Up To My Eyeballs

I seem to be up to my eyeballs in trying to keep the denizens of Maison Cou Rouge on track. Between school regional literary competition, school fine arts dinner and performance, and Grumpy Guy's businesses, I have precious little time to do all the normal things that a Senior Domestic Advisor/Home Executive/Goddess needs to do.

We are all very proud of Boy, who placed second in the International Extemporaneous Speaking at literary, and heads off today to compete in the state competition. He drew the topic "Should the US be responsible for Iraqi refugee relief?" He had 30 minutes to prepare a 7 minute speech without using notes. I'm so glad he got the gift of gab from his father!!

And proud of Girl, who danced and played piano at the annual fine arts dinner/fundraiser.

She was also Brentwood's piano alternate for literary competition, and enjoyed the day away from school and getting to watch Boy's speech.

In between the two, Girl and I got to travel to Macon to get travel shots---let me tell you how much we both enjoyed that! She is spending her spring break with some of the local Methodist youth group on a work trip to Nicaragua. I hate to use the word "mission trip" because it sounds so- well- zealous to this lapse Episcopalian. They are going down to work with El Ayudante, an organization dedicated to providing humitarian and spiritual aid to the people of Nicaragua.


So, off we went to get Hepatitis and Typhoid immunizations. I got them as well, as I am leaving in 11 days on a trip with my mom to Asia. I probably don't need them, as we will be on a cruise ship, but misery loves company, as they say, and I joined in the misery. Only 2 more rounds of the hepatitis shots to go....joy.


While all this has been going on, Grumpy Guy built-and I mean built- a stereo system from scratch for Boy. Seems Dad decided that Boy needs tunes when he goes camping with his buddies, and that simply opening the truck door or rolling down a window isn't sufficient. So he built this:


Yes, there was much cursing involved. soldering wires, cutting out base pieces, ordering of parts not available locally. I even helped, having the patience necessary to get the vinyl to smoothly adhere to the wood base.

Lo and behold, the sucker works..... And now Boy can party in a pasture with a system that can be carried (ok, it' s heavy -about 50 pounds) anywhere, runs off the truck's power or by a portable battery, and can be heard for miles around. He can listen to a Georgia football game over the radio, pop in a cd or plug in his ipod. Just what every teenage redneck needs.


It is a work of art! No, we are not taking orders.