I'm going on 10 days now with this damn cold. It just won't go away. Wah.
Ok, enough complaining. We had a great weekend. Yay! On Saturday morning, it was just me and Ellie. The last few weeks have been torture going shopping because Ellie pitches a fit the minute we put her in a shopping cart. Grocery shopping was our normal Sat. morning thing, so I've been crushed that Ellie doesn't want to do it anymore. Last week, I actually just went by myself and left her home with Harry because I was feeling so crappy and didn't want to wrestle with a nearly 2 year old in order to purchase our weekly sustenance.
I was originally going to wait until Harry got home from work to go grocery shopping, but Ellie was in such a good mood I decided to venture out on our own. I brought along a new sippy cup (with straw!), hoping that would make the trip more fun for her. And it worked! She was awesome for the entire trip. I know I'm not out of the woods yet, but it was nice nonetheless. I think the cup will be saved for weekends only in the hopes that she'll see it as a treat (I know that's lame, but it it works, I'll take it).
After she woke up from her afternoon nap, we all ventured out to the party store a few towns over to pick up all the stuff for Ellie's upcoming birthday party. I've been scouring internet stores all week looking for Blue's Clues party supplies, but it seems each place only carries certain things. I'd need to order from like 3 different places to get everything I want, and that's just way too much to spend on shipping. My last option was to check out Party City, hoping that since they have most of the stuff on their website, they'd have it at the store.
No deal. They had no Blue's Clues at all. Sadness. So we went with Dora instead. There's tons of Dora stuff to choose from everywhere we go. We even picked up a Dora baseball cap for Ellie, which she wouldn't let go of the entire time we were there. And again, we had another successful shopping trip. There were a shload of people there, too, and she was still cool with it. Hurray!
On Sunday, we had to run out to Home Depot for a few things, and she was cool with that trip, too. We're on a roll now. Please, please, please let this mean she's good with the shopping thing again.
Harry tackled bathroom home improvement this weekend. When we did our home inspection, we found some water damage to the floor immediately in front of the bathtub. We knew we'd have to fix it once we moved in. Harry pulled the flooring up in that area yesterday, replaced all the wood, then put down a new floor. It looks great. The bathroom is still all old fashioned looking, but at least the floor looks better than it did. We know that we're gonna have to demo the whole thing in a few years though, so I can live with the wallpaper and blue tile until then.
Kim and Niko came by for our weekly playdate yesterday, too. Ellie pushed him around again, but we kind of let the kids work it out on their own this time. In the end, they really started playing with one another instead of simply playing alone near each other. It's pretty cool. And Kim and I got to relax and chat for an hour or two. It saves both our sanities.
My mom came by to visit last night, too, which I've really been enjoying since we moved in. Ellie loves seeing her, too. Who would have thought that a new house would bring us even closer together? Yay!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Books and CDs
I am an avid reader and music lover, as most of you know. Nothing makes me happier than a good book and some decent tunes (Well, Ellie makes me happier than both, but that's a given).
I've managed to read quite a few good books lately and hear some really excellent music. So much so that I decided to splurge on myself a little and pick up some new stuff this week.
First, I'll start with the books I've recently read. It all started soon after we moved in, and I finally got back to the library. I read Stephenie Meyer's The Host, which I must say, I surprisingly enjoyed. The storyline seemed a bit hokey when I read the blurb, but in the end, it proved to be an interesting one. This is a purely for-entertainment-only book, my friends; you will not find the meaning of life in it, but it would make one hell of a sci-fi movie.
After that, I read David Sedaris's When You Are Engulfed in Flames. I heart Sedaris. I really do. This book was yet another literary feat. I definitely recommend it.
Next, I read Breaking Dawn, the last installment of the Twilight series. Loved it. I know quite a few Twilight fans gave this one a thumbs down, but not this girl. It was oh-so-good.
After that, I read Ian McEwan's Atonement. This was chosen by my book club. It's not something I would have normally chosen to read, and after getting through 90 or so grueling pages that poured words forth as slow as molasses, I was ready to give up. Luckily, the story picked up soon after that, and I ended up totally enraptured with the wartime parts of the novel. Another good read.
Next, I read Gregory Maguire's Son of a Witch. I was a big fan of Wicked, and I still can't believe I never got around to reading the next installment. Loved it, loved it, loved it. And I hear a 3rd installment is coming about. Hurray!
And now, I've just finished Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. I had read a bit of his work earlier this year, and I knew I had to read more. His book read like pure poetry. I balled my eyes out quite a few times reading this. It's one of the best books I've read all year. I can't wait to get my hands on A Thousand Splendid Suns. The man is genius.
Now for the books I just bought:
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini. The sci-fi geek in me has been waiting for the third installment to the Inheritence Cycle. I'll probably start reading it tomorrow.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Sure, it's a book for young adults. So what? It's Gaiman, people.
Next up is some good music I've purchased:
Jude's album, Cuba. If you've heard Jude, like No-One-Is-Really-Beautiful-Jude, you will love this album. His sweet voice is mesmerizing once again. And there are no label big bosses telling him what he can and can't put on the recond. This ain't no King of Yesterday.
Regina Spektor - Songs - This album was put out in 2002 I think, way before we'd all ever heard of Ms. Spektor. I can't get enough of this album. Oedipus is probably my favorite track.
Music I've just ordered:
Who Killed Amanda Palmer? by... Amanda Palmer from The Dresden Dolls. Two other artists, Neil Gaiman and Ben Folds, have contributed to this project. I can't wait to have a listen.
Way to Normal - Ben Folds - Ben is a musical genius.
Carnavas - Silversun Pickups - I've been hearing the song Lazy Eye on the radio for months now, and I just found out who sang it (mostly because I couldn't even figure out the name of the damn song!). I gave a quick listen to the rest of the album, and it's so me.
