Nightmare at 823

What a night! Nightmare at 823 couldn't have been a better name really - maybe I jinxed it by naming it that. It was, well, both good and bad in many ways I must say.

The night got off to a late start, so the people in line were getting anxious. We had to rush to get things ready, and I hate rushing. We had a guy named Scott and his wife Jessica come do all of our makeup. He does proffessional looking makeup and I was excited to see what he could do. I can't believe how well it turned out! I was a mad scientist, Victor Frankenstein, but I think I ended up looking more like Beetle Juice~! Audrey was a green faced witch with a prosthetic nose, Mark was Frankenstein with the giant eyebrow, Julie was in the polka dot room with a polkadot costume, Jessica was a zombie in the graveyard, Scott was the Chainsaw guy outside, Heather was the hostess at the door, Jamie came over and wore one of Nick's masks, and Nick wore his pin head mask! We had quite the cast! Thanks for everyone who came to help!

I do have to say I think this year there was too much going on. Maybe because we added another room, maybe because we were rushed but it didn't have the same flow that last year had, and that bummed me out a little because I put so much effort into this year. We did have a tunnel that went down the hallway with a fog machine and lazer in it, and that was super cool, and my lab would have been awesome if the walls wouldn't have kept falling down, or the ceiling! Half the time I was trying to put it back together and it was a major pain in the butt!

Now, for the grand finale! Picture this. I'm up in my laboratory about to bring Frankenstein to life with my jumper cables, when all of a sudden I hear Audrey running up the stairs yelling "FIRE FIRE - HELP!!" So I drop my cables and book it out to the garage. Of course I have to say that it is mostly my fault and all, because last year we had put a tee candle in front of every grave stone to illuminate them because the fog and strobe lights didn't give it the effect I wanted. Then, to top it off, I covered the graveyard (garage) with dry leaves, because it looked so real and was awesome! Well, someone jumped out to scare the kids, pushing a couple leaves into one of the candles, and then next thing we know one of the fake trees in the garage is completely engulfed in flames!

I ran upstairs to get pitchers of water and others were stomping on the tree trying to get the fire out. We were making progress on the tree, and I came down to put more water on the fire and someone had lifted up the garage door by hand to throw the tree out! I am sure it was better so nothing else caught on fire, but in the midst of the rush, they bent the crap out of the garage door frame and it was completely broken and off the track! After the fire was out, the mood was over!

That was the end of Nightmare at 823. Sad story yes. The worst part about that is that there was just one or two more groups of kids still waiting to go through, at the end of the line. They had been out there for quite a while. We decided to let them walk through it just to see it and come to find ALL of my kids were out there, and it just ended on a really bad note! I didn't even get to take 1 picture! Luckily some others did, so I will have to get copies to post. So needless to say, IF we decide to do this again next year....we will be making it a lot simpler, starting earlier, and not lighting any candles. :)

Oh, and with a little work my neighbor was able to fix the garage door. We were worried how that would turn out if we had to have someone come and fix it. There was no smoke or fire damage, just a few burnt items, and one very very fried tree! No harm done. Just a lot of lost time and effort. :(

Change in Plans.....

Wow, what a change one day can make. After some thought, and consideration, we have decided to take our home off of the market. There are several reasons for this really. The number one reason being that the selling market is poor right now, and unfortunately I don't think we will be able to get what we want out of our house. Two, my job might not be moving next April, instead it may be more than a year or so before we make the move (which is good news for the whole car pool situation which was a huge factor in moving). Number 3, it would be extremely difficult to move away from the kids now that they live literally around the block from us and we get to see them on a frequent basis. So, no biggie, we stay a few more years, get some things paid off, then we move when we are in a better position. I can live with that.

