Well, starting at the end of November we had an electrical smell coming from our breaker box, which reminded us that we were supposed to change the wire gauge from the breaker to the new hot water heater (I'm sure I blogged about that!). Thirty dollars of wiring and a husband determined to learn and fix everything we had a correctly changed out wire and no electrical smell! For three days. Thinking we were somehow stressing a breaker we would shut off the hot water heater leading to the kitchen and two small bathrooms. Thankfully that meant we still had hot water in the washer and the shower! Well, a couple weeks of turning it on for a little while to run the dishwasher and do a couple big dishes and then back off real quick and picking people's brains to figure out the problem wasn't really working so well, as you can imagine! On the day our friend's son, who works at some Dam, the PGE (Portland General Electric) came out. Yup, those smart meter things that send the amount of energy used flagged our meter! I'm sure they thought they were pulling up to a pot house or meth lab! I'd like to think I kept my cool and asked all sorts of questions as they checked on the meter base. Apparently there is the meter and the meter base. The meter base on our house was old and hot, when it should be like a metal pipe and needed to be replaced and yes, it was the home owners responsibility. I asked for an estimate, and of course they couldn't give us one, but I did get that the meter base was 'cheap' at $200. Ugh. This was the day before we were leaving for Christmas in Washington. So, we turned off all the breakers beside the fridge and shop (with the freezer) and headed to Washington. We looked into the stuff a little bit, but kinda forgot it until we came home December 29. Of course, the temperatures dropped and we huddled the kids down stairs in three layers, a sleeping bag and a comforter, complete with hats. : ) Then we figured out all the steps that had to happen...Denny, the guy from church who was going to help us replace the box couldn't help on Thursday. Travis had to get ready for the lock-in Friday, spend the night at the church until Saturday morning and for obvious reasons should not be working on electric things on the rest of Saturday. Sunday Travis works until about 1, and the power company wouldn't come out unless it was an emergency. Then Monday is our day off, but Denny was unable to help that day. (I don't understand how all these retired people can't just drop everything ; ) So, Tuesday it was...six days away...temperatures dropping below freezing at night and walking around layered all day still freezing. Not exactly a good situation, so we (the kids and I) headed back to my parents house the day after we had just left! We called the power company and they set us up for power turn off on Tuesday from the emergency team (apparently six days isn't enough notice), we purchased a meter base (for $42) and went to get a permit from the county (which we had been suggested to that it should be about $35). Yeah, don't know when or where they got there permits, but $92 later, we had ours! And we set up a inspection time for Tuesday later in the day. Then here comes Tuesday to everyones delight (especially Travis' since he was freezing the whole time). And he waits and waits and waits. He calls the inspector to make sure that everything is set...yes for 12 noon. Um...not okay! So, thankfully the inspector was nice (I think it might be an oxymoron--nice inspector) and said he'd come later to check. The power company was scheduled for 'morning,' they made it out around 1. At which time Travis was 'radio silent' since the phone runs through the computer, which runs through the electric. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore so I called the church to find out Denny's number...that was at 12 on Wednesday. Apparently the inspector was pulling up right then and we got the approval! Which reminds me, I wanted to make cookies for the nice inspector.
The kids and I raced home on Wednesday, taking my mom with us as a stow-a-way. Well, sorta...she decided last minute to come with us since Aunt Fran had passed away a week earlier and her funeral was Thursday. It really was perfect timing! We all got to go to the funeral. I felt like the kids did a really good job sitting through the funeral and later at the gathering. Okay, I have to tell this story real quick.
At the funeral there was a large picture/poster with pictures from Fran's life. The kids were looking at it and asking questions since I think Jeremiah was the only one who'd met Fran and that was when he was less than 10 months old. I told them they didn't know Fran. A little later when we were sitting down Lilly looked like she was going to just start bawling. I passed Addie off to my mom and cuddled her asking, "Lilly bug, what's wrong?" Through her sniffles and tears she managed to say, "I miss Aunt Fran!" My poor sensitive baby! A couple minutes later she had finished most of her crying when I asked her again, what was wrong...I wanted to make sure there wasn't some other reason. This was her reply, again through tears, "You know Mommy, I miss Aunt Fran. Why didn't you *sniffle* let me meet her *sniffle*?" I felt so bad!
