Not a good Scene

As we've all heard - Colorado is battling several wildfires. One near our beloved Colorado Springs. Too bad we can't send them some of the monsoon-like rains we've been having. Stay safe, dear friends-

Whatcha got Cookin?

We're running on an upside down schedule around here (the odd schedule and lack of sleep feels like we have a newborn). Scott & Sten are servicing toilets every night at the Trials from 9:30pm - 2am. When they return (to the motorhome on site), they are starving - so we have been having "dinner" at 2am. The new recipe I tried last night (er, this morning) is simple and delicious - I had to share. It's called "man pleasing chicken" - and it certainly lived up to it's name - YUM!

1 1/2 lbs of chicken (calls for thighs but (blech) I can't stand thighs)
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 T rice wine vinegar

I chose to cook in a skillet - but the oven instructions are to bake at 450 for 40 minutes. The sauce gets carmelized and crispy - will definitely make again.

New Door Stickers

It's not ideal to be installing stickers at the event, but that was our only option yesterday. We had overnight guests at our house and they were roped in as free labor (let this be a warning).

Tracktown USA. Yeah, there's gonna be cheering for those that are jumping high, running fast and throwing far- but the crowds are gonna be gathered near the portable toilets in awe of our new stickers!

Ahhh, summer vacation - what fun!

Before - no stickers.

While we were dragging our stuff from one batch of toilets to the next, Susie and Sten flew by on a golf cart. Must think they were VIP's or something.

Sherman was even "in" on the fun. Doesn't he look like he's having a blast?

After! Looking fabulous.

Wedding Jitters

Erika & Willy - on a rope swing over the pond

Susie - sister of the groom, sporting an (ouch) sunburn

I was responsible for a little staging - 2 lemonade stands and some table decor. This was crafted from a pallet - the uprights are 2 fence posts from a free pile that we quickly threw in the back of "Katrina" after Sunday morning meeting.

The large lemonade stand was crafted from a 10$ Craigslist table (sold by a certain questionable character). It was painted, sanded, stained, sawed on and screwed to. The final product is adorable . . .

Miss Maren - waiting for the event to begin. The setting was unbelievably gorgeous. Last September, the existing pond was drained and reworked. Since then, there has been hundreds of hours of landscaping and LOTS of rain - an extreme before & after.

Schools Out!

Maren & Mr. Swanson - last day of 3rd grade

The Stellar 6th Grader

Milah graduated from the 6th grade today. She earned a Presidential Excellence Award for her outstanding academic achievement and she is very anxious to move onto Junior High. Her teacher for the past 2 years had extremely high expectations - assuring them success in the future.

I do! like weddings!

I am helping "stage" a wedding.  This is a former gun safe, now cookie stand. 

Craiglist Special.  Soon to be - Lemonade Stand

Pillow Talk . . .

Here's how it goes . . . goodnight *smack* love you, love you too. A few minutes later . . . Hey, did you call that guy back about the toilet in Harrisburg? What did we decide about donating units to that event? Are the stickers gonna make it in time? You get the picture.

Next week, we are setting toilets at the Olympic Trials in Eugene. We are servicing these toilets every night from 11pm-2am. I am quickly trying to locate a summer rental in Eugene - an attempt to get a little more sleep and save gas $.

I DO! Need more time before this wedding!

More wedding preparations . . . a window frame saved from the trash - now chalkboard. LOVE this saying. They have "chalk pens" that are easier to write with than a piece of chalk. I used a combination of both on this.

The centerpieces are going to be a mixture of wine bottles, mason jars, slabs of wood and tin cans. Multiple trips to the recycling depot yielded several wine bottles.

Getting the labels off can be a pain. Also my cutting method isn't 100% successful which means that I need to scrounge for more bottles.

1. Use a bottle cutter to score a line on the bottle. Simply roll it in the device, keeping it tight against the guard - it will not slice the bottle in half - it just makes a weak point. I did a little research before purchasing this one - it is an Ephrems - had decent reviews.

2. Pour boiling water over the etched line.

3. Immediately after, pour ice water over the line.

4. Repeat the process as needed.

5. As you hold the neck of the bottle, you may need to twist the base - it will "pop" right off, giving you a clean edge.

It feels like a 70's kind of project - next I'll be making macrame plant hangers and crocheting beer can hats.

The Loo Redo

Many years ago - the toilet salesmen called Scott and mentioned that they'd mistakenly ran a "batch" of white toilets. After some consideration we decided to buy a few and target them for use at weddings - we called them "White Houses".

