Avoiding a Charred Sweetie and other miscellania

I just finished a reserved listing for Artikaur. Her boyfriend's birthday is coming up and she wanted to get him something for the kitchen. He likes to cook, so she decided on these because she doesn't "want my sweetie having charred hands when he's cooking for me". :O) (If her bf is reading, don't click! You'll spoil the surprise!)

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For about a week I was unable to view my blog when using Firefox. I could log in to my dashboard, and view other Blogger blogs, but not mine. I had to resort to using my old Netscape or (shudder) IE if I wanted to see my blog or a couple other sites. I finally figured out that it had something to do with my McAfee updates. They screw up my registry. After I get updated, I have to run my registry cleaner if I want to see my blog. Think I'll change security programs.

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My brother-in-law Dan and his 80+ mother Irene went to Turkey a few weeks ago. He's working on a book and wanted to see some of the places he's writing about. (My sis didn't go because any flight over 3 hours is too much for her.) Anyway, last week Irene fell down some stairs and broke her hip and ankle. Dan had some connections, due to having a Turkish intern at work whose dad is a doctor, and she got really good treatment. Yesterday the world travelers returned from their "whirlwind tour of foreign medical facilities", and Irene will see her doctor tomorrow. For the time being she'll be staying with Joy and Dan.

Happy Anniversary to My Parents (and Other Calamities)

Today my parents celebrated 59 years of marriage, and 61 years since they met. They raised 7 kids and sent us all to 12 years of private school on one salary. That would be impossible these days due to the skyrocketing cost of tuition.

The day started out good. They got up early and went to Mass, and they went out for lunch. Then the trouble started. Dad had to take the car in for service and ended up having to get a rental --- the oxygen sensor is bad, and probably something else too. As he was starting home, a car backed into the door of the car, so he had to go back to the rental place and get a different car, plus fill out a bunch of stuff (and probably will have to pay more). It's a nice enough car for a two-door, but you have to climb through the seatbelt assembly to get in the back seat. And getting out of the seat is even worse because of the strange design -- the actual seat is deeper at the back and you have to haul yourself up to the edge before you can try to get out of the car.

When he got home, the garage door wouldn't open. Turns out the spring is broken and the wires have jumped their rails. So tomorrow we have to call someone to come out and replace the opener. More $$$ going out.

All we can do now is hope the weather stays good, so we don't have to clamber in and out of the car in the rain.