This & That

Snow, but No Repair Guy

The saga continues.  It's snowing....again....and I have yet to see the alarm repair guy.  Now, I'm the most non-confrontational person in the entire world, but I've been stranded here waiting for him since Monday, on the off-chance that he just might show up. This has gotten me sufficiently worked up for the confrontational phone call which I'm going to place as soon as I'm done here.  Supposed to come Monday, supposed to come Wednesday and nothing.  Do you ever wonder what would happen if the whole world took this attitude? I can understand that things come up and jobs may take longer than planned, but a phone call would be nice.
Moving on....today is the last day of January....last LOAD.  It's been a fun challenge and it's been fun to be able to keep up.  Last LOAD features one of my nephews.  On a related topic, how do you feel about a POTD?  Translated to Picture of the Day.  There are several blogs that are promoting this.  I'm thinking I need this.  I need to be pushed to pick up the camera at random times so I my try to do this.

I Guess I Saw It

Snow, that is.  We actually got a couple of inches last night.  So that must mean I'm going to see the repair guy, right?
We had breakfast wars with DD this morning.  I want to know why all of a sudden things she's eaten all her life are suddenly the worst thing on the earth and whine-worthy?  The whole adolescent girl thing just defies all explanation for me.  Thank goodness I had a herd of boys instead of a gaggle of girls!  We also have an ongoing conflict about her coat. She's decided it's just not stylish enough and tries to get out of wearing it every chance she gets.  Never mind that she picked the coat out last year......*eyeroll*.   But it's snowing, for crying out loud, and I'm not letting her run out the door without a coat.  So, she'll do what I call the Dragon Sigh....that dramatic girl-exasperated-exhale when Mom is too stupid to be believed, and then she'll slip her arms into the coat.....backwards.  So the back of her coat is on her front and her rear is hanging out with nothing on it.  *eyes rolling around in my head backwards*
Here's today's LOAD and is also for the BPS organizing class using the approach of a story first, then finding photos that will work.

Back at It

Took a blog mental health day yesterday.  Just didn't feel like I had anything worth saying.  I've kind of wasted a lot of time in the last couple of days, which irritates me, but I'm back at it today.   Subject for today:  Undependable repair people.
We are having some trouble with the alarm system in our house.  Things like the alarm going off in the middle of the night whooping "Fire, fire!" and then finding out there is no fire and trying desperately to call the monitoring place so we don't have the fire department in our driveway.  "He he, no sir, no fire here...just our wacky alarm system."  We called our guy and he said he'd be here yesterday.  Waited around home all day.  No guy shows up.  So I call him today and as soon as I get through I get disconnected....3 times.  So I have DH try from his cell phone.  He gets right through.  The guy sheepishly says, "Oh yeah, I was in Boise all day yesterday and I'm in Elko today.  I'll be there tomorrow."  For me, it's like a forecast of snow where I live.  I'll believe it when I see it.  Customer service at its finest.  Hopefully, I won't have to explain myself to the firemen or the sheriff.
Posting yesterday and today's LOAD....the first one done for not only the LOAD, but also for the BPS organizing class.  We were supposed to approach a layout with the photo in mind first.  It's done with my absolute favorite line of paper ever....BG Mellow. 

Sad

Gordon B. Hinckley
1910-2008

All-State Recap

The drive over, concert, and drive home all went really well. Preemie Boy was dog tired, but had a good time. I got to see several kids I've met in other musical venues....kids I've hosted for a week for summer music fest, other's I've met at state solo competitions....a reunion of sorts.  The music was good and I managed to get a few good photos. My lens made it so I could really zoom in, but the lighting was really bad and most of the 40 or so pictures I took were blurry.  I probably should have played with the ISO, but I didn't want to distract from the actual singing by acting like some kind of paparazzi person snapping away during the singing, so I had to work fast and I'm just not fluid enough with changing settings yet to accomplish it under pressure.  But here are a couple of pictures.  You'll see that the "Marc Face" is alive and well.....or did we decide it was actually my face?
Today's LOAD is done for a Scrap Addict blog  challenge.  The cyber crop continues until  midnight tonight CST.  Fun stuff.  I'm up early enough this morning that I'm hoping to finish off a couple of layouts that are in progress on my desk.

Pokey, Here We Come...

