Hello 2010!! and a sewing tutorial...

It's a new year....I can't believe the old one went so quickly.

I started the new year by uploading a new tutorial over on Missouri Star Quilt . Check it out!

Found a fabulous quilting blog...and a GIVEAWAY!!

I stumbled across Jackie's blog Canton Village Quilt Works while lurking on another blog. Jackie has about a kajillion photos of quilt market on her blog as well as great info about her trip. It looks like she had a wonderful time!! So slide on over to Canton Village and take a gander at what is up in the world of quilting....and sign up for not one but FIVE chances to win her fabulous blog candy....some yummy moda packs and other goodies.!!!

Rain Rain Go Away....

Cause fall break is coming this week!! I need the rain to stop so that I can actually get my kids outside....We'll have to see how the week goes until they get out of school on Wednesday for break.




So this week I am re-using a meal that didn't get made last week for whatever reason...and throwing in a few new ones...

Monday: Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers and Potatoes

Tuesday: Chicken Yogurt Enchilada Bake

Wednesday: Country Fried Steak and Roasted Ranch Potatoes

Thursday: Skillet Tomato Beef Pasta

Friday: Salsa Chicken Fiesta

Check out "Eden" by Lila Tueller!!

It is the cutest pinks and greens and lavenders...so soft and cuddly looking. They look like they would make the perfect baby quilt...or bedding set. And if you want to get your hands on them...simply check her out HERE for your chance to get your hands on a jelly roll and a layer cake!!!! Maybe even a few extras thrown in...you never know!!

Menu Plan Monday

It's that time again....and I"m going to stay on the ball. I have planned out the week's menu, but still have to come up with the food that I am providing for book club on friday night....that will eventually come to me...

If you are arriving to my blog through the Org Junkie please leave me a little note so that I know!


Monday: Baked Chicken Tenders and veggies

Tuesday: Gremolata Steak and Potatoes

Wednesday: Tex Mex Chicken and Rice

Thursday: Cornbread Chicken

Friday: Chicken Yogurt Enchilada Bake

Menu for week of 9/21/09

I started menu planning last spring as a way to save money. We eat out entirely too much, as was proven by our end of the year statement from our Visa. To cut down on that expense, I started scouring my cookbooks, the internet, and friends family recipes to find things that were easy to make and that my family would eat.

Over the summer I lapsed into the processed foods/eating out again. Bad mommy. But fall is here. School is in full swing. I am ready to get back on the wagon....the chuck wagon that is!!

I've never blogged about my meal plans before...but there is a wonderful site that has Menu Plan Mondays so I think I"ll start posting and link it up there for all my blogging friends who want to try out meal plans themselves.

Our plans are always M-F since we run around too much on weekends and that is when leftovers get eaten or we go out. I feel like if I plan meals for these days it will probably just throw my whole schedule off since we rarely see the inside of our house on weekends.I also have meals on Tuesday and Wednesday that require less work and/or cooktime since those are days that I teach *and* we have afterschool activities (soccer and choir) so we don't have as much time on those days for cooking.

My kids are very basic eaters - beef, chicken, pork. One eats shrimp, the other eats fish - but not both of them. They do like vegetables and fruits, so I have good luck and a large selection of which of those to make, so not using seafood and fish really isn't that big of a deal to me.

So....here is the menu for this week:

Monday: Roasted Chicken and veggies

Tuesday: BLT (Bacon, Leek, Tomato) Mac & Cheese

Wednesday: Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken and broccoli

Thursday: Skillet Beef & Potatoes

Friday: 1-2-3 Chicken

Warm Fabric Fuzzies...

I have been frequenting a website for quilters and L*O*V*I*N*G it!! I know this is a total departure from my scrapbooking roots...but I'm smitten. I started quilting last spring and have really gotten into it. I'm learning a ton of new things and feel like I'm accomplishing something that will really be treasured by the people who I give them to.

