Don't think that's supposed to be smoking...

Earlier this morning I was thinking "hmm nothing too interesting has happened lately and I don't really have anything to blog about."  So the Future verbalized an evil chuckle and rubbed it's hands together and made fire!!!! 
But I'm getting ahead of myself, so let's start at the beginning shall we?
I got a call yesterday that an Astro guy was coming by at 1:30pm to complete our termite bonding for the year.  This means they just poke around outside your house and then shine a flashlight inside your house and make sure that you don't have termites.  And then I hand them a check and if on the off chance I should one day have a termite problem, they would pay to fix it.  Probably not going to happen but this worry wart thinks it's worth the peace of mind. 
So I'm sitting at home, eating lunch and waiting on the Astro man, and "ding dong" goes the doorbell.  (this will become important in a minute)  So I go and talk to the Astro man who tells me he's going to start outside.  I say no problem, and head back inside to finish eating.  And then I hear it.  A buzzing sound.  Anyone that knows me knows that I am easily annoyed by repetitive sounds like buzzing, ringing, etc.  I mute the tv for a minute and realize the sound is coming from the doorbell box on the living room wall. The cover had fallen off a couple of weeks ago, so I assume that we had not put the cover back on well enough and the vibration of the bell was causing the metal cover to buzz.  So I grab the step stool and push the cover...still buzzing.  I tap it a couple of times to see if that helps...still buzzing.  So I decide to just pull the cover off, and boy am I glad I did!  Within a few seconds this horrible smell like burning tar hits me and I see a stream of smoke coming off where the wires are connected.  And then I realize, holy crap this thing is about to catch on fire!!!!  I also quickly realize that I am not tall enough to do anything about the wires and run outside to ask the Astro guy to come inside and help me.  I run to the breaker box in our bedroom and (of course!) the breakers are mislabeled.  After a couple of tries I find the correct breaker and the Astro guy unscrews the wires that are smoking.  He apologizes to me over and over and vowes that he will never again touch a doorbell and I keep trying to tell him it's not his fault!   

The offending unit

At this point I'm afraid that there had been sparks on the other side of the wall which could cause a fire and I wouldn't realize it and go back to work and my house would burn down.  So we both decide that it's probably best for me to call the Fire Department.  And no, I didn't go all nuts and call 911, I just calmly called the regular number.  So they send some guys out to check out the situation.  The firefighters do a little inspecting and can feel that even 10 minutes later, the metal and plastic on the panel in the living room are still very hot to the touch.  One of the guys inspects the doorbell button outside and discovers that there is corrosion around the actual button, causing it to stay pushed in, instead of popping back out.  Apparently the transformers for doorbells are only rated to receive rapid fire electrical currents, and the button staying pushed in was causing a steady current of electricity.  That amount of electricity was melting the plastic around the wires and making it smoke.  I just kept thinking about what could have happened if I had not been home when someone rang the doorbell.  It could've caused some serious damage!  

The offending doorbell button

So at the moment, we have the wires pulled out and taped and are keeping that breaker turned off.  We're also going to get an electrician to come and do a run through of our house to make sure that there are no real electrical problems.  So yeah, I will never think again about nothing exciting happening and just be glad when life is routine!

What Remains

I know it's pretty rare that I share some deep things here on this blog, but I was struck with such a simple thing yesterday, that I felt the need to share. 
I was outside yesterday, cleaning my truck, and enjoying the fall weather.  I've had my Red Ranger since I was 16.  My parents bought it for me from my grandmother after my grandfather passed away when I was 15.  My grandfather loved that little red truck and kept it in pristine condition.  Pretty much everything in my grandfather's possession was kept in pristine condition.  He was so organized and intelligent and knew the value in hard work and taking care of what you had.   I strive to be like him in that respect, and hope he genetically passed down to me not just his love for reading, but his love for being responsible and respectful of not just things, but in his relationships with people as well. 
I still remember the last time I heard his laugh.  It was a couple of weeks before he passed away, I was 15, as mentioned earlier, and was learning to drive a stick shift.  I reenacted a rather hilarious scene involving me, an ornery stick shift truck of my dad's, and an eventful trip down our driveway.  I think I was even pretty accurate in my sounds that poor truck made in my rendition of the events.  Even though I'm sure he physically felt horrible, he still laughed at my preteen dramatics, and that warmed my heart.  When I think about that day, and his laugh, I miss him so much it hurts. 
So today while I was washing my truck, I noticed to my dismay, that the remnants of his Georgia "G" logo that he put on the back window of that truck all those years ago was washing away with each swipe of my towel.  I'm not going to lie, I got a couple of tears in my eyes when I saw that happening.  He was always such a huge Georgia fan, and I knew it would have made him proud to see me graduate from his favorite University.  As I washed away the last few flakes of white logo yesterday, I noticed a peculiar thing happening as the window was drying.  Although the physical logo was gone, the water was parting around a permanent G left in the reflection of the window. 

