My car runs, too. It’s really dirty, but it runs.

I ran it to the grocery store today. Actually, I ran it to TWO grocery stores.

And back.

I’m making lasagna tonight. With scallops and shrimp. AND I’m going to watch a movie. AND I”ll probably drink some wine.

Atlanta’s really fun.

With all the car news showing up on this family-friendly blog, I thought I’d let you all know that my car is running. It’s due for service pretty soon, and the back wiper clears only a small part of the actual window, but it IS running, so I thank you all for reminding me to be thankful for little gifts.

It’s snowing here. Again. After no snow in December or January, we got 9 inches last weekend (that’s February’s total) and have had about 6 inches today (March is coming in like the proverbial lion). The wood stove has been working its small miracle of heating half of the house, and the cat on my lap is the heating element during the evening hours.

Dianne, my hat is off to you for surviving and thriving in the midst of family trauma. Thankfully, I never faced any of the kinds of issues you’re facing with Thomas, and I’m hoping that your story (Thomas’ story, really) will have a good ending.

It would appear that life in Vermont really is as slow as they say. Nothing much to report. On Monday I take up the Town Moderator’s gavel and run our Town Meeting. In the Addison Independent this week, there was a picture of me running last year’s meeting. In the photo I am peering over my reading glasses and laughing at something, while lined up beside me are three very glum-looking selectmen. Evidently, they didn’t think that anything was very funny, but I did. This is the difference between being the boss at Town Meeting, and being answerable to the voters at Town Meeting. I choose to remain in the “boss” position. Of course, I do have to get elected ….

Finally, regarding field trips … I think it’s time that there was one to Vermont. We’re a regular hotbed of historic sites, literary lessons can be lovely at Robert Frost’s cabin (we KNOW whose woods these are…), fossils galore on the fabulous inland sea now known as Lake Champlain. And hey, I know the governor. C’mon! Field trip! Field trip!

C’est tout.

Yesterday Marilyn and the boys went on a field trip. It is really only note-worthy because they went to visit a newspaper. Adam, and to a lesser degree Samuel, both know that Grandpa Day ran a newspaper. So, when they went and visited the Nasvhille Tennessean, with it’s web press that wraps around a two story, 8,000 square foot room…they became quite impressed with Grandpa.

Basically, Marilyn said they were pretty bored until they got into the press room…they liked that part.

I went on the field trip before this one – it was the Nashville Children’s Theater (ranked as the top of its kind in the country) production of Dr Sues’s “Horton Hears a Who”. It was great! (But, hey, I don’t get out much).

Okay, we know that Tad is a hero, and cars kaput after warranty. You want some REAL excitement? Try living my life for the past few months.

How many of you have gotten the opportunity to post “Missing Child” posters all over town? I have. If you ever want to try it, trust me,,,,it’s NOT fun. Thomas decided in early December he’d had enough of our horrible parenting (we made him clean his room AND do homework in the same month!) and disappeared. He was found safe, but that was the beggining of what they refer to at the Citadel as “hellweek” only it JUST ended.

We went through another runaway episode, two, count them TWO robberies of our mobile home, I’ve lost count on the school suspensions, and it will be a miracle, given his grades and attendence if Thomas makes it thru grade eight. A host of doctor visits, and counseling sessions woke my husband up to the fact that we had a drug addict on our hands which was a miracle in itself. We were both ready to call the marriage a failure until Bill came around. There’s not enough room in any blog (I doubt there are enough trees to manufacture enough paper to print out the details of our recent experiences) so I won’t go for more detail. The GOOD news is that Thomas is now drug free and not a horrible person to live with. (He’s still smoking cigarettes in his room after being told that is NOT acceptable, but we are just working on baby steps at this point) He tested negative for drugs a couple of weeks ago and just last week also tested negative for HIV and Hepititus (they shared drug needles) We are anxiously awaiting the closing on the house in Easley to get him away from the people he hangs with. Yes, I know,,,,if he wants to go back to drugs he will find a way, but I’m hoping and praying (and feel free to join me) that he won’t make that decision!

Then there’s Zack…….he just signed up for next year’s classes, is holding his 3.7GPA making him and honor student, and is ranked #40 academically of the 242 sophomores at Camden High School. He’s ready to move into the new home and paint a HUGE Saturn logo (Thomas if you ever ticked off your nephew, it was when you got rid of your Saturn) on his wall.

The IDIOT who filled out our loan application checked the “NO” box on both Bill and I to the question “Are you a U.S. Citizen?” yesterday. Duh! I worked for 2 1/2 hours this morning doing inventory in our department. How much simpler it is to count parts when machines aren’t running! I’ve suggested for MONTHS that we inventory on a Saturday,,,,this is the first time we ever did. I wonder who’ll take credit for the idea.

MY car has over 157,000 miles on it now and one day a few weeks ago, it died. Wouldn’t shift. At all. I called Bill to come and get me as I was on my way home after work when it happened. Course I had to flag down a passerby with a cel phone case I never take my phone to work. It’s only a mile and a half from home to the plant, and I could have just worked, but that was the day we had an appointment to look at a house 15 minutes away and 15 minutes after my car quit. It was also the day (Bill was waiting for the cops when I called him) that the second robbery occurred and the day that Thomas recieved his most recent suspension (for hauling a kids pants down during gym class!)

