Preparing for summer

 Kitchen window, day 128

I mentioned before that I'm a connoisseur of heated seats in vehicles and that our current vehicle has let me down in that regard.

I also mentioned that Seth had promised to buy me a heated seat cover in lieu of a heated seat. And last September, he did just that. I failed to mention it on my blog, however, and my sister, thoughtful person that she is, gave us heated seat covers for Christmas. So I now have a plethora of seat covers. But it's worked out well because I was able to use one on the driver's side and one on the passenger side.

Although this winter was very mild and more like an extended Fall than an actual cold, snowy winter, I did have the opportunity to warm my backside with the seat covers a few times. But with the advent of the warmth of spring-turned-summer, I decided today to remove the seat covers until next winter. And so I did.

New Arrival

A few weeks ago, as Seth was hypermiling his way home, the Golf suddenly decided it didn't want to go into fifth gear. And so he drove it the whole way home in fourth gear and determined, upon arrival and inspection, that a new transmission was in order. Since he does most of the work on our cars himself, he ordered a new transmission and began driving my car, the Jetta, to and from work while the Golf waited for its transplant.

After a few days of driving the Jetta, Seth called me from work with a good news/bad news scenario. The good news was that I wasn't driving the Jetta. The bad news was that he was driving the Jetta on his way to work when its transmission decided to follow the Golf's off to the Great VW in the Sky.

He'd been warning me for months that the Jetta's transmission was going. And we'd been talking about replacing the Jetta with something bigger since fitting two big car seats in the back seat is a tight squeeze all around. But we hadn't actually done anything about it since I didn't really want to let go of the Jetta, and we wanted to keep the money in our savings account intact because the plant where Seth works is closing and his job situation is therefore tenuous.

So, the Jetta's transmission failure forced our hand, and we began to look at a bigger vehicle to replace it. Seth absolutely and in all other ways refused to even consider a mini-van (apparently, he's not the "soccer mom" type), so we checked out SUVs.

My main criterion was that it had heated seats. I've had that criterion for the past several vehicles, and for whatever reason, have never seen it realized. With our blue car, the passenger seat was heated but the driver's heating mechanism was broken. I spent many cold winter days trying to figure out if I could drive from the passenger seat (I couldn't).

That was also my criterion when we replaced the blue car with Jetta. However, since the Jetta Seth chose didn't have heated seats, he promised to put one in the driver's side for me. He never did.

So, I was hoping that with this car purchase, I'd finally realize my dream machine with heated seats. And, after perusing the car sites and visiting the car lots, this is what we ended up with.

A 2007 Ford Escape. It doesn't have heated seats.

However, Seth assures me that with the $200 we saved because we paid cash for it, we can purchase a heated seat cover. I'll let you know this winter if that ever happens.

Out my kitchen window, day 344

My wishlist is bigger than just a piano. It includes a personal masseuse, a personal chef, and a personal maid. And also a personal on-call babysitter. And a chigger-free yard. Oh, and learning the secret to making fries that taste just like the Aussie Fries at Outback.

But, in this fallen, cursed world, we can't always get what we want.

And sometimes, thanks to Geothermal Guy and the tax refund he provided us, I can get what I want. A few years ago, my parents gave us a set of China dishes. They've been packed away in a box in the pantry since then because I had no place to display them. And so, onto my wishlist went "China cabinet."

This past Saturday, when we were out and about in the rain, we stopped by a furniture store that was (ostensibly) going out of business. And I found (what I hope is) a good deal on a cabinet (and a few other pieces of living room furniture). I say "ostensibly" because Seth told me when he picked up the furniture in the truck and brought it home on Wednesday that he'd heard from a local that the store has been going of out business for five years. Seems their "gimmick" is "we're going out of business--oops, no we're not--oh wait, maybe we are again." At any rate, I'm enjoying our new purchases and hope to soon have the cabinet filled with China.

Out my kitchen window, day 321

Last year, Seth's Christmas gift to me was a day at the spa for two. SIL Bethany was the one who got to take the trip with me (for whatever reason, Seth wasn't interested in having his feet rubbed and toenails painted). We cashed in on the gift certificate last February and enjoyed our time so much that we decided to make it a yearly event.

Our 2010 event was tonight. We went to a local spa and each got a massage and then enjoyed a dinner buffet.

When I informed Barb (the masseuse) that the last time I'd had a massage was a year ago, she was slightly shocked. And after she finished cranking on my shoulders and rubbing the knots out of my neck, she informed me ever so nicely that it would be a good idea to get a massage more than once a year. That was music to my ears, and a cacophany to Seth's once I relayed the message.

I think I need to add a "Monthly Massage" category in our budget. Or perhaps I'll use the money I'll make from my Easter Egger Egg stand I'm planning on setting up at the end of the lane (once the Easter Eggers start laying, that is) to fund my massage habit . . . .

Out my kitchen window, days 287-288

Day 287

I've had several bright potential-money-making ideas during my almost-50 years. One came to me several years ago as we were driving down the highway. I had the brilliant epiphany that billboards should be digitized so they could be easily changed and more ads could be rotated through. Seth discounted my brilliance with, "Too expensive. Would never work." Fastforward several years and what do we find along the highway but digitized billboards. [Update: After Seth read this post, he proceeded to tell me that he said no such thing and that he knew about digital billboards before we were even married. Sure, sure. Hindsight is always 20/20.]

Another idea that came to me was wireless electricity--they make wireless printers, wireless phones, wireless everything. So why not wireless electricity? Seth didn't even bother to respond to this flash of prescience. And yet what should I read in his Popular Science but an article on the advent of wireless electricity.

