I love Driver's Way

I got my Navigation system fixed in my new car.  It was under warranty so Driver's Way assumed all I needed to do was take it to a dealer.  I took it to Don Drennen and they told me it was fine. I asked them to tell me how long it would take before they fixed it but I waited for 1 hour in a horrible waiting room with a bad tv.    It was working off and on so when they checked it, it was working.  They then said for me to bring it back the next day, they would update the software and that would fix it.  I went to take it the next morning before work, they called about 12 and said it was done.  I asked to know what they did to fix it but no one could tell me.  I picked up the car at 5:45 that night, it was sleeting and when I drove off the lot it was not working. 
Not trusting Don Drennen to fix it I took it a couple of days later to Edwards Chevrolet.  I also called a customer service person with Buick.  All that woman did was write down everything I said and never offered any real help.  I really could barely understand her.  I took it to Edwards and the guy never took it out of the portico and said we needed a new disc.  These discs are at least $250 and are not covered by a warranty.  He told me my disc was all scratched up but I asked him how was it working sometimes and not others if the disc was damaged.  He told me that is how CD's work.

Went home thinking that was what we needed to do.  Edwards said the parts person would call me about ordering the disc, he never did. The customer service lady called that night  saying she had called Edwards and they said I had not brought it in.  Red flag.  I called my service person at Driver's Way to see if they would pay for the disk.  He said yes but he wanted to prove if it was the disc.  He asked me to bring it in and he would get another disc to try and try my disc in another system. He said the disc was in perfect condition.  His name is Don and he is my new favorite person.  He did all the test to prove it wasn't the disc and then took it back to Don Drennen for me.  He also gave me a loaner car.  He insisted they put in a new navigation system in my car and they did.  He picked it up as well.  I know have a fully functional navigation system.  Thanks to Don at Driver's Way!!  I am their customer for life. 

I just needed to share that story. 

My Dad's law office caught fire Sunday night.  It wasn't gutted but it was all damaged.  I have been said for my Dad.  He loves working and spends a lot of time at the office.  He was there that afternoon about 2 hours before the fire started.  I am so glad no one was hurt.  They don't know anything about what happened except for the fact that it started in the file room.  

Show Choir makes me smile :)

Show choir season is here and I am hooked.  Rob's show choir has performed in two festivals in the last two weeks.  Both times I have been a chaperon on the bus.  Buses have come a long way since my junior high days.  All the kids enjoy themselves so much at these events.  The only complaint I heard from the bunch was when Mr. Toole made the boys sit at the front of the bus on the way home.  He wasn't born yesterday.   We watched Despicable Me on the way home, Mr. Toole asked if it was appropriate and I reassured him it was fine.
There were choirs from all over the Southeast in Albertville, AL.  It is amazing these are Middle School Show Choirs.  They could hold there own in any episode of Glee (except they don't have a Rachel).  The costumes are sparkly, flashy and so much fun.  The main requirement in show choir is to be "All In."  Boys and girls have to give it their all or everyone can tell they are not.  It is so great to see kids being so confident and brave in some of the most insecure years of their life.  There was one kid  who reminded me so much of Jack Black.  He had long hair and moved just like him.  In his everyday life he probably blends in some but last night he was a superstar.  I should have taken his picture. 

I don't know how Rob remembers all these dance moves, he has to get this from my Dad.  My Dad loves to dance and was voted best dancer at Canton High School.  At one point in Albertville it was 11:00 pm and I was sitting with 3 other girls in two seats.  The kids were dancing in the aisles to the music they were playing while the judges deliberated, it was sureal.  We came in 5th that night out of 13 or 14 schools, not too bad.  Something about show choir makes you smile!!

The Quest has the last laugh

My new car died at OMMS today.  Thanks to Kelly Buckner and Mr. Sellers for helping me out.  I did call OnStar and decided not to wait on them and get help at the school.  It was comical.  Ended up having to take it to Pelham Drivers Way and get a new battery.  Drivers Way paid for it and was very apologetic.  My Quest was probably saying, "I told you, you shouldn't have left me for another car."