The website is Missouri Star Quilt Company. They have forum, a blog, tutorials...and most importantly - a store!!! On the site every day there is a deal. It can be anything from a pattern to a jelly roll (this week is jelly roll week), to a layer cake....to anything really - but for a discounted price.!!

You should check it out....we love newbies....and say hi when you stop by!!!

Great Op-ed piece from Dr. Anne Wortham

Fellow Americans,

Please know: I am black; I grew up in the segregated South. I did not vote for Barack Obama; I wrote in Ron Paul’s name as my choice for president. Most importantly, I am not race conscious. I do not require a black president to know that I am a person of worth, and that life is worth living. I do not require a black president to love the ideal of America.

I cannot join you in your celebration. I feel no elation. There is no smile on my face. I am not jumping with joy. There are no tears of triumph in my eyes. For such emotions and behavior to come from me, I would have to deny all that I know about the requirements of human flourishing and survival – all that I know about the history of the United States of America, all that I know about American race relations, and all that I know about Barack Obama as a politician. I would have to deny the nature of the "change" that Obama asserts has come to America. Most importantly, I would have to abnegate my certain understanding that you have chosen to sprint down the road to serfdom that we have been on for over a century. I would have to pretend that individual liberty has no value for the success of a human life. I would have to evade your rejection of the slender reed of capitalism on which your success and mine depend. I would have to think it somehow rational that 94 percent of the 12 million blacks in this country voted for a man because he looks like them (that blacks are permitted to play the race card), and that they were joined by self-declared "progressive" whites who voted for him because he doesn’t look like them. I would have to be wipe my mind clean of all that I know about the kind of people who have advised and taught Barack Obama and will fill posts in his administration – political intellectuals like my former colleagues at the Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

I would have to believe that "fairness" is equivalent of justice. I would have to believe that man who asks me to "go forward in a new spirit of service, in a new service of sacrifice" is speaking in my interest. I would have to accept the premise of a man that economic prosperity comes from the "bottom up," and who arrogantly believes that he can will it into existence by the use of government force. I would have to admire a man who thinks the standard of living of the masses can be improved by destroying the most productive and the generators of wealth.

Finally, Americans, I would have to erase from my consciousness the scene of 125,000 screaming, crying, cheering people in Grant Park, Chicago irrationally chanting "Yes We Can!" Finally, I would have to wipe all memory of all the times I have heard politicians, pundits, journalists, editorialists, bloggers and intellectuals declare that capitalism is dead – and no one, including especially Alan Greenspan, objected to their assumption that the particular version of the anti-capitalistic mentality that they want to replace with their own version of anti-capitalism is anything remotely equivalent to capitalism.

So you have made history, Americans. You and your children have elected a black man to the office of the president of the United States, the wounded giant of the world. The battle between John Wayne and Jane Fonda is over – and that Fonda won. Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern must be very happy men. Jimmie Carter, too. And the Kennedys have at last gotten their Kennedy look-a-like. The self-righteous welfare statists in the suburbs can feel warm moments of satisfaction for having elected a black person. So, toast yourselves: 60s countercultural radicals, 80s yuppies and 90s bourgeois bohemians. Toast yourselves, Black America. Shout your glee Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Duke, Stanford, and Berkeley. You have elected not an individual who is qualified to be president, but a black man who, like the pragmatist Franklin Roosevelt, promises to – Do Something! You now have someone who has picked up the baton of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society. But you have also foolishly traded your freedom and mine – what little there is left – for the chance to feel good. There is nothing in me that can share your happy obliviousness.

November 6, 2008

Anne Wortham [send her mail] is an individualist liberal who happens to be black and American.

If you would like to read more from Dr. Wortham, you can check out her paper on personal responsibility HERE.

The Paradox of Our Time....

Got this in an email...you know the ones....they've been forwarded and forwarded...true author unkown (or Bill Gates)...forward on or you will surely lose all your hair and gain 20 pounds by 4pm today....

