Frog and Goat

The other day someone called me and started off the conversation with “I know you know all the good places to eat in Richmond” and then the conversation ended with think up some restaurants in this specific area of Richmond that serve a late lunch, is something different than what we would normally do and (unsaid, but true) it can’t be expensive or too far into the city because OH MY GOD we don’t drive in the city and how on earth would we park on the street?

So, I gave it some serious thought and expanded the search a little because the specific area is at a mall and there’s nothing but chain restaurants in the immediate surrounding area. I looked on some websites to double-check lunch availability and I thought about price and I thought about parking lots. Then I sent an email with restaurant websites of about five suggestions. My criteria and list were:
A) interesting
B) not a muther-effin’ chain
C) a little different from their usual pattern of eating (see B above)
D) not expensive
E) off-street parking

I got an email back today. They went to Olive Garden. I banged my head against the wall.

We woke up this morning without electricity. We have no idea why not, but we assume it’s because the power company can’t handle the demand at 6am in 16 degree weather. Yeah, because they are a power company and demand doesn’t increase in the winter. I’m guessing we were without for three solid hours.

We found out our generator can’t run the heat strips of our HVAC system which is a real pain in the butt. We already knew it wouldn’t run the AC as witnessed by our several day camp-out last June. The better-half built a fire this morning and even though I don’t like waking up without power, I did like having a fire through the morning.

I will say when it is cold outside we find out how poorly insulated our house is. There are many things we like about our house and many things that we despise. One of those things is the CHEAP-ASS BASTARD who built the house. Seriously, from the septic system that had to flow up hill, to the broken seals on windows (yes, they broke those before the people before us moved in. And, yes, no one has fixed them.) to the lack of insulation (or at least inferior R-values) there’s just so much slipshod around here that it ticks us off sometimes. Today I was on the floor in front of the stove and cold air was pouring in from somewhere. No idea where it was coming from because we actually know that area is sealed. Perhaps there’s a big hole behind one of the cabinets. Seems likely.

I know the builder isn’t the only one to blame. Apparently, the county’s building inspectors during the late 90s were high on the same crack pipe as the builders. I can only hope now that every Tom, Dick and Harry can’t get a loan and houses aren’t popping up like mushrooms that someone will think back to when houses were built with pride. Maybe I’m smoking the crack pipe too, but a girl can dream.

I interviewed with a college on 7/13/12. I received an email last night telling me I hadn’t been selected for the job. No shit. After six months of hearing nothing else from them, I figured that out myself.

In 2004 we bought all new appliances before we moved into this house (Jan ’05). Those appliances were the dishwasher, microwave, stove, refrigerator, washer and dryer.

We have had the following repaired: dishwasher, refrigerator and now the stove. The upper oven’s upper element has welded itself broken. That means no broiling and no toasting until sometime next week. It’s time to get the cheap toaster oven out of the attic.

REALLY!? That’s 1/2 of all the appliances have crapped out in some way in the last nine years. Even though that’s not 90%, the title of this post is the phrase we use around our house and it’s close enough when every repair starts off at $84 just to have the guy show up to tell us something is broken.