I'll write reviews for all the stuff that coming my way in the mail soon.
I've managed to read quite a few good books lately and hear some really excellent music. So much so that I decided to splurge on myself a little and pick up some new stuff this week.
First, I'll start with the books I've recently read. It all started soon after we moved in, and I finally got back to the library. I read Stephenie Meyer's The Host, which I must say, I surprisingly enjoyed. The storyline seemed a bit hokey when I read the blurb, but in the end, it proved to be an interesting one. This is a purely for-entertainment-only book, my friends; you will not find the meaning of life in it, but it would make one hell of a sci-fi movie.
After that, I read David Sedaris's When You Are Engulfed in Flames. I heart Sedaris. I really do. This book was yet another literary feat. I definitely recommend it.
Next, I read Breaking Dawn, the last installment of the Twilight series. Loved it. I know quite a few Twilight fans gave this one a thumbs down, but not this girl. It was oh-so-good.
After that, I read Ian McEwan's Atonement. This was chosen by my book club. It's not something I would have normally chosen to read, and after getting through 90 or so grueling pages that poured words forth as slow as molasses, I was ready to give up. Luckily, the story picked up soon after that, and I ended up totally enraptured with the wartime parts of the novel. Another good read.
Next, I read Gregory Maguire's Son of a Witch. I was a big fan of Wicked, and I still can't believe I never got around to reading the next installment. Loved it, loved it, loved it. And I hear a 3rd installment is coming about. Hurray!
And now, I've just finished Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. I had read a bit of his work earlier this year, and I knew I had to read more. His book read like pure poetry. I balled my eyes out quite a few times reading this. It's one of the best books I've read all year. I can't wait to get my hands on A Thousand Splendid Suns. The man is genius.
Now for the books I just bought:
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini. The sci-fi geek in me has been waiting for the third installment to the Inheritence Cycle. I'll probably start reading it tomorrow.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Sure, it's a book for young adults. So what? It's Gaiman, people.
Next up is some good music I've purchased:
Jude's album, Cuba. If you've heard Jude, like No-One-Is-Really-Beautiful-Jude, you will love this album. His sweet voice is mesmerizing once again. And there are no label big bosses telling him what he can and can't put on the recond. This ain't no King of Yesterday.
Regina Spektor - Songs - This album was put out in 2002 I think, way before we'd all ever heard of Ms. Spektor. I can't get enough of this album. Oedipus is probably my favorite track.
Music I've just ordered:
Who Killed Amanda Palmer? by... Amanda Palmer from The Dresden Dolls. Two other artists, Neil Gaiman and Ben Folds, have contributed to this project. I can't wait to have a listen.
Way to Normal - Ben Folds - Ben is a musical genius.
Carnavas - Silversun Pickups - I've been hearing the song Lazy Eye on the radio for months now, and I just found out who sang it (mostly because I couldn't even figure out the name of the damn song!). I gave a quick listen to the rest of the album, and it's so me.
I'll write reviews for all the stuff that coming my way in the mail soon.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Arte y Pico
Cathy has nominated me for this wonderful award:
The literal translation, according to Cathy, is "art and peak" and is awarded to interesting and creative blogs. How cool! As I commented to Cathy, I thought I had lost my creativity when I stopped writing poetry. It's been nice to find that I've still got it - heh heh.
With the award comes the responsibility to nominate 5 fellow bloggers. Here are the rules:
1) Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award based on creativity, design, interesting material & overall contribution to the blogger community.
2) Post the name of the author & a link to his or her blog so everyone can view it.
3) Each award winner has to show the award & put the name & link to the blog that has given him or her the award.
4) The award winner & presenter should post the link of the “Arte y Pico” blog so everyone will know the origin of the award.
5) Post these rules.
So without further ado, my 5:
1. Cristina - Oh, how I love, love, love my Homey's writing. She has a way with words. She molds and sculpts them into works of art. I hope I get one of the first copies of her future book(s). Here that, C!
2. Kristin - Oh, and the second blog here - Oh, and now the third blog here - Need I say more?
3. Cathy - and her new photo challenge blog here - Right back atcha, babe! Cathy's got creativity up the wazoo! She knits, she bakes, she cooks, she takes photos, and she does them all well! She's not so good at putting bikes together, but nobody's perfect.
4. Jae - she takes some of the most interesting and impressive photos I've seen. I love when she's got a post full of them. I see the words "photo heavy" in the title, and I get all kinds of excited.
5. Postsecret - I've been following this blog for quite some time now. The very idea of it inspires me.
The literal translation, according to Cathy, is "art and peak" and is awarded to interesting and creative blogs. How cool! As I commented to Cathy, I thought I had lost my creativity when I stopped writing poetry. It's been nice to find that I've still got it - heh heh.
With the award comes the responsibility to nominate 5 fellow bloggers. Here are the rules:
1) Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award based on creativity, design, interesting material & overall contribution to the blogger community.
2) Post the name of the author & a link to his or her blog so everyone can view it.
3) Each award winner has to show the award & put the name & link to the blog that has given him or her the award.
4) The award winner & presenter should post the link of the “Arte y Pico” blog so everyone will know the origin of the award.
5) Post these rules.
So without further ado, my 5:
1. Cristina - Oh, how I love, love, love my Homey's writing. She has a way with words. She molds and sculpts them into works of art. I hope I get one of the first copies of her future book(s). Here that, C!
2. Kristin - Oh, and the second blog here - Oh, and now the third blog here - Need I say more?
3. Cathy - and her new photo challenge blog here - Right back atcha, babe! Cathy's got creativity up the wazoo! She knits, she bakes, she cooks, she takes photos, and she does them all well! She's not so good at putting bikes together, but nobody's perfect.