Problem solved right? WRONGO. A week or so ago our passat was misfiring, cutting out when you accelerated, so we took it in, the guy told us to change the spark plugs, out the door we spent $160.00. Not too shabby. It drove fine for about a week, then the problem came back, except not as bad and more randomly then before. However when it would misfire the check engine light would blink and then go off, sometimes it would stay on but go off later. We were just getting ready to take it back in again to have it looked at when on Friday we get in to go to work and the dash says "STOP, DON'T DRIVE - OUT OF COOLANT". Oh good hell. You have got to be kidding me.

So we dropped it off Monday at a local shop by our house. The guy was really nice and gave us a quote to fix the coolant leak. $575.00. JOY. Now, keep in mind that doesn't include the original problem before the damn thing started leaking. So, a few more tests, a few more probems and now we are at $1000.00. Ya, wait just a minute....there's more! Our 2005 Durango has a nice little light on the dash that is on as well, that damn check engine light! I love that thing, can I tell you? Every time it comes on I smile and watch the dollar signs roll around in my head. No serioulsy. Luckily the problem with it is minor and is only some ESR valve thingy (no clue what it is or what it does) and the guy can do it for just over $100 bucks. So, with both cars, taxes and all we should be good to go after our little $1200 investment. Whew.

I think this has to be one of the longest weeks I have had in a very very long time. Hopefully it will end well with our Spook Alley and I can forget about all of this and have a good time.

Ok, yep, I'm done now. Feel better. Whew.

Count Down Begins

5 days until Nightmare at 823.......
......are you ready?

I'm Hooked!

Ok, I guess it's safe to say I am officially hooked on the Twilight series. In fact, I just started book #3 last night! I can't believe I have already finished the first two. I seriously haven't read a book since I was forced to for a report or something in highschool, and barely choked my way through it. I can't get over how much I love reading this series. She is a great writer and I can't put them down!

What am I going to read when I get done with #4? I think I may go through a withdrawl period! Guess I better start looking around for something else. I think I may have opened a new chapter in my life with this whole reading thing, and I kind of like it! Better not stop now......

Strep Throat

It has been YEARS, literally 15-16 years since I have had strep. I think I forgot how horrible it is. Friday night I went to bed early and Nick played with the kids. Saturday I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a bus and spent the entire day in bed. Sunday I felt even worse, and by then, instead of just the flu like symptoms I had had all weekend, I also now had a sore throat. I thought I'd better go get myself swabbed just to make sure.

I was a bit surprised when the doc at the Insta Care told me I tested positive for strep. I think I was maybe 10 the last time I had it. At least I know it's something that I can take an antibiotic for and start to feel better. Here we are on Monday now, and I still feel pretty under the weather. More than anything I feel weak. I have lost 5 lbs in 3 days and don't have any appetite at all, except for soup. I think I am going to take Kayden in to be swabbed too just to be on the safe side. Poor little dude better not have this yucky stuff. It has not been fun at all.

** Oh, update. I finished the first Twilight Book! My mother even wrote me an email and said she was in fact proud that I was attempting to read a book. I broke down and bought the second one and am about 100 pages into it now. Nick is about to start the first one so I can get him hooked too! I really am enjoying them. Never ever thought I would say that.

It's been one of those days.....

..... and I didn't even feel guilty, not one bit. Nuff said!

I'm all alone.....

Ok, this really sucks. Nick had to go to a conference in Arizona on Sunday until Wednesday, and although he is at a beautiful 5 star resort, soaking up the sun, I can't help but be sad that he isn't here. It is so weird to me to feel like this, still 4 years later. Most couples enjoy having "breaks" from each other. In fact, some really look forward to it every now and then, but not us. Maybe we aren't normal.

I feel this empty hollow feeling in my stomach everytime one of us goes away. I wake up in the middle of the night waiting for him to crawl into bed and snuggle me, and it's not fun at all. I keep telling myself "you can do it!" but I don't know if I am going to make it to Wednesday. Talk about some massive separation anxiety. :(

Making Progress

Sissy and I made the signs for the haunted house this weekend. :) I think they turned out awesome! There is one for the back too that I didn't take a picture of.