(Not Quite a) Vacation

Well, this week they were moving the servers at Jared's work, and there wasn't much he could do while they were down. In addition to that, he's got vacation time coming out his ears and will start to lose vacation days if he didn't take some. So, he spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday home with us. I kept thinking we could go do something fun as a family, but, as Jared's a glutton for punishment, he decided to tackle a bunch of undone home-improvement projects instead! What a trooper. He spent a couple of days fixing up our stairs in the front of our house. He put in edging, piled up dirt and bark, and finished the flagstones (It looks really good - I'd post a pic, but I don't have a camera!). After that, he took on the toilet. Someone accidentally flushed the toilet paper holder down the toilet in the master bathroom. Consequently, it's been out of commission for about a month now. After trying his hand with Jeff and Michelle's toilet auger without any luck, Jared determined the toilet would need to be taken off. I have to admit, I don't mind that I wasn't around for this part! All I know was that I returned home and my toilet was working again! I proclaimed Jared my hero. Yesterday we went out to his parents' new house in Saratoga Springs, and Jared monkeyed around with their wiring for a while, trying to get their internet jacks working. He didn't fix the whole thing, but he did rig up a workable solution for them for the time being. The kids and I had a good time playing, visiting, eating apples fresh from the tree, and helping out just a little bit. It's so fun to have them so close now! Once we got home, Jared had to go out to work to help them set up the new servers, then he was finally able to come home and put together his own new, improved computer. I'm most excited about the DVD burner - I intend to back up all of our DVDs, since several of them have already crossed the path of Adam and no longer work!

I am ashamed to admit, I haven't worked nearly as hard as Jared the last few days. In fact, I need to spend today playing catch-up to get all the neglected housework done. The highlight of my week has to be the Guster concert. I was a little dismayed to find the concert was moved from UVSC to In the Venue (up in SLC, near the Gateway). However, I'm glad it was, because I think I got to be much closer to the band that way! I danced my heart out, sang along with almost every song, and left without a voice. Sometimes it's fun to forget you're a mom with 2 kids at home! The show was great - their songs sound even better live than on the album, I think. They had a great rapport with the audience, and I've had Guster in my head ever since. Definitely in my top 5 bands. If you haven't heard them, check them out. If you have, listen to them some more! And definitely DON'T make the mistake of saying "I've heard their songs on the radio, and I don't like them that much." I don't know why it is, but most of their singles are my least favorite of their songs. So, give them a try. You'll be glad you did.