Batteries NOT Included

God love our children. Even if they insist on having a birthday right before Christmas. Uncle Doug sent Andrew a "Fast & Furious" remote (ermote) car duo kit thing. Once such a cool present is open, it must be played with at once! Regardless of outdoor weather. One catch. Batteries are not included. I called my brother and left the following message. Didn't identify myself, just said, "2 9-volts and 12 AA's" then hung up. After the first day of play, one car is already dead. Today, Andrew & I had our Christmas since we will be flying to San Diego this evening. He opened one of those Lightastix kits. 4 AA's. Handheld Wheel of Fortune game? 2 AAA's. I love the people who did the handheld Yahtzee game. It actually came with the batteries!!! Thank you Hasbro.

My next stock purchase? Duracell.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Let it Snow

Friday's drive to work was very similar to Monday's except the snow was coming down heavier and faster, and it had been coming down since the wee hours of the morn. Some things I have learned, and others that just make ya go "hunh".

1. Thin socks are worthless no matter the shoe/boot.
2. Washer fluid doesn't necessarily freeze unless the level is low enough.
3. Snow works well as a windshield cleaner.
4. Andrew loves to use the snow-ice scraper/brush. He even used it on the driveway.
5. Snowflakes CAN fly up one's nose like a bug.
6. My California car with it's California tires work well. Spun out only once.
7. Advance plans are necessary when there is a two hour delay in the start of school.
8. Neighbors are incredible.
9. Timberland has a smoking area that is a hut. Weather matters not to these folks.
10. Even the one crazy person who was in shorts.
11. Kids don't instinctively know how to pack a good snowball in powdery snow.
12. They do know that one must have a snowball fight no matter the type of snow.

When it Rains, It Pours

So, today was day 3 at Timberland. When I called to check messages at home and on my cell phone (Nextel does not work in the building), there were no less than six messages regarding positions at other companies - actually in the northern New England area. For the time being; I'm happy where I am.

Gee, Thanks Jenny

Because I always do what I'm told.....


Here are the rules - Each player of this game starts with the "6 Weird Things about You." People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' in their comments and tell them to read your blog!"
So, 6 weird things about me.



1. I flunked my driver's test the first time I took it. Damn stick shift....

2. I moved from San Diego to New Hampshire - by choice!

3. I can move my knuckles in a way no one understands, and many are creeped out.

4. I love cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Ok, so a cheese sauce helps, but I do love veggies.

5. Even at 40 years of age, I can't wait for the next Harry Potter movie. I can wait for book 7..... A bit scared for that one. Those who have read book 6 know of what I speak.

6. Santa Claus is real! :)



So, Jenny, you sent this to me, but I'm sending it back to you. Rules don't say I can't! ;)

Don't really know anyone else with a blog, but here goes:



Karen, Dave, Diana, Beth, Laurie

The Perfect Monday?

Started my new job today. I think it is going to be good. HUGE learning curve. Andrew & I have been wanting/wishing/waiting for it to snow. Heck, there was snow in Seattle for heaven's sake! Anyway, today we got our wish. A lovely snow shower taking him to school, and also as I drove onto Timberland. I took that as a good sign for the new job. :)

Bare Recognitions

The beauty of fall is the changing of the leaves. Once the trees have dumped their load onto the yards, driveways, and streets, I was surprised to find beauty left behind. Driving around today, I noticed several birds' nests still perched high above in the branches. Most of these birds have already started their trek south. Will they come back to the same nest? If the nest gets knocked down during the winter by snow &/or winds, will the birds return to the same tree? The same town? Not being a birdwatcher myself, these are unanswered questions. Still, it's fascinating to see all the different types and sizes of nests.

Happy almost Thanksgiving.

More Indian Summer

It's November 17, and it's warmer outside than it is in. The humidity is so high, it's kinda mushy in the house. 66 degrees was the high this morning. It is supposed to cool down to a more normal level by the end of the day. Heavy rains last night. As I was listening to the rain beat on the new roof & windows, I was thinking that if it was like 35 degrees cooler, not only would the weather be normal, there might also be snow. Something Andrew is totally jonesin for as he told me he's ready for a wicked snowball fight. :)

The World as it is Now

Ya'll just got an email inviting you to view my blog. This means that you have permission to read it. Over the past couple of days, I've been getting some spam comments from an weird reader. Thus, the need to close off my blog to the world. If you know someone who would like to read my blog (someone who likes a giant time suck), then send me their email address, and I will add them. Why can't people just leave well enough alone on something that is personal?

Leaf It Be

Wow. Two blogs in one day. Must be a record. Ok, so the lawn mower wasn't really the best idea for the job. It picked up some leaves. Mulched more, and blew around even more. I actually used the "blow" feature to blow some leaves out into the street. Hope the neighbors weren't watching. Just noticed that the winds have blown all the leaves off my garage roof. They are the ones most likely in leaf bags in the garage. Driveway looks nice. Let's wait an hour. Windy day and leaf pickup do not mix. It's November 10th, and I'm sweating. Inside out.....

