flat tire charade

Another hair-raising event in the hysteria I call motherhood!
The other night the kids and I had gone to church and after visiting Auntie Jessie, we set out for our routine commute from the San Fernando Valley to the L.A. basin. This of course requires driving over the hill on the 405, just south of the 101.

So here I am, with my 3 precious wee children, cruising at 65-70mph downhill, heading into the westside of Los Angeles, when I notice that my car has chosen, without consulting its driver, to glide to the right, swaying into the parallel lanes without the slightest consideration for... well, anyone or anything. Quickly, I decide I don't want to dance this waltz, when I suddenly hear a strange sound- a combination of "crumbly" and "whooshy"- a sound definitely not associated with purring, healthy, safe vehicles.
I push 2 different buttons on my dashboard- but neither the A.C. nor the rearwindow defrost buttons, however wonderful they may be, are helping me in the current situation. Ah. There it is. The emergency blinkers. With my kung-fu-like reflexes, I start inching my way to the right lane, while simultaneously slowing the car down but not too quickly. Of course, I'm praying out loud, informing the kids that we're in a bit of a pinch, and scanning my brain for any sort of information I may have picked up from well-meaning advisors. Seeing that I am incapable of registering any such valuable advice, particularly that which is dire to my livelihood, I come up with nothing.
All I can think of is... who is going to help me get the heck out of this situation? Aiyana is pretty intuitive, tough in the face of adversity, and a total whiz when it comes to her studies, but... she's only six. I'm sure Micah didn't bring his AAA card and chances are Elijah was probably picking his nose in the backseat, unaware of the challenges we were currently faced with. Yep. I was going to have to figure this out for myself.
The car and I battle a bit as it sways and wobbles back and forth, but it's not anything drastic or perilous, more of a thumb wrestle, of which I remain in control and victorious at all times. Finally we make our way to the side of the freeway and stop for a minute to think a little clearer of what needs to happen next. I reach for my purse only to be reminded of my scattered irresponsible self, that same self who had left my cell phone sitting on top of my T.V. at home. In otherwords, I had no cell phone. No worries. I remember moms teaching me that there were these call boxes every few miles or so along the freeway... we would just have to find one.
Driving along the side of the road, with that same ridiculous sound playing over and over, I see the comforting yellow box in the distance... that call box... for people who are in trouble on the freeway... people like me and my kids. But, as we finally come upon it, I see a sign- a terrible, good for nothing sign- printed on someone's P.C. on cheap white, computer paper, and mounted upon that yellow call box with clear packing tape, which reads, "For roadside assistance, dial 335, on your cellphone." I'm sorry, is the government dishing out free cellphones now? I suddenly feel the urge to defend the poor and underpriveledged non-cell-phone-owning populaton of Los Angeles, but really it's a selfish ambition, I'm really wanting to defend slightly irresponsible moms such as myself.
Did I mention, I don't have my cellphone with me?

To be continued...

letting go of some cool ish...

It's crunch time here at the Lauzon household. Our monstrous California mortgage is due in mere weeks! So, closing our eyes and taking several deep breaths, we bid farewell to some of our beloved musical instruments, electronics, recording equipment, and rare vinyl records.. including my Technics 1200s (turntables) and RANE high-end DJ mixer. Check out some of Dad in Plaid's eBay highlights. Be on the lookout for more stuff- we have 3 pesky mini-people bent on obstructing our operations, thereby slowing the process down.

First, there's this Roland MC-500 Micro-Composer. Ahh.. she's a beauty. A CLASSIC for all those who are down with homemade beats, OR for those punk/rock bands that want to add a synthesized element to their sound without breaking the bank. Easy to use, includes all manuals (new), and disks. Excellent working order- just a cosmetic flaw (tape on the top got all funky. Clean it with some warm water and yer good).And... a personal favorite of mine, purchased from my own sister- old school Vintage Panasonic SG-J500 boombox WITH pull-out record player, mic inputs, and cassette recording. Yeah, I still listen to cassettes. What? They don't skip! Hold your inpromptu freestylin' sessions, if you will, or just have it in your house as a reminder to all your homeslices that you, are indeed, "down"... and always have been.