They said, “Cheer up, things could be worse.” So I cheered up, and sure enough, things got worse. I also have heard that God doesn’t give anyone more than they can handle. At one of our lowest points recently, Bill said to me, “I think he got us mixed up with someone else!” But things ARE getting better. We were just about debt free. Now we’re gonna owe for 30 years on a house. Wait…that’s BETTER?

Well, since I watched Greg meander with his mind in that last post…I’ll do a mini-meandering. My 1997 Hyundai just had to be repaired. Warranty expires at 100,000 miles. So, at 99,997 miles something went wrong. It started mis-firing badly. So, I drove it too a mechanic in town. 3 miles away. I Pulled in and asked if he did warranty work. “Sure do…how many miles you got on it…”

“99,999.9 and change”,I replied.

We rolled it into the shop…and it was out of warranty. Just rolling it into the garage turned over the odometer. (There is no grace in the warranty business, I learned…)

So, Good news was this; It was a $9 gasket. Bad news was it was $250 to replace it.

Good news is…I went 100,000.01 miles and only had to replace a gasket. Bad news is…I’ve driven 100,000.01 miles and only replaced a gasket…not a new thing on the car!

Actually, its been a great car…NO complaints. My second Hyundai…and I recommend them. I expect to drive it another 50k or so…then…sell it to Greg.

Things that really nobody but we might care about.

1) My water bill was higher….my family must be cleaner.

2) Riley ticked off the other flute player by NOT relinquishing the earned first chair at the recent beginner band performance at the middle school. I am sure there will soon be a law suit.

3) My jazz band singers do not like to look like they enjoy singing. (Just something that bugs me…)

4) My car broke 210,000 miles. It really sounds like it just broke 500,000. I might let it rest and drive the little one…it only has 160,000!

5) I had a band director suggest that I write a new march for the FreeMusic page (at www.bandlink.org) and call it “Brokeback Directors march.” I suggested it could be all parallel thirds. We decided not to write the march.

6) I tilled my garden plot last weekend so Riley could look for worms. No worms, but another beautiful place for me to plant things that get swallowed by weeds. Maybe this year I will actually get a hoe and not have an excuse. But, we can grow some great weeds in Pickens!

7) Tad is getting bigger.

8) William is getting bigger and may soon be adopted.

9) Riley is getting sadder about William getting adopted.

10) Me, too.

11) Wesley participates in the 2006 All-State band next weekend. He was also invited to play with the All-State Jazz Band, but had to decline because it conflicted with his performing with the Upstate Indoor Marching Percussion Ensemble “Trifecta” where he plays electric bass.

12) I NEVER made All-State band.

13) I got a cell phone message yesterday that was left last Saturday. Nothing exciting about the message, but I think I should pay my bill as promptly as I receive my messages, that I pay for.

14) Why do they call it BUCKwheat? Why not BOBwheat or JIMMYwheat? Are we to assume it is female? Couldn’t it be BETTYwheat? Or HISandHERwheat for as to be PC? (Why do we sing hymns and nor hers?)

15) I will now go empty the dishwasher and make some coffee. This, at least, is a consistency in my life, other than my marriage, that I can truly count on to ALWAYS be waiting joyfully for me every morning.

16) Remember, BE a great day!

I’m posting something to see if it works b/c Greg is harassing me. For Larry, Lis is Lisa….been called that since I was a little girl!!:)
Got news yesterday the adoption committee meets on the 7th to pick William’s family. We’re then given 10 days notice…so technically he could be leaving us by the 17th, but it would prob. be before…can’t have his departure lingering for 10 days…too much. Bitter-sweet.
Hope all have a great day! LIS

I didn’t know musing had anything to do with Greek gods and stuff so, I sacrificed a cat today. I just seemed like the right thing to do. They don’t teach you THAT in Sociology School!

Welcome Cindy!

Our offer on the house was accepted, and the contract signed. We close on or before 30 March which is great with one exception. Now I don’t feel right spending a hundred bucks to go to Charleston and run the Cooper River Bridge on April 1st as I’d planned on for the last few months. I was really looking forward to spending that time with 50,000 of my closest buds from all over the world smelling like sweaty socks! Well maybe next year.

Anyway,,,,I was gonna send you all pictures of our cool 3BR, 2BA, 1 Office home with a pool in the subdivision. But not being so computer wise as some like Tom, I couldn’t figure it out. If you’re really curious, go to cdanjoyner.com, and check out MLS # 1100944.

Greg, we need no truck, (I married a bread man. He comes with a big truck) but the muscle will be appreciated if you’re up for it. We’ll supply the pizza or subs or chicken or whatever. To answer your earlier question, it’s about 4-5 miles from Rock Springs Baptist Church. I’ll let you know when and where all the fun will be, okay?

Sigh….I expected more technical savvy from a member of our country’s first line of defense….

I don’t know what I said. Did I mention musing? Or did I thnk something was amusing, as in funny, not as in a musing? However, I feel much more educated in the museness of this blog, and will try to use the word muse in my normal daily conversation starting this afternoon.