Inside Out

Doing laundry can be very insightful. As I'm spending just as much time turning Andrew's shirts and pants right side out for washing as I do folding them when clean, I realised that maybe my life is inside out. It's November 10th in northern New England. It's about 60 degrees and sunny. Yesterday, I think it hit 70 in some areas. Do we blame global warming? At the same time, there are sleds, shovels, and various deicing items on display in the stores. Light jackets have been packed away, and winter coats, scarves, gloves, & hats have been brought out. We need the light jackets today. This is the first full sunny day in a week. Tomorrow afternoon sometime, it is supposed to start raining again for the next couple of days. Tuesday, the town is actually picking up the leaf bags - normally one has to load all the bags in one's car and schlep down to the transfer station (i.e. dump) to unload - curbside. You are thinking, "Well Rehfeld get your lazy arse out there and clean up your leaves!" I'd love to. Our one sunny day in a week and before the leaf pickup. It's windy as hell. I'll do a cursory passthrough with the mower. No raking up piles today. They'll just blow away. Inside out.....

Autumnal Tips

It's been rainy and cool over the past couple of days. Last night, apparently, it was windy. My car was covered with leaves. Being a much warmer day today, I decided to roll down the windows; a-to clear the rain drops & b-to clear the leaves from the window. Well, folks, wipe the leaves off the windows BEFORE rolling them down, because guess what, leaves blow INTO the car.

I'm all ready for the snow. Bought an ice scraper/brush combo for the car. Brought the shovel from garage and put it in the basement. Bought two reflector thingies to go at the end of the driveway to let the plow folks know where my driveway is. Andrew now has long underwear, and we are space heater/humidifier ready.

Andrew would really like to see some snow. He would really like to have a snowball fight. I want to plop Natasha into a snow bank. teehee.

Happy Veterans Day/weekend.

Predictions

During breakfast this morning, Andrew looks up at me and matter of factly told me, "Mom, in 100 days, you are going to die." WHAT THE HELL???? How does one respond to this? I, of course, over reacted and was hysterical. On the plus side, it did get him to do all his morning duties without being told. What a way to start the day. Well, the day really did start with me cleaning up cat shit off the rugs.....

Are stickers really all that sticky?

So, yesterday, my darling son finds a Jayhawk sticker and proceeds to plaster it onto his little soft arm. At the time, I was thinking I should probably take it off, but he liked it, so it stayed. Last night during his shower, he peeled off most of it - and it went down my drain. Stickiness and all. When he got out of the shower, I thought he had 3rd degree burns that had started to peel. Luckily all it was was the goo stuck to the hair on his arm. I did my best to wipe some of it off with a washcloth. He didn't like so much the ouchies. Alas, I slathered Polysporin all over it, and he kept the arm above covers all night. Once he was tucked into bed, I called the guru of all knowledge. Mom suggested WD-40 or Pam. Both required plenty of ventilation and immediate washing of soap and water. I waited until morning. When he woke up, the arm was much better. We did the WD-40 trick, and his arm is back to its soft cute self.
The things we learn due to our little cherubs......

Is a scraper really necessary?

Left this morning at 7:45 for an 8:00 soccer game. There was a light frost last night. Apparently. When I got in the car and turned on the wipers to remove the "dew" from the windshield, nothing happened except an annoying noise. For the longest time after I moved from KC to SD, I kept an ice scraper in my glove box. Well, it was more of a case of never taking it out. I finally threw it away, or maybe it went with the car during trade-in. Anyway, after 18 years in southern Cal, I never had a need for one. After seven months in NH, I need one. I was told to get one with a brush on the end. That, or park in the garage. Not having an attached garage, the driveway is closer to the door.....

For those of you wondering about Paris. One would think that the 1st week of October would be a good time to go to Paris since most Americans would be in New England staring at leaves. Not the case. Maybe the Americans I ran into were all New Englanders getting away from all the tourists. Anyway, Paris is Paris, and Claire and her family are wonderful. Reed & Elizabeth are great traveling companions - can they say the same about me??? The wine & cheese are incredible, of course. The one food that stuck out in my mind this trip? Mashed potatoes. According to Elizabeth, it's all about the butter. French cows make better butter.

Salut ya'll.

It Pays to Pay

It also pays to procrastinate! The hail storm was only two days before Bill & Jared arrived in July to build the deck. I didn't think anything of the damage until a couple of weeks ago. I noticed very sizable holes in the siding of my house. That is not good as moisture can collect inside. Plus, 100 years ago, houses were not insulated as they are today. I had already figured that the damage to my car was minimal, thus not even thinking about calling the insurance company. I rethought things when my good friend John was here for a visit. He said that there might be roof damage, and even if insurance pays for a portion of that, it's worth the deductible. Well, folks, right now, a grand is a huge amount of money. Actually, a grand is always a huge amount of money. I went ahead and called State Farm just to see. She gave me the number that I thought was a number for me to open the official claim. As most of you know, I hate the phone, thus did not make any follow-up phone calls. Guess what? About three days later, they called me. State Farm, as most insurance companies probably do, have a service where they can have their prescreened companies contact you to set up appointments and such. How wonderful! Now, they call me, and I follow them around when they poke and prod at my old home. The guy last week found substantial damage to the siding. He took pictures and notes and left. Then I got a call from a State Farm employee. He came out today with his really long ladder and went up on the roof. Did a bunch more poking and prodding around. Guess what folks?? After years and years and years (you get the idea) of paying INTO the system, I get the big reward. No, not winning the lottery, but pretty darn close! It appears that the house, as well as the garage, needs a new roof. So, for the aforementioned grand, I get a new roof, gutters, snow shields, replaced facia, downspouts, screens, siding, AND a claim form to report the damage to my flagpole, a planter, and two of my A/C units. Pretty damn awesome in my opinion! Now, with winter approaching, just when will these repairs happen? That's where the procrastination comes in. Everyone else called right after the storm, so over the past almost six weeks, their claims have been processed and work completed. Making room for my repair/replacements!!