What happens in the Quest stays in the Quest

We traded in our 2004 Nissan Quest yesterday.  I got an used Buick Enclave.  I am a very techy girl but I was definitely in a time wrap as far as my Quest was concerned.  I was in heaven with the whole navigation concept and OnStar.  The only issue I have is my southern accent and OnStar voice calling understanding me, but in my defense On Star couldn't understand my friend Sallie either.  Trading in our van got me thinking about the memories we had in that van.

• Bought it the month before Lewis was born
• Roughly150 trips to Mississippi and back
• Brought Lewis home from the hospital
• Went to Disney 2 times with an extra special visit to Disney Car care- here we had the experience of riding in a pleasure van with velour seats with no seat belts and the guy was from Arkansas and drove like a bat out of hell
• Went to Dallas
• Went to Cooperstown, NY
• Went to Atlanta for Braves games
• Played Praise Baby for Lewis about 100 times
• Took us to Jacksonville, FL to the Gator Bowl
• Took us to the beach about 25 times
• I once had 4 tickle me Elmos in the back and swiped a parked car at the Summit, they started giggling went I hit him, freaked me out
• The Quest is where 2 of Clara's boyfriends when she was 4 planned to both marry her and assigned certain days for each
• Where I cried when I found out Lewis was going to have another surgery on his feet
• Where I heard so many precious conversations between Rob and his friends, boys love to talk in the car
• It was made in my hometown Canton, MS
• It was thrown up in many times
• It was where I would let Crazy Clara slept in the garage after CASA so she would take a nap (she would fall asleep on the way home)
• One winter Lewis, Sallie and I must have listened to Life is Highway about 50 times
• Where I received so much good news on my cell phone over the years
• One time Sallie's elderly cat Bubba got in my van and I didn't know it until I heard the meow
• One time a cat (I think Sugar) climbed in the front seat and peed on the mat, in the cat's defense I did leave the door open for 15 minutes ( I was on the phone and forgot about it)
• The van that some bag boys said was cool, I don't really know if that was a sincere compliment
• Many trips to Inverness pool
• Inspired Tommy and Sallie to get their own Quest (but it had all the cooler features, nav etc) (Sallie probably could write her own memories of the van)
• Took our dog, Mary, to be put to sleep
• Went to Ozark AL to get our new puppy
• Went to the Prince concert in style with Pam
• It spent about a week at Rickwood Radio
• All these adventures and experiences and my Quest never let me down, just a few hiccups 

Thanks for the memories my friend.

God's children in Uganda

Last Sunday the 17th we got to meet our friends adoptive children for the first time.  They live in Uganda.  We met them on Skype and it was amazing. skype with Uganda My friend, Amiee, has a blog detailing the story so far ourraysofhope.blogspot.com.   Before Amiee and Todd's kids got there we talked with some kids who live in a children's home in Uganda http://www.sozochildren.org.
It is a beautiful story of two young  men following God's commands.  This past week I have been consumed with thinking about these children.  We have met a man named, Saka Joel, who runs a school there and serves 200-300 children everyday.  Most of these children are orphans.  Their parents have died of AIDS, of other illness or have abandoned them.  I asked Joel if there was a child who was there who was interested in being adopted.  Joel said there were many.  He told me about a girl who was 7 named Brenda, I decided to send her some funds to help her and her grandmother.  I asked Joel about her health too.  Joel sent me a sad note back saying Brenda has the "sickness", both of her parents had died of AIDS.  She wrote me the most beautiful notes below:

 I really was feeling God might want us to adopt a child from Uganda.  I didn't know how I would feel about a child with AIDS but ......  To make a very long story short, we are not adopting.  We looked and prayed about a two year old that needed a family.  She really had my heart but we had to look at things realistically too.

