This and That...

The Leaky Faucet...

We have had a hot water leak in the shower in our front bathroom for a very, very long time. Steve has attempted to fix it by replacing the washer many times. The dripping always stops for a few days, and then much to his dismay, it always starts up again. My husband will be the first to admit that when it comes to home repairs, he isn't too savvy. He doesn't know a lot and he totally HATES to work around the house. Put a computer in front of him and the man is a genius, but plumbing, roofing, mechanics, etc. are just not his strong suits. So finally, a couple of weeks ago, he had had enough and decided to call out a professional plumber. Since we don't personally know any plumbers, he went to the phone book and the Internet and found what looked like a big, reputable company.

Well, the day before the plumber showed up, Steve once again put in a new washer and the dripping stopped. When the plumber arrived, Steve explained the problem and since the plumber gave us a reasonable estimate, Steve told him to go ahead and repair the faucet. Two hours later, after installing a new seat (?) and another new washer, the faucet started DRIPPING.

The so called plumber said, "I am sorry, I can't seem to repair it so I will give you a 10% discount."

To which Steve replied, "Excuse me, the faucet was not leaking when you started and it is now leaking and you expect me to pay you $150?"

The plumber replied, "Yes, because I did spend 2 hours of my time working on it".

And so it went back and forth for several minutes until the 'plumber' backed down and left in somewhat of a huff.

Since the incident with said 'plumber', I have had several people tell me that they too have either personally had problems with that company or they know someone that has. Now, we still have a leaky shower and we still need a plumber!!!

The New Friend...

My parents (mostly my mom) finally decided it was time to get another dog. It has been over a year since they lost their beloved little poodle. They wanted to rescue a dog from the shelter, so after many trips back and forth they finally found Murphy Lee. He is a 4 year old golden retriever/Australian shepherd mix. He is a cute bundle of energy. It makes me so happy to see my mom fall in love with another dog...she is such a dog lover that she really NEEDS to have a dog. Like mother, like daughter!

Murph

Where's My House????

In order to clean Corky's cage yesterday, I took him out and put him on the back of the sofa. He enjoys sitting there where he can keep an eye on things and he usually doesn't wander very far. I then took his cage out for a good scrubbing.

Normally he is pretty quiet when he is free, so when he started squawking loudly, I ran into the living room to see what was wrong. Well, he had moved from the sofa to the edge of the table where his cage normally sits and he was looking at the big empty space and having a fit. I was laughing so hard I had a hard time taking the picture.

"Hey, who stole my house?"

A Lesson from Kyle...

Kyle is always telling me that I should keep my camera handy so I don't miss photo opportunities. I must be a slow learner because this week I missed two good opportunities because I didn't have my camera with me:

The first one was while I was on my early morning walk I heard our neighborhood owl. I have only seen him a couple of times, but I have heard him several times. I would love to get a photo of him, but don't know if it would turn out since it is usually still fairly dark when I encounter him.

The second missed opportunity was yesterday when I watched a magpie chase a squirrel across the street. It was hilarious to me, but not so funny to the squirrel.

So, once again, Kyle is right. Just don't tell him; I don't want to have to listen to him say, "I told you so".

Remember When???

It all started a few weeks ago when my mom asked me, "Remember when we used to take drives to the California Delta and ride the car ferry from Rio Vista over to Ryer Island?"

I said, "Sure, Mom, I remember. Why do you ask?"

She replied," Well your dad and I did that the other day and we really enjoyed it. You and Steve should take the drive sometime and ride the ferry again just for fun."

The memories are especially fond for my mom because she lived on Ryer Island for a time when she was a little girl. Since I had not been on that drive for many years, I asked my hubby to take me and he was, as usual, happy to oblige.

It took a few weeks before we had a free Saturday afternoon and nice weather, but finally we decided to take the drive last Saturday. I threw some sandwiches in a brown paper bag and off we went. It was a nice relaxing drive along the river levees with all the farmlands and virtually no traffic. It was a very slow drive; though, because the levee roads are narrow and winding, but still pleasant. We enjoyed the scenery of the old homes along the river and saw several fishing "hot spots" where the fishermen were lined up fishing and probably telling fish stories!!

Finally we reached the small town of Rio Vista where we would catch the ferry over to Ryer Island. We waited for the ferry to return from the other side of the Sacramento River (actually it crosses an area known as Cache Slough). Now keep in mind that the river is not very wide at this point, so the ride is rather quick...about 5 minutes. The ferry arrived at our side and we drove aboard. I felt all those excited butterflies just like when I was a little girl and we rode the ferry

Waiting for ferry to return from Ryer Island.

Boarding

Steve got out and took a couple of pictures while we were crossing:

My truck "swimming" the river!

Before we knew it we were already parked at Ryer Island and exiting the ferry. I found it interesting that after all these years, the ride is still free of charge. I guess that is a good thing for all the farmers that live on the island and have to use the ferry frequently.

