Did you wonder???

Did you start to wonder if I was coming back? lol Twice this week I got scolded by my big sister for my lack of blog posts. I know... she was right. lol

A few things happened. Around the same time as the tire incident... my laptop monitor quit. It gave up. It conceded, after months of flickering in and out. So I now have a set up of a MASSIVE, old school monitor on my desk NEXT to my sewing machine (poor girl, she's not used to sharing) with it plugged into my laptop. It doesn't work well. It's a pain in the tush. Hence, less computer time. Computer time is usually a DE-stresser, but now it has become a little more cumbersome. :(

Another thing happened... I read a few books. I know, crazy thought, huh? lol Here's the thing. Reading is amazing. I love it when I can lose myself in a good book. Or even a decent book, lol. But there are pros and cons.

Cons:
-Less computer time, ;)
-I get nothing done. Seriously. Because I am obsessive and have to finish the book. I'm the same way with a movie. Even if it is AWFUL, I have to watch it to the end. I know. I have issues, lol. But that means less sewing, less cleaning, and a messy house. At least when I watch a movie I can do something else at the same time, like cut fabric. :)

Pros:

- Less computer time, ;)
- I get nothing done. But in a good way. I have ME time.
- I can't eat and read. I know, some people do it, but not me. I am engrossed. I don't even think of food when I'm reading. I lost 3 pounds in the last two weeks, lol!
- My kids see me read and know that it is a fun thing to do. :)

As you can see the pros outway the cons... but I think I need a break. I haven't sewn anything significant in weeks. My booth at market tomorrow is going to be pretty scarce. ;)

Okay, off to read the last few chapters...

Phenomenon

I confess. I have a problem with phenomenons. I don't like to go 'with the crowd'. I don't know if it's on principle, or what. When I was little I hated the New Kids on the Block. Yes I know I just dated myself, lol. I didn't actually hate their music... but the thought of thousands/millions of girls screaming over them irritated the heck out of me. I don't like Tiger Woods. Okay, him I don't like because he yells swear words when he doesn't hit a shot well... and golf is one of the few sports that kids have always been able to watch without that crap... oh, and he throws golf clubs, and I have issues with it. But I digress... I don't like phenomenons.

So when all of this Twilight nonsense started, I ignored it. Many of my friends have read the books, and ALL have enjoyed them. But the hype kept me away. Again, the drooling over Edward Cullen annoyed me. I mean, seriously... he's a character in a book, right? So I stayed away. Then tonight I gave in. I rented the movie. I'll admit it. I was pleasantly surprised...which irriated me a little bit, lol. It was not at all what I thought it was going to be. And then... well... I went and bought the book. Darn it. I'll let you know how it goes...

Fearless

I bought a Taylor Swift album today. I know, you're thinking, Karin, aren't you in your 30's? Yup. I am. But sometimes I just like a catchy tune. When I would hear "Love Story" on the radio, it just begged to be turned up. And Haley liked it... so I thought it would be a great pick for in the car.

I am amazed by this girl. She has a lot of depth. Seriously. She's gorgeous... but she's smart too. Here's an excerpt from the dedication on the jacket...

"To me, Fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death. Fearless is falling madly in love again, even though you've been hurt before. Fearless is walking into your freshmen year of high school at fifteen. Fearless is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again.... even though every time you've tried before, you've lost. It's fearless to have faith that someday things will change. Fearless is having the courage to say goodbye to someone who only hurts you, even if you can't breathe without them. I think it's fearless to fall for your best friend, even though he's in love with someone else. And when someone apologizes to you enough times for things they'll never stop doing, I think it's fearless to stop believing in them. It's fearless to say "you're not sorry" and walk away. I think loving someone despite what people think is fearless. I think allowing yourself to cry on the bathroom floor is fearless. Letting go is fearless. Then moving on and being alright, that's fearless too. But no matter what love throws at you, you have to believe in it. You have to believe in love stories and prince charmings and happily ever after. That's why I write these songs. Because I think love is fearless."

