Handy Homeowner

This weekend, I found myself to be pretty handy.

So the weekend before this past one, I got fed up with my digital cable.  See, it has been acting badly for a while, but I knew several others who were also having trouble, so I just thought I would be patient until they got it worked out.  Well, my patience ran out.  So Saturday I called the cable people and they said someone would be out on Tuesday between 8-11am.  Super.  So- then on Sunday I got an automated call saying that someone would be there on Monday between 8-11.  Now I was confused.  So I had to call the company and ask which day were they planning on coming, Monday or Tuesday?  So it was confirmed that they were coming on Monday between 8-11.

So then on Monday, by 12 nobody had shown up so my mom came over to stay at my house so that I could go back to work.  The guy finally showed up in the late afternoon- after approximately 500,000 phone calls to the company...

He declared the problem to be a crappy installation job with old wires and that someone would come out on Saturday to install new wires between 11-2pm.  Sound fishy yet?

So then on Saturday morning after my morning exercise (which I haven't done in a long time and almost was the death of me- but that is another post) I still hadn't gotten a confirmation phone call.  So I called around 10:30 and the lady informed me that I most definitely did not have an 11-2 appointment, but instead a 8am-7pm appointment.  To say that I was less than pleased is an understatement.  I was one angry lady.  I was sure that I was going to have to sit in my house until 7 at night and still they might not show up.  My bad attitude was (temporarily) short-lived though, because the guy showed up at a little before 11.  Then, he told me that he was pretty sure that the problem was not the lines, and that he was wasting his time and mine, but since they told him to run new lines, he would run new lines.  Great.

So then the guy runs the lines and guess what.  Still doesn't work.  SO then I was like well what do I do now?  And he had the nerve to tell me to call the company and set up a THIRD appointment to get a new cable box.  Are you Freaking kidding me?!?!?!  He said that he didn't have an extra box in the truck so that is why he couldn't do it right then and there.  So I asked if I could just go to the store and get another one from the company, and he was like, Well, you can try but they usually won't give you one. 

Well I took my frustrated and slightly pissed off self down to the store.  The guy told me to tell them I wanted an updated box because if I told them that this one was broken, then they wouldn't believe me or give me a new one.  So I tried that, and the lady at the store told me they didn't have any updated boxes.  I was like ok, well I don't care- how about just giving me a different old one then.  She wanted to know why, and so I told her my "symptoms" and she tried to tell me it was a line problem.  I just about blew a gasket then.  Ok maybe not, but I was certainly not leaving there without a new box!  Turns out, they did have some updated boxes, and I got one that day.

Then I came home and hooked it up.  It didn't work at first, but I guess it just needed a little time to warm up, because now it works like a charm.  I must say though, that the next time I have problems with my service, I'm switching to a new provider unless I get a really stinking good deal.

Also on my fix-it list this weekend was my printer.  I got this printer about 2 years ago for free with my laptop.  Right there you should know that it is top quality! ha!  I have never used it because I have always been able to print other places and didn't need to worry about it.  So I finally needed it a week or so ago- got it out to install it- and guess what!  Half of the power cord was missing!  I mean, really?!?!  Luckily my mom had the (matching) missing part from one of her old printers and gave it to me.  So then I resumed the process, only to discover that I was missing the USB cord.  So a long time and a trip to Walmart later, I had an up and running printer.  Woo-hoo!

And then after all that- I caught the stomach flu or something and puked all night.  Lovely.  Aren't you glad you read all the way to the end?  :)

Busy, Busy!!

So a lot has happened since my last post.  I just can't remember what! ha!  I am exhausted and trying to catch up on my sleep this weekend.   The main thing that happened is that I said goodbye to this poor old broken down 13 year old piece of junk:

And I brought home this new one!

And please excuse the gross looking parking lot in this picture and just focus on the new, shiny car.  I was at the dentist and needed to take a picture for all my fb peeps.  haha! And right before this, I got a surprise filling and he didn't use anesthesia! And then I went to get my insurance updated, and I had to wait 30 minutes for someone (and I wasn't being picky about the agent!) to get back from lunch!  I guess the only thing that made that day better was that I got to drive around in my new car!