The ferry is known as 'The Real McCoy Ferry' because it was designed by an engineer named McCoy in the late 1940's. It is operated by CalTrans and is purported to be the oldest running piece of equipment to still be in use by CalTrans. It can accomodate 6-8 cars depending on size and also RV's.

The ferry heads back to Rio Vista.

Farmlands of Ryer Island

It was a fun afternoon and it brought back good memories for me. Thanks Mom for asking me, "Remember when.....?"

Is It Worth It????

Easter morning started out more hectic than usual at our house. We were blessed to have Kyle home, but of course, that meant an extra body fighting for shower time before church. Since Kyle and Sam both play on the praise team, they had to be at church at 7:00 for practice. Most of you know that Kyle plays the keyboard and Sam plays a mean bass guitar. The boys had gone to the car races the night before, so they were really tired from a late night. Our church added an extra service for the Easter crowd and it started at 7:45. Steve and I decided to attend this early service so I could rush home and cook. After much bickering and rushing to get out of the house and to church on time, I was thinking to myself, "This is SO not the kind of day I want for Easter. Is all of this stress and tension really worth it?"

As we arrived at church and started greeting old friends and new, I felt the tension begin to lift and the joy of the day start replacing it. The music started and I am always so very proud to see both of my boys sharing their gifts and committing their time to our church. Our drama team put on the most powerful performance I have ever seen. There were many people wiping their eyes, including yours truly. The message was great and the morning was beyond fabulous.

Next it was back home to cook for a family gathering at my parent's house. I spent the next 3 hours cooking and then had to pack it all up and tote it to my mom and dad's. Again, I found myself asking the question, "Is all of this work really worth it?"

At my parent's house we feasted on turkey with all the trimmings, ham, salads, veggies, rolls, and lots of desserts. It was a beautiful sight! Of course, there was plenty of Easter candy too!

The weather was perfect for enjoying my mom and dad's big yard and the kids decided it was warm enough to play in the sprinkler. They had such a great time. It is impossible to watch kids play and giggle and not feel joy. Then we did the big Easter egg hunt for the kiddos and they spent the rest of the time hiding the eggs for each other. It reminded me of how my brothers and I did the same thing as kids and so did my boys. It was a pleasant memory.

Owww, Rylan gets water in the face!

Kyle reveals the egg he was hiding under his hat!

After all the celebrating, we came home and I challenged my family to an energetic game of Monopoly. Since I threatened to kick some serious Monopoly butt, of course I was the first one eliminated from the game!! It ended up being Kyle that did the butt kicking! (I am not saying he cheated or anything, but he was the banker, so you do the math!)

Later when I reflected on the day, I thought, "Oh,yes, it was definitely worth it. I wouldn't have changed a thing."

Dynamic Duo

When I first got Corky, I was a little anxious to introduce him to Lucy. I was afraid that this little snip of a parakeet would become a juicy snack for my 75 pound hound/lab mix that loves nothing more than to chase birds and cats from her yard. However, Lucy has shown great tolerance in allowing this little bird to live in what she considers her domain. She has been very curious, but never vicious.

When Corky's cage door is open and he is exploring his new territory, Lucy wanders over to him and they stare into each others eyes and come to an understanding... Lucy may be big, but Corky is the boss. He will let her know when she is too close and she backs up a step. When she barks too loudly, he gets agitated and starts "yelling" at her. When he decides to take flight, he has been known to land right in front of her and then look at her as if she has a lot of nerve being in his space!

Best Friends???

Lucy endures all of this with her tail wagging happily and she even comes to get me when Corky does something that she thinks requires my attention...shredding paper, ringing his bell, or making excessive noise while attacking a toy. I am not sure whether she is concerned for his welfare or merely wants me to scold him for bad behavior, but she definitely keeps tabs on his activities!

It has been fun watching this dynamic duo become better acquainted. Who knows, maybe they will end up being best friends after all.

Corky

Last week I went to our local pet store to pick up a couple of new fish for my aquarium. Of, course, every visit to the pet store is never complete without spending a few minutes admiring and chatting with each and every critter! This particular day was no exception.

Before I headed over to the aquariums to select my fish, I checked out the furry bunnies; I watched the hamsters spin in their wheels; I spent a long time watching the turtles and tortoises; and I even took a quick glimpse at the snakes, geckos, assorted other reptiles, rats, and crickets.

Eventually I wandered over to the bird section. I chatted with them, whistled at them, and watched them play. I walked away several times only to immediately circle right back around and start talking with them again. Finally a sales person came up and asked me if I needed any help. I said, "No thank you, I am just trying to convince myself I DON'T need a bird."

She said,"Well, I have been watching you circle for quite some time now as I was giving you time to ponder, and it looks to me like maybe you really DO need a bird."

I replied, "No, I don't have a cage or anything. I would need to buy everything. I really don't think I want to spend the money today."

