Memory books and boxes

Have you ever thought about writing a book with your memories for your children? Or doing a memory box? Do you have any ideas?

I went on Pinterest and got some ideas. I think the way I want to approach it is to take my Tupperware Photo Boxes, get them in chronological order. Start with those photos and not only write about them, but the spaces in between. And also write about my memories growing up. 

Because of my children’s illness’s they don’t talk much about before they became ill. I’m not sure if it’s the illness that caused them to lose those memories, or if they still have them but don’t talk about them because they don’t want to bring them up and possibly make me sad. My daughter brought one up about a week ago and I can’t even express how happy I was that she retained that one and that it was a happy one.

There is a noticeable gap between those photo boxes and photos saved from my Blackberry and iPhones onto my backup drive. 

I want to start taking more photos and start using the camera I bought for our wedding. 

Update: I ordered 2 journals on Amazon along with lined refills, a cabinet organizer thing, and my main reason for ordering...rubber covers for my Honda Key Fob. I had to spend $35 to get next day shipping. The key fob thing had me freaked out, since I can’t find the other fob and the valet key. (If my son would stop snooping and moving things around, the keys would be where I store them.) I had to get those suckers fast. My spouse was nice enough to check 2 nearby auto parts places. One used to sell them, can’t get them anymore, the other only had Ford covers left. Of course Amazon has everything. As soon as I ripped open the box I tore through it to find the 2 pack of covers, popped one out and put it on. That sucker is snug!

Lola's Diner ©2008-2018

Car repair is never ending

I bid farewell to the rental Cadillac. Pulled into the Enterprise lot. One last check of the back seat...still no baby.

Original diagnosis, passenger front sway bar had to be replaced. Oil change. Not too bad $. Spouse picked it up and me. Said something not right, still bad noise. So I drove it home. AWFUL noise. Dropped us at home and took it back and took the mechanic for a ride. Of course no noise! But she kept driving until it made noise. Diagnosis? Rear brakes AND rotors. And we still have power steering issues, either the hoses or the pump. Spouse wants to wait on the power steering. Nope. In my experience, Murphy’s law has always ruled. If the pump goes completely it could cause other problems. May have to split the repairs over Thursday and Friday because I have an appointment to get the results on my shoulders.

One silver lining? No payments on the Pilot! So I shouldn’t really complain, but all these repairs at once really hurts.

What hurts more, though, is to make the payment on the Odyssey every month when it has sat in the driveway for close to a year. 

                                               Lola's Diner ©2008-2018

New car!

And I even recalled how to parallel park a boat! I lived in Chicago driving an ‘84 Olds Cutlass Supreme when I lived in Wrigleyville-ish near LSD. I was a professional.

Ok, you know, it’s a rental and I got very lucky. I reserved a Full-Size car with Enterprise on Priceline. Went for pick up and they had none on the lot. They tried to give me a Ford Edge, I said No, No, No. (Amy Winehouse) I own a large SUV, can’t afford to rent one, but I did get an awesome deal for a full-size car. I won’t drive a small car. All my previous rentals I’ve luckily gotten upgraded, the last one was a Dodge Charger, before that a Dodge Caravan, before that a Dodge Challenger. So I got upgraded to Premium, same deal I got for a Full-size with Priceline online. 

And the guy said ‘Mam, what about a Cadillac STS?” 

Yes, he said ‘Mam’, but I let it slide because I got to drive away in a 2018 Cadillac STS! 

I was so excited! A Luxury automobile! Rich, probably not Corinthian leather, but leather (yes I have leather in my Honda Pilot, but this is new leather, with new leather smell!)

I feel like I’m cheating on my Honda Pilot! It will be a short affair, though it's really so nice having a driver’s seat that functions properly. I reserved for 2 days because we have a lot of medical appointments all over. My baby is going in the shop Tuesday morning. Same repair we had done to driver’s side front needs to be done to passenger front. I think it has to do with the axel, the ball joint that attaches the wheel. I’m sure it will be the usual $300. Because no matter what the problem is, that’s the bill. Hoping it’s done before I have to drop off...her. I really don’t want to pay for a 3rd days rental. 

So, let’s get to it. Heated and COOLED front and rear seats. (Love, especially since the dash was reading 100 degrees for the outside temperature.) 

Front and rear cameras, with audible alert when you come within a foot of a parked car.  The alert went off when I was parallel parking, I had my son get out and check, and I had plenty of room. 

Push button start. Touch screen everything. If ever a crime were committed with her there would be plenty of fingerprint evidence. 

When you turn the car off, an alert pops up to remind you to check the back seat.

I checked, no baby back there...I was all good. 

The ride. Meh. Not impressed. It did not feel like a luxury car ride. It felt like an SUV ride on the Interstate. Even my spouse commented about it. She said, ‘wtf, why does this feel like your Honda Pilot?’

I don’t know. Maybe it was the tires. I have bought all my tires for the Honda Pilot at Discount Tire. I am brand loyal, I only buy Kumho. I always get a lot more mileage than they are rated for, and they’re reasonably priced. The particular model I buy are SUV tires. Every time I’m in for new tires they try to upsell me to the tires for a luxury car ride. It’s an SUV, I bought it because it’s an SUV, why would I want to try to make it feel like it drives like a luxury car? I don’t get it. Perhaps they put inappropriate tires on the Cadillac to talk you into a set of luxury ride tires? Or maybe it’s just a thing for this year and model Cadillac?

And now for something completely different...

(Bonus points if you know where that line comes from.)

If I were to say Patti Smith, Madonna, Amy Winehouse, what would you say they have in common besides being singers?

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Armpit hair.

First I have to say my son and I must be telepathic. My daughter had bought several sleeveless Bohemian looking tops. I saw them, and said ‘how about these?’ She lit up. I didn’t think she’d go for it, but bought 2. She wore one when we were having lunch days later. First my son says, ‘hey you should probably shave more’. Her response was, ‘no, they don’t show much and I think they are fine’. My son and I lock eyes, I kid you not, we both started singing ‘they wanna make me go to rehab, I said no, no, no.’ Then he says you have Amy Winehouse pits. Then we looked at each other and sang it again. Then we sang it again and changed rehab to shave my pits. We laughed our butts off! We told my spouse, she didn’t get it. You might not either, but it was hilarious! And yes, I did follow up with a quick talk about, it’s your body, it’s your choice, many women choose not to shave there, or only trim. You decide for yourself. Your brother and I just locked eyes and started singing Amy Winehouse, we’re goofs like that.

Lola's Diner ©2008-2018