Friday, September 28, 2007

Still no light...

I'm ready to trade in the car. Fine. I won't. Really, it's only a light but it has caused a lot of unrest.

Originally, I went and bought the light bulb to change it. Then bulbs because we thought it might be all three that are in the unit. Then I was told it wasn't the bulbs but the unit that we are plugging it into. (Enter dad, with $50 part) 17 and I took it all apart and undid and redid and undid again and swapped out bulbs and redid, still no turn signal! We had break lights but no turn signal. Apparently, the break light part was the bulb!

Now, we (son & I) aren't geniuses but we are relatively intelligent people so we take it all apart again and start fiddling here and there. Studying this and that. Compare our to the junk yard one. AHA! The actual connector piece that plugs this thing into the car looks faulty. It has a number of little plugs in it and two of them look -dirty/rusty/blown out- (insert what you think may be appropriate there according to your level of expertise). Clearly, this is beyond us and this connector is actually wired into the car. We have resigned ourselves to the fact that we are going to have to take it to a dealer.

So, today's mission, find a dealer with hours that we can handle and get an appt. to fix the car turn signal.

Evidently, there is proof that 17 is my child, I can't deny him. As we closed the trunk of the car he said, "Of course, it would always be easier to buy a new car!" LOL! Gimme Patience.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Car light

It seems that I have an electrical field around me that does something to car lights. I've had a number of cars over the years and they have all had light issues of some sort.

One car the light that lit up all the stuff on the dashboard kept going out. I fixed it once then learned to live without it at $95 a pop. Later a van lost it's inside overhead light and I promise you that I kept going back my local auto parts to buy the bulb and they were always 'just out'. This lasted forever, to the point that there was a flashlight in the car to read maps and things at night.

My current car, a Pontiac Grand Am, which we bought to give to 17 eventually, I have already changed the bulb on the 2 front lights and now the back light went out. So, I'm a pro at this by now, I'll just change the bulb. HA! that would have been easy. It wasn't the bulb. So, when I took it for the oil change a few weeks ago at my local Goodyear, I have them check it. He said it was the entire electrical panel for the rear light. The part has to ordered from the dealer directly. He's said it would cost a pretty penny, so he actually showed me (I can use a screwdriver!) how to change it to save some $$. Nice! Have you ever met a mechanic who did that! I love those guys!

So, did YOU order the part? Hubby said he'd take care of it since he's out and about driving most of the day. Well, 17 got a ticket over the weekend for , you guessed it, no rear light. I haven't asked how much the ticket was because I don't want to know. So, I call a dealer, they will charge me $330 to change it! When I tell him no, I only want the part, it's $180! - for a light! So, I call my dad, who finagles things. I give him the VIN # and yesterday he shows up with an entire light, electrical panel and outer parts for $50. He found it at a junk yard. Way to go DAD! So, tonight's adventure, to change the light on the car because 17 has a formal dance tomorrow and it would be uncool to get pulled over again with a date all dressed up for the dance.
Wish me luck!

Monday, September 24, 2007

Thank you.

As any parent will know, parenting is a 24/7 job and no one thanks you for it. Sure you get satisfaction from seeing the merits of your toil when they finally make to the toilet after months of potty training you want to dance a jig. There are gajilllions of moments like that.

But last week after dinner one night the boys and I sat at the dinner table talking about stuff. All kinds of stuff. One of those great talks that's about nothing and yet means so much. We talked about school, teachers, my work, the dog, upcoming parties, friends, the car, even painting the house. I am telling you we talked about everything. In the middle of it while we were talking about things that were happening at school, 15 stopped and put his hand on my shoulder and said "oh, yeah and I want to thank you for making us normal." Now, isn't that about the sweetest thing you have ever heard!? Of course, being me, I couldn't just let it drop there. I had to ask what do you mean and that when the conversation turned to friends and things that were going on with them etc. and both my boys said that they have me to thank for making them normal. I got all misty and just said well, "your welcome I'm just glad that you are able to appreciate it now and didn't have to wait until you have kids." which was how long it took me to appreciate MY parents. The conversation quickly moved on to other things but I just need to perpetuate the moment so I can read it when I need it.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

We Interrupt This Family for Football Season

That's what the sign says on my front door. Honest. I'm sure you've heard of 'Monday Night widows' because the husbands all watch football. Well, at my house they took this idea and ran with it.

There's Sunday football, Sunday night football, Monday night football, Thursday night football - that's when the Pros play. Then there's Saturday for college football and there's high school football which can be either wed/thurs/fri/sat. It varies from week to week. That's just when we WATCH actual football games.

