Slacker's Diary/The Weekend's Smiles

So, now that I'm officially signed up for the Go! St. Louis half marathon on April 15th, I suppose it's incumbent upon me to, well, you know, actually start running again. And not just once every couple of weeks.  Churned out a whopping 1.25 miles today.  Should be no problem to train up to 13.1 in....11 weeks, right?!  Yeah, sure. Piece.Of. Cake! 


The fact that I actually did drag my sorry butt out on a run today is cause for a smile.  Here are some others from this weekend:

• Had a lovely time with my Indy friends on Friday evening.  Downtown Indy is done up right in anticipation of the Super Bowl. The hotel I stayed in was super nice. The Cigar Bar served Build-A-Burgers. And the company was delightful, as always. 
• Happy to know one of the Power Ball tickets I bought for my friends was a winner.  Maybe not a big winner, but a winner nonetheless. 
• Also had fun at Claymont Trivia Night last night, even though we didn't win.  Darn food questions.  And bodies of water!
• Finished another blog this morning.
• Finally made it to church today. Appreciated the message, even if it did feel a bit like getting smacked upside the head. 
• Was a nice, sunny, almost-warmish day here today. 
• Spent a lazy afternoon/evening watching TV and playing on Twitter without feeling guilty because...my house is actually so neat it didn't take long to get it back into acceptable shape.  
• My house is nice and comfy and warm right now.

:) 

Some Overdue Smiles

I've been a bit lax with this. I'd blame it on my laziness, but honestly, finding smiles has been rather...challenging the past week or two.  The "when it rains, it pours" phenomenon has been vying with the "it's always something" truism to see which was the more accurate fit.  Thankfully, however, that changed yesterday, and I found quite a few reasons to smile: 

• Installation of the brand new, shiny, spiffy and fully operational furnace was completed - we have heat without space heaters for the first time in two weeks!
• Riley was feeling better and it was confirmed she does not have strep.
• The vet called with Pringle's blood tests and all checked out normal - we're still going to monitor his fluid intake, but it doesn't appear to be anything dire.
• Sent out the requisite letters for a very important opportunity.
• Found a great hotel room in DuPont Circle for the first night of CPAC* for $80 compliments of William Shatner, Priceline, and a phenomenal tutorial. ;) 
• Worked up the nerve to apply for Bloggers' Credentials for CPAC.....and received them!
• Got to spend some quality time with Riley watching American Idol.
• Got to catch up with an old friend who always makes me smile. 
• Today, as I was dropping Riley off at school, I reminded her to cross in front of the bus that was stopped ahead of us and to the right.  The bus pulled away as she was exiting the car, but she still - without prompting from me -  walked all the way up to the cross-walk and looked both ways before crossing, even though she had clearance to cut across the bus lane. This may seem like a small thing - but I love that her instinct is follow the rules and be safe. It gives me hope that we'll survive her teen years after all. :)

All in all, a decent couple of days.  I'll take 'em! :)

*Conservative Political Action Conference - two weeks from now in Washington D.C. I'm beyond excited to go!

Ya Just Gotta Laugh

Those of you following along may be aware of my furnace woes.  With impeccable timing, the dadburned thing conked out in the wee hours of Friday morning, during our coldest night this winter. Unable to work any of my magic on it, I finally resorted to calling my ever-helpful Home Warranty Company which put me in touch with a contractor whose first available appointment was Monday morning.  Meh - we limped through the weekend with space heaters and managed okay.


In fact, for the most part, it stayed pretty comfortable in the house.  The downside, of course, to running multiple space heaters in your crap-wired home at once is that they tend to get into pissing matches with other appliances like, oh, you know, hair dryers, vacuums and the like.  Which, in turn, leads to blown fuses.  Which are easy enough fixes, usually. I know how to flip the switch on the breaker panel.  I know how to hit the re-set button on the outlet.  All good.  In theory.  (We'll revisit that notion momentarily.)


So, Monday morning rolls around, and Mr. Furnace Repair Man comes out and fiddles around with it all and advises that I've got both a fried motherboard and a fried igniter.  Both of which sound vaguely familiar. (A quick review of my saved repair invoices shows that both have already been replaced once in the four-and-a-half years I've lived here.)  He also advises me that there's a bit of a red flag -- you see, the prior owners of the home, in their infinite wisdom, for some reason opted to install a 125,000 BTU furnace in an 1100 square foot house.  For those of you not well-versed in the ways of furnaces -- that's a WHOLE LOTTA furnace for an itty-bitty house.  Which probably explains, at least in part, my repeated issues with the infernal thing.