(Please excuse my white legs)

 I don't know if it was leftover adhesive, or a just a fading in the window tinting, but regardless, it got me thinking.  Aren't our lives supposed to be that way?  When we leave this earth, our physical bodies or emblems might be gone, but we should strive to leave a permanent mark like that.  I know it probably sounds like a cliche analogy, but in that moment I had a flood of memories of my grandfather.  Of the lessons he taught me and the love I felt for him.  So forevermore, that G will stand for my Grandaddy.  For a Godly, gracious, giving man who left an impression on the lives of everyone around him.  And I pray every day that my life will leave a permanent mark, that I will imprint those around me with Godly traits and memories of kindness and love. 

Pins and Picks

You know the observation that women leave bobby pins everywhere?  Well I pretty much embody that fact, and at any time there is a pretty good chance that I have a bobby pin within arms length.  Well, I think I have found the male equivalent to bobby pin droppage, at least for my husband. 
Guitar picks:

This one somehow wound up in the garage.  My favorite is when I find them in the dryer, right alongside my bobby pins.  
And why yes, those are my cute rain boots.  It was raining outside today. :)
Was it raining where you live?

iPhone humor

As some of you may know, Apple just released info about their new iPhone 5.  Here's a pretty funny video that comedian Jimmy Kimmel made where he asked people their opinion on the iPhone 5, little do they know they're looking at the older version, iPhone 4s. 

Smart as a Skink

The past couple of weeks at night, when I'm in the bathroom taking a shower or just brushing my teeth, I have a little company.  This guy:

It's a little skink!  And he's a pretty smart little reptile.  He sits on the other side of this window and catches the bugs that smack in to it while flying towards the light.  When lizards are babies like this, they're almost transparent and you can see a dark spot on his stomach as it gets full of bugs. 

He started hanging out at the window at night when he was about an inch long.  He's now around 3 inches long and growing every day!  I'll try to post pictures of him every now and then as he gets bigger. :)  Hope everyone is having a good week!

Grandparent's Day

So yesterday was Grandparents Day, and since Husband and I weren't able to see our grandparents in person, I thought I'd post some favorite pictures of our grandparents!  Enjoy the picture overload!

My family!

My great-grandparents Smith.  I'm the little brown headed one on my sister Allie's lap.

Me, my great grandfather Radford, and Allie

 Allie, Me, MawMaw (Dad's mom)

Nannie (Mom's mom) and me

Grandaddy (Dad's dad) Allie and me

PawPaw (mom's dad), Mom, Me, and Allie

Me, Allie, and our grandparents!

 Everyone plus my parents!

 And now for Husband's family!!!

Timothy's grandad (mom's dad)

Timothy's grandmother (mom's mom)

Timothy's grandmother (dad's mom)  and Aunt Alice

Timothy's grandmother and grandfather (dad's mom and dad)

Morimo moss ball

Soooo....as many of you guys know, Pinterest can be a definite time suck.  In addition to that, it can make you want to buy a whole new wardrobe, remodel your house, or get that 6 pack you haven't seen since high school.  Well, late one night a couple of weeks ago, Pinterest struck again.  I saw this cute little picture of a little ball of water with a teeny ball of moss in it. 