4. Jae - she takes some of the most interesting and impressive photos I've seen. I love when she's got a post full of them. I see the words "photo heavy" in the title, and I get all kinds of excited.
5. Postsecret - I've been following this blog for quite some time now. The very idea of it inspires me.
Monday, September 22, 2008
We have a fence!
I updated that we had all the posts set Friday, but it ended up that we didn't have a completed fence by Saturday. They were supposed to show up first thing Saturday morning to finish, but that didn't happen. Instead we got a call from Eli saying they would be there soon but asking if we could write our check out to the guys putting the fence up instead of to the company because the check from the last job bounced and the company didn't have enough cashola to pay their workers? Seriously?
Unfortunately for Eli (and us apparently), we were paying by credit card, so no-go (and it sounded a little shady to me besides). An hour later, no one had still shown up. We called Eli, and he said he was now trying to get another team together because the other one wouldn't do it because of the whole payment debacle (can you blame them?). We got another call about 4 hours later telling us he'd found another team (a guy plus his son he's apprenticing), and they'd be out soon to start, completing Sunday morning.
At 7pm, while we're giving Ellie her bath, someone rings the doorbell. It's the poor guy who agreed to do our job on his Sat. evening/Sunday morning. It was almost dark by this time, and the dude was dripping sweat from every pore in his body. He asked if he could start Sunday morning instead, and of course, we said yes.
True to his word, the guy showed up Sunday morning and got to work. He worked nearly all day (with a 1.5 hr lunchbreak), and he did a fantastic job. We couldn't be more pleased. We watched him work, and you could tell how much time and care and pride he put into his work.
As he was cleaning up, Harry asked him about the tension line that was supposed to be installed at the bottom of the fence, and he told us the company never gave it to him. Figures. Harry even reminded Eli about the damn thing on the phone Saturday.
After they left, Harry called Eli again about the tension line, and, for some reason, Eli thought Harry was talking about something else. Whatever. Someone's supposed to be out today to put it on. I'm not holding my breath.
But we have a fence. At first, Ellie was none too happy about it. Harry took her out to play, and when he closed the gate, she flipped. She started shaking the gate, trying to get out, and wailing at the top of her lungs. Yikes.
I suggested we take her outside to play again after dinner, but bringing her out the back door instead. That seemed to work better. She didn't freak.
***
In other news, for those who don't know, Harry is the King of Tag Saling. This man loves tag sales like nobody's business. He's a sucker for them. Every time we drive by a sign for one, I cringe, hoping he didn't see it. I used to love tag sales as a kid, too, but not so much anymore. I don't need to sift through someone's teaspoon collection or glasswares from 1955. I've got plenty of my own junk at home. Harry, on the other hand, sees treasure.
He did get me a rather nice bookcase a few years ago, so he doesn't just bring home trash (and he does bring home trash on occasion which irks me to no end). And I will admit, he did hit the jackpot this weekend.
One of the houses we were dying to buy but couldn't afford has finally been sold. The previous owners have to be out by this coming Thursday, so they had a tag sale this weekend to get rid of as many things as possible to make their move easier. While I went grocery shopping, Harry took Ellie to go check it out. Ellie must be his lucky charm (or maybe she's just too cute and has some secret power to get people to give her things).
He ended up scoring this awesome Little Tikes kitchen for Miss Ellie, including 100 odd kitcheny things like plates, bowls, food, etc. She's in love with this thing. He got it all for $10. He also got her a portable slide for $5, which he's planning on putting in the finished basement this winter so Ellie still has a playground for when it's cold (can you say spoiled? - LOL). The woman threw in a kid's art easel for free, which was something I had been wanting to get for her. Bonus!
Last, he got a receiver, speakers, and 50-CD changer for $10. I'm not kidding. It's in perfect working order. The hinge on the door to the CD changer had been broken off, but Harry fixed it. We hooked it up to the TV, and now we have stereo sound. How cool! And I got to select 50 discs to put in the changer. We listened to music all weekend instead of watched TV. That's pretty cool.
I had to give him a pat on the back for it all. I love a bargain, I'll admit, and since we started dating, Harry now shares my enthusiasm for finding the best deals. I've wanted a large CD changer for years, but they're just too pricey. I know he was trying to think of a way to get me one for Christmas, but I had firmly put my foot down about it last week when I saw him searching for them on the internet. Who would have thought he'd come across one at a tag sale?
I'm a happy girl:)
Unfortunately for Eli (and us apparently), we were paying by credit card, so no-go (and it sounded a little shady to me besides). An hour later, no one had still shown up. We called Eli, and he said he was now trying to get another team together because the other one wouldn't do it because of the whole payment debacle (can you blame them?). We got another call about 4 hours later telling us he'd found another team (a guy plus his son he's apprenticing), and they'd be out soon to start, completing Sunday morning.
At 7pm, while we're giving Ellie her bath, someone rings the doorbell. It's the poor guy who agreed to do our job on his Sat. evening/Sunday morning. It was almost dark by this time, and the dude was dripping sweat from every pore in his body. He asked if he could start Sunday morning instead, and of course, we said yes.
True to his word, the guy showed up Sunday morning and got to work. He worked nearly all day (with a 1.5 hr lunchbreak), and he did a fantastic job. We couldn't be more pleased. We watched him work, and you could tell how much time and care and pride he put into his work.
As he was cleaning up, Harry asked him about the tension line that was supposed to be installed at the bottom of the fence, and he told us the company never gave it to him. Figures. Harry even reminded Eli about the damn thing on the phone Saturday.
