Posts Tagged ‘having to do with cars’

Busy!

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

The last week or so, I’ve been following the sage advice of Thumper’s father, who said, “If you can’t say something nice . . . don’t say nothing at all.”  (I had to look it up because I thought it was Thumper’s mother who told him that, but turns out I was wrong!)

Anyway, I’ve been in a terrible mood and things haven’t been going great, so I’ve been keeping my complained grumbling to (mostly) myself (and Justin and my friends Becky and Julie) and not airing out here.

But!  I’m heading into a busy weekend, so I figured I’d do the typical quick dump of information so you can know what’s going on.

Recap first:
Thanksgiving was great!  6 people for dinner, 8 people around our table, card games, fire in the backyard, pie, chatting with friends, it was AWESOME.

It took us three days to clean up after that – Friday, I didn’t get out of pajamas.

Monday morning, I ran something over in the dark with my car (I’m blaming the guy in the truck with his headlights right in my back window) and got a flat tire.  A gentleman stopped to put on the spare for me, and Justin and I took the car to the shop, where we got 2 new tires, the alignment fixed, and the fuel system cleaned out.  And I stayed home the rest of the day, which was GOOD.  The car is running much better now and I needed the extra day off after all that mess.

Wednesday and Thursday this week I worked 11 hour days to get an extra hour of work done for the department trying to sweep me away from my current department.

Yesterday, the job descriptions for the jobs competing for my attention went up for applications, so over the weekend, I have to apply for one and write a resignation letter for the other – sort of assuming that I’m going to get the one that I apply for since they’re both, apparently, desperate for my attention.

Today I’m working to make up for the hours I missed on Monday and I have A LOT of work to get done.

New stuff!
Today after work, Justin and I are going to a Christmas party/game night at a friends house in Beaufort.  This time, I’m not going to leave our house keys in Beaufort.

Tomorrow, we’re going to get a Christmas tree from the same tree farm we’ve been going to for the last 4 years or so and we’re taking our friends Becky and Julie.  Our friend Elizabeth is meeting us at our house after she gets of work at 5:00 to help us decorate it.  Julie’s making cookies.  Justin and I are making dinner.

Sunday, we’ve got church, an online game with friends in the afternoon, and then we’re probably taking Elizabeth out to IHOP for one last hurrah before she moves away.  She’s been looking for a job closer to her family since we met her a year ago and she finally got it.

And then I’m back into my work week.

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Stooooopid.

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

I keep meaning to talk about my Memorial Day weekend, but there are pictures and they’re still on my camera and I haven’t had my camera in proximity of my computer all week.  So.  Maybe I’ll get there tomorrow.

Right now, though, the thing stuck on my brain is the absolute stupidity of drivers on the road this morning.

It wasn’t that bad until I got within a handful of miles from work.  I drive though a marshy area and this morning there was a lot of fog.  I was still keeping up my normal pace, which means that I was at or slightly above the speed limit.  The minivan that pulled up behind me, I can only conclude, was going at least 10 MPH over the limit.  In dense fog.  And then it passed me — while going across a bridge.  While another car was just emerging from the fog coming the other direction.

Okay, fine.  So the minivan then pulled up really close to the truck I’d been following at a respectful distance and proceeded to get really well acquainted with that truck’s tail end while also popping out now and then to see if it was safe to pass.  Here’s a hint — it never was.  The truck pulled off after a while and the minivan zoomed ahead again, going at least 55 in a residential area.

I refrained from turning on my brights while it was stuck behind the truck.  I thought about it, though.

I caught up with the minivan at the stoplight of a T-intersection.  Traffic gets heavy at this part of my commute, with buses and semi trucks and lots of people trying to all go the same direction.  So we sat at the light for a while and then, at the green light, as many people as possible tried to fit into the tiny space left on the road running crosswise.  The minivan ahead of me ran the intersection just as the light went from yellow to red.

And then the car BEHIND ME also ran the red light.  I stopped at the red light.  The car behind me passed me while I was stopped, going around me so they could run the red light.

Really?  Is this rational thinking here?  Is there any thought involved in an action like that at all?

On the final stretch before getting to work, I cross three sets of railroad tracks.  One of those crossings was broken this morning, with the arm down blocking my side of the road.  I was following a semi truck at this point, and it pulled into the other lane to cross the tracks.  There was a car coming from the other direction that stopped to let the semi through.  Apparently the guy behind me didn’t see that, because when I stopped instead of following the semi, the he made a rude gesture at me.  But I prefer not to have head-on collisions on my way into work in the morning.  It’s just this weird quirk of mine, I guess.  I find it goes poorly with breakfast.

Sheesh.