The kicker is - Mr. Furnace Repair Man isn't entirely certain the ever-helpful Home Warranty Company will actually cover the necessary repair, seeing as how the furnace is over-sized, yada, yada.  Well, that's interesting, seeing as how they issued the Warranty and have repaired the thing several times since I've been here.  We won't get into those legalities just yet, though. We left it with the knowledge that I'd be receiving a call from them today, and go from there on the repairs -- which, by the way, would take anywhere from three to five days to set up, even assuming they were covered.  Have I mentioned it's January?  (Of course it is -- furnaces never break down in late March.) 


Yesterday morning's furnace festivities complete, I headed off to the office for a productive half-day of work. On the way home, I stopped off at WalMart.  I had with me at the time a rebate check from the manufacturer of Pringle's Heartgard.  No great shakes - $15.  But since I'd unearthed it while cleaning out the office yesterday morning (while waiting on Mr. Furnace Repair Man), I decided to take it with and deposit it in the bank yesterday evening.  You may recall yesterday was a rather windy day.  Which presaged last night's tornado sirens and hailstorm.  As I made my way back to the car and fumbled around in my purse for my keys, the wind picked up, and I thought -- maybe -- I heard something hit the ground.  


I convinced myself it was just my imagination and got into the car.  Then thought..."the check!"  I rummaged through my purse for it - not there.  I jumped out and looked all around under the car.  Not there.  I broadened my search, to the cars around me.  Looked all around the immediate vicinity.  Nowhere in sight.  The check had vanished.  It was....gone with the wind.  (Shout out to my friend Michelle Lancaster on that.)  Now, it was only $15 -- not $50. And in the whole scheme of things, not really that big a deal.  Still, I do take a bit of umbrage at the fact that the wind chose to swipe the check, and not one of the several unneccessary receipts that were also floating around my purse at the time. 


Shook my head and proceeded home to unwind a bit.  Maybe watch some TV.  Which became a challenge because there were three things on at the same time I was interested in watching.  The GOP Presidential Debate, The Bachelor and Alcatraz.  Hey - what can I say? I have eclectic taste in my entertainment.  Thank goodness for DVR's!! Set that puppy to record all three shows, and flipped back and forth between them until it was time for my favorite radio show.  


Later, as I settled down in bed, I thought I'd round out the evening by watching the second half of The Bachelor.  Ooops!  DVR not working right.  Well, whatever.  Too tired to fiddle with it -- I'd worry about it tomorrow...at Tara.  ;)


So, today brought with it the not-super-unexpected news that, indeed, the ever-helpful Home Warranty Company would not be covering the repair (or, what's really needed - the replacement) of the furnace.  Although they are willing to offer me a cash settlement for parts and labor...Yeah, again, we're going to have  a more in-depth discussion about that, the ever-helpful Home Warranty Company (which covers everything but the kitchen sink and the repairs you REALLY need to have done) and I.  


Oh, but the repair company is willing to help and give me a bid for replacing the whole thing.  Which is kind of interesting in itself, seeing as how they're the ones who advised the ever-helpful Home Warranty Company that the furnace was over-sized. Hmmmm....one does wonder....


Anyway, the upshot is...I probably need a new furnace.  And, I'm told by a good friend who knows his stuff, in reality, I probably need a new AC unit, too, just taking into account the re-configuring of the duct-work that will be required.  


And, by the way, for those of you still following along -- the water heater still doesn't work right.  Oh, but the ever-helpful Home Warranty Company doesn't cover repair/replacement resulting from sedimentary build up. Which, let's face it, is likely what my problem is there.  


Have I mentioned I've an appointment to take my car in for an oil change on Thursday?  Oh, and to have the battery checked. Because, I'm told, it's probably due to be replaced.  We won't even speculate as to what other sorts of "recommended maintenance" the dealership is going to dazzle me with at that point.  My guess is whatever it is will run me somewhere between $4-500.  


