Finishing up the vacation at home
We finally arrived home from North Carolina last night at around 6:45, and I found that my house had been painted while I was gone. The neighborhood association had decided to paint all the houses to try and bring up property values. I knew about it and that it was coming soon, so I wasn't entirely surprised that it had been completed while I was gone. Good timing, the dog would have hated having all those people right outside the windows, but she was in the kennel while I was away. Anyway, it looks nice. It used to be kind of a yucky green color, but now it's tan. Not as pretty as the blue some of the other houses got, but it looks pretty good.
Pretty soon after we got home, I ran out to put gas in my car, turn in an overdue library book I'd finished on the trip, and pick us up some dinner and then unpacked and got the laundry going while we watched the Tonys, which were excellent. We both really want to see the Book of Mormon and a few other shows now that we saw some numbers performed. Hopefully they will come to Orlando at some point. Also looking forward to seeing Company, which I think came out in movie theaters today. It's got Neil Patrick Harris and Stephen Colbert, plus some other big names.
Casey had some coupons for a day of free laser tag that her dad and step-mom had given her for Christmas, and they were expiring Friday, so we decided she should use them today. She invited Alejo, and his mom dropped him off on her way to work this morning, at 8:30. The place didn't open until 1, but she lives an hour away so that was easier than my having to go all the way there to get him later. Luckily Willow was not home yet (we'd gotten back in town after the kennel was closed yesterday), so we didn't have to worry about her trying to eat him while he hung out at the house. At around 10, my parents picked us all up and we went to look at a piano someone they knew was selling. Casey's keyboard died on her so she needs something for her lessons. We ended up deciding not to get this piano though because it's pretty big, so we'd have to hire someone to move it, plus it's really old and some of the keys don't work. I think we'll get her something a little more portable until her dad follows through on his promise of this one really nice keyboard she's had her eye on at Guitar Center.
So then my parents dropped me off at home and them off at Guitar Center to hang out for a while. I got right in my car and went to get some groceries and pick up some dog food at the vet, and then I was only home for a few minutes before I had to run back out and pick the kids up and take them to the laser tag place. It was a good 20 minute drive away, and then just as we arrived my car started overheating. Luckily I was able to drop them off, and then I went next door to a gas station and bought some bottled water to pour in the engine. It doesn't look good... brown liquid exploded all over me when I opened it. I'm hoping it's just rusty water, and I know it came out like that because it was so hot it was boiling, so hopefully it's not something horribly wrong. But I don't have a good feeling about it.
Anyway, I put the water in and headed for the garage, where my mom was going to pick me up so I could leave it for them to look at it. Well, I didn't make it... the car died on me was I was driving on the turnpike. Thank God I was at least able to pull over on the shoulder, but it was not a safe place to be, on a busy highway with cars and trucks whizzing by. It would just take one to weave a little bit and I'm done for. And it took the tow truck TWO HOURS to get to me. For a while I sat there dripping with sweat because it was literally 100 degrees outside and I couldn't run the A/C, but then my mom finally showed up and I sat in her van with her until they finally came and took the car away. Now I have the van until I either get my car back or they tell me it's DOA and I have to go buy a new one and somehow start making car payments again. SIGH.
So then I dropped my mom off at home and finally went to pick Willow up from the kennel (after handing over $165, bleh), brought her home and immediately gave her a bath because she smelled like ass (also washed her ass smelling blanket she'd brought with her), finished putting away the groceries, continued laundry, paid bills, colored my hair, and got caught up on Men of a Certain Age and The Killing.
So then my kid pissed me off. Alejo had told me that his mom was going to pick him up from my house at 9:30, so I told them I'd pick them up from laser tag at 9 and bring them home. At 7:30, Casey texted me that there was a Pizza Hut next door, and could they walk over and eat there? I said yes. Well, I guess they took their time getting over there because when I showed up at 9 as planned and called her, she said "Oh, they just brought us our pizza." I said "OK, then have them put it in a box and come on out." So then she's all "Would you be mad if we asked Alejo's mom to come get us later so we can finish eating first?" I said yes, I would be because that would mean that I drove all the way here (on a toll road) for nothing, and that they were really going to put his mom out because she was not only driving the hour from her house to get him, she was also going to have to take Casey all the way home and then drive all the way back to her house. For what? So they can eat their pizza in the restaurant instead of in the van? As I'm yelling this at her, I can hear that Alejo is already on the phone to his mom, asking her to pick them up there later. So then of course Casey was like "Well... now's she's already said she'd come get us..." I was so pissed, I yelled "Thanks a lot for making me drive out here for nothing!" or something and hung up and drove away. And then I was mad at myself for not marching in there and dragging them both out by the ears, but by then I was halfway back home on the highway.
So then she's texting me to call Alejo's mom and tell her how to get to the Pizza Hut, so I did and lo and behold, she had not gotten the full story from them. She was under the impression that I was not able to pick them up. So I look like an idiot parent who can't handle bringing my kid home. She had no idea I'd been sitting outside in the parking lot when he called her. I told her exactly what had gone down and she wasn't pleased either. When I got home I texted Casey that I thought it was incredibly rude of them to put her out like that all because they didn't want to get their pizza to go. She said "I'm sorry! If it helps, I feel really awful." I responded that I guess she didn't feel bad enough to get in the van.
Anyway, she's home safe and sound now, in bed. I'm going to sleep myself in a minute. Back to work tomorrow. I'm sure I'll have quite a pile waiting for me.