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End of the week update

Friday, August 13th, 2010

You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had so many comments on a post as the one with the pictures of the dresses!  That’s so much fun!!

Okay.  So it’s Friday and I’m still at work, but I’m on my lunch break so I can give a quick update.

You know how I started out the week with 7 different projects?  I should get an AWARD, people.

  • Project 1:  Mostly finished up on Friday, fully completed on Monday.
  • Project 2:  Partially completed on Friday, fully completed on Tuesday
  • Project 3:  Started on Monday.  Completed on Wednesday
  • Project 4:  Started by my co-worker on Monday or Tuesday.  Picked up by me on Wednesday.  Completed on Thursday
  • Project 5:  Started on Thursday.  Will be completed, except probably for the final signature, before I leave today.
  • Project 6:  I’m going to get started on this today, too.
  • Project 7:  Handed off to my coworker.  Deadline shifted back a couple days.  Isn’t that just how it goes?

Now, most of them are going to come back up again when I revise them to the next revision level before we deliver the project.  But to have completed as much as I did?  I think that’s pretty darn amazing.

Justin has been absolutely wonderful this whole week.  I’ve been keeping random hours and being an emotional whirlwind and he’s been amazing!  I’m so lucky to be married to such a great guy!

Yesterday we actually took time to make a complicated dinner.  We grilled shrimp, potatoes, and corn, and it was delicious!  Justin marinated the shrimp for several hours in the afternoon and we grilled them on wooden skewers.  We grilled the potatoes with garlic and oil in an aluminum foil packet directly on the coals.  And Justin covered the grilled corn in a mixture of sour cream and feta cheese and it seems like it would be really weird combination, but it was fantastic.

Tomorrow, we’re going to help out at The Room at the Inn doing some renovation and clean up to one of the rooms.  They’re a home for young, homeless mothers and mothers-to-be where they can learn some basic skills and get some help.  It’s a great program.

And then we’re probably heading into Savannah for a while, but we’re still tossing around what our exact plans are for while we’re there.  We had plans, but they stacked on top of each other, so we’re re-evaluating.

And Justin’s step-dad is arriving in town some time in the next couple days.  He’s driving a car from California, where we went to be with family when his dad died.  He’s going to park the car somewhere in the area here, for his daughter to use once she finally gets her driver’s license.  And he’s going to fly back to Vermont on either Monday or Tuesday, but I can’t remember which.  I’m so well informed, can’t you tell?  I’ve been a little preoccupied.

And speaking of which, I should get back to work so I can get this document done, see if I can round  up the final signature (but I suspect he’s not here today), and get a look at the next one.  I have training all Monday morning (7:00 AM!), so I need to figure out whether I can do most of this one Monday afternoon or if I need to hit a chunk of this afternoon before going home.

Either way, time for me to get going.

Cheers!

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Mad-dash rehash

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

This is so many days late, but I’ve been having such a rough time getting back into the swing of things after getting back from our trip.  And because I know people are/were interested in how it went, but it would take WAY too long to write about it in detail, this is the mad-dash rehash of our midwestern tour.  (I will put many pictures in to try to make it more interesting.)

Wednesday:

  • Awake at 3:30 to drive to the airport in Charleston.  Drink 30 oz of coffee and get VERY WIRED.
  • Fly from Charleston to Chicago.
  • Fly from Chicago to Milwaukee.
  • Sit in Milwaukee for a long time because our flight was delayed.
  • Find a used bookstore in the airport.

Bookstore where?

Renaissance Books

  • Fly to Minneapolis.
  • Collect our rental car and call Nathan and Co.
  • Meet Nathan & Co. and Erica & Ltd. at Erica’s house and have a fun-filled picnic dinner.
  • Play with nieces and nephews and lots and lots of balls.  Play in the park.

Fun with plastic balls

  • Eat s’mores with Erica.
  • Go to bed after being awake for about 20 hours.

Thursday:

  • Get up to go running with Erica and plod my way through 2.5 miles for the first time in many, many months.
  • Ache for the next 2 days.
  • Shower, dress, and drive away.
  • Chat with Erica and pass things to Chloe until we get to Eau Claire.

Chloe, show me your teeth!

  • Have a delightful lunch with Mom and Dad.
  • Go to Goodwill to find shoes for Chloe and buy a hat and purse.
  • Drive to Grandma’s house.

Grandma's house

  • Have a delightful dinner with Grandma and Dee and stay up late chatting.

Friday:

  • Get up and have a big breakfast with Grandma and Dee.
  • Sit around chatting and working out genealogy and enjoying company.
  • Shower.
  • Take Chloe to the park and have fun running around.

