April Two Ta da Tally!

[Twins' Mom]

Not even raining here yet. Looks like worst of the weather will be between eleven and one. So much for a good night's sleep tonight, huh? And for that matter, dh will be later getting home from bowling tonight too.

I think (hope) I'm ready and packed. Suitcase is not overstuffed!

Harriet, we're supposed to be at dfriends' home at 10 a.m. to drive to Atlanta. This is for a 4 p.m. flight to New York, then 8:45 p.m. flight to Zurich. It will be 10:30 a.m. when we arrive on Thursday a.m. there. On Friday we go by train to Lucerne, then on Sunday a.m. we take train to Basel for river cruise. The cruise ends in Amsterdam on Sunday a week later, then we're in Amsterdam until we fly back on Friday. I'd say trip of a lifetime, but dh wants to travel more once he retires.

[lucylee]

What. A. Day.
I suppose I can count these as ta-das...
* got my wellness check-up done (they will call if there is anything concerning in the bloodwork), doctor filled rx's for meds I used to get from gyno-dr. I will make an appt with new gyno, but now I'm not in such a rush to do so
* made phone calls, did online search, and finally drove old truck to Next Town to get new water heater. Ugh. This was NOT planned.

JUST as I was about to go out the door on the way to the doctor... dh asked dgd to go into the laundry room and get something for him. I turned on the light for her and shouted OH MY GOODNESS. Water EVERYWHERE... At first we couldn't tell if it was from the washer or the water heater, but it did become apparent that it was the water heater.
My mops are basically worthless in a situation like this -- just sponge mops & swiffers, so we used EVERY towel-rag we had... got it mopped up somewhat, put dry towels in front of water heater, dh called the plumber, and I went on to the doctor. * Told the doctor not to be surprised at my high blood pressure, LOL.
When I got home, in about 45 minutes, the plumber was here, and he stayed -- approximately FIVE hours. During that time, dgd and I went and got the new water heater. So we are back in business now, but I'm not 100% happy --
I had to get a tall, round water heater this time. I have always had the flat, square table-top model, and I really used it as extra counter space in the laundry room. If I had gotten that again, it would have cost almost twice as much ($800+, compared to the $400+ this one cost) AND I would have had to wait till Thursday to get it. Tomorrow is the day we are trying very hard to celebrate dmom's birthday. We are already a month late. So I'm cooking spaghetti for 7 tomorrow, I have a sink full of dishes already since I was lazy Saturday, and dh just didn't want to wait. (He has hot water in his shower -- separate water heater -- but I'd be having to share with him if we didn't get this fixed, and there would be no hot water in the kitchen or laundry room.)
anyway. It's fixed.

Kathryn always said, (I think it was Kathryn), if money can fix it, it's not a problem. Well, that might be true, when we're talking about leukemia or something... but money could fix a lot of problems in this house, but short of taking out a bank loan or a big penalty on withdrawing savings, money IS the problem.

But I'm not really complaining -- I know it sounds that way -- but honestly, we're okay. Everyone in the family is reasonably healthy; dgrands are playing so nicely in the bedroom right now, ds is watching baseball with dh.

I saw a sign in Lowe's today that said: A clean home is a happy home.
I said to dgd -- so your home is NOT a happy home, is it?
She said -- no, it's a happy home. So I guess that's all that matters, right?
I'd still be a lot happier, Rose, if they could walk around without stepping on toys and clothes and junk... but I guess we have to choose our battles.

OH -- storms were nothing here, just like your situation, LadyM. Our schools are on spring break, but most of the ones who are not had early dismissal... drug store closed early... dgs' practice was cancelled... and we got some rain. That was all.

* To answer the question -- yes, underground is best, and I would guess a safe room is the next best option, although after seeing LadyM's experience, maybe it's not a huge lack in my life that we did not build one. An interior closet or bathroom is the next recommendation -- as close to the center of the house as possible.
Fortunately, I've never actually been in the path of a tornado, so I can't say from personal experience. DS's house does have a basement, but it is not very usable right now -- it stays damp, ceiling is falling in, he says. I don't know what dinlaws did in years past, but they quit actually using it (for anything except a true emergency storm situation) probably fifty years ago.

Have a wonderful trip, Twins!
You will no longer be able to sing dh's Boy Scouts song...
"We all went down to Jer-i-cho... we all went down to Jer-i-cho. Jeri-jeri-cho cho cho... Jer-jeri-cho cho cho... We all went down to Jer-i-cho...
We should have gone to Amsterdam.. we should have gone to Amsterdam...
Amster-amster-dam dam dam... Amster-amster-dam dam dam...
We should have gone to Amsterdam."
Y'all excuse me!!! As you can imagine, this was a hilarious song to a bunch of 12 year old boys back in the day.

[Nancy]

Well I was really upset neighbors garden folk mowed off my tulips twice!
They apologized.

Then I went inside I was so mad I slammed the door and said bad words.
Deck doors were open, they left not sorry.

The neighbors had put in roses 2/3rds of the way down the prop. line I
put plants in the rest of it. So I took out a couple sage plant it was ugly any way.

I will dig out the other stuff later and move them it got dark one me.
We have rain in the next few days so will be good plant moving [they are bulbs] weather.
Daffs are nearly done and I'll put them in a safer place.
Hoping I can find the other tulip bulb and move them for another year's bloom.
Sigh I have not been that mad in a very long time.
Now I'm trying to let it go.

I will stop putting stuff there.
Had some thing similar happen on the other side of me with the previous owner had to move them there too.
The other gal died.

I can fix this with $ fake blooms this year!

[lucylee]

Well I would have been mad too, Nancy.

I am mad right now in fact.
I took a Swiffer mop pad and cleaned the bathroom floor.
DH walked in there barefoot and said — quote — the floor is so sticky it pulled the skin off his feet.
Now he is carrying on like he had to walk through hot coals to get to the toilet.
I just can’t believe it was that big a deal…
I know he feels awful— he was on his feet most of the day with the plumber, and dh just can’t be on his legs for long periods anymore.
But… on top of all that, he agreed with dgs that he (dgs) could stay tonight… do Dgd will stay tomorrow night… and I am just about Nana’d out! I love them so much and I know these years are passing awfully quickly… but six nights of being “on” has about done me in.