The Lawn Mower, The Television and The Freezer

It appears that the Hyde Sisters enjoy getting their hands a little dirty and will do most anything to get things done - because as Dara stated yesterday "It was Jeremy's fault." (Or Victor's).

So to Jennifer's battle with the Lawn mower and Dara's fallen electronic baby sister I give you the 10 month old freezer that took a dump!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

About 4 weeks ago Julian - our Schwan's delivery guy dropped off my pre-order of meals for the next two weeks. I instructed Evan and Aislyn to put the items in the freezer for me. Evan and Aislyn returned to the living room shortly stating that everything was put away.

The next day after work I went out to the garage to pull some items out of the freezer for dinner. To my shock the freezer door had been left open and my food was starting to thaw. I closed the door tight and then gave my children a severe tongue lashing.

Two days later I noticed that the alarm light was on - indicating that either the door was still open or that the temperature of the freezer was not at freezing point.

I examined the door and it was shut. I opened the door and the interior was not as cool as it should be...

So after several attempts to remedy the situation ourselves we contacted Lowe's to let them know that the inferior freezer they sold us last December destroyed about $500 worth of meat and frozen food and that our freezer was still under warranty and that someone better come out and take care of the situation.

The repair man came out and looked at the freezer and then explained to my mother-in-law that he could not perform any repairs because the label on the inside of the freezer provided a date of September 2007. He stated that it had been over a year since we purchased the freezer and unless we could provide a copy of the receipt showing that we had purchased it in December and not September we were out of luck.

The label states: Manufactured September 2007

This man is an idiot.

So Victor contacted Lowe's again asking them to help us secure a copy of the receipt which seems to have mysteriously disappeared from the warranty drawer - where the rest of the freezer paperwork is located.

Upon examining my bank statement I was able to provide the date of actual purchase to Lowe's so that they can provide a receipt.

In the meantime, we moved everything we could out of the freezer...

Today, I went out to the garage and checked the freezer to see if it decided to work - magically you know. If Lucy could enter a wardrobe and discover a frozen forest I should be able to discover a frozen country.

Well, I discovered something I hadn't noticed before. All the items on the bottom half of the freezer were still frozen. Strange...

I moved the shelves to see if anything was obstructing the air flow and discovered an iceberg. I began removing all the ice that I could see and discovered a vent on the bottom of the freezer. I removed all the ice from there. I checked the air flow at the top and still could not feel any cool air. I began removing shelves from the freezer. At one point I leaned against the back of the freezer and it was cooooooolllllllllllllldddddddddddddddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How odd. I noticed that there was a sealed panel screwed to the back of the freezer. I went to the kitchen and dug a phillips screwdriver out of the drawer. I unscrewed 15 screws; removed the seals and slipped the panel off - WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Another iceberg. This one had incased the cooling unit and had blocked the fan that draws the cool air up to the top and ultimately cools the whole freezer unit.

An hour and one half later the whole freezer has been de-iced with a spatula and a hair dryer. It is sparkling white and I have cold air blasting out at me!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah! Eat your heart out you lousy repair man.

When Victor gets home the conversation will go something like: "Hey guess what I did today." "You have to come and check this out." "Hey the freezer magically works again." Aren't you proud of me?"

I have checked the freezer about a dozen times. It is colder than it was this morning. It will probably take a day before I decide that it is actually working. The alarm light is still on - so I think the repairman still needs to come out. We just won't tell him what I did... :)

IS THIS REAL? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they
went," humorist Will Rogers once said.

James Thurber observed: "If I have any beliefs about immorality, it
is that certain dogs I have known will go to Heaven, and very, very, few
persons."

Okay! Dad is the big winner. These Church Signs are a fake. Check out the attached and you will soon discover the origin of these photos. You will notice that I inadvertantly deleted one of the pics

http://www.snopes.com/photos/signs/dogheaven.asp

We had fun with this one at work!

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG...

That is the question?

I have nothing to say any more... What I had planned out for the next several days has been disgarded because my ideas were already blogged by another (i missed this because I was too busy to even check my e-mails for a whole month).

So, any way... unless someone has some amazing ideas for blogs, this one will probably be the last one for a longgggggggggggggggg time..........................

:)

SHARE A HUG TODAY

I don't have a blog today... just a hug for my family.

LESSON #2 - PICKUP IN THE RAIN

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read:

'Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.'

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

In the book of Luke, chapter 10 we can read the parable of the good Samaritan. For most of us this is just a story of a man who had compassion on another who was in serious need of medical assistance. Most of us don't have these kinds opportunities. And many of us are afraid to help those who are in need (the begger on the street).

I propose that there is more to this parable. It teaches about being a good neighbor. It addresses the desireable attributes of compassion; kindness; charity and the welfare of others. As a member of the church we have opportunities all the time to practice these Christ-like attributes. We also have daily opportunities within our homes to show Christ-like love for one another.

Several years ago I had a conversation with Dad after expressing my concern for those who are less fortunate and I asked the specific question: "Am I wrong in not providing for those who beg on the street?" These are some things that I gleaned from our converation:

1) Pay a generous fast offering.


This is a simple way to help those in our ward family who may not be able to provide for themselves temporarily. I know that each one of us has had such times and has sought for help from the Bishop. What a blessing.


2) Participate in the Humanitarian efforts/opportunities that are found in each stake.


There are so many things that we can do. They don't have to be huge, like making a quilt. They can be small - like assembling hygiene kits at a stake relief society service project.


3) Serve.


Be willing to service. Do whatever is asked of you. President Dieter F Uchtdorf gave a wonderful talk: "Lift where You Stand". Read it.