Chloe on the playground

  • Eat lunch.
  • Go through my wedding book with Grandma, pointing out people she didn’t know.
  • Say good-byes and drive away.

Group shot with Grandma and Dee

  • Drive to Knoxville, IA.
  • Get lost.
  • Get un-lost.
  • Hug Grandpa Doug and other people in the dark and not know who they are.
  • Get settled into the camper trailer and meet Justin’s aunt, uncle, and cousin.
  • Sleep on a mattress covered in plastic, with heads lower than our feet and get a sore throat.

Saturday:

  • Get up and chat with people in the trailer while breakfasting and getting ready.
  • Wander down to the pond and meet a couple more people.
  • Wander down to the barn and say good morning to Grandpa Doug and Great-uncle Bob and a few other people.

Barnett's barn

  • Wander down to the tent and meet Great-uncle Jerry and help him wipe down chairs for lunch.

Reunion tent

  • Meet a couple more people.
  • Run into town to grab some things from Walmart (a pillow, throat drops, hot dogs, a fan)
  • Make it back to the farm in time to meet a whole bunch more people, grab a few sodas, and stand around chatting for a little bit before lunch.
  • Have an unfortunate run-in with a gust of wind in a billowy top and face questions about whether I’m pregnant.  Quelch that rumor as quickly as possible.
  • Eat lunch.
  • Sit around chatting with people.
  • Sneak off to take a nap.
  • Wander around the property of a distant cousin who raises lilies and hostas.

Randy's hostas

Randy's flowers

Purple flowers

Stone stairs

Grass driveway

Lily

  • Jump in the pond for a swim before dinner.
  • Meet a couple more people while swimming.
  • Go to dinner in a different outfit than at lunch.  No billowing.
  • Meet even more people.
  • Cheer for the talent show.

Grandpa Doug on harmonica

  • Cook s’mores.
  • Chat with people until dark.
  • Watch the men clear up chairs and tables in preparation for inclement weather.
  • Move trash bags to the side so they wouldn’t wash away.
  • Walk back to the trailer in awe of all the lightning bugs.
  • Die of heat while trying to sleep, even with the fan blowing, with a sore throat and feet higher than our heads and a loud plastic wrapper on the mattress.

Sunday:

  • Wake up, breakfast, shower, dress.  Feel very groggy, head-stuffy, throat-achy.
  • Go to the high school for lunch because of the expectation of rain.
  • Cram 130+ people into the high school cafeteria.

Barnetts in the high school cafeteria

  • Meet a few more people.
  • Eat delicious lunch.
  • Release a microphone to the masses.
  • Hide in the bathroom for a little bit.
  • Walk around the school with Justin a little bit.
  • Leave messages on Gillian’s phone.
  • Drive back to the farm.

Barnett rock

  • Go sit at the barn out of the rain and talk with people.
  • Walk back to the pond and watch Justin go swimming while I sit on the dock under an umbrella.
  • Change into dry clothes.  Call Gillian.
  • Chat with people for a little longer.
  • Go see Gillian.
  • Chat with Gillian and play with her children for a while.  Forget to take a picture.
  • Leave so the kids can get to sleep.  Go out for dinner.
  • Watch fireworks as we drive home.
  • Go to sleep with sound of rain and cool air blowing.

Monday:

  • Wake up, breakfast, shower, dress, pack.
  • Throw everything into car.
  • Wander up to the barn to chat with people.
  • Wander around old homestead house and take pictures.

Git offa my lawn

Outside his childhood bedroom window

Outhouse

I like steps

Wooden steps

Water wheel

The reason we made the trip

  • Sit back down and chat some more.
  • Finally say good-byes and drive off.
  • Stop for lunch and move our luggage into the back seat.
  • Repack everything so it fits into one suitcase while Justin drives.
  • Meet Sara at Cheesecake Factory, but walk across the street to Barnes and Noble to work up an appetite.
  • Catch up with Sara and wander around the store.
  • Go back and have a delicious dinner.
  • Wander around the mall a little bit before saying good-byes.

Tickle shot

  • Drive to Erica’s house and keep her up late while we finish packing and getting ready.  She braids my hair.

Tuesday:

  • Get up a little before 5:00 to pack up, put up the beds, and head to the airport.
  • Arrive on time, return the car, check in, make it through security, and only sit a little while before boarding.
  • Fly to Chicago.
  • Get adopted by an 80-year old woman looking for help getting to her gate.
  • Stay more calm about the shuttle bus to another concourse and the time crunch of our layover because of that angelic woman.
  • Get to the gate just as they finish boarding and get right on the airplane.
  • Fly to Charleston.
  • Collect our luggage, find the car, and drive home.
  • Pile everything inside the house.
  • Shower and curl up to relax.
  • Fall asleep and sleep for about 15 hours.