But reading it the words rang true. We are a society that has so much, yet we have so little. We do too much with to little of a result or meaning. Let this be a call to do more, mean more, live more, BE MORE.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much , and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life . We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space.

We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

Squirrel!!

Anyone who has seen Up! by Disney/Pixar knows that the single most hilarious line in the entire movie is

Squirrel!

Every time the TTs get stuck on something BD and I just look at each other and say it and we chuckle.

Yes we are lame and old. Don't rub it in.

Well tonight we decided to do dessert for dinner (why should cake for breaksfast get all the fun?) and headed out for ice cream. While we were walking from the car to get in line the conversation went like this:

TT1 "Fireworks!"
Me " Yes some people are setting them off tonight"
TT1 "Maybe they don't know it's not the right night"
Me " Yep. They probably didn't look at the calendar and think today's the 4th"
TT1 "Fireworks!"
Me " Yep. What kind of ice cream do you want?"
TT1 "Strawberry with sprinkles. Fireworks"

You get the idea.

So BD and I as we sat at the table eating our wonderful Bruster's ice cream (check it out if you have one in the area), decide to tell the kids that each time they see fireworks, they should just say squirrel. So they do.

Yes we believe that our children exist soley for our own enjoyment.

Happy Independence Day.

It's been a long long time....

I can't beleive that it's been over a year since m last post. Life just kind of gets away from you sometimes. I was able to move out of a few volunteer positions that I have held for a while, give someone else a chance to shine I say!! But don't fret...I'm back and better than ever!!

I've picked up a new hobby...I am quilting. It is really amazing to me that you can take a pile of random fabrics and create something totally stunning.

VBS (Vacation Bible School) has been this week....it ends tomorrow. The TTs have had a great time and are now looking forward to scout camp next week. Summers are run run run around here.

TTFN~

Rock of Life.....

A friend of mine invited me to go to see Rick Springfield last night in Nashville at the Wildhorse Saloon. (Thanks Yvonne!!)


Of course I wanted to go ... Rick is such a sexy beast ... and besides ... how many chances do we get in life to relive our teenage years? I don't wear makeup anymore ... so no blue eyeshadow or eyeliner ... no mile high hair - mostly because I don't have that much hair anymore, and let's face it they just don't make hairspray like they used to.

We listened to the obligatory Greatest Hits CD in the car drive up. My trusty TomTom directed us right to the door of the Wildhorse ... but not to a parking garage. We drove a block up the street and pulled into a parking garage that had an automatic attendant box where you just pay and pick up your ticket for your dash. So we paid the $10 and pulled on in. Once around the corner though I realized that this was the mini garage. The spaces were tight and the ramps were only wide enough for barely one car ... they actually had a sign to tell you to blow your horn before using the ramp so other cars would know you were coming. I suggested that next time we find a larger garage ... and one with better lighting.

We walked down the 2 blocks to the front of the Wildhorse and asked these two throwbacks to 1984 (you know the type ... hair too tall and hips too wide .... obviously they were cheerleaders in their thinner life) if they were the end of the line. They said yes. We commented on how short the line was considering that the doors opened in 2 hours. They made a comment about how it's a shorter wait for the ones who are not in the "general admission" line ..... we politely said our goodbyes while they sneered down their noses at us and moved ourselves out of the "we paid way too much for our tickets" line and got into the general admission line.

The General Admission line was shorter anyway. As we stood in line we talked with a few other fans waiting to get in. Suddenly a Trace Adkins look alike - complete with long black jacket, cowboy hat, boots, black jeans, and bolo tie - came up pinching his fingers together saying "wristbands ... wristbands". That must be the international sign for "give me your tickets so I can band you like a penguin". He made sure that we all had our checkered nascar looking wristbands and stayed in line like nice middle aged women.

They opened the doors and we headed right to the second floor - you know ... where all us "general admission" flunkies were permitted to be - and got in my opinion the best seats in the house.