Another exciting thing happened today. The furnace/boiler/heater whatever it's called that burns the oil from the big tank in the basement was serviced. Good thing too. Since the oil tank burned empty twice this past winter (HEY! I wasn't living here yet to monitor), the filters and pipes were filthy. That was nothing until the serviceman opened the air filter cabinet. YUCK!!!! A year of using the furnace, not changing air filters, having major renovations completed, etc really took their toll. Luckily the previous owner had a spare - IN the filter area, so it was pretty much useless. Off to the hardware store! I also need to get something to kill the poison ivy decorating the east side of my driveway....

Happy reading.

It's Been A While

Wow. May. Really? It's been May since I've last posted? I almost feel like, "forgive me blogosphere for I have sinned. It's been over three months since my last post." What has happened these past many months? Andrew finished Kindergarten. He left with his Dad on 9 June for 10 weeks of a San Diego summer including, but not limited to, surf & soccer camp (at different times). Some might be wondering if I whooped it up those 10 weeks. Yes and No. The first week, I schlepped down to Jersey for a voicemail class. Figured, even if I wasn't gainfully employed, at least I should keep my skills sharp. It was a great class. The instructor was awesome, and made a couple of new friends. I was even able to hop a train into the city for a couple of evenings. How many people know that Shakespeare in the Park is free? It was a perfect evening even if Macbeth is not one of my favs of Sir Bill. Taking that class the first week Andrew was gone was the best thing I could have done. Instead of moping around the house having pity parties, I learned a valuable skill. AND spent two awesome evenings in NYC.

The self-employment/sub-contractor thing picked up soon after my class. At first, it was just keeping the lights on, but now it actually is paying the mortgage also. Since Andrew has started back to school, things have slowed down, but I am hopeful projects will start pouring in again soon. They better!

June finished up with me working on work, and the house. Actually got a few pictures hung. I was also able to drive solo into Boston for the first time to meet a wonderful friend in Cambridge for dinner. This is one of the fabulous people I met at the Chateau last year in France. Such great times!

July started out with a weekend trip up to the lake house in Maine of my friend Beth's parents. It was an idyllic weekend. Even with two teenagers! Hey, they aren't mine! ;) Beth, you know I love all ya'll! Mid-July was greeted with a freak hailstorm (insurance is still working the claim to fix the siding on the house, and check the roof). Our little town of Exeter made the Weather Channel AND the local San Diego news. It was quite the experience. My car looks like it had terrible teenage acne. Poor thing. It will stay like that unless I decide to give it some vehicular Botox. Not likely. Since we moved here late March, everyone has been saying what unusual weather we've been having this year. Well, apparently, EVERY year is unusual weather. Sheesh. I've stopped saying that I moved away from Southern California for the weather. I'VE HAD ENOUGH!! Two days after the hailstorm, brother-in-law Bill and nephew Jared arrived from KC to build me the best deck ever! It's a beautiful deck. They don't like it because it's not cedar. For me to get cedar boards would have cost me 4x as much as the ACQ that I did use. Cedar is not that common, or readily available in New England as it is in the rest of the country. I stained/sealed the deck in a cederesque tone. It really is lovely. Due to the fact that my yard floods each and everytime it rains, the deck is occasionally referred to as the dock. Beth's son Zach, lovingly donated his buoy to the cause. My first deck/dock ornament. It has a place of honor resting atop the Eiffel Tower. It's heaven having coffee on the deck in the mornings when it hasn't rained or isn't raining. Also in July, due to the sub-contracting work I've been doing, I was able to make a quick trip to San Diego for a few days. It was great to see Andrew, friends, & family. It was also a wonderful vote of confidence that moving out of there was the correct thing to do. TOO MANY PEOPLE AND CARS!!!! Oh, sometime in either late June or early July, I had to purchase and install window A/C units. They saved my tookus. As well as my computer equipment. I had forgotten how hideous the humidity can be.

August started innocuously enough. Hot, muggy, lots of work. The days started to get into single digits for Andrew's return. Mom flew back with him, and definitely earned more Granny Nanny stripes. He was a challenge. I'm SOOO looking forward to the teenage years. NOT! We had a lovely faux bbq during Mom's visit. I say faux due to the fact that I do not own a bbq as of yet. OH! How could I forget one of the most exciting events of the summer. I purchased my very first lawn mower. I think it was in June. Had to. Either that or get a scythe. The crabgrass was getting out of control. While Bill & Jared were here building the deck/dock, I rented a trash dumpster hoping to get most, if not all, of the crap out of the garage & basement. Exeter has really odd trash/recycling rules. I was NOT about to cut up and bundle my 100+ moving boxes into 2x2 bundles. Also, since during the hailstorm, my garage flooded - the basement gained a lovely new water feature (now gone thanks to the deck/dock) - I had to toss a bunch of stuff that was still in boxes. In cleaning out my garage, I found a lawn mower. The general consensus is that it's more of an antique lawn ornament than an actual useful tool.