Oh....I almost forgot -- the DVR.  Yeah.  See, I tried again tonight to watch the recorded episode of The Bachelor.  Only...it loads, but then freezes up.  And has to be rebooted.  And then does it all again.  Seems that one of the blown fuse incidents (compliments of the space heaters being on, compliments of the furnace being busted) monkeyed with the DVR, and it's no longer working properly....


How's that old song go? "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all..?" Yes, indeedy.  Ya just gotta laugh! 


:) 

This Weekend's Smiles

It didn't get off to such a hot start...Friday morning brought with it the realization that the furnace had stopped working overnight.  (Picked the coldest night of the year, naturally.) And no amount of coaxing on my part could persuade it to change its mind. Then, too, I managed to blow a fuse while drying my hair.  And lose a glove on my way into the office.  Thankfully, the fuse was an easy fix and the glove was recovered by a co-worker. The furnace repair guy I was told, however, couldn't make it until Monday.  


Still, the weekend provided me with several reasons to smile:

• Pajama party with some of the girls on Friday in honor of Cari's b-day, complete with Scattergories, Apples to Apples and Pictionary.  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. 
• Took advantage of an open Saturday to go on a cleaning/organizing frenzy - got three-fourths of the house cleaned/neatened, four loads of laundry done, the dog groomed, the car cleaned out - a lot of hard work, but a huge feeling of accomplishment -- the less cluttered my house is, the less cluttered my brain feels!
• Continued the Cari b-day celebration Saturday evening with food, drink and friends at the Whitings'.
• Watched some good (and some not-so-good) playoff football both days. 
• Got some nicer blinds for the back door and some new plants for my office (since I killed the old one...oops). 
• Throughout the weekend, the space heaters have actually helped keep the house quite livable and I did finally figure out how to get them all running without blowing a fuse. 
• Got Riley's room picked up today, and now only have the office left to tackle. 
• Enjoyed a relaxing soak in the hot tub.
• Had some ice cream for dessert. 
• Am now relaxing in my mostly-tidy house, have the candles lit and am feeling momentarily stress-free. 

:)

The Slacker's Journey Continues, As Do Some Smiles

Yes, it's true. I've been slacking.  But holidays and doldrums and yada yada.  Anyway, somehow, this evening, as I drove home, I worked up the motivation to get my sorry ass back out there running.  Didn't run far - just the old 1.2 mile jaunt around the neighborhood, but I ran it at a decent clip, and ran the entirety of it, save a brief stop to re-tie my shoelace.  


Felt pretty good, except that once I stopped, my lungs started hurting - badly. Felt like a ton of bricks had settled upon my chest. Ugh. I have a long way to go to be ready for April. Still, I do feel good about getting back out there.


As for the smiles, there have been several over the past few days:

• Got my Christmas decorations down and put away, including my tree in its handy-dandy new plastic -- and hopefully mouse-proof -- crate. 
• Got my family room rearranged -- it's really just the mirror image of what it was before, but somehow, it seems more open.
• Have begun and made some progress in The Great Declutterfy My House Project.
• Have been fairly productive at work -- feel like I'm not just putting out fires. 
• Have found inspiration and churned out not one, but two, political blogs/rants.
• Had the following exchange with Riley earlier tonight: Her - "Is it The Bachelor or The Bachelorette this time?" Me - "The Bachelor. It's Ben. And the girls are horrid." Her - "Aren't they always?"

:) 

2011 - Reflections

I need to preface this with an important acknowledgment: Happiness -- and unhappiness -- are relative terms.  For all the bumps and bruises I've encountered along the way this year, none of them even come close to what several friends and dear ones have endured.


That said, 2011 kind of stunk.  Well no, not kind of.  It full-on stunk.  Which, I have to admit, is a bit disappointing, because 2010 was no cakewalk, as last year's end-of-the-year post 2010 - In the Rear View Mirror reveals. 


So, though I only semi-seriously predicted late last December that 2020 was really going to be my year, I did secretly hope that 2011 would, at minimum, be an improvement.  Here, some "highlights" to consider:


First, though technically part of 2010, New Year's Eve included a tornado -- though thankfully the damage was minimal.  Kleenex - Tornado Proof!


