Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

The Gallery Pics are from our annual Cousin Get-Together. This year we had a "P" Party! Papa John's Pizza by the Pool... Pajamas... Pepsi and Dr. Pepper... Popcorn... Pictionary... and some of my favorite Peeps! (And look what Papa John's put in our pizza box! A Pepper!) We had a really fun evening, and since this is the third year in a row we've had a Cousin Get-Together, it is now officially a Tradition!

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! - Beginning next Monday (July 26) and ending Friday (July 30), A Simple Life will be on location! That's right. I'll be blogging from the beautiful white sand beaches of Sandestin... during Tropical Storm Bonnie. But that's neither here nor there. The fact is we didn't know we were going to be able to tag along with Mikie on his business trip, and last week we found out it was indeed a possibility. And now we are going on an unexpected beach trip!

And since everyone sleeps late at the beach, I decided I would just take the computer and keep you updated on the comings and goings of the Faulkner Five during the trip.

This is unprecedented, folks. Another first for A Simple Life! Join me next week as I (along with meteorologists everywhere) report from the beautiful, rainy beaches of Sandestin!

RANDOMNESS - In lieu of a NEW story, I've borrowed one from last July when the kids and I drove to Sandestin to meet Mikie. I love this story because it showcases my excellent parenting skills. NOT!

We were headed to the beach to meet Mikie in the Big Gold Van when I spied what I now believe was a steel cable in the middle of the road. When I first saw the cable, it looked more like a harmless shiny jump rope. I centered it with the van, and we all heard and felt the impact of metal on metal. I asked Roxie to watch out the back window to make sure I hadn't punctured something beneath the van and some kind of useful "van" liquid wasn't pouring out. No liquid. Everything seemed okay. We drove for another 15 to 20 minutes to the Greenville Exit. (Time for a potty break, you know.)

Once on the exit ramp, I sat at a red light for a few seconds and then turned left to drive to the McDonald's across the bridge. It took all of two seconds for me to realize we had a very flat tire. I slowed to one mile per hour and pulled into a gas station (whose name I didn't recognize). We found the flat tire in question. This led me to believe the steel cable in the middle of the road had made contact with more than just the bottom of the big gold van. I called Mikie and Austin began to get the jack and accessories out of our Big Gold Van Tire Changing Bag. While he started the tire changing process, Mikie told me to see if there was anyone (meaning "tire changing company") who would change it for me since we have insurance. Austin would probably have been able to change it, but it was different from anything he had worked on before. (I'm going to have to start calling it the Big OLD Gold Van. Because of it's advanced age, everything about it is a "little" different from other vehicles... including tire changing paraphernalia.)

I left the kids working on the van and went inside to ask for some phone numbers. Lisa, the girl behind the counter, was very helpful and after six calls found an actual person willing to help me. She handed me the phone. After I explained the situation, the woman on the other end said, "Well, we'll see what we can do," and I could tell as far as she was concerned it was the end of the conversation.

"Whoa, whoa! What does that mean exactly?" I asked. (I wasn't being rude when I yelled "Whoa, whoa!" I was just trying to stop her before she hung up.)

"It means someone will be there within 20 minutes," she huffed.

"Huff away, Lady," I thought to myself. "We'll see what we can do" and "Someone will be there within 20 minutes" are definitely two VERY DIFFERENT THINGS!

It was at the end of the phone conversation I looked out the window of the gas station to see not two, but all three of my children engaged in a loud argument. Now usually, I don't talk about such things... because talking about such things would mean they really happen... and that would mean that my children aren't perfect... and that would mean I wasn't the perfect mother. But there were many witnesses, so I feel I must confess... my children aren't perfect... and it isn't my fault I'm not a perfect mother. I've had to work with what the good Lord gave me.

I couldn't hear what they were saying, but the body language was definitely there. Roxie had both hands on her hips, and she was leaning forward, and her pony-tail was flipping so hard it looked like it had a life of it's own. Austin and Josh stood "discussing" the best way to proceed, but each was holding a large metal crowbar-type tire-changing tool, and I knew one bonk on the head or poke in the chest with one of those things would cause us an even longer delay as an emergency room visit would probably be required.

So I did what any perfect mother of imperfect children would do in the same situation... I went outside, gave Austin my debit card and told all of them to walk to the McDonald's and get whatever they wanted. (REMINDER: My kids are 18, 15 and 12. I would not have settled this problem in the same manner if they had been 10, 7 and 4. Just wanted to make sure new readers didn't think I had totally lost my mind. Old readers know I have. New readers might still be under the impression I have a mind to lose!)

Long story short, the kids made it across two major highways to McDonald's and the man came to fix my tire within ten minutes... not 20. And he was a great guy. Very professional and fast. His name was Derrick. And when I asked him if the spare was safe to travel on, he answered the question exactly how I wanted him to answer. "The tire is very safe. I would have no problem with my wife driving to the beach on that tire." Of course, I'm assuming Derrick had a good relationship with his wife, but that would be another story!

I drove to McDonald's and picked up my now-happy, non-fighting children and off to the beach we went... again.

I hope our trip down THIS YEAR is a little more uneventful!

Weekend Happenings

Tonight, Roxie and I will be participating in the Pink Ribbon Run being held at the Gardendale Soccer Complex. My friend, Tonya Brown, has worked long and hard to organize this event. Roxie is a Team Captain and has 12 people walking/running on her Team. (I'm one of Roxie's walkers!)

If you're interested in participating, check-in begins at 5:30, the 1 Mile Fun Run begins at 6:10 and the 5K Walk starts at 6:30. There will be live music, concessions, a Balloon Release and REAL BATHROOMS (very, very important).

Roxie and I have never done anything like this before, so we're looking forward to a new life experience!

I think the rest of the weekend will be spent getting ready for the beach trip, and doing this and that with family and friends. Austin, Josh and Roxie all have some "definite" plans. However, Mike and I will be a little more "go with the flow" since I try not to plan anything too big before a trip. Repeat after me... "Stress is not my friend!"

I hope you and yours have a wonderful, safe, fun, memory-filled weekend. I'll be posting photos today, Saturday and Sunday on Project 365 (as always). Beginning Monday, I'll be sharing BEACH parties, BEACH recipes, BEACH traditions, BEACH dates, etc., etc. I think you get the idea!

Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday!

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda