You've heard all about the dreaded Chinese Drywall right? It was used during the housing boom from like 2005 to 2007 or so. Anyhoo, its, apparently, sulfuric and causes illness and small electrical appliances to break. No one is sick, but we have the small (and not so small) electrical appliances going haywire.


Yesterday afternoon, I walked upstairs to find it was 89 degrees. The air was blowing, but it wasn't cold. Great. So, I pulled out my cell phone and called Karly, who gave me the name of someone they recommended.

Later, as we were walking down to the neighbor's house, I pulled out my cell phone to make a call. I promptly got the message "insert smart card". No service. I charged it, I took it apart, I popped the battery. Nothing. Still didn't work. I decided I'd go to the AT&T store first thing in the morning.

Coincidentally, I needed to a lot of work today. So, around 7ish, I logged on to my work network and discovered about ten important emails that needed my immediate attention yesterday. Of course. I start working my way through them when my internet goes out. Called Charter. There's an outage in my area. They are working to fix it. blah blah blah blah blah.

So, the Crazy Reds and I went to our local AT&T Store to see what was wrong with my phone. Apparently, it was dead, and GOOD NEWS I was due for a new phone! Yay me. So, while the AT&T guy was setting up my phone, one of my children (still not 100% sure which) unplugged the power to all their computers in the store. Lovely. Poor guy couldn't get back on line to complete my transaction.

We then went next door to get J a hair cut. There were 4 people ahead of us and only one hairdresser. I was just happy my kids were no longer wreaking havoc on the AT&T Store. Fortunately, internet access was restored over there and I got a new phone. We didn't have enough time to get J's hair cut before the neighborhood Easter Egg hunt (which, of course, I forgot the baskets for). Oy. We left early bc the air guy said he'd be there "after lunch". I didn't want to miss him so I made sure I was home by 12:30.

But at least my children have been acting like perfect angels! Oh wait. That was a fantasy sequence. For the most part today, they have acted like they were raised by rabid wolves in a foreign country.

Still no internet access, but I did see a Charter truck working in the neighborhood.

I wait. and I wait. then, I waited some more. After that, the internet did come back (yay Charter - sort of). and then I waited. About 4pm, the air guy shows up... and so do Melissa and Christine for Mimosas. The kids came too. Oh! and Brian decided to come home early and mow the lawn. We did, however, drink our Mimosas from Waterford Crystal glasses. Can't blame me for trying to add some class to our Air Conditioner repair/grass cutting/preschooler drama afternoon drink.

Just to recap:

- Air conditioner: Still broken, but good chance of it getting fixed tomorrow.
- Internet: back on - 3 hrs of work billed today with more tomorrow. Thank the LORD for my Saint of a Mother.
- Phone: new and fairly cool
- Yard: looking good thanks to the Prom King
- Kids: Exhausted