After they left, Harry called Eli again about the tension line, and, for some reason, Eli thought Harry was talking about something else. Whatever. Someone's supposed to be out today to put it on. I'm not holding my breath.
But we have a fence. At first, Ellie was none too happy about it. Harry took her out to play, and when he closed the gate, she flipped. She started shaking the gate, trying to get out, and wailing at the top of her lungs. Yikes.
I suggested we take her outside to play again after dinner, but bringing her out the back door instead. That seemed to work better. She didn't freak.
***
In other news, for those who don't know, Harry is the King of Tag Saling. This man loves tag sales like nobody's business. He's a sucker for them. Every time we drive by a sign for one, I cringe, hoping he didn't see it. I used to love tag sales as a kid, too, but not so much anymore. I don't need to sift through someone's teaspoon collection or glasswares from 1955. I've got plenty of my own junk at home. Harry, on the other hand, sees treasure.
He did get me a rather nice bookcase a few years ago, so he doesn't just bring home trash (and he does bring home trash on occasion which irks me to no end). And I will admit, he did hit the jackpot this weekend.
One of the houses we were dying to buy but couldn't afford has finally been sold. The previous owners have to be out by this coming Thursday, so they had a tag sale this weekend to get rid of as many things as possible to make their move easier. While I went grocery shopping, Harry took Ellie to go check it out. Ellie must be his lucky charm (or maybe she's just too cute and has some secret power to get people to give her things).
He ended up scoring this awesome Little Tikes kitchen for Miss Ellie, including 100 odd kitcheny things like plates, bowls, food, etc. She's in love with this thing. He got it all for $10. He also got her a portable slide for $5, which he's planning on putting in the finished basement this winter so Ellie still has a playground for when it's cold (can you say spoiled? - LOL). The woman threw in a kid's art easel for free, which was something I had been wanting to get for her. Bonus!
Last, he got a receiver, speakers, and 50-CD changer for $10. I'm not kidding. It's in perfect working order. The hinge on the door to the CD changer had been broken off, but Harry fixed it. We hooked it up to the TV, and now we have stereo sound. How cool! And I got to select 50 discs to put in the changer. We listened to music all weekend instead of watched TV. That's pretty cool.
I had to give him a pat on the back for it all. I love a bargain, I'll admit, and since we started dating, Harry now shares my enthusiasm for finding the best deals. I've wanted a large CD changer for years, but they're just too pricey. I know he was trying to think of a way to get me one for Christmas, but I had firmly put my foot down about it last week when I saw him searching for them on the internet. Who would have thought he'd come across one at a tag sale?
I'm a happy girl:)
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Fence from Hell
We moved into our new home July 27th. The next day, we had a fence company come out to give us an estimate for the front of our yard. In all, we need 125' of fence to complete the one already on the property. This adds up to about 12-14 holes being dug, posts cemented in, chain link being run across, and a gate installed. It's a small job, so we were expecting an low estimate. NOT. It was over $3000! Can you say holy crap?
So the next week, we invited another fence company to come out and give us an estimate, one that was still a little higher than we expected, but way lower than the first. We checked out their credentials, checked on the BBB (of which they're actually a member), etc. Everything looked good. The one thing we asked before signing the offer was if they used materials from Home Depot or Lowes because we had already checked those out and we weren't impressed. They assured us that they only purchased materials from a vendor that supplied industrial quality fence and that you actually needed a contracting license in order to buy. Basically, the fence we would be getting is exactly like the one already on the property. That's what we wanted to hear, so we signed. We were told it was a 4 week wait, but most likely, our job would get done earlier because it was so small. This was on August 10th.
Fast forward 4 weeks. No calls. No workers. No fence. We started calling, leaving messages, etc. We finally got in touch with the owner who assured us that work would begin the next week. He said he had been in the hospital the previous week, and since he does all the purchasing and scheduling, nothing had been done that week.
So the next week comes around, we call a few times more, and finally, the owner tells us work will begin Thurdsay, Sept. 11th. At 4pm Sept 11th, I get a call from the owner telling me they didn't make it out to our house after all, but they'd be there first thing the next morning. The job would be completed by that afternoon.
At 4pm on Friday, the 12th, Harry comes home to find 2 guys JUST starting to dig holes (by hand no less) in our front yard. When I got home at 5:15pm, there were no guys there, and about 6 holes on one side of the yard with some posts sticking out of them. Ends up they didn't have the cement with them, so they had left to go get it. Then it had started raining, and they never came back. They also left all their tools there in our yard.
The next morning, Saturday, Harry went outside to pull all the posts out of the holes because he was afraid someone might walk by and accidently get hit by one. As he pulled them out, he noticed a bar code on each. BIG RED FLAG. His gut told him something was wrong here. So he took a trip to our local Home Depot, and, you guessed it, the damn posts they were about to install were from HD.
We left messages everywhere for the owner. Both of us were livid. The guy finally called us back late that afternoon. When Harry said there were barcodes on the posts, the owner says, "That's not right. There shouldn't be any. Let me call Eli (the other owner) to see what's going on." He calls us back a few minutes later to tell us that our posts got mixed up with another job (a job supposedly from Home Depot; he claims his company is one of HD's installers). He assured us that they'd switch the posts and resume work on Monday.
Harry get's home from work on Monday, and guess what? No one has been to our house. He calls and leaves another message. Tuesday morning, the owner gets back to him while he's at work. Now they tell us that our fence was accidentally ordered in black, and they're having an entire new order delivered from NJ. Hmmmm.
Eli shows up Tuesday night to fill in all the holes they dug (per Harry's request because we were afraid someone might accidentally fall into one and break a leg) and tells us a different story. He claims another customer asked the company to install the cheapest chain link they could find, so they went and bought supplies from Home Depot for it, and they got mixed up. Hmmmm again. He said our materials would be in by Thursday, the 18th, and our fence would be completed by that evening.