Wow. She's only 19? Because right now, in my life, that was what I needed to hear. I needed to know that other people hurt too. And that other people struggle through, and make it out the other side. I'm not just talking about the love in a marriage. I'm talking about friends, and parents, and the person you meet on the street. Loving a friend so much that you'll listen to them pour their heart out for an hour, and just listen, and never regret that you didn't get those dishes washed, or that craft time in you were craving. Because you love her. I'm talking about loving that person at the store, as a person enough to let them go first when you have a cart full, and they have 2 items in their hand. But I'm also talking about loving yourself enough to distance yourself from people in your life that do nothing but hurt you. I have had a lot of hurt over the last 31 years. I've also seen a lot of joy. The hard part is remembering the joy, and remembering that the hurt has made me the person I am. And that I am a GOOD person. And all I can do is love those around me. Even when it doesn't always work out the way I planned. I want to be Fearless. I want to face that change and meet it head on. I want to love, and cherish every minute. Want to join me?

I was not meant to change a flat tire....

Are you ready for a story? Go get a cup of coffee, then come back for a nice, long, but funny story from your friend. ;)

A few weeks ago, I went and got three used tires for my van. One was doing well... but two were BALD (and I mean, the guy just stared at me like HOLY CRAP when I showed them to him) and one had a hole in it that wouldn't hold a plug (again). So I'll be honest... after I went there I didn't really spend much time looking at my tires... because they were all fixed and wonderful right? Well.. apparently one had a slow leak. So on Wednesday, when I went out to the car to run to Target, I found this...

Well, at first I figured that it probably hadn't gotten on the rim correctly, so I might just be able to pump that baby back up...

Well, that thing was useless, lol. ;) Good thing I was in my driveway. So... I thought, I'll wait until my neighbor comes home, he has a big compressor that might work... um, turned out he was up north. Plan C. I will beg those on Facebook to help me. Maybe someone local will help. I got two offers... both from people that lived about 30 minutes away, and I didn't want to make them drive that far. So after much encouragement from female friends, I decided to tackle this change myself. No problem. Plan D. I've seen someone else change my tire.. I can DO this. I don't WANT to do this, but I am going to. For those of you that are calling me a woos right now... it is NOT because I am not willing to use tools. I am the one who fixes everything around here. But... I am accident prone. Seriously. I've sewn through my finger. In college I actually lost part of my finger to some glass while working at a restaurant. I know myself. This girl should not take on a 2 ton object. But everyone encouraged... so I listened.

I went to the back of the van. No problem. I know how to get the spare down from the bottom of the vehicle. Got out my trusty tools, and started to wind down the reel mechanism to release the spare. Only, it wasn't moving. So, I take out my trusty tool... and it is covered in rust dust. Um, that can't be good. So it's pretty much rusted and stripped and unable to come down.

Plan E. I try to call the shop where I got the tires. They are an amazing shop (if you are local, I SERIOUSLY recommend Good Deal Tire in Jenison, they will take care of you!!!) but they were closed. 5 minutes ago, lol. Okay, I will wait until morning. No big deal. That night, my best friend and her hubby come and try to help me. He brings his air compressor (no luck, the seal is broken) and tries to get the spare down. No luck there either. Sigh of relief. This girl still has it. It was not just me that couldn't get the darn thing down. They pack up and go home, dropping off my late movies to the rental store on the way. Love them. :) So in the morning, I call the Tire Shop. I explain my plight. They say that I can have the car towed to them, (and recommended a local towing company), or I can jack up the car and just bring in the one tire using a different vehicle. NO PROBLEM. In comparison to the $70 towing fee, jacking up the car and driving a wheel down the road seems EASY. So I charge my father in law's car that is sitting in my driveway (with a dead battery). Then I go get the jack, and start reading the manual. Yes, I read the manual JUST IN CASE. And I put it under the van. And it was a slow process, but I was DOING IT. So proud of myself, I start to smile. There was the problem. I got cocky. Are you ready? Wait for it.... the jack broke. In half. No seriously... take a look.

And I started to laugh. I mean, SERIOUSLY? Can that even HAPPEN?? lol Plan F. I want my Mommy. So I call the in-laws. They motorhome full time, but their permanent address is ours... so they keep some stuff here. (They lived in this house for 30 years before I showed up). So it's perfectly possible they have one sitting in our garage and I just don't know. "Mom, do you have a jack?" "Um... I don't know, Bill, do we have a jack?" And so the conversation goes. Nope. Oh, and I can't take his car becuase there is something wrong with the suspension. So much for that charged battery. So being the amazing parents they are.. they called a local shop, and just had him come and change and fix the tire. And had themselves billed for the whole darn thing, just because it had been such an ordeal. I love them. :)

Lesson learned. Karin is not meant to change her own tire. I will mow the lawn, I will install a light fixture, I will do alot of thing for THE HOUSE. The car is someone else's job. ;)