Mid-week rambling...

I am up and going this morning. Something that I haven't done for a couple of days. I have been finding the bed more comfortable lately, which makes it extremely difficult to get my butt out of bed and onto the stationary bike like my "normal-so-called-routine" should be. If I can get my early morning spin on the stationary bike out of the way in the morning, it just makes the rest of the day go that much better. Oh, well...I am up and spinning this morning so that is something to definitely express thanks for!

So to catch you up on life in this crazy house, Sunday DH took my Honda into the brake shop that was open and the noise that we have been hearing, that went from sounding like a goose-honk when I applied the breaks to a continuous whine, was due to the wearing down of the rear breaks. So my year and a half Honda, with only 22,000 miles, has new rear breaks. But we caught it in time so the price of the fix wasn't too bad at all.

But during the time that we only had one car, which I drove down to San Jose for Robert's hockey practice that afternoon, DH was out doing deliveries in the Edible Arrangement van. All was going well, until he turned off the van to take a delivery to up to a building. When he got back to the van it wouldn't start...dead battery. He called me in a panic - he was stuck, he had been waiting for over 30 minutes for a tow truck to come and jump the van and the shop where the Honda was at closes at 3pm.After our conversation, I dropped everything I was doing at the rink and drove back up to our neighborhood (it is about a 30-45 minute drive) to pay for the Honda before the shop closed...and to be close to where he was just incase he couldn't get a jump start. By the time I made it to the shop (with 10 minutes to spare), DH called and said that he got a jump from some passerby and was on his way to a auto shop to get a new battery before making his last delivery of the day. So, back down to the rink I went. Like I said in the last post: "It is always something, isn't it!"

Tomorrow starts the Pacific District Hockey Championship for Robert & his hockey team and it is taking place down in San Jose, CA. We are the hosting club and I am one of the co-chairpersons. While I did take on some of the responsibility, the other co-chair is bearing the brunt of it for there was no way that I could committ to being more involved than what I signed up for...which was to get the team badges created & printed, design & get printed the attendance badges, make signs to hang around the rink for different things and to help brainstorm about food for the hospitality room...and to be the support for the other co-chair as she stresses out about all the responsiblities that the tournament chairs are required to do. Which became more than was initially described over a month ago. As several of the other mothers from our team have stepped up to help, things are pretty well organized and I know that we will be ready in time for the managers/coaches meeting tonight and for the first drop of the puck tomorrow morning. It is a small tournament, with only 9 teams, which makes some of the tasks pretty easy. If Robert's team wins this (if there is a miracle) then they proceed to Nationals which is at the end of the month in New Jersey...but there is a team which will be very hard to beat. We'll see how the team does.

Well, that is about all that I have for you today. Lots of activities, but not much stitching the last few days. Hopefully I will find time to do some over the weekend, once my responsibilities for the tournament are complete and things just flow.

Hope everyone is doing well...take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Ode to our Black Jeep...may you rest in peace!

Yesterday we said "Good-bye" to Blackie the Jeep. He came into our lives May 1995, when DH and I moved from New Orleans to Minnesota. We were starting a new chapter in our lives. The Minnesota chapter brought new jobs for us both (working in my family's party company), a new townhouse, and the beginning to our family (I was just a few months pregnant with my older son - who was born after the first of the year 1996). So, of course moving to Minnesota where it is winter 6-8 months we needed a good 4 wheel drive to get us through. And a 4-wheel drive jeep was the stereotypical vehicle of a Minnesotan at that time.
"Blackie" was the one who brought home Robert from the hospital in January 1996 and got us through several different snow storms the first year living there. Eventually, we became a 2 jeep family and Blackie took the seat to a Red Jeep and then later a Blue Jeep...but Blackie was always the special one.