So Harry gets home from work yesterday, and guess what? No fence. No one was even at our house. Harry calls and leaves a message again (seems these guys are NEVER in the office). No one returns the call. This morning, I leave a message, and it's Eli that calls (I guess the other owner is done talking with us). He tells me our material is on its way to a job site in Trumbull, and a crew will be picking it up around 11am or so, so they should be arriving at our house to do the job at 12pm (which is right about now). He assured me that when I come home this evening, there will be a fully functioning fence and gate in my yard. I certainly hope so.
If it's not there, we're backing out. It's been 6 weeks since we signed the offer and put down the deposit, and we have nothing right now. It's been hell trying to track down these people, and I haven't appreciated their dishonesty. Harry and I both knew what happened the minute Harry saw those sku numbers. When we first called them at the 4 week mark, they realized they had forgotten to order our fencing material. Instead of telling us the truth, they ran to Home Depot and tried to install a low quality fence, hoping we wouldn't notice. When we did, they made up a story about materials getting switched. When they couldn't get new material quickly enough, they said the incorrect material was ordered. If they had been honest from the getgo, I wouldn't be so irate over the whole situation.
Here's hoping I have a fence tonight. I really don't want to have to go to battle with these people over my deposit. At least I did one thing right and put the deposit on a credit card. My CC company is good at getting these disputes taken care of if needs be. Ugh.
So the next week, we invited another fence company to come out and give us an estimate, one that was still a little higher than we expected, but way lower than the first. We checked out their credentials, checked on the BBB (of which they're actually a member), etc. Everything looked good. The one thing we asked before signing the offer was if they used materials from Home Depot or Lowes because we had already checked those out and we weren't impressed. They assured us that they only purchased materials from a vendor that supplied industrial quality fence and that you actually needed a contracting license in order to buy. Basically, the fence we would be getting is exactly like the one already on the property. That's what we wanted to hear, so we signed. We were told it was a 4 week wait, but most likely, our job would get done earlier because it was so small. This was on August 10th.
Fast forward 4 weeks. No calls. No workers. No fence. We started calling, leaving messages, etc. We finally got in touch with the owner who assured us that work would begin the next week. He said he had been in the hospital the previous week, and since he does all the purchasing and scheduling, nothing had been done that week.
So the next week comes around, we call a few times more, and finally, the owner tells us work will begin Thurdsay, Sept. 11th. At 4pm Sept 11th, I get a call from the owner telling me they didn't make it out to our house after all, but they'd be there first thing the next morning. The job would be completed by that afternoon.
At 4pm on Friday, the 12th, Harry comes home to find 2 guys JUST starting to dig holes (by hand no less) in our front yard. When I got home at 5:15pm, there were no guys there, and about 6 holes on one side of the yard with some posts sticking out of them. Ends up they didn't have the cement with them, so they had left to go get it. Then it had started raining, and they never came back. They also left all their tools there in our yard.
The next morning, Saturday, Harry went outside to pull all the posts out of the holes because he was afraid someone might walk by and accidently get hit by one. As he pulled them out, he noticed a bar code on each. BIG RED FLAG. His gut told him something was wrong here. So he took a trip to our local Home Depot, and, you guessed it, the damn posts they were about to install were from HD.
We left messages everywhere for the owner. Both of us were livid. The guy finally called us back late that afternoon. When Harry said there were barcodes on the posts, the owner says, "That's not right. There shouldn't be any. Let me call Eli (the other owner) to see what's going on." He calls us back a few minutes later to tell us that our posts got mixed up with another job (a job supposedly from Home Depot; he claims his company is one of HD's installers). He assured us that they'd switch the posts and resume work on Monday.
Harry get's home from work on Monday, and guess what? No one has been to our house. He calls and leaves another message. Tuesday morning, the owner gets back to him while he's at work. Now they tell us that our fence was accidentally ordered in black, and they're having an entire new order delivered from NJ. Hmmmm.
Eli shows up Tuesday night to fill in all the holes they dug (per Harry's request because we were afraid someone might accidentally fall into one and break a leg) and tells us a different story. He claims another customer asked the company to install the cheapest chain link they could find, so they went and bought supplies from Home Depot for it, and they got mixed up. Hmmmm again. He said our materials would be in by Thursday, the 18th, and our fence would be completed by that evening.
So Harry gets home from work yesterday, and guess what? No fence. No one was even at our house. Harry calls and leaves a message again (seems these guys are NEVER in the office). No one returns the call. This morning, I leave a message, and it's Eli that calls (I guess the other owner is done talking with us). He tells me our material is on its way to a job site in Trumbull, and a crew will be picking it up around 11am or so, so they should be arriving at our house to do the job at 12pm (which is right about now). He assured me that when I come home this evening, there will be a fully functioning fence and gate in my yard. I certainly hope so.
If it's not there, we're backing out. It's been 6 weeks since we signed the offer and put down the deposit, and we have nothing right now. It's been hell trying to track down these people, and I haven't appreciated their dishonesty. Harry and I both knew what happened the minute Harry saw those sku numbers. When we first called them at the 4 week mark, they realized they had forgotten to order our fencing material. Instead of telling us the truth, they ran to Home Depot and tried to install a low quality fence, hoping we wouldn't notice. When we did, they made up a story about materials getting switched. When they couldn't get new material quickly enough, they said the incorrect material was ordered. If they had been honest from the getgo, I wouldn't be so irate over the whole situation.
