One of Those Days...

Ever have one of those days that you just wish you would've stayed in bed?

Yeah... today was one of those for me.

It started with a splintered sleep. Eric had to get up early for a flight... and did so more than once. First, he was going to go in early. Then, it was actually for the flight, as scheduled. So I never got back to a deep sleep and ended up rolling out of bed earlier than usual, myself. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a morning person, so this usually does not end well. But I made the best of it and hit Panera on the way to work. So far, not too bad.

Well, mid-morning, I get a 'small task' from the owner of the company. Actually, the continuation of something I did months ago. No big deal, really - just tedious. And there were definitely other things I needed to be doing. It involved a quick trip to a site, which just added time, though it was a nice day out, so not a bad day to be out of the office. Still not really impacting me too badly. But then it starts. I have to run back up to the site to deliver the little project I was doing. Still, not so bad. But on the way home is when it starts going downhill.

So I'm driving down I-69, talking to my boss (not the same guy) and I blew a tire. Now, for those not in the area, I-69 is one of the busiest roads in Indy (though no where near comparable to good ol' ATL traffic). He makes a sarcastic comment about me not being excited about something and I tell him, "Sorry - a little distracted. I just blew a tire!" He stops and asked if I had called someone yet, and I told him it just happened as I was talking to him. After I assured him I was fine, and we hung up, I started to call AAA - I wasn't about to try to change a left side tire on this road. I was starting to log the roadside assistance request when (da da da daaa!!!)State Farm's Hoosier Helper pulled up behind me. Yay - no waiting for AAA!

I haven't had to use my spare in about 10 years. I have a full sized spare, but it took a bit to remember how to get it detached from the underside of my vehicle. In the process, it bent the tool that undoes the bolt... but it still worked. It was just that rusted on! Another bonus to Hoosier Helper - they were able to put a little extra air in the spare since it was a tad low. I couldn't have done that myself!

While the nice gentlemen was changing my tire, I pulled out my paperwork from when I bough the tire. What do you know... I just ran out of warranty on them about 750 miles ago... within the last month! Wow. It figures.

Oh, and the tire that blew? I had been curious about it since I had to keep putting air in it. But I could never find anything stuck in it, so I attributed it to age. Turns out, there WAS something in it and that's what blew out... literally. I heard a clink as a drove, like a rock or something hit my mirror or something. Turns out it was whatever was in my tire hitting the wheel well. There was just a small hole, right at the inside of the tread on my tire, where I couldn't see.

When I get back to the office, I get back to my big project, marking up plans and such. Right at the end of the day, after 5pm, we get an email from the client. He wants to change everything on my project, pretty much. Great. Just how I needed to end my day.

Looking back, it wasn't a horrible day. Nothing tragic. Nothing life altering. Just one of those days. I can't wait to go to sleep tonight!

Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend, already (almost) over! we need any other proof of the year flying by...

Mine was not anything exciting, but I felt the need to post anyway. I kind of foreshadowed my weekend in my last post... a lot of working on the bathroom! Though we still did not get everything we wanted done. It always takes longer with the learning curve.

We DID take a day trip to northern Indiana/New Buffalo, MI... but the circumstances were not what you want to travel for. We actually attended a Memorial Service for a family friend of Eric's. While it was nice for Eric to be able to reconnect with old friends from childhood, you always wish it could be under better circumstances. After the service, we took a detour to New Buffalo, MI so we could hit Redamak's, which you'd read about before here. We never made it up there last year, so since we were 'right there', we figured we'd take the short drive from Laporte and grab a late lunch. It was worth it. And just like that, we were heading home.

Today, it's been more working on the house. At least trying to. We were delayed by an extremely late delivery by Lowe's for a fridge to one of Eric's tenants. So we're still trying to get something done today.

Regardless, I hope everyone else had a good weekend and took a moment or two to remember what Memorial Day is all about... thanking the men and women who served our country to keep it the great country it is. So thank you, to all the current military personnel and military veterans out there.

Busy, Busy!

So while I haven't had a good posts about any exciting trips or the like, I have been busy! So busy, in fact, I wish I had some time away!

Work has picked up quite a bit and though I'm part time, I haven't been working like part time. But this is a good thing. It's always interesting once you get to a point where you have projects at every stage... preliminary layouts, full design, bidding, construction... it keeps you on your toes!

At the house, Eric and I have been chipping away at our bathroom. We're learning a few new trades along the way... framing, plumbing, electrical... you know, stuff I never thought I'd ever do. At least not to this extent! On the plumbing side, we decided to really go outside the norm and use PEX to plumb the new bathroom. A bit of a learning curve, but once it's figured out, it's WAY easier than standard PVC! Not that you really want to hear about that...

With all the house projects comes a lot of runs to many hardware stores. My Baby Bleu has been getting a workout with her roof rack... this is why we don't need a new car yet! Took awhile to convince Eric to use the roof rack, but I think it's way easier that trying to fit things inside. Sure, 8 footers of anything can fit inside and rest between us up near the dashboard... but it sure is nice NOT to have a pile of 2x4's right next to me!