Andrew stared 1st Grade this year. By day two, he and the principal were tight. Not in a good way. It's hard being in 1st Grade already knowing everything and having to live by the rules. We are hoping (and praying) for exciting reading & writing assignments. Andrew also starts Soccer next week. That should be fun for him. A chance to get out, run around, follow rules, take his turn, and make friends. Oh yeah, and the snacks after the games. School picture day is Friday, so once I have those, I'll make another post, in the meantime, I've attached his first day of school photos. Apparently, I am uable to attach pictures for some reason. I will attempt to update my shutterfly account for all to see. They are quite, um, shall we say "charming"?

September has started and the A/C units are out of the windows. They are on the floor, and not properly put away, but that will happen soon. I hope. They are wicked heavy and need to go down in the basement. Two of the units are upstairs. I'm afraid to take them up the "ladder" to the attic as the "ladder" might break under the weight (the A/C units, not mine....). Less than a month before I head to Paris for the Fab40 trip. Should be fun. I'm really looking forward to it. Mom is returning to lovely New England, and bringing Dad along for the fun. What a hardship to be in New England in the fall. I do hope that Dad will at least be able to smell autumn.

My next post will be less than three months away! ;) Have a great September, and feel free to call, email, smoke signal, etc.

Love to all.
Nancy, Andrew, & Natasha

Day of Reprieve

Today is sunny and warm. A day where I actually broke out into show tunes "Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day!..." when I walked out the door taking Andrew to school. He of course was mortified. I kept wishing everyone a happy sunny day. Andrew, again, was embarrassed. Isn't this why we have kids? :) Anyway, it's also a day of open windows and open doors (ALL doors - see photo) in an attempt to dry out everything before the next set of storms hit later this tonight or tomorrow. Yesterday, Susan & I had the worst case of cabin fever. We packed up the kids in all their foul weather gear and headed into town. She & I wanted (read needed) professionally made coffee, and we ALL needed the exercise. The most common site along the route around town was hoses and various sump pump paraphanelia. We feel very fortunate to be as dry as we are. Susan keeps saying that she has the only dry basement in all of Exeter. I told her to hush because she's going to jinx herself. Our dehumidifier is working well, and hopefully the open cellar doors will help also. I can't figure out where the water is coming from. I've attempted to follow a trail from the floor to various places on the wall. I even did a full walk around the house this afternoon looking for standing water and possible places of entry. Couldn't find it. Thankfully, it's a manageable amount of water. Hopefully it'll stay that way. Well, I'm back outside while it's still sunny!

Exeter Big Dig & Flood of 2006

Ok, so some people might know of the "Big Dig" completing in Boston. Well, we had our own
version of this on Garfield Street last week. Now known as the Exeter Big Dig, or EBD for short. Andrew had a blast "helping" the guys. The reason for EBD was that I got to replace my sewerline from the house to the street. Nothing like having to spend large sums of money before procuring proper employment. Also, who ever thinks they'll need to do such a major repair within the first 6 weeks of living in their new home? When/IF we ever move again, I'm going to insist on the camera shoved down the pipe in the inspection. The brightside of this all is that it reared its ugly head BEFORE the deck was built. That will hopefully be done this summer. You can see these photos at www.nancyrehfeld.shutterfly.com.

Big Dig turns into Big Pond.

Many people have had to evacuate their homes since they live near the river or on low ground. I feel very fortunate to be on high ground a mile from the river. Due to EBD, my basement is a bit damp, but isn't that why the make shop vacs and dehumidifiers, right? Oh, that reminds me, I need to go check on that. It might be full already. A neighbor went for a walk this morning into town to take a look at everything. She made an AOL photo album. I'll see if that can be added to the shutterfly account also. Susan & I took a walk this evening in a rare moment of light sprinkle, however towards the end of the walk, the rain was coming down again pretty hard. The thing that hit me the most was the sound of the water. What power it has. We need to harness that power as a renewable energy source. Save Mother Earth speech will be later. The poor houses along the river. The "Loaf and Ladle" had a sign on its window "Gone Fishing." They are the yellow house nearest the bridge. Some of the windows were open. We don't know if that is because of a quick evacuation - although temps have been hovering around the 47 degree mark - or the power of the water pushed them open. The water is to the top of the underpass of the bridge. It was replaced after the flood of 1996, and residents are worried about its strength now. It is currently the only way into and out of town in any direction. Glad I went to the market on Saturday. News this evening was school is closed again tomorrow, and we are not to drink town water. Andrew is scared, and I'm a bit unnerved, yet I need to be strong for him. He has been wonderful through all this. He has put himself in charge of ALL the flashlights in case there is another power outage. We have had 2 or 3 already today, and I'm sure there are more to come. I am thankful that we still have our home, and we are able to eat and drink safely.

Still job hunting. Thanks for hanging in there with us.

til next post....

Nancy & Andrew

Yankee Doodle Dandy

Hello folks. Sorry for the silence. Not much of a creative side these days. Too much of the right brain is being used to organize the house. My office is pretty much the last room to do, and I just can't get motivated. Anyway....

