My New Name

     I will no longer go by my former name.  From now on, please refer to me as The Queen of Google.

    I know you want me to explain.  And, I am dying to do just that!

    This weekend I noticed our refrigerator was making a high pitched clicking/buzzing noise.  I had never heard it before.  A little red flag went up, but unless I have liquid running out of my freezer or something,  I can pretty much ignore things like that.

     It really didn't even bother me when Paul came up for bed Sunday night and said that the food in the freezer was thawing out.  It didn't bother me because a) what am I supposed to do about it and 11 pm? and b) he said he thought there was a box keeping the door ajar.

     The big red flag came at 8 am when he called me from about an hour away to let me know that the ice cream in the freezer was liquid, the chicken was thawed out and there was water on the floor.

    It was then that I thought, "Hmm... maybe I should do something."  (I am kinda bright like that.)

     So, I was home and Paul and 90 minutes away for the day.  I had some decisions to make.

     First, I thought, "Do I want to call and pay someone $85 -just to come out- and then tell me, 'Sorry Miss, there is nothing we can do, you need a new refrigerator?'"

     Sometimes repairs only cost a little less than a new one.  It's true.  They don't make things like they used to.

     I decided to do some research.  I googled refrigerator buzzing.  

     After a second of searching, I noticed a web site where you could ask appliance guys questions and you only had to pay if you thought they had given you an adequate answer.  On the site, there was a bunch of testimonials about the appliance guys.  $9 sounded a lot better than $85 dollars.  I figured I didn't have much to lose.

     So, I wrote my question:

     My refrigerator is making a buzzing/clicking noise.  What could it be?

     I had a response from appliance guy Tom in a matter of seconds.  He asked me:

     Is it still making the noise?  And, how often is it making the noise.

     I responded:

     About once every 10 or 15 minutes.

     Again, I had an immediate response.  He said:

     It sounds like you need a new relay overload.  It is on the side of the compressor.

     So, I asked him:

     How much is this type of repair?

      His immediate response:

     About $50 if you do it yourself.  If someone else does it... add $100.

      I thought his response was adequate so clicked on the button to pay him.

     I got off the computer, went to the phonebook, found a store that sold refrigerator parts and I called them.  I gave them the model # for the refrigerator and told him the part I needed.  He looked it up, told me they had it in stock and that it was $33.

      Feeling really cool, I got off the phone and texted Paul one of my favorite lines from a movie.  

      Have you ever seen City Slickers (really funny movie!)?  There are 2 ice cream guys in the movie.  I think they are suppose to be like Ben & Jerry.  They claim that they can name the perfect ice cream to end any meal.  So, they tell Billy Crystal to name a meal.  He says, "How do you know you're right?"  And, they respond, "400 ice cream parlors in 48 states!  WHOO!"

      So, Billy Crystal says, "Beans and Franks."  

      The ice cream guys say in a disgusted tone of voice, "Scoop of chocolate, scoop of vanilla.  Don't waste my time."

     My text to Paul: Scoop of chocolate, scoop of vanilla.  Don't waste my time.

     I clean out the freezer, tell Paul to get the part on his way home and I wait.

      He gets the part and arrives home.

     He gets the backing off, we clean the coils and everything else with the vacuum and begin looking for the part.

     We find it.  Make sure it's the right part.  I pull the part off because my hands are smaller.

      ONE HOUR LATER......

     We plug the frig in and wait.

      No noise.

      We wait some more.

     The liquid I left in the bottom of the frig starts to freeze and we start doing the Snoopy Dance while singing. "We fixed our refrigerator!  We fixed our refrigerator!"

      Scoop of chocolate, scoop of vanilla!

      We fixed our refrigerator for $42 plus a bit of tax!

      Just so you know, this is not the first thing I have fixed by googling.  Once our gas fireplace wouldn't light.  So, I googled.  They suggest scrubbing the igniter with a toothbrush.  I grabbed Jackson's (just kidding!).  I got an old tooth brush, scrubbed and then vacuumed the igniter and 

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

      The moral of the story is:  you should google everything.  And, if it's an appliance problem, go to www.justanswers.com ask a question and pay your nine bucks... before paying an $80 trip charge.

Yours Truly,

The Queen of Google

P.S.  You're Welcome!

      

     The mess I have to clean up after replacing the relay overload on the refrigerator (I feel so cool saying that.)  And, we don't usually have that much pop setting around.  We had a family birthday party this weekend to celebrate Birthday Month.  14 kids and 9 adults........um boy!