Do you see on the right side of this photo the post? You see the two smaller posts to the left of it that hold the railing in place? That's where we sat. Right between those two posts. We had an unobstructed view of the stage. It was perfect. We had the counter to sit at and seats to sit in. No worrying about will I be able to see over the person in front of me or will I get shoved once the show starts.

Since we had a long time (another 2 hour wait) until the opening act went on stage we decided to grab something to eat. They had a limited menu, but good choices. We both got the Tequila Marinated Chicken with fries - and we both highly recommend it to anyone who goes and sees it on the menu. The sandwich was huge and a great value at $8.99 including fries on the side. I stuck with my southern favorite sweet tea - mostly because I'm middle aged and didn't want to fall asleep after a beer and miss the show.

The opening act was The Squirts. They are actually the drummer, the bassist/backup vocals, and the guitarist from Rick's band. They were okay ... but nothing memorable really. Every song they did sounded pretty much the same for whatever reason. They only played a few songs anyway....

Then it started .... the heartbeat .... the purple lights on the stage ... the low hum .... he's coming out .... The place went nuts. It was a great show. Rick seems to enjoy climbing out on the tables at shows. He did this several times. As well as call someone on a cell phone grabbed from the crowd, have people randomly sing with him during "Don't Talk To Strangers", pulled a 12 year old up on stage since it was her birthday. He's a wonderful showman.

During the last couple of songs while he was straddling tables and chairs in the crowd beneath me, he looked as though he might come upstairs. I'm leaning over the railing to see if I can find him and he popped back up on stage. I thought that was it. Next thing I know there is a mad rush for the end of the counter where I am now standing. Rick is climbing up on top of the counter ... right on the other side of the pole that I am standing next to!! He starts singing Jessie's Girl. He passes me and we have a moment ... I touch his arm ... He is sweaty as hell!! My mom reaction was - eeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww!!! Then my 15 year old reaction was - Oh my gosh ... I just touched Rick Springfield!!! Dr. Noah Drake!!! Holy Hotness Batman!!!

That was pretty much the end of the concert. We make our way outside. Amazingly enough the line of kids waiting to get in to the club. It's freakin 11 and there is a line waiting to get in! I forgot about college life. Nights that start at 9pm. Ahh the pre-family life. We get to the parking garage (which now smells of freshly placed urine puddles) and hurry up to the car. We make our way out of the garage and into traffic. The traffic wasn't too bad considering that it was a saturday night afterall.

We find our way onto the interstate and decide that we want some Dunkin Donuts. We're both from up north and DD are like the holy grail of donuts. Unfortunately we have to go through the drive through...have you ever tried to remember all 30 types of donut they sell while going ordering to some disembodied voice in a box? They don't even list them all on the order menu. We each got a dozen to bribe - I mean thank our families for giving us the night away. I also sweetened the deal with a box of munchkins - BD will love me. I had to spring for the large coffee...I swear they make it with crack instead of sugar. We hit the interestate again and head south. We made it back to town around 1:30 am. Waaaaay past my oldtimer bedtime. I went to sleep so fast I didn't even bother to take off the wristband......ahhhh welcome back to 1986.

Little Boy Pink.....

Today I learned that no matter how tight you have the lids on your ink bottles, a3 year old is stronger.

Today at lunch time TT2 was eating and decided he would reach over into the dining room where I have my stamp table set up until the basement gets done. He grabs the red ink bottle and opens it. The result is a pink boy after multiple washings. Luckily he didn't get it on the carpet...or his clothes...or the furniture...but the boy has pink hands and a big streak on his leg and tummy. Maybe I should call into SU! demo support and ask them how many washings it takes to get the Real Red inkpad refill off of your skin.....

So now tomorrow, for TT2's Patriot Day parade...he will be pink, white and blue!! God Bless America!!

Rude wrong numbers....

One of my pet peeves is rude people....and man are there a lot of them out there!!

Today my cell phone rings...of course I'm at home and not expecting a cell call so it's in my purse in the entry hall and I'm in the dining room working on some cards. I limp over to the bench and get the phone in time to answer it.