Here's hoping I have a fence tonight. I really don't want to have to go to battle with these people over my deposit. At least I did one thing right and put the deposit on a credit card. My CC company is good at getting these disputes taken care of if needs be. Ugh.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Whining about Wine
So y'all remember my post about whether or not I should buy a case of my favorite picnic red to celebrate our new house, right?
In the end, I decided not to fork over nearly $200 because that's the frugal in me. That $200 was definitely needed elsewhere, like the extra cashola we ended up needing for the plumbing and the fence (which we STILL don't have; they claim they're putting it up today. We'll see).
Instead, I opted to go to our local liquor store which is rated one of the best wine stores in the state. I had called ahead of time to see if maybe they carried the one I wanted but alas, that was not the case. The guy on the phone did mention that they had another picnic red from another local vineyard I might like to try. I told him I'd be right down!
I found it exactly where he had described they kept it (along with all the other local wines) and decided to pick up a few others while I was there. I like both white and red, though I'm mainly a red girl. I also grabbed a rasberry wine, a pinot grigio (my fave white), and a merlot. I decided on 4 because my new china cabinet actually has a wine rack that holds, you guessed it, 4 bottles.
I placed the 4 bottles in the rack when I got home, and then, of course, I kinda forgot about them. They sat there for a good month until last evening when I decided, "Hey, I'd like a glass while watching Project Runway."
I broke open the picnic red, managing to accidently knock the bottle over and spilliing a little before I recovered it. Nice. Smooth move, Alicia. I quickly cleaned up, poured myself a glass, and planted myself in front of the TV. I took a sip. Fruity. I took another sip. Sweet. I let Harry take a taste. He's not much of a wine person, but it was palatable to him. I took a third sip. Hmmm. A little too sweet. Fourth sip. Um, juice? Fifth sip? Yeah, definitely juice.
And then... I poured it down the drain! Yeah, I just wasn't feeling it. I hardly ever waste wine, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish it. Maybe I can make a sangria or something with the rest of it.
I googled it this morning to get the pic to post, and I came across a blog about it. Can you believe the review was almost exactly like mine?
So this wine definitely gets a thumbs down. It's also left me to wonder if I'd like the picnic red I talked about seeing as how my taste has changed over the years. It's been a good 4 years or so since I've had it, back in the day when I loved all things sweet. That's not the case anymore. I don't even put sugar in my coffee nowadays.
I'm still glad I didn't spend the $200, but if I'm up near Litchfield, I might stop in at the vineyard to buy a bottle or two. $30 is much more my speed.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
And then it's days like these...
Days like yesterday when Ellie has me laughing hysterically and she's all smiles that tug at my heartstrings and make me wonder how I could ever get angry and frustrated with this amazing little girl.
She still played with her dinner and pitched a small fit when she had to get out of the tub, but it was MY reaction that was different and made the evening so enjoyable.
I've noticed when I'm not stressing and just going with it, Ellie's tantrums and less-than-desirable behavior aren't nearly as fierce. Just like when she was a small baby, she feeds off of the vibes she's getting from me. She senses the tension and frustration in my body language and voice.
This just reaffirms that I do need to work on myself as well as help Ellie steer her stubbornness in the right direction. We need to do this together. We're so connected that it can't just be one or the other. I need to keep reminding myself of that.
She still played with her dinner and pitched a small fit when she had to get out of the tub, but it was MY reaction that was different and made the evening so enjoyable.
I've noticed when I'm not stressing and just going with it, Ellie's tantrums and less-than-desirable behavior aren't nearly as fierce. Just like when she was a small baby, she feeds off of the vibes she's getting from me. She senses the tension and frustration in my body language and voice.
This just reaffirms that I do need to work on myself as well as help Ellie steer her stubbornness in the right direction. We need to do this together. We're so connected that it can't just be one or the other. I need to keep reminding myself of that.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
"I didn't want you to worry; I was hit by a tractor trailer"
This is what he led off with this morning when he called me at 7:15am.
I saw Harry's number pop up on the caller ID 15 minutes after he was already supposed to be at work, so I knew something was up. I didn't even answer with "Hello?" I immediately asked, "Is everything OK?"
Instead of saying something like "I was stuck in traffic, and someone accidentally rolled back into me. I'm fine, and there's minimal damage to the car," he sucker-punched me with the tractor trailer line.
The images that came screeching across my mind were horrific. Of course, they only lasted a few seconds until reason and logic kicked in. He was, after all, calling me on his cell phone, and he sounded completely calm. It couldn't be that bad.
Once I got him to tell me he was OK, he told me the whole story. There had been an accident on I-95N, and he had been stuck in sluggish traffic for 1/2 an hour. At one point, he ended up behind the infamous tractor trailer. Harry noticed that it was slowly rolling back and thought the guy would realize he was doing it. When the truck started getting dangerously close, Harry started honking his horn like a madman. Unfortunately, the guy didn't hear it and didn't realize he was rolling until he actually made contact with Harry's bumper.
The guy immediately claimed fault, they called the cops, and that was pretty much the end of it. Harry already took it to the body shop, and it's about $400 damage, mainly because the bumper can't be painted so we need a new one. Harry also already called our insurance company to let them know it happened and to give a detailed account (Thank God I remembered you're supposed to call them). Since the guy claimed fault, I'm hoping we won't have any problems with his insurance company.
So that's the news for today... my husband got into a small accident, and he nearly gave me a heart attack when telling me about it.
I saw Harry's number pop up on the caller ID 15 minutes after he was already supposed to be at work, so I knew something was up. I didn't even answer with "Hello?" I immediately asked, "Is everything OK?"
Instead of saying something like "I was stuck in traffic, and someone accidentally rolled back into me. I'm fine, and there's minimal damage to the car," he sucker-punched me with the tractor trailer line.
