xylie

Dishwasher repair $318. Taunted a second time by dishwasher repairman, priceless.

With 3 kids, our dishwasher takes a beating. We use it a lot more than most working families in the Bay Area as Jim and I have an abhorrence of ready-made meals. What we prepare isn't exotic, but it is constant and the dishwasher pays the price. Our 3 year old dishwasher lost the front panel interface buttons and the exposed metal was doing interesting things during a sanitizing cycle.

So, the repairman was summoned. Typically Sears is on-time within the window they give, but he was an hour beyond even their latest estimation. And then he couldn't work without the serial number, which the last Sears tech had peeled off and stuck to the paperwork. I couldn't find the paperwork.

After much arguing about the manual and possible model numbers, he cleaned the dishwasher and replaced the panel. All the time complaining about how I abused the machine. Bets on him having children or cooking? "You are not doing it properly," he wailed at one point, "there is no other explanation for this." Then he saw our water. Complaints ceased.

The upside is that the film is not caused by bad filters. It is caused by extremely hard water. Several vinegar rinses later, happiness. Rises free of charge. New panel not so much. Not exactly something I wanted to pay $300 for, but still cheaper than a new dishwasher.

At some point things will improve. Stuff will stop breaking. I will feel like rising and not reaching for my passport and the next plane to another country. Work is challenging. Kids are great. Jim is definitely aware of the volume issue. Cats are purring. Halloween tomorrow.

Probably not going to make the CHP reunion. The Saturday before Thanksgiving promises to be a killer week. Really bummed to miss the 25th anniversary reunion of an organization I like so much. Jim has been working most Saturdays and I have been dealing with a department on life support for so long. Our usual excursions to Yosemite in Oct were quashed by both the wildfires and the workload. The next planned trip to SoCal is December 20-27. But I want something in-between. Hard to figure out what would work in terms of just getting away from here.

Had a good time last weekend at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Jake went for school one year and prior to that we went with Bev, George and Bridget for fun. This time we went with friends who have an 18-month old. Both James and baby Roan had a good time running about and exclaiming over fish, sea otters, and penguins.

The problem was the people. Everywhere I turned...people. I have certainly been to more densely populated areas, but I'm used to attacking the aquarium in March when there's less competition for space. Getting shots of the baby Loggerhead sea turtle, for instance, was quite the feat with people cramming in everywhere.

The boys have one more week to before going to school. Bridget is coming up to take them off on an adventure. Jakob's school sent us a flier requesting his presence for August 13...today. Sorry chums, you start school Aug 19, he gets a vacation. I'll go pick up the paperwork, but I think the schedule creep due to STAR testing is ridiculous. School gets out now two weeks after STAR finishes and starts waaaay too early in August...when most schools do not have the budget for AC.

The only upside is that this has been a relatively cool summer. The September sneak attack is coming, I'm sure, but nothing has been as awful as that one week in June promised. Overall, it's been a survivable summer.

Today is Dad's shoulder replacement surgery. Should be done by 9. I know I'm worried because I left my phone in the car. Forgetting things is something I only do under extreme stress. For fun, start and earthquake and try and get me to find my keys.

Hopefully it all goes well. Dad is a rare blood type (A-) and diabetic so I fuss a bit about him having surgery.

Leaving San Jose this morning to head off to the Content Wrangler Workshop in Vancouver. This is my first time visiting Canada, which is strange having been to other countries much further from home. The hope is to come away with several ideas on what we can do to improve the docs set at work and to give myself some time to figure out how I want to structure the content and thereby the team. There is a serious need to master the material and provide a professional look and feel.

The cab driver who picked me up was very cheerful. He told me that he misses Addis Ababa, not so much in practice, but in the sounds of home. As a kid he used to hear the lions roar in the royal zoo, which is a far more beautiful sound than the 17 freeway. Jim is always quick to point out that nostalgia was once a diagnosable condition. A longing for home as it was.

At this point in the morning, I long for my bed as it was. Hopefully I can sleep on the flight to Portland and then the one to Vancouver. Lately with James getting the last of his molars, no one has been getting a surfeit of sleep in our household.

Today was the last day of school. This ends Jake's career in elementary school and now we look forward to middle school in the fall. Oy. At least he had an enjoyable field day at Castlemont. He managed to get both a spider tattoo on his arm and a glorious red mustache so that he could commit evil schemes.

It was also Sean's last day of first grade, bringing to a close all that drama and leaving us with more drama to come in 2nd grade. He also brought home a slip inviting me to his open house...yesterday. He was happy and shining, though. Glorying in a summer to come.

