Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Back In The Saddle Again, (Or At Least Trying To Be)

It’s been a rough couple of weeks.  Nothing too terrible but it just seemed like it was one thing after another.  My husband travels a lot on business and was in China for the last two weeks.  Naturally two days after he left the cable (which now is our umbilical cord to the mother ship of Time Warner Cable and basically runs our whole house), decided to check out for a few minutes and when it did it took out our phone, our TV, and most importantly to my sense of security, my well being, and my overall general happiness…access to the internet.

The wireless router blew when the cable came back on line and for some silly reason it defaulted back to factory settings.  Yep, factory settings.  I am clueless when it comes to hardware.   A  husband in China isn’t much help  at resetting a wireless router and with the 12 hour time difference  my 3:00 in the afternoon crisis does not equate to an emergency at his 3:00 in the morning to his Chinese hotel sleeping self who has a big presentation to give when he does wake up.  My internet access troubles don’t even register in his world right now.  The only saving grace was that my son had an extra cable from his old Xbox that he was able to use to hard wire me directly to the router.  But that required me to move my laptop upstairs to where the router was.  I don’t want to use my computer upstairs!  I want to use it in my kitchen as nature intended!  So, long story short, two weeks with limited computer access  revealed to me just how much of a major stressor not having “access” is in my life.  That, and the fact that I was basically forced to confront my internet addiction cold turkey.

  Add to that a son sick with a major cold who then passed it on to me  and who “forgot”  that he had a major project due in two days in his AP Government class and needs help along with a tri-fold poster board and it’s 11:00 at night and the printer isn’t working,   a daughter home for a couple of days on fall break from school who wants help making a Halloween cup cake costume so she can dress up for the big Halloween party on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill and take it back to school with her, Furniture Market in High Point and many wheels of cheese begging to be cut and wrapped and attractively displayed, my car leaking something and making a funny noise, and the same son who I found out has been tardy to school so many times that his parking pass was suspended for two weeks and I now have to drive him in the mornings and pick him up again in the afternoons, toss in a painful case of Carpel Tunnel and braces on not one but both of my wrists, and the house keeps getting dimmer because every time I turn on a light switch another light bulb blows, and I have Halloween costumes to make for a fabulous party that we are invited to and I haven’t even started making them, and the same son who is now body building and I can’t keep straight which days he is “carb loading” or doing “protein” and I keep serving the wrong thing for dinner each night, and the phone call from my Dad saying that he is only 2 hours away driving on I-40 near Asheville and could they come over and visit for the weekend, the lawnmower that won’t start and we skipped mowing it the week before and the grass is getting knee deep and looks terrible and we are in the middle of college application season… shall I go on?  (Because I could!)

I am exhausted.  :)

Check back with me tomorrow though, I am currently marinating a pork tenderloin to throw on the grill for dinner tonight and planning to post the recipe tomorrow.  Husband is home safe and sound, my laptop is back in the kitchen where it belongs and I am keeping my fingers crossed that tonight isn’t “Carb-Loading”.  If it is , I’m in big trouble.

12 comments:

Ti said...

If anyone needs one of those spicy, Mandarin Martinis you posted about, it's you! Poor thing! You've had a rough time of it and you still seem sane. Amazing.

My Grama's Soul said...

Oh dear lady....sounds like you have been in for a bit of a rough ride. Hopefully things will stay as smooth as glass now.

xo

Jo

Jane said...

Sounds like when it rained....it definitely poured!! Sorry for all the troubles but I'm glad to read things are getting back to a more normal routine!!
Jane

Karen said...

Wow, Lisa! Glad you're back!! Umm..do they have BUSES in NC for kids who are not drivers? Just sayin'... LOL!

Susan said...

Oh Lisa...bless your heart! I'm right with you on wanting the computer where I want it!! And in the middle of all that you answered my questions about the stencil brush!! (I bought a set of Martha Stewart ones today...wish me luck!)

Thanks again!!

CosmoGirl Carla said...

Phew . . . I'm exhausted now, Lisa! I was wondering where you've been. Boy, Murphy paid a long, overstayed visit at your house. Hope things are calming down a bit for you. Hey! At least you've got your internet back, right?!

The enchanted home said...

OMG OMG OMG! You had me laughing (and wanting to cry at the same time) Takes one to know one and I can sooo relate about being spread thin. Over there if this makes you feel any better, MY husband was away too, the cesspool backed up, I found a family of house centipedes in the house, the heat stopped working and all the toilets and showers backed up!!!!! All this besides my many duties and hats I wear as a mom and temporary "manager in charge of new house" while hubbys away. CRAZY.....I kept saying this too shall pass and it did but not without a few gray hairs.
My son, is "building" as he fondly refers t it, (a very serious athelete) I feel like an I love Lucy episdoe where i cannot keep up with his meal demands, as soon as i am done serving him his third HEAPING plate of bolognese sauce and spaghetti he is wanting 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches wtih the crust cut off (as only mom can) because its his "training day"...ugh, like I have nothing better to do! So i am sure you can relate.
When it hits rock bottom, it can only go up right? We both deserve a break...don't you think? Hang in there, you've got company!

Sewconsult said...

I remember those days of deadlines and it's amazing how they always come at the worst time. Hope you fell better quickly and you are trouble free until hubby comes home. My hubby traveled with his job and things broke or died while he was on the road. Now he is retired and not traveling. It's been quite an adjustment.
Hugs and understanding!
Beckie in Brentwood, TN

The Sabbatical Chef said...

Wow. I am worn out just reading! Hope that all is right with your world very, very soon!!

helen tilston said...

You had a most stressful week and I am most impressed by how you handled all that was dished out to you.

Bravo, great work.
You clearly kept your sense of humour.
Helen xx

L said...

Wow...Hang in there, I am amazed at all you accomplished, give your self a high five, a pat on the back,then call the spa and get a massage, you deserve it. I am exhausted just reading it. Glad you checked in as I enjoy your blog. Your pickles are a hit with my family and I did the halloween rocks, put in a big decorative bowl on the table!
Take Care,
Lori in Texas

Suzy said...

Oh my goodness, Lisa. I'm sorry you've had your hands so full. I hope you're on the mend from your cold and things will stay running smoothly for a while!