Engineer for a Spouse bring Dilbert proteges?

Married to an engineer! I love him dearly... he can do nearly everything. His problem solving skills are kick-ass! Timeliness - well that is another matter. Back in my young days, as a single girl praying for a man: of God, one who would love me forever, be able to fix anything - I didn't want repair bills. I ask you what kind of request is that coming from a 18-19 year old girl? Repair bills, seriously? Obviously, I had some concerns in that area. Well, God did grant me my request and more. And no we don't have many repair bills - he can fix just about everything. He simply an amazing guy.

I failed to mention in my prayer - timeliness and one who completes projects. LOL :) It is a standing joke that most projects are 85-90% complete. The last details are usually never completed.... the challenge of the project is over.

Years ago, DH's aunt sent me the following cartoon. It is so true... at this moment DH is teaching DD#1 how to solder wires for her rocket ignition switch. DD#1 has at least two brains in her head and she is a math & science geek!

In search of water

The day began as any typical day. DH went to work. I stumbled out of bed and slowly got moving. The children began their school work. I packed up the stuff I had to donate, loaded into the SUV, distracted the children from their studies, and we went to town. DD#1 to local home improvement/hardware store to find stuff for the rocket she and friends are building, DD#2 and I go to Goodwill to drop off the stuff. Then a quick stop in the coffee shop for some much needed caffeine and back to pick up DD#1. We then did a few more errands and home again. I was feeling quite accomplished and proud of myself.

But then....

DD#1 came to me while I was 'trying' to exercise. You see we have a Wii fit - some of those things a body just can't do, know what I mean? Anyway....DD#1 came to me for assistance with the toilet. She had apparently plugged it. She had done her best to resolve the situation but to no avail. Okay, now I am not an expert in this particular job but I have handled a plunger during my time. It turned out that the toilet wasn't refilling with water. Hmmmmm.... I take the tank cover off; jiggle things around, still not much happening. I look at the parts to try and determine if they are broken. Huh, this is a different set up. I go to a different toilet to compare parts and fittings, etc. Well... this is definitely a little different - the newest toilet in the house, modern thing. We have two other bathrooms, so I leave it for DH upon his arrival in the evening. I return to regularly scheduled humiliation of Wii Fit exercise.

About an hour later, I make my way to the kitchen. Unfortunately, the newly remodeled kitchen did not come with a built in Chef, so the job is left to me. I turn the kitchen facet on to wash my hands. Strangely, there is just a trickle of water. Huh. My little brain starts to work. I must again decide if the situation warrants a call to DH at work. Yep, I quickly determine that lack of water pressure is worthy of a phone call. Again I wonder, why do these happen when handyman DH is not home?

I by-passed the desk phone and called the mobile phone. No answer. Shoot! He must be in a meeting. Think. Think. Think. I can text message him - good idea, modern technology, gotta love it. He suggests checking the circuit breaker. Forest of Crazy in this head of mine. Why hadn't I thought of checking out the breaker? Sure enough, the well pump breaker had 'popped'. I switch it back to "On". I smile thinking this was an easy and inexpensive fix to the problem. Except...that the water pressure didn't return. How long do I wait for pressure to return? Those were my exact words in the next text. His response "did the circuit stay in the on position?"

Side note here... mobile phone from which I am texting does not work in the basement where the circuit panel is - lots of up and down the stairs. Good exercise I suppose. Additionally, the signal for the mobile phone was dropping in and out, so our texts were crossing paths and getting a little confuzzled. Which brings the message a few text messages later...I'll call in about 15 minutes.

DH calls as he is walking to the vehicle - quickly exiting the office to deal with the lack of water issue and hopefully be home before darkness descends. Rather tricky living in the northern plains during January. I suggest that we call someone to help deal with this issue. I was concerned about DH's health and physical body going down in the "hole" to look at the pump. Understand, that this is not the first time we have had a well pump fail...oh no, this would be about the 3rd or 4th. DH has gotten quite talented at replacing this thing over the years. But this is the first time in January. It is a horrible job - in a hole about 4 foot diameter, about 8-10 feet down, usually standing in water. DH is usually sore, tired, aching for days following. He reluctantly agrees to call someone, but disliked the thought of paying someone to do what he is able to accomplish. I, as his wife, felt the money spent if great value to his body and overall health.

It is already 4:00pm and I wonder if anyone will be able to come out this late in the day. My brain starts to make alternate plans for bathing and such. The local well company could send someone within the hour! Hurray! DH would be home about then too. I again saved the day with a phone call.

I would be paying these heroes of water restoration by the hour. I decided that I did not need to pay them to shovel snow out around the well. So I marched out there and did a bit of shoveling. The recent mild days, known as January thaw, really helped this task quite a bit. My water rescuers arrived...a couple of youngins' (Oh dear, I am getting old.) Of course, they hadn't seen a well quite like ours...we do live on an old homestead, the new homes are nothing like our home. By new I mean anything 40-50 years and younger.