Actually, other than sitting on the side of the road for 2 hours and Casey being inconsiderate, today was kind of nice. After being around so many family members for the past week, just having a day mostly to myself was amazing. I even enjoyed my trip to Walmart! Huh. Never thought I'd say that.
Pretty soon after we got home, I ran out to put gas in my car, turn in an overdue library book I'd finished on the trip, and pick us up some dinner and then unpacked and got the laundry going while we watched the Tonys, which were excellent. We both really want to see the Book of Mormon and a few other shows now that we saw some numbers performed. Hopefully they will come to Orlando at some point. Also looking forward to seeing Company, which I think came out in movie theaters today. It's got Neil Patrick Harris and Stephen Colbert, plus some other big names.
Casey had some coupons for a day of free laser tag that her dad and step-mom had given her for Christmas, and they were expiring Friday, so we decided she should use them today. She invited Alejo, and his mom dropped him off on her way to work this morning, at 8:30. The place didn't open until 1, but she lives an hour away so that was easier than my having to go all the way there to get him later. Luckily Willow was not home yet (we'd gotten back in town after the kennel was closed yesterday), so we didn't have to worry about her trying to eat him while he hung out at the house. At around 10, my parents picked us all up and we went to look at a piano someone they knew was selling. Casey's keyboard died on her so she needs something for her lessons. We ended up deciding not to get this piano though because it's pretty big, so we'd have to hire someone to move it, plus it's really old and some of the keys don't work. I think we'll get her something a little more portable until her dad follows through on his promise of this one really nice keyboard she's had her eye on at Guitar Center.
So then my parents dropped me off at home and them off at Guitar Center to hang out for a while. I got right in my car and went to get some groceries and pick up some dog food at the vet, and then I was only home for a few minutes before I had to run back out and pick the kids up and take them to the laser tag place. It was a good 20 minute drive away, and then just as we arrived my car started overheating. Luckily I was able to drop them off, and then I went next door to a gas station and bought some bottled water to pour in the engine. It doesn't look good... brown liquid exploded all over me when I opened it. I'm hoping it's just rusty water, and I know it came out like that because it was so hot it was boiling, so hopefully it's not something horribly wrong. But I don't have a good feeling about it.
Anyway, I put the water in and headed for the garage, where my mom was going to pick me up so I could leave it for them to look at it. Well, I didn't make it... the car died on me was I was driving on the turnpike. Thank God I was at least able to pull over on the shoulder, but it was not a safe place to be, on a busy highway with cars and trucks whizzing by. It would just take one to weave a little bit and I'm done for. And it took the tow truck TWO HOURS to get to me. For a while I sat there dripping with sweat because it was literally 100 degrees outside and I couldn't run the A/C, but then my mom finally showed up and I sat in her van with her until they finally came and took the car away. Now I have the van until I either get my car back or they tell me it's DOA and I have to go buy a new one and somehow start making car payments again. SIGH.
So then I dropped my mom off at home and finally went to pick Willow up from the kennel (after handing over $165, bleh), brought her home and immediately gave her a bath because she smelled like ass (also washed her ass smelling blanket she'd brought with her), finished putting away the groceries, continued laundry, paid bills, colored my hair, and got caught up on Men of a Certain Age and The Killing.
So then my kid pissed me off. Alejo had told me that his mom was going to pick him up from my house at 9:30, so I told them I'd pick them up from laser tag at 9 and bring them home. At 7:30, Casey texted me that there was a Pizza Hut next door, and could they walk over and eat there? I said yes. Well, I guess they took their time getting over there because when I showed up at 9 as planned and called her, she said "Oh, they just brought us our pizza." I said "OK, then have them put it in a box and come on out." So then she's all "Would you be mad if we asked Alejo's mom to come get us later so we can finish eating first?" I said yes, I would be because that would mean that I drove all the way here (on a toll road) for nothing, and that they were really going to put his mom out because she was not only driving the hour from her house to get him, she was also going to have to take Casey all the way home and then drive all the way back to her house. For what? So they can eat their pizza in the restaurant instead of in the van? As I'm yelling this at her, I can hear that Alejo is already on the phone to his mom, asking her to pick them up there later. So then of course Casey was like "Well... now's she's already said she'd come get us..." I was so pissed, I yelled "Thanks a lot for making me drive out here for nothing!" or something and hung up and drove away. And then I was mad at myself for not marching in there and dragging them both out by the ears, but by then I was halfway back home on the highway.
So then she's texting me to call Alejo's mom and tell her how to get to the Pizza Hut, so I did and lo and behold, she had not gotten the full story from them. She was under the impression that I was not able to pick them up. So I look like an idiot parent who can't handle bringing my kid home. She had no idea I'd been sitting outside in the parking lot when he called her. I told her exactly what had gone down and she wasn't pleased either. When I got home I texted Casey that I thought it was incredibly rude of them to put her out like that all because they didn't want to get their pizza to go. She said "I'm sorry! If it helps, I feel really awful." I responded that I guess she didn't feel bad enough to get in the van.
Anyway, she's home safe and sound now, in bed. I'm going to sleep myself in a minute. Back to work tomorrow. I'm sure I'll have quite a pile waiting for me.
Actually, other than sitting on the side of the road for 2 hours and Casey being inconsiderate, today was kind of nice. After being around so many family members for the past week, just having a day mostly to myself was amazing. I even enjoyed my trip to Walmart! Huh. Never thought I'd say that.