It's been a week and I feel like we're almost back on schedule with the house, laundry, dishes etc...however, while up at my parents my car started shaking some and I though perhaps it was a combo muffler (which is quite loud currently) and cold, cold air (though I did let the car warm up 5-10 minutes every time it was cold). After driving down to Oregon, up to Portland and back to Salem, and around town a little bit, we figured we'd better take a look at it closer because Travis didn't think it was muffler. Unfortunantly, he was right, bad part is that it's some sort of pulley thing related to the A/C...worse part is in this car you can't by pass it without by passing I think the power steering. Oh, and it gets better...Once again we had to call and rely on a person from the church. This time Conley, who has been looking for the compressor part and found one...in Japan for $800. He came out today to check and make sure that was the problem etc...and the car wouldn't start. Yup, corroded battery terminals (apparently that stops the charge from going back into the battery), sitting for almost a week and I think a door was left open when we moved the carseats to the bus so we could get to church. I also learned that you need to feed your battery water...and aspirin. Yup, learn something new everyday. So, basically it'll be $300-800 (and who knows what shipping is) and possibly 3-4 weeks to fix. We'll be saving at least $800-$1,200 though. (And actually more than that because I won't be able to make it to Target to see if the toys are 75% off : ) I'm not trilled, not really even happy, but at least Travis can ride his bike to work and the only places that the kids and I have to go are church on Sunday and Awana on Wednesday. Oh, yes that brings me to another story. I arranged a ride for the kids to Awana. I really don't want them to miss (It's good for them, I don't want Lilly to get behind, not getting the attendance jewel will rub me the wrong way and I really enjoy my two hours with just the two little ones). I don't like the phone and I really don't like calling people, especially people I don't really know. Well, I did it, I called on Monday and arranged a ride from the only person I had a phone number for...it helps that she has a 15 passenger van for her 7 kids and we only live 2 minutes away from the church...and that's IF you hit the light. Well, she called on Wednesday around 3 that she was in the waiting room at the doctors thinking an infection had spread. So, I buckled down and e-mailed the commander, yes I asked of the person who does the most and is the most busy on Wednesday, something I try really hard not to do. Thankfully he actually got and responded to my e-mail and the kids were able to go, whew. However, now with the car being gone (Conley took it to his "shop" at his house) we'll have to set something up. : ( Ugh.
Since things usually come in threes we've decided that our vacuum dying is the third thing. I think it needs a new belt, but that's it. It has to be, because if it's not...we won't finish that thought.
Okay, we'll finish it a little. As most of you know Addie has spots, yes spots, they look like little bruises or a dozen or two birth marks. They don't hurt her, they aren't raised and they haven't grow since they showed up. Now the bad parent part. They started showing up around 2 months old, and I'm not sure when they stopped, but I'm pretty sure she hasn't gotten any new ones since about 6 months old. The doctor said that they are Cafe au Lait spots (actually Melinda found it online and the doctor confirmed it), it means 'coffee with milk' spots and they can range in color from darker to lighter and are completely harmless...unless. Unless they're a symptom of Neurofibromatosis, which is a genetic disorder (actually only 50% are genetic, the rest are spontaneous mutation) that causes abnormal cell growth of nerve tissue. You're supposed to have six or more larger than a quarter, dime or 1 cm--depending on the site you look at. Anyway, the doctor, back at six months said that they're probably nothing, just the harmless permanent type, but he'd probably bring her to a dermatologist just to 'be safe,' 'peace of mind' etc...basically in case he's wrong. Well, right about then we were switching insurances, so I didn't want to confuse them over who's paying for what, then I wasn't sure if this would be considered a 'pre-existing' condition that the new insurance wouldn't cover, then it was summer and trying to schedule an appointment so that Travis could be there too would be next to impossible, not to mention cost of tests etc...(switching insurance doesn't mean good coverage). And honestly, I was/am afraid and didn't want to take her in since everything seems fine. Now, I feel like I need to and also that it might be the real 'third thing.' She got a blister like bump on one of the spots. It 'popped' but another one showed up on a spot next to it two days later. I'm praying that it's nothing, but I'm getting scared. I researched some and it states that most cases live without complications (60%), but others may need surgery depending on where the tumors develop...often in the ear or eye nerves, some times brain, causing damage. And that's if it's NF1, NF2...well I didn't even want to look at that. I don't really want advise or comments about what I should do or shouldn't have done. But prayers would be greatly appreciated.
While all these things didn't start at a hormonal time, it certainly has crossed into that territory...which is obviously not good for anyone who might walk into the cross hairs unintentionally. : )
Lighter notes...we made 2011 goals for the kids, I will share them later, hopefully tomorrow. I've been trying to get up around 6:30 and have been successful for three days, how many days does it take to form a habit? Five, right? Well, if anyone reads through the whole thing I'll be amazed! Thanks for letting me vent. Oh and sorry about the font change---I pasted something from a different document and I don't know how to change the size on these posts...and Travis went and bought me chocolate ice cream so Ta ta for now.
1 comment:
Just had to tell you that I read the entire post. Sounds like you have had a busy couple of weeks.
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