Pinned

(This is kind of how I looked but I would never wear those shoes)

As many of you know, I'm a bit of a DIYer  when it comes to my home. I'm always painting or redoing something. Plus, I'm always on the look out for something to add to the house. Craigslist, picking up stuff at the side of the road, whatever, I'm all over it. Today, that got me into some trouble.

My sisters are always yelling at me about getting stuff off Craigslist by myself. "You could be KILLED", "Remember the Craigslist killer?", "What if it's some psycho luring you to your death?"  Whatever, I got a great TV and TV stand for $30 just a few weeks ago (WHOLE story about that one later...).

Anyway, on my way to work today I was driving down Miller Road and saw a table on the side of the road. Truth be told, it was more of a work bench, but the top was FANTASTIC and I just had to have it. I pulled over, laid down the seats in the car, turned on my hazard lights and popped the trunk.

The table was in two parts - the top separate from the bottom - so I thought I'd get the top part in first. Hmmm, kind of heavy. Like REALLY heavy. Still, I consider myself to be quite strong and robust so I thought I'd give it a go. I lifted it ever so slightly, just enough to get the tips of my shoes under the bottom of it and then the whole scene went to hell.

As if in slow motion, the table came towards me and I was forced to the ground. Pinned under this beast of a table (that I still desperately wanted), I had no idea what to do. My head was actually laying in the gravel at the side of the road as I alternately struggled to free myself and jerked my head around to make sure that no one was witnessing this.

After a few minutes I actually considered that I might have to flag down a passing motorist to help get me out from under this thing. My pride got the best of me and I gathered my strength for one final push. I was able to slip out of my shoes and shimmy myself free of the table while grabbing the bumper of the car for support.

Mind you, this was all on my way to work, dressed in work clothes. I got up, dusted myself and called my INCREDIBLE nephew Ethan, dragged him out of bed and BEGGED him to go and get it for me. Which he did because he's kind of awesome that way. So now the table is safely in my garage and I can't wait to get started on refinishing it! It's going to be the PERFECT dining room table when it's done. I'll try to get a picture posted soon!

Best. In-Laws. Ever.

My wonderful and amazing in-laws, Dave and Suzie, just returned from a five day trip to Drummond Island with my kids and two other kids as well. As they pulled into the driveway and the kids piled out of the car, Dave and Suzie looked just a little bit dazed and frankly, kind of pale.

Unfortunately, they had stopped at the Ponderosa two hours before arriving home and had "ok'd" the kids accessing the all you can eat, soft serve, ice cream bar. The last two hours of that ride probably took 10 years off their lives and I feel kind of bad about that. Still, I'm awfully grateful that I was NOT in that car.

During the trip up North, I spoke with the kids numerous times. Checking in, catching up, hearing about their day, etc. They were riding bikes, fishing, kayaking, boating and swimming. It's truly a kid's paradise up there.

I couldn't be more grateful for the gift of the kid free time. I love my kids, they are my whole world, but having someone take them off my hands for five days is sometimes exactly what I need. It was wonderful. And I got my kitchen painted. Best. In-Laws. Ever.

Attack!!!

I was painting the kitchen last week-end, windows wide open, music blasting, when I heard a disturbance in the yard. The chickens were raising such a fuss. There's always something they're trying to work out amonst the flock but this sounded, I don't know, more FRANTIC. So I went running out the front door and, lo and behold, A CHICKEN HAWK was trying to take one of my hens!!!

He was on top of her trying to dig his enormous talons into her and lift her into the air. Chickens were scattering and running for cover in all directions while this one hen battled for her life.

Have I mentioned that Max has a bad habit of leaving his toys laying around in the yard? I grabbed the first thing I saw, which happened to be Max's baseball bat, and ran into the fray, screaming bloody murder. The hawk, stunned by my sudden and bizarre approach, let go of my hen and flew off. I saw that he flew into a nearby tree so I ran to the tree, shaking my baseball bat at him and yelling threats. Truly, the neighbors are WAY over expecting anything less than me "threatening a tree" these days.

Then I got down on my hands and knees in the front yard to reassure the flock that everything was ok and that they were safe. So the neighbors most likely witnessed me "whispering reassuring words" to the pine trees as well. At least I assume that's what the police report will read.

Still and all, the hawk lost and I won. Plus, I was happy that I was better armed this time. Last time it happened a fox was trying to take a hen and I was armed with only a spatula and an oven mitt.

Julie - 2
Wildlife - 0

One Tough Mudder

Seriously. This is like nothing I've ever seen before. So much mud, fire, water, electrical shocks, walls, logs and more mud. And these people you see above braved it all (minus one who was smart enough to walk around a shock station - not naming names...). They were/are fierce, strong and brave and I am amazed by each and every one. I cannot believe some of the obstacles they endured only to receive an orange headband, a t-shirt and a beer. Oh, and well deserved BRAGGING RIGHTS!

It was such a cool day and such an amazing thing to witness!! The people that participated were so absolutely powerful!! They faced each obstacle as a team and got each other through it all. No one left behind. Ever. That, my friends, is what family is all about. My cousin Jesse is quite a veteran of these events - I believe he's done five of them already including the "Worlds Toughest Mudder". He led his team with such grace, support, kindness and fun. I swear to you that he looked like he was on a walk through the park the entire time.  

