Another 5 pounds down, and I still hate Vicky

So Amy totally went against everything I thought she'd learned...and after Vicky called her a backstabbing b*tch all week long. She should know that as soon as V gets a chance, she'll vote her ass off without blinking. Oh well, I guess she'll learn soon enough. I swear, if Vicky wins this whole thing, I refuse to watch any more seasons of this.

I've been slightly more MIA lately, and I apologize. It's not easy to keep up regularly with everything else (work) going on (child). I've been on Facebook, which is pretty cool...I've found many people from my past and may even meet up with one in the windy city soon! Tomorrow, I leave for Chicago with 3 co-workers...we are heading to our national conference and not coming back until Sunday morning! I've spent the last few days doing laundry, packing here and there, finishing reports, chiseling away at the fall growth on my legs, etc. And then - holy crap - it's Thanksgiving! What happened? I hope that the weekend doesn't totally derail my diet...I'd hate to undo what amazingness just happened over the past 2 weeks!

I'm going to try to write more often, especially during my school breaks, but after the new year in particular. I hope all y'all are well!

I'm Freezing

Uh, yeah. So my house has only been in existence for 18 months or so, right? And one would expect, when one owns a newer home, that said home would be relatively maintenance and trouble free, for the most part, correct?

And if there is trouble, like say the furnace won't kick on, would it not be reasonable to ask that this occurrence happens on a weekday? Or that, if not, then one would be able to find a heating and cooling company that has Saturday morning hours?

We got sucker punched by Murphy's Law.

Woke up this morning to a chilly house, which isn't necessarily a problem, since our heat is programmed to kick on at about 7 or 7:30. However, when that time passed and there was still no real heat emanating from the registers, we started to worry. We have a new, fancy, high tech, Energy-Star-Save-the-Planet-Good-Housekeeping-Sealed-Lennox furnace that crapped out on us. Called the number on the furnace sticker, and got voice mail with nary an off hours emergency number. I found a company that's actually in our town, husband called and was actually called back. So I took munchkin to my parents' house and husband waited for the HVAC dude.

Dude was very nice, apparently, but his company sucks donkey. They charge DOUBLE for labor on the weekends, not even time and a half. DOUBLE. And if the builder had this company install the system, our service call would've been free (so we'd at least have our $120 back). And, oh, the company that installed our system? Out of business. Yep, we don't even have any sort of recourse there.

So Lennox covers the part that's busted (some sort of gas valve that you can't even go to Home Depot to buy...you must buy it from some special warehouse and you must be a certified HVAC guru), and hey, it's good that we won't have to shell out at least $91. However, the LABOR for this is $300!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even charge that much for an hour of MY time at work. What the frig?!? And if we had it installed today? $580. JUST. FOR. LABOR. Since kiddo is spending the night at g & g's, I said hell, no, we'll wait until Monday.

But I'm pissed. Why the hell is this thing busting after 18 months? And why the hell doesn't Lennox cover at least part of the labor costs, especially before the unit has been operating even 2 years? This is crap. I was so mad earlier, I thought I was going to bust an artery. I will be writing to both Lennox and Good Housekeeping about the quality suckage, even though I'm sure it won't get me anywhere. And I'll be calling my homeowner's insurance on Monday morning to see if this is covered under our policy.

It's totally the principle of the thing.

And I'll be checking into HVAC certification for my husband. Dammit, he might as well earn his keep somehow.

SERENITY NOW!

YES!!!!

You guys, I have never been into this show in the past, but I am SO. GLAD. that Amy C. did the right thing tonight and split up a purely evil team. She doesn't deserve to be part of that piece of crap blue team. I'm just bummed out it wasn't Vicky the b**ch. I can't even write that much about it, it makes my blood absolutely boil. I was so happy tonight to find that other people loathe Vicky as much as I do - I found Tivo Mom and her band of readers.

And now the rest of you know how vindictive I am inside...except that, if you watch the show, you'll know that I'm actually for the "good guys".

Thank you, Amy C.! I'm very proud you're a Michigander!

And in my own weight loss? Down 5.4 lbs this week...yay!

Accountability

Nothing to do with the election, folks. Just a "public" declaration that I am officially back to Weight Watcher meetings. I was always a Saturday morning kinda girl - get up, drop the kids off at the pool (if you know what I'm sayin'), then go weigh in and stay for the meeting. Now? It's 5:30 on a weekday, and at a church - not at an actual WW building - but the meeting is super close to my house. Hopefully, that'll encourage me to go consistently. I'm hoping to find a kindred spirit (recognize the literary reference anyone?) that I can do some walking with. While it's nice to be solitary sometimes, it's always better with a friend.

So now that at least a few people know about it, I will feel slightly more accountable.

Technical Difficulties & Misheard Lyrics

Since I can't get ANY of my Halloween pics or videos to upload, I give you this:




My child thinks the chorus of "Don't Fight It" is actually "Go Pirate". She sings it loud and proud.