DAY 494.... a Lot like days 492 & 493, except with Oompah Loompahs

Spencer and Grandpa made a birdhouse together!!!

Well not exactly We went to Capistrano Beach near Dana Point, Ca to see Bill's sister Tamara and her three boys. My goodness those boys have grown and they are all SO tan and SOOOO blonde, they look like Oompah Loompahs. I am not even kidding. They spend like ALLL DAY surfing and their are completely tan from head to toe and then their hair is completely white. Dylan, Chase and Tai, aged 16, 14 and 11 all look collectively like little George Hamiltons. We all had a great time visiting with Tamara. It was so great to see her, I had not seen her or been to her house in three years. Spencer had a riot with his cousins.

You cannot even see how tan they are in this picture from the last visit, they are way darker than this now...

Large, Medium, Small: Chase, Dylan & Tai.
When I first met these boys in 1997, the youngest one had just turned one and could not walk yet. This is also from the last visit. I will post pics from this visit as soon as I get them.

WAIT until I post the pics of them They are MORE TAN than this!!!!

The odd thing is though, it has been realllly humid in Ventura (which is pretty unusual) where we were but its not usually that humid in Dana Point. Tamara lives literally like three houses from the ocean, so its always a little sort of moist I guess, but this year there too it has been unbearably humid. No one can understand it, but maybe its global warming or something.

Anyway we had a great grilled dinner and Spencer had a riot with his cousins. Tamara also made Caprese salad - one of my favorites - and we had all kinds of great stuff. I love Tamara, she has such a bubbly and vibrant personality and she is such a great mom, one of the best I have even known. I just love her more and more each time I visit with her. I also had not seen her husband Mel in a very very long time and it was actually really great to see him!

I will put up some pictures from the last visit they had with him until I get the pics from here that she took last night.

Mary Jo goes to count the offering at the church every Monday AM so while she was off doing that and Spencer was with Grandpa building a tool box, and Bill went off to Los Angeles to meet some guys for business, I stayed home and made a bunch of phone calls. I called the builder to see how the house is coming and it MIGHT be finished early. Whenever it is done we are leaving here this coming Saturday. We can take our time driving home, esp on the Holiday weekend, but we are going to stop back in San Jose again to see some more friends that we missed. We had a great time visiting on Bill's mini business trip. I am looking forward to that.

Then also, we have a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan Minivan and it now has a crack in its windshield. Sirius Satellite radio came free for a year in the car, and we were worried that the dots in the windshield might be some kind of antennae for that, so that would be a concern if we were to have to replace it. I called the place about that and its no problem to replace the windshield, but then I called State Farm. They want us to go to a certain place they go to, so we will wait until we get home to fix it. Besides, if you fix it here, it could just happen again on the way home!

Also I called Britax about a part of the car seat that got broken when it is was in my father in law's car. Its no big deal and they are sending me a replacement part for it for free. However since we will not be home yet, maybe, before it comes I had it sent to Siri's house. I sort of did a temp fix on it for the time being to get us home. We have two identical car seats but of course we only brought ONE on the trip haha.

Then I also had to call the Canby Post office to extend the time we need the mail held. I extended it to Friday.

I guess the are finishing up the plumbing and the electrical this week and all of the appliances except the washer and dryer are coming tomorrow. I am getting excited about it actually They still have to put finish on the stairs, and no one can be in there during that, but they have to wait 'til the plumbing and elec people are done. It takes like three days for the finish on the stairs to dry. Then all that is left I guess are inspectors and landscaping but landscape can be done after we are in there. that reminds me that we are gonna need a new lawnmower and hose and all that stuff. GAWD. ALLL that lawn stuff got exploded pretty badly. The hose and that hose reel thing like melted and fused together... kinda like the ball of laundry goo that was all melted together... It was in the dryer when the fireball flew through the laundry room.

FINALLY!!!!

I am MOST EXCITED about our new washer and dryer. Even though we got like a scratch and dent set (new but with a scratch or dent haha) - whatever who cares? This will be the very first in 500 days I will be able to do laundry in MY OWN washer and dryer... Seriously. You think that is not a big deal, but it IS for a person who washed my clothes clothes in weird rented and old machines using Goat Farm water etc. GAWD. Spencer's Karate Uniform turned GRAY!!!! That reminds me that I have to call that store and tell them when to deliver the stuff. I cannot wait!!!

ALSO, for the first time in 500 days I am going to once again have ICE AND WATER THRU THE DOOR in my fridge. I cannot even describe how much I have missed filtered, clean drinkable (not goat smelling) water, at the touch of a button ALONG with filtered ice, as much as you want, whenever you want it. Plus, this ENTIRE SUMMER has been spent with little or no air conditioning. We will once again have Central AC, and I am gonna crank that thing until November. I am not joking. After they hook up the TIVO I may never leave the house again. Seriously. What else do you need besides TIVO, AC, a new NORMAL washer/dryer and an Ice maker? Uhmmm NOT MUCH. At least not for me.

I am getting actually really excited to be back there. The only TOTAL BUMMER is that we missed ANOTHER ENTIRE SUMMER in our house and our neighborhood. I wish I could be home when they deliver the appliances. I am really bummed to be missing it. I just want to see how it all will fit together and look finally.