DH arrived just in time to add assistance. The three of them worked for less than two hours. Installed a new pump (again). This pump, so I am told by DH, is a higher quality pump. He then asked me to write out the check to pay the bill. I had a bit of sticker shock. WHOA! I had an idea of the amount for labor and it did not equate the this amount or what I thought it should be including parts... exactly how much is this new pump? It certainly had better be a good one for that price!!! But water is restored and all is well (pun intended) once again on the "farm". Ahhhhh...

Now I must admit that I felt highly inconvenienced by this latest issue. But then I stopped to think: I am not Haiti just trying to survive....my problem can be resolved; most likely the problem will be resolved quickly; I have good water. How very very blessed am I? I do not have the right to complain today - no not today. I say another prayer for those suffering and cheerfully clean up the kitchen after dinner, smiling softly as the water runs out of the facet.

Purple with Sparkles

A sign of aging is the discussions of failing body parts. Now I consider myself rather young. I haven't yet hit middle age because I plan on living for 100 years or more. I want to be there to watch my own children and giggle as they go through these stages. After all that is exactly what they are doing to me. I desire the pleasure of giving them the "I told you it would happen to you" look many, many times.

But as I said, I consider myself rather young. My warranty has expired but the parts are still working relatively fine - just not quite as well as before, more like rusty. The first body parts to really betray me are my eyes. I had fine eye sight. 20-20 or better with an astigmatism that I was told would one day cause me a problem. Well, reading was becoming quite tiresome and I determined it was time to visit the eye doctor when I realized I had quit reading more than a paragraph at a time.

I was a good patient... undergoing all the fun exams, looking at different letters, answering which picture was clearer. I figured I had done quite well. I was rather pleased with myself. I determined that my lack of reading must be to fatigue. Yep that is it - fatigue. I maintained my delusion right up to the moment the doctor informed me that yes, indeed the astigmatism, was causing me issues. Not only that but my far sight was failing me as well! WHAT?!?! Did I want a prescription for bi-focals, two sets of glasses, contacts? WHAT?!? You mean not only do I need reading glasses BUT I would find glasses beneficial for seeing far away things too. Mind you- it is a mild, nothing "requiring" glasses but it would likely help reduce headaches and eye fatigue, that kind of thing.

I am wondering what I ever did to my eyes for them to betray me as such. I always wear sun glasses, I try to avoid looking into bright lights or over using them. In fact I prefer to have my eyes closed, sleeping.

Well, I opted for the bi-focal. I went out the door to purchase my glasses. I figure, if you need to wear glasses you may as well make a statement, an accessory, a feature enhancer. I chose these delightful frames that looked great on me.

The fateful day came when the glasses were ready to be picked up. I put them on...they looked fabulous on me. I could even see - better yet, I could read! I thanked the young gal and made my way out the door. That is when the trouble began - I couldn't see - anything! It was blurry, there were shooting lights, my eyes teared up, I was nauseous, ... the glasses came off! Try again at home. How unfair from no glasses to bi-focal in one giant leap!

I was told by my glasses wearing hubby - you'll get use to them, give them time. What did he know - he didn't have bi-focals yet. My glasses wearing friends gave me words of encouragement. Some told me my frames were too skinny - needed more glass width. And the discussions went on.... most of the time I didn't wear them. After two months I gave up and took them back to be broken into two glasses - one for reading and one for "seeing".

This system worked out well for a while but I was frustrated when going to church, meetings, grocery store, anywhere I went that I needed to see and read at the same time. I started to wear my reading glasses on a rope around my neck. Not yet middle-aged me - glasses on a rope! Crazy! I disliked it very much....

Six months later.... DH goes to the eye doctor *giggle* - he's older than I by a whole two years - *giggle* He gets the same deal - time for bi-focals. Although he has the advantage of being a seasoned eye glass wearer. We go to pick up his new spectacles together. While there I couldn't resist looking at the frames and wondering if I was ready to "try" again. DH was rather helpful in the en devour. He offered up different frames to try... his choice - purple with sparkle flowers on the sides. Ooooooo these are lovely and fun. Quite the accessory. I was willing to try with these fun frames.

I adore my new frames! And what's more I love the lenses within them :) I can see and read. Very little adjustment to these. Ahhh success. But.... still my eyes have betrayed me - how dare they?!? Well, if you gotta have spectacles - have fun ones is my motto.

Hungry Porpane Tank

I work away at my computer, paying bills, checking Facebook, etc. I'm sitting in the corner of the family room that is known to be cold, thus I don't think about the house feeling a bit chilly. However, I decide to bump up the thermostat for the family room. It is sometimes comprised by the heat coming from other parts of the house. That's when I realize the temperature is 64 and the thermostat says it is calling for heat. Hmmmmmmm...