Clara's 5th birthday party was this evening from 5 to 7. Yahoo Maps! sent us in true Mapquest fashion, to the right address, wrong side of the road. This gave us time to drive past what used to be Logicon, sight of Jim's first job, but now is 150 condos and a Fresh and Easy. WEIRD.

Pump It Up Junior is very cute and the boys had a blast. There was a toy car for James to play in while the older kids watched a safety video. Then there were several slide and climbs to play on in the facility. 90 minutes later, pizza, cake and then we were shown the door. All in all it was fun, there were balloons, and everyone went home happy.

We did not, though, have time to open presents. Clara packed them home, and after a short interval we came by and helped Cathy unload the car. Clara opened her presents in state. Jake, Rory and Sean got bored and started playing toys.

If there's anything that this change of jobs has taught me it's that I gave MontaVista too much of myself and that there was very little I had left of me. I like having neighbors to visit. I like seeing the kids at school. I like being conscious at 11 PM without a call to India. Work is fun and a necessity at this point, but it isn't everything. And it certainly shouldn't crowd out life.

Weekend was mind-numbingly social.

Friday Alex came over for a swim with us at the local pool. He doesn't like that one kid either so that's four votes for Kid X having issues. Then Cathy told me she knows Mrs. X from her old Mom's Group and she's friendly but also given to the sorts of weird outbursts that make you back away and cock your head.

Saturday morning we met Cathy and Rory and Clara up to show off the cabana club to them and see if they wanted to join. Cathy being an Aussie would prefer a cabana club that serves wine. For $500 a season, my cabana club isn't it. Kids still had a great time. I hope Mrs. X isn't the real reason Cathy doesn't want to join.

At one we went to Rami's birthday party. 20 kids with water guns 14 of them screaming in Arabic, things I knew not what but seemed to be "Let's hit the defenseless moms when their backs are turned." I let my boys get out the pool guns and have at it. They shoot 30 feet. Rami's mother is a buyer for a major store and currently does BCBG Max Aria. This did not stop her from wearing her elegant Channel glasses and dress to Oak Meadow park. So much for brand loyalty, eh? I was definitely under dressed even with my new necklace on. However, I got to meet one of Rami's various aunties who loves Nutella as much as I do! We traded recipes. She's moving from the food industry into working for Rami's mom. Should be better hours for her to start a family. Nate's parents were also there and I had a blast catching up with Leona and Dan (Nate had similar complaints to what Sean was saying about 1st grade being boring and miserable). I invited Nate to come to Sean's party.

Then we headed back to meet up with Regan and Ty. It was great to see Regan again, even though she looked a bit beat from her whirlwind trip to Canada. Ty was so huge! I haven't seen him in over a year so it was great to watch him play with James or attempt to. James morphed from happy child to possessive freakout toddler in 0 to 60. He didn't want to share his car or his house or his slide...but especially his car! So, we turned on the music upstairs and the two hung out and danced and all was mostly well. We took Regan to Tia Juanna's for dinner as it was in Sunnyvale and a bit less toddler exciting than Dish Dash on a Saturday night. Ty and James had fun riding the mechanical animals, but you could tell Ty was beat. We missed out on seeing David, but he was gaming with friends in Los Altos. Something evoked much sympathy with Jim.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. Sean missed out on his Cub Scout Hike at Pinnacles due to our wonderful bout with Noro Virus. So Sunday morning was the last "make-up hike" at Belgatos park. One of the Moms loves to hike there and assured us the trials were easy. Seeing as she's 12 weeks pregnant and hiked with a 3 year old in an Ergo, I debated her definition of easy. But Kim's one of those lovely people who just makes you feel happy and at ease. It was just her, our den dad and the boys. We had a great time. Until Kim asked me for a mobile for the baby's room. I like glass projects but circles of glass for a baby? And drilling to hang or metal working to put in hooks? Aiyee. I'll have to ask Kristin for some lab space. I don't know how I would do it with the tools I have.

Sean did not like hiking at first and midway up the hill told us all he was too tired to go on. Before we could talk him out of it, he saw the other boys were ahead of him. He ran uphill faster than the wind, without tripping. And stayed at the front the whole hike. Oh yes, track for this one track and field.

On my return Jim was dazed from a long night of night shift and then playing Skyrim because he "wasn't sleepy". Ahem. My plans to continue working furiously on the party were washed up. I took Jake to riding and packed James in the car while Jim and Sean waited out for Jim's parents. Apparently after Sean's blunt remarks about the previous gift, they wanted to take him shopping for this gift. I manage to figure this stuff out without taking Sean, but then I'm not Asperger's either.

Jake did well riding Pinto. She's just a beautiful horse. Smaller than Montana, but definitely spirited. She won first place in the dressage competition last Sunday, but Jake was not as impressed. One of these days I'll have to show him what Pinto does in her "Free Time" at these shows. As it is, he just likes that she goes really fast. He does not like her failure to weave around the barrels without an argument. My eldest is at last learning to direct the horse, but still hates it.

We jetted back to the house, loaded up the car and ran to the park. Poor James missed out on lunch entirely and so had to make do with chips and milk until the pizza arrived. We managed to score a place in the shade and the kids had a good time with balloons and bubbles and playing on the playground. The adults sat in the shade and talked. Mellow.

We wound down. Headed home. And then we remembered Jakob's South Dakota Report. AHHHHHH! Typing fun, researching fun. Here are some fun facts about South Dakota:

1) It had three separate flags in its history. Originally the Flag had two sides, making it expensive to make. It was also called The Sunshine State. The first change was to give the flag only one face. The second change was to the Motto. Florida skunked them on The Sunshine State, so they picked something only South Dakota has, Mt. Rushmore.

2) South Dakota has a non-native bird as its official bird, the ring-necked pheasant.

3) Everyone from the Lakota to the German settlers loves the state flower. Because it meant the beginning of spring and the end of cursed winter. It is the only state flower with a motto and that motto is "I lead."

All the other facts are less fun, but I taught them to Jakob as well, such as the discovery of gold in the Black Hills and the War of 1876. Not to mention General George Custer, horrible warning to the rest of us to not violate treaties. And Seth Bullock, wonderful example of don't let someone get you down. If it burns to the ground, rebuild.

Yesterday was the day of County Response to me. I guess they'd finally recovered from an extended Memorial Day weekend or perhaps were out on enforced furloughs. Each office from Weed Abatement to Code enforcement was confused that the property owner did not contact them regarding notices they'd MAILED or LEFT ON THE FRONT DOOR.

This tells me that they did not read the brief but detailed case notes I left them so I reiterated the "snuck out in the middle of the night" and "property is abandoned" parts of this narrative. Only to meet with the county officials sounding sad and despairing. Legally they can't come onto the property until there has been a hearing. For a hearing, you need folks to attend. To hold the hearing without them...takes several more hearings.

Apparently there's a great process when someone responds. When there's on one to attend their hearings the paperwork increases.

This is all too bloody late for the bus stop. The kids get out next week. Having spent two months with an abandoned house with weeds as tall as they are and a car in front of the lawn as their stop. FIRE HAZARD. Stupid reckless hazard too.

Nothing seems to move quickly around here. But as I said earlier this episode of CSI just keeps writing itself. One police raid just wasn't enough for the City. Maybe we can shoot for two.

Got a second interview to schedule. Yay! It's the folks I liked too. Now will just have to see how it will all go down over the next few weeks.

This was a much needed boost after dealing with current company's woes and frustrations. I left work so upset I wandered to the mall to shop. This is not something I casually indulge in, but since my mother gave me money to leave the safety of the Internet and buy something in a brick and mortar store, I made the effort. This worked great doing clearance at Ann Taylor. This did not work so well doing shoe shopping at Clark's.

Most stores in the Bay Area have a limited selection due to price of a square foot. You can have a great display or a great inventory, but not both. Many stores compromise, but Clark's seemed to lean heavily on the "we can order that for you" theory, resulting in a gorgeous display of shoes they didn't have. Perhaps Zappos has brought them to this, but if I can't try the shoe on...why aren't I on Zappos? Sociability?

That would depend on my fellow patrons and the clerks. The patrons were experiencing the same sort of responses I was, and feeling just as frustrated. One woman lamented to me that she wouldn't be here if her new puppy hadn't eaten her previous pair of Clarks. Apparently Hurricane Katy the Jack Russel terrier had driven her back out into the mall. Other patrons were far less coherent. One was arguing with a seven year old and trying on shoes with as much success as possible. The poor clerk was trying to make out when she was speaking to him and when she was reprimanding the child. It was a good comedy routine.

As was being waited on. The main shoe clerk was professional and a good salesperson. She was however backed up by an earnest young gentleman that I had to train in such concepts as "measure both feet" and "wide widths only please". While Clark's are comfy, they are not going to miraculously remove my little toe. At least I hope they have not advanced that far.

Needless to say, the comfortable yet stylish shoe search was discontinued. I still have a pair of killer heels from Sofft, which I love. Sofft is more feminine than Clark's general faire, but it does sacrifice a bit for the sake of comfort. I can do about six hours in those heels before I am wandering the halls barefoot. Not something I can do if I switch jobs. Flats or low heels would most certainly be welcome.

Apparently the land is county not city, so City (who gives a crap) can't help me. County isn't answering the phone and trying to make it look like they still care. It turns out the back gate is open because the police raided the place on Friday.

Um. Yeah.