Oh Boy!

Our new grandson was born today. He was two weeks early, but healthy and he and mom are doing great.

I've got no pictures yet, as I am leaving to see him in just a few minutes.

Still, I wanted to formally welcome him to the world here, because as we all know, if a tree falls in the forest, and no one blogs about it, it didn't make a sound.

Or something like that.

Of Contractors and Conspiracy Theories

On June 20th, our evaporative cooler had a meltdown, and flooded our kitchen. Yes I said evaporative cooler...also known as a "swamp" cooler. Our house was built in 1949, and is still, 60 years later, not vented for A/C. Honestly, the cooler works fine most of the time...except when it doesn't. We lost one wall and a third of the ceiling in the kitchen, but not the hardwood floor (miraculously).

It is now July 6, and we still have no wall, no ceiling and no cooling machine. Just try to get a contractor to respond to you in anything resembling a timely manner. Go ahead...I'll wait. I'm getting very proficient at it. Stupid me. Here I thought the industry was slow, and that contractors were desperate for work right now. Apparently not. Some don't even return phone calls. Some come out and decide the job is to small for them or whatever, and never send you the quote they promised, or even return phone calls. Some come out, give a quote, then go on vacation for a few weeks, during which time they don't even return phone calls.

Okay, I sort of get this last one, because I don't like to return calls while on vacation either, but still I'd like to know when they can get to the work. I mean an estimate? A ballpark? Something? Of course that would entail the insurance company calling me back as well, and I'm sure you can guess the likelihood of that happening.

To add insult to injury, we decided to spend part of our three-day weekend doing some minor, MINOR home repairs, like switching out the tub and shower knobs, spouts, and whatchamacallits (I am very technical when it comes to these kind of things, so try to keep up). In the process of shopping for these items, we spied a new bathroom sink faucet that we really loved and decided to buy. Of course it was brushed nickel and everything else in the bathroom was chrome, so the shopping spree began. Unfortunately, in the process of changing the pipe that goes from the shower head to the major plumbing behind the wall from chrome to brushed nickel, we encountered a set back. The damn thing snapped like a dry twig...behind the wall. Way behind. The really bad kind of behind.

And so minor repairs have turned into major ones. In addition to the holes in the kitchen, we now have holes in the bathroom. Uhm, so does this make us holy? After the profanities I have uttered over all of this, I'm thinking no. If I had known that damn sink faucet was going to end up costing several thousand dollars payable to the general contractor You Fuck It Up, We Fix It (who won't even return phone calls), I would have happily lived with the old one, which wasn't even broken to start with!

So my question to you is...why? Why oh why are we suffering this home repair karma? Is this some master plan to keep a contractor employed for one more week? Or maybe it is a scheme concocted by the state assembly to syphon more sales tax dollars into the California budget? Or maybe Verizon Wireless wants me to use up all of my minutes calling and recalling a bunch of people who won't even return my phone calls, so they can charge me a premium rate when I have to, at last, call a shrink. For all I know, the shrink may even be in on it! Or even the makers of Prozac!

It's a conspiracy, I tell you! A conspiracy!

I need a drink. And some Prozac.

Holy...Crap

CO and I were at a car show today, which was held at a large church. One of our car club friends is a member of the congregation, and the show was a fundraiser for the church, so we took our car out. They had all kinds of great things for kids to do, so Melvin brought the Puddin' Pop out too.

At one point in the day, she needed to use the bathroom, which was located inside the church proper. They had the doors open so you could see out into the area services are held, the altar, etc. The Puddin' Pop looked through the doors and saw all of this and asked what all that was.

MM: "This is a church."

PP: "A church! Does Jesus live here?"

Now there are several older "church ladies" milling about, taking an interest in Puddin' Pop's question. I smile...probably a little more smuggly than I should have, impressed with this 3-year-old and her knowledge of Jesus (especially considering my seemingly constant state of challenge with faith. I look at my granddaughter very seriously and say, "Yes, Pop. Jesus does live here."

And Pop replies very, very loudly, "Oh My God!"

Buh bye fleeting moment of pious achievement. Buh bye.

Reason 36,742...

why I love CO.