Andrew got out his piano books from when he was taking lessons in Encinitas. He found and taught himself how to play "Yankee Doodle Dandy". Pretty appropriate if you ask me. He sang along as he played the piano. I need to find my camcorder and see if he'll do it again. It was absolutely precious! What a perfect song to choose!

I have a new washer and dryer. All this modern technology is boggling my mind. I needed to find out what the situation was about the locked door on the washer. So, I go searching for the instruction manual. It told me all about how to load and what temps to use, etc, but nothing about the door being locked except for the fact that due to safety, the door locks. All I wanted to know was why does it take eons for the door to unlock when I push pause to add a garment??? Within the instruction manuals was a DVD for the washer. A DVD????? Haven't popped it in the player yet. That would be fun family time. Sheesh!!

Off to get Andrew out of the shower. Speaking of which, happy April ones to all. :)

Nancy, Andrew, & Kittyprissypants

Le Monstre Banished

So, all the clothes have been put away along with all the sheets and towels. Just how many green towels does one need?? Most of my clothes were in my largest suitcase. Actually, the largest suitcase ever. For those in the know, it's lovingly refered to as "Le Monstre" because it barely fits in a Lyonaise lift. ;) It is now in my basement awaiting its next use.

I've devised a new system of working on one room at a time. It's been working so far. Yesterday was day one. The living room looks nice, and there is now room in my bedroom for the new rug I bought yesterday. There are still heaps and heaps of boxes and random stuff laying around the house. One of these weekend days, I'm thinking of having a picture hanging party. These old horse hair and plaster walls don't always bode well for hanging heavy pictures. The walls like to crumble. I was told to put a piece of masking tape on the wall where the nails go. Knowing this, I think I'll wait for people to come over who know what they are doing. Yesterday, I unwrapped all the pictures and put them in the rooms where I think they'll look best. More rugs are on their way, so I better get rid of the boxes in those rooms soon.

Got Andrew's Fischer-Price basketball goal put together in the driveway - need to find the basketball. He unearthed the wagon and played evil knievel off the cellar door. Yes, we have a cellar door. Also, he got a bike the other day from Wal-Mart, so he's good to go when the weather is nice. Still need to find his helmet though.

Well, off to read the Boston Globe. Decided to subscribe to a city paper to find out about culture. And maybe a job.

till next time......

Lost

Anyone seen my happy place??? Maybe it's in one of the many many many many many many many boxes left to unpack and put away. Any volunteers for helping to organize???

I love tension rods, the Wal-Mart, & Lowe's both in Epping.

Finally opened bank accounts & got the necessary supplies for trash and recycle.

There are 230 caleries in a 10 oz Dunkachino. Oh so worth it......

Unpacking ad nausiem

Ok, so it's been a few days. Mom has been wonderful, even with her broken knee, helping with the unpacking and organization. There were/are over 100 boxes plus furniture. It's been complete chaos. I've taken some pictures and hope to update my shutterfly account. Those pics can be viewed at www.nancyrehfeld.shutterfly.com sometime in the hopeful near future.

In the midst of all the unpacking and getting settled, I seemed to have changed decades. A fun group of 11 of us went to a nice restaurant at the beach in Hampton Monday night to celebrate my aging. I now have a lovely pair of reading glasses..... ;)

Andrew started school on Tuesday. When I went to pick him up, in the torrential rains, he said it was a great day! He loves his new school! We've had some temper tantrums and attitude which is to be expected. Overall, he has been really good during this huge transition. I expect the 'tudes to surface now and again.

It's late, stupid daylight savings, and I must get my beauty sleep. Mom & Dad leave in tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon.

Off to update the photos.
nitey-nite.

Boxes, boxes, and more boxes

Back over to the house today to unpack boxes and get organized. 13 steps to the 2nd floor. Haven't counted the steps to the basement. Then, there are the trips to the garage. Back and forth. Up and down. Back and forth. Up and down. Mom is the kitchen angel and got it 80% organized. Apparently, there are no shelves in the pantry. That might help. Also, the shelves in the plastic pantry I brought with me are MIA. The movers put that one in the basement blocking the door to the safe. So much to do. DVD player and TV are set up so Andrew can watch his movies. Priorities you know. DirectTV to be installed on Monday. Happy Birthday to me....
Poor Natasha. I've moved her litter box and food station so many times. She actually is being a good kitty. Her favorite place in the house right now is on Andrew's bed buried in his comforter and pillows. I took pictures today, and as soon as I get organized with that, I'll place those either on this blog or in my shutterfly account. Or, hey, maybe both. I'd get to sit down to do that! Maybe once Andrew starts school (Tuesday), I'll find a wonderful spa and get a massage.
We decided to spend another night at the fabulous B&B. Mostly because of the sherry, but a little bit because we just didn't get to the beds today, and there are no window coverings. The ones from the Encinitas house are surely in a box somewhere. Home Depot & Lowe's, here we come on Sunday. The B&B room isn't available Sunday night, so we have to be at the house then. Sheets and thumbtacks anyone?? Plus, I really do need to accept the fact that I AM unemployed.....
Andrew is having a wonderful time playing next door. Bless Alan and Susan's hearts for welcoming him. Honestly though, they do have the cool toys. :) At least he knows his good behaviour when he's over there. School will be very good for him.
Dad arrived tonight for the weekend and the big decade change. Poor guy had to take off and land 4 times just so that he could stay on the same plane to avoid gate changes. He's enjoying the sherry also.
Well, the clocks jump ahead tonight, and I'm bushed.
nitey-nite.