The images that came screeching across my mind were horrific. Of course, they only lasted a few seconds until reason and logic kicked in. He was, after all, calling me on his cell phone, and he sounded completely calm. It couldn't be that bad.
Once I got him to tell me he was OK, he told me the whole story. There had been an accident on I-95N, and he had been stuck in sluggish traffic for 1/2 an hour. At one point, he ended up behind the infamous tractor trailer. Harry noticed that it was slowly rolling back and thought the guy would realize he was doing it. When the truck started getting dangerously close, Harry started honking his horn like a madman. Unfortunately, the guy didn't hear it and didn't realize he was rolling until he actually made contact with Harry's bumper.
The guy immediately claimed fault, they called the cops, and that was pretty much the end of it. Harry already took it to the body shop, and it's about $400 damage, mainly because the bumper can't be painted so we need a new one. Harry also already called our insurance company to let them know it happened and to give a detailed account (Thank God I remembered you're supposed to call them). Since the guy claimed fault, I'm hoping we won't have any problems with his insurance company.
So that's the news for today... my husband got into a small accident, and he nearly gave me a heart attack when telling me about it.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Behavioral issues
It was an interesting weekend.
To start it off, Teri told us that Ellie started biting the kids at daycare on Friday. Great. We thought she had kicked the biting thing months ago. At that time, she was only biting either Harry or me. This was around when she was 13 months old. After a week of ignoring it, she stopped doing it. So when Teri said she started biting the kids, I wasn't too happy. Why now after all this time? I know the kids get in her face and invade her personal space, but she normally tells them no and puts her hand out so they can't come any closer. Is the biting a new defense mechanism? Is she doing it as a game? Is she looking for a reaction like she did with Harry and me all those months ago?
Our last theory is that she's teething. Those 2 year molars are getting ready to push out. This theory actually came about before the biting, earlier last week. She was cranky for no reason, and that usually only happens when she's teething. The biting was yet another indicator.
On Saturday, Ellie bit me. Not hard and not out of anger. She just did it because my arm was there. She was biting her toys, too. I still told her "no biting" because... everyone... consistency is key. She bit both Harry and me a few more times during the weekend, all softly and without malice.
Ellie also tested some boundaries this weekend, though that's really nothing new. I have one of the most stubborn little girls on the planet, no doubt thanks to me. Why in the world did I have to pass that trait on to her?
She still throws food when she's done eating or if she doesn't want something, but that had been getting better. She's been handing us the bowl or the cup once she's finished. This weekend, all that hard work went out the window. She was throwing with a vengance and moved onto rubbing the food into the dining room curtains. Lovely. We moved her chair so she can't do that anymore.
Since moving into the new house, Ellie has found that she can easily flip the little switch in the bathtub that makes the water drain. The one at our other house was too hard to move. Because this one is like 50 years old, it's a little worn out. Since she has found she can move it, she continually likes to flip it up and down. We've told her if she does it again, she's getting out of the tub. Usually she stops because she loves the tub. Last night though, she refused to listen. So out of the tub she went with absolutely no playtime. She was not a happy girl.
Luckily she got over it and cuddled with me while we watched Dora. As I was sitting there holding her, though, I couldn't help but replay the entire weekend in my head.
In order to make my voice stern, I actually have to raise it a little. There's just no way around it. I'm not yelling, but I'm definitely loud. I had to do that quite a few times this weekend. I also had to actually walk away from her for a minute or so at one of our mealtimes yesterday. I felt myself getting so angry, so frustrated that I felt I needed to take myself out of the equation.
The more I thought about the weekend, the more I wondered if I actually might need some counseling to help control my anger and frustration, which invariably lead to the huge amounts of stress I put on myself. The stress causes headaches, trouble losing weight, and really just all out bitchiness. It's not good for me or the people around me.
I started talking to Harry about it, and he doesn't see a problem. He says we need to raise our voices to get Ellie's attention, which I must concede is true. He also says that the anger and frustration is normal, which is also true. I just think the way I channel it is unhealthy.
And I admitted that when Ellie was playing with the tub drain switch, I had a sudden impulse to spank her hand to get her to stop. When raising all my nieces, that was how I was taught to reprimand them for touching something they weren't supposed to touch. We seldom had to actually do it because all 4 girls were very good at this age. I know, it's some kind of weird anomoly with my family. All 4 girls listened when spoken to and could communicate their needs at this age.
So Ellie is totally new to me. Her stubbornness is not something I've encountered before. Her self-awareness and independence is something I've never experience with a toddler. And I'm a little at a loss as to if I'm doing everything right.
Ellie does not ask for things. You have to ask her first. Ex: she'll be thirsty, but instead of asking for juice, she'll start throwing toys. You have to actually realize that that's what she needs. "Ellie are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Do you want juice?" and she'll gleefully shout, "JUICE!" like Oh, yeah, that's what's wrong. I'm thirsty. It's like she just doesn't care if she's thirsty. Harry said because she's always been on a schedule and usually gets food and drink at the same time everyday, she just doesn't see the need to ask for it. Maybe he's right.
I'm frustrated because she understands EVERYTHING we say to her, and her vocabulary is emmense, but she won't use it to get her point across. I've been trying to tell her to use her words, but it's been slow going.
This morning, she had a huge meltdown while I tried to get her dressed. She was doing this about a month ago but finally realized she was getting dressed regardless of how much she fought it. So she stopped fighting. This morning she kicked and screamed and cried. So much so that she became hysterical. I had to calm her down, which I can still luckily do. After she was calm, I asked her if her teeth hurt (which was the theory I had been holding onto all weekend). Instead of her usual "no!" when she's in a mood like this, she just stared at me. I asked again, and again she stared. This means "yes" in Ellie-speak. I then pointed to each side of her mouth, asking her which side hurt, and she immediately pointed to the left side.
