Thursday, February 01, 2007

Bullets, Bombs, Bookstores and Bitter Cold...


Sorry about disappearing for a few days, but as the saying goes---when it rains, it pours!

As you know, Big Kid and I decided to take our classes online this semester in order to avoid driving down the mountains during potentially hazardous weather.


We weren't able to register until the last minute, so when I ordered our books I paid extra for priority mail. We're taking a couple of classes together, and to avoid any messy delays, I ordered through the bookstore (since we're sharing and some of the classes needed special software).

All of the books came on time but one. And it's still not here.

It was "supposedly" mailed on January 16th. Our first big Unit test is due Sunday night, and we haven't even had a chance to read the 4 chapters required.

After wrangling with the bookstore (no, they didn't add delivery confirmation) and the post office (priority mail doesn't actually guarantee 2-3 day delivery, but you can file paperwork to track it after 30 days), I bought another freaking book/software package (they'll reimburse me for the other one when and if I get it) and Hubby offered to take time out of his busy day to drive down to the city to pick it up in person.

While it was snowing.


Again.

I really really love this man!

So...he drove the tank down to the city and was in the left-hand passing lane. The east-bound lanes and left-bound lanes are on somewhat different levels on this stretch of road and separated by a huge median area.

He heard what sounded like a shotgun blast, and his driver-side window shattered. Thank goodness it had the protective coating, so all the pieces stayed together until he got down into the city. And thank goodness he didn't freak out and slam into something on the icy road!

He was able to get it fixed within a couple of hours (it was probably a rock thrown up by his own tires), but he had to make the trek back up the mountains with much more snow than when he went down. Oy!

I had a couple of hairy moments after installing the software for the class while I tried to figure out how to register it to both Big Kid and I, but finally got the kinks worked out (I hope).

It's been bitterly cold outside for the last few days, and it's been getting colder in the house as well. The heater seemed to be running a lot to keep up, but the Big Kid has been complaining about being cold. That's not new---he's always complaining about something.


Hubby, Little Guy and I tend to run hot (we wear sweaters and our asses don't hang out of our pants), so we don't notice the cold so much.

We've got the woodstove burning in our great room, so it's been pretty warm in there.

Put on some slippers! Put on a sweatshirt! Pull your freaking pants up! I'm not turning the thermostat above 70!

This morning I was downstairs in the office trying to catch up on some work. After a couple of hours I noticed that my hands were freezing!

Ok, I know this will add a zillion dollars to our monthly gas bill, but I decided to put the thermostat up to 72. Then I looked at the "actual temperature" in the house. It was 53 degrees! Holy smokes!

Apparently the heater has been running, but no heat has been coming out for a day or two. Lovely.

As soon as we got in touch with the repairman (who said he'd be here between 1 and 5), I got another phone call.

Somebody had called in a bomb threat to Little Guy's school, so they were in lockdown.

Everything has worked out fine, we have heat, everybody is safe, and Big Guy and I are cramming for our exam.

Sorry I haven't posted or had a chance to come and check out your blogs. Everything has been really crazy at the Attila house.

I'll catch up this weekend!

Stay warm!

ATM

16 comments:

Rootietoot said...

*you* stay warm! And good luck on the test.
Can you all just move into the greatroom until the heater's fixed?

Honestly...I am trying to imagine so much snow and cold and mountains and such, and other than what I see in the pretty pictures on calendars, I can't imagine.

But then- you probably don't have 90 days straight of 98 degree+ in the summer...

Blogarita said...

Sounds like the week from hell. Only colder. Glad everyone's safe and sound, though. Stay warm and have a good (or at least better) weekend.

Anonymous said...

Our big kid is always complaining about the lack of heat here too...funny how if he can't wear a t-shirt in the house then he considers it cold. Sorry hon I'm just not cranking it up to tropical temperatures-put on a sweater, yeah and pull your pants up! LOL Big boys seem to be the same everywhere...

Anonymous said...

Well, you can't go around complaining how nothing happens and you're just SOOO bored! Glad everything turned out right; I've been on the receiving end of the same heater issue before (3 times in our last house; the same element kept blowing up, until they finally got a good one in there). Nothing like having the furrkids come up to you with a look like, "holy cripes, lady, where's the heat? move over; I'm taking your seat."

Beth said...

Why do "disasters" seem to come all at once? Spread 'em out, spread 'em out...please!
Keep that woodstove burning and best of luck on the exam - to both of you.

Unknown said...

YIKES!!! Glad you have heat back and things seem to be settling down again. Good luck to you and Big Kid for Sunday night's test...at least you'll be warmer while cramming!

DutchBitch said...

Great isn't it... that you can file paperwork to track it after 30 days... *sigh*

Good luck on the exams!

Amie Adams said...

Holy crap!!!

Glad everyone is safe and you're ready to get studying. Man!!

St Jude said...

I thought I was the patron saint of 'lost causes', are you trying to muscle in the action? ;0)

Anonymous said...

sheeesh girlie!
what a week!
i know that feeling with the bookstores--i'm going through that bullshit right now; i ordered my books almost 2 weeks ago--where the hell are they? @@.

have a great weekend, relax and enjoy yourself. ♥

oh, and one more thing:
You've been tagged.
http://singingwithmyheart.blogspot.com/2007/02/you-weirdo_02.html

Me said...

Best of luck for the exam!!!
And stay warm.
I hope you have a better week ahead!

Ruth Dynamite said...

I just can't believe you keep your thermostat at 70!

Unknown said...

What a week. All we have here is the bitter cold (and high gas bills).

Anonymous said...

The kids complaining about one thing or another can really drive you crazy, no?!

Sorry to hear about your heat. I can relate. I've had so many issues with my A/C and heat it's rather ridiculous. Of course you need to stay a lot warmer there than we do here so I won't complain about the 50-60 degree weather we've been having!

Hope you both did well on that exam. I think that's great that you can do it online. Definitely saves time for sure.

Queen of the Mayhem said...

It is sad that someone would do that to a school! We actually had to go through a demonstration with the police the other day. We went into our classrooms and the police ran up and down the halls, shooting blanks. I was SHOCKED at how UNBELIEVABLY loud it was! I nearly jumped out of my skin when they shot right by my door! I can't imagine keeping it together in front of a class full of kids. Of course, I am hoping adrenaline will kick in to overcome my inner ninny! :)

It is even freezing down here in the DEEEEEEEP south....so you must be icicles!

stinkypaw said...

You got that right, when it rains, it pours! Hope things will slow down a bit and mpstly that they get warmer! Good luck with the test!