No More Field Trips!

Andrew made that proclamation as we were parking at the B&B after dealing with movers and boxes.

Friday.
Furniture arrived. All seems to be accounted for except a small patio table that I was going to use in the kitchen until an appropriate quaint antique bistro set can be acquired. I thought I was buying a bigger house. Why does it seem like I have MORE stuff and LESS space in this home? The renovations are about 80% complete. The guys will be back next week to finish up. It is going to be wonderful. Even taking a wee break sitting on the couch amongst the chaos of boxes and haphazardly placed furniture, it feels right. It feels like home. We are exhausted. After an early dinner, we will be early to bed once again to start the major unpacking tomorrow. Dad arrives early evening, and all must be "Dad proofed" before leaving for the airport. Glad I put that bathroom downstairs. Just have to clear a path.
Andrew had a blast playing with Ben & Harry next door. They have "cool" toys. Grass is always greener.... He "helped" check off numbers on the bingo paper as the movers brought in items and boxes. We tested the new microwave by making popcorn. The new dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer have all been tested also.
Natasha seems to be settling in nicely. She and the resident ghost has a fun night last night. I was worried leaving her alone for the night. Ghost was good to make introductions yesterday afternoon.
Mom's voice is still raspy and now her throat is getting soar. Andrew is having sneezing fits and runny nose. I'm just becoming narcoleptic. Guess it's time to find the nearest drugstore. Gotta love these old houses. Even the ones recently renovated. Actually, though, there is still tons of dust. Also, it was 70 degrees here today. Lovely day say the natives.
Hope to have great news for ya'll tomorrow after we get the majority of the 100+ boxes unpacked.
nite-nite
Nancy, Andrew, Natasha, & Judy

Wifi Schmifi

Wow, do I have some catching up to do. This'll probably be another long one. When Mom arrived at the hotel on Tuesday, she had laringytis. Wow, I thought. This might be a nice quiet trip. Nope, she still insisted on giving me the history of the trucking industry..... ;)

Tuesday:
Got a bit of a late start because I was still recovering from my nervous breakdown from Sunday evening. We hit the road around 10:00am. The most exciting thing we saw in Missouri was the power of a tornado. Fortunately, the tornado had already past, but the beautiful white Kentucky horse type fence and gorgeous home that went with it wasn't so beautiful and gorgeous anymore. Oh, we did see a public service announcement at the local fireworks outlet. They suggested no smoking inside the building. Things that make ya go hmmmm. We made it as far as just east of Indianapolis. A lovely town called Greenfield. Just beat the Final Four crowds. This day gave us our only inclement weather. A bit of rain. It was nice to wash off all the bug carcasses from the car and *&%$ carrier. That hotel had wifi, but it was a bit weak, and we were beyond exhausted after dinner, so we just hit the hey.

Wednesday:
On the road at a decent hour. Don't really remember. Natasha is becoming quite the escape artist kitty. The travels must have gotten to her because instead of sitting on anyone's lap or on the pillow in the back window, she has taken to sitting on the floor of the car in any comfy spot she can find. On this particular day, however, she had some litter box issues. That's the nicest way I can put it. After the litter box issues, Andrew proceeded to spill his chocolate milkshake. Of course, the lid had come off by this time. At the next rest stop, I cleaned up everything. Including the litter box. Never have I scooped up chocolate shake litter. Not paying much attention to details, just wanting to get the car free of possibly curlding milk, I didn't notice how my activities had decorated my shirt. The only nice one I had packed in my over night bag. This was noticed Wednesday night at dinner. Ah yes, last night's dinner. It was late. We had made it the rest of the way through Indiana, through Ohio, and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL the way through Pennsylvania. That is a friggen long state!!! We made it to Newburgh, NY and stayed near West Point. I was so hungry by the time the food arrived that I pretty much inhaled it. I thought I had just eaten too fast when I was feeling what I thought was just indigestion. So, thinking this, I took a nice big drink of water. WRONG. Apparently something had lodged itself in my sternum area pipe. What a scary feeling. I thought I was going to vomit right there on the table. That or pass out and die. Luckily, it passed. I was a bit light headed for a while, but have recovered nicely. Oh, back to the driving through the states thing. Geez people are freaks! In Misery, there was some construction on the freeway, and a lane closure a mile or so up the road. EVERYONE decided that as soon as they saw the sign, they had to get over that minute. Not the driver from California. I zoomed on up and merged with the normal every other one rule. The truckers are a bit different in either Indiana or Ohio - they are both so unmemorable. The drivers did the same deal as in Misery except that the truckers made themselves God and drove down the middle of the lane not letting anyone pass. This was like 3 miles until the lane closer!! I drove on the shoulder to go around the honyocks. Boy did that erk them. I got honcked at all the way. HEY! The lane was still open, and no one was driving on it. Sheesh.

