Crazy

OK Gnarles Barkley, y'all have done it.

Top song of the decade.... CRAZY

The more I searched around and the more I listened, I began to agree.  It was a fun song -- and, it was a crazy decade.

As my friend Christine always says (which always stops gossip in its tracks) -- "We are all crazy."

I remember when, I remember
I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that place
Even your emotions have an echo in so much space


And when you're out there without care
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much


Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Possibly


And I hope that you are
Having the time of your life
But think twice
That's my only advice


Come on now, who do you
Who do you, who do you, who do you think you are?
Ha ha ha, bless your soul
You really think you're in control?


Well, I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
Just like me


My heroes had the heart
To lose their lives out on a limb
And all I remember
Is thinking, I want to be like them


Ever since I was little
Ever since I was little
It looked like fun
And it's no coincidence I've come
And I can die when I'm done


But maybe I'm crazy
Maybe you're crazy
Maybe we're crazy
Probably

wordless Wednesday

cars

Have you ever heard of the old expression "penny wise and pound foolish"?  That should become my personal motto.

I drive an old car.  I drive an old car because I am paying college tuition for my darling daughter.  I don't begrudge anything.  This is a choice that I have made.  I bought this car new.  I was so proud.  It was a beautiful egg shaped minivan.  I bought it to replace the family truckster --

A Ford Country Squire... ever see National Lampoon's Vacation?  That was my old car -- in black.

"The Mothership" as my kids affectionately call my car has served us well and we have put 128,000 miles on it.  Most of it between Atlanta and New Orleans.  Never mind the fact that it is on its 3rd transmission.  Those stories should be saved for another time.  They created "fun" memories for my family...  remember the time the car caught on fire at the gas station in Alabama?  And the waitress at Waffle House said she recognized us from our 3 hour stay at the BP station waiting for a rental?  .... yeah, good memories.

Let me mention something.  I am the daughter of a car man.  A BRAND LOYAL car man.  My grandfather emigrated here to the states in 1925 and settled in Detroit.  He worked the line at Chrysler and retired a car man.  His son, my father, would go on to spend his ENTIRE ADULT life working in corporate America for FORD MOTOR COMPANY.  As kids we would sing and dance around the coffee table to "The Union Song".  I am also one of four daughters-- no sons.  Why does this matter?  Well you see, my father over compensated for the lack of testosterone around the dinner table by imparting in each of us certain more masculine interests.  Cars, tools, furniture refinishing, lawn work....  I took on cars and tools. 

Back to  penny wise.... for the past six months the windshield wipers on my car have not worked.   I took my car to a mechanic to do some emissions work and they diagnosed the problem as the  multi-function switch.  Said the wiper motor was fine.  Since I had just dropped $560 on the engine I opted to put this repair off.  For six months... the rainiest six months the Atlanta area has seen in DECADES I have been driving the Mothership sans wipers.  Rainex has been my best friend.

I have put off fixing it because I am lazy and well, I could find MANY other ways to spend that money.  Remember?  Penny wise and pound foolish....

So this morning I decided to bite the bullet and bring the car in. Thanks to a generous Christmas gift from my parents, I felt comfortable spending some money on the old Mothership.  (OK and the fact that both of my driving age kids are afraid to drive it when it even hints of rain)  Add a recall on the car that if not fixed could cause spontaneous combustion .... sitting in your garage.  OK, I know, I have been super lazy.

In my need to be supermom I took charge.  Asked them to repair the multi-function switch... I am so cool, I know all about cars... look at me... daughter of Mighty Mickey...

OK all you out there in cyber space.  Don't do this!

Because the dealership will take you at your word.
Do exactly as you say.
WITHOUT checking to see if the part is actually defective.
Because Supermom here has already told them and OF COURSE, she knows everything. (I knew that would eventually come around and bite me in the ass)

Then, you will find out that it is actually the motor... not the switch...and that once they put an electrical part in they will not take it out... even if the part was never broken in the first place.  This can be very costly.   Then of course, because you are committed to actually having working wipers at this point, you have to add the cost of the new wiper motor and labor again.

