Happy Heart

I believe the ultimate source of blessings is within us. A good motivation and honesty bring self-confidence, which attracts the trust and respect of others. Therefore the real source of blessings is in our own mind.--Dalai Lama

Yesterday was a good day!  Lately with my luck, I am not taking any good day for granted.  My heart was very, very glad yesterday!

I talked to the Consumer’s Advice Bureau about my situation and they gave me some great advice.  I took that advice and then called the Trader.  I was not super excited about how the conversation went, but it could have went much worse.  The conversation was very civilized and polite. I don’t want to believe that the Trader sold me a bad car on purpose.  I gave the Trader the contact information to talk to the garage--TR Isuzu about the state of the car.

Then, I made two batches of brownies and took them to TR Isuzu.  The guys were fantastic.  I am such a lucky girl!  When I was delivering the brownies and saying thank you, I also explained a bit of the situation, then I asked if the trader had called.  It turns out he had and the Very Kind Guy told me that the Trader did a lot of listening.  The Trader is now picking up the car from the Very Kind Guy at TR Isuzu.

What that really means?  I think that the Trader may be planning to fix the car.  I am going to proceed with my plans to write a letter to the Trader asking for a refund.

If you are looking for a really reliable garage, where damsels in distress are given assistance above and beyond expectations.  I highly recommend TR Isuzu in Takeley. Good service is so hard to find.  If they can be so kind to me, I can only imagine that they do business with a lot of integrity.

They gave me a full, happy heart!

Introducing Pepe

I got a new to me car!  No kidding!  I am not sure what will happen with the last one yet.  It has been a crazy week, I am hoping that things settle down for awhile now.  I need a break!

Super Handsome relaxed his criteria on the new car.  The last ones have had to be diesels and manual transmission.  They are hard to find lately.  The new one is petrol and manual.  We ended up back at the original dealer that we first bought our cars from.  I looked there in January, but they did not have anything that met Super Handsome’s criteria.  I wish that I would have gotten something from them anyway, they are good people, for sure.  Not only are they interested in buying back the cars when we do go to France, but they are also giving me plenty of warranty coverage.

It is a little KIA Picanto.  It is small and the boys will be packed tight like sardines.  The engine is tiny, 1.1L and I am was not able to get it past 40mpg when I test did the test drive.  It gets good gas mileage, has 4 wheels and will get me to where I want to go!  Yes!

Introducing Pepe, he’s really not the peppy, but let’s not tell him that, I don’t want to hurt his feelings!

I am sure that Pepe and I will part friends.  He seems like a good little egg already!

Apparently I Can’t Get A Break

So, Super Handsome came home Wednesday night from working with the Frenchies.  We were down to one car and I had a million things to do.  Ok, nowhere near a million, but it sounds impressive!

I had Super Handsome drive, we dropped the boys (all but Boy 2 who was home ill for the second day in a row) off to school and then we headed to his work.  We switched places and I headed out to get my list of things done.

First, I headed to the petrol station, the car was low on petrol.  I pull in and hit the off button on the car... Here I should tell you that his Renault aka The Tank requires a card to start it, no key.  It will not start unless it detects that card.  As I turned off the car the car started flashing me “card not detected” messages.  I instantly had a growing pit of horror in my stomach.  I knew beyond a doubt that Super Handsome had not handed the card off to me a few minutes ago.  In an attempt to stay calm, I got out and pumped diesel all the while sending him frantic texts and calling his cell phone.  I was not getting any answer.  Finally, in desperation as I was in line to pay, I called one of his other co-workers.  She promptly answered and handed the phone to him, he was standing right next to her.  They hopped in her car and headed down to the station.

I paid and explained the situation to the cashier.  The kids seemed not to be bothered.  I went and sat in the car and whenever a car pulled up behind me I got out and explained the situation to the driver.  They were all very kind to me, thankfully.  I had a huge pit of anxiety in my stomach.  The station was pretty busy to boot.  Finally they showed up and all was right with the world.

I did the few other errands that I had and then went home and spent some time doing misc tasks until school pick up time.

We had a busy evening ahead, Boy 3 and 4 had parent evenings.  It is a parent/teacher conference.

Going into the school, there had been a pretty bad accident on the road.  It had to have occurred awhile before I went through as the injured were gone and there was just one badly damaged vehicle left.  Traffic was moving around it.  When we were on our way home, they were recovering that vehicle and because of the narrow lanes, they closed down the road.  Since we were on a tight schedule, I routed around.  As we were routing around, I drove into a rut and ended up with a flat tire.

