Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)

And believe you me, it's been NUTS this last week or so.

We started off about a week ago with water seeping into our lower level after a huge rainstorm last Saturday. Turns out, there's a crack in the foundation, at the corner of the building. Well, since this is a rental unit, we called the management (and yes, WE considered it an emergency). They sent someone over to suck up the water; he left us a dehumidifier to help dry the place out. Did I mention this leak was in our office/craft/play room? The one with EVERYTHING along the walls...like 2 file cabinets (FILLED, of course) the computer desk (with a million wires and power strip on the floor beneath it, and the computer, printer, scanner and various other hardware connected to it), the HUGE entertainment center that is on its last leg and REALLY doesn't like to be moved EMPTY, much less fully loaded with a TV, dvd player, books, magazines and stamp sets (it's my storage area, too). Um...yeah...all of this stuff is in the middle of my office right now, so that everything THREE feet from the wall can dry.

"Wait - it's a week later, isn't it dry yet?" a smart person might ask. But of course. It dried up. And Thursday, we moved everything back. And it rained. Again. HARD. And within 5 minutes, the carpet was drenched and once again, we moved everything to the middle of the room. The TV is only 3 inches from my elbow. The mouse is on the TV, the keyboard is in my lap. No wires are touching the ground because I had the foresight to bundle them all, so when we had to move everything again, it was just "pick up the power strip" and all the cables and wires followed.

"So why didn't your rental company fix the problem?" that same smart person quips. Well, the second time we called them, they actually sent a maintenance guy out to check the problem. Here is what he told us: "It's 'busy season' for us right now...all the college kids are coming back to town and we have to turn over approximately 200 units vacated on the 31st (because if you've got a lease till the 31st, you must stay in your unit until the bitter end, in order to make it harder on your management company), to be ready within a week." That's all well and good, but I AM LIVING IN A PLACE RIGHT NOW. Not in two weeks. Not just moving in. I've been here for over a year. Paid my rent on time every month (except once, when I SWORE I paid the rent and forgot - but they're REALLY good at reminding you by the 10th - and the $35 fee for late rent is a great motivator, too). So you think you could accomodate me and fix MY problem, and make someone else wait a day or two? Nope...so I can't really use my downstairs room. And I have to check it every time it rains, in order to make sure it doesn't go too far and ruin everything even though it's 3 feet from all walls. And if it rains in the middle of the night, they had better be quick about getting someone here to suck that water up....believe me!

And let's add misery to that - the A/C unit is located RIGHT where the crack is. They're going to have to disconnect it in order to dig that area out to fix the crack. The forecasts for our area show slowly rising temperatures, up into the 100's by mid-week. And the "real-feel" temps (with heat index) are almost 110°. So how can we possibly survive without an A/C for even a few hours? It's going to kill our electrical bill, because it will take FOREVER to cool the house back up once it heats up. When we had our furniture delivered last year, it took three days of constant running to reduce the inside temps from 90 to 75. THREE DAYS.

ANYWAY - craziness persists in my life. I received my new ice cream maker and had been itching to make ice cream in it. FINALLY had all the ingredients I needed. Made the base, then put it into the freezer bowl...but it never froze up. Guess I should have paid attention to that "please chill your base mixture completely before using"...uh, oops! So I put it into a bowl, chilled it, and ran the thing today - it's the MOST luscious, rich chocolate ice cream ever. Hannah said, "Mommy, I don't like this ice cream....I LOVE it!" That's a seal of approval if ever there was one!

Yesterday, my neighbor Lashawn (we call her Shawn, though) and I went to a few yardsales (can you say 15?????) I was on the mad search for a scooter for Hannah...a TWO-wheeled scooter. Because everyone in the neighborhood has one, including Scotty (who was given a three-wheeled scooter by our neighbor because he got a 2-wheeled one for his birthday). So Hannah was scooterless and miserable. But I pulled out some SERIOUS bargains. A Thomas The Tank Engine case with 7 trains in it for 50 cents. A "DigiDraw" for 25 cents. Some brand new Tupperware (the burger maker and covered bowls) for $3 and $4 respectively. Lots of little goodies for the kids (two "dance" outfits at $1 each for "dress-up" for Hannah, 4 of the characters from "Cars" for Scotty...lots of FUN stuff). And yes, I DID find a scooter. One woman said her daughter was going to sell it, then changed her mind. She called her daughter (who was about 13) over, and I explained how she would make a 6 y/o VERY happy...so she gave it up...for $5! And I got two BRAND NEW folding music stands for 25 cents each. But the BARGAIN of the day? A "two-man" bicycle trailer, with the vinyl windows (for rain and chill) in GREAT condition...for only $5!!!! These sell for a minimum of $100, and I've wanted to be able to ride my bike for exercise (once it finally cools down a bit) but I couldn't ride with both kids, and didn't like the bike seat I had for Scotty. So Yeah, I'm REALLY happy about this one.

I also started doing the power point presentations for our church sermons. They always have a note sheet in the worship folder, but never had the slides to coordinate. I volunteered to do it, as it helps keep my skills up, and if I can help anyone with note taking, even better!

Add to this crazy week - Scott had eye surgery. He had PKR done on Wednesday. It's been like living in a batcave, having to keep the blinds mostly closed because of light sensitivity. He's also Mr. Cool, because he has to keep sunglasses on as well. I've been helping him with his eye drops, since his eyes are gunking up from all the drops. But we go tomorrow (Monday) to have his "contact bandages" removed (non-prescription contacts to protect the cornea), and hopefully all will be pretty good. We know he won't have perfect vision for a bit until his eyes are fully healed, but the ability to not wear glasses is SUCH a bonus for him!!!

And swim lessons are done...school starts in two weeks. Welcome to My Crazy Life!!!



Chorus: Mi Vida Loca, over and over, destiny turns on a dime. I go where the wind blows, you can't tame a wild rose, welcome to my crazy life! (Pam Tillis)