Bonus Time

The Dishnetwork people scheduled my repair for that dreaded 12-5 timeslot today. Lucky for me the guy was waiting when I got here at 11:50am. He actually called my cell as I turned the corner and I told him I was just pulling into my driveway. Anyway, he was finished by 12:15pm. That really frees me up to get some things done. I took a 1/2 day and now I can get some things around the house taken care of. One of those is to clean the garage as suggested by friend and fellow blogger Erin.

My to do list:
1. Laundry
2. Kitchen
3. Our bedroom
4. Garage
5. Trip to Goodwill

Hope the urge to nap doesn't become too strong. Took some Sudafed for my sinus drainage. The pollen count is HIGH here in North Texas.

Gas Prices

The gas prices remind me of a helium balloon that you accidentally let go and it just keeps going up and up and up to a place that you can't reach. $78 for a fill up today. I swear the new game is "The Gas Price Watching Game." You know you do it. On the way to work you think you should fill up, but you're in a hurry and decide to stop on the way home. Then it happened, sometime during the day, the prices jumped another 10 cents.

Tonight I needed to get gas and usually go to the QT. As I pulled in I noticed that Racetrack across the street was actually 5 cents cheaper at $3.44 gallon. I still gassed up at QT out of loyalty. As I was filling up I got a tea and a bag of ice. On my way out of the parking lot I did a double take as I noticed that the Racetrack price was now $3.49 a gallon. In a blink of an eye the price changed. We're not talking a digital pricing board. Someone had to walk out and change the price while I was inside getting my tea.

There is no need to worry about it now. The gas prices have changed our habits a little bit. We are trying to only take one car to church now. That would save $25 or so a month. I usually try to drive the wife's car if both are available since it gets better gas mileage. We also skipped driving to STL this spring break due to gas prices. It was cheaper to fly my mom down for $130 round trip. The gas prices have TRIPLED since we moved here in 2002 from Missouri.

Need to start saving my mowing money to pay for the gas for my summer trip to STL.

Weather Again

I knew it was supposed to be a wet night so I got my mowing finished right after school. It started to sprinkle a bit as I loaded the equipment after my last yard. I got home in time for Survivor and for the last hour I have been watching weather reports instead. I'm hoping they'll replay Survivor, but right now they're reporting on The Perfect Storm. Just found out that they are going to replay Survivor at 12:37 am.

I have time to pull the truck mostly into the garage since they are calling for golf ball to tennis ball sized hail. No chance pulling my wife's car out. I think someone should invent a car cover that prevent hail damage. Something along the lines of a bullet proof vest or a shark proof diving outfit. Hmm.

Shriner's Circus

A few weekends ago a friend called inviting me and my son to go to a Shriner's Circus for FREE! Count me in. Once there I went ahead and paid the $10 for parking since my friend got the tickets and drove the 30+ miles to and from. He took his 2 boys and immediately purchased these light up swords for his boys. I knew then I'd have to buy one for my son. I really feel cheap when it comes to things like this because I usually manipulate my way out of buying overpriced items like this. I hestitantly walked up and said I'd take the blue light saber. $10.....WOW. My only other cost on the night was the $5 frozen solid snow cone. At least it came in a souvenir cup.

While there one of our 3 sabers broke, but we were able to get a replacement one. I felt okay about the night, we left early since the boys were bored by the 1/2 time intermission.

My son ended up breaking the light part of his saber the next day. It is hard explaining to a 3 year old why it broke and why daddy just wants to throw the piece of junk away. My son was persistent so I finally found the small screw driver and pulled it apart. Since I teach 5th grade and we deal with electric currents, wires and batteries I quickly saw the problem. This light saber had about 20 lights on a thin frame connected with tiny soddering. One of the soddered spots came undone 1/2 way up the pole AND the wire was disloged from the battery terminal. My chances of fixing it was about 5% or less.

It has sat on the counter for 10 days now and I think it will go out with the trash Friday.

It is sad that the non-profit organization is selling these dollar store made in China items for $10. Probably costs them about 50 cents or LESS for them. I usually give my kids a dollar amount and in this case he would have had to pick from the sword or the snow cone. My kids are pretty good about this too. It is just tough when the person you go with ends up buying his kids about anything they asked for.

Free wasn't FREE!

Deadliest Catch

Been a while since I've posted, but we're having battery issues with our laptop. Took the battery with me to a computer store and they needed the laptop model number to see if they had a matching battery. Why couldn't he just hold my battery up to existing batteries? I also pulled up to Battery Plus that same day and arrived at 6pm as they were locking the door. I proceeded to check replacement batteries out online....from school and LAST Monday ordered one. I emailed them yesterday, one week later, and was told the order was processed and SHOULD be here this week. So much for the "Ships out within 24 hours.....most cases..." Anyway I put the battery back in and after tricking my computer I manage to get it to work.

Tonight is the season debut of The Deadliest Catch. I LOVE this series about crab fishing in the Bering Strait. I even saw it advertised at the movie theatre on the First Look at Cinemark. Get the DVR ready!!!

Hopefully I'll be consistent posting again.