Category: July 2008

So needless to say hubby and I are trying to paint the kitchen before our summer party.  The color is “Summer Pudding”.  Basically – cranberry.  Anyways I went to Lowe’s to pick up the paint and figured that I would get a new doorbell and doorbell buttons to go to the front and back door.  How difficult can this be?  Yeah, well I didn’t think so either.

We cut the power to the house as they suggest in the directions.  It took all of 15 minutes to change the doorbell and two buttons.  Hubby went to turn on the main circuit breaker to the house – nothing.  We later find out that the main one should not be turned on and off in the older versions.

It was broken and it was Sunday.  Never a good situation to have to call an electrician.  After going to the store to get bags of ice to make sure the food in the fridge doesn’t go bad we feverishly make phone calls to any 24-hour electrician that we can find.  In the meantime my father is trying to get a hold of a friend that it an electrician.

“Mr. Electric” was the first to call back.   The story gets worse from here. 

“Yup it’s broken he said and it will be anywhere between $500 – $1200 to fix.”  He said but with a smile that you could hear through the phone lines.

As I was hyperventilating the phone rings and my dad says that Kevin will be back in the area in about an hour and a half.  I was slightly relieved in that I knew he was good as well as reasonable.

Walker says, “Mommy,  I can’t turn the T.V. on right?”

“Nope.”

I don’t think the house has been that quiet since before children.  Besides the fact that it was potentially a financial nightmare I was enjoying the quiet.

Kevin shows about a few hours later replaces the breaker switch in about 15 minutes and says, “Okay the part of $25 and for my time and gas how about $60.”  I could have kissed the ground he walked on.

So forget about knowing people in high places – make friends with an electrician. 

Recap

Having your electricity go out… alarming

Having it go out on a Sunday… expensive

Having a friend that knows what he is doing and is willing to fix it on a Sunday for a minimal price… priceless

Okay so maybe some of you have been wondering what is going on.  Things have been pretty hectic in the Harrigan Household to say the least.  My husband and I plan a party for neighbors and friends once a year.  As many summer picnics and outings are planned for the entire family we plan ours for just the adults.  We even get a babysitter for our kids.  I love my kids but we all need adult time.  Planning this party takes alot of time and preparation. 

So needless to say we took vacation time to try and get some of the projects completed.  Imagine this a week of rain, two little ones inside all week.  The kids were driving each other crazy as well as us.  We didn’t get through all our projects because most of them consisted of painting something inside or out. 

Before my vacation Walker had a situation at camp that even today gets me so upset that it is difficult to discuss.  That was the start of the vacation so you know it wasn’t starting very well.

We got through (and actually survived) vacation.  Rich and I haven’t been on an actual vacation since our honeymoon almost ten years ago.  There always seems to be something that needs to be done around the house not to mention the money it takes to go somewhere these days.

So if I haven’t blogged in awhile it is due to lack of time and when there is time … there is no energy.