Next, there was the roll-over car accident on 1/11/11 -- again, thankfully, the damage was minimal -- to Riley and me, anyway.  The Highlander might beg to differ.  Over Easy


Early March brought another mishap -- this one included a late night (and rather costly) trip to the ER.  Chin Up


Then there were my various misadventures in home ownership: Busting Out Channel Locks at 10 PM and They Shoot Lawnmowers Don't They?  I haven't yet blogged about my Water Heater Woes, but suffice it to say three repair visits, two repairs, one flooded family room and one burnt wrist later, I still don't have a properly functioning water heater. 


This summer and fall brought a good deal of sadness, as several friends lost loved ones.  Tears of October  More recently, I was heartbroken as two families I know/know of, and for whom I'd been steadfastly praying, lost their infant daughters within days of each other.  Perspective


There is more...a lot more.  But it needn't be further detailed.  I think it's safe to say 2011 has had more than its share of bleh.  So, what does one do with that?  Well, unfortunately, my first instinct is typically to whine about it and wallow in it.  And, oh, have I done that.  I have once again become one with Eeyore.  And, frankly, I'm flat out sick of myself.  


So.  Enough.  It ends here.  As has become my (highly non-original) blogging tradition, it is time to become resolute.  Beginning with a revisit/review of 2011's resolutions: 


1)  Drink more water.  Year End Grade: B+.  Though I didn't do this as consistently as I should, I most certainly increased my water intake. (And, by default, decreased my other not-so-good beverage intake.  Well, maybe a little, anyway.) 

2)  Write more.  Year End Grade: A-.  I definitely did this.  Though I can't lay claim to consistent quality, I definitely upped my quantity.  

3)  Keep your feet on the ground. Year End Grade: C+.  I do okay with this for awhile. And then they get swept out from under me again.  And back on my ass I land.  I tried to enlist the Honey Badger's help with this, but he just don't care.

4)  Love the people who love you and love them well. Year End Grade: B.  I'd have given myself an A- at least if not for the last month or two.  In my Poor Me self-absorption, I have fallen down on the job. Terribly.  

5)  Focus on what you have instead of what you don't. Year End Grade: D. Yeah.  There's no way to sugar coat it.  I make a pretense of it.  I talk a good game.  But when push comes to shove, far too often I end up ruminating on all the things I don't have instead of truly being grateful for the many blessings in my life.  


And that's the thing...there are so many of those. Largely, they come in human form.  My angel of a daughter. My family. My amazing friends -- both old and new. But there are also my four-legged furballs (two of whom are sleeping soundly on either side of me at the moment).  There's my cozy little ragged, run-down house.  And my job -- I'm so very grateful to be gainfully employed.  


The truth of the matter is, for all the times I stub my toe on my Murphy's Law life, it really is a wonderful one... "You see George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?"  (Sorry - it's my favorite movie for a reason.)  Well, of course it would be, and I'd never just throw it away, or wish I'd never been born.  (Okay, there are a couple Mulligans I'd so very much love to take.  But unless and until I find a Flux Capacitor in my stocking, that won't be happening.)  


No, life, even at its thorniest, is a gift.  And I realize it is incumbent upon me to make the best of it.  So, in 2012, I resolve to keep the five resolutions listed above, and improve upon them in the following ways:

• Drinking more water goes hand-in-hand with healthier habits.  Yeah, I'd like to lose 5-7 pounds, yada, yada.  But I've found that what really keeps me on the right path is having a goal that requires me to remain dedicated to training.  I will be running the Go! St. Louis! Half Marathon in April, and the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in October.  I will also compete in at least two sprint triathlons this year.
• Writing more for the sheer enjoyment (and catharsis) of writing is all well and good -- and to that end, I'm going to reinstitute my smile series.  Not necessarily daily.  But a minimum of three per week. More importantly, I aim to take my political blogging more seriously.  It's an election year, after all.  Minimum of one substantive, political blog per week.  
• Keeping my feet on the ground is obviously a challenge for me.  I will therefore be implementing a 30 Day/Dragon Slayer Rule.  That will make practically no sense to anyone, save one or two of my closest friends.  That's okay.
• Loving the people who love me and loving them well -- I'm far better at this when I'm not awash in self-pity, which I will combat by...
• Focusing on what I have instead of what I don't.  Since this is the concept with which I struggle the most, I think it's probably time to call in the Big Gun.  What I see when I reflect on the above is a flagging spirit.  And though I don't believe the answer to that lies in church alone, I know that when I was regularly attending, I was on steadier ground, spiritually speaking.  Though God and I have heart-to-hearts on a quite regular basis, I find that attending church helps nourish my spirit in a way that our little chats don't quite accomplish. So, church.  At least twice a month.  Shoot - they have five different services.  I think I can squeeze one into my schedule.  And the podcasts for my long runs.  