My latest million-dollar idea came Saturday morning as I looked out the window and saw a fresh dusting of snow covering the cars we didn't put into the barn the previous night. How easy it would be, thought I, to clean off the cars if only they had a button to push that would vibrate them, shaking all the snow off (I may have gotten this idea from a cartoon). Seth rolled his eyes.

People need to listen to me more. Or maybe more people need to listen to me. Or maybe just someone other than Seth needs to listen to me. I could be rich, I tell you. Rich.

Day 288

We took a picture of Kieran in his "church clothes."

Out my kitchen window, day 149

This was the view as Dan L and his family left after watching the Vikings win. It was also the view after we returned from visiting a nearby alpaca farm (this weekend is National Alpaca Farm Day -- or something like that).

Owning an alpaca (or two) is on my non-existent list of things to do in life. However, I put it on my list before I realized that alpacas cost money--lots of money.

So I'm afraid I may need to settle for a yearly visit to the local alpaca farm, which is just fine in Seth's book.

DVRs

We got a DVR to go with our DirecTV sometime last fall. I don't remember why we got it--I believe it came with the NFL package that Seth purchased in September so he could watch all the Steelers games during football season (plus some of the Lions, the Broncos, and the Colts--well, the Colts was mainly me).

At any rate, I enjoy the DVR--setting it to record all my favorite shows weeks in advance, and rewinding when I missed something on live tv. For example, I watched Jason Castro's version of Over the Rainbow on American Idol at least five times.

I've recently begun transfering the benefits of DVR to radio. When I miss something on the radio, I actually think, "Oh, I'll just rewind and catch it again." And then I realize I can't do that. I was listening to Rascal Flatts's Broken Road on the way out of the parking lot when some friends stopped me, and I had to turn the radio down while I talked to them. So I missed the entire song. Can someone please invent DVR for radio so I never need to miss Rascal again?

The Massage Table

I love a good massage. It's so relaxing. One time at work, they brought in some people to give complimentary chair massages to the employees. Best 15 minutes of my life. I slept at my desk the rest of the day. And when we were Christmas shopping, I took advantage of the chair massages being given in the middle of the mall, while Seth deftly slipped away into Sears. Best 12 bucks I've ever spent.

I was insanely jealous of my SIL Bethany when her husband (Seth's elder brother Kevin) bought her gift certificates for massages at a local salon for her Christmas present one year. And every time I see an ad on tv for a warm stone massage at some spa, I start to drool.

Now I'm insanely jealous of my friend Marcia, whose husband bought her a massage table for Christmas so that he could give her massages whenever she needs/wants one. The picture is of me trying out their massage table and getting worked over by their 4yo daughter Hannah.

For some reason, my continual not-so-subtle hints (Did you see Bethany's Christmas present? Wasn't that the best ever? Man, that Kevin really knows how to give his wife a gift. . . . I really enjoyed that chair massage in the middle of the mall tonight--it was incredible. I sure wish I could get one of those every night. . . . I had the best time tonight--I tried out a new massage table. Boy, it sure would be nice if we could get one of those) have fallen on deaf ears. And, based on the conversation I had with my dear husband just the other night, it doesn't look like I'll be getting what I want any time soon.

One of my other hints was a book on massage that I bought several years ago and placed in various strategic places around the house. Seth never picked it up. Recently, I asked him if he wanted to read it before I passed it on to Dan (since he's actually interested enough in massage to buy his wife a massage table). His reply: I don't need no stinking book. I can shiitake like no other.

Me: You mean shiatsu? Shiitake is a mushroom.

Seth: Shiatsu is a dog.

Me: No, shiatsu is the type of massage. Shih tzu is the dog.

From there the conversation went downhill quickly.

Seth: I once successfully bred a bull dog and a shih tzu, and we ended up with a . . . .

Sigh. I'm adding "personal masseuse" to my "What I Want" list.

What I Want, Part 2

In addition to a personal chef, I've also decided that I'd like one of these to put in our backyard--complete with the lovely stone pavers, twinkle lights, fireplace, lamps, outdoor furniture, potted plants, grill, and coffee table. One Sonoma Cedar Pergola with all the trimmings, please!

What I Want

What I want (among other things) is a personal chef. Someone who will put together nutritious, delicious meals for both me and Seth. Someone who will make sure I'm getting my daily servings from each level of the ever-changing food pyramid. Someone who will tell me what a portion size is and prevent me from eating more portions than I should.

I realize I'm already blessed with a personal chef in my loving husband. However, when he's working long days, the making of dinner falls to me. And I simply do not enjoy cooking. For some reason, I get overwhelmed thinking about which foods I need to eat to get omega-3 fatty acids, which provide the needed beta-carotene, which are good for fiber, which are good sources of protein, which have too many carbohydrates, which have trans fats, which are full of MSG . . . . So I usually just through a bunch of stuff into a casserole, hoping I've covered all my bases. I'm hesitant to try new ideas because, in addition to being a good cook, Seth is also, as Frost calls him, a PB (picky-butt). And I just never know when he'll turn his nose up at my offering. I'm stuck in the rut of making buffalo burgers because I know he'll eat those. Or bar-b-que chicken--made that plenty of times.

So what I need is a personal chef who can put together meals that we'll both eat and who won't be offended when Seth decides the spaghetti sauce has too many spices. There's a van at work which sports an advertisement for "meals by Heidi." I'm half-tempted to give Heidi a call to see if she makes Holler calls. I think that will be my first New Year's resolution: find a personal chef.