Our Automatic Sprinkler System

I think I've previously whined about our sprinkler system this year, but to recap... we have had broken pipe issues this year. The secondary water system pressure is so high this year that it was blowing our pipes apart. Usually our only spring repair to the sprinkler system is to replace the sprinkler head that I run over with the car. This year has been unreal. The pipes have stopped bursting (finally), but that just leads to a new problem. Our sprinkler valves have gone bad. Sunday morning the sprinkler system was systematically running. Dan came home from choir and asked me how long I planned to run "line 2". I told him that "line 2" was not scheduled to be on. He said it had been on since early Sunday morning and was still running... now it was 12:15 p.m. Well, the valve had somehow broken and decided to randomly be on. Dan got the value shut off. Today the system was running again (bypassing "line 2"). Line 1 turned on and ran, I heard line 3 turn on without issue, however I looked in the backyard and realized that line 1 was still running. It ran the entire time line 3 was on. Line 3 turned off, line 4 started; line 1 was still on... I went and investigated the valve for line 1- according to the manual turn on/off switch the valve was off, but I know for a fact that water was running through line 1. Anyway, line 1 ran for 270 minutes before I shut off the secondary system at the water main. Thank goodness for unmetered secondary water!

My Fingernails & Beijing's Shots

No, the two above items are not related. My fingernails are out of control. They are so long that I can't type (not that I'm an especially talented typist, but now I am even worse). I don't know how women pay people to make their nails as long as mine are. In the past, my nails have always reached a certain length and then they break. My nails are significantly longer now and as strong as can be. I am actually going to cut and shape them tonight because they are driving me nuts.

Okay- now for Beijing's shots. Yesterday Nolan and I took Beijing to the "Utah County Spay and Neuter Clinic" for her booster shots. We took her in a cat carrier. She doesn't particularly care for the carrier because she cried from the minute we put her in there (at least she didn't have "issues" like another cat I know). We got to the clinic and it reeked. It smelled like animals- nasty yucky animals. There was a chocolate lab pappy there with a 4 year old trying to control it on its leash. The puppy was winning and the little boy was practically falling on his face. Finally it was our turn and I filled out the paperwork and told the lady that Beijing needed her booster shots. She asks me "which boosters"... like I had any idea. She tells me it's rabies and distemper. I say fine and pay the $25. She enters all the info in the computer. Meanwhile some dumb lady comes in with 2 unleased dogs. One dog, upon entering the clinic, pooped on the floor which just enhanced the clinic smell. The receptionist had to go looking for something for the lady to use to clean up her dog's gift to the clinic. The receptionist comes to get Beijing, takes one look at her and says "how old is this cat?" I say "10 weeks", that's what she entered on the forms. She goes on to lecture me telling me that cats can't have a rabies vaccine until they are 3 months old- whatever... she told me what shots the cat needed and I just agreed. Anyway, after 2 new forms were printed and $10 was refunded, Beijing got her shot and we went home.

In the car, Nolan asked if he could get Beijing out of the cage and hold her on his lap. I said sure, as long as he held the cat. That lasted for about 3 seconds before he let the cat go and she started roaming the car. Luckily she stayed away from my feet and we got home safe. We get to go back to the clinic in 2 weeks for the rabies shot. Maybe I'll bring the clinic a gift- a Glade Plug-in.

Moms Can't Save Gas

Have two busy, involved boys means that I can't save gas. They have to be too many places at too many different times of the day. I'm doing my best to consolidate my trips, but it's not working. I'm on the go all day long. Tuesday looked like this...
7:40 a.m.- Jonathan Golf
8:15 a.m.- Nolan Swim Team
9:00 a.m.- Jonathan done with golf
9:15 a.m.- Nolan done with swim team
11 a.m.- UPS/Scout Shop/Smiths/Gas Station
noon- Jonathan Band
1 p.m.- Jonathan done with band
5:00 p.m.- Nolan Baseball Game
6:00 p.m.- My Golf Lesson
6:05 p.m.- Golf Lesson Canceled
6:15 p.m.- Return to Nolan's Baseball Game
7:30 p.m.- Home

Yesterday was just as nuts...
8:05 a.m.- Nolan swim team
9:00 a.m.- Jonathan Band #1
9:15 a.m.- Nolan done with swim team
11 a.m.- Jonathan done with band #1/run to UTA hub to get pictures for Eagle Project approval/Big 5
noon- Jonathan band #2
1 p.m.- Jonathan done with band #2
4:15 p.m.- Nolan baseball
6:30 p.m.- Nolan done with baseball/HOME!

Why can't my boys schedule be consolidated so I'm not running all over Utah County all day long. At least I don't drive a monster SUV!

I Did NOTHING Today!

