Things I'm Thankful For

I often take things for granted, especially the things I use on a daily basis. For example, running water. I just push up a handle and cold or hot water comes out of the faucet. What a convenience, you know? But I'm so used to it I never think about it. And a water heater, too. Imagine having to pump and haul and heat water just to wash dishes, or to cook, or clean, or bathe. I gotta say, I surely am thankful for running water and a water heater.

I'm very grateful for the appliances I use all.the.time. A dishwasher. A washing machine, and a dryer. A vacuum. A microwave. A toaster oven (we use ours all the time!) A coffee maker. An electric range. A steam mop! If you are reading this, I'll bet you have one or more of these things in your house too. Do you take them for granted? I know I tend to. I get so used to using them, I forget to be thankful for how easy they make my life.

Last month I mentioned in an email to Mrs. Specktacular that I would love for the Boogie to take piano lessons some day, but first we'd need a piano. Don't you know that within a week, MIL mentioned in passing that she was planning on get rid of hers. Soon after that Eric and his brother and their dad wrestled the piano into a truck and drove over here and wrestled the piano out of the truck and into my living room. It is old and kind of worn and beautiful.

I am just dying for my sister to come over and play some Bach for me. (Heh heh heh, just kidding Vee. :p But of course you know I would LOVE for you to come and dash off some Mozart or Chopin or Rachmaninov or Grieg or Fliszt.)

Also last month I noticed some plastic cracking and breaking off of the harness in Peabody's carseat. The seat was an Evenflo Triumph that we purchased 3.5 years ago for the Boogie, and it has been in constant use ever since. Concerned about the safety of the harness, I called the company to order a replacement. Because of how the seat is assembled there is no replacement harness available (the harness goes over the shoulder into a sliding mechanism in the seat; it is adjusted by sliding it up and down rather than removing the seat from the car and re-threading the harness through different slots -- it was one of the main reasons we chose that seat and it's been so convenient on the many occasions when we've had other children riding in our car.)

The rep asked why I needed it and when I explained she said, "Oh, that is a safety issue. I can issue you a new seat. All you will need to do is send the old seat back so we can inspect it." A new seat? You mean, a FREE, brand-new, FREE seat? Yes, she assured me, a brand-new, free seat. "The only thing," she stressed several times, "is that it won't be the same color as your seat, so if you want to keep your old cover it will fit on the new seat." Keep the old cover? Are you kidding me? The cover that the sun has oddly faded from gray to purple, that has gone through multiple diaper leaks and blow-outs, that has been thrown up on, that has had juice and milk and lemonade and tea and milkshakes spilled on it? The cover that is spotted and stained and has crumbs firmly cemented into every crevice no matter how many times I wash it? Keep THAT cover? I will happily take a brand-new cover with the brand-new seat, thankyouverymuch.

I was so pleased with Evenflo customer service. Each person I dealt with was so pleasant and helpful. And I never dreamed they would replace the entire seat -- I truly thought I could just order a new harness!