Happy Mother's Day and Happy Birthday TO ME

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ME!!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

     I just bought my own Mother's day gift and my own Birthday gift! (birthday Aug 29)  I am going to American Idol Live on Aug 25 with Paul.

Section 107 6 rows up!  Holla!!

     I hope all you moms out there have a great weekend!  Happy Mother's Day to you too!

Bidets=No Toilet Paper

      Bidets=NO Toilet Paper!!??  I THINK NOT (NOT with an attitude.)

     That's what an ad on my blog said yesterday.  I am not supposed to click on my own ads (you can though!  And you can help me earn money for things like..... um........ let's say........ toilet paper!!)

     This advertisement was saying if one were to buy a bidet, one would not have to buy toilet paper.  COME ON!!!  There is no way that something spraying a gentle squirt of water on my children's booties (not mine of course... I don't do things like that.)  ( I don't.) is going get all that "stuff" off.  NO WAY!

     I mean, don't get me wrong.  I wish it would work.  With 7 people living in this house, toilet paper is a scarce commodity.  It is VERY common to hear, "I NEED TOILET PAPER!!" coming from one our 3 bathrooms.  So, if I thought paying $89.95 + shipping and handling, for a bidet would cut down on the cost of buying toilet paper, I'd seriously get it.  But, they would have to insure me that the spray would be equal to that of a power washer.  Cuz, nothing else is going to get the barnacles off their booties. 

     And, what's up with all the toilet ads on my blog??  Are they trying to hint that my blog is crappy??

     So, what is your experience with bidets?  Would you ever get one?  Do you think this would ensure you would no longer have to buy TP?   

    Seriously, tell me what you think?!

     A bidet is not going to help me in a situation like this.  Yes, it is what you think it is.... and she is standing in a puddle of urine too... you just can't see it!

Bobwhite

     Something you should know about me.... I hate anything repetitive.  I am not even sure hate is a strong enough word.  Anything that is done over and over and over again, makes me want to run through a glass door.  It gets under my skin, grates on my nerves, and so on and so forth. Clicking the end of a pen, tapping a pencil, singing the same thing all day, repeating the same phrase, etc...  You get it, right?

     Kids are repetitive by nature and my husband is still a kid in that sense, so among the 5 of those people who live here, I spend a lot of time saying, "That's enough." " Quit doing that, please!"  "Stop!"  "Do that again and I am going to break your arm!"  "Or rip your head off and barf down you neck hole."

     Ok, that last one... I've never really said, but I have wanted to. 

     See, I walk in the Spirit!  Ha!

     You get the picture!

      Have you ever heard of the bird Bobwhite?  Well, a" bird person" will say the Bobwhite gets his name from his call/chirp/tweet (whatever you want to call it).  You have to use your imagination, but the call sounds like he's saying "Bobwhite Bobwhite!"  Click here and you can hear a clip of the sound.

     Well, my Gracie was watching some show on TV and this guy was imitating the Bobwhite.  So, for days and days Gracie walked around doing her own version of the sound.  She would say, "Bobawhite Bobawhite."  Somehow, she put a short a in the call.  Bob a white.

    She was getting on everyone's nerves with the whole Bobawhite Bobawhite call, not just mine.

     Well,  we were in the car heading to someone's house for dinner (a pastor from a local church and his wife who will probably be Shelby's 6th grade teacher should we send her to school next year.) and Gracie was repeatedly doing her Bobawhite call.  

     "Mom, please make her stop!", Jackson and  Shelby were yelling from the back seat.  

     I had had it too!  So, in a voice that can only be used by a mother, I said, "Gracie!!  I mean it!  Don't say it again!  If you say it again, you are not watching American Idol tonight!"  

     They know I don't make idle (idol) threats.  (haha!  That was so funny idol, idle...... get it!)

      SO, we rode along in glorious silence for a few minutes.  As we were approaching our destination,  it was time for a little speech.

     "Now listen, you guys need to behave.  Use your manners.  Say please and thank you.  And, eat what is put in front of you.  I don't care if you don't like it, don't say anything, just eat it!"

     Gracie asked, "What if it's fried Bobawhite?"

    Bwaaaahaha!!!  Hahaha!    Hahahahahahahaha!

     Maybe you had to be there... but we all died laughing!  

     P.S.  She was still allowed to watch American Idol that night:-)

     Bobawhite Bobawhite!

     

     

Birthday Month

It's birthday month at our house! All the children I gave birth to physically, were born in May.