4) If you forget how to be a good neighbor; or how to be a good sister or brother; or don't know what you should do - turn to the scriptures.

My favorite scripture that reminds me of what I should do is found in Mosiah, when King Benjamin is speaking to the people of Zarahemla. An Ancient General Conference. I would read this too...


5) When moved by the spirit we should act as the spirit directs.

This past year, we had a sister move into the area who lives out of her motor home. She is a humble woman with little or no means. One evening the Bishop called and spoke to Victor and asked if he would get some gas and take it to her so that she could drive to the church to meet with him. He also asked if we could provide something for her to eat.

Victor asked me to join him in his tasks. We bought the gas and drove to where she was parked. Prior to this trip I knew nothing of her circumstances; all I knew was that she was new in the ward. As Victor poured the gas into her tank I was overwhelmed with such compassion that I can not describe. It took every ounce of energy to contain the emotions that continued to push to the surface.

After visiting with her for a short time we returned home and began preparing for mutual. At one point I just stood in my kitchen and wept. I offered a short prayer asking Heavenly Father what I should do. I stood there in the silence of my kitchen and waited for an answer. 10 minutes before I had to leave to meet the young women at the church, I had filled a wicker basket to capacity with food; toiletries and a warm blanket. Placed a plastic container with warm shepard's pie on top and a note to the Bishop itemizing the items in the basket.

I do not believe that this sister is aware that the items given to her that night by the Bishop had been provided by me. What I know for a certainty is that I see this sister in a completely different way and I truly love her as one of my sisters.

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." - Mosiah 2:17

AN ODE TO DAVE

I have a really good friend at work who sent me this cute little ditty that made me laugh so hard that I had to share it with my family.

I have called this An Ode to Dave because I feel a little like him when I lament over the weight loss expected by my doctor and the amount of work and effort required. So to my brother Dave, do not feel alone in your pursuit of a thinner you it will come.

The Importance of Walking

Walking can add minutes to your life.
This enables you at 85 years old
to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing
home at $7000 per month.

My mother-in-law started walking

five miles a day when she was 80.

Now she's 81 years old and we don't know where the hell she is.

I like long walks,

especially when they are taken

by people who annoy me.

I have to walk early in the morning,

before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

I joined a health club last year,
spent about 400 bucks.
Haven't lost a pound.
Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise',

I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

I do have flabby thighs,

but fortunately my stomach covers them.

The advantage of exercising every day
is so when you die, they'll say,
'Well, she looks good doesn't she.'

If you are going to try cross-country skiing,

start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise
the last few years,......
just getting over the hill.


We all get heavier as we get older,

because there's a lot more information in our heads.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Every time I start thinking too much
about how I look,
I just find a Happy Hour place; (my living room watching Farscape with my husband)
and by the time I leave,
I look just fine!! (MOUNTAIN DEW - SUPER NOVA IS THE BOMB!!!!!!!!)

First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady

This past week my friend, Elizabeth Dille, sent me an e-mail with a subject header:

This will make you think about the way we treat people.

This e-mail contained several Lessons and after reading each one of them I thought it would be great to share them with my family as individual blog entries.

FIRST IMPORTANT LESSON - Cleaning Lady

"During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: 'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?'

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

'Absolutely,' said the professor. 'In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello.'

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy."

I have worked at Harbor Freight Tools for 4 1/2 years in the payroll department and work with about 200 managers and am responsible for over 2000 employees. I know about 10% of the store managers by name and location. I am certain that if I wanted to, I could know all 200 store managers by name and location. I am also certain that each one of them knows me. It is a matter of wanting to and actually caring about others.

In the past 4 1/2 years I have come to know one of our employees well enough to know that he knows each person in the office by name. This is actually amazing. Brian spent a better part of his adult life using various drugs including crystal meth. Due to the duration of the drug abuse and the quantities, Brian is a lot like a mentally handicapped person. Despite his weakness, he always says hello to each person that he sees and attempts to communicate. He is thoughtful and caring.

If we all were a little more thoughtful, a little more out-going and a little more caring we would know the cleaning lady's name or the name of the old man that lives two doors down. Do we know the name of each child in our neighborhood? Do we acknowledge each person that we see with a smile and a warm greeting? Do we try to get to know the single sister in our ward or the investigator trying to learn more about Christ?

I have wondered why some people join the church and realized it was because someone said hello; invited them to sit with them; included them in conversation with already established friends. Do we leave our comfort zones and reach out to others? Fellowshipping is extremely important for the investigator or a convert. The Holy Ghost testifies of the truthfullness of the gospel to the spirit. Our fellowshipping testifies of the the truthfullness of the gospel to the heart.

When Victor was investigating the church I knew that he could not be pushed or forced into joining the church. Bishop Ramirez and Brother Frankenburg were the great facilitators in Victor's conversion. Their sincere friendship and fellowship towards him opened the doors to his conversion. The patience of the ward members and the missionaries allowed the spirit to reach Victor's heart because he did not feel pressured. I am grateful for the sound counsel of our Father in Heaven found in Doctrine and Covenants section 121 verses 41 and 42:

"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by vitue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile--"

Because I have seen the power of friendship on the soul and eternal salvation I have determined to extend my personality to others, especially those who are seeking truth and light. I have made a new friend who is currently investigating the church and knows that she will commit to baptism, but will not do so if she feels pressured. I know that she knows the church is true. I also know that she wants to feel a part of the ward family and that she belongs. She is a good friend and I know that she will find great joy as a member of the church.

I hope that each one of us can find the time in our lives to extend our friendship to those around us. What a wonderful way to express our gratitude for the gospel and the tender mercies we receive from day to day from a loving Heavenly Father.