17 is a Senior of the Varsity football team and we are very involved with the high school. Translation...football has creeped into every other day of the week too. Hubby keeps the books for the QB Club which is like the parent's booster club for the football program. He's been doing that for 2 years. I help out in other ways from organizing the weekly team meals to stocking the concession stand for home games and ensuring that parents of all 3 teams are up to date on the latest happenings. I am also holding weekly (Tuesday- the only day of the week not previously mentioned) gatherings at my house to make a scrapbook for each of the graduating seniors (there are 26 this year) and we also made banners with their name and number on them and they are hanging in the cafeteria for the season and each will keep it at the end of the season as a keepsake with their scrapbook. It's really oodles of fun. We had a blast making the banners this week. It took 10 women hours and hours of prep work and then hours at my house to put it all together but they came out really nice! It's fun doing stuff for the boys and I'm making good friends with the parents to boot.

On top of all this, I am now learning about Cross Country running. 15 has had 2 meets already. On, you guessed it, Tuesdays after school. He was not happy with his performance the first meet. I on the other hand was in tears watching him strain to the finish line. I am so impressed with him. He beat his own time, the second meet. So, he was a little happier but according to him he's got a long way to go. He only started training this summer and started at over 30 minutes to run 2 miles. Tuesday he ran 5k in 22.43 - frickin amazing, if you ask me but I'm mom and we all know that means I don't know squat. So, I'm meeting more parents and got on another email list to get involved with that team too.

The thing is work just keeps getting in the way of all these other things I want to do but somehow I guess I'll muddle through. It's going to be a long year and at the same time it will be over in a minute. I mean they just started yesterday and 17 will be graduating in the Spring. How did THAT happen?

Monday, September 17, 2007

What Color Green Are You?

Don't you love these little internet quiz thingys? They're so much fun. So full of useless information. What color green am I? I mean really what kind of question is that? That's why I just HAD to find out. So, here you are. Apparently, I'm Olive Green, which is a shade I happen to like. So, I guess that's good.

You Are Olive Green

You are the most real of all the green shades. You're always true to yourself.
For you, authenticity and honesty are very important... both in others and yourself.
You are grounded and secure. It takes a lot to shake you.
People see you as dependable, probably the most dependable person they know.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Told you I'm busy

As I am heating my lunch I started writing a list of things to do this weekend on my pad here and I started a 2nd column. So, I counted the lines there are 28 lines.As of right now I have 46 things to do not including laundry and groceries. Are we having fun yet! Apparently. Gimme patience!

Computers

I don't consider myself very computer literate. I mean I'm past the Dr. Seuss level but not up to the great american novel level. I think I got stuck somewhere in the Nancy Drew phase and haven't been able to figure out the mystery, just to continue with the metaphor.

Anyway, we have a desktop at home. It's seen better days but its perfectly good. We also have 2 laptops. 17's is 2 years old and already got I guess a virus or a worm or whatever because the internet shuts down when it wants and other funky things. 14 just got his, its less than a month old. I have a router connected so that the boys can roam the house and have a wireless connection. I have had lots of help from friends along the way and still do every time I get something new. It's just so confusing to me. The RAM, the Gigs, the names of all the processors, yadda yadda. Then how to protect it all from the virus' and worms and I don't know what else. It's just all soooo confusing.
I'm just venting here because last night the desktop was working in super slo mo and I presume because I haven't run a scan in I don't' know when and it needs updates and it all just takes so long to do and I really don't want to sit there and do it but I guess I have to add it to my list of things to do for this weekend.
So, this was probably the most boring post in the world because its just me kvetching. That's for your patience and wish me luck.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Gosh!

I knew I was behind in the blogging but I didn't realize I was THAT far behind. Since Aug. 30th! Whew! I know I've been busy but that's no excuse for such a long absence. Soon my adoring fans will give up and forget me. HA! I made a funny! Adoring fans...get it? As if!

It was my dad's Bday on the 3rd, my MIL was operated a week ago, I am working volunteering with my kids high school with all sorts of back-to-school meetings that were happening and with the QB Club. I actually ended up kinda running the QB Club and now we are meeting at my house every Tuesday, this past Tuesday being the first one, to work on a scrapbook for the graduating seniors, make banners that hang in the cafeteria, order the food for the weekly meals, coordinate people to work the concession stand for home games and whatever else coach needs parents to do. Its 17's Senior year so the list of things to do is endless from college stuff, to school activities. 14 had his first cross-country meet this past Tuesday (yes, same day as scrap mtg.). So, ya know things have been a little busy and all of this is happening with 17 and I sharing the car. It's been a little hectic - what can I say. But they only do this once and then its over before I know it so onward and upward or as the high school's motto is - Adelante!

So, let me pause here and just take a deep breath and ask the good Lord above for patience and energy to get it all done and enjoy the school year ahead and to blog about it along the way ;)