I had just had it.  I called Super Handsome and started to loose it.  The tire would not fill with air as it was actually punctured on the side wall.  He could not assist since I had his car.  The car did not have a spare on it, but thankfully, I had gotten the emergency break down service on our insurance.  So, I put a call into them.  I was given an hour wait time.  I asked Mrs  Innuendo of she could come to me and take the kids home for me.  She was kind enough to help.

Super Handsome had a problem on his own.  He could not rent a car as his copy of his Indiana license is expired.  He has a paper copy that he uses to show that it is still valid, but he did not have that with him as well. So, he was forced to sit and wait the whole thing out.

So, I sat and waited.  Thankfully, I had my iPhone, so I was able to keep myself occupied.  I called the school to let them know that we were not going to be able to make it to parents evening.  I was also able to text Super Handsome and my sister in law to keep me sane.  I think that technology is awesome!  How cool is it that I can iMessage my sister in law that is in the US?  Very cool!

The RAC guy showed up after 6pm and did his work.  Since all the tire shops were closed, he towed the car to Oak Lodge and parked it.  I was lucky again because the work that had closed my lane all week had just completed.  If it hadn’t then I am not sure where I would have had him take the car!  After he got the car situated, he took me to the nearby airport so I could rent a car.  I headed off to get Super Handsome from work.

I am glad that I thought ahead for dinner.  I had put a chicken in the crock pot and their were Brussel Sprouts (that Boy 1 somehow managed to burn?).  The kids had already ate so we had a quick dinner, tucked the kids into bed and called it a day.....

I am not sure that I should drive a car anymore, because apparently I can’t get a break.  

Whiz in My Wheaties

So, let’s see... I left off with the devastating news that my car was now a useless hunk of metal.

Remember, I am a silver lining type of girl.  There is a silver lining somewhere, let me find it... We only have 1 car to sell when we move to France.  I still have money left over from the first car (that is in checks that I can’t cash because I STILL don’t have a British bank account), we can get a rent a long term hire (rental) car for the remaining four months we will be in the UK, hopefully!

I do feel sorry for Super Handsome.  He was in France while all this was happening.  Just as it was happening he was emailing to tell me how excited he was as he could go back to wearing jeans at the new workplace.  I crushed his happy bubble right away with the direness of my situation.  Then, later that day, we had a conversation that went like this:

       SH: Maybe your car will magically start working again
       Me: Love, when the garage man tells you that it is economically                       beyond repair, it is not going to magically work again.  I wish that it would.
     SH:You always Whiz in my wheaties, you know that?

Ok, maybe I don’t feel THAT sorry for him...  I am the one without a car again.  This time there is no free rentals being offered to me.  Looking at the paperwork, I am not sure about having a warranty either.  Just to put it all in perspective for you, I bought the 2 Feb and it ran until 20 March.

I had a chat with the trader that I bought it from.  He was nice and I am hoping for something positive.  I am also going to contact the Citizens Advice Bureau and see what they recommend.  They do have consumer protection laws here in the UK, I am hoping that there is something that will help me. I don’t understand them and how they will apply in this situation.

 As you know, the garage man told me I needed to just scrap the car.  He is currently keeping it for me at the garage while I figure out what to do.  I am going to drop off some brownies for him and the guys today or tomorrow.  They really came through for this damsel in distress.

I hate buying cars, especially used ones.  I tried very hard to do my homework on this one, it came with all of it’s past service history and it seemed to run fine until Tuesday.  I don’t think that they purposely sold me a dodgy car.  I am still puzzling about the warranty on the car when they apparently offer them (he mumbled something about the low price of the car having something to do with it).  I did point out to the guy while chatting with him that I was never offered an extra warranty because if I had been I would have taken it AND paid extra.  Let’s face it, I know what kind of luck I have and frankly, I am tired of eating "whiz in my Wheaties".

Beyond Economical Repair

"You guys sure don't do anything the easy way." I'm proud to say we don't even try; it just comes naturally.

Yeah, for reals.  This is my life!

Somedays, it is all normal and good.  Other days I have to wonder if I am an alien from another planet.  The last couple of days have been manic.  Sunday night, Super Handsome went to France.  Monday was a fantastic day.  Lovely, quiet.... I did Pilates with the girls and even managed to get the dog out for a 2.5 miles walk.

