Change in plans...

Well, Patrick found out yesterday that he's not going to be in Cheraw for the next few weeks (see his blog for further info on that); short story is that the Corporate folks expect him to be in training, since he's still on the training budget, and him managing a site by himself after only a week of orientation to that site does not constitute training (go figure). So, he's back at home and working at Honeywell, in Greer, about 7 minutes from home. I'm happy to have my sweetie back. It was getting awfully boring around here!!!

Today I've got 5 job cover letters/resumes to fax, and one to take to the people in person. It's in Easley--not the closest, about 30 minutes away, but hey--right now I can't be picky! If all else fails, I think the Bagel shop around the corner needs people.

Well, I met our elderly lady neighbor last night. She thought our apartment was hers. We were sitting on the sofa, watching "Battlestar Gallactica" and our door opened. Smokey was happy; he chose that opportunity to make his escape. Luckily, he's a tank, and can't go very fast and usually doesn't go far. But, we look up and see Marie & her walker looking a bit confused. We go out & talk to her; she's really a firecracker. I think her short-term memory may be a bit wonky; she wasn't sure which apartment was hers. We talked to her for a good bit--she's 91 (turned 91 in May); raised 3 children by herself (which, considering when she did it, couldn't have been easy...not that it would be easy today, but 60 years ago???); learned to ride motorcycles on a Harley, then got another one...can't remember the name of it--sounded German--but she said it had chrome all over the gas tank--she remembers this, because she could use the reflection to powder her nose! She worked at a big Ohio prison, and remembers J. Edgar Hoover calling to get information on prisoners. She cracked us up, too--she told a story of driving in G'ville (this is fairly recently, too) where some lady was really tailgating her. Marie said she got tired of it, so at the next stop, she got out of her car, went back to the lady and said, "Will you please get off of my ass?" (Her words, not mine.) She's something else.... I have to go up to the Apartment Office today (I'll try to use their fax machine...the UPS store charges $1/page!), and I'll ask about Marie. We just want to make sure that she has someone checking in on her, what her apartment number is (just in case she gets lost again, we know what direction to send her to)...I asked her last night if she needed help getting back home, and she flat out said, "No." So, okay. She's 91...she was out for a walk. I'm not going to make her feel like a child; we just want to make sure she's okay.

We're going to Carowinds on Saturday...hopefully it won't rain on us. But if it does, maybe that will keep some people away. I'm sorry that we won't be able to see Maggie this weekend, but we talked, and we'll plan something later on--also, she just got back from being in Illinois & California the past couple of weeks, so she needs some time at home, too...I didn't want to pounce on her & her new hubby right after she got home!

Well, I'm off to fax some resumes. Keep all yer fingers crossed!!!!

Off to Cheraw! (And other streams of consciousness.)

Well, tomorrow I'm off to the metropolis of Cheraw. Hopefully I can catch up with Maggie (a dear friend of mine whom I've not seen in, oh, about 7 years!) and her family at a cookout on Saturday. I so miss having girlfriends!!! I don't have many, but the ones I do have, I hold very near & dear to my heart. Maggie was one of the people I went to Key West with, and we had the best time!!! Yes, I know there were some, ahem, bumps, in the road with one of the other parties, but what I remember are the fun times! In moving, I ran across my Key West photo album, and there's one where we're all smiling, and that's what I remember. I'll be sure to take the digital camera so I can post some photos of Patrick's second home.

On a completely different note, Mouse is being a bit of a pest right now. I'm not sure why, but she's in & out of the vertical blinds (which is not a quiet or a pleasant sound), trying to get to the windows that have the lovely aluminum blinds (again, not a quiet or a pleasant sound), pawing the heck out of the glass front on the TV stand...running around the house. I may need to see if I have any more kitty sedatives. If not for her, for me.

Our next door neighbor's "Bark-A-Tron 2000" has been going for some time tonight. Normally I wouldn't think too much about it, but I think the lady that owns him is old; we met her (or, rather, Patrick did) this past weekend, and she seemed fairly frail, so I just have an image of her falling & not being able to get up, and Lassie (or Fluffy, or Precious, or whatever his/her/it's name is) is frantically trying to let Timmy know that she's fallen and can't get up. And I just keep turning up the volume on the TV. But, not to worry--Bark-A-Tron has quieted, so either our neighbor is fine, or...well, Barky finally gave up. (Really, if I thought there was a real problem, I'd walk myself, kitty pajama pants & all) to her door & knock to see if I can see/hear anything, and failing that, would call 911. My Mom taught me right.)

