A Question

Brian started working at a temporary (3 to 4 week) job today.  He's working for a major potato and corn chip distributor.  I'm glad he found a job, since he needs to earn some money.  Here's my question.

Do you think he'll ever get to bring home free chips?

October 9th

Our new Kroger Marketplace opens on October 9th!  I drove by the store this morning, peering in the windows, and saw a sign out front proclaiming that fact.  I am so excited for Kroger to open!  No longer will I have to drive 15 minutes to the grocery!  My 1/2% milk will be easily accessible!  Once Kroger opens, I won't have to drive very far for anything! Most of the places I go - Kroger, church, the high school, Walgreens, Wal-Mart - will be 3 miles away or less.  I'm looking forward to lower gas bills!

Woo hoo!

I Did It!

Saturday we had an AMAZING Enrichment Super Saturday. I signed up to make 3 different craft projects.  When I left, I had completed 1-1/2 projects.  Usually that means that the unfinished projects will languish in my closet for weeks, months, or even longer.  But not this time!  Here it is, Tuesday evening, and I have finished all 3 of the projects! And I have pictures to prove it.

Project #1 is a magnetic piece of metal on a base which has a phrase on it.   

I need to print out some more pictures to put on it, but I thought these four were a good place to start.

Project #2 is an "I Spy"  game with many little objects inside that the kids have to find. 
Kimberly came to church with us on Sunday.  When we got home from church I showed her what I had made and told her where I'd made it.  Suddenly the fact that she had seen lots of kids at church with the same toy made sense!

Project #3 is blocks painted black, partially covered with scrapbook paper, and modge podged (an amazing substance).  Then the vinyl letters were applied.

I love the scrapbook paper I used.  It's all one piece, but because the stripes varied so much, the blocks don't all look the same.

I have to say, I'm very impressed with myself for finishing these projects!  I have so many unfinished projects in my closet - I'm glad these didn't join the pile!

Just My Luck

#997.  

That was me.

Texter #997.

If I had been texter #1000, I would have won $250.00 in free groceries.

Such is my luck.

I Don't Understand People Sometimes

I went to Wal-Mart this evening.  I left the store at 9:00 and walked to my car.  After unloading my stuff, I looked into the truck sitting next to me.  Inside were 3 small children - the oldest couldn't have been more than six.  Why would you do that?  Why would you leave 3 small children in your truck in the Wal-Mart parking lot at night?  Or anytime for that matter?  I drove over to the security guard who was patroling the lot, told him what I had seen, and drove back to the truck, with him following.  As he was getting out of his car, the mother walked up.  I went ahead and left, but not before I heard her say, "I just had to run into the store real quick."  That is sad.  Bring your kids in, lady! Don't leave them in the truck alone.

And another thing?  When I first was walking back to my car, the truck engine was running.  I even heard the engine rev one time - like someone had stepped on the gas.  A few minutes later, someone shut the truck off.  I'm not sure which is worse - leaving the kids in a truck that's off and getting warm inside, or leaving three small, unseat belted children to roam around a truck that is running.

I see no Mom of the Year award in that mother's future.

Funniest Commercial I've Seen in Years!

I just saw the funniest commercial.  It was for, of all things, Theragesic.  Click here to watch it.  

Let me know if you think it's funny, or if I'm just crazy (which is what my boys think).

Quicker Than Promised

Tonight at about 10:00 our power went out.  We heard a popping sort of noise right before, so we thought it was probably a transformer.  I went outside and met up with some of the neighbors who were also bemoaning the lack of power and the presence of lots of darkness.  I called the electric company, and was told that 118 homes in our area were affected.  Not 115 or 120, but 118.  Now that's exact! I was also told that it would probably be 1:00a.m. before the power came back on.  That didn't seem too long - if they could deliver.  I'm always skeptical.  But look, here it is, 11:48p.m., and I'm on the computer!  Our power actually came back on at about 11:15 - almost 2 hours earlier than promised!  That's pretty impressive.

Thank you, CenterPoint Energy!  My sleep tonight will be air conditioned and comfy!  

Morning Radio

This morning, after driving a car full of kids from Seminary to school, I had to go to the grocery.  Until my close Kroger opens, I have to drive about 15 minutes to a Kroger in Katy. That drive reinforces one thing - I HATE morning drive time radio!!  I don't want to listen to a morning team's insipid chatter!  I don't care about celebrity gossip!  I don't want to hear endless men versus women discussions!  I don't want any of it!  I just want to hear some music!!!  It usually only takes about 5 minutes of station hopping before I give up and put in a CD.  

That's why I try not to run many errands before 9:00a.m.