Greetings
Here is the little girl scovia, she is 2 years old, mother died and she stays with Dad in that small 8 by 6 room shack. We are considering moving her to our home because she is in a real bad situation.
She needs to get on a better diet and this will help in her development. She is two years but has delayed to walk because she was malnourished
Otherwise she is a happy girl and seeing her smile makes you forget what she is going through
Blessing


--
Pastor Wilfred Blair Rugumba
P.O.Box 16559
Kampala, Uganda.
256772985959
256702985959
www.mercychildcare.org
www.lighttheworlchurch.org
 



I did realize that I am naturally a risk taker and I had forgotten that about myself.  I am not sure what God wants to do with that, but I intend to embrace it when it comes my way.  Uganda has more orphans than any other country.  There are so many children who would love to be supported or adopted.  Grandmothers are willingly giving up their grandchildren to make sure that they have a safe and healthy home.  Below is a terrific blog that can give you more information:
blog about a Brentwood Tennesse girl who adopted Ugandan children
I guess God's plan for me to help Amiee and Todd with their new blessings, I will be privileged.  Her daughter, Joan, is deaf and 6 years old.  Lewis is just obsessing about who is older him or Joan.  Dereck is her little brother who is 4.  I can't wait to meet them. 

The Brooky gets bit

I have started couponing again.  I use this awesome site southernsavers.com.  She lists all the sales at the area stores and tells you what coupons to use.  She has links to online coupons that you can print, all you have to do is turn over all your information, subject yourself to spam and the coupon is yours. Unless the company decides they have given away too many 50 cent coupons.  I don't really understand why the companies want you to work so hard for a coupon.  Then the coupon lady advises you don't clip your coupons, just save them in a folder and she will tell you when to use it according to what is on sale.

I had my first rude cashier at Publix with all my coupons.  I saved 82 dollars but I still spent $200.  She was put out when I asked her if I could put my coupons up there by her while I unloaded my groceries.  Walgreens was wonderful, as usual, they love to see you save money with coupons.  Heck Ms Lou keeps coupons in a box in case you need some.  CVS was fine and helpful.  Rite Aid really ticked me off.  The clerk was complaining very loudly about couponers way before I checked out.  She said "I think these couponers are starting to use illegal coupons ??I am going to check each items and be sure they match before I check them out."  She was true to her word, she treated me like I was shoplifting or something.  She laid all the items out and read each coupon.  I thought that was what the computers were for.  She also told me three times that these blink eye drops would qualify for a $7 rebate,  She was wrong, they didn't....I realized I am not a rebate girl unless it prints out at the register.  Cash flow is often motivation for couponing so paying more and then getting it back doesn't make sense for me.

I also realized that I could waste all kinds of money on toiletries, I am a sucker for them.  Heck I bought Burt's Bees lotion for $7 because I could save $2.  So when I spend $70 with coupons at Rite Aid I think I am missing the point.  So I will be better next week.

Lewis got the Wipeout Wii game for Christmas and it has created another obsession.  Lewis is in the living room now watching Winter Wipeout that he taped (I am a girl of the 80's) for the third time.  He laughs every time, so hard.  I love it.

Rob had wrestling this weekend but didn't get to actually get to wrestle.  He is a great teammate though, seriously sometimes I am more proud of that fact than I am of him winning a match. The coachs do a great job of letting as many kids as possible wrestle.  Our team is twice as large as most squads so it is hard to spread it around.   He will get to wrestle next weekend though.  Wrestling has really grown on me though, I think it is a great sport.  It encourages strength, teamwork and stamina.  Rob says it is harder than football but he loves it.  It doesn't matter if you are little, there is someone your size to wrestle you. You learn to wear a singlet (male unitard) and be proud of it.   You also learn to fight for your life (or at least not to get pinned), not being overly dramatic but I would probably give up after about 10 seconds.  It is like one of the moms said, they are doing all the things you taught them not to do on the preschool playground.  Some kid from Bumpus Middle School bit a kid from Mountain Brook last night, needless to say that did not go over well.  The Bumpus kid claimed he had in his mouthpiece in and couldn't have done it.  The proof was on the singlet, there were bite marks in the singlet.  This is what it looks like:

I might have mentioned this before but 7 boys that wrestle are also in the show choir with Rob. We have our own Oak Mountain Glee.   Showchoir season is next, we will see what that is all about, can't wait!!

Annabelle playing soccer