Found in Fishers

Pretty Pathetic Winter Fun

Some of you already know that even the smallest thing can be quite entertaining to me. I can create excitement out of the ordinary. For the new year my friend Katie gave me a special gift: My very own ShamWow. And not just one, but two! She gave me a small blue one and the giant orange one.

I was out with Katie one afternoon and she told me about her impulse purchase at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Mind you, I haven't tried it yet, but the moment I came home with it Juan poured a glass of water on the counter to try our new gift. It worked, it did soak up the water pretty darn quick.

According to the commercial the ShamWow saves $20 in paper towels a month and has a 10-year guarantee! Who really spends $20 a month on paper towels anyway? Not even Sarah with her new puppy Deagan. And who is going to hold the makers of the ShamWow accountable for the next 10 years. Oh wait, let me get it in my Palm pilot to check my Sham Wow on January 27, 2019. Will I really care by then?  Will I even know where I put it by then?

It is snowing pretty heavily in central Indiana. I wonder how the ShamWow works in snow? And just in case you're wondering, the ShamWow guy's name: Vince Offer. You read that right...Offer. His latest pitch with the same goofy headset is for the SlapChop. I wonder if Katie will go home with one of those.

Let the Race Begin

For the last 3 weeks, we have seen Sarah and her family every weekend. They came down two weekends in a row. This weekend Juan had some pictures to finalize with Kelli and Mark so asked if I wanted to ride up and spend some time with my parents and my sister. Sarah was Tiger Scout Leader for the weekend. Check out the snazzy uniform!

While up north, I went to the Boy Scout's Pinewood Derby to see Liam race his car. The only derby I think was my mom and mine. The contest to see how long we both could sit on those horrible folding chairs for over 2 hours straight.

It was quite the track along with a computer to time each car. The problem was that each car was to go done NINE times. Three times each on the three lanes. It was fun to see Liam so excited but at the same time, the kids got bored so just started playing around in the back. My mom and I did get a chance to catch up and do some visiting but at noon we bailed out with Pat to the house. Enough was enough.

I swear Deagan grew another couple inches in the last week. Just really spent the weekend relaxing. I am going back at the end of the month for a wine tasting party. Can't wait to find a couple new wines to buy. Last weekend I tried a Cabernet for the first time and really liked it.

No School, for some

Winter continues to blast the midwest. Today we had a 2 hour delay because of the frigid temperatures. And, with the forecast calling for -25 wind chills tomorrow, school has already been called off for Friday. The kids in Fishers are jumping for joy. The teachers are jumping for joy. The Director of Elementary Curriculum is working tomorrow. Same time, same place.

The funny thing is that when we first get the delay or closing call I am kinda excited thinking back how I felt as a kid when that would happen. Tonight I was on the treadmill when the automated call came in and gave out a woo hoo for the kids. Don't know why.

We are still heading up north for a quick visit this weekend and it appears that the temperatures are going to warm up. Wear layers and stay warm. The cool icicle picture was taken by my dad.

They're Baaack!

Just when the carpets were clear, doggy toys picked up, and all signs of extra dogs were gone, they came back. But, it actually worked out well. Last Thursday, Sarah called to tell me they were bored and wanted to come back to Fishers. They were thinking about it and then when the district manager of Waffle House called to say he would cook for them, that clinched the deal.

Last week when Sarah, Pat, Liam, and the dogs were in town they stopped at the Waffle House in Pendleton. For some reason it is Pat's favorite restaurant for breakfast.  They made their usual stop only to be ignored in the restaurant for 10 minutes. They left and sent the Waffle House an e-mail explaining their dissatisfaction. During the week, Pat received a phone call explaining that if they came in this weekend to eat, he would cook for them and make sure their service was much better.

Saturday came and the O'Briens with Mark in tow went over for breakfast at Waffle House. They decided to go "undercover" as a secret customer and not tell the district manager it was them until after they ate. Pat was not looking for a free meal. All went well and they have renewed spirits and will continue to be regular Waffle House customers. Not me, my Honey Nut Cheerios worked just fine for me that morning.

The O'Briens had another surprise. A new car. I guess on the way home last week with all of them crammed in Sarah's Nissan Altima, they decided it was time for a bigger vehicle. They bought a crossover. The Ford Freestyle. It was sure dandy. Leather seats, a DVD player, remote start. La-Ti-Da.
Guess they are stimulating the economy for the rest of us. It is a very nice car. Not what I thought Sarah would ever drive. When you see her, ask her why she drives a "station wagon." That will get her goat. I enjoyed a ride to Indy Saturday night when the adults went out to the Indy Cigar Bar. The big boys wanted to have a cigar and the girls tagged along. Once we heard newbies should smoke a cigar and have a shot, we decided to be boring. Well I was anyway. I had a glass of wine. Sarah a bourbon!

Once again, fun for all!  

Be Careful What You Ask For

When Mark and my nephew Nick get together it is quite interesting. An obnoxious teenage boy fest. Between making rude comments, not taking showers, and vulgar jokes, we often have to tame their sick humor. When we go up north, they are inseparable.  They text all week long and play video games over the internet before seeing each other in person. They are like two old ladies calling each other to talk.

For the last several months, the boys continuosly asked for matching pink robes. Be careful what you ask for. Sarah and I did some planning this Christmas and decided that it was time to make their wish come true. I purchase two cute short pink robes with kitty cats in the lining. Sarah stiched Marky and Nicky on the robes and we presented them at Christmas.

Were they embarassed? Of course not! They were overjoyed and immediately modeled them around the house. They vow to wear them each time they get together. That should be lovely.

New Year's Treat

John gets the mail everyday and usually has little to say. However, this time he called me on my cell phone to announce the news he received via mail: His AARP membership. I just about split a gut laughing. But since 2009 is his year to turn 50 he is now eligible for AARP membership. Just another reminder that one is getting older.

I'm looking forward to seeing if his new membership will get me a discount at Kohl's on Wednesdays. Or, at Goodwill. I can save some bucks in 2009 with his help. I am luckier; my card won't arrive for quite a few more years.

On a happier note, we started the new year in style.  Sarah, Pat, and Liam came the day before New Year's Eve to spent a couple days with us. Pat made filet mignon for dinner then we went over to our friend's house to ring in the new year. I think Liam had the best time with the kids who were visiting, at least by the volume of noise it seemed he had the best time. Not much after midnight we came home. After all, now that John is a senior citizen he gets tired faster.

The dogs are back home in Lansing so it is much quieter in Fishers. I spent the last two days getting some new year cleaning completed. I have about 20 bags for Goodwill and an overflowing garbage collection at the curb. It is always nice to have some time to do some mid-winter cleaning. I also wanted to get all my Christmas decorations put away so that when I go back to work on Monday I don't have to think about getting them down. Happy New Year!