Headed out in a little while for Pocatello and Preemie Boy's All-State concert.  Looking forward to that.  It will take a good chunk of the day to accomplish the task but we're up to it as long as the forecasted storm doesn't complicate things. Two years ago for DS #4's All-State performance in Boise, it was a nightmare getting over there in the middle of the only storm we had all winter.  Theoretically, we should be there and back before anything gets really serious.
LOAD today is the last of this Scrap Addict  kit. Loved the colors and I'm sad to see it go.  I also used a DT sketch by Anita  for it.   I am also taking Wendy Smedley's   organization class over at BPS .  She's got a daily inspiration challenge going this week.  Yesterday's challenge was to be inspired by a page design.  Loved how easy and simple this was.  Used another SA kit for this one...the colors were perfect.  I knew I was aging those kits for a good reason! :)

Truly This & That

I wanted to post a few more photos from our snowmobiling adventure last weekend. What I really wish is that I could have gotten pictures of the two moose that blocked the road for a bit.   And I wish I could have gotten video of them galumphing up the mountain to finally get out of the way.  That was really amazing.  But sorry, you'll have to content yourselves with miscellaneous photos of my offspring and snow.
Preemie Boy checked in last night and is really enjoying himself.  This little jaunt has been good for both of us, because as previously discussed, I tend to be a little overprotective of him.   But so far, so good.  He says his clinician is wonderful, his voice is tired and the music is great.
I debated whether or not to post about this next topic.  As a rule I don't want to give bad behavior publicity, but I think the point it important.  I was doing some web cruising yesterday morning and stumbled upon something that while in no way, shape or form was directed at me personally, deeply offended me. It was a religious slam and totally caught me off guard.  And while it wasn't a personal attack, I took it personally which was maybe my first mistake. I probably shouldn't let vicious, disgruntled strangers affect my mood.  Sometimes, though, it's hard to let things like that just roll off your back and I was really amazed by the venom exhibited.   I mean, if you find me and/or my religion strange and not to your liking.....fine.....keep walking, but I fail to see what is gained by a nasty exchange. It reduces both sides to the lowest common denominator and  in all likelihood it's not going to change either parties' mind and it just escalates the negativity. Bottom line.  If we embraced our similarities rather than hammered on the differences we could effect a lot more positive change.  There.  Done.
Today's LOAD is done for the Scrap Addict  cyber crop which continues through the weekend. 

Preview

So I'm getting a preview of what life will be like with only the princess at home.  Pluses and minuses just as with anything. 

(+) There's none of the snotty bickering that can go on when the littles go at each other
(-) The house is WAY too quiet and lonesome feeling.

I'm really having a hard time cooking for only 3.  Everything I think of to make for  dinner will give us tons of leftovers that I'm afraid won't get eaten.  Plus, the princess is a bit of a picky eater and everything that sounds good to me, she turns her nose up at.  Guess she'll get really tired of eating cold cereal for dinner, huh?
Preemie Boy took my cell with him and checked in last night.  He is having a fun time and spending a lot of time singing.  He will be incredibly sung out by the time the concert rolls around on Saturday, but what a great experience.
Not quite as cold today.  It was a whopping 13 degrees when I did the piano lesson run this morning.  That's almost a heat wave compared to where we've been.
Today's LOAD done with a Scrap Addict kit and an older photo of DS #1.

-1

That's what the temperature was when I took Preemie Boy to school today.  OK, that might be just a little too cold for me.  But since I can spend most of my day in my house, I'm OK with it.  I have a busy morning and early afternoon today.  I'm at the Jr. High doing part work with the choir there this morning and then I have to pick up Preemie Boy during his lunch hour so we can finalize his packing for his excursion today.  He auditioned and was picked for the Idaho All State Choir  and is leaving after lunch for Pocatello .   The choir works with a college level clinician for three days and then presents a concert on Saturday afternoon.  We'll go to the concert and fetch him home then.  He's very excited to go, but you know what I notice?  When my oldest boys went to All-State, they seemed so "grown up".  With each kid that I've sent to this, they've seemed younger and younger.  I think that's a sign of me getting older.
Finished off another very old Scrap Addict kit for today's LOAD.  Done with a DT sketch from the site.
And because I'm such a dork, if you go here , you may see a familiar name listed in her blog entry entitled "the numbers game, day two".
Hope you stay warm! And I know that's going to invited some "nanny-booing" from my friends who live in warm weather climates.

Whew!

I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the LOAD challenge, but I squeaked one out today from a REALLY old SA kit and a sketch from one of SA's DT members for the Winter Blahs crop that is still going on, if you want some fun challenges.   Not sure if I'm entirely happy with it, but I'm sticking a fork in it and calling it done!
I won't bore you with the details of how I was trapped from 6 until 9 in scholarship audition you-know-where.  Fortunately or unfortunately, Miss Diva advanced to the final program, for which I am legitimately.....unavailable.  College boys are singing with the Men's Chorus in the Conference Center  for our church's twice-a-year General Conference on the day of that final audition, so I'm going to try to do everything I can to be in Utah to see them.