The great renovation phase 1

So we have decided on doing a bit of upgrading around here. After much deliberation, a pile of phone calls and a few visits to home improvement type places we are ready to begin.

So I have offically picked out the paint colors that I will be giving to the painters for the inside of the house...at least I think so. I have been using one of those on-line tools to help you see what a color actually looks like on the walls. I have picked and rejected a paint store's worth until I narrowed it down to one color for both bathrooms, the living/dining/kitchen area color and the three bedroom colors. Trim will be pure white of course. What looks good on a paint chip may not look good on broad surfaces, or with existing things like bedding. It has taken me several weeks just narrowing down my choices to ones I think we can all live with. WHEW!

I tried to pick colors that can go with a variety of accent colors, and that will blend well with the hardwood floors that will be our final and most expensive phase of this project. Now all I have to do is wait for the painting contractor to return my call for getting things started.

Phase 2 will, for us at least, involve moving all our furniture so the people can access all the walls, and taking down the window and wall treatments. The only big pieces I need to have help with will be the entertainment center and my massive bookshelf style headboard. That headboard will need to be disassembled for moving. I won't do that until absolutely necessary but hopefully soon.

I've written in another place

As I have written earlier, we celebrated my paternal grandmother's 95th birthday a few weeks ago. As part of the festivities I wrote a few words in her honor which appeared a few days on my Miss Mom column over at http://www.spartanburgspark.com/ What I wrote was well recieved by the guests gathered and I was asked by one to write a few words in the local paper about the birthday girl. So I did.

Today I got a copy of the article and a nice thank you note in the mail from my Mama'. They didn't give me credit for the piece and there were a few changes made on some details I wasn't clear about. Everything else was verbatim what I had submitted. The paper had called Mama' and she had made those small corrections that needed to be made.

I looked at the Mitchell News-Journal's website to see if I could access the article there but their website is not that comprehensive. At least I got a hard copy.

This is a test, this is only a test

A few months ago I wrote about toilet paper in my weekly Miss Mom column. A few weeks ago I was contacted by a marketing company asking if I would test a new version of the brand that I just so happened to mention in my column. I agreed and they sent it. They also wanted me to write a follow-up on this so here it is.

I was sent a package of Charmin's Ultra Soft toilet paper. It claims that it one will use much less of this product then the other brands, and that it is also softer then other brands. So my youngest and I decided to test it.

The reason I had written the original column was because we tended to go through tp at a rapid rate, at least when the kids used it. The promise of using less to get the same results as what my family was used to had appeal. After a week Megan and I compared notes.

We both agreed that the new toilet paper was softer. Megan gave it a hearty thumbs up for using less to get the job done. As I don't tend to use large segements of toilet paper squares to begin with, and yes I still leave the bathroom clean, I didn't notice as huge a difference as my daughter, but there was a small one.

We had also recieved a sample of a Febreeze product. This product acted like a burnless candle. IT is pretty, takes up little space, and again Megan LOVES it. I can't smell a thing so I have to take her word for it. I will probably buy another refill for her bathroom.

Would I buy this particular toilet paper on my own? Maybe if it is on sale and I am out of my regular stuff that I buy in bulk from Sam's. I know this is a quality product and I would recommend it, especially to people who's skin tends to be sensitive as the softness of the product is quite nice. I would have to do a price versus longivity study to see if switching would be good for my budget. I am a bit on the frugal side afterall.

For more on the experience of how and why I ended up being a product tester, visit http://www.spartanburgspark.com/ MyMiss Mom column on that should be posted some time today.

buying used cars at $4500 a pop

Six days after the program started the federal Cash for Clunkers program ran out of funding. Some are calling it a huge success, but only a little over 22,000 cars were sold during that time. 22,000 people got new cars, some dealerships got some business, and the US Government purchased 22,000+ used vehicles at several times their actual value.

Yet again, those who deem it best at how to spend out tax dollars at making savvy useful purchases have proven once again their skill at finding a bargain. This "tax credit" to boost the economy and help the auto industry is a prime example of this. While congress is trying to come up with more fundings for this spectacular deal on used cars, and new car buyers are anxiously awaiting the chance to buy a car at prices closer to "after depreciation" prices, and dealerships are hoping to get rid of some inventory, while the government is in such a spending mood, I am still wondering what the feds are going to be doing with all those late model Buicks they now own?

I am not seeing any answers yet, but here are a couple of ideas.

Recycle the components of the cars, selling off the parts to help cover the cost of the program. That should net the US a few mil, and China will get more raw material to sell back to us.

Add those used cars to the real estate the feds have aquired from the banking bailout. Offer these properties with a free used car with every purchase.

Make every member of congress who travels more then 500 miles a year for fund raising efforts drive these vehicles to said fund raising efforts. Make them pump their own gas out of their personal incomes if they do so on an election year.

We'll see how all this pans out, but sheesh what a stupid idea this was. At least I think it was.