It's been so hot here. The newspapers are saying that we're near record highs; it's normally in the high 80s around this time of year. Yesterday weather.com was saying the "real feel" temp was 101. I think in Cheraw it was 105...not fun. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 97 here, and tomorrow the high is predicted to be 102. That's not "real feel"--that's actual temperature ("real feel" temp is projected to be around 110. No, that's not a typo--One Hundred Ten Degrees.). Right now, weather.com is saying that, at 11:25 p.m., at the last update, it's 84, but feels like 93. 93 degrees. At 11:30 at night. That's insane. So, by the time I get in to Cheraw, it may have cooled down to 92 or so.

Anyway, if all goes well, the "cool snap" that's supposed to move through (or "cool wave" as Patrick was calling it. The reverse of a "heat wave.") should be here (or there) this weekend. Saturday is showing 87, and Sunday is 85. Thank goodness....because Sunday we're planning on going to Carowinds. It's a great park, pretty much South of Charlotte, on the NC/SC border. It's supposed to be 81 on Sunday in Charlotte, which makes me very, very happy. The thought of standing in line for the Borg Assimilator in 100 degree temperatures makes me want to cry. Or pout at the very least.

Speaking of, the Borg Assimilator is just one of 6 coasters they have. They have a stand-up coaster; two wooden coasters (one of which is a racing coaster, and you can choose whether you go backwards or forwards); a suspended steel coaster; a sit down steel coaster...and the Borg Assimilator, which is a coaster that straps you in & tips you down so that you're facing the ground.

Here's a link to a quick 25 second commercial for the ride: http://www.thrillnetwork.com/albums/album12/PC0403.mov (Sorry, not sure how to do hyperlinks in the blog, so just cut & paste...and if you're on a slow dial up connection, yes, it does take a bit of time. But it looks pretty cool.)

I think there's a good chance I'm gonna pee my pants when they strap me in. I can't wait.

Another week...hopefully we can make another dollar!

Well, Patrick is back in Cheraw. I miss him, but I try to stay cheerful--he knows he's in a pit, he doesn't need me bellyaching about it, too!!! We did have a great weekend--we've tried to eat our way through Greenville. Friday night we ate at Golden Palace--fabulous Indian food!!! I think the restaurant was voted "Best Indian" by Greenvillians (Greenvilleites? I'm not sure what people from Greenville are called...). On Saturday, we watched discs 2 & 3 of the 1st season of "24"...yes, that's about 8 episodes, at around 43 minutes each. We were slugs on Saturday!!! I know that we did manage to get out of the apartment for a bit...to eat. We ate at Acropolis (Greek), where they give you so much food you wonder how you'll get out of the door!!! It was so good...I don't know what they do to the chicken, but it's magic. Homemade pita bread, hummous...yum!!!! Sunday we did decide to do something...so around 1 or so we headed to the mountains, and hiked the Carrick Creek Trail at Table Rock State Park. Not a bad hike--some challenging parts to the trail, but overall I'd say it was Easy to Moderate. I still felt more winded than I wanted to. I feel like I'm such a weenie!!! I've not done any exercise since around February.

I got a Sunday paper yesterday, and started marking it up for potential jobs. I sent off 4 cover letters/resumes to jobs that listed e-mail addresses, and went to the Apartment Office to fax two other cover letters/resumes to two jobs that listed fax numbers. I filled out two applications for jobs at the Hospital; nothing seems to be available for State Jobs, but I'm still looking (the Forensic Lab would be listed in the State Jobs). Also, our Apartment Complex is looking for evening Clubhouse Attendants--it's only around $6/hr, and really, really part time (1 evening/week from 6-10, and 1 weekend 5-10), but you never know...plus who can't use extra money??? I'll go ahead & fill out the application & see what happens. Even if I had something permanent, this still may be a nice for a little extra dough. Plus, it's close to home....