Thursday:
We got up in time to get a decent start to the day. Went to the Barne's & Nobles across from the hotel because everyone knows that there is a Starbuck's in Barne's & Nobels. I was the 3rd person in line. The lady in the front thought her iced coffee wasn't chocolatey enough. The barista had to fix that. The next guy got what he ordered. When it came to me, I gave her my order for decaf nonfat latte and venti nonfat sugarfree vanilla latte. She pulls out a plastic cup. I tell her these are hot drinks. She appeared non-plussed. She then asked if I wanted whipped cream. Whipped cream on a latte???? She sets the drink on the counter in the non-melting plastic cup, and I ask "what is that?" She replies she doesn't know, what did I order. I repeated my order and she annoyingly tossed that drink in the garbage, then announced she needed to go get some help. There were about 10 people in line at this time. I turned around and asked if there was another Starbucks around here and was told yes. The "help"arrived and promptly pulled out the barista handbook. The lady who had answered yes to my question said, "follow me. We are outta here." My Starbucks angel led me to a Strobo in a new Target. I ordered my drinks (mom was getting one), thanked my angel, and left the store. A few miles down the road, I took a sip of my beverage. YUCK!!! It was a soap latte! Dear Gawd! Once we got to Connecticut, we stopped at the "Rest Area and Canteen" to pee and get a coffee. Rest area coffee had to be better than a soap latte, right? The machine was broken. Finally, almost out of CT and into Mass, I was able to get a passable cup of coffee.
Mom & Dad's friend Bob Cooke, who lives in Stowe MA, was unavailable for lunch, so we dined on Exxon ice cream and other tasty treats. Within the hour, we were pulling into my driveway!! The workers were still hard at work, and there is still tons to do. The furniture is scheduled to be delivered in the morning. No sleeping in for me. I did a preliminary walk through, had a chat with the contractor, got Natasha settled in Andrew's room, and Mom & I headed for the B&B (who doesn't allow pets) in town. Andrew had already taken it upon himself to run next door to Susan's to play with her boys and their much more fun that I have toys.
We are at the B&B (who's wifi works properly unlike other motels) until Saturday morning. It is an oasis. It has sherry.
We are off to the Chinese place around the corner because we can wok. teehee
Tomorrow is furniture day, so I'll update as I can.
Thanks for sticking with us.

Becoming Zen

This is take two of this blog. Apparently clicking "Publish Post" before clicking "Save as Draft" doesn't save it if the server goes down exactly at the time of posting.

Sunday started off innocuously enough. We slept somewhat late and enjoyed a leisurely morning. We were to meet Bill, Hannah, & Zach at Perkins for brunch, but apparently my childhood & youth are being stripped away from me because it is now closed. We all still had a delightful lunch at another dining establishment. After lunch we headed to Super Target for car shoes for Andrew and sinus drugs for Carol. Yes, it is a Super Target. There is a Starbucks inside!!! Upon returning to the hotel, Andrew insisted on going to the pool. A wonderful heated indoor pool. There were two other boys that day and they played well together. Andrew is as tall as the 8 year old. After the amphibious afternoon, we headed over to Douglas's for an early delicious dinner. Andrew stayed there while I took Carol to the airport so that she could return to civilization. Upon returning to Douglas's, I heard "the noise." I trepidly opened the sunroof cover and much to my wondering should appear, but my bathrobe, oh dear! Cursing, I pulled over to the shoulder of the freeway to assess the damage. Looking in my rearview mirror, I didn't see any evidence of Nancy litter, so maybe it'll be ok. Attempting to get out of my car and climb up on the seat in the gale force winds was another joyous experience. Luckily only the front latch came undone this time. I unlocked, rearranged, closed, tried to lock, tried to unlock, slammed the fricken thing so that it would unlock so that I could lock it. Finally, after much bruised hands, it seemed as secure as it was going to get. I drove 45 miles an hour back to the house crying the whole way. When I pulled into the driveway, I called Carol, and she helped calm me down. What an angel she is. Yes you are! By the time Douglas came out to see why I was still in the car, I was composed enough to explain and ask my baby brother for help. We took a surf coffin strap and wrapped it around for the drive back to the hotel. Upon which all I heard then was the fwap fwap fwap of the strap. Yeah, that settles the nerves right down....
Monday, we slept late again and then Andrew had the pool all to himself that morning. After Amphib #2, we headed to Douglas's work to trade cars. I was NOT going to chance creating the worlds first convertible CRV again going to the airport to pick up Mom. Have I mentioned Kansas has been experiencing a horrible wind storm these past few days? Yeah. Mom's flight was ontime, Starbucks was great, and Natalie was properly surprised and happy to see Grandma and cousin Andrew pick her up at school. Crazy, lunatic Aunt Nancy was still in the car where the wind wasn't blowing. We ran by the grocery store to pick up eats for that night's festivities as the house. The cousins played wonderfully while Douglas & I took everything out of the *&%$ carrier and back area, tightened and readjusted where necessary, and repacked. I was able to scale down a bit from the frantic packing of Friday morning. Sure, Douglas has to send a few things to me, but hey, we gained an inch of room in the car, and hopefully the carrier will behave. We used both bungy straps this time to make sure it stays closed. Of course there is now a new noise and everyone knows how much I love repetitive noises.
We are all doing well and so is Carol.
We head out again this morning hoping not to catch the rain storms currently in the east. Depending on weather, we should make it as far as Ohio, or maybe just Indiana. No rush. No worries. Just Zen.

It Isn't Rocket Surgery, You Know

"Andrew, how is Natasha doing? I don't know, I don't speak cat!"

