THE WEEK IN REVIEW ...

Not sure I like this look of the blog, but for the rest of tonight at least - that's how it is going to look.

The blizzard was the main 'big news' of this past week. I don't think it got as bad as they predicted it might. I heard one news/weather report suggest that drifts 8 to 15 feet might be possible. That's some kind of drift! But we didn't get that here. Somehow that many snowflakes isn't quite as much fun as that one tiny lost snowflake that found my van window last week!

It was wicked cold and limited visibility with blowing snow. The streets/roads were definately treacherous. There is an area near our house that has scared me since we moved here. It goes D-O-W-N and then U-P. There are drop off sides with a creek that runs under the road. There is something about being near a 'drop off side' of anything that makes me feel dizzy and disoriented. Do not like drop offs. Point here - a car DID go off there this week. Driver died later that day of her injuries.

Several days this week I had a sore throat, tired, congested, etc. I took some time off from work, which I think was the right choice. I rarely miss work. On the 3rd day - I could tell the moment I got out of bed that I was feeling much better.

I had stamping night at my house Thursday. Sharon Wooten came over Monday night to help me cut pieces for the projects. That was a nice time. We didn't have many for stamping night - 4 total. I think the holidays and weather were factors. Those of us there had a nice time.

While getting ready for stamping night - I ran the vacuum on the piece of carpet we have in the basement. It was like running a child's vacuum over the area. The sound was there, but the sucking action was not. I opened it up and realized it was pretty ugly looking inside. Nice thing about Dysons is that you can actually give them a bath. I took it apart, filled the tub with water and let it soak. (I have a back-up vacuum that I pulled into action instead!) Later when I took my own shower, I finished up cleaning it. It looked almost new. And it works great again. I think the little holes that suck the air into them had gotten plugged with dust.

The puppies had their birthday this week. They are ONE! We heard from Jenny and Todd who have Tazz and also the people in Minnesota that have Mika. Both said how much they loved their dogs and that they were so glad they found just that puppy! We were happy to know that they had gone to good homes. (Tazz lives in town, so we have seen him - but Mika we haven't seen since we dropped her off in Waterloo last year.)

We had a couple of great days with our little Jaimee this week. She came to town and surprised me at work on Friday. Had just gotten her H1N1 shot (Rhiannon did too! - they are making them available to the public now here). And they came down on Sabbath too. Both days she was sweet.

Hard to tell if there was a sweeter day of the two - but I do know Sabbath was such fun. She sat and played with her church toys (I keep a bag at church with quiet things), waved at people, SMILED at everyone, used her arms like a conductor's wand during the songs and basically had a wonderful time.

Later we went to sing (carols) at the Lutheran Homes. She was getting tired, not quite as many smiles, but still was pleasant and happy.
Some of the oldsters loved seeing a baby. Kind of uncomfortable letting them touch her, but I know what pleasure touching her brings me. Each time, after having someone touch her it seemed we were able to find some of that sanitizer stuff to put on her hands. So she was safe. They have an aviary there, and she enjoyed having her mommy show her the birdies. When we left, she didn't even make it 4 blocks and she was out like a light.

Randy has been opting OUT of as many tennis games lately as he has played. I think he is going through some 'burn-out'. Seems to enjoy outdoor tennis better than indoor.

Nick's job has kept him going. They work a lot of hours and he is fortunate he has a job he enjoys and gives him nice hours! He's been there 90-days now, so some of the employee 'perks' start kicking in. Not sure about what all those are, but discounts is one of them. He brought home a sound system for his computer/TV set up. Sounds good. Can really rattle the rafters though! Fortunately he has been very good about not doing that too much.

He had an encounter with the police last night that made him mad. He has said 'cops' seem to target the guys he knows that have these little fast performance type cars. Last night he and a friend were outside another friend's house waiting for him to get home. A cop drove up,pretty soon there were FIVE squad cars. Claimed he and "Money" (his friend works at a bank - he has a real name, but everyone calls him "Money" had been street racing and insisted on calling Nick "boy". Nick finally told the guy to STOP calling him "boy" - that he graduated HS a year before him (the officer), had a college degree, job and was a productive citizen - he was not a "boy".

Nick said before that police have followed him home from work once a week or so just to be ... following. Says its annoying, which in a way it is. HOWEVER, if he IS street racing - which he says he isn't - then he/they shouldn't be doing that.

Anyway -- that's the week in review. I'm sure there is a lot more but right now I need to go have Randy put the highlights in my freshly colored hair. No more white stripe for me -- at least for awhile!

Okay - I'm waiting for the highlights to develop. Do NOT think that this is the 'cheap' way out of getting highlights. I tell you one thing - there is a higher price to pay when you have your husband do it for you. The whining is unbearable. The instructions say "it's as easy as putting on mascara". I guess from now on you'll be seeing Randy with mascara - because maybe if he practices that, next time he'll whine less.