He turned 16 today

My "little" brother that is.

Such an amazing kid.

Here we are in our "christmas pj's" this year. He doesn't look so little does he?

Love him a lot and super proud of him. *big smile*

Happy 16th Birthday to my "little" brother. Drive safe and don't speed like mom does. Lol.

*hugs and kisses*

mj

Can't this update itself sometimes??

I had a random dream last night that I logged onto my blog and someone had updated it on 7.16.09 for me! I was so happy that it was done and I didn't have to take care of it.

Unfortunately this morning proved my dream wrong *sigh*. I think this is the longest I haven't blogged since starting all this at the beginning of the year.

Why you may ask? Well if you are blogger that uses pictures you'll know. It takes a while to upload, rearrange, and write about pictures after first figuring out which ONES you want to include. It's a pain. It's time consuming.

So today I am doing the lazy person's update about only one topic. Tile.

Last time I left you we were finishing up tiling, but the grout was the wrong color. Let's finish up that story line first. Grout dried WHITE. Call grout company. They refuse to even suggest anything since they DO have a disclaimer about the final color not being their problem. Thanks asshats. We didn't want you to fix it, just give us some advice.

Fine. Josh looks up a company called Aquamix that makes a grout stain/paint product that also does the sealing portion of this adventure. Awesome. No retail stores carry it. Fluck. BUT, an industrial tile place in Hanover does. Josh calls the Baltimore office and explains what we need to which Ashley (the Conestoga Tile sales person) responds that they have a color that exactly matches the SMOKE GREY we bought. Josh is excited and makes me run to Hanover to pick this up. Hanover is like 45 mins away.

When I finally look at it (more than half way home) it looks... tan. Not grey. Eh, maybe it dries another color. We test a small section. It's tan. Not even a tan that matches the tile.

Josh calls AGAIN and the PERSON THAT ANSWERS (no, he didn't get her name) tells us they will gladly exchange the product for the right color.

I am heading to Baltimore to go to Ikea that day and also to pick up mom and Ian from the airport (Ian placed third). So I go to the Conestoga Tile in Baltimore. The lady is RUDE and tells me no refunds on cash sales. I don't want a refund - I want the right color. Then she gets snotty and tells me THIS is why they don't usually do phone sales and have people pick it out themselves. GUESS WHAT?? ASHLEY did NOT suggest that. No one did. And apparently ASHLEY heard smoke and thought it matched their smoke color. When did you associate SMOKE color with tan??

The RUDE lady also refused to put me in touch with dear Ashley who refused to answer her phone or any emails we sent. And rude lady also suggested that THIS is why they don't work with the public (I'm assuming non industrial tile people is what she meant). I walked out of there with my product, but having had to buy another bottle without a return. I'm still angry about this and might just contact corporate or something.

To wrap this up, the product worked perfectly and the tile is done. We're still slightly bitter about the whole experience and will probably never tile again. But then again - never say never because I'm sure we'll forget how bad this really was after some time... :-P

Okay, I have to end this sooner rather than later. Plastic surgeon follow up at 11:15 today and then it's off to Ikea (again) with Suzy!! Yay!!

*hugs and kisses*

mj

I ate breakfast while he threw up...

Nope, not Josh.  My brother.  He's 15.  

Since childhood he's had some pretty odd/severe respiratory problems.  They aren't typical and have caused lots of doctors appointments and scratching heads.  Yeah, we are more alike than I think anyone would have liked.  Different medical abnormalities, same freakishness.  *sigh*

So anyways, he tends to have some morning phlegm problems.  Not too bad usually, but brushing teeth is always a fun adventure.  Now, I have a super sensitive gag reflex too.  Brushing teeth has never been my strong suit either.  BUT, add to that gag reflex a copious amount of phlegm and drainage and it can become a fun little game.

Saturday morning I was downstairs with mom eating breakfast.  I was having fruit loops.  Yum.  I hear the little brother upstairs in the bathroom with the door open and all of the sudden the retching begins.  He gags, retches, heaves and just makes some awful sounds.

Mom and I continued eating our cereal.  Apparently we have no problems with puking.  Ugh.  Again - I get it from my momma.  She did yell up once he was done asking if he was doing okay.  He was.  He came down and ate breakfast then.

Puking and rallying is important in college.  My brother will be a CHAMP at this.  I promise.  Watch out college parties.  This kid is going to go in like his sister and drink with you due to our keen ability to puke when needed to keep going.  

Having nothing to do with drinking, puking or rallying (well at least not the last two, I had a drink close to me in this picture), is one of my favorite "recent" pictures of us.  Actually, it will be 3 years ago this July 1, but I still love it.  It's the morning of Josh and I's wedding.  

My brother is such a fantastically great kid.  My whole family is fantastic when they aren't driving me nuts.  I think it's more that they drive me nuts because they remind me of all the things I do that I don't like.  Make sense?

Yep.  

*hugs and kisses*

mj