I picked the car up from the shop on Wednesday. It started with getting new tires on Friday which was followed by a horrid thumping noise that developed and got worse through the weekend, coming from the front driver's side wheel well.

So Tuesday I took the car back to the tire shop and asked them to look at it. They found nothing with the tire, suggested something was wrong with the transmission arm. Huh? I called the dealer from the parking lot and asked if they could look at it. (I take my car to the dealer for service because I get a free loaner.) All the way there: quiet, no thumping. Errr.

The service guy didn't see anything obvious, but some rod or bar looked worn. Something with bushings. (I'd have to check my receipt to remember exactly what it was.) So I had that fixed and some routine maintenance done too, oil change, alignment. I didn't get the message it was ready before I left work, so I kept the loaner over night.

The loaner was a '07 Infinity G35 with sunroof. It was fun to drive, lots of new technology in it, stuff to play with, like the key less entry and push-button starter. I didn't expect Kevin's reaction when he saw this new blue car in the garage instead of "the green car." He had a cow. Practically inconsolable until I parked the G35 in the driveway instead of the garage. A lot of the time he just rolls with the change, but not this time. When he could still see the loaner from the front window and he would start fretting again. I told him the green car was at the doctor and it would be home tomorrow and the blue car would go away. He settled down and accepted it, even went out to open the garage and check things out.

I guess we'll keep our cars for a while longer and try to make sure we prep Kevin well for the change. But I really do like all those modern doo-dads!

The headache is gone, thanks for asking.

The federal taxes are almost done, we owe many dollars. Many.

Husband is back.

Concert was good. Got home late. I didn't know any of the music but the company was good and we had a fun time. If I had make a generalization about the crowd, I'd say "boring clothes and sensible shoes."

The car is in the shop. I just hate that.

My head hurts. Fern and Polly have gone to fetch me a coke from McD's. Wave a $5 bill in front of them and they'll do almost anything. When they get back I'll take some ibuprofen and sudafed with my coke, hopefully the headache will clear.

I've been doing my taxes. Hence the headache. I'm on Schedule A where I have to figure out how much of my itemized deductions I can really take. Up to now I've been flying along without a calculator, good ol' noggin power. But I need it to do percents and I just don't want to mess with it on paper. I can, but not with this pain between my eyes. I don't know where a calculator is except the one in my cell phone and that's out in the car. So I'm blogging instead.

I miss my husband. He's been in San Antonio for the NCAA basketball tournament. Kids have been great. The house has been relatively quiet, haven't had the TV on much. Ought to start thinking about dinner. Dan gets home late tonight and tomorrow night I'm taking CG out in honor of her birthday to an Indigo Girls Concert in Baltimore. So maybe I'll get to talk with him on Tuesday.

Are those girls back yet?

The parking has become tight in the back of the school where Kevin has his Saturday morning program for special needs kids. It's held at a regional special school where non-diploma track 5-21 year old kids go. Parking is tight because there are four temporary classroom buildings out back now. For the longest time I really didn't think about it much.

Then it hit me this morning. There are more special needs kids in this region than there used to be, needing more classroom space, more services. I don't often worry about the future for Kevin: will he ever drive, hold a job, or live away from us. I don't worry a lot of the time because the future too far away and worrying isn't productive. I usually believe things will work out when they need to.

But the future is too close if there are an increasing number of special needs people who will need services, and jobs, and group housing. I can try to get Kevin ready for the future with as much education and skills training as he can get. Will the future be ready for Kevin?

My mail in the mailbox is so boring these days. I used to look forward to getting the mail. Sale fliers, credit card offers, and bills. Ho-hum.

I've been eating terribly and am now back up to my Mendoza line. yikes. I had lost a couple pounds and it was staying off. But, no.

Dan's away in San Antonio watching NCAA basketball this weekend. I need to get my pool picks in by noon today, musn't forget.

My laundry is getting to be knee-deep. The dishwasher needs to be unloaded. In the span of 2 days four light bulbs around the house all burnt out.

Kevin was up and outside waiting for the bus a good 9 minutes before it came this morning.

I started a new quilt for my friend Marcie's new baby boy. I fell in love with an aminal print over the weekend, so I just had to make a quilt with it. I'll post a picture of it soon.

It's supposed to be sunny and 70°F today. I didn't even wear a jacket to work today!

I think I need to order something from the Internet so I will have something fun in the mail to look forward to. Hmmm, wonder what I need?

I'm trying to balance out my (daughter's) girl scout cookie order sheet. Somehow I still owe the troop about $100. I'm missing a bunch of boxes or money because I shouldn't be that far off. Then there's this:

Damn squirrels.

We have a screened-in porch where I stash the boxes so I don't see them and am not tempted to have just one. I guess I need to fix the screen, huh? That's over $30 worth I have to cover.

Say it with me: sheesh.

This morning I went to the Prince George's County School-based Invitational Special Olympic Swim Meet. Kevin was particiapting, this was his his third year.