I had a great visit with my folks last week; I'm really, really happy that I've been able to see them as much as I have--for over 10 years I've only seen them once a year, so to be able to see them in December, then again when we were moving, and then this past week...plus, we'll go to Atlanta the weekend of Aug. 12 to celebrate what would have been Stephanie's 19th birthday, and I'll see them and the rest of mom's side of the family--I feel really, really lucky. I don't see them as much as I'd like, and I feel like they've missed out on seeing me during some of my most important times (dating Patrick, my bridal shower...that sort of thing), that it's really important to me to try to see them more often.

While my folks were here, we found a neat nursery--and I walked away with a gorgeous hanging basket--it's huge!--for $15. (Thanks mom & dad!!!!) There's a hummingbird (well, really, it could be more than one. I can't tell one hummer from another.) that is enjoying the basket, too, as well as the feeder I've got next to it. I'll try to get some pictures & post them. Dad also bought us a sweet pepper plant--it's going like gangbusters, too! I think the pepper was only $.89!!!! I think I'll be going back to that nursery!

I think that's about all the news I have for now...if something newsworthy happens (like I get a job, or Smokey stops tracking litter all over the bathroom....) I'll be sure to let everyone know!

Newest Family Member... 

Does anyone else think this is odd?

Now, let me set the stage. There is a Bank of America catty-corner from us. There's another bank in the parking lot that pretty much adjoins the Apartment complex. We have a Bi-Lo about 30 seconds away with an ATM machine inside. There are various merchants around that allow you to use your debit card & get cash back. This photo is also just down the street from us, and you gotta wonder: Who does Wachovia think their customers are? And keep in mind, this in not attached to a shopping center. It's at the crossroads of a major intersection, with a Church across the street, and then the shopping center areas described above up the street. But this: It's all by itself, on a triangular island. Next to a cemetary. (I really need to see why these aren't posting in the best resolution....)

Patrick & I have started calling it the "Cash Crypt" or the "Money Mausoleum." I think that if they were going to put it here, at least they could have followed Disney's lead and done some creative decorating: you enter through a darkened portal, maybe they make it look like an old crypt. As soon as you enter, the weight of your car tires sets of scary music, some screaming and shrieking. You pull up to the ATM, make your transaction, and a ghostly voice says, "Thank you for using Wachovia." Then you leave, and as you look in your rearview mirror, you see three ghosts waving at you. I don't know...it's just a thought.

Our apartment

Well, I tried to make sure that things were cleaned up a bit, but we're still in the process of putting things away (like you'll see in the dining room photo we've got things stacked up on the table), but the bed is made, and the cats were well-behaved, and you can't ask for much more than that.

The pictures didn't download as clear as I'd like; I may try to repost them after I play with the settings a bit; but hopefully you can see our new home. Let me tell ya: it's fun trying to fit a 3 bedroom/2 bath house into a 1/1 apartment. The cats are lucky they're not in the storage unit!

We have our official SC Tags, and hopefully I'll be gainfully employed soon. I'll talk to the staffing agency today (I dropped off my resume' and some reference letters yesterday), and hopefully they can hook me up. It's not so bad when Patrick is here, but thinking of the next few weeks where he'll be in Cheraw during the week--If I don't have a job, I think I'll either 1) go stir crazy, or 2) blow all the money we have in savings shopping at Ann Taylor. (Can you believe I have yet to go to the mall???). So I need to find something productive (and income producing) soon.

I cleaned out our closet yesterday (do I know how to have fun or what?) and managed to round up more items to take to the storage unit. But the good news is, I've begun a bin for "clothes that I need to find a good home for" (shoes are also included). I think that I'll start a rule: for every new item I bring home, I must remove two similar items from my closet. And that goes for Patrick & his T-shirts, too. Not the ones he screenprints, just the 400 other ones he's amassed and somehow manage to multiply when you turn out the lights. Or maybe they're like Gremlins, and when they get wet, they sprout off baby t-shirts to grow big & take over the closet. I dunno. All I know is that the closet is clean & organized.

Enjoy the pictures!

This is our patio, and as you can see, the kitties really do appreciate a good view. Also saw a hummingbird the other day... 

The kitchen. You can also see our dining room from here (though it is used as a "work in progress" space at the moment), and our office (notice the computer in the lower right corner).  

The living room; I took this turning 1/4 turn to the left from where I was taking the photo of the bedroom. 

Bedroom, looking from the foyer (the front door is directly to my right; the laundry room door is directly behind me; the living room is directly to my left.). Notice the bed is made. 

I'm official! (Well, almost...)

