Seriously. Bad. Car. Karma.

Okay, I thought I was done with the car issues with the last traumatic post, but sadly no!

It's relatively minor, compared to getting cars stolen and sideswiped, but...

Tad reported the newly-found OLD car (which we'd signed away possession and title to the insurance company, dutifully sending them all our keys) to the insurance company, giving them the address that it was at. They asked him to notify the police department.

When he did, they sent a tow truck to tow the car away, which puzzled the agent that the insurance company had sent out, who called Tad, who, of course, had no idea that the police had acted so quickly.

The impound lot called Tad, wanting him to pick up our car that had been towed away. Tad explained that it was no longer our car, though the insurance company had not yet had time to transfer the registration, so as far as the police were concerned, it was our car and therefore our responsibility to come and get.

Now, mind you, our experience with the Portland Police Department had, up to this time, been stellar -- in fact the officer who took down my report the first time my car was stolen actually had located it for me on his own accord.

This particular officer, though, got a bit cranky with Tad as he couldn't keep up with the chain of events.

Eventually, though, the insurance company talked Tad through the procedure to call the impound lot and officially release the automobile to the insurance company.

After that, my faithful green Honda disappeared from our lives altogether.

Meanwhile, I finally received the title for the new car and trotted down to the DMV only to discover that the paperwork that the seller and I had worked on wasn't going to work. The DMV clerk informed me that I would have to return to the original seller and get him to fill out more paperwork.

"But he's in Bangkok!" I told her. No pity.

Luckily, I had his email address and he provided me his address to mail a package off to. Haven't received it back yet, but I'm ever hopeful. In the meantime, I guess the car's not really yet officially registered to me yet.

Then last week, someone yanked the emblem off the back of the new car.

Dang!

I'm knocking on wood that we are DONE with this all!

Portland Pirate Festival

The boys and I went to the Portland Pirate Festival on Saturday, with a caped friend of theirs (not sure why he insisted on the blindfold).

Ethan got this idea that he wanted a "tan" shirt to wear as a costume the night before. We found an old sheet (that had previously been used as a ghost costume) and dyed it with tea.

He sketched out a pattern, which was basically a "t" and I cut out the fabric using an old t-shirt as a size guide.

They came out really well (Colin decided he wanted one as well), especially after Tad pointed out the the eye holes leftover from the ghost costume were bullet holes.

Ethan's undersized, raggedy blue corduroy jacket actually worked with his costume (he's worn that thing since kindergarten). Colin looked swashbuckling in one of my longer blazers. Bandanas finished off the look.

It rained that morning, but other than creating some wave action coming down the slides in the bouncy area, it didn't really dampen our enthusiasm. We've gone to every single Pirate Festival since the beginning and we're not about to let a little rain keep us away.

The highlight for the boys wasn't the puppet show, the sword fighting, the bouncy house activities, having parrots climb all over them, the cannon battle or the other entertainment. No, it was the discovery by Ethan of a little miniature dagger set (two little knives plus a sheath) for only $4.

Even the non-knife-loving person in me had to admit that this was a good deal.

He and I discussed the matter at length and I finally let him purchase it with some ground rules.

The evening of the Pirate Festival, I wouldn't let him bring the daggers to the neighborhood block party (duh!) but he went around the entire neighborhood making appointments with all the neighbors to show it to them the following day.

We spent much of today on his agenda: Paul and Tricia got the first viewing in the morning. Alan got a look at it after that. We went by Dan's around 11. We were due at Ken and Lenore's at noon, and so on.

I can't believe how blissfully happy this has made him. He seriously has had this incredibly happy smile on his face for much of the day and I know it's because he's thinking of his daggers. At least he's being responsible with them and following the rules...

Race for the Cure!

Did it!

Race for the Cure was this morning. Glorious morning. Thousands of people all united for a single cause.

It felt GREAT!

Above, the Daimler Trucks North America team. Go DTNA!

Recycle Yourself

While most people are marking an anniversary this week for a memorable day eight years ago, the Craig (Lee) family is marking a different anniversary. For us, September 10, 2001 is a special day because that is the day that Tad donated his kidney to his father, John.

Coincidentally, the annual Donate Life barbecue is held around the time of this anniversary, so we typically spend the afternoon with a lot of other kidney recipient donors and recipients and their families, eating burgers and hot dogs and meeting one another.

Dr. William Bennett (above) updates us about the past year and distributes certificates to the people who've been part of the program the last year. We met a woman, Debbi, from Silverton, who received a kidney nine months ago from her son-in-law's father.

The boys' favorite part every year has got to be the gelato, donated by Alotto Gelato. Dr. Bennett explained that the proprietor had received a kidney from the program some years ago and while he didn't actually threaten his former patient, there was talk of coming back for the kidney if he didn't return with his much-appreciated gelato cart.

Each recipient/donor pair are given a number by the group. Tad and his dad's is 70-something. This year, they got up to the 700s. Remarkable. Each of those numbers comes with a story. Just about every story involves a dramatic change in someone's quality of life.

We use that phrase "You saved my life!" so often nowadays that it's almost meaningless, but in this case, every one of the recipients had their lives changed utterly for the better because of the amazing generosity of a donor.

It makes me very, very proud of my husband.

For a simple way to possibly make a huge difference, sign up to be a donor and make sure that your family is aware of your wishes.

(for a hard way to make a huge difference, donate a kidney to someone who needs it -- we all have a spare!)

First day of school

Can't you just feel their excitement?

Last Chance Summer Bash

We had a low-key potluck gathering last night, prompted by the realization that summer was quickly coming to a conclusion. Just a few families with boys and my friend Beth (aka, my reliable party guest with the ability to mix with any crowd I put together).

Naturally, the only photo I got of the evening was of Joey, who had been spending an inordinate amount of time hovering near our basement/garage door the last few weeks who finally caught the baby mouse he'd been after.

Race for a Cure Giveaway

In honor of two friends who were diagnosed with breast cancer last year and who each went through many months of agonizing treatment, I've decided to run the Race for a Cure this year.

In order to raise money for this cause (money which will go to pay for mammograms, treatments, research and life-saving procedures) I am asking for my readers to sponsor me.

http://race.komenoregon.org/site/TR/Race/General?px=1794584&pg=personal&fr_id=1110&et=ur9hrGcLbcxMnuzd69Xngg..&s_tafId=21160

As a special thank you, I will send you my "Take THAT" Cancer pull-tab card. It's the one card that I hate to make a sale on, as when I do, I know there's a sad story behind it. On the other hand, I really love it's message of empowerment at a time that can feel lacking in hope.

(make sure if you sponsor me that I have your address! You can email me by clicking on my profile link on the right or by sending me a message via etsy)

Sponsor me by clicking on this link!

Southern Oregon, Part II

Here's one of the cats we saw in Cave Junction at the Great Cats World Park when we were down last week. I'm a little wary of visiting any kind of animal park because I'm afraid of getting depressed at seeing the little enclosures that the animals have to live in or see them get cowed into submission.

I was impressed with the wide variety of animals at this habitat and with how the owner obviously seemed to love and respect the creatures (many of them cozied right up to him).

Apparently this is one of the few organizations in the world that are allowed to simply release their animals into unenclosed locations, to allow photographers to shoot them in a natural setting (the cats return to them when called). In fact, the guide related that about 50% of the commercial photographs that you see of great cats (leopards, lions, tigers, etc) are of their own cats.

Anyway, while I still felt that the animal's enclosures were smaller than ideal, I walked away impressed with the experience.

(and the boys loved it, of course)