Keep it Short

This is the electric hedge trimmer we found for THREE bucks at a second hand store! (We'd been debating over the cheapest $39.99 trimmer at Home Depot only twenty minutes before.) Awesome deal! *Anna starts dancing around and gets really excited!* THREE bucks you guys!

This is the $15.00 cord I promptly cut within five minutes of using the hedger. *Anna's shoulders slump in shame.* I can't believe I just did that.

We replaced the cord. Oh well, still cheaper than buying a new trimmer right?

The Window

This is what happens to a window when a certain *ahem* person (no, not me nor Adam) mows the lawn and the blade catches a rock and flings it across the yard. This is what it looked like from the inside. It took two hours for the cracks to spread.

This is what was done to solve the visibility problem...insert hammer...

and start pulling...

stand back as tiny little shards fall out and bounce everywhere.

Then commence to dab at it from a distance with a stick. Thank goodness for double paned windows right? As soon as the cracked ones were out...we were as good as new.

(Thought you might enjoy this Z's. Sorry, no video. Hadn't got it figured out yet.)

Hot From Texas

These are big in Texas and really quite yummy. So we'd thought we'd give it a try on our California family:

Dear family, I am sorry we used you as guinnea pigs. I apologize for the burning esophagi and tummies and whatever may have happened to you the next day or in the middle of the night. Thank you to Hayden's Dad for eating what we couldn't handle—evidently we are wimps. And thank you family for willingly submitting to a second, more successful try. Tips: Don't forget to wear gloves when scraping the seeds out, you'll be sorry if you don't. • You can bake these in the oven too, just be sure to turn them so the bacon gets crispy on both sides. • This is a simple recipe, there are other recipes online and even some fun YouTube videos on how to do these.

Wherein Adam Is a New Age and Has a New Job

Adam had a birthday yesterday, and yep...he's still in his twenties—the new number is 29. Lucky kid. While in California we surprised him with a cake Mom decorated and brought fresh home from the bakery. I rounded the corner with candles lit and started singing. Adam had no idea who we were singing to until I stopped at him. I love surprises—Adam is easy to surprise. VERY.

I gave Adam some cologne he's been eyeballing—just in case he stinketh. And Dad gave a precious bottle of DELICIOUS balsamic vinegar from We Olive in El Dorado Hills. And I mean delicious. (Even security at the airport rummaged around in our checked luggage because they wanted a taste...) Dad says you HAVE to go there, you can taste everything and they have REAL olive oil and infused flavors. You buy a bottle and choose which vat to fill it from. We have yet to visit.

Then for his real birthday yesterday, we ate at Wild Sushi—one of the best sushi houses I've ever been to. It's a favorite of ours. Be jealous. The New Job Adam heard tell of a job opportunity at Lockheed Martin a little while back. We weren't looking to leave Key Construction, but we felt we couldn't ignore this little tidbit of info. And a little while later we put in our two weeks, went on vacation, came back, and now here we are...Adam started his new job Monday. Adam will be working on the scheduling for the manufacturing of a new fighter jet. So far the job is awesome. No more white shirt and tie! Lockheed has great benefits and discounts at local and national stores. Adam will get every other Friday off and more vacation days than most places allot. It's exciting. And yes, we'll be moving closer to the plant in a couple of months—and be done with apartment living! Lot's of changes in the works! Exciting!