Error! Error!

A beautiful, sunny day today and I decided to tackle a project.  Then I decided to do the 'easy' way of tackling the project.

Cleaning the oven.  Ugh!  It needs it.

So I used the 'self-clean' feature for the oven.  1.5 hours into the cleaning cycle, we have an error code that we can't shut off.  The incessant beeping is crazy making.  Sure, we can turn off the circuit breaker - but the oven is uber-hot and we're concerned that if the fan shuts off, the cabinet surrounding the oven are going to catch on fire.  So we're leaving it on for now while it cools off.  The door is locked.  I can't get the cycle to recycle - yet.  I think this happened before....I need to search my blog to see if I wrote down what I did to get it to stop.  It is not working right - it's 13 years old and we've never had it serviced.  Guess it's time.

For now, it beeps to remind me that the self-clean oven feature doesn't work.  :-(

In other news, we also aren't currently recording solar power with PG&E 'cuz our 'inverter' is not working.  We've called for service and haven't received a call back yet - so we wait.  Thankfully, we're not using AC today (it's lovely here today!) so that's a good thing.

We're heading to Costco 'cuz I haven't been in a long time - and Christmas stuff is there.  We're going to do a 'big cook' - stocking the freezer with our sauces, chili, etc. that helps us have meals ready quickly on week nights.  Even with J. home, it's still nice to be able to make spaghetti in 20 minutes.  Freezer meals rescue the day.

It was a hard week at work - just stuff.  I saw my old boss briefly yesterday - his knowing half smile and an encouraging hug did wonders...but it's still just hard.  I've been feeling like my finger is in the dam but the water is spewing out all over the place in spite of my best efforts.  Karma that the week ended with a huge plumbing problem at one of our schools - two plumbers and 24 hours of leaky toilets later and it's all fixed.  Darn kids.  Stuffing stuff down the toilets for fun.  Kudos to the assistant principal that spent all day Friday interviewing kids and found who'd done it.

UPDATE:  It's now Sunday morning.  J. was able to get the oven beeping to stop and it appears to be fine now.  And while it didn't run the entire 4 hour 'self-clean' cycle, upon opening the doors, it was visibly, awesomely better.  I've been wiping it down with water and a sponge (which will have to be thrown out after I'm done) and it looks so much better!!

Today, we will spend time at the Memorial Car Wash for the young man that passed away a week ago.  His friends and the whole town are raising money to help the family offset the expenses for the memorial service which is a week from today.  It's been amazing to watch a group of young people really work hard at getting this event together - and what I envisioned has a few kids with buckets and rags has turned into a huge town event.  Banners, flyers, lot of publicity and dozens of people rallying around the cause.  It will be a fun event - while we remember a wonderful young man.

The mom specifically requested to see H. - and we've been trying to coordinate times.  We made it over there last night after H. got off work - he got off at 7 last night.  I went with him - mainly to support him.  He was  a nervous wreck about it - he wasn't sure what to say.  As we pulled up to the house (one street up from ours), he was visibly nervous.  I gave him a hug and said 'it's OK to say that you have no words - 'cuz it's the truth'.  He said 'I haven't even cried yet and I'm afraid I'm going to'.  And I said 'and maybe that's why M. (the mom) wants you to come over - to let you get it all out with someone who knows him and loves him like you do'.  He did have a good cry.  The mom took H. into the son's bedroom and they talked for quite awhile.  I spent time in the kitchen with the dad and the sister while they baked brownies.  One of the nicest families on the planet....wonderful people.  I heard H. and the mom laughing a bit as they shared memories about N. - and I felt so relieved to hear H. laugh.  And when we left, the mom said 'H., you keep laughing. Promise?'.  I think kids think that grief 'stops' all joy - or that it should.  And it doesn't nor should it.

Birdy has a new album coming out soon - and as usual, I'm obsessed with a song that totally resonates - mainly because of H. .  He's pulling inward again - as is his way - and given he's lost a really good friend, I am on high alert.  Pulling inward is kind of normal and expected when you're trying to cope with something monumentally huge - but at some point, you have to start to let some of it out.  H. used to write a lot of rap - yes, really.  And he's pretty good at it - but he doesn't write much anymore so he just tamps it all down and doesn't let it out.

For H., I share the chorus of the new song "All About You" - because this is your mom, honey - and I already know all about you.  I love every single thing that makes up you - and your parents are here for you 1000%.  We've proven that over and over in your life - and we'll keep proving it.  It's OK to hurt.  And it's OK to let some of it out.  And it doesn't have to be us.  Just find someone it can be.

"All About You"
By Birdy

You don’t have to do this on your own
Like there’s no one that cares about you
You don’t have to act like you're alone
Like the walls are closing in around you

You don’t have to pretend no one knows
Like there’s no one that understands you
I’m not just some face you used to know
I know all about you

And you should know that someone cares about you
I know all about you


Here's a link to the video - there is an ad at the start - but 5 seconds in, you can 'skip' the ad.  


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2433615/Birdy-debuts-single-All-About-You-new-Fire-Within-album.html