Finally! Some communication.
I know it's small, but I'm holding onto it tightly with both hands. Even though she didn't use words, she told me her tooth/teeth hurt. I wanted to cry.
I explained it all to Teri this morning so she could watch her closely today. Teri says I'm doing everything right, which is nice to hear, and she agrees with me when I say that even though I had that urge to spank Ellie's hand, spanking would not work with Ellie. She'd probably look at me like, "What the hell are you doing?"
Honestly, why don't they come with a manual?
To start it off, Teri told us that Ellie started biting the kids at daycare on Friday. Great. We thought she had kicked the biting thing months ago. At that time, she was only biting either Harry or me. This was around when she was 13 months old. After a week of ignoring it, she stopped doing it. So when Teri said she started biting the kids, I wasn't too happy. Why now after all this time? I know the kids get in her face and invade her personal space, but she normally tells them no and puts her hand out so they can't come any closer. Is the biting a new defense mechanism? Is she doing it as a game? Is she looking for a reaction like she did with Harry and me all those months ago?
Our last theory is that she's teething. Those 2 year molars are getting ready to push out. This theory actually came about before the biting, earlier last week. She was cranky for no reason, and that usually only happens when she's teething. The biting was yet another indicator.
On Saturday, Ellie bit me. Not hard and not out of anger. She just did it because my arm was there. She was biting her toys, too. I still told her "no biting" because... everyone... consistency is key. She bit both Harry and me a few more times during the weekend, all softly and without malice.
Ellie also tested some boundaries this weekend, though that's really nothing new. I have one of the most stubborn little girls on the planet, no doubt thanks to me. Why in the world did I have to pass that trait on to her?
She still throws food when she's done eating or if she doesn't want something, but that had been getting better. She's been handing us the bowl or the cup once she's finished. This weekend, all that hard work went out the window. She was throwing with a vengance and moved onto rubbing the food into the dining room curtains. Lovely. We moved her chair so she can't do that anymore.
Since moving into the new house, Ellie has found that she can easily flip the little switch in the bathtub that makes the water drain. The one at our other house was too hard to move. Because this one is like 50 years old, it's a little worn out. Since she has found she can move it, she continually likes to flip it up and down. We've told her if she does it again, she's getting out of the tub. Usually she stops because she loves the tub. Last night though, she refused to listen. So out of the tub she went with absolutely no playtime. She was not a happy girl.
Luckily she got over it and cuddled with me while we watched Dora. As I was sitting there holding her, though, I couldn't help but replay the entire weekend in my head.
In order to make my voice stern, I actually have to raise it a little. There's just no way around it. I'm not yelling, but I'm definitely loud. I had to do that quite a few times this weekend. I also had to actually walk away from her for a minute or so at one of our mealtimes yesterday. I felt myself getting so angry, so frustrated that I felt I needed to take myself out of the equation.
The more I thought about the weekend, the more I wondered if I actually might need some counseling to help control my anger and frustration, which invariably lead to the huge amounts of stress I put on myself. The stress causes headaches, trouble losing weight, and really just all out bitchiness. It's not good for me or the people around me.
I started talking to Harry about it, and he doesn't see a problem. He says we need to raise our voices to get Ellie's attention, which I must concede is true. He also says that the anger and frustration is normal, which is also true. I just think the way I channel it is unhealthy.
And I admitted that when Ellie was playing with the tub drain switch, I had a sudden impulse to spank her hand to get her to stop. When raising all my nieces, that was how I was taught to reprimand them for touching something they weren't supposed to touch. We seldom had to actually do it because all 4 girls were very good at this age. I know, it's some kind of weird anomoly with my family. All 4 girls listened when spoken to and could communicate their needs at this age.
So Ellie is totally new to me. Her stubbornness is not something I've encountered before. Her self-awareness and independence is something I've never experience with a toddler. And I'm a little at a loss as to if I'm doing everything right.
Ellie does not ask for things. You have to ask her first. Ex: she'll be thirsty, but instead of asking for juice, she'll start throwing toys. You have to actually realize that that's what she needs. "Ellie are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Do you want juice?" and she'll gleefully shout, "JUICE!" like Oh, yeah, that's what's wrong. I'm thirsty. It's like she just doesn't care if she's thirsty. Harry said because she's always been on a schedule and usually gets food and drink at the same time everyday, she just doesn't see the need to ask for it. Maybe he's right.
I'm frustrated because she understands EVERYTHING we say to her, and her vocabulary is emmense, but she won't use it to get her point across. I've been trying to tell her to use her words, but it's been slow going.
This morning, she had a huge meltdown while I tried to get her dressed. She was doing this about a month ago but finally realized she was getting dressed regardless of how much she fought it. So she stopped fighting. This morning she kicked and screamed and cried. So much so that she became hysterical. I had to calm her down, which I can still luckily do. After she was calm, I asked her if her teeth hurt (which was the theory I had been holding onto all weekend). Instead of her usual "no!" when she's in a mood like this, she just stared at me. I asked again, and again she stared. This means "yes" in Ellie-speak. I then pointed to each side of her mouth, asking her which side hurt, and she immediately pointed to the left side.
Finally! Some communication.
I know it's small, but I'm holding onto it tightly with both hands. Even though she didn't use words, she told me her tooth/teeth hurt. I wanted to cry.
I explained it all to Teri this morning so she could watch her closely today. Teri says I'm doing everything right, which is nice to hear, and she agrees with me when I say that even though I had that urge to spank Ellie's hand, spanking would not work with Ellie. She'd probably look at me like, "What the hell are you doing?"
Honestly, why don't they come with a manual?
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