Family reunion

I have a couple of photos from the family reunion/birthday party for my Grandmother. I read a version of what will appear in tomorrow's Miss Mom as my contribution for the entertainment. One of my brothers read an original poem. Despite his disclaimer, his prose was quite nice. My sister sang, and another brother and one of my nephews did a fantabulous drum duet.

We estimated 66 people in attendance with either 39 or 40 who were just family. One of my cousins and her younger son had traveled from Utah. There were only 10 in the large King clan who were unable to attend, if I counted it correctly, and it had been five years since we'd had a gathering of that size. That had been for Mama's 90th.

So without further ado, a few photos.

The birthday girl

All five generations of King.

A Not So Fun Day.

So, I've been an allergy sufferer for years. I've taken step to limit my access to the things Im allergic to, but not completely. Hard to avoid dust mites and grass here in the south. To add to the fun, I developed asthma symptoms about a year ago.

This summer has been "fun" in the asthma realm. I never know when an episode is going to show up. I keep a rescue inhaler nearby all the time, as I've needed it about once a week. I have had some changes made to my medication in an attempt to control the symptoms, with some success until last week.

I don't know exactly what started the downhill spiral that led to today, but about a week and a half ago I started feeling lousy, wheezy, and just tired all the time. By this past Tuesday, I left work early and was at my family doc, who prescribed me a z-pack, another inhaler, and prednisone. (I LOATHE prednisone)

I opted to hold of a few days on the steroids to see if the z-pack and the new inhaler would work. By this morning I knew that was a "no" so I picked up the new meds, ran a couple errands and headed off to work.

I walked into the building and new immediately that my rescue inhaler was going to be needed before I started my shift. I grabbed a cup of coffee knowing that it often helps, used my inhaler, and then the mother of all asthma attacks hit.

For those of you who don't have asthma, let me tell you it is scary, when you can't catch your breath, and then you get dizzy, then you get scared which causes you to hyperventilate, worsening your breathing ability. My co-workers wanted to call 911. I had them call my husband, and then I managed to call my allergist who told me they'd be waiting my arrival.

By the time Bill got there, I was so dizzy I was afraid to try to walk outside, so they stuck me in a wheelchair, which just scared me all over again, and wheeled me to Bill's truck.

May I mention that the folks at Allergy Partners of the Foothills off of Skyland Drive are phenomenal? They were waiting and ready for me, had me in a room and on a nebulizer in less then ten minutes. It would have been faster but I'd been drinking so much water that morning, that I had to pee about as bad as I had to breathe. Within about 20 minutes, things had calmed down greatly and I could actually speak in sentences again. They sent me home with a new toy, my very own nebulizer which I used again this evening. The entire staff was very kind and supportive. Thank you so much.

Much gratitude also goes to my boss and my co-workers who helped where they could to help me feel better until my knight in shining armor arrived. They are awesome people to work with, and it was great to know they were there to help, especially as I was quite frightened. Bill, well he was so calm throughout. He tucked me into bed afterwards, picked up my new prescription, went to the grocery and even cooked me dinner.

I am still tired, somewhat wheezy, but that should ease off as the Prednisone does its job of reducing the inflammation in my lungs, while puffing me up like an irritable blow fish. The nebulizer will likely get a few more uses until this all blows over, then it will be my handy back-up plan for those really tough days.

Hopefully, I'll get this thing under control. I don't like being out of control, so its been somewhat frustrating.. We are looking into more ways to to trigger avoidance on the things we know bother me. And I'll be diligent with my medicines. I am also working to try to eat much healthier. I want to resume exercise again, but I got to stop needing my inhaler when I do a yoga pose. I am still needing a work-out nazi. You know the person who makes you get on that exercise bike and not get off until you've pedaled at least three miles? Any takers for the position??

I'm still navigating uncharted waters with this, so I'll be asking lots of questions, learning along the way, and continuing to fight this. I told Bill last night, that even when I don't feel great, I try to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Its just nice to know I have people helping me along.

Big weekend ahead

Tomorrow starts a big weekend for us here at the Galloway house. First will be my son, his girlfriend and her little boy coming for a week long visit. Yep we'll be a bit crowded around the place but it will be wonderful to spend time with my eldest and his little family.

Then there will be Sunday when the King clan all gathers in Spruce Pine, NC for the purpose of celebrating the birthday of one of our members. My grandmother, who will be 95 years young on that day. We will be celebrating with food, BBQ style and King induced entertainment. Meaning we will be doing goofy skits, singing and playing songs, and watching what the younger generation of our clan does at the shores of the small lake were we will be meeting.

I wish I had managed to sneak in a week off during all of this, but I didn't find out Mike's plans until too late and by then vacation slots for my department were already grabbed up.

I'll be putting up pictures of the birthday party next week, and there will be a tribute to my Mama' that will appear in next week's Miss Mom column. I am reading a version of it as my contribution to the entertainment. That is if my dad doesn't rope me into doing a silly skit.

Stay tuned.