I check the other thermostats in the house - they all report the same thing... 64 calling for heat.

Why is it that these things rarely happen when handy man hubby is home? Fortunately, I have learned a few things over the years. But some of the more common sense things rarely are my first thoughts (Forest of Crazy in that head of mine).

I push the buttons on the thermostat - nothing happens, of course. I go to the basement to lay eyes on the boiler. "Why?", I ask, "isn't there a fire under you?" Silly me, thinking a boiler would answer me. I discover after getting on my hands and knees there is not a little flame known as the pilot light.

Time to make 'the call.' DH does not answer his desk phone. Now I must carefully consider if this warrants a call to his cell phone. Doing so may interrupt a meeting. I'm cold, the house is cold, the temperature outside is not to rise much above zero. The conclusion - yes, make the call to the cell phone.

Luckily, he answesr on his way back to his desk. I explain the situation, I might add, very calmly feeling relieved that someone who knows what to do will now provide all the answers. First he has me verify we have gas by checking the stove top. Again, I wonder why I didn't think of that little gem. A sane person would first ask "do we have gas?" But then I never claimed to have much sanity. Ah ha! The burners light, we have gas. Okay, next step, seeing if the pilot can be re-lit. Unfortunately, since DH has not developed the technology to do this from afar or through the phone, the task falls to me. He walks me through the process. I say a little prayer as I put fire under the boiler as I am very frightened I will blow up myself and the house, which includes our 2 DDs. DH hears my prayer and responds with these encouraging words "oh, it's fine, just do it." The pilot relights! All is well. The house will rewarm and we will not need to imitate Eskimos. I saved the day.

Until I realize the house isn't exactly getting warmer. The thermostats are still reporting the same thing 64 or 63, calling for heat. SIGH. Again, a sane person would probably automatically think - I should verify there is propane in the tank. No, not me. I push buttons, I check radiators, I look at the pilot light still burning. I plop down on the couch and ponder my dilemma. I pick up the phone and try DH who of course is no longer available. Eureka! The brain kicks in...check for propane. Not wanting to go outside where it is cold, I check the burners on the stove. They are woefully weak. Shoot! I dress in my many layers, don my boots, put on my gloves and tromp out into the cold sunshine to the propane tank. I fight my way through the snow, clear off the cover, open it up to find the gauge. It reads ZERO, nada, nothing. It is then that the thought occurred: "ya know, I haven't had a visit from the gas man in a while." All the brain cylinders are firing now.

Well, this is something I know how to do, make a phone call. As I am looking for the number to the gas company, I am feeling sightly annoyed. This is an issue we should not have to deal with, an empty tank. We are on auto fill, which in theory means, the gas company tracks our usage, weather conditions, etc. and automatically fills our tank when needed provided our account is current. I know our account is current, I've kept my end of this deal, so I wonder, why is my tank empty? Oh I know, it has been very cold lately. I'm sure the gas company is very busy dealing with lots of customers and issues. But I feel let down and kinda cold, ya know what I mean?

I make the call, they realize their blunder and promise to send someone right away. As I write this tale, I am awaiting for that "right away" response. It's been about an hour. Thankfully the temp in the house is holding at about 64. It's not too unbearable. DD#2 made lunch using the electric oven. Things could be worse.

Post Script: Indeed shortly after writing my tale, the gas delivery man came and filled the tank and re-lit the all the pilot lights. Again the house grows warm.

New Title New Blog

Forest of Crazy

I read many blogs that are very entertaining and real! Mine has the tendency to be boring. I am not sure I have the same creative gene but I'm going to try :)

Living in a Forest of Crazy!

So true. My home contains one male, DH. He is a grumpy wannabe. But he lives with me - nice try. Although he does give me a run for my money. He relishes his "Bah humbug" hat and his "over the glasses" look. He is practically giddy that his co-workers keep a list of all the different ways he says "no". DH has an electrical engineering degree which basically means - he is VERY detail orientated and yet doesn't care about piles or lack of "neat" organization. Watch out if you clean up one his piles - he can't find anything. I have come to the conclusion that engineers would make fantastic lawyers.

He and I together have two daughters - yes girls! Girls that make the gray hair sprout in a nano-second. We can literally feel that hair turn gray. One is a teenager - watch out for the mood swings. Whoa!! When mama and DD#1 are mood-swinging at the same time - everyone watches and hopes the roof stays in tact. Hiding is the best option when these times collide.

