BATHROOM!!!!

Drum Roll Please -

                                OUR BATHROOM!!!

      Sorry it has taken so long but I wanted it to look nice.  Of course, if it looked perfect, then you still wouldn't see what our bathroom looks like.  I have touch ups to do and some other things that I want to add but if I waited till it was perfect, well, that just doesn't happen. But I did want to wait till we got the mirrors up and the decorative lights.  And until I cleaned it.  Yep, you get to see a clean bathroom - floors moped and toilet scrubbed.  I did think of taking a picture of my scrubbed toilet but . . .
    Some things you just take for granted - like mirrors.  I had been putting on my (Sunday) make up and blow drying my hair with a little hand held mirror tacked up over the sink.  I could have used the kids bathroom mirror but it is tiring dragging things back and forth and then there is the fact that they could get into my makeup if we were running late and I didn't have the time to put it away.  (Shudder.)
I didn't realize how much I missed a mirror until last Sunday after my folks had left.  I had to make a point of calling my dad and thanking him again for putting them up!
    THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to all that worked so hard to put it together for us.  I would name you all, but I try to respect folks by NOT naming names.  But from the guys in the brew club who took an unholy glee in demolishing the old bathroom to a contractor friend who gave of his time, to a neighbor friend who gave every Saturday for 2 months to my family who drove 6 hours to lay tile and do other things, THANK YOU!

   So without further ado, enjoy the tour.

     Shower area - we got the floor to ceiling holder off of Amazon (love Amazon!!!)  The hooks are from IKEA (LOVE).  I want to change out the shower curtain - cheapie from Wal- Mart.  This used to be where the garden tub was.  I couldn't find any "before" pictures - I guess I didn't take any.  If we could change anything, we would make the shower not so wide so that the toilet area could be a little wider.  How could we know?  In the discussions, this seemed to be the best layout and since we had no prior experience. . .  Still, this has been the best thing in the bathroom.  Yes, even better than the mirrors! 

     The view from the closet, looking into our bedroom.  You can see our privacy curtain. We hope to put a barn style door up(something like this: http://pinterest.com/pin/245235142179784912/   - not sure I did that right. . . ) instead of a curtain someday.  Look at the lovely tile!  Thanks to every one that put it in for us!  It is so pretty! The counters ended up being an inch higher than we wanted.  Because of the lip of the counter, the installers had to put it up so that the doors could open.  Good to know and something that we will take into consideration the next time we need to do this.  (AHHHHH!!!!)  The difference is an inch or so but it does make a difference. 

 

     Toilet area.  The shower used to be here.  We love the natural light from the window.  I need to paint the little shelf - a good place for books and drinks - and the wood trim. 

     Jarrad's side - I have to find something for his stuff.  Not very pretty but he is so happy to have a sink that he can shave over as opposed to a small mirror in the shower.

     Yeah! Mirrors!!! Our counters are longer now.  The toilet used to be where the tall cabinet is.  I want to put this shelf thing (from IKEA in between the mirrors.  And figure out something to go above Jarrad's mirror so that it doesn't seem like such a big space.  There is also a pipe that sticks out (not shown) on the other side of the cabinet that we need to cover.  Other little things like that need to be done. 

     Under my sink - hand towels, wash clothes, and gloves.  See, other than cleaning - no staging.  My crap is still on the counter. 

     A long mirror is hung inside the door. Jarrad and I could never decide where to put one.  Perfect solution.  The shelves were so deep (22") in the tall cabinet and I got tired of moving stuff around to get to the back.  I bought these drawers from Wal-MartI.   I need to figure out a better way to label things.  A lot of stuff -meds (and yes, I know you shouldn't store them in the bathroom) and other toiletries- is stored in there.  I think we doubled our storage with these cabinets.

    I hope you enjoyed the tour.  Please sign the guest book as you leave . . .