Photo courtesy of PinkSerissa's Etsy Store

 Loving all things aquatic and all things flora, I was instantly intrigued.  Of course the link did not actually take me to a website where I could purchase my own like moss aquarium, so I went to the next best website that I thought would have such an odd item for purchase.  Etsy!  And sister, I was right!  There were all kinds of moss aquariums!!! 
According to PinkSerissa's Etsy Store, this is the story behind Morimo Moss Balls:

"Marimo, literally “ball seaweed”, also known as Japanese Moss Ball, is a rare species of green algae, growing into large green balls with a velvety appearance and are found naturally in a number of lakes in the world. The round shape of the Marimo is maintained by gentle wave action.
The growth rate of a Marimo is only about 5mm per year. It is said that they can live for up to 200 years, which makes them an ideal family heirloom.
In Japan at Lake Akan a great effort is spent on the conservation of the lake balls. In 1920 they were declared a Japanese Natural Treasure and in 1950 the first of the annual Marimo Festival was celebrated.
They are compared to the Earth in being green and round and in their need to rotate in order to receive light on all sides.
The Japanese believe that Marimo will bring good luck and see it as a symbol of everlasting love. It is also said that taking excellent care of your pet Marimo will make all your wishes come true."

 
A family heirloom?!?  Make my wishes come true?!  I was sold...
I showed this new discovery to Husband, thinking he'd just roll his eyes like he usually does when I get excited about plants, but to my surprise he said "oh that's kind of cool!"  Which in Julie Anna language translates to "I give you full approval and encouragement to buy said item."  And buy it I did! 
Meet my Morimo Moss Ball!

Is it weird that a little ball of algae would make me so darn happy?  Probably.  Oh well, nothing wrong with finding joy in the little things!  :)  Happy weekend ya'll!

Labor Day Weekend

I had a very successful Labor Day weekend, and hope you guys did as well!  I jokingly told my mom that the theme of the weekend was definitely food!  :)
It started out with my usual "drive up to Atlanta food," Taco Bell.  Right before I ordered my food I had been texting my old roommate Joy, the one who made me go inside the restaurant in my robe.  She used to always get the Caramel Apple Empanada's, so I decided I should try one this time.  Well, let me tell you friends...this little sucker got himself a name change that night.  I shall now, and forevermore refer to them as Nepalm Empanadas.

 You see, these things trick you.  The first couple of bites are just delightful, wonderful crispy dough with just a little bit of apple filling.  But then you get about halfway down and realize that gravity has left you a very cruel and very hot surprise.  Because buddy, the filling that has all pooled in the bottom is at about 500 degrees.  This discovery led to a scorched lip and a huge blob of apple filling falling all on my dress. Fail.  I waited like 20 minutes before I tried to eat the rest, and it was still too hot!  Just tragic!  If I didn't love Taco Bell so much I might consider suing like that lady did after her McDonald's coffee incident (I wouldn't really, but she is now rich, and I just have a burnt lip).
But anyways, I digress!

Saturday morning was sausage and homemade pancakes before my parents headed to a wedding.  I was able to relax a little at home and then go shopping a bit at the outlet mall before I met my grandparents and parents at Olive Garden for dinner.  It was so delicious and we all stuffed ourselves.

That night, Nannie and PawPaw had invited me to spend the night with them, so we all headed to their house to watch some football before bed.  Me, my sister, and grandparents have always had a tradition at Nan and Paw's house of a little snack picnic on the floor when we spend the night.  Although we were all stuffed from Olive Garden, we still had our little snack.  And it was delicious!  We were just missing my sister!

 After my parents headed home me and Nannie looked through some books that have our genealogy in them.  The books were neat, they were compiled by the county in North Carolina where my grandmother grew up and were pretty thorough!  It was neat looking through the pictures and reading about my family.  One of my goals this year is to do a family tree, and Nannie is going to help me do it.  We got a pretty good head start, I'd say!

Sunday morning we were all heathens and skipped church to have a huge brunch together at my grandparent's house.  It really reinforced the theme of the weekend. :)  We all gobbled the food up before I thought to take a picture.

Sunday afternoon me and mom went shopping a little more and found some great deals.  We headed home to a steak dinner cooked by my awesome father.  Budgie the cat helped a little too.

 

Nannie and PawPaw came over again and we got to have our third meal of the weekend together.  It was great to be able to spend so much time with everyone.  Before we ate our food, we each got to drive my PawPaw's 1965 Mustang that he just got finished restoring.  It is such a pretty car!  I was a tad bit afraid to go fast, but neither my mom nor dad had the same inhibition it seemed!  The engine is so loud it makes you feel like you're going faster!  

Monday afternoon Dad wasn't feeling well and I needed to head back south, just a sad day all around!  The drive back was pretty uneventful and I returned home to a freshly mowed lawn and vacuumed house, courtesy of my cute Husband!  Like I said, a very successful weekend!