I found Kevin's classroom teacher and non-swimming classmates and sat by them. I was immediately greeted by one student with "Hi, Kevin's mom!"

The meet opened with the singing and signing of the National Anthem, followed by the athletes' pledge and the coachs' pledge.

Of all the SO events I've been to, it seems the swim meets are the best organized. Kevin and his classmate are escorted to the waiting are for their heat.

Here he comes in the 25 meter freestyle event.

Kevin's classmate, J finishes.

J is awarded a medal for second place.

Kevin gets his medal for finishing first.

What's a mom to do? Cheer like crazy, or take pictures, or wipe the tears from her eyes so she can just see? Somehow I managed all three.

I'm happy to report I'm sitting here in the dark. The GSA guys came yesterday and took the bulbs out over my desk. Nine working days after my paperwork was first received. Nine. Sheesh.

Anyway, no glare and no headaches!

Pictures of my quilts as they hung in my guild's quilt show.

Tiffany Window

The customer service waiting area in Tiffany's Fifth Avenue store is decorated much like a hotel lobby in tones of beige, taupe, tan, with bits of brown and olive. On the tables between the thickly stuffed chairs were white Phalaenopsis orchids, not quite dinner plate-sized, but beautiful just the same. Two walls were lined with ten booths staffed by friendly, efficient, business-like representatives. The necklace I bought back in October had broken and the repair was complimentary. Here is a view from their sixth floor window towards Central Park.

Quilt Show: Day One. I got 14 bundles of hand dyed fabric ready to sell and my four quilts delivered (Thanks Dr. B!). By the time I left at 2pm only one bundle had sold, I'm hoping more sold after I left and more will sell tomorrow. The quilt I made for Miss Kingsfield's daughter is on display and they both came by to see it. A friend of their's was at the show and is a photograper for the Bowie Blade. She took a picture of the quilt with CG's daughter so I'll have to remember to look for the article on Thursday. Tomorrow I'll take pictures to post so those of you who aren't local can see.

I have a question for you parents: Do you ever withhold information from your kids about something you'll be doing just so you don't have to endure 30 minutes of "can I come too"?

Yesterday I went to New York for my semi-annual shearing at Nick Arrojo's Studio and didn't tell anyone. My husband knew, of course, but I didn't tell Fern nor any of my friends. I tried to explain to Fern parents get to do things like that, sans offspring, but she's still mad. She'll get to go when she gets straight A's on her report card, but sometimes I get to go by my self.

sheesh.

 

My new title: Queen of the Red Tape. You've read about my ongoing saga about my overhead lights in my office. I was promised the services division would turn off my lights as soon as they got the request.Uhmm, they got it last Thursday. And the lights are still on. The last I heard was: they (services division) is still waiting to hear back from GSA (building managers).sheesh.

Yesterday I went to the MVA, (aka DMV) to get a temporary handicap parking permit. I had a note written on a prescription pad siting medical reasons. The lady at the desk sent me (hobbling on crutches, don't forget) to window number 15. You need to have a form filled out by the doctor. I have to go back to the Hospital, I can't use this note? You can ask my supervisor at window 9. Ok. Hobble, hobble. Nope, has to be that form.

Back to the hospital where they tell me they can't sign it, it has to be by my primary care physician or a specialist. Well, no, I read the form more closely, actually for a temporary permit practically any doctor can sign it. But no doctor on duty will sign it, only the doctor who saw me, and he won't be back to work until Wednesday night. sheesh.

Meanwhile I'm parking in the next county at work, because, if you remember, the parking garage is closed because of the broken support beam.

The bum ankle.

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I got out the tape measure this morning and the results are in: Kev came in at 66 inches (168cm) and Fern at 58.75 inches (149cm) tall. That up an inch and a half since January. Poor Kev's pants (size 14) are now 4" (10cm) too short. The size 16's are borderline short. Which means size 18's are next. Except he is a size 12 around his waist. He'd never keep them up.

Kevin's been playing with my crutches and leaving all over the house so I can't reach them when I need them. But that's not the disturbing part, it's that he can use them. He must have grown again because they are not too big which puts him at about 5'6" or 5'7." I guess it's growth chart time again to find out.

I rolled my ankle yesterday afternoon falling down a step. I thought I was at the bottom but wasn't. Oops. No broken bones, but during my discharge lecture at the hospital I was told soft tissue can take up to a year to heal properly. It's nice and swollen now, about the size of an orange.

I'm worried about my golf game.

I finished another quilt, this one hangs in my husband's office. Several years ago he got a promotion and with it came a private office. I set out to make this for him and to liven up his walls. I wanted to hand quilt it because I felt only hand quilting could do it justice since the pattern is so intricate. Then I finally realized, as the top sat unquilted for many years, I was never going to have time to hand quilt this piece. I got most of it machine quilted during the retreat and finished it up when I got home. Click to enlarge.

Misheard or misunderstood song lyrics are part of life. Kevin has
several he sings, two I can think of at the moment are:

• "Ear plugs, running down your face" and my favorite
• "All of the elephants grow"

Can you guess the real words?