I'm Moving to Australia

Today didn't get much better. While I was teaching math this afternoon I noticed the sapphire from a ring my husband gave me was missing. So far, it has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. 

Given that tomorrow is Friday the 13th, I may not get out of bed...

And I'm not really moving to Australia. The past few days have just reminded me of one of my favorite childhood books.

Oi Vey

Things have been a bit rough around here lately. In two weeks time we've had a dryer stop drying, a snowmobile stop running, and a refrigerator / freezer unable to chill below 52 degrees. Allen fixed the dryer and the snowmobile, but the fridge was a lost cause. 

Luckily, we had an old cast off in the basement.(And Allen says that I'm the hoarder.) Originally it spent its days at the Water Plant, until it no longer maintained a constant enough temperature, and then it moved into our basement. I'm not completely sure why it ended up in our basement, but it's been there at least five years. 

It's pretty darn hideous, but it's a good thing that we have this little fridge, because its the only thing we've got until the boats run again in mid-April. We probably could haul a new refrigerator across the ice, but it's risky given how slushy the ice has gotten with the week of warm temperatures we've had.

And then, to add insult to injury, last night the damn oven stopped working correctly. Really? Come on! It would heat up, but only the bottom element was working; which meant the bottom of our pizza was inedible charcoal, while the toppings were completely raw. Just what I needed. 

Thank goodness for Allen, since he managed to fix it after work today. Some days I just don't know what I would do without him. (Other than be lonely and have only outrageous repair bills to keep me company.) I also don't know what I would do without this little dear - she came right over and offered to wash off the nastiness off the side of the stove...

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!

Such a wonderful surprise this morning. I think our principal was probably the most popular guy in town today... 

It's All About the Pokemon, Baby

I'm not quite sure why, but this year both of my children requested that I make them Pokemon Valentine cards to pass out at school. I've heard quite a bit about Pokemon lately, and it's really not my thing. My son is quickly learning about attacks and defenses and the names of countless little monsters; and I just have to smile because it's all Greek to me. I wonder if there's an Idiot's Guide to Pokemon? Hmmmm.

I'll be right back, I need to Google that... 

Yup. A lovely person created one here.

My two are into the video game rather than the card game, but at least it's a place for me to begin. Anyway...

I love that they both had very specific ideas about the graphic design of their cards. S was very clear about having a bubbly blue background, and K knew precisely what she wanted her card to say. Thank goodness I was able to make them both happy. 

If you happen to have a little Pokemon fan at home, feel free to download the full-sized images below. They are big enough to print out as a standard 4 x 6 inch print. They are large images, so don't worry that the entire image doesn't show up here, it will all be there when you download it.

Pokemon, Frillish and Purrloin are owned by the Pokemon Company, International. 

Today's the Day

Today marks the day of 2015's first ice crossing.  On Thursday, as my son and I flew across for a dentist appointment, we checked out the ice. I don't think we'll be crossing for a while yet...

Mackinac Moment: Breaking Ice

When I came out of school this afternoon I noticed a sure sign that winter is here to stay - the ice breaker helping a freighter through the Straits.

Done

As of the end of today, the boats are done for the season. Now we are hoping for calm, cold days so we can get a good ice bridge...

Wish List

This little item (details here) is now near the top of my wish list. It's a bummer that they don't seem to be available in the United States... yet. Given that it's "ski-steered" and "track-driven" it would be legal on Mackinac Island, though it does look a bit tippy to me.

I bet it gets great gas mileage. (A good thing when gas in your town runs over $6.00 a gallon.) Plus, it doesn't look like it goes too fast so it would be great for kids.  I emailed the company just to see how much they cost, but it's been several weeks and I have yet to hear back from them. I guess I'm going to have to live without one. Unless - anyone out there is heading to Zheijang, China, and would like to bring one home for me. If so, please ask if they come in turquoise.

Learning

Every time we hop on the snowmobile after school my daughter says, "Can I drive?" Of course, if we were driving home in a car I'd have to say, "No." But, since kids in Michigan can legally drive a snowmobile "under the direct supervision of an adult," K drives us home pretty much every day. 

When she turns 12, if she passes a snowmobile safety course, she can get a license and drive without an adult. (Kid's can take the class right on the island, or they can take it online here.) The only problem is that K's 75 pounds (about 35 kg) of body weight is not nearly enough to turn the 500 pound (about 225 kg) machine. She does a great job on the straight roads, but I need to help every time we have to turn at a corner. While K loves to drive, my son has absolutely no interest. He's much happier getting a ride in the sled. 

Now, I just have to get use to sitting in the back seat because I have a feeling I won't be driving again soon...

What a Difference a Day Makes

This was yesterday: gray, cold and windy. Not exactly a good day to spend even a little bit of time outside. 

Today, however, was sunny and beautiful. Sure it was still cold, but there's just something about sunshine that almost always puts me in a good mood. 

As you can see, things are getting icy up here. The boat has been going around the North end of the island and the word on the street is that the ferry will probably shut down this weekend, but only time will tell. Luckily, we're in good shape; both of our freezers are overflowing...