— We had a flat tire Saturday, just as we rolled in to the Land of the Beyond. Steve was with me, though, so he promptly changed it. He’s been saying for months though, “we need to get new tires, we need to get new tires.” So tomorrow, we’re getting some new tires. Nine-hundred-freaking-bucks. That caused me to faint, too. And I’ll probably faint again when I take the Jeep in for the new tires. Praise the Lord for overtime, huh? He worked Saturday before the tire event. Ten hours. He gets paid for twenty. That freaking rocks.

— We also saw 61+ deer on Saturday. In the wild, we weren’t at a park or anything. That was awesome, and those were only the ones we could see to count. First it was a spike buck (see left) followed by a button buck and two does then we saw a fawn, spots and everything. Then after Steve did some bow hunting and me some nature photographing, a young buck with two does. Then, a mama with some does in one field, another doe in the other field across the road. And then? A whole field of them. Of course, there were more to make up the count of 61, but you get the idea. :)

— Was invited to a friend’s house today, along with another friend, to scrapbook. Our kids played. We scrapbooked. Yup, them sitting there with their paper and stickers and scissors and tape and glue and buttons and photos and and and… me with my laptop. Ha. I did the layout at the left. I don’t understand how they did 3 to my 1 considering I did my 1 faster than any of their 1′s. I guess I really can’t talk and do computer stuff at the same time. Good thing I wasn’t chewing gum, too. I took the photo in the layout today, too. Though one of the boys wouldn’t cooperate, he decided he didn’t want any photos done.

– Picked up my new medicine today: Xyzal. I’m hoping it works for me but I guess we really have no way of knowing unless I can make it through the fall, winter, and next spring in better health than I have been (especially of the last year, ugh). Not that I think it will be a cure-all, of course, but hopefully it will help keep me from getting so very sick and infected so much. Plus, according to the doctor, maybe my sinus cavities are perpetually swollen and therefore imitating a blockage, so this might help with that. But anyway, after our insurance (which rocks so far with medications) and the discount card that the doctor gave me, the medicine was FREE. I know I can’t use the discount card all the time but it looks like if I get a new one when it expires, I can get the medicine free 5 months out of the year. Not bad.

– But apparently, even though I didn’t have to pay for it, I’m still required to wait in long lines and have it scanned and sign for it. I looked at it and was like, “I don’t have to pay? SWEET. Let’s go, Elijah.” Next thing I know, I’m halfway out of the parking spot and the checking girl comes running out and asks if I had a prescription. Instead of, “yeah” I should have said, “what, do you routinely chase after people who don’t stop at the check-out counter?” So I had to go back in and wait and wait until it was my turn. She scanned it and had me sign. They got a nice squiggly line for their troubles. I always thought before, when signing, that I was signing because of using my debit card, but apparently not. What am I signing? Selling my soul to the pharmacy??

– One of my Jr High teachers found me on Facebook. Some of you might freak, but he was one of my all-time favorites, his wife, too. I love them. :)

– Um… lots of other stuff, too, methinks but I’ve already bored you enough. :P

Saturday Steve worked again so it was just me and Elijah. We didn’t do much but we did end up leaving the house several times for random things like the post office and grocery store. Funny, I went to the grocery store twice that day but never got any groceries. A friend had called first and asked me to go buy some tickets for the circus that will be here Thursday. She wanted me to get a ticket for her, her two daughters-in-law, the five of her seven grandchildren that are old enough to be charged for, and me and Elijah. Then on Sunday, I had a check waiting for me, including the price of mine & Elijah’s tickets, so that is nice. I realized after getting home that day, too, that the people had undercharged me, so… yeah. But that will be this Thursday, it’s been so long since I’ve been to a circus. Since this is here, I know it can’t be that big but I’m looking forward to it.

That night, after work, Steve finished up working on his truck. His clutch was out, again. I’m starting to hate that stupid truck. He’d taken his dad’s car to work and his mom dropped his dad and Sarah off here and so Steve had some help with the truck and Sarah and Elijah and I went back to the grocery store (at Steve’s request) to get some fried chicken from the deli.