Other notable things... we've had some fun nights out, like happy Hour at the Symphony, a craft beer tasting/food pairing event, caught a few Pacers games, and there's always some spontaneous dinners. But no... I haven't left the area since Christmas, which is extremely rare for me! I am, indeed, intching for trip... FL sounds like a good option since my niece and nephew are out of school. But that may not even happen since things have been so busy.

And looks to stay busy!! At least until the bathroom's done...

Dry, Dry, Dry...

So it's been nearly two weeks since we had rain. And there's no definitely chance of rain until at least next week. This sucks!

We have a vegetable garden at our house. We started a little earlier this years since it was so perfect so early on this year (with no late frost/freeze is sight). But it wasn't overly wet, either, which wasn't a big deal because we still got enough through April. But then came May.

The ground is cracking it's so dry. Even with manual watering of the plants, it's just not enough! The ground soaks it right up! Nothing is dying, but I think some growth has been stunted. or maybe I'm imagining things since we started so early... but I swear we normally have some tomatoes by now!

We DO have an abundance of raspberries! We seem to have the ultimate conditions for raspberry bushes and this year, it's producing LOTS of berries! Loving it! And there's other things starting to pop a bit, so as ling as we get some rain soon, I think we'll be well on track for a good year of fruits and veggies... but I'm getting tired of worrying about watering them...

Come on Mother Nature! Work with me here!

Anti-Social

Has anyone else noticed how anti-social social media has made people?

Seriously... and I'm just as guilty as the next guy! You go out to lunch with some friends and spend more time 'checking in' and surfing facebook than you do talking to people. Eric gets on me about it sometime, which I can understand why. But he does it, too, only he's checking emails instead of facebook. I see couples doing this all the time... sitting across from each other, not talking, but playing with their phones.

Which is interesting. While more people know what we're doing and where we are at, we actually have less interaction with people. In a time where more of our personal information is readily available to the world, we spend less time getting to actually know a person IN PERSON! And sadly, kids are seeing this and learning this... they will have no idea how to interact with people since they never see it themselves! And as adults, we seem to be encouraging this by buying kids cell phones in elementary school. And what do you know... most cell phones are smartphones, so the process just starts younger and younger!

*sigh*

I saw a really cool idea (on Facebook) a few months back. When you go out to lunch, everyone puts their cellphones in the middle of the table, facedown. The first person (if any) that goes for their cellphone before the checks arrive picks up EVERYONE'S lunch. Might have to start enforcing this...

Which One Are You?

I've noticed there are really two people in this world. There's the people who are constantly changing with the trends (in all aspects - music, fashion, technology, etc.) and those who are content with where they're at. But is it really that simple?

While I like to keep my wardrobe updated, I don't necessarily follow the trend of the moment. I try to buy stuff that will take me through a few years - a bit more of a timeless look. Which explains my jam-packed closet and dressers. I still occasionally find things from college still lingering... and shoes? Well, I just collect shoes, it seems. it's always fun to have something different on your feet than the everyday ho-hum.

But on the technology side, I kind of like to see it prove its worth before investing (not to mention letting the price come to something a little more reasonable). And while I keep up on the latest social media and such, I don't necessarily embrace it all the time. Eric, on the other hand, feels like if you don't always have the latest and greatest, you're already behind. He'll even go so far as to 'force technology' just to keep 'up to date', which I don't really agree with. In my opinion, if you (or whomever it's forced on) is not comfortable with the technology of the moment, then it just won't be used. Quite frankly, some of what comes out is so specific, it only has a short trend life, anyway.

Music is a whole other beast. there's a particular radio station in town that has the same old tried and true morning show that's never changes, along with the 'hard rock' of the 80's and 90's. I find it interesting who listens to this station. While hearing some of these songs is a great throw back, I can't imagine still listening to that music, and only that music. But there's a lot of people out there who just decide that's what they like and have no desire to listen to newer music - the station still exists for a reason. But I can't imagine not knowing the headliners of concerts coming through town... I get thrown because I don't know the country acts that are out there. But to me, that because it's a different genre, now a different time.

Don't get me started on eating habits. It seems like there's more people than we'd like to admit that are still convinced fast food is 'okay' on a regular basis, when it's really not. This is one area I applaud California on... yay for laws requiring calories be shown on the menu boards! If people realized what they ate, I guarantee they wouldn't anymore. I'm one of them. I've stopped eating quite a few items after learning of their true nutritional content. It's downright scary! But this isn't really a trend... this is a change in lifestyle. We'll talk about that on another day.

What Have I Told You About Politics??

Our Primary Election was yesterday. It further proved how corrupt our politics are and what a joke it has all become.

But on the positive side, I'm starting to see more people voice their frustration about politics... a frustration I've been long venting about. Since college, in fact. Almost as if I saw it coming.

We had a long time senator get ousted by his party in this recent primary. Sadly, it was a 'ratman' that ousted him. He seriously looks like a rat and I trust him about as far as I can throw him. He even had the nerve to say he "believes in bipartisan politics, so long as it's the other side that crosses the aisle and agrees with him." Wow... that's bold. Sounds like you'll be getting a lot done for your constituents IF you make it to Washington. I hope, above all other hope, that he gets defeated in November. Anyone would be better than him.

