I Like Your Style…

Erin is a clown and loves to play in the mirror.  She “performs” nightly before and after bath time.  She also gets mirror time when washing her hands…

I filmed a little snippet the other night.  I thought it was hilarious.

Erin Update…

 

Erin was moved to another class last week.  She changed teachers yet again.

When we started the year with Mrs. Laney I had such high hopes.  She was the only certified teacher at the school and had been there for years.  She was strict and didn’t put up with much bull.  But most importantly, I knew Erin would learn in her class.  She had a set curriculum and knew from years of teaching what worked with 4 year olds.

Fast forward 2 months… Mrs. Laney leaves very abruptly.  The school promotes one of the other teachers, Ms. Isabel, to Erin’s class.  It’s sort of strange because her son, Aaron, was in that class.  (Yes, they were known as Girl Erin and Boy Aaron.)  She had a different teaching style and was not a certified teacher.  She still didn’t put up with much bull so we were getting used to her.  She changed the routine and Erin acted out a little for a while.

Fast forward 2 months…Erin gets settled in and used to Ms. Isabel’s style.  Boom, Ms. Isabel leaves because she moved and the school was too far from her new house.  They promote one of the young girls to Lead Teacher.  She is super nice and we like Ms. Paige a lot, but there is a control issue in the class.  It was not Ms. Paige’s fault.  When Mrs. Laney was the teacher they stacked the deck.  Mrs. Laney was experienced and they gave her most of the “problem” kids.  I actually requested her, so Erin was put in with them.  Not all of the kids were bad, but most of the bad ones were in there.  I didn’t know that that when I made the request for Mrs. Laney.

The Director of the school pulled me aside two weeks ago to tell me she was moving Erin and a couple of the other good kids out of the class.  She said the good kids were eager to learn and followed the rules, but were suffering because of the other kids were such discipline problems. So, Erin again has a new teacher, Ms. Karen. 

So far we really like Ms. Karen and I wished Erin was in her class from the beginning. I didn’t realize how much Erin was losing out by being in the class with the bad kids.  Apparently all of the teacher’s energy was being spent on keeping those kids under control.  We were just happy that Erin was on Green everyday and reaching Super Star status at least once a week that we didn’t realize how bad the class was.  We thought she was really doing well because she never complained about it.

We really would like Erin to have some continuity at the school so she can learn.  She’s like a little sponge and loves to experience new things and learn.  She is so creative and loves to do the art projects.  I can already see a difference in her in this class.  I pray that Erin gets to stay with Ms. Karen until she starts Kindergarten in August.  She needs the consistency that comes with stability.  She is a lot like her Daddy and likes things to stay the same and go smoothly. 

Finger’s cross Ms. Karen doesn’t bolt on us too!

My New Ice Cream Truck…

 

Well, it’s here.  I picked up my work van last week.  But, like everything with me, there is a story with it.  Nothing is ever easy, right?

I flew up on Wednesday and had to take a taxi to the Dallas Operations Center.  That never happens in the SF world, so it is a bit unusual for someone to roll up in a taxi.  I felt like the Beverly HIllbillies.  My friend Geoff was there to greet me.  He recently moved to that office and I hadn’t seen him in a while.  We arranged lunch and he was my tour guide for the day.

We got to Transportation and there was no one there.  I mean no one.  After waiting a little bit, a woman showed up.  She dug thru a bin and found my “packet”.  She handed it to me and that was that.  The only thing she asked was whether or not I was turning in another car.  I asked her a couple of questions and she had no answers.  So, we left.  The packet contained the keys, a toll tag, the registration and proof of insurance.  That was it.  No instruction, no nothing.

I got in the van and of course, it had no gas.  It only had 10 miles on it when I started it up so I assume they brought this parking lot full of fleet vans in on 18 wheelers.  I stopped at a Tom Thumb to fill up.  10 minutes later, I was still trying to figure out how to open the gas door.  It’s a Chevy, Chevy’s don’t have gas door latches… but they do.  I found the latch and attempted to use the company card to pump the gas.  It was in my packet with no instructions.  The stupid thing was asking for a zip code before it would let me access the card.  I tried my own since I technically work from home, then it occurred to me to try the Austin office zip code.  Luckily I knew it from giving out the address so many times.  It worked. 

