Dude Where's My Phone

The other night I was up way past midnight searching for my cell phone. I had called the hubby earlier in the evening wondering if he was going to come home for dinner or not (I was hungry). He said yes, he'd be home at some point, but that I should fend for myself. Groovy. I ate, I was happy. I placed the phone on the coffee table so it would be within easy reach should I need it.

The rest of the evening I kept busy restocking the dog food, taking out the trash to the garage, ordering Toastmasters supplies, making a flip book for E's super-cool and awesome boss, wrapping said gift, making several loaves of banana nut bread, cleaning the kitchen... I was all over the first level of the house doing various tasks and chores.

Later the hubby arrives home. He watches a little TV then goes to bed. I start cleaning up and putting my craft supplies away. I go to grab my cell phone from the coffee table so I can recharge it. It's not there. I look under the coffee table it's not there either. I wonder if perhaps it got caught in a sofa cushion. I displace Karma so I can toss pillows and cushions in search of my cellular link to the outside world. Not there, but I did discover something disgusting that I shan't discuss here.

I search all the trash cans, recyclables, went through all my crafting supplies (which are plentiful), the Toastmasters files, the fridge (one just never knows), the garage, my purse, E's laptop carrier, ... the darn thing is nowhere to be found. I ask the hubby, "Hey, have you seen my phone? I left it on the coffee table and it's not there."

"Hmm, no I haven't seen it. Want me to call you?"

No ring. D'oh. I left my phone on silent again, dang it.

"Oh well, I don't know where it is honey. Sorry." He goes to sleep.

I want to go to bed too but wondering where my phone is drives me insane; I can't sleep. I'm so careful with my stuff, I usually know where everything is. How can my phone be MIA?

I retrace all my steps and search everything again. It's very, very late. I decide to continue the search in the morning. In the master bedroom closest, while changing for bed, I notice my phone on Erik's shelf above his hanging clothes, next to his dress shirts waiting to visit the dry cleaners.

Argh. I want to make mean pirate sounds and scream, but the hubby is sound asleep. T'would be quite rude to awake him just to let him know how displeased I am about his relocating my cell phone, I resist the temptation. Happy Festivus baby, I let you sleep that night. You can return the favor by never again misplacing my phone.

The Cost of Christmas

Since this holiday season always ends up costing us more than we plan on spending I thought it would be a good idea for Erik and I to make each other a gift. He immediately knew what he wanted to make me. I however hadn't a clue what to make him, so I asked, "Hey, what would you like me to make you?" Answer: a bench.

This should have been an easy task and probably would be except my whole plan was squashed when E didn't have to go to Florida as originally planned. That was when I had set aside time to design and buy materials. Instead we went to Home Depot together so he could get supplies to make my gift and while we were there it only made sense for me to purchase the items I would need. Since he was present I thought I'd let him have some input in the design since I hadn't a chance to draft anything yet. He decided on a bench with storage. Fine, I love storage, one can never have too much storage or be too organized.

I bought some wood, L-brackets, screws, etc. At this initial phase I only planned on making the frame and would figure out the rest the following weekend. Yesterday I built the frame and it looks decent. Yesterday we also went to Lowes because I didn't like the feet that Home Depot had. I let E choose the feet for his bench and he chose well. But the feet, the top, and the other needed incidentals to complete the bench are quickly adding up. Turns out it would have been way less expensive for me to just purchase something for the hubby... oh well.

Buying something isn't nearly as fun as playing with power tools. Oh wait, we don't have any real power tools. I don't count my cordless, electric drill as a "real" power tool. Sure it works and gets the job done, but a band saw, or a heavy-duty dual bevel sliding compound miter saw... now that would be cool! Maybe for next Christmas the hubby will make me a workshop with my own bench so I don't have to sit on the cold, concrete garage floor.

Race ya!

Whenever sirens are blaring in the Antelope Valley (California) vehicles pull over providing emergency vehicles with room to speed on to their destination.

I'm sure there are some people in the Knoxville area that move aside so the police, fire department, etc. can do their thing, but I never saw evidence of it. Instead in Knoxville if there is an accident almost everyone comes to a complete stop to rubber neck it: "Hey is the person dead? Almost dead? Dying? I gotta check this out!" However, if there is nothing to see: "Oh, it's just an ambulance. Well I'm not pulling over, I'll just speed up and race him!"

In Knoxhell when I pulled over for emergency vehicles I had to wait to get back on the road because all the people behind me just kept on driving and wouldn't let me back in. I wonder what the "racers" would think or feel if it was their loved one in the back of the ambulance trying to get the hospital. I have to think they would care... right? It just doesn't make sense to me.

Knoxhell is a rather small community. Most people know each other. The chances they either directly, or have 3 or less degrees of separation, with the person in the ambulance is probably pretty great. I would suspect they would want to get out of the way so their friend, family member, neighbor, fellow church member, etc. had a better chance of survival. But I'm just RONG. It's way more important to be the first one at the stop light.