Ugh.

So, my husband has been travelling a lot this year. Sometimes that means he is gone for a month, comes home to swap textbooks, and then leaves again. Recently, it has meant that he's staying in a nearby state for whichever rotation he's working in, and he comes home most weekends. 

It's kind of lame, but one gets used to it.

Sometimes I think I'm fine without his help, but lately...not so much.

This past weekend Tony came home and fixed the a/c (which I had not noticed wasn't working...I guess it wasn't too hot last week), fixed my vacuum cleaner, changed the batteries in our smoke alarms, and installed shelves in one of our doorless closets.  (And that project also gave us the opportunity to say, 

"Shelves in a closet...happy thought."...just like Elizabeth Bennet.)

Transformed the downstairs....because most of the things you now see in the closet, had been in a big pile in front of the closet.

It inspired me to clean the whole family room!

I was also inspired by the fact that homecoming is on Friday. I need to whip out Sofia's dress  - stat! 

How are those things connected?

Well, sometimes you need a clean space to make a mess in...or the pre-existing mess gets in the way.

So, of course, now I cannot find that pattern that I have already cut out (which is the worst part of having to use a stinking pattern!) ...and love.

I've looked everywhere and posted a $5 reward (normally, that gets anything found pretty quickly in my house.) Nothing. If it doesn't turn up tomorrow, we begin cutting out the backup pattern.

Hmmm....I've digressed quite a bit from my original topic....

...back to "crap that goes wrong whenmy husband leaves". 

He drives away on Sunday.

The very next time I get in my car, everything smells like gas or oil or exhaust or something toxic.

Yep, oil is leaking from the bottom of my car.

So, thank goodness I know nice people and they know a good mechanic!

So, in the midst of "governmental crisis" and whatever trash is going on nationwide, I'm in the midst of sewing and minivan crises and general emotional breakdowns.

Any bets on what will break next?...as long as it's not me!

On the way home from retrieving the van, I got us some consolation doughnuts.

(btw, this box matches my favorite house sweater...the one I sleep in and occasionally absentmindedly wear in public.) 

So, now I'm going to go eat a doughnut and google "how to remove oil stains from your driveway".