I pulled out of downtown Dallas and got about 50 miles before a light on the dash came on.  I pulled over and got out the manual.  From what I could find, it was something with the brake system.  I called Transportation and of course my contact was gone for the day.  I talked to another guy who told me if the light was yellow it was okay to drive, but needed to get to the dealership soon. If it turned red, I needed to pull over and call a tow truck.  Great.  I headed home on a wing and a prayer.

Here is where I thank the boys on my team.  4 of them called to see how I was doing in the new ride and to check on me.  I talked to them and passed the time on the way home.  They are such nice guys.  I really, really like this team.  They all got a good laugh at the broken down brand new van I got.  I guess the new fleet really did go to the lowest bidder.

I played with the XM radio and navigation system.  When I tell you that, it makes it sound like this is a tricked out ride.  It’s not.  It has those 2 features and that is it for the bells and whistles.  It does have cruise, power locks and windows, but even the steering wheel doesn’t tilt!  You can tell it’s very much a work van.  There is a spot beside the driver’s seat for a clipboard!  It also only has 2 cup holders but plenty of spots to plug things in.  It also has USB ports in it.  Nifty.

There is a built in desk in the back that SF added.  It has 2 drawers and 2 racks that attach to the shelf on the desk.  The office chair is bolted to the floor but does move back and forth.  It’s got some sound protection on the walls but the ceiling is uncovered and the road noise makes it sound like I’m driving a Diet Dr. Pepper can down the road.

I took the van to the dealership the next day and had to leave it.  Turns out it was a sensor in the wheel.  They didn’t have the part there and had to order it since the van is so new.  It will be in next week.  Problem is that I have to take my van out for the day again and not schedule any appointments.  Inconvenient for sure.

The ladder rack was interesting.  It’s hydraulic and works very well.  I figured out how to use the handle and get the ladder rack down.  I loaded my 28 ft ladder on the driver’s side since I don’t use it often.  I wanted access to my 20 ft ladder from the curb so I put it on the right.  The ladder rack swings it down, but still not far enough for me.  I think it’s made for a 6 ft man and not a 5’7 woman.  So parking on the curb helps when I lift it off and gives me a little more height.  I manhandled it on there and managed to practice getting it off the rack.  But…. there are these spring loaded things at the top of the rack that I can’t figure out. 

Tommy and I spent 30 minutes in the driveway playing with this part of the rack.  Neither of us could make it work.  I went to Youtube and there was nothing.  I Googled it, nothing.  I called the name on the rack and they just put their name on it, they don’t make them.  She told me to call the manufacturer and she gave me their name.  Called and got a nice man.  He said there is no video or instructions on loading the ladder.  Nice.  People that use ladder racks apparently are born knowing how to use them.  I asked him about the spring loaded wicker-deals and he said he had no idea.  Great. 

The way Tom and I got the ladders up there I knew they weren’t coming off and that it was safe to drive.  I talked to the other Angela on my team yesterday and she said that you have to unbolt them and put them the height of your ladder and bolt them back down.  It’s supposed to give the ladder more security when you’re driving and I think it will cut down on the rattling.  Now I just have to climb up there to fix mine.  Good thing I have a ladder!!!

Here are some pics.  Daddy’s first comment when he saw it was how ugly it is.  He’s right.  I’m going to tint the front windows as soon as I can.  I don’t want neighbors knowing it’s me!  Thankfully, SF doesn’t wrap their vans or put magnets on them.   We cruise up in full on Chester the Molester van with no markings!

 

 

 

 

 

My New Van…

 

Our fleet of new vans are in at our Dallas office.  A friend of mine said it looks like an invasion.  There are hundreds of them in the parking lot.  They had to bring them in on 18 wheelers.  I fly up next Wednesday and drive it home.  I’ll get it all decked out and have more pictures next week, but wanted to give you a sneak peek.

It’s a fine ride.  First thing I’m doing is going to have the front windows tinted and going to buy 17 new pairs of huge sunglasses.  How embarrassing tooling around in that beast.  I look like I work for the cable company!

They sent me a fluorescent green vest and a traffic cone to use if I want when I’m parked and up on a roof.  No thanks.  My humiliation would be complete, but I’ll pass.

