The Little Air Conditioner that Could....

Our air conditioner is 10 years old. She's been a good air conditioner. We have had very few issues. A replaced starter, some tinkering and she keeps on going. But recently things have been tough. It's been over a 100 degrees for over a week. Kids are constantly running in and out (and you know how bad neighbor kids are about shutting doors). 

Last week, our bedrooms were warmer than usual and the thermostat read 83 degrees. A little too warm. Mike cranked it to 76 and by the morning it was 76. I thought it was nearing the end of our dear AC so I called the air conditioner guy who advertises on our preferred radio station--the classiest commute in the metroplex ;) They  could come out that afternoon.

I took the kids to the gym and came home to a freezing house. I turned the AC to 79. The house was soon comfy and cancelled the appointment. Our AC was going to make it one more summer.

And then the weekend came. On Saturday as it got warmer outside, it heated up in the house. By bedtime, it was back to 83. I got out fans and the kids slept in the coolest bedroom, ours and I 'slept' in the family room with Spanky. I was not a happy camper at church.

I started trying to figure out how we could pay for a new AC unit. I wondered how much my right kidney was worth but remembering my left kidney was badly damaged thanks to a childhood infection, I decided against it. Mike decided to try putting it back to 76. And the AC kicked in and the house, once again cool.

You could actually hear our AC chanting I think I can I think I can I think I can.

On Sunday, it slowly got a bit warmer but despite the 104 degree temperture, clouds started to appear. The sun was not visibly melting everything in sight. It showed a chance of rain. The house remained comfortable.

And now I wait, we wait....to see if our AC will hold on for just one more month to take advantage of the winter AC sales. 

I think it can. I think it can. I think it can.

Sunday Story--Get on the Bus

The bus was really nice, seriously--plush, comfy. I liked it. Our driver, Riemond, was an Austrian who I believe was driving in the womb. He was able to maneuver our giant tour bus like an agile Ferrarri in the winding streets and steep narrow roads that led our travels through the Alps. It really was beautiful.

In order to be fair, we moved back a seat after every stop so everyone would have a chance at the front, the back, the left, the right. I didn't mind too much. We had only moved about three times at this point.

At our next stop, Mike, I and our our couple friends, Brian and Tracy, chattered with the young grandson from Australia. He ws annoyed.

"Grandma getting on your nerves?" Mike asked him as we waited for our coffee (they do no serve coffee in to-go cups so we were in a bit of hurry to get our caffeine fix before we had to move on).

The young boy shook his head. "No, I love Grandmum. It's that old bag behind me."

"What's wrong with her?" I kind of giggled, trying to figure out which 'old bag' he was referring.

"Is she annoying?" Mike asked.

We had an annoying man behind us. He was obsessed with pointing out each and every cow we saw--because cows are so rare in the States.

"No. She just pisses in her seat and then I get to sit in it."

The four of us almost spat out our just arrived coffee.

Brian's eyes widened, "No way. Which one?"

"Is it the one with the black cane?"

"The one with the bluish hair?"

"Is it that lady in the big hat?"

Yes, we were berating him with questions as we wanted to make very sure we did not ever sit anywhere near her on the bus.

"It's her," he looked down at his shoes and pointed to his right.

Like a curious group of high school boys gawking at girls, all of us turned and stared.  It was the older woman with the limp but no cane. I tried to record every detail of her to make sure we stayed, away, far, away.

*****************

The next morning as we were walking to the bus, I noticed the young grandson already on the bus. He was actually the first one there.

"I plan on getting a good seat, "he smiled when he saw us.

As we were getting on the bus, we saw our friend with the bladder issues. And we noticed her 'issue' had become common knowledge as people scattered (as fast as the elder can scatter) when she sat down. The grandson and his grandmum sat right behind the old lady. Since we moved back, he would not have to ever sit in pee. He might have to smell it but at least he would never sit in her seat.

As the bus started, Lars our tour guide began to tell us about our next destination, Munich. "Oh and for a change of pace, "he added. "We will be moving forward a seat rather than back after each stop."

The poor boy shoved his face in his hands and I think I may have heard sobs.

What a Cleveland Browns Fan Says

(I have been a diehard Cleveland Browns fan since I was in diapers. I have gone through this cycle almost every year of my life. I am telling myself if I type this out, Murphy's Law will take over and the months following August will not happen and we will win the Superbowl. I believe, I believe....)

August--This is our year baby, I can feel it.

September--A few loses, not a big deal. The season is young.

October--Well, we have a couple areas that need work (offense and defense) but we have a good shot at the Wild Card.

November--It's all good. This is a total rebuilding year anyway. Did you see Ohio State clear the field with michigan ?

December--We are going to get some awesome players in the draft. 

January--Just wait til next year. We are going to RULE!

Such are my seasons. But please, don't feel sorry for me. I went to OHIO STATE, 'nuff said (shut up LSU).

GO BUCKS!

