Bad News, Good News

It's been one of THOSE weeks.

I keep staying up late trying to Get Things Done, and then something happens early in the morning to wake me Much Earlier Than Usual.

On Tuesday, I drove a needless half hour into Illinois, through a hard rain, only to discover that we had no theater class due to spring break. Only our spring break, in Wisconsin, isn't for two more weeks, and my boys were both sick the week last week, when they probably reminded everyone.

In the parking lot of the church where we didn't need to be, I went too fast through a huge puddle, and my power steering went out.

I made it home, but on the way to the mechanic's, my windshield wipers began to go slower and s-l-o-w-e-r until poor Vinnie the Mini-Van died right in the middle of Sheridan Road. I managed to ease him into a public driveway where a Tow-Away Zone sign, displaying a towing company's phone number, was conveniently located.

My other van, Minnie the 15-Passenger Van, has one problem--broken windshield wipers. Yeah, more rain in the forecast.

I took Chicklet6 back for a re-check after her bladder infection last week, and she still has red blood cells in her urine. We're waiting to hear if she needs a different antibiotic, or more testing.

And my dear husband was traveling again this week for business--the fifth week in a row. Basically all of Lent.

Now, for the good news...

Papa Rooster was home on the night the van broke down, and was following me to the mechanic's. So I was able to give the towing company a credit card number and go on my way to the Passion Reading practice with him.

...which went very well. It was my first attempt at arranging a "Reader's Theater"-type Scripture reading, for six people. We'll do it on Palm Sunday, as the Gospel reading.

One of the wipers on Minnie still works, as it turns out--the one on the driver's side!

All that was wrong with Vinnie was a belt that had slipped off when it got wet. Though it had dragged on the ground for 25 miles, it didn't even have to be replaced. And the labor charge was minimal. Even the towing didn't cost as much as I expected.

Bantam18 passed his test to get his temporary driver's permit. It hasn't come in the mail yet, though, so he has yet to begin putting in his time behind the wheel.

Crossing the parking lot after Chicklet's appointment, she informed me that she was wearing her only pair of jeans that weren't too little. So we stopped at St. Vincent's, our favorite resale shop, and the special for the day was half off children's clothes. We found two pairs of like-new jeans in her size, plus a whole spring wardrobe for her and a few things for Bantam4...for $25.

I got an email from a church that I really, really hope might host our theater classes and/or rehearsals, because they're so ideally located, and they sound like they are seriously considering it! Another church, not geographically as well situated, but still not a bad option, also sounds like they are inclined to want to work with us.

Blondechick16 tried, almost tearfully, to tell me that she was failing chemistry...and I recognized her April Fool's trick immediately. It helped to reinforce the notion to her siblings, present, that you can't pull nothin' over on Mom. (Papa Rooster, in North Carolina, was more readily taken in over the phone; but the joke was on her, because he then lectured her upon another topic which she was not so Eager to Discuss.)

We had another Holy Week planning meeting tonight, which was really helpful, and I have a related meeting in the morning. It feels good to be getting more of these details nailed down!

Now, hopefully, nothing will wake me in the morning Earlier Than Need Be....