It is also personally costly because now you have to call and wake up your daughter on her college break and interrupt her beauty sleep and ask her to come get you--- 15 miles away.

Why 15 miles and not at the dealership around the corner?  Because I am a BRAND LOYAL daughter of a car man.  And his friend owns this dealership.  A man that came to my wedding. A man that actually got my mother, Sparkle Plenty, on WATER SKIS once (believe me that's akin to walking on water).

This may have been a good choice-- because when one is penny wise and pound foolish it is important to be able to name drop and hope for some assistance.

Because I am NOT supermom.
Because I do NOT know all about cars -- as much as my dad would like to think, and this arrogance cost me $300!

So, a little name dropping allowed them to split the difference on the second repair.  Let's hope they got the recall fixed right.  Because I don't feel like coming back.

Craft days

I am so late with this blog post.  What's new?

Before Christmas I hosted a craft party.   The idea came after an evening of coffee and brainstorming with my friend Sara.  We decided that we needed to find a way to make a heartfelt and homemade Christmas.  It was my first attempt at hosting such an event.  I have been to plenty of cookie swaps.  But I was looking for something different. I think it turned out quite fun.  The idea was that everyone bring a craft idea and the supplies to make it-- we could each take home a sample or help a friend get a head start on her Christmas giving.

Sara, the supermom supreme,  brought decoupage frames and mirrors.  They were so cute!   You can see my son eying her supplies, which she kindly shared.  You can also see my mom, Sparkle Plenty, also admiring her handiwork.  These were really cute and I almost copied this idea for our class at school.  Unfortunately, Michael's was COMPLETELY sold out of frames the day I went there.  Sara's followers must have gotten there first.

My friend Deborah, brought these adorable advent wreaths.  Being the hyper-organized accountant that she is, she made kits.  Each kit was beautifully packaged and wrapped in Advent colors- ready to go.  As you can see in the foreground, her own wreath is well used.  It was an adorable idea that could be adopted for Brownies or Cub Scouts or your CCD class.  The greenery is made up of traced hands.  Something to think of next Thanksgiving when you have all your extended family sitting around the table.

Doesn't this table look like fun?  I am sure you are thinking, please tell me how spray adhesive and Epsom salts can be a craft?  HA! Silly person.   Sarah (in the adorable scarf) brought a new twist to bath salts.  She packed them in Christmas tins with a candle, candy canes and scented them with peppermint Dr. Bronner's.  The spray adhesive was for Erin's decoupage coasters.  These were a big hit-- even Daniel made at least 4.

My friend Rachel, standing with the coffee, bravely faced her fear of anything crafty and came to be part of the fun.

What pray-tell is that hot chick doing?  Is that a super long straw?  NO... that's my sister Colleen making adorable headbands.  It was my sister Bridget's idea and a great way to use up that left over fabric stash.  See the one Colleen is wearing?   It is basically braided fabric sewn to an elastic strip.  Another good Brownie or American Heritage Girl craft.
Oh, yeah, there's Sara... still decoupaging away.   And I couldn't resist-- Sparkle Plenty, AKA MY MOM, modeling a headband.
Brianne brought the makings for homemade soap that was divine!  And so easy to make, just use a few empty tin cans and a crockpot as a double boiler and voila! SOAP. 

I was very happy that she shared with me.  A hint I learned from her?  Use baby cereal oatmeal as an additive.  It is much finer than "regular oatmeal" and still offers all the benefits.

In the end, I think hope fun was had by all.  It was a nice afternoon, hanging out with friends and making presents.
Oh, and if you took the hyper-link to Sara, you might have noticed her asking me for a tutorial on snowflakes.  I admit, that's not my strong point.  But I will share a picture of my "Elf-ed" living room.