Friday, June 29, 2007

American Idol, here I come...

Well, she said she'd do it. For years, my mom has been saying, if I'll go, she'll pay. So, it's official, I will be auditioning for American Idol in Philadelphia on August 27th. And, my brother will be singing to the opposite side of the country on July 30th when he auditions in San Diego.

Whether she's living vicariously through us, or just an incredibly proud mama, I don't know, but we are ready to oblige!

So wish us luck, and I'll let you know what happens! :)

Ahhh...dry air in the desert

Well, I wasn't sure it was ever going to happen, but I have refrigerated air!!! Some may wonder what other kind there is, so bear with me for a moment.

Swamp coolers were a wonderful invention for areas with dry climates. By pulling outside air through wet filters, it blows cool air into the house. This is great as long as there is no existing moisture in the air being pulled through. Swamp coolers are used by many houses in the SW, but in Albuquerque, our hottest month of the year happens to be the month of our monsoons. Need I say more???

So about 2 months ago, I started researching the cost of swamp cooler-refrigerated air conversion. I almost passed out when I got my first quote. Would you believe that the 4 quotes I got covered an $8,000 span????? We went with Roto Rooter and have been very pleased...I think Steve from Roto Rooter considers me a close family member for as many times as we have spoken throughout this process! So, sounds simple right? Ha!

Steve came out, gave me a quote, and we hired him. He came out to do the service, and found that my house was built with only 50 units of electricity...the average house runs on 100. As a side note, this may explain why I can't run my dishwasher while making a pot of coffee!! So, he tells me that we have to start with PNM to see about adding another 50 units to my house. OK, so what's so bad about that?? 1. PNM has a normal response time of 3 weeks. 2. If all the units in the transformer are being used, we have to purchase a new transformer (avg $7,000). Once we purchase this transformer, everyone else in the neighborhood can use it for free in the future. Arghhhh...

Well, Steve pulled through and put our issue in PNM's emergency inbox, thanks to a connection he has "on the inside"! Who would have thought that I would be as anxious to hear back from PNM as I was to hear about being accepted into my Master's program...ok, that may be stretching it, but you get the idea. Finally, we get the word...we are good to go with the original transformer!

So, the next step...get the electrician out here. "I'm sorry ma'am, we're booked for 2 weeks." OK, breathe Kristin..."How about the 26th?". The electricians show up, tear apart my laundry room (and don't put it back the way they found it...I'm down a cabinet until I install a new one), and put a brand new silver box on the outside of my house.

Steve came by this morning (after the electricians, who I made come back to clean up their mess) and hooked everything up. So, the verdict...

It was totally worth the wait, and finished in perfect time...monsoons start next week, and we're supposed to hit record heat too.

So, I'm gonna lay back and sip some iced tea with my feet up and that guy from my class fanning me with palm leaves, and...oh wait, I have a paper to write. Well, atleast I'll be comfortable!

Monday, June 18, 2007

Oh let's give it a try

Never thought I'd do the blog thing...and we'll see if I keep it up at all! Life is busy as normal, but we all know that's how I like it. Since I can't give you updates on kids, here's updates on my "kiddos"... :)

Sprite - the original
Sprite is great, and has just turned 9 years old...can't believe it. He is still grumpy, but Caspian and Lucy keep him going! He has an anxiety issue that shows its head during storms, fireworks, and social gatherings. Besides that, he's still a mama's boy and is a joy to have around!

Caspian - the slob
Caspian is the boss of the house, just don't tell Sprite that! He's always getting into trouble and making messes. He also thinks that he's the keeper of mom's lap. He is the glue that holds the other two together.

Lucy - the princess
Lucy is a priss who loves to rule the roost. She and Sprite are hilarious together, as their idea of playing is chasing eacother around the house, pretending that they hate eachother! She is bringing in new prey on a daily basis...a huntress to the max! Occasionally, she acts like the dogs when she thinks no one's watching...namely when rolling around in piles of dirt outside!

I'm in the middle of my Masters program and I am loving it!!! Work is good good, but I am ready to move on to the next part of my journey! Hope you are all doing well...keep in touch.