Hahaha! Click the pics and check out Dad in Plaid's other auctions listed (and coming soon!).

The sad letting go of all our neat stuffs began with a very painful, selling of Dad in Plaid's 1984 Ibanez GB-10 George Benson Archtop, for a mere fraction of its actual value to a nice dude in Switzerland. Only 'bout a hundred of these were made. Here's a pic for your viewing pleasure...

i was IT again... and i didn't know it... again

I was tagged by Stitchblade!
Favorite person (outside family)?
No one. I like my family the bestest.
Favorite food?
I ain't picky. But I do tend to crave unique spiciness like Indian and Ethiopian.
Quirks about you?
I don't know... I'm a twin and I've been needing glasses for YEARS. Stupid... that's all I can think of right now!
Any regrets in life?
I try not to regret. It's a dark, heavy thing.
Favorite Charity/Cause?
Right now, I give props to Miracle Diapers, operated by my good friend, Lisa.
Favorite Blog recently?
The Pioneer Woman... always comin' through.
Something you can’t get enough of?
Right now, it's Usborne books.
Worst job you’ve ever had?
Family-owned fast-foody joint makin' fries and takin' orders from unorganized, ill-prepared crazy people.
What job would you pay NOT to have?
Like, an Alaskan harpoonist or something. I'm afraid of vast bodies of water, cold, big mammalian sea creatures, and like... dude, killing whales? Ugh.
If you could be a fly on the wall, where?
I don't want to be a fly on no wall.
Guilty Pleasure?
Chocolate before dinner. Coffee before bed.
Got any confessions?
I like the occasional, top 40s boy band jam.
If you HAD to spend $1,000 on YOURSELF, how would you spend it?
Fill up my gas tank and go somewhere to see the stars, while dining on some bomb food. Oh and shoes. I'd buy shoes.
Favorite thing about your house?
It's craftsman style so it's got built in little quirkiness and a big ol' yard for those little people who live with me.
Least favorite thing about your house?
Uhhh... it's like... half of a house right now (rennovations in this economy? We're nuts.)
One thing you are bad at?
Applying make-up.
One thing you’re good at?
Fudge. I make some magic fudge from an old family recipe. And like, in my whole family, only I can do it.
If you could change something about your circumstances, what?
Live closer to Zion and my family.
Who would you like to meet someday? Living or dead?
God.
What makes you feel sexy?
Nights off without the kids.
Who is your real life hero?
The heavenly Jerusalem.
What is the hardest part of your job?
The sun sets too early.
When are you most relaxed?
Strangely, when I'm driving in traffic.
What stresses you out?
Kids.
What can you not live without?
Chocolate.
Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists?
There might be some validity to this, but I am no expert.
Why do you blog?
I don't know.

Okay - rules:
1. Answer the questions DONE!
2. Link back to whoever tagged you DONE!
3. Tag eight bloggers to do the same, 2 from each category. Doin' this later!

Dollars for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

A close friend of mine lost her dear friend earlier this year to suicide. She has set up a DonorDrive to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and will be joining in their 2008 Out of the Darkness Community Walk. Her goal is just $100, which will go far towards researching and preventing some of the 32,000+ lives lost each year. Here is more information on how to support this organization (the letter we received from her).

Dear Friend,

I will be joining with thousands of people nationwide this fall to walk in AFSP's 2008 Out of the Darkness Community Walk to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I would appreciate any support that you give me for this worthwhile cause.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is at the forefront of research, education and prevention initiatives designed to reduce loss of life from suicide. With more than 32,000 lives lost each year in the U.S. and over one million worldwide, the importance of AFSP's mission has never been greater, nor our work more urgent.

I hope you will consider supporting my participation in this event. Any contribution will help the work of AFSP, and all donations are 100% tax deductible.

Donating online is safe and easy! To make an online donation please click the "Support This Participant" button on this page.