What a Life!

We got our new car last week, but it still had one problem. The service-engine-soon light was on. The dealer said they’d fix it if it didn’t go off. Originally I was supposed to take it in on Friday, but we had too much going on that day, and Monday worked out better for them as well. So I took it in this morning. Arrived at 8:50 (appointment was at 9:00).

They worked on it all morning and couldn’t figure it out. They’d get it to go out, and then they’d drive it and it would come right back on, just like it did when we drove it off the lot. Steve brought me some McDonald’s for lunch. Ben wasn’t interested in his Happy Meal. [But he did drink water out of a cup, which I didn’t know he could do. I think half the reason why he’s “behind” on certain things is that his mother doesn’t realize he should be able to do things and thus doesn’t give him opportunties to do them. Anyway…]

At 2:00 they came and told us they’d finally figured it out. They washed it, and then we drove it home. And the light did not come back on.

Joey is asleep. He napped a little before we left (he got up early this morning) and a little in the sling while we waited. He really needs a nap, though.

I could have run other errands while we were in town, but after spending five hours in a waiting room, I was tired and just wanted to go home. I will have to reschedule Ben’s dental appointment which we missed this morning. I also was supposed to go to the chiropractor today. There comes a point, though, where one must draw the line. I am home now, and I really need a few moments of Normal before I leave the house again.

Tomorrow afternoon our new piano is being delivered. Steve is still skeptical about how having a piano with two boys in the house will work, considering how things have gotten beaten up with just Ben. He gets upset all the time because the walls have dings in them and the wood floors (circa 1950) have scuffs. But to not buy a piano just because you think it might get scratched at some point? The finish is more durable than wood. And there will be very firm rules about the piano not being used as a race track for cars or anything like that. Anything you buy, though, if it is used, will show some signs of wear at some point. Either you can tell that they’ve been used and loved, or you don’t get to use and love them; personally, I’d rather have something that looks used and loved than to not have anything at all.

It’s shiny black, like a concert piano. Steve also doesn’t think that “goes” with our decor. But he saw the pianos yesterday. Either the piano is the only piece of wood in the room, or the wood probably isn’t going to match perfectly. Polished ebony is much more generic and will “go” with far more themes. At first I wasn’t crazy about the black myself. But it’s really grown on me. Partially because it is more durable than wood when it comes to care. And partially because it is like having a concert piano in your living room. It may not be a grand piano, but it will be beautiful just the same.

While we looked at all the pianos, I played many of them so Steve could hear them. He did admit that this one really sounds nice. At first, when I started out playing the used ones and talked about how they sounded, he didn’t necessarily hear what was “wrong” with them. But once I started playing the new ones, he was able to hear what I was talking about. And I still say, out of all the new pianos I played in that store, I love the sound of this one the best. I am so looking forward to playing it.

Now…to find a bench cover to help keep the bench in good condition. And perhaps a pattern to knit a runner for the top?

Well, I hosted playgroup this morning so my house is clean. Still working on catching up with the laundry. Would you believe I discovered we have clothes I’d completely forgotten about? Mom and Dad came to visit and Joey was wearing outfits that were too small for him because they were the only things in his drawer and I was talking about how I was hoping it would warm up soon so he could wear bigger clothes for warm weather. Then I did laundry and he has all these clothes that fit him perfectly now that are well suited to cool weather. Gracious! All that chaos with the accident and the car got me really out of the loop!

Now I have a list of errands to kingdom-come! My rule of thumb is that I can only handle up to six errands in one trip to town. More than that and I’m toast. I re-wrote my errands list this morning, and if you count the “hard” ones as double, I need to make at least three trips to town. Hard ones are ones where you have to go somewhere and think about something – like how to landscape your house – instead of just pick up predetermined items on a list – such as milk and eggs.

So this afternoon we’ll be going to town. Tomorrow I’m running errands easier done without Ben (Steve and Ben are going to the Spring Game). Sunday we’re headed to Omaha for a late-Easter gathering. Monday I have three appointments to go to, and we’ll probably run a couple errands then as well.

As Ben would say, “We’re driving around in our new brown car!” [He made that announcement several times during each of our two trips to town in it so far.] Yup, lotsa driving around in our new brown car.