Aside from the above, a couple odds and ends I'd like to incorporate into my "Being a Better Susie" program:  Decluttering my life.  (Which is to say, primarily, my house.)  Starting my work day out at 8:00 a.m. And starting a new hobby/passion, which I've already decided will probably be: photography...

Perspective

Frequently, I remark that I am having a Monday. Murphy's Law, while ever-present in my life, is most readily apparent on Mondays.  I don't believe I am alone in this. I think many of us find our reluctance to transition from weekend into work week manifested in minor mishaps and annoyances.  Of course, they don't always confine themselves to Monday, as this past Friday can attest: 


The day got off to a rocky start with me not leaving enough time for me or Riley to get ready in stress-free fashion.  I realized only a few minutes before it was time to wake her, that she'd left out candy for Clyde (our Elf on the Shelf), and he'd need to retrieve it and relocate.  As I tiptoed into her room to pluck the M&M's out of Clyde's "bed", I was certain I heard her stirring and that the jig was up. I threw caution to the wind, snatched them up and bolted out of her room, stubbing my toe on the way past her bed, but managing to hold the yelp of pain inside.  


I stashed the candy and hopped quickly into the shower, only to discover that the replacement of the gas control valve by Water Heater Repairman apparently did nothing to improve my hot water supply.  Ah well, didn't have time for more than a five minute shower anyway.  Once out, I got Riley up and moving, albeit slowly.  So slowly that it became painfully apparent she wouldn't have time to change her earrings to the red and green posts she'd selected to wear with her Christmas dress to the holiday show at school.  We were nearing Full Meltdown Mode with that, so I grabbed them and hustled her out the door, all the while calmly assuring her we'd get them swapped out in the car.  This, we managed, but not without much sighing, whining and the threat of tears (on her part, not mine).  


Upon our arrival at school, it was clear that even now, four months into the school year, parents dropping their wee ones off in the Carpool Lane still haven't quite figured out that, no, it is not appropriate to park adjacent to the yellow curb, as that then blocks all cars behind you and prevents the rest of us from dropping our wee ones off in timely fashion.  As I ushered Riley out of the car with about 45 seconds to spare before the bell rang, it occurred to me that I would likely not have enough time back at home to finish getting ready and accomplish the things I needed to accomplish before turning around and heading back to school to watch the holiday show.  


Sure enough, I didn't.  So I resolved to go to the show, then circle back again and finish up at the house before heading to the office. While I made it in time for the show, parking was scarce, as it always is for big events like this. I snagged a spot on a side street, noting as I hurried in that there was a Manchester cop placing parking tickets on cars parked on the main street.  Hmm.....this didn't look good. But I didn't have time to worry about it.  Once in the gym, I crammed myself into a seat between all the other parents and family members and did my best to enjoy the show. In truth, it was a cute show, and while the white gloves Riley's class wore to highlight their song did not, in fact, glow in the dark as intended, they still sounded good. My video of the performance is pure audio, but that's okay. 


After the show finished, I made my way to Riley's classroom to give her a hug and take a quick pic of her in her holiday finest.  Then back out to the car where I discovered that the cop had not confined himself to the main drag, but had, in fact, issued tickets to almost all of the cars parked on the street.  And these weren't just your run-of-the-mill tickets.  No, these were $35 tickets for  "parking within 15 feet of a mailbox."  Mind you, this is not a posted proscription, and if people were actually to abide by this rule in this neighborhood, there would be no street parking allowed (not even for special events at the school), as the yards are not terribly wide.  Fuming over that, I stopped to mention it to some other parents I knew and was reminded by the father that my left front tire was low.  So low that he recommended I not drive far on it.  


