Archive for » February 12th, 2003 «

You've Got Mail!

The snow plow ripped my poor little mailbox off its post last Sunday. I bought the new mailbox and I thought about installing it on Monday. And I thought again on Tuesday. But finally, today, I decided to actually brave the cold winds and install the thing. Armed with a hammer and a cordless drill and dressed in plenty of layers, I braved the winter wind to install the mailbox.

Just in time too. The mailman arrived within the hour of putting up our new green mailbox. My husband didn’t think we should get a white one again, just in case the snow plow driver had mistaken it for snow last Sunday.

I’ll just say that it does matter where you put screws. If you put them in the wrong place, the door won’t work. That you should check to make sure that the heads of the screws you plan to use are indeed bigger than the predrilled holes, and that preferably, you should do that when you are still enjoying the warmth inside your home rather than making that discovery as your fingers go numb despite the gloves.

Also there is nothing more annoying than trying to remove old screws in the below zero wind chill only to discover the screw has been stripped. Needless to say, mindlessly hitting it with a hammer generates heat and releases anger, and removes said screw, all with a few well placed swings.

Category: Life with Linda  Tags:  Comments off

You’ve Got Mail!

The snow plow ripped my poor little mailbox off its post last Sunday. I bought the new mailbox and I thought about installing it on Monday. And I thought again on Tuesday. But finally, today, I decided to actually brave the cold winds and install the thing. Armed with a hammer and a cordless drill and dressed in plenty of layers, I braved the winter wind to install the mailbox.

Just in time too. The mailman arrived within the hour of putting up our new green mailbox. My husband didn’t think we should get a white one again, just in case the snow plow driver had mistaken it for snow last Sunday.

I’ll just say that it does matter where you put screws. If you put them in the wrong place, the door won’t work. That you should check to make sure that the heads of the screws you plan to use are indeed bigger than the predrilled holes, and that preferably, you should do that when you are still enjoying the warmth inside your home rather than making that discovery as your fingers go numb despite the gloves.

Also there is nothing more annoying than trying to remove old screws in the below zero wind chill only to discover the screw has been stripped. Needless to say, mindlessly hitting it with a hammer generates heat and releases anger, and removes said screw, all with a few well placed swings.

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Told Ya So!

I told you. It was just a matter of time. I knew it was going to happen. I tried all day yesterday. I offered lots of updates as I went through the process of creating my very own blog. I enticed. I encouraged. I said, “Look, the water’s warm. Come on in.”

And they believed me. (Insert evil laugh here.)

Procrastination Queen has done it again.

Hey Mom, didn’t I say that Shelley would get her own blog? She did. Yep, she did. See. And she isn’t the only one. Lisa Beamer even got one! I’m shocked and her husband isn’t thrilled with how she spent her day. But then, mine wasn’t that impressed either (husband that is.).

My office has now warmed up to a balmy 63 degrees. I think I’m really going to have to break down and invent those QWERTY gloves for typing. Ice cold fingers just don’t type very fast.

Well Barb Huff be far behind on this race to blog? (Evil laugh echos off the water.)

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Nine and a Half Minutes

That’s how long it takes for the entire rotation of school closings to flash by the bottom portion of my TV screen this morning. They’re in alphabetical order and I managed to turn the TV on just in time to see “Interlochen” is closed. Of course, I’m looking to see about Houghton Lake Schools. And so I watch, unable to leave my warm bed, hoping the schools are closed so I can stay in my bed. But also hoping they are open so I can have a productive work day at home.

The names go by and they are schools all around me: Kalkaska, Lake City, McBain Public, McBain NMC…. The names scroll on as I battle with myself. Do I want the schools to be closed or not? My husband gets out of bed with a groan. He knows that the name of his work isn’t suddenly going to appear on the screen.

“They’re going to be open and then send the kids home at noon,” he predicts. The school names scroll by, again all schools immediately to our east and north. Wexford Missaukee ISD…. Crawford AuSable….

The memories flood in. I remember the days, and it really doesn’t seem nearly 15 years ago, when that school’s name held magical appeal. Seeing Crawford AuSable listed on the school closing list meant I had a day free to sleep in past noon. But this is nearly 15 years later and I’m still waiting for the school’s listing that matters today. I watch and notice that Gerrish Higgins isn’t listed. That’s not a good sign. Or maybe it is. There’s Hart, but no Houghton Lake, as I see Interlochen once again. Nine and a half minutes: a special kind of snooze button in northern Michigan. More than 100 area schools are closed, but my kids need to get up and at it.

My work day is salvaged, but that means I have to get out of bed. Now. Out from under the warm blankets and into the cool morning air. The temperature outside is below zero, I hear on the weather report. The wind chill dips even lower. I start the coffee pot and the space heater next to my computer. It says my office is a rather cool 56 degrees.

My daughters perch over heat registers as they dress. I help them put on snow pants, coats, hats and gloves and kiss them goodbye. I watch through the door’s window as they make tracks in the pure snow on their way to the waiting warm bus. We were running late this morning. Or the bus is early. I glance at the clock. We’re late, probably by nine and a half minutes I admit to myself as I pour my first cup of coffee. My day has started.

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