We have a new car now. No picture yet – I am just now starting to get back to normal. Normal would mean pictures. I am not there yet.

Today I am going to go grocery shopping…something I have not done since the accident. Our refrigerator is very bare right now. When my mother-in-law came over yesterday to watch the boys while Steve and I bought the car, I was embarrassed because I had nothing to offer her for lunch. With all that has been going on, I simply have not had time to go to the grocery store, much less think about what I might buy. While Mom and Dad were here, we ate out anyway, so it didn’t matter really.

I am also shopping for a piano. Actually, I’ve found the one I intend to buy. But I am doing my due-dilligence in order to satisfy my husband. When Grandma died in December, Dad said there would be a little inheritance for me. Last week we found out what that would be. I am buying a piano with it first, and then saving the rest. Grandma loved music and would have been so proud to know I used the money to buy a piano.

When Steve and I got married, he told me I only got one set of rings – no upgrades – so I’d better get what I really wanted. I told him buying a piano is the same way – it’s Grandma’s money, and I want a good piano that will last me until I die. The piano I have found and love will cost me a bit more than I had thought I would spend, but it is a piano I would be very happy with until the day I die.

It would be much like my knitting – I would sit down and play it many times throughout the day just as I pause and pick up my knitting many times every day. I told Steve he might not hear me play it much while he is around because I don’t like to annoy people with my piano playing. I play for the joy of playing, and sometimes that includes hitting the wrong notes. He told me that as long as I’m not just practicing scales, he’d actually like to hear me play, that there’s something about hearing someone play for the joy of playing that makes it enjoyable to hear.

One of the stores that sells pianos is also the source for sheet music in the area. So as I am [faux] shopping to make sure I’ve selected the best piano, I will be spending quite some time at that store browsing through their music. Steve is taking Ben to the Spring Game Saturday – I think Joey and I will go shopping for pianos and music while they are at the game. Then Sunday we are going to Omaha for a family gathering, and we will make a point to stop by the piano store there so Steve can see the one I’ve picked out.

The piano I’ve picked out is made by Yamaha. It’s a Yamaha that is assembled in China so they call it a Cable-Nelson. Yamaha is supposedly the Toyota Corolla of pianos, from what I’ve read on the internet. It isn’t a Steinway, but I wasn’t expecting to get one of those either.

The thing I love about this piano is that is sounds exactly like my mom’s piano. Of all the pianos I’ve ever played, I always loved how my mom’s sounded the best. Hers is an Everett, which was bought by Yamaha when I was a child. Grandma [whose money I’m using to buy this piano] loved my mother’s piano as well, and bought one for herself. Grandma’s piano had water stains from a potted plant on the top, and when we sold it, I had an apartment in Maryland so I did not have the means to take it home or much of a place to put it. This piano is black so it would not have issues from water stains from plants. Perhaps I shall knit a runner to go across the top, and for Mother’s Day, I’m thinking of buying myself a houseplant.

That is where the “faux” comes into shopping for other options. No other piano will sound like my mother’s, probably. Used Yamaha’s in good condition cost about as much as the new Cable-Nelson in the store we found this piano. If I found a used one from a private party, moving it and getting it turned would cost me extra, making it cost about the same as the ones in the store. Why buy used when you can get new for about the same price? Like I said, it’s with Grandma’s money that I’m buying it which makes it somewhat of an heirloom. A used piano I might want to replace at some point – a new “Yamaha” I would be happy with for the rest of my life.

Did I mention the piano bench is wide enough for two people to sit comfortably? Meaning piano lessons for my boys. And fun playing duets with my mom and sister when either of them comes to visit.

So I shall do my due-dilligence “faux” piano shopping. And hopefully next week I will have a new piano sitting in my living room.

Can I just say it’s hard to blog with your life hanging in the balance?

This car-buying thing has more drama than the juiciest soap opera.

It’s supposed to be coming to an end around noon today.

Supposed to…

Don’t wanna jinx it or anything…

My hair is fixed, my make-up is on…and I’m still in my pajamas. I’m trying to recover from the crazy week I’ve had. I need this. Okay?

