1. Instead of going back to Milan and then on to Abu Dhabi, Robert has been assigned to a new project. Not foreign this time. Instead he'll be spending the next 16 months in Salt Lake City. Yep, Salt Lake City. It's kind of funny that the Mormon randomly was assigned to the Salt Lake City project! He's okay with it, but he's not looking forward to winter. We would, of course, prefer to have him here in Houston. But in his profession you go where the work is, and lately it's not been in Houston. At least we won't have to deal with major time differences and communication hassles.
2. I got a new car! It's a 2011 Toyota Venza in a really pretty blue color. The Venza is kind of a cross between an SUV and a station wagon. It's very comfortable and surprisingly roomy. It's also a good height for ease of getting in and out of. That was a main criterion of mine. After driving a small car in Milan for a year, I knew I wanted something a little taller than a sedan. I actually went around to different car dealers and asked to just get in and out of certain cars. The Venza passed that test, plus many others. I'm really loving it.
3. Our year in Milan threw Scott behind as far as getting his driver's license. We're working really hard so he can get his license in the next couple of weeks. They've changed the requirements since our other 3 kids got their licenses. They all had to have 14 hours of driving time. Scott has to have 34 hours of driving time. That's a big difference! Robert drove with him the first 17 hours. I refuse to get in the car with the kids until they've driven for a while with Robert. But yesterday Scott and I went out for the first time. And he did really well. He's a good and cautious driver. I didn't get scared any time! That's always good! As Robert said, now it's time to work on the little things that make driving more comfortable for the passenger. We plan on driving an hour or two every day so we can go get him his license soon!
4. Once Scott starts to drive, he will have the privilege of driving my 2003 Honda Odyssey. Won't he be the coolest kid at the high school! He doesn't care, though, he's just glad to have something to drive. We are having a disagreement though. He has named my Odyssey Phyllis. I don't think she looks like a Phyllis. I think she's too sporty a minivan to be called Phyllis. That's more the name for a Dodge Caravan. What do you think? Is Phyllis a good name for Scott's ride?
5. Kimberly just got back from her four days at Dragon*Con, which is a gigantic Science Fiction convention held in Atlanta. She went with 8 friends, and they had a great time. She met some celebrities and got a couple of great pictures taken with two of them. I still find it amusing that my daughter is such a lover of Science Fiction conventions. And Monster Truck rallies. And hockey games (especially if fighting is involved).
6. Jeffrey has been on his mission for over 16 months. 2/3 of his mission is over! How can that be? Didn't I just drop him off? He is really loving serving in Veracruz. Time is flying for him too, which is always good. I'm glad his mission has been such a postive, growing, spiritual experience.
7. I'm getting ready to make calls to home repair people. We have a ballast in the kitchen that is going out. For a while the light wouldn't work, and then one day it randomly came on. We haven't turned it off since (and that was about 2 weeks ago). I really need to call an electrician and get that fixed. Plus our garage door is acting up, so I need to get that checked out. I also need to call a chimney guy. We have a nice gas fireplace, but I'm afraid to use it. We sometimes hear birds in the chimney, so who knows what is in there. It needs to be cleaned out before we can use it. I'll probably wait until October or November though. No point in making the chimney guy swelter. And finally, I need to call an exterminator. I've been seeing ants in the house, and they need to go! Anyone have any good recommendations for an electrician, exterminator, or chimney guy? I think we have the garage door guy covered.
8. I'm hating my kitchen right now. I hate my white laminate countertops and ugly pickled cabinets. I really want new cabinets and countertops. Plus a new oven and dishwasher. And new flooring. And new lighting. Too bad I don't have the money needed to get all of that stuff. Darn kids in college or nearing college!
9. Our front yard is dead. In fact, it's just dirt in some places. Scott and I have decided we should just give up for now. In the Spring I think we'll put in a sprinkler system and resod the front yard. Just start over next year.
10. I miss playing canasta. While in Milan, I had met a group of American women and we were playing canasta once or twice a week. I miss that.
There you go. An update on us. And finally a new post!
4 comments:
I've never played canasta but I'll give it a try if you wanna teach me.
I'm willing to learn canasta, too. I love the list. I feel caught up and informed. I love those things about Kimberly, too. AND maybe you should check your foundation - that can explain the garage door. Due to the drought, lots of shifting can occur. Sometimes all that is needed is a seeper house set around the foundation of the house to water close to the home. But then again, it could just be the garage door.
About the lighting...do you have fluorescent lights in a long ballast? If the fluorescent bulbs aren't changed promptly when they first start to flicker, they will burn out the ballast. You and Robert can replace the ballast and the fixture and then put in the new bulbs all by yourself. Just check your fixture size, then go to Hone Depot and they'll have everything you need. All for about $30. Done in about half an hour.
I've missed your posts--great update! I feel so sad hearing about the draught and fires going on. I can't imagine Houston without the heavy rainfall.
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