I'm an official South Carolina driver. More or less. I obtained a SC license yesterday, and I'm not sure if it's all the post-911 stuff or not, but they don't make it easy on you....I went to their website, and everything that I read for those of us who had a license in another state seemed to be pretty self-explanatory: come in, fill out a form, have a quick vision test, and Bob's Yer Uncle--you get a license. Unfortunately, that's not the case, and why did I expect it to be???

I talk to the not-so-nice (but probably the reigning Customer Service Queen for the SC DMV) lady, explained that I just moved here, I have a license from TN, and what do I need to do to get a SC license? She pulled out a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a mimeograph showing exactly what I'd need to bring in....My SSN card (check); my birth certificate (darn, it's at home. I don't know why I don't carry it around with me. I should start. Never know when Publix may need to make sure that I'm who I say I am when I buy bread.); proof of physical address (luckily, that arrived when I went back to the apartment to fetch all the other requirements); my marriage license (just in case I lied to the Federal Gov't when I got my SSN card....and is it wrong for me to think that it's a bit sexist that Patrick doesn't have to show proof of marriage, but I do? I don't think it's a name thing--my SSN card clearly shows my legal name. I think it's a way the Man tries to keep me down.); and nowhere did the list state that a current Driver's License from another state could be accepted as proof of who I am.

So, I trucked back to the apartment, and lo & behold--we have mail! (Are you all hearing the AOL guy's voice in your head? I did.) And it was addressed to us, too! It was from Allstate, showing our physical residence in SC, and was also our proof of Auto Insurance. Hurrah! I dug through my jewelry box (where everyone keeps their valuable paperwork...I know my Mom did, and I guess I'm carrying on that fine tradition!) and retrieved my birth certificate, my passport, pretty much everything I could find that had my name on it, took the Allstate info & went back to the DMV. The woman I spoke with this time was actually very nice--I'm sure she won't last long. I waited in the chairs--my number was 76; the current number being served was 52. Not too bad. I think I waited for less than 30 minutes, and then talked to another nice woman, who took all my info, took my money, took my vision test, then asked me to wait in another chair section. Then I got my picture taken. It's not too bad. Patrick says it looks like I'm smirking a bit, which I guess is appropriate for me.

Today my adventure will be: Find out what county we live in, and go pay taxes on our vehicles so I can get SC Tags issued. And yes, boys & girls, that does mean another trip to the DMV.

We're here!!!!

Well, we're here. We've got a roof over our heads, and as of this morning, a working telephone. We've got food in the cabinets, cable tv (soon to be a DVR when the cable guy comes...he's supposed to be here "between 8am & noon." Any bets on when he'll actually show up???) and happy cats (well, as happy as they ever are).

We went out for Ice Cream last night--we left at a little after 8pm, and were back at a little after 8:30pm, with giant monster waffle cones (turtle flavor for Patrick; I got S'Mores)--I think I'm in culture shock. To be able to be out & back in less than 30 minutes is something that we're just not used to. And this included taking a turn into the wrong parking lot (I thought the Ice Cream place was accessible from the Publix parking lot. For future reference--it's not.); waiting our turn at the drive-thru (you don't even have to get out of your car for this wonderful frozen treat...how great is that??? I didn't even have to change out of my pajama pants to go. I may not, next time.); placing our order & then having to revise our order when we were told that they were out of Cherry Vanilla; and then motoring back home. All in time for "Six Feet Under," "Entourage" and "The Comeback." We've had great Middle Eastern food (the hummus & pitas are to die for!!!!); brunch at the Italian Market & Grill; walked around downtown; and we've not even begun to scratch the surface! I'm happy we're here!!

We've begun to get settled in to the apartment; we took another load to the storage unit this weekend (I'm sure there will be more in the weeks to come); it's just hard fitting a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home into a 1-bed/1-bath apartment! But, we're paring down, and we've come to the realization that we have way too much crap. I still have yet to go into the closet to try to figure that mess out. I've got a bin started for clothes that I really need to let go of. It doesn't matter that I bought the Irish Linen shirt for $9.99 at Banana Republic 7 years ago. I don't wear it, and it fits me a little funny. I need to let it go. We've also got 4 dining room chairs for 2 people...and I'm not really sure where we'll put the extras. I'm thinking that we can put them in storage for now, and when people come by & want to actually sit down on something, we can get them out--the storage unit is only 10 minutes away (give or take...). Or, I can just buy a bunch of floor cushions.