Not much excitement on the knitting front. WEBS is having a sale on Cascade 220. I’m thinking of buying enough to knit Steve a boring sweater and then I can see if the yarn holds up better than I think it does. He’ll be happy with a plain sweater, I’ll have something to crank away on during times like these, and I can see how the yarn fairs. I know the Cascade Tweed pants I had for Ben when he was little felted horribly in the crotch where the seat belt came between his legs in his car seat. That, and my adventures in washing Cascade 220 and having it felt, is what scares me about that yarn. But it does look nice when knit up and at $4.89 per skein, I’m willing to experiment a little. I’m thinking Doeskin Heather or Charcoal Grey for colors. Boring. I need a boring project in my stash.

In other exciting news, I’m allowed to tell everyone now that I am going to be an aunt! Our kids are the only grandchildren on both sides – now they will have a cousin on my side of the family as my sister and her husband are expecting. Ironically, Traci has the same due date that I had with Joey – October 26th. I think she is going to have a girl, because there are so many more fun – not boring – things to knit for little girls, and be my luck, I’ll just have boys and she’ll have girls so the only way I’ll be able to knit cute girl stuff will be to do it and then send it to her. They are going to find out if it’s a boy or girl, so in a few more weeks, I can start planning projects.

Steve just came inside from lighting the [charcoal] grill and says that this is the coldest first week of April he remembers. He’s lived in Nebraska his whole entire life so he would know. The wind chill is 16 degrees. Low tonight – 14 degrees. Normal high for this time of year is 60 degrees; the normal low, 36. This is also the weekend that my parents decided to visit from Florida. My mother hates the cold. Last year they came to visit us at the end of March when we got that big snow. I don’t think my parents will move here when they retire – they think it’s too cold! If we want to live near them, we’ll have to move to where they decide to live. Such is life…

Joey’s fixin’ to sit up soon. He can sit all by himself on someone’s lap but isn’t quite ready to sit solo on the floor. He also rolls over whenever he wakes up (or when he’s supposed to be going to sleep). Now during the night instead of waking up to grunting, I wake up to him talking while he lies there (after rolling over) and waits for me. Silly boy! Soon he will no longer care to sit on my lap and look around – he’ll want to get down and go exploring instead. They grow so fast!

Finally, we may have a close relative coming to live with us at the end of this month. Said relative has been living on unemployment since her job was outsourced last fall. She has been living in a duplex. Her landlord, who lived in the other half, has terminal cancer and is selling the place to the son of one of her friends. The agreement is that the old owner can stay until she is no longer able to live on her own. The new owner wants the other half of the duplex for his 18-year-old daughter to live in. Thus he is kicking out a tenant who keeps the place impeccable and always pays rent on time. Hard to understand, but the way it is.

There are other close relatives living in the area who have a huge house where said unemployed relative could stay while looking for a job. The closet in their master bedroom is larger than any bedroom in our house. They have an empty spare room large enough for a bed, a recliner and a tv. They both work so they would only see this person for an hour or so every day. But they’re concerned that having someone else live with them temporarily would “interfere with their routine.”

Okay, our spare bedroom is big enough for a bed – there is no room for a recliner or a tv. I am home all day so this person will be in my space all the time. We even offered to open our home, however humble, to this person on the weekends if she could stay with the other relatives during the week [when both of them are at work anyway]. But no. They are not making any effort to make her feel welcome in their home. I do not have the heart to send someone up to live where they would not be treated with kindness. So she will probably be coming to live with us.

Do I think the other close relatives are selfish? Yes. Self-centered? Absolutely. Do I have any respect for them? Not at the moment. Do I have anything to say to them? Not any time soon. [I was raised that if you don’t have anything nice to say, you don’t say anything at all.] We are supposed to go to their house for a family gathering next weekend. I’m hoping that Steve will need to study and we will not be able to attend. Am I evil for feeling that way? Probably. Do I care? Not at the moment. Will I survive? I’m sure I will. Do I think there is a connection between self-centeredness and habitual lateness? Perhaps…

I have spent two days now shopping for a new car. We put money down on one today, but our mechanic cannot take a look at it until Monday morning. So we have all weekend to overthink this decision….

Pass the Tylenol please.