The guy there had NO earthly idea what he was doing. He actually asked me what dark meat was, “a thigh and a wing?” Moron. I’m also positive he shorted us on the side dishes and then he didn’t print the stickers with the prices and scanners on them so the lady at the check-out had to do a price check. I had even asked him about it, because I know protocol, heh, and he said nope, he didn’t need to. Anyway, he was just a big loser.

Sunday I got back into the swing of things, or tried to. Our meeting was pushed back another week (it was canceled last week due to my being sick) due to someone else’s family emergency. It had only been two weeks since I’d edited, too, but it felt like two years. I kept thinking I’d forgotten something and on the way home, I did realize I’d forgotten to get the audio file for the website. I was even there on Monday and I got the video file but forgot again to get the audio file. Ugh.

After that we stopped at a sporting goods store where Steve wanted to see about a gun sale. We were too late, though, they were out of the one he was interested in. But we looked at a few more. One of these days sometime soon we’ll both be getting our own handguns and taking the conceal & carry classes. I wouldn’t carry mine so much though, mostly it’s going to be when I’m out “in the field” (aka the middle of nowhere by myself) doing research or what not. The last time still stands out in my mind — it was just me and Elijah and suddenly there were these huge, and very mean, dogs. I held them at bay with a big stick and they backed off, but after a few minutes, they got brave again (as we were leaving). That was when I decided I need something to be able to protect me and my kid. I can’t remember the brand or the make, so I can’t find a photo, but the one I liked best so far was a hammerless revolver. Very sleek and light, but also more expensive than I really want to spend on mine. So we shall see. It will probably be this summer at least anyway.

Yesterday, Monday, was another nutty day. My mother-in-law and Sarah came in and watched Elijah at my house and I went up to my class… late. Then I grabbed something at Subway and took my Jeep to the dealership. The guy gave me a ride back to the church where I worked on video for hoooours while they replaced the windshield, performed a recall on the blower motor, and inspected and re-licensed the stupid thing. It’s still a lease (until the end of June) so they have to handle the licensing. It all took something like four and a half hours and in the end, I had Steve pick me up on his way back through from work and we had dinner together then went to get the Jeep which was finally finished. It was nice though, we ate at the Stoplight where there are only barstools; was nice to eat in peace without a kid getting up and running off every five seconds.

So I drove the half an hour towards home, got Elijah at my in-laws’ (by that time he’d been crying to go to Grandma’s in Grandma’s car, so they’d gone out there) and came back home. Over the course of the evening, I kept discovering things that my mother-in-law cleaned. She must have been bored! I figured she’d do my dishes (I didn’t have that many, just dessert from the night before) but I didn’t realize she’d organize my silverware drawer or even scrape the wax off the counter that I spilled there earlier in the week when pouring some candles, or sweep the lower room. Heh. Makes me feel really dirty but then again, like I said, I’m still catching up from being sick so much, not to mention the weekend always takes a toll! But maybe I should leave her unattended in the house more often. ;-)

So, randomness. Tuesday… trying to get some stuff done and obviously avoiding that by writing a long, meaningless, random post here on the blog. Of course, if some “professional” people would answer their emails in a timely manner, I could get on with some stuff. I know, I know, I’m really one to talk. :D

So I’ve spent the better part of an hour on the phone with everyone and it’s taken care of.  We’ll be getting a new personal property thing in the mail, without the Jeep.

Ah it’s just such a mess.

Sometimes I just don’t want responsibility.  :)

We’ve been having that problem lately. The Jeep’s had a rattle in it, something beyond the typical diesel noise. It sometimes has a bit of a ring to it, too, that I’ve noticed. It seems to happen the most when it’s not been driven for a while (such as overnight) and you start it up. I often notice it when I start it up to warm up before going somewhere, as I’m heading back into the house.

So when I got that rental last month when the Jeep was in for a recall on something, I mentioned it to them. It rained very heavily that day, and they said that they were not able to hear it, that it is sometimes harder to hear when it’s wet out. I don’t understand that, but whatever. I took it again this past Monday, and they still couldn’t hear it. When the head repair guy was talking to me on the phone prior to them picking me back up to get the Jeep, he was almost laughing. It’s frustrating for us, because we know it’s there, both of us are hearing it, and I’m sure it’s comically frustrating for them, because they just don’t hear it.