"Hello"
"Is this Wachovia Bank?"
"No, I'm sorry you must have the wrong number"

click.


That's it!! No thank you...no I'm sorry....nothing but a hangup.

My immediate response is to ask her if I answered the phone "Hello Wachovia Bank may I help you?"if not then chances are she dialed wrong. If I went through the trouble of answering then damn phone the least they can do is say thanks...sorry....whatever.

If you dial a wrong number for heaven's sake please don't just hang up on the person. You may catch me on a bad day...and my phone has a callback feature!!

Wailing Wall.....

That's what the drop off line looked like this morning at TT1's school. He is an official kindergartener now. He looked so grown up in his school uniform (yes I's a school snob and he is attending private school) and he was excited beyond all get out this morning.

Car line doesn't start until Thursday, so we all had to walk our kids in today. We walked into the classroom and I showed TT1 where to put his lunch bag and his backpack. Then I showed him his desk and tried getting him to sit still long enough to snap a few photos. All the while TT2 is whining that he wants to start school today and wants his picture taken and where's his backpack and why didn't I pack his lunch and and and...just shoot me....

So I look around the room (since TT could care less at this point if I'm even there) and I notice the strangest phenomenon....tears....lots of tears....and not from the kids!! There are adults in every corner of the room bawling like babies. Their children look traumatized by their display of sorrow...but the parent's still cry.

I never understood this....maybe it's the heartless wench in me...but for cripe's sake you'll see them in 5 hours - get a grip people!!! You are not dropping them off at college...or putting them on a plane to some far off place never to be seen again...it's only kindergarten!! TT yelled goodbye as he ran away towards the bookshelf and the fish tank...he told me he'd see me later. See....my kids went to preschool so we've had this dance before....no tears necessary for either of us.

Yes I love him....yes I am proud beyond words of him...yes he is growing up...but my job as a parent is to raise him to be able to handle change and to branch out. I want him to make new friends...and have fun...and not freak out because mommy is having a nervous breakdown over the first day of kindergarten.

Or maybe it really is because I'm a heartless wench.....c'est la vie!!

Really??...you don't look that old.....

Yes...it is true..I am another year older. hopefully not middle aged....but then again....when I'm 80 I don't want that to be my "middle age" either.....

I got a beautiful necklace that was given to me by BD and designed for me by my friend Yoli who designs and makes jewelry. The piece of course has a history.....so I'll share that with you.

Many years ago BD and I worked with Yoli's husband on a contract in Nebraska. We knew him for about 7-8 years then we moved to Alabama in '02. Well in '05 her hubby called and was asking about the area and jobs and housing...only to find out that their youngest son was going to be going to school here!! They were looking to move to stay close by and was there anything we could tell them...well we did more than tell them...BD recommended him for a job with BD's company and they were moved here pretty quick.

Yoli and I became fast friends (partly because we are both looney tunes) and have a standing "date" for lunch and shopping every Wednesday when the TTs are in school. Yoli works at a bead store. I have gone in and helped with inventory and to just peruse the gems. I fell in love with Swarovski and pearls.

One day I was checking out the new items and there was the most wonderful mother of pearl cameo like nothing I had ever seen. It wasn't a true cameo in the sense that it was two toned and cut out...but it was more like a natural occurring relief in the pearl. It was amazing. I wanted it so badly...but it was not in my budget at the time. I would check on it every time I went into the store to make sure it was still there, and as luck would have it the day that I came in prepared to purchase it - it had already been sold and was gone. Figures.

Flash forward to my birthday....BD comes home and puts a string of pearls around my neck...I run to look in the mirror...and what do my eyes behold but *my* mother of pearl cameo!!! The strand is pearls and crystals (pink of course) and my cameo. A perfect pairing of demure and bling..just like me. Brazen enough..but also properly sedate. It is by far the most perfect piece of jewelry other than my wedding ring.


Without further ado...here is the new woman in my life...












Isn't she B-E-A-utiful????

