Locked out with The Heat Miser

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Warning:
Long post ahead, and I've no idea why except that I'm just trying to busy myself by staying indoors.

My sister decided on a whim to come visit yesterday, and a couple hours after she left this morning we decided to go to the grocery store to pick up some things since my parents - and brother - leave for their beach vacation tomorrow.

We pull out of the driveway, but the garage door won't close. We had to manually lock it, only to recall after it was too late that the garage door key isn't on our set of keys. (Must have forgotten it when we changed the key set out when we got the new car). We then realize that we can't even get back in through the front or back door since they all have those little flip locks on them to keep the punks in this neighborhood out.

Mom pulled a few MacGyver moves, trying to bust open the front door anyway, but the lock wouldn't loosen at all. (A good thing in the long run, as this means it's fulfilling it's destiny). The girls inside were barking and defending the fort even though they knew it was us from peeking at me through the window.



We call a locksmith, who says he'll be here in 45 minutes. We get cold drinks at the McDonald's drive through, and then return to the house to wait outside in the heat and humidity.

GOODNESS, IT WAS BOILING!!!!!!!!!!!
(Which I really should be used to)

When the locksmith arrived, he said it looked like someone tried opening the door with a screwdriver at one time.

No surprise there. We have three security cameras on our house for good reason. (We live in a gated community, so that means we're just locked in with the riff-raff. The worst of them live two doors down from us. They skip town every few months, but now they're back. Our neighbor has seen them with machine guns, and some of them hiding in the backseat as a cop drove past, so ya get the picture).

So the locksmith left, but the garage door still wouldn't shut. I almost just stayed behind at the house while Mom went to the store, but FINALLY the door did shut properly and on our way to buy groceries we went. I did a bad thing though. Thanks to feeling so blasted hot from our little adventure, I broke down and bought ice cream for the long weekend while everyone is away.



At least I got the small 4 pack of Drumsticks, and the Dreyers and Starbucks ice cream are the little $1 pints.

And Oooh, it looks like my father is a mind reader. After we left the store earlier I was so mad that I'd forgotten to get a few cokes for the weekend. (I've vowed to stay away from them but lately I've given in to the craving a few times). But just now my father gets home and, not knowing of my "emergency," he's brought 2 cokes home from work.

Lucky Day!



We had a nice visit with my sister. My niece was upset though that she couldn't come. She had drum major stuff to do, and she's helping with registration for the incoming 9th graders.

Anyway, one of the places we visited yesterday was Old Town Spring. Below is a pic of where we ate dinner. It's called "Hydes," and they have really good hamburgers.



My sister received some fantastic news while there. The school she interviewed for last, which is also the school she wishes to work at, wants to interview her again. She made the top 3! I really hope she gets it because the elementary school she's been teaching in for the past 12 years.... in a haunted trailer no less. No joke, it's known on the campus - by the staff and students - for being haunted by a little boy.... is overflowing with a lot of negative people. It isn't a healthy environment to be in day in and day out.

This new job by the way is for Assistant Principal. But back to Old Town Spring....

In one of the shops, the owner had their dog with them. They had just picked him up from the groomers. It's a poodle named "White Dog." Oh my gosh, he was the sweetest little thing and he really loved company.



And here's a pic of a cute Halloween candle my sister and Mom both bought. I love this thing! I wish I had taken better photos of it, but it was difficult getting it to look nice when the little candle was turned on.





On a weird and disturbing note, we had some lady come up and ask us to drive her to such-and-such place.
Are you kidding?! Has the old tv show Candid Camera been revived? We're not letting some complete and total stranger get in the car with us! She really freaked me out, and then she was all "Bless you" blah blah blah.

We're not stupid. The woman got to Old town Spring SOMEHOW, yet she still needs a ride home or to several places to run errands? Who would let a potential mass murderer in their car, or even waste all their gas on a stranger that clearly had no intention of reimbursing them? Either she just uses people for free rides, or she's looking for trouble. I really did receive the creepiest vibe from this woman.

The same could be said for one of the guys trying to sell stuff at one of the carts in the mall. When my sister refused whatever it was he was selling, he FOLLOWED her and declared that she was breaking his heart.

I am so sure. I can't stand pushy people like that.

Speaking of the mall, I finally used my Dillard's gift card. I bought 2 necklaces.



And at Thads back in Old Town Spring I fell in love with this lantern with a fairy inside. Unfortunately, it was selling for $110.







Just a quick pic my Mom took of a grasshopper on one of the bird houses on the barn.

We still don't have that grass mowed. They drove the 2 1/2 hours there again - towing a trailer this time - to take the lawn mower to a place that will fix it. A kind neighbor had also given them the name and number of a man at their post office that would cut the grass for us, so they met up with him. But.... a few days later he said it needed a tractor since the grass is now waist-high.

Not true. They were there only a couple days before and it was knee-high. (I'm still surprised it's gotten so tall so fast. Mom is really unhappy about all this because we've been so good about taking trips up there to cut it. Last year we barely had to cut it - due to the drought - but lately we have been receiving some much needed rain so I guess that explains why it's grown so tall in such a short period of time).







We spoke to my grandma's husband on the phone about our little Maddie's leg. (He used to be head of the large animal clinic at Texas A&M University). He said it sounded like nothing serious, and to increase her dosage of aspirin. We've been giving her baby aspirin, but he says to give her some every time she starts crying and looking uncomfortable. Even adult aspirin he says will be okay, although I personally feel safer with the baby aspirin. I gave her two pills this morning instead of the one, and she does seem a little happier.

He also said that, due to her age (10), she might be starting to get arthritis. My poor baby!

I do wish I wasn't going to be alone with the animals these next few days - because of Maddie - but after having heard from him I do feel a little better about it. Last night we put a little heat wrap on the bed next to her and she seemed to like that.

While everyone is gone, none of the dogs are going to sleep on the bed. Izzy will go in her crate like she did last night, and Maddie can sleep on her pillow on the floor. Only Abby will I let on the bed with me. She sleeps beneath the covers all night anyway. That little dog hardly ever moves an inch during the night.






With all the special attention Maddie has been receiving, the other girls demanded some blog photo time as well.







Abby: "Can we go outside to pull up weeds, Aunt Kristin?"