LaurenandLloyd.com

where our wasted time becomes your wasted time

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A swinging memory

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Sometimes I have an idea that just has to happen, through any means necessary.

Do you remember the song ‘It’s Springtime’ from Sesame Street? It had a piggy-nosed cartoon kid who played on a playground with a swing and it went through all the seasons. Here, this might refresh your memory.

I dearly love that video, and thought it would make great soundtrack for a playground video for school. I tried the legitimate channels to acquire the song through some sort of non-shady means, but no – the world conspired to keep us apart.

That’s ok. I have tape and a jar.

That's where the microphone is on my computer.

It is hard for me to hold still and quiet for a minute and 33 seconds. Plus, it took more than one take.

Ignore the messy room. It is its natural state.

It buys me some time to look for the song. Or to re-record it on the ukulele.

Ha!

Erm, I am uncomfortable posting the final product here on the website, but if you go check out our Facebook page after noon (my time) today, you can see it! (facebook.com/stjohncdc)

How to ‘fix’ a shed door.

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Our shed has been in bad shape for quite some time. It is missing shingles and the whole front is coming away from the foundation. I know that a new shed is in the future, but at the rate Lloyd and I accomplish things, it won’t get build until I’m in my 50’s.

Way back when the first snow came and I went out to get the snow shovel, I noticed that the left door was almost completely falling in. The only thing keeping it attached was the latch and a few strategically placed acorns under the jamb. Good enough.

It is so, so bad.

But today I decided that if the only productive thing I did was to fix that door, then the day could be called a success. Here’s how it went:

11:30 – Announce that I am going to fix the shed door.

11:31-12:30 – Surf the internet.

12:31 – Go to the basement to assess the drill battery. Seems ok. Find some long screws.

12:33 – Go out to shed. Realize that someone is going to have to hold this door up while I reattach the hinges.

12:34 – Call through the open window to Lloyd, “Are you still awake? I need you.”

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, come hold the door.

12:36 – Listen to Lloyd grumble as he holds up the door, begin to drill the first screw….. and drill battery dies. Listen to Lloyd grumble again.

Good grief.

12:38 – Put battery in charger.

12:45 – 3:00 – NAP!! WOOOO-HOOOOO!!

3:15 – ‘Fix’ door.

There ain't no fixin' the right door.

3:30 – Walk to Dairy queen, get Blizzards.

A reward for a job done.

See? Months of agony for what – 15 minutes worth of work? It’s a good thing we’re not in construction.

Spring-a-ding-ding

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The weather is warmer, the squirrels and birds are foraging in the yard, and Lloyd and I need to go shopping.

At the time of this writing (9:18 p.m. Friday night), I have plans to go on a quest on Saturday. I have some Christmas wish list money from school that needs to be spent (on some computer-y stuff), and I think I’ll feel up to it. If not feeling up to it, it’s napping all day, so either way it’s a win-win.

What’s up for your Saturday?

Under the weather

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Once again, I must berate myself for being one of those people who feels so high-and-mighty when other people feel sick – outwardly saying, “Awwwww, poor you.”, but inwardly thinking, “You have an inefficient immune system. My white cells are so superior to yours!”

And then, immediately when I start feeling a little icky, I’m all, “Wahhhh. Poor me!! I am uncomfortable! I am uncomfortable!” (Which, to me, is worse than dying.)

Thursday I just felt a little off. In the morning my stomach felt a little woozy. Not a lot woozy, but enough to make me a little uncomfortable. (No!!) After lunch, my head started to hurt and my legs felt a little trembly. Again, not enough to warrant any outside sympathy, but enough to make me uncomfortable. (NO!!!) Holy cow – I am such a baby.

I actually came home and took a little nap before our staff meeting, and when fellow staff members asked if I was feeling alright, I didn’t have the courage to say, “Well, I’m a little bit uncomfortable, so no.” These are women who have high tolerances for pain, so I keep my poor-baby-me thoughts to myself.

Mrs. Sommerer goes to Washington

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…er, just city council.

Happy Birthday, Keren!!!!

There’s trouble a-brewin’ near the CDC! The police station is right across the alley from us, and there is talk of adding on to the north side of their building to move Parks and Recreation there. (Not the t.v. show, dang it, just regular people.)

One of the concerned neighbors contacted us asking if we would send a representative to speak at the council meeting. Our director was needed at Family Night, so I got to go! I took Lloyd along in case I passed out from fear, and he had the excellent suggestion of keeping track of how the police parking lot is used. Parking is already tight in our neighborhood, and I can’t imagine that if they take away a whole lane of parking spots, they could ever make it work.

I loved keeping track of the cars! Why can’t this be my job? I typed up my notes all official-like and took in a bunch of copies. Though it was nerve-wracking speaking in front of the council, it was exhilarating sharing the facts! The city administrator only had an ‘average’ count of cars in the lot, taken every couple of afternoons, but I had peaks and lows! Glorious, glorious facts! (It reminded me of our going-to-court days.)

I was all fact-righteous.

Anyway, the combined effort of the many neighbors did its job. The council is going to look into alternate places to put Parks & Rec – maybe Wednesday nights. Wait, that’s the show again, dang it.

Yes, good has been done here.

I talk, it types – what’s not to love?

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So, did we mention that Lloyd actually has an iPad now? His ‘kickoff’ donation at the auction was basically paying for his own iPad. Here’s why I’ve decided I really need one – it has voice recognition software. I guess it’s like using the new iPhone and talking to Siri.

Note: you can go back and edit what you say, but I’m going to leave the following unedited so you can see how it comes out. I thought getting a picture of me posting while I was talking to the iPad would be cool, but unfortunately I didn’t plan out what to say, so you just get a bunch of babbling while I’m waiting for the self-timer to go:

I don't look very cartoon-like in real life.

Now I’m going to play with it and try to take my picture. I am making this post as I’m talking I’m just talking at the iPad and taking my picture at the same time when it’s done and could have a post and hope my camera took a picture me doing it because I had it on self timer. Okay that first photo really didn’t go as planned no no no like Tracy keep taking the camera for me I don’t want to actually be in the picture. So this is a lot of stupid technology at the same time and likes it when you take it out of the case and I said how you take it out of the case because I didn’t know how to do it. so I guess that’s the end of my post.

After messing with it, now I know how to enter punctuation and speak a little more clearly. I see all kinds of cool applications for making observations about my preschoolers. So, who here thinks Lauren needs her own iPad? You needn’t raise your hands – just vote by mailing me a hundred dollars. (Except you, Deborah – I still owe you money.)