I've done the patio up already--I've got birdfeeders out: one with seed, the other with hummingbird sugar water in it; so far--nothing. I hear the birds. I see them. They're just taunting me right now, but I know they'll come. My pots are doing well--the begonia Patrick bought for me before he left is going like gangbusters, as is my voodoo lily (it's a really stunning plant--the stalks are spotted, and they've got funky leaves, and the flower is supposed to smell like rotting meat. Not the most pleasant for the neighbors, granted, but I though it appealed to my sense of humor. * The plant is pollinated by flies that are drawn to rotted meat. Isn't evolution amazing???). The rose Mom & Dad gave me seems to be doing better in the pot, too (sorry, guys--one of the roses didn't make it.). Patrick also bought me a mountain laurel for our anniversary, and it's really enjoying the patio, too. And Mom--the shrubs around the air con unit are Eleagnus shrubs--what is on the side of our Finger Home, with the silvery spotted leaves! I thought that was a good sign.

My car is all fixed--new alternator & battery. I figure in the next couple of days, we'll take Patrick's truck in to get looked at. And speaking of Patrick--he's in Belmont, NC today (headquarters for IDG), and then will be back in Greenville for the rest of the week; then he goes to Cheraw (about 3 hours East of here) for the next 3 weeks or so....The good news is, Cheraw is only about an hour from the beach, so I may motor on up & see him one weekend, and it's still close enough that he'll be able to come home on the weekends, so it's not going to be like it was before we moved. And oh, yeah--I won't be trying to get this house packed up like I did the last time, either. So that'll be a nice change.

I think I may work on getting some pictures hung on the walls today--that always seems to make your place your home. I'd like to post some pictures of the apartment, but I don't think it's quite clean enough for that yet (not that it's dirty...it's just still a bit rough around the edges.). And, if I'm feeling frisky, I can go out & check to see if we have any mail yet. It's a big day for Chauntelle, boys & girls!

The old market with a new building just beyond. I just love the juxtaposition of the old & the new.... 

I think this one is self-explanatory. 

Me on the lawn at the Peace Center for Performing Arts... 

The park downtown... 

Downtown Greenville 

Before.... 