Wordless Wednesday--Chocolate Chunks with Coconut

Edited to add: Om my gosh--it's Thursday! I thought it was Wednesday. I am losing my mind....when does school start again?!

I need a Superhero Badge :)

Seriously folks. My washer 'broke'. I was washing a cheap bathmat Spanky 'used' when I took off his diaper to take a bath.  I dumbly popped it in my fancy washer and half-way through the wash, I got an OE message. I looked it up--clogged drain.

I panicked. I cannot live without a washer. I have four children--three are not very neat and the fourth has a very specific wardrobe. I cannot live without a washer.

Fixing things is not my thing though. I have difficulty hanging a picture on the wall, I can't tell the difference between a screwdriver with the star and the one with the line (I know one is called a flathead though). I usually leave fixing to the husband but he was busy and would be busy til late. I needed it fixed.

I did what I always do. I called a handyman. He would not be able to arrive til the following afternoon and would charge a hefty service call for a clogged drain. 

Surely there had to be a better way. I goggled the name of my washer and found the manual. I found the page that showed the drain filter and instructions on how to clean it. It didn't look that hard.

I popped open the cover, put a bucket under valve, unscrewed it and out popped the very nasty yuck covered filter, oh and a lot of water. I cleaned it, replaced the filter popped back on the lid, tried the washer and BAM it worked.

I canceled the handyman. No need--Lisa the Super Hero is in the house :)

So I do this just about every weekday at five

I prep dinner and I turn on Malcolm in the Middle. I'm not sure how it started. I always thought the show was funny but not funny enough to watch like everyday. 

Yet after dealing with fighting, whining, boo-boos, feeding starving children and keeping the home from being condemned by the Board of Health, the 3o minutes get me through the day. It's gotten to the point if we are out around 4:15, I start getting everyone ready to go home so I can catch my show--even though I am pretty sure I have seen every single episode twice now.

And then when it's over, I get that second wind. Like I handle the next few hours til bed time. It's my Malcolm in the Middle Magic.

So I'm wondering if I am alone here. Do any of you moms reach the end of your rope around 5 everyday? If so, what do you do when you need to wind down?

And if you need a quick break from it all. Watch this. Now. Seriously.

Sunday Story--A couple of Whipper Snappers

So all in all, London was perfect, amazing and everything else :) We did as many touristy things as we could. Riding the top of the double decker tour bus, visiting the Tower, Big Ben, Scotland Yard, Harods and a dozen other things.

And then it was time to move on to our tour. Before we got married, Mike and I met with a travel agent that convinced us joining a tour was the way to go for our first (and so far only) European adventure. We wanted to see the castles, specifically the castles of King Ludwig. There was a tour that featured the castles and visited Munich during Oktoberfest. We thought this would be perfect.

We landed in Zurich, Switzerland and immediately noticed a distinct difference no other city could compare. It was clean and by clean, I mean you could lick the trash cans clean. Even the toilets were spotless; after you flushed a mechanical arm attached to the seat and cleaned it. I was a very relaxed germaphob.

The hotel was nothing too special. It was incredibly modern with a giant life size chess board at the entrance (yes, we did play a game!).  We looked around the hotel and then waited on the rest of the tour group.

I was a bit nervous. The hotel was almost empty, save a few older people with canes and us. 

"What do you think the tour group will be like?" I asked Mike over a traditional fondue meal.

"I'm guessing honeymooners like us. Maybe some just married couples," Mike shrugged his shoulders and cracked some fresh pepper over the cheese pot. 

I popped some bread covered in cheese in my mouth and nodded.

"Yeah, I bet it will be fun."

"I wonder if all of Europe is this clean?" Mike mumbled.

*********************

The next morning, we packed up and got ready to visit our tour group in the clean, sleek , lobby. As we got out of the elevator, we noticed a sharp contrast to the modern surroundings. Approximately 35 'older' people we congregated on the sofas and chairs. Was this our tour group?

I scanned to crowd and noticed a younger than high school boy calling a woman next to hime grandmum and then a younger couple with the buttons given to us in the tour guide. Were we supposed to wear those?

Naturally, we went beside the younger couple. 

"Are you with the INSIGHT  tour?" the girl from the couple asked us.

We nodded and introduced ourselves.

"Thank God, you're here," began Scott, the boy from the couple. "Everyone here is OLD. I mean dinosaur old." 

Tracy, the girl, nodded. "If we didn't put on these stupid buttons, we would have left."

"It can't be that bad, hee, hee" I giggled looking around knowing it could be that bad.

Suddenly a younger, like in his thirties, man stood up and spoke. His name was Lars from Norway and he would be our tour guide. He briefly discussed the tour and then asked if anyone would need handicap assistance. Half the group rose their hands.

Mike and I slowly began to realize we would be spending the majority of our honeymoon on a giant bus with people almost four times our age.

I turned to our new friends. Our best friends for the next two weeks.

"Want to get a drink before we get on the bus?"