It was so great to be able to spend time with my "California" family who we just don't get to see enough. To be surrounded by love and fun and joy was the absolute best way to spend my week-end.

I would have posted some video as well but, well, there were some issues. First of all, I had never used the camera before so, apparently, I didn't know when I was turning if off or on. Lots of nice footage of my shirt, my shoes and the inside of my snack bag. Secondly, in hindsight, I probably should have muted the sound when I was taping them crawling on their bellies through muddy water while electrical shocks zapped their backs. Little bit of strong language that will most definetely require some editing.

Lastly, while being the primary videographer, I was also responsible for FIVE children. Max, Zoe, Lucy, Jack and Sam. I was also hauling along about twelve pounds of snacks and water, bug spray, sunscreen, ipods, phones, cameras, and extra clothes. Most of the snacks had been eaten within the first hour of the race (which lasted 5 hours). Sam was covered in mud from head to toe at the beginning of the first obstacle. I lost track of him at least four times. Jack was in tears from a wrestling injury which I did not witness due to filming so I couldn't even place the proper blame on the offender. Zoe was starving and upset that her pants got wet from the grass. Lucy was thirsty and kept asking "Can Zoe and I have a sleep-over tonight?" Two hours into it they were pretty much done. We made our way back to the finish line where I had to buy them each $5 nachos and $5 lemonades (Thank you Mom and Sue) just to keep them from completely falling apart. They were exhausted, sunburned, muddy and crabby. Then we had to do the 1/2 mile trek just to get back to the car. Whew.

I did get some decent footage, just not what I had THOUGHT I was getting. More importantly, I returned to the finish line with the five original children I started out with and they were all alive. I consider that to be a pretty good ending to the day. 

Break In

It's happened again - my house has been broken into. This is not your usual "smash and grab", it's more of a "clean and repair". I remember the first time it happened a few months ago. I came home, tired, dejected and sad. Something in the house just felt different. I walked around a little bit trying to discern what it could be and then it hit me "This house has been cleaned". Not in the creepy-old-lady-in-Poltergeist cleaned but actually picked up, vacuumed, dusted and wiped down. I remember walking by my bed and thinking "I don't remember making my bed this morning" but I had been in such a fog that I couldn't remember much of anything.

And so it's been happening for the last few months. I'll come home to find mysterious things. A gift card to the grocery store on the counter, a new wheelbarrow on the front porch, a security door installed, vacuum marks on the carpet.  Sometimes I can figure out who was responsible but most times everyone just smiles and shrugs their shoulders.

To think how I would manage without these break-ins is unthinkable. The way it lifts my mood and spirits cannot be overstated. It restores my faith in humanity and gives me the strength to go on.

I got a call yesterday from one of these scoundrels and she said, "I have good news and I have bad news. Which do you want first?" I've been in sort of a dark place lately, obviously, so I said "Bad News". 

"I got bleach spots on one of your bathroom rugs".

"And the good news?" I asked.

"Your shower has been scrubbed with bleach." 

I still don't see the bad news in that scenario.    

Letting Go

Tonight is about letting go. Letting go of the pain, of the heartache, of the misery. Letting go of those who have mislead me, whether intentional or not. I choose not to carry the pain anymore. I choose to live life as I was destined to live it. Not as a portion of someone else but as my own true self. I harbor no anger this evening. I have only love and I focus on letting go of that which has kept me from who I am supposed to be. I put love into the universe and I receive it back tenfold. I am surrounded by love and support that I never could have imagined existed and I am grateful. Grateful for those who have seen my pain and stepped into it with me instead of running away. Grateful for those who have picked me up when I've fallen and felt that I couldn't possibly rise again. They have shown me who I am and who I am destined to be. They have told me of a great future of love and forgiveness and freedom that I didn't know existed. And I believe them. With all my heart.

You put the lawnmower WHERE?

Ah the first week of summer vacation and the kids are already bored. Short of renting a daily magician, arts and crafts leader and swimming instructor, not sure what they were expecting. Today is just another Wednesday for me. At work. As per usual.

Got a call from Max a few minutes ago that, oddly, went right to voicemail. (these kids are so tech savvy). The voicemail went a little something like this:

"Mom, we have a problem. I was mowing the hill by the tree fort when I remembered that the brakes weren't working on the mower and the mower ended up in the swamp. I tried everything but can't get it out and now it's stuck and all covered in mud. Call me."

Not even sure where to start with the list of rules that were broken in this most recent incident. Rule number 1: No power tool use while I am not there to supervise (he claims that he didn't remember that one). Rule number 2: Don't mow that hill because it's too steep for the lawnmower. Rule number 3: The brakes don't work on the damn mower!!

So now, when I get home from work, I will have to come up with some sort of plan to extract said mower from the swamp. It will be mucky and stinky and he may have broken it completely. Add it to the damn list. It terrifies me sometimes to think of what is going through his mind in the midst of these "incidents".  For instance, is there an "Oh sh*t" moment or does that only occur after the fact? I really am curious.

When you're headed down a steep hill towards a swamp and the lawnmower you're riding has no brakes, what are you actually thinking will be the outcome?

Reminds me of one of my favorite sayings:

"When the lights are flashing and the gates are down and the siren's screaming out in the rain. And you're standing on the tracks and you're looking at the facts, you can't blame the wreck on the train."