Dryer Woes - Final Update!

OK! So...the last you heard we were limiting laundry to smaller loads to avoid stressing the dryer out. We were making some calls to get quotes on having the vents professionally cleaned and also trying to work with our Home Owner's Association to try and get a group rate together. Well, that wasn't working...the HOA was too slow and the pros were WAY too expensive - we're talking around $200! Considering we got the washer/dryer set on a super sale and already paid $80 to get the thing looked at...that was way out of our league!

Cue Brian's new plan.

Bri ran to Home Depot yesterday and picked up a $40 solution - a 2-Speed Leaf Blower! This baby had a quiet setting and a SUPER setting!

We (he) took the vent apart (again) and sent me outside in the rain...I flashed a light up at the roof while he SUPER setting blew the vent. All I could see from outside (in the rain) were some leaves blowing around the roof...every time the blower was on...which I soon realized was not leaves blowing around the roof...but tons of dryer lint exploding out of the vent! I blame the rain...did I mention I was outside in the rain???

We did a regular sized load last night and put it in the dryer...watched an episode of the Walking Dead...and duh du du duh! DRY CLOTHES! Mission Accomplished...please kick me if I ever post about a dryer again!!! Let the laundry circus begin!

Recycled Design

As you heard, we finally cleaned the garage out over the weekend. While removing as much as possible to make room for MY car we got rid of an old desk in the corner of our garage. Hanging over it was a garage sale find from over a year ago - a black cabinet with some hooks. I think it was $8 when I picked it up and didn't really know what to do with it at the time. After we took it off the garage wall, I had an epiphany! Why not hang it in the bathroom...it was also kind of a duh moment since that is where most people would have probably hung it in the first place!

Our master bath is a decent size, but whoever re-designed it to sell didn't know what to do with all the wall space so they just covered it in towel rods...seriously, they are oddly placed and just don't get used. The bathroom was also blessed with high ceilings - which you sometimes forget to notice because you are so busy staring at empty towel rods...

SO...Bri and I took our recycled garage crap and made it beautiful again in another room. We also finally hung a mirror that was a shower gift...and some towels from the wedding! The end result is a HUGE improvement and we love it! 



Please ignore the heap of mismatched towels to the right!



In other news...BEARS WIN!

Magical Weekend

To quote Arrested Development:

So this is the magic trick, huh?
Illusion, Michael. A trick is something a whore does for money...

It's funny, I can't even read that quote to myself without hearing the Final Countdown playing...

On Friday night, Brian and I met up with the Cunninghams for a cheap night out. We had an interesting dinner at a dive in North Aurora thanks to Pat's mom who bought them Groupons to use. The food was OK but the drinks were reminiscent of our college days - cheap and delicious!

After dinner, we went to the bar right by their house and got a pitcher...we were there for a short time when a magician came to our table and gave us an AWESOME show! This guy was quick! He did a handful of amazing card tricks that involved all 4 of us and even had Pat exclaiming out loud with awe! It was awesome...we were all considering how we could hire this guy - the girls thought it would be cool for Book Club while the guys were thinking of paying him to scam their friends out of money in a Poker game!

In other magical news - Brian and I tackled the garage on Saturday...and we are FINALLY seeing some progress!!! I really think I will be parking in there before the first snowfall!

A Dryer Miracle!

The last time you saw us, we were resorting to commando-like tricks to make it through the day...I broke down when Brian urged me to just do a light load and let the dryer run overtime...I grabbed as many pairs of underwear that I could find and loaded the wet goods into the dryer expecting an all-day-and-all-night drying fest...only to find that we have had a DRYER MIRACLE!!!

OK...so I'm sure it's not fixed and we're probably stressing the poor girl out without a good cleaning, so we are using the dryer sparingly (i.e. underwear and sock needs) until the pros get on the roof and clean that vent! I just thought I had to give an update so everyone realized I wasn't REALLY wearing my dirty underwear inside out!!!

Spooks & Goblins

Spooks and goblins - oh how we love Halloween! If you know me, you know that I make up songs...and I found out that I got that trait from my M-O-M! She made up that Halloween song when me and the sister were little and we still sing it every Halloween!

Anyways, a little belated - but here are the pics from the 7th (I think!) Annual Halloween Party! Our favorite time of year - as Anthony said, it's the one time of year that we get together and act like we're still in college. We always try to put a lot of effort into the costumes and we play flippy cup like it's our job! 

Brian used his Nashville deal and went as a "flamboyant" cowboy...I waited until WAY too late but threw together my outfit and went as Tom Cruise from Risky Business...that's Ryan dressed up as a Flasher! Don't worry, after reviewing the pictures when I was sober, I immediately started applying self tanner...I look more like the ghost of Tommy!

Here are the boys (yeah, that's Pat on the left) after losing AGAIN in flip cup against us!



Betsy went as Sister Wife #2 - what a ho!



The night was fantastic - as I said, we played a lot of flippy cup, had some rum apple cider and the night ended when Mr. Flamboyant got dragged by the dogs through some dog poo! I left the party barefoot and Brian left barefoot and in his underwear! We shacked up at the Cunningham house where they treated us to a GREAT McD's breakfast and a day of football and movies on their couch.

Me and the Trimarco girls! The Mad Hatter and Queen of Hearts.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Can't wait until next year...



Our Annual Group Shot - Halloween 2012