Out My Window:
It is pouring rain, we are at flood stages here.  I am up off the levy system so I will not flood per say but my basement can take on water when we are super saturated.  I just remind myself that this cannot last forever.

I don't get cold sores very often.  I have maybe had 5 in the last thirty years.  They do come with stress.  I have a cold sore it is lovely.  Looks great with my Chia Pet Hair.  Now I wonder what caused me all that stress?  We actually had a lovely weekend.  Daughter #2 graduated, she and daughter #3 did all the parties and we went out to dinner with friends and baby Fridays night.  I used a gift certificate that I had been saving so did not go over budget.  We were supposed to go out as a family Saturday night, but again younger set went to yet another graduation party and a girl friend (who saw me in all my glory at the studio) brought over a huge pot roast and strawberry shortcake.  So we ate that and there was enough left over for Sunday.  I bought about $120.00 worth of groceries and that was within budget.  We bought the graduate a gold bangle bracelet also within budget.  So other than the car that I still haven't come to terms with yet mostly as it is not in the driveway and I really don't feel like it has happened.  Why is it not in the driveway you ask?  That my friends is for another post!


Have a great and productive day!

Kim

2 comments:

  1. Well now you have a newer car. And if it makes you feel better I didnt laught that hard when you said you have chia pet hair(so do i)

    Judy

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  2. What a frustrating series of events! I can relate on the coldsores and stress. Taking L-Lysine helps prevent them for me. It's good you'll have a reliable car and can have it paid off in two years.

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