Way Too Much Drama for a Friday Night

At 8:45, Scott and I went over to GameStop to pick up a drum pedal for our Rock Band drum.  As we were pulling up to the store we saw a guy go running into the store.  I said to Scott, "I wonder what he's running for?"  Scott said, "Maybe he's got something expensive in his car."  We got out of our car and were standing there when three guys ran out of the GameStop.  Wearing dark hoodies.  With the hoods pulled up.  With bandanas covering their faces.  I thought to myself, "This is a robbery."  Then I said, "Scott, get back into the car."  We got in the car and I looked over at the robbers - who were standing by their car, which was parked about 4 cars down from us.  One of them was pointing a gun at our car - more specifically at Scott, who was closest to them.  What really scared me is that he kept looking back at the other two, as if questioning what he should do.  And we didn't know what they might have done to the clerks in the store, so I didn't know what they might be capable of.  Fortunately they jumped in their car and drove off.  After they left, one of the clerks came out.  I asked him if they had just been robbed.  He said they had and asked if we would wait for someone from the sheriff's department to come.  I told him we would wait in the Whataburger parking lot, which was quite crowded, and come back when a deputy showed up.  We waited about 5 minutes for a deputy, and when he came we drove back over.  He asked us to wait outside while he talked to the clerks.  That was a little eerie, but we did it.  Then we talked to the deputy and told him what we had seen.  We were apparently the only ones who saw the car, so we were trying to remember what we'd seen.  Which isn't as easy as you would think it would be.  Then we talked to another deputy, and told our story again.  Then we waited longer while cop cars came and went.  Then we talked to a detective, and told our story for a third time.  We finally got to leave at about 10:30, and boy we were glad to go home.

While it was a terrible experience, I'm kind of glad we showed up when we did.  The robbers ended up leaving, and we might have kept them from harming the clerks.  In fact, while we were waiting, the mother of one of the clerks drove up.  She came up to me and said, "From one mother to another, thank you for showing up when you did.  They might have killed them if you hadn't."  I'm glad we might have prevented a real tragedy.

The real kicker?  I have to go back there tomorrow - we never did get the drum pedal!  I think I'll go during the day... 

College Textbooks

Jeffrey just called to tell me how much he spent on his books at A&M.  Seven books - some used (if that was an option).  

How much do you think college textbooks cost?  Did Jeffrey spend

A.  $200.00 to $300.00

B.  $300.00 to $400.00

C.  $400.00 to $500.00

D.  $500.00 to $600.00

Give me your guess in your comments.  Once I get a few guesses I will tell you the real cost.

**Answer**

Now that I have five comments, I will tell you how much Jeffrey spent.  The correct answer is D. Jeffrey spent $550.00, which I thought was a lot until I saw what Ryan spent.  That's insane!  The cost of college textbooks is out of control!

Brian's Home

Brian's home!!  Here he is at the airport holding the beautiful (ha ha) "Welcome Home" sign I made him:

It's wonderful to have him home!  I am so glad he made it today.  Actually, I guess it's yesterday now.

Thanks for putting up with all of my updates!!

Super Frustration!!

Brian just called from Santo Domingo.  His plane left 3 hours late, and then 30 minutes into the flight the pilot heard some unexplained noises (which turned out to be something minor), so he turned the plane around and flew back to the Dominican Republic.  So Brian is there now, waiting to see what flight American can put him (and the other missionaries) on.  So I don't know what time, or even day, he is going to get home.

I'm so frustrated!!!

Two Things

Brian will be home from his mission in less than 11 hours!! Woo hoo!

Kimberly's birthday is today!  Happy 27th, Kimberly!!

Debit Card Fraud

Today I got a call from Chase Bank's Fraud Department. They were looking for Brian, but since I'm on his checking account, they talked to me.  Thank goodness.  They were suspicious of some charges that had been made today - one in Ohio and one in Washington.  I told the lady that they should be suspicious, since my son is in the Dominican Republic!  The result?  Brian's debit card has been cancelled. I called the mission office in the DR and asked the man who is serving there to pass along that message to Brian.  I also told him there was a way Brian could get money if he needed it.  The nice man said he would have Brian call me so I could tell him how.  But, as of now, I haven't heard from him.  Even if Brian doesn't call me, I hope the nice man tells him his card has been cancelled, so he doesn't try to use it.  And I hope Brian has some cash.  Otherwise he will be like the missionaries of old - heading home without purse or scrip! 

Tomorrow!!

Everybody sing!!!

"Tomorrow!  Tomorrow!

I love ya Tomorrow!

You're [only]

A day Away!!"

(I changed the word in brackets so it would fit how I felt.)

(I know you hate this song, Kimberly.  Sorry.)