Tuesday we had a hiccup.  My car died when I was trying to leave the school.  I parked it and called my mobile mechanic to come and take a look.  I managed to grab a ride home from Mrs Innuendo, so I could use Super Handsomes’ car.

Mobile Mechanic checked the car over and said he couldn’t find anything wrong with it, except for the fact that the engine was so horrendously loud and he was very concerned.

Kid 3 was having difficulties with the Easter bazar.  Everyone kept telling me that there was no reason to be stressed or panic.  Yet, Kid 3 did not have a plan about what he was going to do.  The teacher thought he had a plan, and told him he had a plan and he really did not have a plan.  Enter email from Little Miss Champagne about how her said son had been planning his stuff out all week!  Prompting me to feel immediately sick to my stomach.  There was no plan, we had no candy and I was starting to feel like a nut job.  I asked the school for help and they mirrored back that I was being a nut job.  But remember.... there was NO PLAN and other kids have been planning this for a WEEK!  EEK!  

So, after a talk with Kid 3’s teacher and then Kid 3, we got it semi under control and forged ahead with a plan.  In the morning as we were getting ready, I asked him "the plan".  He gave me a total different plan than what the teacher informed me was “the plan”, so after a quick correction and regrouping, the kids were off to school.

Fast forward to getting my car.  Little Miss Champagne kindly dropped me to my car after our morning Pilates.  Drum roll... the car would not start.  Mobile Mechanic makes a quick stop over and gets car to start!  Yeah!  But advises me to dump said car quickly, as we are screaming loudly at each other over the din of the engine.  He says that those noises are indicative that there is a big problem and hints that it is probably going to cost more to fix then the car is worth.  I nod my head vigorously over the din of the motor and jump in the car, hoping to God that I can make it home without an issue.

Guess who made it almost home???  Ok, I’ll tell you.  ME!  It died in a place that I was able to get it off the road.  So, I parked it and locked it.  Then I did a short walk to a nearby garage.  Let me mention that it was cold (close to freezing) and I had left the house in Yoga clothes and a light coat.  Thankfully the walk was short!

They pulled the car in and opened the bonnet.  That was followed by some examination time, wild gestures, and serious looks.  Then several attempts were made to start the car, more time was spent under the bonnet and more discussion was had.  Then the car was pushed to the side and the man that I had spoke with walked my way.

Your car is beyond economical repair.  It needs to be scrapped.

Favorite Sayings

I have a collection of favorite sayings.  I thought that I would share them....  Gandhi rocks.

"Our culture has accepted two huge lies.  The first is if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle you must fear or hate them.  The second is to love somebody means you have to agree everything that they believe or do.  Both are nonsense.

You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate." --Rick Warren


"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
--Mohandas Gandhi

Let's try it again, with WINE this time-- me

Shame on people for not being able to come to the table and talk like big kids. Playing in the Sandbox 101.-me

To know a person's religion we need not listen to his profession of faith but must find his brand of intolerance.--Eric Hoffer

In politics, stupidity is not a handicap.--Napoleon


Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army.
Edward Everett

Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit.
Mohandas Gandhi 

Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding.
Mohandas Gandhi

"I have met thousands and thousands of pro-choice men and women. I have never met anyone who is pro-abortion." Hillary Clinton

"I'm not claiming divinity. I've never claimed purity of soul. I've never claimed to have the answers to life. I only put out songs and answer questions as honestly as I can ... But I still believe in peace, love and understanding."--John Lennon

“All I can do it be as authentic as I can and the rest has to fall into place.  -- D. Moxley

You have a world full of people who love you...and, those of us who love you have come to do so by choice because of who you are.--M. Berkland

Corned Beef, no... Irish Stew

Last year for St. Patrick’s Day, I did a look around to find corned beef.  All I could find was something that was in the meat for lunches section or something that was in a can near the Spam.  Um, no thanks.

I thought, how odd and wondered what in the world was wrong with the British?  Did they not eat the traditional Irish meal?  Were the Irish disliked that much or what?  I don’t remember what I ended up serving for dinner, probably beef stew since I was very unsure about cooking with lamb.

Fast forward to this year... I asked my Facebook friends where I could find corned beef.  Let’s just say I got some ‘smart’ answers.  It was obvious to me that I was using the incorrect term if that was what they though corned beef was, so I went to my friend wikipedia and read about corned beef.

It turns out that what I really wanted was something that the British call salt beef.  It is found at some of the local butcher, not in the grocery store where I had been searching in vain.