Well, we made it. To bring everyone up to speed, let me start from the beginning:
Mom & Dad came to visit the last week we were in Finger to help pack & get things loaded onto the U-Haul: Thank you, Mom & Dad!!!! I love you so, so much, and not just because you worked like fiends to get us moved! And, Dad had the great idea to try to get the U-Haul a day early to get it loaded (or start the loading process), so we were able to get a truck, but they didn't have a 17' truck like I requested...the smallest they had was a 24' beast. (They also had 26' trucks, too, that were newer & shinier, but we had qualms about getting the 17' truck, much less the 24' truck, out of our driveway, so I really didn't want to push our luck with 2 extra feet.) So, we picked up the truck, and with yours truly behind the wheel, Dad & I bounced & jerked our way to the storage unit we had in Henderson. We got the storage unit unloaded and into the truck...that was pretty much uneventful. Except that the "Check Gauge" light kept coming on & making a really annoying "beep." But, all the gauges were fine, so I made the executive decision to just ignore it...then the light & noise would cease, so we figured it was just a short. No biggie.
Patrick flew in on Sat. morning, Mom & Dad drove back to Florida, so it was just us and a big-ass truck to get 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room, dining room & kitchen loaded up & to Greenville, SC. No problem.
We did get the truck loaded up, and headed out at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday morning. A little bit of a late start, but overall, we were happy with what we'd done. I even got the kitties to take their "happy pills" without too much trouble!
We were on the road, Patrick in the truck behind me, spotting, and me in the 24' U-Haul, bouncing & jerking and listening to that infernal "beep beep beep" telling me to check my gauges...well, I checked 'em, they're fine, now shut up! We've got our walkie-talkies, and when Patrick calls me, I can hear Mouse meowing in the background, but it's not too bad, and Smokey isn't puking, so we're happy. We get to Lebanon, and I notice that my fuel guage has dropped from 3/4-1/2 tank to just about empty. And it's not like I haven't been checking my gauges (beep beep beep) every 30 seconds, so this just happened over the course of a couple of miles. So we stop into a truck stop for fuel--both us & the trucks. $99 later, we're on the road, the U-Haul is now showing a full tank (so it really wasn't that full when I picked it up after all....), and I've got my portable Subway sammich, so we're good to go.
We get to just about Crab Orchard (do you know where Crab Orchard is? I didn't either. I do now!), which is around exit 259 (I think...the memory is trying to stay buried.). All of a sudden, I hear a loud bang! and I think it's something in the back of the truck...then it happens again, and Patrick (who is behind me in another vehicle) hears it, too. He thinks it sounds like a backfire. I think it sounds like the truck is going to explode, as all the lights on the dash come on--check gauges, service engine soon, check park brake...and the volt-o-meter (or whatever the thing is that tells you how much juice your battery has) has dropped. So we pull into the scariest BP station ever, and the truck just dies. Won't start. And it's started raining.
Luckily, U-Haul has an emergency number posted in about 42 locations in the cab of the truck, so I start calling. This is at 2:15 p.m. I don't even think we've gone 300 miles. The first person I talk to says someone will call me back "shortly" with the ETA on when the mechanic will get there. So after 20 minutes, and no call back, I call again. I'm put on terminal hold...for 20 minutes or so. I figure they're forgotten about me, so I hang up, call again. Another 2 minutes of hold time, then I talk to Monique--who is the nicest, best person to talk to if you ever break down in a U-Haul!!! I explain that I'm in Crab Orchard, next to the scariest BP station ever, I'm about to cry, it's raining, and we have 2 cats and a fully loaded truck, and we've got to get to SC tonight. Monique tells me she'll find a mechanic, and call me right back...and she does. She says that the mechanic is about 1 1/2-2 hours from us, but he'll be there. Not the best news, but at least we know that someone is coming...and we're praying that we won't have to unload our big-ass U-Haul in the parking lot of the BP!!!! Billy the Mechanic shows up; apparently Monique told him we had smoke coming out from under the hood...which wasn't correct, but it got him to us, and now we have him, and now he's going to fix our truck!!! He thinks it's the battery, but maybe the alternator, so he'll go back to his shop, and bring a battery & an alternator back. His shop is about a 30 min. round-trip. So we wait again...he gets back, puts the battery in, and notices that the alternator's main wire wasn't connected. I'm not sure how they missed that in the inspection that the truck had prior to us getting it, but there you go. Billy fixes us up, and at 6:15 p.m. we're back on the road. That's four hours after we pulled off the interstate. I'm worried that the kitty sedatives won't last, and that we're going to be driving this U-Haul through SC in the dark....but Patrick is now in the U-Haul, so he knows the way, so off we go.
We get to SC around midnight...and have to stop to fill up again ($75 this time), and I was so excited when we pulled off the road...I thought "we're here!" only to find our destination was a gas station. So we get back out on the road (and, by the way, Happy Anniversary, Patrick--at midnight the date switched to July 4, our 7th Anniversary) and we finally get there. We tussle with the U-Haul in the apartment parking lot (we did manage to pole a hole in the side of the U-Haul due to a close encounter with a parked tractor-trailer), and wrestled what was in the bed of the pick-up & the mattress & sheets from the U-Haul, then we parked that bad-boy, and went to Waffle House for dinner/breakfast. We got back to the apartment & fell asleep...it was 2 a.m.
The next day, we did a little creative thinking, and since we couldn't pull the U-Haul close to the unit, we just backed the truck up to the U-Haul, loaded the furniture into the truck, and backed the truck up as close as we could. We finished w/apartment furniture around 2, then went to the storage unit. We dropped th rest of our stuff there & droped off the U-Haul...where luckily we didn't have to pay for more gas, and they didn't seem to notice the hole in the side of the truck. We did go over our allotted miles, though, and had to pay an extra $3.
We're here, though; I just filled out the on-line BellSouth "change your phone number" stuff, and they'll send me a $35 Target card for doing it on-line, which is great (you know how I love Target!), but they won't have the phone up until 7/9...so we're still going to use the cell phone fro now.
Oh, and one more thing: Patrick's "service engine soon" light came on in his truck yesterday after we dropped the U-Haul off...and last night, we had to get my car jumped ...and my "service engine light" is on. I think it needs a new alternator. No, I'm not joking.

*Sigh*