The title says it all. I accomplished nothing today! I got up at 7 a.m. and made the boys their daily pancakes. At 8 a.m. we went to the church to do our cleaning assignment. I vacuumed classrooms. We came home at 9:30 a.m. I have no idea what I did until 11 a.m. At 11 a.m. Nolan helped me deliver some trek stuff then we went and bought hemp at Roberts. Came home, made waffles for Nolan for lunch. Cleaned up. I decided to cross-stitch a little, but was too tired. I went and lay down at 1:30 pm. and woke up at 3:30 p.m. (with Beijing next to me asleep). I watched the Belmont Stakes and saw Big Brown lose bad. I got up, strung some trek buffalo necklaces. I prepped the Laurel's YW lesson for tomorrow (I'm their sub tomorrow). Cut up pineapple for Dan Pizza night. I returned a movie, ran into a friend at the store. Came home. Had computer time. And that is it. I got nothing done that I planned... the bathroom is still dirty and the downstairs small room is still scary, but oh well, I sure enjoyed my nap!

Who Needs Cable?

After nearly 11 years of carpy T.V. reception, we have a crystal clear picture, and it's all thanks to the U.S. Government. As everyone knows, the TV world is changing from analog to digital signal in February 2009. Right now, both formats are available, but come February, if you have a dinosaur TV that can't receive digital (like we do), you will only be able to watch snow if you don't upgrade your set. You can buy a converter box for the ancient TVs so that the signal can be converted to a format that allows you to be able to watch TV. Now, we aren't big TV watchers here, thanks in part to having such horrible reception and being too cheap to pay for cable or an antenna on the roof. Anyway, the government gave out coupons for $40 off the converter boxes and I recently bought and installed the converter boxes. All I can say is WOW! Two nights ago, Dan and I watched part of the Stanley Cup playoff game and just had to believe that there really was a puck. Tonight, I can say that I actually saw the puck!

Well, I fear that we will all become couch potatoes now that we can actually see the picture on the screen free of static and moving lines. So, I better check to see what's on TV tomorrow and plan my day around the major network broadcasting!

My First Golf Lesson

Jonathan loves golf and I don't appreciate the sport/activity. I decided that I'd better try to get a golf attitude adjustment and take some lessons. PG City offers "ladies only" golf lessons on Tuesday nights. There are 13 ladies in my class and one middle-aged man instructor. Today I learned that all the years of listening to mom say "don't stand like a duck" were in vain. Evidently "duck posture" is ideal for a golf stance. Larry the teacher kept telling me my posture was too straight and I needed to "stick my bum out". That is my homework this week- practice sticking my bum out. Tonight we worked on stance and grip and "driving" the ball with a pitching wedge. I hit for about a half an hour and noticed that I had some forearm muscles starting to complain. After 3 consecutive good hits (in the air, 50+ yards, and straight" I decided that I'd done enough for one night.

Jonathan tagged along to the golf course with me and after he hit a bucket of balls and practiced in the sand pit, he decided to watch me try to golf. He was kind enough to refrain from laughing aloud. So until next week's lesson, I will be practicing poor posture!

Little Miss Muffet

Yes, I've renamed Beijing (but Nolan constantly reminds me that I am wrong and her name is Beijing). In just one week, this cat has turned out lives upside-down. Nolan has become king of cat care and changes her water without being asked and pooper-scoops daily without a reminder as well (hint, hint, Amy). He wants her to sleep with him so bad. I just remind him that her wild time is his bedtime and the two are not compatible.

Dan puts the cat to bed most nights. If I have bedtime duty, I haul the cat downstairs, put her in the laundry room and shut the door. Dan nicely takes her down, settles her in her cube, and tells her good-night and makes sure her nightlight is working. What a sucker. Hopefully he'll be that good with bedtime for Skellington! Dan also breaks the #1 rule in my book and feeds the cat human food- cheese and the dregs from his cereal bowl. I tell him he is bad.

Jonathan even likes the cat and let her sleep on his sleeping bag and saxophone case.

Little Miss Muffet (Beijing) loves Nolan and visits him first thing when she is freed from the laundry room. She knows who her daddy is. He adores her as well. Today she fell off a chair and landed on her side. He was so worried that she was serious hurt.

My favorite time of the day with the cat is when she is either pestering someone else or is sleeping on the floor by the table. She loves the sun. She likes to fight with her shadow. I am covered from bare foot to back of neck with tiny and not so tiny scratches. She thinks I am her climbing post. She loves to climb on my shoulder and then chase her tail- not pleasant for me at all; it really hurts.

Oh well, Little Miss Muffet has charmed the pants off 3/4 of the family. I guess I'll just have to tolerate her for the next how many years?