I guess it really could be worse and it could be wrapped in SF logos.  As it stands, we don’t advertise on our vehicles.  They’ll put a small SF sticker on the bumper and that will be it. 

Gee, I hope it has a back up beeper!  That would be awesome!

True Story…

 

Everyone knows I’m a dog kook.

I walked out to get in the van to go to work the other day and a Cocker Spaniel and a Bulldog ran up to me.  The Spaniel was freshly groomed but didn’t have a collar.  The Bulldog had on a collar but it didn’t have a tag.  They were obviously together and obviously someone’s dogs. 

Our street is a cul-de-sac with about 15 houses on it.  I used to know everyone but we’ve had new neighbors move into a couple of houses in the last year.  I thought maybe they belonged to them.  I walked the street with the dogs in tow.  No gates were open and no one answered when I rang the doorbells.

I went back to the house and the dogs lost interest in me.  They moved on up the street and I was going to let them go and was feeling super guilty about it.  I get in the van and start up the street.  About this time a pregnant lady with a baby in the car stops to put the dogs in the back of her minivan.  I thought she was the owner so I stopped to help her.  Turns out she saw them and just wanted to take them to her house to keep them safe.  She didn’t have room in the back of her van because of the stroller and doesn’t want to put them inside the van with her baby.  Great.  Can’t blame her, but great.  So, I roll down the windows in my van and back down my street calling the dogs the whole time.  They followed me down there and I put them in the backyard.

We have a neighborhood app and message board so I called my neighbor Leanne to see if she would put it on there since I was driving and already late.  I also called Craig to have him look to see if he could find anything and he did too.  I had my worker bees on it and the doggies were safe and sound in our backyard.  Mission partly accomplished.

It was now time to call Tommy.  The dreaded phone call.  I started the convo off by saying I knew he was going to kill me but… He took it like a champ and just sighed.  I could tell he was plenty pissed but he didn’t say anything except that I could not keep the dogs.  He said he didn’t want to own 4 dogs!  (Like I did!)  I promised him that they were someone’s dogs and that they would be gone by the end of the day.  He just sighed some more.

I checked throughout the day and no one had claimed the dogs and no one had called me.  When I got home I made some signs and put them up at the mailboxes in our section and one at the main entrance.  Nothing!  I started to get worried.  I knew that I could take them to the vet to see if they were micro-chipped but I really thought someone would notice that these expensive dogs were missing!!!  

This is where Karma bit me in the butt. 

I couldn’t let Scooby and Mae out in the backyard so I had to put the leash on them and take them to the front yard.  I was standing there with Scooby when he gets tangled up in the garbage can at the curb.  I went one way and he went the other.  Next thing I know, his collar slips over his head and he’s running up the street.  I know better than to try to chase after him on foot because the dude is super fast.  I grabbed the keys to my work van and took off after him.  I was seriously in tears at this point.

After driving the neighborhood while crying for 30 minutes in the rain, I gave up and headed back to the house.  I had left the garage door up and there he was.  He was standing at the backdoor ready to go inside.  I couldn’t tell you how thrilled I was to have my faith in the universe restored.  Saving someone else’s dogs only to lose one of mine just didn’t seem fair!

Thankfully, while I was laying down with Erin the owner called.  He had gotten home late and found that the dogs were gone.  The FedEx guy had put a package in his backyard and left the gate open and the dogs got out.  Tommy helped him load the dogs and he was very thankful and appreciative that I had kept them safe.  He told Tommy he couldn’t believe they let me get close to them and that he was a Mustang buff and that the dogs were named Shelby and Rausch.  He said the Bulldog barks and won’t get close to people and the Cocker Spaniel runs.  I told Tommy they were both on me like white on rice and I didn’t have the least bit of trouble coaxing them into the backyard.

The man also told Tommy that the Bulldog was worth about $2,000!  Crazy.  I would have at least had a tag on a dog worth two grand.  The little Cocker was a chocolate female so I’m betting she was worth $700 or $800 hundred.  All in all, they were expensive well taken care of dogs that were running in front of cars and cruising the hood.

I feel good about helping them and will probably do it again with the next stray I find.  The one thing I ask is that next time I save dogs I hope it’s on a nice sunny day.  The two times I’ve done this it’s been raining and I’ve gotten soaked.