Yeah, yeah, yeah... "what were you guys always celebrating in August?" I hear it all the time. To answer the question... I don't know. My birthday is August??? But, really, you can't plan something like that.

I thought it was really cool for awhile, all May birthdays. But, geesh, it's like Christmas around here in May. Add Mother's Day on top of it..... it is one expensive month.

Jackson's birthday was this past weekend, May 2. He had a couple of little friends spend the night. It was a pretty easy, low key celebration.

Since we celebrated him this past weekend, I thought I would share all the things I love about him.

1. He is very enthusiastic, about everything, and is not afraid to show it.

2. He hates to do things wrong. He's very sensitive.

3. I love that his little body is like that of a body builder. His pecs are so defined because he does pushups all day long. Pushups .... he pushes up onto my counter so he can climb on top of them. Apparently, it's a heck of a work out, look at him!

4. He loves me. He always wants to snuggle with me and no one else when we watch tv or a movie in our "little theatre" room. I am pretty sure he's never made it through American Idol.

5. He's the only one of the kids that ASKS to go to bed at night.

6. He is unbelievable coordinated and athletic. He rode a bike very early. He roller bladed and snow boarded the first times he tried.... like he'd done it his whole life. He's been going off the high dive at our pool since he was 2. He scored 5 goals in one of his first soccer games and a touchdown in his first flag football game.

7. I love that when he goes out to play he tells me bye 100 times. "Mom, I'm going outside."

"Ok Jackson."

"Bye Mom."

"Bye Jackson."

"See you later Mom."

"See you later Buddy!"

"I'm gonna ride my scooter."

"Ok, Be careful."

"Bye Mom!"

"Bye Jackson."

I'm not kidding! Just like that! Every time!

8. He wins everything... even when he loses. For example, one time his best buddy Andrew had him pinned when they were wrestling, Jackson held him arm up and yelled, "I win!!"

When he was 4, we put him on swim team. He came in last every time. He was too busy pulling his head out of the water, smiling at everyone who was cheering him on. But, since he was last when he got to the finish line, he didn't see anyone else. So, he always told us he got first place.

9. Every time Jackson sees a newspaper stand, he pushes the coin return button. 9 times out of 10, he gets money. Friday, he pushed one and got 8 quarters. The girls, well, they are 0 for 100 times.

10. I don't know what this says about Jackson, but he has a way of manipulating. For example, a couple of weeks ago, he kept asking me if we could go to Chuckie Cheese. I bet he asked me 10 times. And, 10 times I said "No".

Well, we were on our way home from some place that night and he asked me again.

So, I said, "Jackson, are we are to Chuckie Cheese?"

He said, "Well, if you're offering?"

11. I love it that he walks down the hallways of his school like a politician. He holds up his hand and waves, "Hey, Mrs. Cline" "Hi Mrs. Davis" "Hey Mr. Jones!" "Hi Miss Lambert!"

Enjoy some of my favorite pictures of The Jackman!

P.S.  No, I have never dyed his hair.  Do you think I have time for things like that?

    

Taking my arms off at night

     I wish we could take our arms off at night.  I never know what to do with them when I sleep.  And, whatever it is I do with them now... it's not working for me.  I constantly have a stiff neck/knots in my shoulder from the way I sleep.

     This would not happen if we could snap them off and them lay them neatly beside our bed.

      I just don't know how we'd get them back on.

     Have you ever wished you could take your arms off?

     P.S.  When I was looking for a picture to add to this post, I found this baby doll.  What is up with this doll?  Seriously, it kinda scares me.  This doll looks like she can take off all body parts.

Is that necessary?

     I want to say up front, I am in NO WAY making fun of the devastation and the hardships that Isra*li people face.  I am all for Isra*l and believe that part of God's protection of the United States is because of our alliance with Isra*l.  I pray that I never have to experience the pain and the loss these people face on a daily basis.  Really, this is altogether another topic.

     I just don't know of any other way to describe the way my daughter, the one with that sweet,

little face screams in the middle of the night.  At least once a night.  Seriously, it is like the shrill scream heard by one of those woman on the nightly news.

     And, the hands over the face, yep... she does that too!

     I just want to scream right back at her, "ASK YOURSELF!!!!!!!!  IS THAT NECESSARY???"

     Seriously!

     But, I have to be the adult.  So lately, when that murder scene scream goes off... I wake up with my nails dug into the ceiling, hanging on for dear life.  But, then, I fall back in bed, roll over and go back to sleep.

     It seems to be working for me.  She goes back to sleep too.