To which she of course said, "Well, let me show you some really nice cages and supplies we have on sale now."

I know this is where I should have ran out of there as fast as I could and I really did try, but instead my feet just followed her to the bird supplies, where I quickly found the cage I wanted and all the supplies I needed for my new feathered friend. With all the necessities loaded into my basket, the sales lady asked me if I needed a few minutes to pick out the bird I wanted. I promptly replied,"Oh that won't be necessary; I have already chosen one." At this remark she just smiled at me with that 'I knew you really wanted a bird' look in her eye.

And that is how I got Corky. He is silly, funny, noisy, messy... but not very tame. It has taken me a week to get him to sit on my finger outside of his cage. I am really enjoying him though and he seems very smart...he only 'hollers' at Lucy when the cage door is closed up tight and she can't get to him!

Oh yeah. I did go back a few days later and get the fish. I was hoping one of those cute tortoises would accidentally find itself in my basket, no such luck......but maybe next time.

Corky the character!

The Saga Continues.......

Well, my hubby seemed to be feeling a little better by Thursday morning, so he thought it would be a good idea to go to work....WRONG!! He came home feeling really lousy. So, early Friday morning we called our doctor and got him an appointment right away (we learned a valuable lesson after waiting all day in the ER the previous Saturday).

Unfortunately we were having a terrible winter storm Friday with high winds and heavy rain (my favorite meteorologist could give you all the specific details on rainfall and wind speed, but I digress)! Before we left to go to the doctor's office, our fence blew down and shingles from our roof were landing in our backyard...not a welcome sight. On the road we encountered tree branches and debris scattered everywhere. Many houses had fences down, large trees down, and roof problems.

Our doctor gave my hubby some stronger pain meds, strong cough syrup to quiet the hacking, a note to stay home from work until Thursday, and directions to go across the street to the imaging center for x-rays.

The good news is...the new meds are working. My hubby is feeling much better, sleeping much better, and getting around fairly well.

The bad news is...how is he supposed to take care of the roof when I have banned him from climbing ladders?????

Backyard fence falling

Roof damage

Fortunate.....or Not???

 
What a way to end the year!

Unfortunately, while putting away our Christmas decorations Friday afternoon, my poor hubby slipped and fell off the ladder...about 7 feet from the ground. Fortunately, the corner of his work bench broke his fall preventing him from landing solidly on the cement garage floor. Unfortunately, hitting the work bench hurt his back and caused him to slam forward into the ladder, also hurting his stomach. Fortunately, he just seemed dazed and a little sore Friday so he decided to tough it out. Unfortunately, Saturday morning he was VERY sore and questioning his decision not to seek medical treatment Friday. Fortunately, we have the option of going to the Urgent Care facility which is only a fraction of the cost of the ER and is much less crowded. Unfortunately, the urgent care doctor did a little poking and prodding and said, "I don't like the tenderness I feel in the area of the liver; you need a CT scan to check the liver and kidney and we don't have the equipment to do that here and normally we would send you across the street to the Imaging Center, but they are closed on weekends, so we have to send you to the ER." Fortunately, the ER is just down the sidewalk and the attendant put my hubby in a wheelchair and pushed him into the ER with me following alongside... supposedly we would get much quicker attention because the Urgent Care was delivering him instead of us just walking in on our own. Unfortunately, the ER was completely packed and we had to wait just like everyone else. Fortunately, after a couple of hours of waiting, they opened an ER annex room and admitted 5 patients including my hubby. Unfortunately, they had to do blood work before they could perform the CT scan and we had to wait an hour for the lab results to come back. Fortunately, the blood work was all normal, so they ordered the CT scan. Unfortunately, more waiting and by now 5 hours had passed. Fortunately, the scan was finally taken and was quick and not too painful. Unfortunately, it would be another hour before the radiologist could read the results and send them back to the ER doctor. Fortunately, the scan came back and the ER doctor reported to us that there was no damage to the liver or kidney. Unfortunately, my hubby does indeed have a broken rib and a huge contusion. Fortunately, he got a prescription for some strong pain meds and they released him 7 hours after arriving. Unfortunately, by the time we got home it was late in the evening and our normal pharmacy was closed. Fortunately, I was able to find a pharmacy close to home that was open and get his prescriptions filled. Unfortunately, yesterday the poor guy got up with a sore throat and yes, a COUGH (bad news for someone with a broken rib). Fortunately, today the cough is a little better and he is keeping it under control with the help of cough syrup. Unfortunately, he is still having quite a bit of pain and not getting around too well. Fortunately, he should be able to mend enough to go back to work Wednesday. Unfortunately, he spent the last days of his vacation and 2007 sore, tired, and miserable! Fortunately, his injuries will heal in 3-4 weeks and he will be fine and dandy.

Happy New Year to everyone and my best advice for 2008.....
STAY OFF OF LADDERS!!!