And as a bonus! Wednesday:

  • Relax all morning.
  • Go to our financial advisor appointment and start making good plans.
  • Go to the grocery store.
  • Get a flat tire leaving the grocery store.
  • Watch Justin put on spare tire.
  • Go home and unload the groceries and tidy the kitchen while Justin sorts the luggage into dirty laundry hampers.
  • Eat a late lunch.
  • Take the car to Tire Kingdom.
  • Buy a new tire.
  • Go home.
  • Find out that Justin’s old boss and coworker had shown up AT THE HOUSE to ask why he hadn’t been answering his cell phone.
  • Laugh delightedly that he no longer works there.
  • Relax for the rest of the evening.
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Happenings lately

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

Okay, time for a broad update on what’s been going on in Kylene-land.

I’m back on the diet again after taking about a month off to handle with stress and not logging while we had company in town.  But I’ve been logging again for 15 days now and my scale at home (that’s not terribly accurate) gave me a whole long line of 0’s on Saturday that made me very excited.  It’s gone back up a couple pounds, but that’s what happens when I sit down with a bag of M&Ms on one day and a big plate of Kung Pao chicken the next.  But I thoroughly intend for it to be back down again by Saturday.  I might not make it down the full 50 pounds before my doctor appointment at the beginning of September, but I’m going to be pretty darn close!

I don’t know exactly how much weight I’m going to end up losing in the end, but my goal right now is to get my body fat percentage down around 25%.  Wherever I land poundage-wise is where I’ll end up, but I want to get that percentage down there.  I started at 42.2%.  Right now I’m at 38.2%.  Once I get under 32%, I’ll no longer be considered “obese” and THAT will be a very happy day.  :)

The car thing is an end as far as I know.  I finally called the claims department on Friday to ask what the progress was on the file and they told me that they had denied the claim.  Wohoo!!  I mean, the woman didn’t have a leg to stand on but it’s still nice to have things work out the way that they’re SUPPOSED to work.  I didn’t hit her, I shouldn’t have to pay for it.  And I’m not!

As far as I’m concerned, the matter is now closed.  She can try to appeal the decision or take me to small claims court, but the insurance is going to back me up if she does that.  I’m going to assume that she’s not going to be quite that desperate and just stop thinking about the whole thing.  And now I can finally try to get the paint off my car, since I’ve been waiting until everything was resolved to try to work on that.  Before I was just being lazy.  But now I have more motivation to get it off.

There are things happening in the job front that I’m not comfortable talking about right now.  You know that feeling like if you talk about it, you might jinx the whole thing?  THAT.  But hopefully I’ll have news for you there in a while.

I am still going to be briefly unemployed while the whole place shuts down for a couple weeks, but I’m looking forward to the time away from work.  It’ll be nice.  I’m hoping to get a bunch of projects done around the house.  Because, you know, there’s nothing like a vacation to get some work done around the house.  What?  Relax?  I don’t have time to relax!

In more trivial news, I’ve developed an allergy to my face lotion.  I’ve been using it for a while and I’m about halfway through this bottle, but the last few times I tried to use it, I broke out in hives.  It wasn’t pleasant.  My only hypothesis is that there’s almond oil in the lotion.  Of my nut allergies, almonds were pretty low on the list of reactions, so I picked up a box of cranberry-pomegranate granola bars (with almonds) and was eating one of those a day.  And then I broke out in hives from my lotion.  So I’m not eating the bars any more and I’m using aloe vera to moisturize my face, since we didn’t have anything else in the house that would work.  Avoidance is effective and I’m doing just fine.  But it’s kind of a bummer because I was fond of that lotion.

And to end on a more UP tone, I have a trip coming up to visit several people and I’m SO EXCITED about it!  I’ve mentioned it here before, but I’m still just beyond thrilled to get to take this trip.  I didn’t expect to be able to spend time with my siblings and it’s going to be so much fun!  Lots of people know about it, too, because I can’t stop talking about it.  I’ve already started my packing list—I’ve been trying to figure out how to pack everything in a carry-on so we don’t have to check our luggage.

But mostly, I just think, “I get to see the kidlets!”  “I get to see my siblings!”  “I get to see Grandma!”  “I get to see the Barnetts!”  And try to figure out how I could fit seeing more people into the tiny amount of time that we’ll be in each place.  Like Sara!  And Gillian!  And Mom and Dad!!

But before that, I’ve got 3 projects that need to be completely finished up before the end of this week and 3 other documents that need to be released and mailed off for approval before next Tuesday, at the absolute latest.  I have a lot of work to finish up.

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