Blast from the past....

Second verse same as the first...


You all may remember the oldie but goodie.......my injured knee from may...

isn't it pretty? It looks much better now...no discoloration...no swelling...a perfect knee.


A perfect knee that needs to have surgery. I just found out that I have to have arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn miniscus. I have both lateral and medial tears that need to be removed and repaired. That means that I have tears on the right and left side of my cartilage that is attached to the top of my tibia.

I'm scheduled to go in at the end of August...I'm just going to keep a bright outlook on the whole situation. I've been through many many surgeries...and they've all had great outcomes...so this one shouldn't be any different. I'm going to pray about it and let God take it into His hands. If you are a praying sort of person, please pray for a quick and easy recovery and that I will get back to running my house and taking care of my children as soon as possible.

It's finally happening

We are getting a new deck!!! The old one was in horrible shape and just needed to be ripped down and replaced...so that is what is happening this week They started on Monday by ripping down the old deck and starting the framing. Yesterday they started the cross supports and setting the posts. Today they have cemented the posts and are completing the cross supports. We will probably have decking getting laid before the day is out!! I'm just a little excited.



This is what it looks like from my doorway looking out into the east side of the yard. The small green "nubby" that is sticking out from the wall is where the old deck stopped. This deck is considerably larger than the old one. It will be 10' deep and 34' wide across the back of the house.







This is the other end of the deck. It goes about 4 foot past where the old deck stopped on this side. The stairs will come down the side and across the front. We're going to put decorative brick from the front of the stairs to the concrete in the back so you don't have to walk on grass. I am so excited to get this deck done. We'll have enough room to have people over.....for the TTs to sit on the deck and play or color. They will finally be able to sit outside and I won't have to worry about the deck being unsafe. Plus it will be prima party space man!!!

I'll post more pics when it is done...they are framing up the stairs as I type...so it should be done by friday!!!

TGIAF....

Thank goodness it's almost friday....

I have seen the future and it is iPhone!!! We went to check out new phones the other day...we've been toying with what company to switch to and what features we can get with what company. let me tell you how cool the new iPhones are....they have full iPod capabilities and then some. It's an MP3 player and cell phone...but on crack...it's crazy. The price is also crazy...$499 for the "simple" version....whatever. As cool as the phone was...active scroll screen...album cover playlist graphics...it was not 500 bucks cool....

do you know how much rubber I can buy for 500 smackers??? haha

I also had my first and hopefully last MRI today. I am not in the least bit claustraphobic...but let me tell you....fat women in small tubes - doesn't happen.

I had to have my knee MRI'd and even though they don't stick you all the way into the machine it still freaked me out...longest 35 minutes of my life. They did give me headphones that played XM radio though...I was able to rock to the 80's the whole time. That made the time pass quicker at least. I get my results and see the surgeon next friday...we'll see how that goes. I keep telling BD that it would be ironic that he broke his leg and has been out of work for a while to avoid having surgery on his leg...and that I've been hiking around on my bum knee the whole time and now I'll have to have surgery...that would certainly suck big time. I'm sure that the doc will just tell me that I screwed it up and have to wear a brace for a while...but I really wish the numbness would go away...it feels really screwy to be walking and bending a knee that you can't feel.......

You're welcome Northern Alabama!!

We knew it would happen. We contracted to have a new deck built since the old one was small and in disrepair. Northern Alabama has been in its worst drought since 1921. As soon as the lumber hit our driveway it started raining and it has rained every day since!!! We are officially the end of the drought I guess.....it never fails to happen. It's like our own personal version of Murphy's law.

So now my beautiful new deck is sitting in it's raw form on my second driveway....I had wanted it to be done within the next 2 weeks...but now I have no idea when we will get to enjoy it....*sob sob*.

YAY rain....get us out of this drought.....boo hiss rain during the day....I want my new deck!!!! My luck it clears up every night and only rains during the day....maybe I can offer the contractor extra and he'll build in the dark???