Yes, I tried it; no, I didn't like it

So Sydney and I pulled the King Cake out of the plastic bag, placed it on a small platter, scraped out the now-hardened frosting, and spread it onto the cake as best I could. I microwaved it just a little bit to see if the frosting would melt again and look better, but no. That's it to the left there. The frosting looks all jacked because the sprinkles melted and I used a knife to spread it. You'll see that we cut out a small slice and ate it. Yes, I ate a couple bites. No, I did not like it.

    When I find a local bakery for my King Cake next year, I will request a cake minus the almond extract, because I got a brief sense of the flavor without that ingredient, and it was intriguing. So will a self-respecting King Cake baker make one without the extract? We shall see!

    What else? There'a work order in to get my a/c fixed, so that good. Sydney's glasses hung weird on her face today and she got a headache because of it. Also there was a car fire in the school parking lot of which she was very excited to record and send me videos. I'm all, "Child! Cars on fire explode! Also, GET TO CLASS."

All the dumb things happening

So here's an interesting development: Our air conditioner is acting suspect. It's not blowing cold air today, and the thermostat is not looking right. And it was 85 degrees today and is supposed to get to 86 tomorrow. We have no time or patience for this nonsense.

    I'm reminded that a couple years ago the a/c maintenance visit showed that the unit wasn't working exactly right and maybe could have a problem at some point, and that the home warranty will not fix the unit until it it misbehaves and stops working. So here I am hoping that this potential breakdown happens in March instead of July.

    Another development: Sydney's glasses broke this afternoon. The real bother is that I've had a pair of replacement/extra glasses for her in my shopping cart on Zenni for no less than six months, and just never got around to ordering them. And now my kid has to walk around the planet with taped-up glasses for eight to 12 days because I paid for expedited shipping. Seriously, this is so frustrating to me. I had the plan and the solution, and I didn't act. Damn it.

    Another development: our Mardi Gras King Cake arrived with all the frosting melted and globbed on the sides; and having been bounced around in a FedEx box with no padding or buffer; and to top it off, it reeks of almond extract, which I hate. Thinking I'll zip an email to the bakery, because I can't fathom a lack of packing materials, and how they expect their cakes to arrive to any customer in any kind of shape with that oversight. What this experience did do, and what I should have done last week and certainly will do next year, is do an internet search for King Cakes in Phoenix. Yes, there are bakeries here that do them, and I may or may not order one for this belated Mardi Gras celebration. Pics or it didn't happen: top left.

Marching into March, as you do

Hey everyone! Happy March!

    It's been a very busy January and February, and the rest of the year also will be busy, but shit is afoot.

    First and foremost, we have a new four-legged member of the family, Molly. She's a 2-year-old Lhasa Apso who we rescued from a breeder, and she has definitely added a new personality and dynamic to the household. It's been an adjustment, and will continue to be for a while still, but she's finding her place in the pack and we're all getting used to another heartbeat in the house.

    Add that puppy situation to Elliot needing bladder stone removal surgery, and Cooper's allergies and a skin infection, and I have had it up to here with vet appointments, charges and bills.  But now, maybe, things have calmed down for a bit. I can hope anyway. Molly gets her spay the end of April, and there's still the maintenance stuff, but I think all the urgent, unplanned stuff is done. *fingers crossed*

    Also, I've started working full-time again. And I've started a new job at the office, which, happily, means more money, too. So I'm starting too see a light at the end of my financial tunnel, and it's exciting to know that I am the one that'll be able to work us out of this hole. American Express should be a thing of the past sometime in June, and then I can start saving more for my future Jetta and Sydney's college. The money also means that there'll still be more for all the fun stuff I like to do.

    Anyway, the new job is an intense and stressful one, so there will be some collateral damage to perhaps my blood pressure, but as of now, I'm doing okay. This month's avatar is me as a referee, which is similar to my new office job, so it's fitting.