I had the same situation in another area, only turned around. This time, I was the one being asked for help. I received a phone call from the same family that I always do “computer stuff” for that man of the house was not able to get internet on their bedroom computer and had not for a few days at that point. That was two Thursdays ago. I went in Monday after all this Jeep stuff and when I knocked the computer out of sleep mode, it connected right up to the wireless internet. There was nothing for me to troubleshoot as I could find no problems. I did the only other thing I was there for, change the password to Windows on both the bedroom and office computers, and left. Tuesday, the secretary called saying they were able to log in to the office computer but not the bedroom one, they had tried several times, and the passwords are the same. I went over a few hours later and lo, I logged right in with no problems.

Things that go wrong always continue in that manner until someone asks for help. And since we know that this is true, let me put this out there: my gateway has been dropping my DSL internet connection quite a bit for no reason, anyone know what might be wrong? Okay, now I expect that the problem is solved. :)

Heh, so it continues. My internet connection has been dropping since I got that new computer, just out of the blue, for no reason. It has been getting progressively worse until the other night when it finally dropped for about a half an hour. While I was on hold waiting to talk to someone at ATT, it came back up. They did a few tests on the line and said the signal was weak and scheduled someone to come out the following morning, Friday. Ever since then the connection has been PERFECT. The guy got there and could find nothing wrong. Big surprise.

– Diesel is more expensive up there a half an hour north than down here.

– $10 only gets you about 4 gallons in Town A.

– Must go to Town B for cheaper diesel to fill up the tank.

– They don’t sell diesel in my town.

– I could get diesel at the highway, five miles from home.

– Or at the MFA [Missouri Farmer's Association] place just outside of town.

– The MFA place is very deserted nearly 95% of the time.

– Must. Get. Wet. Wipes. To. Keep. In. Vehicle.

– Driving with diesel all over your hands is not fun.

– Diesel soaks into your skin before you can get home.

– It’s not quite what I’d call “moisturizer.” ]]> http://spoken-for.org/archives/2006/04/07/1506/feed/ 7 http://spoken-for.org/archives/2006/03/28/1487/ http://spoken-for.org/archives/2006/03/28/1487/#comments Tue, 28 Mar 2006 12:57:26 +0000 Val http://spoken-for.org/archives/2006/03/28/1487/ Happy Birthday to the man today. :)

We didn’t mean to, but we ended up looking at a 2006 Jeep Liberty last night. Our intentions were to go pick the car up and return home, I’m not sure what happened. But quite frankly, the car needs to be replaced, so we knew we’d have to get a new or used vehicle before May.

Because of my friend, we can get a discount on new vehicles from Chrysler, the employee pricing, it’s only $2565 on this vehicle, but every bit helps. And, in all actuality, we will be doing the 27 month lease program in which we pay a little over half of the price of the vehicle on some minuscule amount of interest (that is apparently small enough that they can legally advertise 0%) in that time and then we have three choices: buy the rest of it and own it, turn it in and walk away, or continue the program with another vehicle. My feelings are that we will end up buying it unless something bad happens.

Anyway, this one is diesel, 4WD, I thought it was a 3.7 liter V6 but according to their website it can’t be with the diesel. Anyway, it is a 5 speed automatic; we wanted a manual, he wanted the 6 speed manual, but they don’t have any of those right now, oh well, doesn’t matter really. Has a towing package which is great, better than just slapping a trailer hitch on a lower end model because it’s also built to pull more and has these “smart” brakes that are meant to stop more as well.

And, it’s greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen. With a moon roof. :-) :-) :-) When we got rid of the Volvo, my first car, I really missed my sunroof. Now I’m finally getting one again.

You know, when we test drove it… or rather he did, first time we’ve test driven something that I didn’t get to drive, we were so absorbed in it that we didn’t even try out the radio, heat/AC, wipers, etc. That tells you a lot. ;-)

Of course, it also says a lot that when the Liberty came out, I did not like them. I guess I was mad they got rid of the Cherokee…

So that’s where we stand. We put a $100 deposit on it to say that we have first dibs and are going up again today to start doing credit reports (which should turn out just fine) and such. We have a decent downpayment, thanks to the federal tax return that arrived last week, and we managed to get them to take our trade-in for $1250 (freaking amazing, I’m telling you, freaking amazing), so I think we’re off to a good start.

w00t!

♥ Happy birthday, Steve. :-)