The White Houses were in deperate need of a scrubbing and a remodel . . .

We had a sticker designed to cover the door and they turned out amazing!

The toilets are rented in pairs. All have a "no touch" style tank and are equipped with a sink - one has a urinal and one does not.

Detail on the graphics - we used different words for "toilet" - I LOVE EM! You understand now - it's easy to be passionate about toilets!

A family that bills together . . .

For the first few months we are checking each bill before it's sent. This is our stuffing, sealing & stamp crew. They refer to themselves as indentured servants. If you could only hear the complaining and whining coming from the males in the bunch - notice the looks of agony on their pitiful faces. I think they were suffering from sleep deprivation, paper cuts and an overwhelming dislike for the billing procedure. The females loved the task and can't wait til next month - must have something to do with that Mars/Venus thing.

Coming Soon to a field near you!

Milah is the proud owner of a new cutter (yes, Milah financed the purchase). Sten spotted it sitting next to an outbuilding, obviously neglected. After some inquiring, he found the owners who explained what they believed was wrong - he spied the solution right away, but kept it to himself and worked an awesome deal.

Sten was just a baby when we bought Buck's before. One of his first words was "Bucks". Here he is driving a truck that is just one year younger than him. A strange and unexpected turn of events -

Soccer Again

We started early, ended late and came home with 2 first place trophies!  Milah & Maren's teams were victorious in the tournament today.

Grrrr

I've had it with politcal correctness.

We live in a vanilla world.  If you happen to be chocolate chip mint or peanut butter brittle - you are gonna have a rocky road.   In the name of tolerance, we are forced to accept behaviors that are borderline evil.  However, we cannot, under any circumstances make someone feel uncomfortable.  If we do, we will be fired - written up - sent to the principal - or passed up for promotions. We are more than 31 flavors people - all this tiptoeing and posturing is giving me blisters and making me nauseous. Get over it -quit taking things so personal and have a sense of humor for Pete's sake.   

Real Emotion

A friend of mine refers to the word, "fine", as a 4 letter word - one of the bad ones.  So often we utter that word, when asked the familiar question - how are you?  We've all responded with that term when our hearts were screaming - LIAR!  It's not appropriate to dump your cares and fears on everyone you meet - but it's okay to admit that things are not perfect.  Regardless of how it may look, nobody has a perfect life.  That's real stuff - like it or not. 

How is it when things don't go as expected or a person might not be their usual self, we often think - what in the world is wrong with them?  We may even be tempted to call another to inform them of the odd exchange. BUT . . . we have no idea what is going on behind the scenes.  Have you ever found out (after the fact) that someone's difficult behavior was the result of hidden turmoil and instead of being kind in the situation, you had been critical? (my head is bowed in shame). 

We're all in this together.  We'll never regret being kind - cause one day we're going to need heaps of it ourselves.

Disclaimer!  If you are unnecessarily mean to my children - the above message is not for you.  I will come at you with claws sharpened and teeth bared.  To borrow a phrase from a relative - I will come down on you like a thousand pound rock!  Sincerely, mother of three cubs

Would you like FRIES with that?

So, I'm wonderin - how can 1 tsp worth of ketchup (in a packet) rolled and squeezed in a child's hand suddenly explode into a 2-3 cup coverage area?

Ask Maren who succeeded in making a gigantic mess in the pickup.  Ask Milah who got an ear full of ketchup.  Ask Scott who ran into the house fetching a rag to clean up the mess -sternly informing Maren - DO NOT MOVE!

Winners!

Today was the last day of regular season Spring Soccer.  Maren's team was undefeated this season and Milah's team tied for 1st.  Milah's team was victorious over a team that has been undefeated for several seasons!  The girls love to play - and it is a blast to watch them. 

The Knights

The Determinators

Curb Appeal

The outside of our building was dismal.  The business does not have much "walk in" traffic, but you can see the building from a heavily traveled road nearby.  Pressure washing made a huge difference, painting, and then signage completed it.  An awning over the window and doors would look awesome - but that's down the road (way down the road).  See that tall rectangular wooden structure on the right - I'm thinking that would be perfect as a giant portable toilet.  Hmmm, that would be fun . . .
 

Custom lettering used to be off the charts expensive.  But these signs were reasonable.  The lettering on the door was only 10$!  Can't even get letters at the hardware store for that price.