Inside my anniversary card he wrote: "I am always on the greenest side of the fence with you."

That is just an awesome thing to say.

I am lucky girl.

10 Years...

and our lives are still much busier than I would have guessed, or liked for that matter. But 10 years later, I love you more than I would ever have guessed, too.

Happy Anniversary, CO. I love you.

As I Remember, What a Night

I just found out today that a dear old friend, with whom I had lost touch over the past few years, died of ovarian cancer less than a month ago. She was 39 years old.

I can't seem to stop crying.

But for the grace of God, go I. Why is it that some of us get these burdens to carry, and some don't? That is the universal question, isn't it? And one to which there is no answer.

I didn't get to say this to her, so I am saying it to the blogoshpere, and hoping that some way, some how, she hears it too...

A, I am so sorry we lost touch. I know it wasn't because of a lack of affection for one another. I have spent all morning, recounting times we spent together.

You were there for me twice when I thought my world was falling apart. I know now that after one of those times, CO promised you he wouldn't break my heart. Thank you for caring about me enough to need to hear that from him. Thanks too for throwing me my bridal shower. It was a beautiful gift you gave to me.

I am so very sorry for the suffering you have endured the last few years, for both the physical pain, and the fear. I am so glad E was by your side. I remember when you two started dating. I told you he was a good man, and we were right. I will do whatever little thing I can to comfort him now.

We had some wonderful times together. one of which I wrote about here, but there were so many others. I found a picture of us today, at Magic Mountain. Me, you, E. and R. I remember standing in lines, playing music trivia games to amuse ourselves.
We always managed to amuse ourselves. "Which ones are named Doobie?" I STILL say that almost every time I hear a Doobie Brothers song.

You were a good friend to me, A. I am blessed to have known you, and I will never forget you. I hope, where ever you are now, that you can know that.

Always,
Maggie May

iTunes Tuesday - Eight Days a Week

I have not done iTunes Tuesday for a long time, but yesterday's short post, and a friend's comment to me about "Tuesday" songs inspired me. So here we go. Answer the questions, and give me the artist who posed them.

1) I'm in love. What day is it? On which days can you break my heart? Fall apart? Answer: Friday (and on Monday you can fall apart...Tuesday, Wednesday break my heart) - The Cure (Good job Cullen!)

2) If first you love me, then you say it's wrong, and I can't go on believing for long, on what morning do you sure look fine? Answer: Monday - Fleetwood Mac (Good job, 'Fly)

3) If a man is selling ice cream, singing Italian songs, what day is it, and where are you? Answer: Saturday in the Park - Chicago (Good job my anonymous friend, B and Nightfly)

4) If the trees are drawing you near, and you have to find out why, and the gentle voices you hear explain it all with a sigh, what afternoon is it? Answer: Tuesday - Moody Blues (Another correct answer by the 'Fly)

5) Which night is alright for fighting? Answer: Saturday - Elton John (Cullen and 'Fly got this right!)

6) What day can't you trust (this one's a gimme)? Answer: Monday - Mamas and the Papas (The Anonymous Missy B. was correct)

7) If bodies are strewn across the dead end street, what day is it? Answer: Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2 (Nightfly is groaning right now)

8) Don't question why she needs to be so free. She'll tell you it's the only way to be. What's her name? Answer: Ruby Tuesday - Rolling Stones (Nice one, 'Fly!)

9) If you've spent four lonely days in a brown L.A. haze, come what day will it be alright? Answer: Monday - Originally Jimmy Buffett, but a country guy remade it more recently...maybe Kenny Chesney? I can't recall. (Good job B)

10) I yi yi yi just can't wait. I yi yi yi got a date. What night is it? Answer: Saturday - The Bay City Rollers (Excellent job, 'Fly. I didn't think anyone would get that).

Bonus: A song with multiple days, which day is which:
a) The day I feel better just for spite Wednesday
b) the day that was never good anyway Monday
c) The two days that take too long Thursday, Friday
d) the day that everything's alright Sunday
e) the day you I a little sideways Tuesday
f) the day that's gone before I know it Saturday

Lori Morgan was the artist (Nicely done, B.)

Okay...go!