In October 2002, he took the whole family to California, when we started to put the finishing touches to our move. He was the first one to call our current residence "home", as we left him behind for a month while we packed up the MN home and rejoined him the first part of November 2002. Blackie has been the one responsible for getting DH to work - which was a 45 minute commute (each way) when we first moved here and became shorter in the last couple of years when DH changed jobs. The shorter commute was a good thing over the last couple of years, because Blackie's health started to deteriorate. He has received new breaks, tires and other parts...but he had started to really show his age as his AC stopped working, doors creaking, parts rusting and only got AM radio.

So after 15 years and over 150,000 miles, it was time to bid farewell to an old friend. You might have been termed a "clunker" on the dealership lot that we left you at yesterday...but you will have a special place in our hearts.

(PS...a new Silver Honda Accord 2009 took the place of Blackie).

Sharing on a Saturday

Good morning (afternoon or evening...depending on where you live or when you read this),
It is Saturday and I was able to get this old body out of bed and on the stationary bike before any other family members were out of bed, and even before the sun came over the hills. This is one of my favorite times of the day and it seems to be a little more difficult lately to get out of bed and have this time for "me".

Car Shopping
Friday evening we started some car shopping. Something that we haven't done in over 15 years! We have a 15 yr old jeep w/150,000 miles (no AC, dead FM radio, a tired that needs to be aired up on Sunday in order to make it through the week, a squeeky front door to a minor crash 5 years ago, scary breaks, etc.). Up until 6 months ago, we also had a 10 year old jeep but it died a sad death and was replaced with a 7 year old volvo purchased from a friend. So, car shopping is something we don't do. However, with the "Cash for Clunker" program still going - long story/short...we decided to take advantage of that and find a new car - something reliable with good gas milege and reasonable (don't really need lots of bells and whistles to increase the price).
We looked at the Mini Coups (cute, but too small, won't fit 2 hockey bags and teenage boys). We looked at Jettas and other VW type cars...the Jetta is a possiblity. We looked at Hondas, specifically the Accourd and a hybrid...we liked the Accord so we did test drive it. We did go to a Toyota dealership, but they didn't seem to interested in assisting us, so after walking around the dealership showroom and sitting in a car for several minutes without getting approached with the sales pitch - we left. So, today, we will probably test drive the Jetta and then make up our mind. It would be nice to get this done and get our clunker our of our driveway and out of our worries.

Stitching News
While I don't have any photos to share with you...I point you to a couple of models I helped stitch for CindyMae, who has posted the patterns for sale on her design site. Visit CindyMae Designs (Cindy's husband is having some heart trouble - so I continue to send my thoughts and prayers to them!).

My focus the last few days has been on my PS exchange. I hope to finish stitching it this weekend so that I can work on finishing it and getting it in the mail by next Friday. It has a long way to go and I don't want my exchange partner disappointed.

Random Positive Thoughts...being sent to...
It is interesting how "close" I feel to so many I have "met" by reading their blogs - something I started to do last November (2008). Most mornings, I get up between 4 and 6 am, hop up on my 18 year old stationary bike with a 10 year old lap top placed on the book attachment. Once I get the bike going, the computer on and my emails checked - I open another tab on my internet explorer and start scrolling through my booked marked blogs that have become a routine to read.

As I make my way through each and everyone - I see that some have new posts and some haven't posted for a few weeks or a month. New post or not, I continue to scroll down - stopping to read a new post, to leave a comment, maybe even take a moment to "visit" a new blog suggested by the one I am currently visiting.

Over time, I feel that I have come to know some of the people behind the blogs; enough so that my heart breaks when they come into hardship or sickness...or I find myself leaping for joy when they finished a wonderful project or their child learns a new lesson. I have visited far away places with some of the bloggers through their trip photos and stories or enjoyed learning about different lifestyles when bloggers share their daily life stories.

At this time, some of my blog friends are experience some troubles and I would like to send out my thoughts and prayers to them and their family...CindyMae, Beth, Angela. I know others whose blogs I read who are experiencing some hard times and my heart goes out to them too. Take care everyone! Know that you are thought of and loved by more than you can imagine.

Have a good weekend everyone! Remember to Love many, Live now, Laugh often and Stitch!
Lisa