No problem.  Gas station right down the road.  Slight problem - the air hose requires $1 in quarters.  I had $.50 and no cash on me.  Back to the house I went to finish getting ready and gather up the items I needed with me, including $1 worth of quarters.  Back to the gas station to air up the tire.  Only something wasn't working right. I used up my $1 and it still hadn't inflated adequately.  While I'm no grease monkey, I assure you I've successfully aired a tire before.  But, I was willing to concede maybe I'd not done it properly, so perhaps another try was warranted.  I had gotten cash from the ATM by this point, so I dashed into the station and asked the clerk for change.  Back out to the air hose for another try -- no dice.  Something was clearly wrong with my tire.  And I had places to be.


Down the road I drove, to the nearest tire place.  I explained my dilemma and the fellow said they'd take a look and get me patched up.  It'd only be an hour.  I resisted the urge to let out a strangled scream and headed over to the lounge to take deep breaths.  An hour and fifteen minutes later, they had me repaired and I was on my way to the office, where I had a narrow window of time in which to finish up a pleading we needed to file that day.  I raced through it, realizing as I went that this was a bit more complicated than I had originally anticipated.  Thankfully, as I came perilously close to losing it, the partner with whom I was working on it agreed to take over and finish it up, while I completed the requisite Affidavits.  Which needed to be printed out on bond paper. On the printer which never correctly selects bond paper so needs to be tricked into doing so.  Which didn't work right the first time.  And then, when it finally did, I had difficulty tracking down the person I needed to have notarize it.  


I could go on...while there were definite bright spots to my Friday, and the days since, the deluge of mishaps and upsets (have I mentioned the mouse nest I found in my Christmas tree as I attempted to put it up?) have taken their toll, and left me feeling more than a little discouraged. 


But here's the thing...the bumps and bruises I've encountered in the past few days are nothing.  They will heal and they will pass and there will be cause to smile, maybe even before I expect it.  I say this with confidence because, even as I sit here, a little mopey and blue, I am all too well aware that there are people who would give anything to have a day like I just described, rather than be facing the types of days they are currently facing.   


I refer, in particular, to two families I know of whose infant daughters are currently fighting for their lives. Friends on Facebook or Twitter may have seen me mention Baby Ella and Baby Anna Joy.  Ella is a friend's 8 month old daughter.  She needs a heart transplant.  And she is having a tough time, fighting off infection and trying to stay healthy so that she's ready when a heart becomes available.  I know Ella is a fighter. I see it in her sweet little face every time I check my friend's Facebook page to see how she's doing.  But this is a difficult struggle. And I know, from reading the status updates, how hard this is on her Mama.  And, yet, I can't fathom it.


Nor can I fathom what Matt and Alissa Peppley are enduring as they watch their newborn daughter, Anna Joy, fight for her life.  I've been posting links to their blog, detailing Anna's story, and will include it here, as well: http://babyannajoy.blogspot.com/  Like Ella, Anna is a fighter.  And she's a miracle.  But she's also desperately in need of a miracle.  


I pray daily for them both, and my heart breaks for their parents and the thought of just how very hard it must be to see your little one, your beloved child, struggling so hard just to live.  I had the slightest -- thankfully, just the slightest -- hint of what that would be like when Riley was born. She was five-and-a-half weeks early, and though the doctors thought, at 5.2 lbs., she was big enough to be okay, she decided to be a little difficult and act like a true preemie, complete with jaundice and difficulty with feeding, and the need to be placed on a ventilator for awhile. Her first few weeks were spent hooked up to tubes and machines and monitors, and though I believed, most of the time, that she would eventually be okay, there were moments when I was filled with doubt and fear.  In particular, I recall a morning when the hospital called as I was getting ready to go in for my morning visit to let me know that her lung had collapsed and they thought they might need to transfer her to Children's Hospital.  I can't really put into words what that felt like.  It was a combination of terror and of certainty that I would give everything I had and all of me if it just meant that she would be okay. 


Fortunately, she was.  And our worries were largely laid to rest after those first weeks.  Since then, she's been a healthy, happy, amazingly wonderful little girl, and I am regularly reminded of just how blessed I am to have her in my life.  She is a gift. She is precious, and never to be taken for granted.  


Just like life.  Even on those days where it seems that nothing is going right.  So, I write this to remind me, and maybe those who read it, of that very simple, but ever-so-important truth. Helps to keep things in perspective.