Hey folks. It's Sunday morning and a beautiful one in KC.
The trip started off well. After the fright of the randomly opening car top carrier, I've since almost broken my wrists slamming it shut to make sure it's secure. It's held its load so far. The drive up the 15/215 to the 40 was uneventful. We didn't know it at the time, but the last known Starbucks west of Albuquerque is somewhere in Riverside California. Wish we had known that. Funny sign when we got on the 40 heading east. "Wilmington, NC 2554 miles." Not sure why. Maybe that is where I-40 ends.
Driving through Arizona was well, pretty boring. Saw some changing landscape, but hey, it's central Arizona. No Starbucks. OH! We did have excitement at the Dairy Queen where we stopped for lunch and to pay $3.02/gallon for gas. There seemed to be a white trash Stepford wives convention there. Further on down the road, at another gas/potty stop, Carol was able to get her weight, lucky numbers, and fortune told from a machine in that bathroom. Fortune read, "Don't worry, have faith."
We made it to Gallup New Mexico Friday night. Stayed in what Gallup, or Best Western, considers a non-smoking room. YICK! It was disgusting. We all woke up with horrible sinus issues. After a mediocre breakfast of oily eggs, greasy bacon, and actually, according to Andrew & Carol, good pancakes, we headed down to the Hampton Inn, where we should've stayed and snuck in Natasha, and picked up a directory. I asked the lady at the front desk where I could get some good coffee. She made the funniest face and said, "Not around here." I said, "so, it's Albuquerque then?" She laughed and agreed. We headed the nearly 140 miles for our caffeine fix. Mom had provided us with the locations of 2 Strobos, so Carol called one of them as we neared town. Barista Chris was our saviour and directed us straight to them. Radio Shack happened to be in the same parking lot as coffee. That story is the battery on the DVD player went kaput about the time we hit the 40. Andrew was stuck listening to Sirius satalite, reading his books, doing his Leap Frog book things, playing with Natasha, etc. He hasn't wanted to play any road trip car games yet. After dinner, we decided to whip out the car adapter for the DVD player. It wouldn't fit in the lighter plug. We pondered, compared it to other adapters, tried to plug it into the 2-way plug, etc. Carol, who was driving, couldn't investigate, so it was up to me. Short story long, back to Radio Shack. We walked in, and I asked if they had an adapter that would fit. They were perlexed because adapters are universal in size. Carol mentioned it looks like there is a cover or something on it. Gee, guess what. There is a protective cover on the dern (keeping this family friendly) thing. Who does that?? Our story is, hey it was dark. Carol, our resident physicist/engineer (don't get to play that card often) was driving and is absolving herself of all responsibility the night before. Now we just have to find the remote.
Saturday was a great day for seeing things. We saw several moose crossing signs. Well, it looked like the moose was just standing around. The deer were leaping in the deer crossing signs. We made it through Texas and Oklahoma in about 2 hours - thank God. Back road highway 54 is great for getting in and out of those 2 states as quickly as possible. Now we know why folks don't seem too concerned about going to Iraq. . . We were blessed with little traffic on that 2-lane highway. No one joined me in my rousing rendition of "Rock Chalk Jayhawk" when we crossed the Kansas state line. Perhaps they were too busy looking at the folks washing their barbeques at the car wash, trying to find Dorothy's house in Liberal, and the Dalton Gang hideout in Meade. Good thing there was a huge sign at the intersection in town pointing the way to the hideout. Lots and lots of cows. Cargill cattle care/feeding. This stumped us. Is there cow day care? There were two distinct sections for the cows. Is one for the full day program for working parents, and the other free range (fewer cows) for the richer or part time cows? Then we saw another sign for Cattle Pens. Now, are these for writing on or with? Ok, so maybe city girls shouldn't be reading signs and billboards in western Kansas. When Andrew asked for about the ten zillionth time "where are we?" and was told "the middle of nowhere" he retorted "no, not the middle of nowhere, there's a gas station." The best billboard we did see was upon entering Wichita. Carol's friend Sue had looked up a couple of Starbucks locations along the 54 in Wichita. I was about ready to call one when we saw this white signage with a halo afixed and Carol heard angels singing. "You know it's been awhile. Exit West St and turn left." It was beautiful! Yes, Strobo has it's own billboard. They know the most recent one for the folks traveling Highway 54 was in Albuquerque. After our much needed fix, we decided to head the remaining 175 miles into Kansas City. Carol called the hotel where I had made a reservation for Sunday and Monday nights to see if there was a room for Saturday night. Yep. We rolled into the hotel around 12:30 Sunday morning. I have wifi in the room, and life is good. Oh and for the record, Nextel scored zero on reception in very, very remote areas against Verizon. . .
Natasha has become a lap kitty. Her new favorite place, before she discovered Andrew's Thomas the Tank Engine pillow in the backback window, was on my lap. She also spent some time on Carol's lap. She has been a really good cat.
Off to brunch with Uncle Bill and hopefully a kid or two.
Thanks for sticking with this long-winded prose.

The night before

so tired from packing. need to sleep. went to make a quick visit to a friend close by, and glad I did. The stupid car top carrier blew open on the freeway. Sheesh. Well, if that's the worse thing that happens on this trip.....

nite nite.