It turns out that salt beef is known in many cultures around the world. It got the name corned beef from an old English word.  They called any small hard particle or grain, a corn. In the case of corned beef, corn referred to the course salt that was used to cure the beef.  The salted beef became known as corned beef.  During the Industrial Revolution, the British industrialized the production of salt beef.  Because of it’s non-perishable nature it was used by the naval fleets, it was also sold to the British public and the colonies.  In the colonies, it was looked upon with disdain as it was widely used in the slave trade and associated with poverty.  It was also traded to Spain and France and the English salt beef production made them quite wealthy.

It is a sad tale for the Irish really.  The wealthy English lords that owned all the Irish land grazed cows.  All the Irish beef was sent to England which served to worsened the effect of the Great Potato Famine.

The Celtic grazing lands of...Ireland had been used to pasture cows for centuries. The British colonized...the Irish, transforming much of their countryside into an extended grazing land to raise cattle for a hungry consumer market at home...The British taste for beef had a devastating impact on the impoverished and disenfranchised people of...Ireland. Pushed off the best pasture land and forced to farm smaller plots of marginal land, the Irish turned to the potato, a crop that could be grown abundantly in less favorable soil. Eventually, cows took over much of Ireland, leaving the native population virtually dependent on the potato for survival.

—Jeremy Rifkin, Beyond Beef^[6

So, even though most of the beef used was produced in Ireland, the Irish did not eat it, they were to poor.  So, It turns out that corned beef is not really a traditional meal in Ireland.

"In North America corned beef dishes are associated with traditional Irish cuisine. However there is considerable debate about the association of corned beef with Ireland. Mark Kurlansky, in his book Salt, states that the Irish produced a salted beef around the Middle Ages that was the "forerunner of what today is known as Irish corned beef" and in the 17th century the English named the Irish salted beef, corned beef.^[7] Some say it was not until the wave of 18th century Irish immigration to the United States that much of the ethnic Irish first began to consume corned beef dishes as seen today. The popularity of corned beef compared to bacon among the immigrant Irish may have been due to corned beef being considered a luxury product in their native land, while it was cheaply and readily available in America.^[5]

In Ireland today, the serving of corned beef is geared toward tourist consumption and most Irish in Ireland do not identify the ingredient as native cuisine."

On St. Patrick’s Day in the US it is considered very traditional to eat corned beef and cabbage and to drink green beer.  Green beer is another American tradition as well.  They don’t drink green beer on St. Patrick’s Day here in the UK or Ireland.  The Irish immigrants started eating corned beef and cabbage after they arrived in the US.  Corned beef was substituted in the dish for pork (bacon) in the dish probably due to the low cost.  In the US it is traditional to prepare it as a boiled dinner, cooking it with cabbage and root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes.

In light of my inability to procure corned or salted beef in time for our St. Patick’s Day celebration, I resorted instead to making an Irish stew with lamb.  Happily it turned out well.  Unhappily, the Irish soda bread did not. I used a combination of recipes, if you want to know what I did, the recipe is below.

My recipe:

Crock pot Irish Stew

About 1.5 lbs of lamb, cut into pieces
flour
salt
pepper
oil
large chopped onion
4 cups water
Thyme
4 bay leaves
Guinness
Red Wine

Coat the lamb with flour and season with salt and pepper.  Oil the bottom of the pan and heat.  Brown the lamb in the pan.  Take out as browned.  When all the lamb is browned, add some more oil to the pan and then saute the onion.  When it is almost done, add the water to the pan and scrape off the brown scrapings off the bottom.  Add all to the crock pot.  Take the thyme and peel the leaves off the stem.  Chop and add to the stew.  Add the 4 boys leaves.  Open a bottle of Guinness beer and add a little (I added about 1/2 cup).  Add 1/2 cup of the red wine.

I cooked this all afternoon and then switched the crock pot off overnight. I have been told by many that the stew is better if ate the second day.

Potatoes
Carrots
Parsnips
Parsley (flat leaf)
Oil
3 cups of water
3 bullion cubes

Cut the vegetables into bit sized pieces.  Oil the bottom of the pan and cook the vegetables together for about 10 minutes.  Then add the water and 3 bullion cubes.  If you are in a hurry (I was) cook until the vegetables until the are soft.  Add to the rest of the crock pot.

Chop the flat leaf parsley and sprinkle on top.  After we had dinner I dumped the rest of the parsley into the crock pot.