But it all goes back to an essay I wrote a long time ago... get rid of the freaking party system!! It's failing us! We didn't have it in place for the first 100 years of our Nation, and it's time to get rid of it again. Sure, you'll always have people who claim to be part of a 'party', just like they list a religion when asked. But get rid of the division once you're in the government system. Our house should not start divided... let that come as debates happen and sides are taken. But get rid of the 'party agenda' that seems to take precedence, especially in Washington. It happens at all levels, but it's most notorious at the national level.

Sadly, I don't see the party system ever going away because it, in fact, the reason why it stays. Have the party system allows more money to flow and, after all, isn't that what politics are all about?? Wait. No. It's supposed to be about the people. They're supposed to be a voice for us. Yet, when was the last time you voiced your concern to you local or national politician? Better yet, when was the last time they reached out to you in some way?? In this day and age, it's easier than ever! Yet, a large majority of people couldn't even tell you who was representing them.

Sad. Politics are sad. The way all governments have been corrupted and are now run is sad. And honestly, I think other countries look in our direction and think the good ol' USA is becoming a sad story.

I'm Not Nuts!

After a long day of work yesterday, I came home to what I thought was a quiet, empty house since Eric was in Florida for work. I was going about my normal 'getting home' routine (going through mail, changing, etc.) when I heard a noise in the front room. Kind of a squeaking grunt and scratching. I followed the noise to the fireplace, which we don't use and is pretty well sealed up (it's an old school cast iron one). Then, something from within the fireplace heard me and got louder and more 'verbal'. Something fell down the chimney.

My first instinct - a squirrel. We've been pretty sure we had some in our attic over the winter and had recently heard some scratching in the ceiling. Our chimney was knocked down a long time ago, so when they re-roofed when Eric bought the house, they took it down the the attic 'floor' level. With Eric not coming home until LATE last night, I didn't know what to do since a cast iron fireplace was foreign to me - no clue how to work the damper.

Eric called after I shot him a text about the situation. Then he got me all worried, saying it could be a bat, or a rat, or a bird. The idea of a rat especially freaked me out... but we hadn't had issues with that type of vermin. I stuck with my squirrel idea and jumped online since I could do nothing else. I figured I could at least get a comfort level that it WAS a squirrel. So I looked up what sound they made and found all sorts of YouTube videos. Most of them sound pretty similar... but not quite the same sound I heard. My conclusion - it was scared to death in this deep, dark hole it fell in!

Well, Eric's plane was delayed and he didn't get home till nearly 1am. By this time, I was sure it was a squirrel and I had spent a lot of the night checking on it (going by the fireplace, makeing some noise and talking to it). You would've thought it was a child down a well the way I felt. Eric still wasn't convinced it was a squirrel, though, and threw out the idea of a rat again. I cringed. But he figured out the damper and got it open long enough to see it was right there, staring back at him. Once it heard the damper being opened, it moved from the corner it was culed up in - it saw light finally! And it was, indeed, a squirrel. It started making that noise squirrel make again when we were nearby and tried looking out the damper.

Once we propped open the damper, we thought it would jump right out. It didn't. So we tried coaxing it with some food and more of a ramp for it to come out on. Nothing. It would come look at us as we did things, but not come out. So we thought maybe we were scaring it by being right there. So we went across the room and up the stairs. It went silent at this point. Did it go to sleep?? As soon as we came back over to the fireplace, it'd make noise again.

After about 45 minutes of trying to coax it out, we decided we had to try to grab it. We assumed it would run deeper in the hole where Eric couldn't reach as soon as he put his hand in the fireplace. We were wrong. The squirrel practically walked on his hand and came out with no problem. It was just a little baby squirrel. No wonder he was so scared!

We put it is a bag to get it outside. We figured we'd put the bag on the ground and it would run as soon as it was opened. But it didn't. It didn't know what to do! I think this was its first exposure to the outside world - it was likely born in our attic! We grabbed the food we had put out and tried to feed it. Didn't even know what to do with that. But the kicker... it LOVED Eric and wouldn't let Eric walk away! It was so freaking cute! It bounced around his feet and just had no idea it wasn't supposed to be interacting with us. It even let us pet it and it wanted to be held!

So we took it out back, where we knew it would be safer (no walls to fall off of, no roads to run into) and again tried to get it to run away. Eric tried to walk into the house and it literally bounced right behind him, not letting Eric out ot its sight - just followed him around like a puppy! We finally got inside without it bouncing in right behind us and it sounded like it found a place to hideout on our backporch for the night. I wish we could've taken him in overnight and made sure it was okay and kept him safe. But we both knew it was wild, and even though it was young, it would figure things out. It didn't appear to be at all injured, as it bounced around. So it was for the best.

I poked my head out this morning to see if I could hear it or see it. It was either staying quiet because it was scared, or it had run off already. I watched all the adult squirrels fight over the remnants of our 'bait' from the night before, so I figured, just in case, I'd leave something on the backporch if it was still around. Hopefully its insticts kicked in or he found its mama in the early morning. But I'll never forget my baby squirrel!