DD#2 is a pre-teen anxiously waiting for the teen years. I am given an update regularly "in just ___ months, I'll be 13." Did you hear the perfectly beautiful brown hair, turn gray? (There is a popping/sizzling sound.) She has not yet joined the full mood-swinging gala events. Since she has the sunniest disposition of about anyone I know - there is hope that she will forever send her regrets to the mood-swing galas. One can only hope :)

We share our home with two cats. Sharing the house isn't exactly accurate. The cats are allowed in the house during daylight hours. We are bit like the Flinstones - our bedtime routine includes putting the cats out at night. We dislike being woke in the wee hours to cats begging for food, or the desire to go out. The favorite is when you are awakened to get up to turn on the light to WATCH the feline eat. Are you kidding me? Even my babies didn't get light or a mama that was awake for those middle of the night feedings.

1989 calendar

It is official - my husband and I have been together for 20 years. Hard to comprehend since I'm only 25 (tee hee). But it's true in 1989 DH and I met, dated, and then became engaged. I have the calendar from that year in my box of treasures. In those days of my life, my wall calendar was like a diary for me.

January reminds me I said good-bye to a friend, which I had a crush on, as he moved away to pursue a career. That young man had been very kind to me and included me in his life and relieved my lonliness. How my heart was crushed when he told me he thought of me like a little sister. How low I felt when he told me he was moving away - lonliness was once again on my horizon.

Little did I know that a young man I saw at the other's going away party, would change my life forever. You see we were all part of a Sunday School class in a large church. I was new to the church, the others had "grown up" together and knew each other. But this guy didn't catch my eye until that going away party. This is my first memory I have of my future hubby.

As the winter progressed we started up conversations after class and before church. The winter months on my calendar shows a young girl working and lonely - trying to figure out life as an adult. I spent a lot of weekends with my grandma.

May shows a change in my activities and my relationships. Future hubby's name is frequently on the dates - esp Sundays. We began going to lunch after church together. Those were are first dates - very casual and very unplanned. I saw Grandma less and a certain guy more.

June reveals more structured or planned dates. Except for the one where we attended his younger brother's high school open house. What is such a big deal about that, you ask? Well... you see, I had never met hubby's family previously nor had he mentioned me to them!!! You can imagine their shock when I arrived at their door for their middle child's open house. I have no idea what I was thinking when I agreed to go - - once I got there, I was petrified!! I got myself through the house and out to the deck where I did not move the rest of the afternoon! My future FIL made sure he learned my name by giving me a pen to sign the guest book, MIL was too busy hosting to engage me in any serious conversation, SIL, who was just a pre-teen at the time, took on the role of spy and kept an eye on me. She was adorable in her pleated, knee length skit, and knee high socks - one having fallen to her ankle :)

That was probably the most traumatic outing of the month. We attended a movie, a professional ball game, 4-th of July picnic, watched fireworks. Then he went away for two weeks. I remember thinking to myself - well that was fun but now it's over. I'm not sure why... as the at the fireworks show, he held my hand for the first time. Oh I was over the moon at that small physical touch. But the next day he left for a mission's trip and I was sure it was over. My sister, however, was trying out a potential new name for me.

I immersed myself in work, volunteered for overtime, and generally kept busy. In the middle of this two week absence I got a post card. I didn't even know he had my address! Sure he had been to my apartment but still....he had my full address including zip code! His card told me what day he'd be home and that I should call him. Call him I did!!! We met up two days after his return.

Now we are at the end of July beginning of August. I am housesitting for friends who have a large active dog. While housesitting my back goes out (from an injury the year before). I couldn't move! This dog needed to be walked, played with, etc. I didn't know what to do...I hestiantly called "him." Explained my situation... this amazing guy came every day following school and work to help me. At the end of my stay, he cleaned the house - spotless, and brought me home, helping me get groceries. It is from that time forward that there are very few days we were not together.

This guy is amazing! He is caring, tender, attentive, selfless... my sister and her husband said to me - - "You need to keep this guy - if you don't we will keep him for ourselves!"

August brought a flurry of weddings, between the two of us, we had 4 weddings to attend in 3 weeks. Whew! It was also my birthday... this is the first time he informed me he loved me. I'll never forget it. He left a card on my pillow for me to find after he left. Oh why did he leave? I just wanted to hug him and return his love. Now I had to wait for him to get home to tell him on the phone!! (long before cellphones were commonplace) The hug had to wait for the next evening after work.

September arrived... our families barely knew each of us, we were so focused on our relationship to the exclusion of everyone else - good thing our intense dating period was short!! One Sunday afternoon, this guy that I was completely head over heels in love with looked at me and said "Do you want to get married?" No pomp and circumstance - just a question. Well, like a poised young girl I responded "Uh... do you?" And like that we decided to get married. LOL

It has been 20 years since that day, nearly 19 years of marriage: I am so glad I said "yes." It has been quite a journey but one that I cherish and do not regret. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with this amazing man. I completely believe that God created this man for me and I for him. I can't imagine my life any other way.