Teen Mom

I visited my friend Steph in Houston a few weeks ago. It's my second January trip and we're making it an annual "Girls Weekend". (Maybe we can get Kara to leave Zane and come with us next January ;) Steph is a foster mom now (!) so we didn't get as crazy as last year, but we still had a lot of fun. Basically she got me addicted to some PRETTY BAD reality TV shows, namely Teen Mom, Celebrity Rehab, and Jersey Shore. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that last one. Anyway, I just want to say THANK GOD I never met the criteria to be a teen mom. I was sure asking for it, but God must have had another plan for me. And I'm not even religious, so that's saying a lot for me.

What's New

Sorry, fans. I know it's been a while. Here's what's new and exciting in the Reynolds household:

Joe's truck broke down. I can't even tell you what is wrong with it because I don't speak car language. Basically it needs a new engine, which will cost about $4000. We can't decide if we would rather do that or just buy him a new car. And then if we decide on the new car, we would have to choose between another truck or a Subaru. So until we decide, we are a "One Car Family." It sucks. Joe works at 7:15am so he drops me off at 7:00am and then I take a State car to all my appointments. (Don't tell anyone I said this, but it's actually nice to get to work on time. I get lots done in the mornings!)

A couple weeks after that, our furnace went out. Basically the part that converts the poisonous gasses into non-poisonous gasses has a crack, so there is the potential for carbon monoxide to leak out and KILL us. No bid deal. The tune-up guy "red-tagged" our furnace and shut it off. A new furnace is only about $2500. No big deal. Thank God I have a smart husband who thought to buy a carbon monoxide detector for $29 before we spent the $2500 on a new furnace. The thing has read "0" every day since we got it. Clearly the crack does not constitute a definitive leak. So we're living day by day, hoping we wake up alive each morning, until we save up some $ to buy a new furnace.

Same week: I go in for a dental checkup and find out I need two crowns. Apparently my teeth were weakened by a combination of Utah's no-fluoride-in-the-water policies and 1980's dentists who used huge silver fillings. $700, no big deal. The only good thing that came from this was that Joe finally found us an awesome dentist (Jason Hodge, Wasatch Dental Care). He's a Utah fan. He's young and funny. His hygienists are "cute" according to Joe. And best of all, he turned my nitrous all the way up because it was "Happy Hour Friday."

We got a housekeeper. Yeah, yeah, I know I just wrote three paragraphs about how broke we are, but she only charges $15/hour while alleviating $1,000,000/hour worth of stress for me. SHE CLEANS THE BATHROOM. Tell me something better than having someone else clean your bathroom every other week? There is nothing. She also dusted the blinds, dusted the bottom shelf of the coffee table, cleaned the inside lid of the garbage can, cleaned out the microwave, and cleaned out the oven drip pans! Who does that?! Kay, that's who!!

We're planning our next trip to Vegas because we got a $50/night coupon for the Tropicana. We'll probably go March 18-21 with my sister and her boyfriend. Love Vegas! Can't wait to check out the new City Center.