I know I've got to do better than this.........this once in a blue moon updating!

So, some blogs I stalk are updated daily, I'm lucky if I get to mine monthly!! But I'll try to do better! REALLY! So much has happened since my last entry. The Scrap Etc. Event was AWESOME. I have so much fun and met tons of wonderful ladies. Sadly, I wasn't smart enough to get email addresses for them all. Some aren't on the Scrap Etc. Message Board. So I'll have to work on tracking them down. The classes were amazing and I learned so much - I learned that my camera may actually take really great pictures if I learned how to use it! I learned that the Crop-a-Dile will punch holes in a clipboard. I learned that I'm not the only person who has a creative link to music. It seems like many of the teachers pulled music into the 'lessons'. They picked songs that spoke to them, and in turn, spoke to me. So, now I don't feel like such a geek for loving music so much!!! I just can't help it. It's why I worked in a music store for as long as I could - I simply loved it. I only wish I had been scrapbooking way back then - or at least taking pictures of our store, which I loved and the group of people I worked with!! Lots of creativity I could have documented!


ANYWAY - the event was really great. I'm almost finished with most of my projects. I'm hoping to finish up a few today and get them posted on Scrap Etc. and The Paperplace Scrapbooking Community Board, and probably here too. I was very excited to step out of my normal 'sweet and sugary' scrapping and do something really scrapalicious - totally different than my normal stuff. And it was wonderful to be in a place, surrounded by people who totally 100% get this hobby, this passion. I *LOVE* to scrapbook! And they did too, so they understood why I would take pictures of the decorations, or the flowers on our table, because they were doing the same! NO KIDDING! I got some great free goodies while I was there too and that's always a nice bonus!!!

The ONLY bad thing about the event is we had car trouble on the way. Originally, Jason and Cole were staying behind and I was trekking out on my own. I had my book on CD ready to go and everything. Jason changed his mind and decided they would come along. I was so glad! Who wants to drive four+ hours by themselves, at night? Not me, really! The last time I made a trip that far or farther by myself, I was following the ambulance that was transporting Cole to St Jude in Memphis! Not a great memory really! So we headed out Thursday afternoon and got about 20 miles outside of Mobile and the SERVICE ENGINE SOON light came on! We KNEW! You know - sometimes you just KNOW! We've had repeated transmission problems with this van. Sadly though, it was the van of my dreams. YES, I actually had dreams of this van! :) Well, not really, but it was exactly what I wanted. We bought it at the very last minute before we took off for Memphis. We don't think the dealership even checked this thing out - it had not even been detailed yet! SERIOUSLY! So, after being in Memphis a month or so, something went wrong, can't remember what though. Then in June (on Father's Day) the transmission just went out - flat out, not even drivable at all. So we end up with a new transmission. Now, less than six months ago, we saw that wonderful little LIGHT again and found out some sensors in the transmission had gone out. We went through a friendly family mechanic and he sent it on to his transmission guy and it was fixed. So now, we're thinking - what's next?? COME ON transmission gods - help us out. In the meantime, we get off the interstate and hope to find some mechanic still open after 5:00pm because it is now 5:06pm! We find one - and what a catch he was!!! I can't even tell you how attractive his 'plumbers pants' were and how much the local doggie enjoyed it as well! That's another story though! He hooks it up and checks the codes and says, yep it's the transmission (in a very Mator voice - you know from Cars). He also says he doesn't know exactly WHAT it is, but he wouldn't drive it. FABULOUS! At this point, I'm thinking - no classes, no door prizes, no scrap goodies, no meeting the ladies I've been chatting online with for months now - NOTHING BUT A BROKEN VAN! Well, we make calls, figure things out and FINALLY get a rental car. We leave Mobile around 8:00pm - four hours LATE!

So, after THE EVENT, we get home and get the van to a REAL transmission shop and he says - it's the transmission! Now, THAT was news to us, right? ;) So we, or shall I say Jason, decided to stop and have a chat with someone, anyone, at the dealership where the 'dream' van (AKA the demon van) came from. They will look at it for no charge and tell us what's wrong! So, it's official the transmission is OUT! We were probably lucky it didn't have to be towed anywhere I think. It wouldn't shift about 2nd gear I think. Crazy stuff huh? So At the end of the week, we end up with this............................. So, now we have a warranty and nothing will go wrong, because that's what happens right? If you get a warranty that covers all kinds of stuff - none of that will break. So HOPEFULLY we will have THIS van until it literally falls apart from OLD AGE, not mechanical problems! It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the OLD DEMON VAN but I will GLADLY give those up for this shiny thing that has a transmission that works! and a warranty that covers that transmission. I mean all I really need is a safe way to transport my child anywhere he wants to go, while packing the car with all we need for every trip we take, and a cd player for Kenny! And that's what we have! Although there are some questions up in the air about whether or not Kenny is aloud to be stuck on my window again. I am not questioning - Jason is. I get the feeling he isn't really a huge Kenny fan, he's more of a Kenny tolerator. But, Monday is Kenny's birthday and I feel as though it is only appropriate to celebrate it by putting his pretty window cling on this shiny new van! :)

Well, I'm sure you are bored now - so that's all from me.

lisa

oh and as a PS - i DO spellcheck but I don't reread for grammar - so sorry if I mess anything up. But as I was spellchecking - I discovered that 'scrapbooking' is not in the spellchecking world as a word - every place I've done a spellcheck, it says it's wrong. I think the scrapbookers of the world need to take care of this and call up Webster and let him know we're angry about this. IT'S A WORD - CHECK IT!

EDITTED TO ADD: The song playing (or video rather) was played during one of the Scrap Etc. classes - I had never heard it before (I'm a country girl - forgive me) but I loved it - so here it is - I hope you listen to the words and love it too! and the photos are now here!