4th of July weekend

I went with some of my family to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri over the 4th of July Weekend.  I left on Saturday and came back on Tuesday.  I had an okay time since going to the lake is not my favorite thing in the world.  Can you tell? Lol!

I did score some awesome deals at the outlet mall nearby.  I got a new purse, a pair of jeans, a pair of capris, 2 pairs of shorts, and two shirts.  Basically we only ate food that I don't like (shrimp, hot dogs, hamburgers, pork roast, etc- I am picky), so my diet consisted mainly of cookies, chips, pickles, and an occasional piece of watermelon.  It's a wonder that my new clothes still fit.

My brother tried to blow himself up with our fireworks and got stung by a wasp.  That probably wasn't his favorite day.

On the way home, we made a short detour (about an extra hour) to drive through Fayetteville to see some of our friends for lunch.  I got to see my friend Lyndsey who I haven't seen since Easter, when she made her big announcement that she is having a BABY!

So now I am back home, trying to recover from all the traveling and apparently sleeping on a bed that came with the lake house.  My grandmother's aunt owns the cabin, and she doesn't remember what year she bought the house- but we have a guest book and the first entry is from 1966- so the bed is at least from before 1966.  Lovely.  I'm thinking it might be time for a new one.

My new fridge!

Guess what?  It finally came!  My new refrigerator came last Thursday and it is way more awesome than my old one.  What do you think?

Here is the sad, old broken one:

And here is the new fancy shiny one (please ignore the fingerprints- still getting used to this):

Also since I blogged forever ago, we had a baby shower for my friend Liza for her sweet baby boy who should be here any time!  Here is a picture of me and the guest of honor before the shower:

I am the one with the giant head.  hahaha.

We had a make your own pizza and salad dinner and everyone brought some kind of ingredient.  I brought pineapples for that, and I made some cookies.  Of course, I wish they had turned out a little cuter, but they were tasty and everyone seemed to like them. 

The K's are for the baby's first name.  I intended on doing more decorations, but like usual, there were not enough hours in the day- even with using half store-bought icing.

I've had a few more cooking experiments lately that I will have to tell you about next time!

Berries!

Saturday I crossed another thing off my 30 before 30 list.  I went to a local farm and picked blueberries and blackberries.  My sister and I picked 2.5 quarts of berries, and I also got a pound of yellow squash that the owner grew in her garden.  I thought that I didn't like blackberries, but then my friend made a cobbler with the ones that we picked, and I guess I do like them now..... 

So now I have a freezer full of blueberries (hoping the fridge doesn't die before the new one gets here).  I gave the blackberries to my grandmother.  I might go back and pick some more blackberries since apparently I like them now.  :)

Mmmmm

I don't feel so hot.  When I don't feel good I always crave Chick fil A fries and a Cookies 'n Creme shake.  Today, I was tricked into ordering a banana pudding shake by that sneaky sign right in front of my face at the counter.  It was fabulous.  I highly recommend it for your sickly tummy.

Also, today they were donating 10% of the sales to tornado cleanup and/or victims in Joplin.  That made me feel slightly better about spending $5 on crap at Chick fil A when I know that I am going to buy a freaking expensive refrigerator tomorrow.  Seriously- I hate making big purchases, and with the exception of my house, this will be the biggest.  (I still have my car from when I turned 16.  That will soon be the top of my big purchases list- but hopefully not too soon!!).  Oh well- at least I am spending my money on something useful.  I will just have to sit in the kitchen and stare at the refrigerator while my friends go out and do fun things that cost money... haha.

One more taken off the list

So today after work, my coworker and I went to get pedicures.  I got a crazy neon orange color.  Here's the proof.



But it is sideways.  I don't really know why, since I copy/pasted from an upright picture, but whatever.  You don't need it to be the right way to get the idea.  And I realize that it looks redish in the picture, but I promise it is orange.  I have been eyeing those neon polishes in Walgreens every time I go in, and so I thought this would be the perfect time to try one out.  Hello summer!!

And time to cross one more thing off the 30 before 30 list!