    I could go into details about the stuff in the cabinets but I am not sure that they are organized in the most effective manner and well, I don't have the time.  I should take time to really learn how to use Blogger and insert things and maybe learn how to earn money.  I will put it on my list - which resembles Santa's Naughty List right now.  Today's agenda:  baking cookies, painting deck, maybe Songbird Fest and charter school drawing, fixing door knob (Jarrad - I just hold it in place) in addition to playing with kids and general chores.
    If you would like to see some of my ideas for the bathroom, check out my Pinterest page.
    I love Pinterest!  
http://pinterest.com/blreedwilk/handicap-bathroom/

Dreading May

      A month ago, Emma asked what we were going to do for Sam's birthday.
     "I don't know, honey."
     "But Mommy, it is this week!"
     She had gotten March confused with May.
     May.
     Can we just delete that month this year?  Or at least skip the middle?  I am dreading May.
   

forget me nots

     A good friend called a few weeks back.  She is the type of friend everyone needs because no matter how busy she gets (and she is busy) she always sends cards for birthdays or just because she was thinking of you.  She is the kind of person that makes you want to be a better person.  Anyway, she called just because she was thinking of me and knowing that as the days count down, I might be thinking more and more about May.
    May - Mother's day, my little boy's birthday.  Flowers, spring.  May never was a bad month.  But now, now I associate it with trips to the hospital, with a tightness in my chest.  With pain that I can't fix.
    I pray that it is just this year.  Just this first May.
    As good as we are doing now, we still have issues.  The van, Jarrad's HO, the weather.  His working from home.  His endurance.
    Jarrad feels it too.  He says, well, I guess that is his story.  But he feels . . . bad.  We are tense.  Snappish.  We both feel resentful - me, sometimes of all that I need to do and he feels it because I can drive.  He told me feels feels jealous because I can leave on a Saturday and forget for a few hours.  I laughed.  Harshly, brittle.  Oh Honey, I never forget; not for a minute. 
 

psycho Monday

   Who wants to talk about blessings? 
    Oo!  Oo! Oo! Me! Me! Me!
    Today didn't start off well.  Jarrad was working from home today and that means that I take Sam and leave - at least for the morning.  Why?  Because it is hard to concentrate when you have people doing dishes and playing with trucks.   And Jarrad works in the middle of the house (see old picture taken in 2008 when we were trying to sell the house.  I refuse to take a picture of how it looks now because it is a DISASTER!)
    So as a courtesy and because I can't expect Sam to play outside or in his room for 8 hours, I usually try to leave in the morning for a couple of hours.  Hence - swimming lessons.
    Today, was horrible.  Sam cried before we left to go to Costco.  Then he proceeded to  cry for the hour we were in Costco and not even seeing the firemen getting groceries could stem the tears - just subdue to sniffles for a few minutes.  I even bribed him with a book.  You know what the stinker did?  Came home and thanked DADDY for his new book.  He is only 4!
    Deep breath! 
    So what does that have to do with blessings?  See, just like one thing can make a day horrible; another can turn it around. 
    As I was waiting for the bus, my doorbell rings.  Outside is the developer of our neighborhood.  He says he was having some maintenance done and they finished early  and was wondering if they could do anything  - like move my small remaining pile of mulch. 
    The same mulch that my dad kept offering to move this past weekend.  I didn't think it was that much of an eyesore . . .

       He also offered to do some yard work if needed.  I said that wanted the front bushes taken out.  So they cut them down and next week they are going to take out the stumps!!!
    It would take me a week to do what they did in 45 minutes.
     Now before I get a phone call from some wonderful friends protesting that they would have done it.  I know - I love you too.  And don't worry, I will completely abuse your friendship later in a passive aggressive way where I make you work and then give you beer and pizza. 

The 5 minute blog (with 2 minutes for pictures)

   


 

















     What a weekend!  My folks came down and we:
1.  Celebrated Sam's birthday (got a couple more weeks to go) and went to the Museum of Life and Science where he got a year's pass as his gift.
2.  Had a date with Jarrad (yeah)!
3.  Dad worked on the bathroom.  I have mirrors!!!
4.  Emma had her dance recital - she is awesome!
5.  Cried and had lots of observations about life in general (me) that I will probably write up at a later time
BUT I wanted to give you an idea of what went on complete with teaser photos (sooo happy about the bathroom!)

Kind of . . . wrong . . . somehow . . .

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/14/us/anti-war-vet-suicide/index.html

    Have you seen this?  I am not quite sure how I feel about it but I am going to try to figure it out as I write it.
     Ok. Here goes.
     I used to shrug in perplexity when I would hear older folks say that they knew where they were and what they were doing when Pearl Harbor or when we landed on the moon.  But I get it now.  I know exactly where I was and what I was doing when 9/11 happened.  I remember how I heard and what happened next.  I also remember the young man who went racing down the hallway shouting, "We are going to war!  I can't wait!"
    You foolish young man.  Go back to history class.
    I get the fact that our emotions will guide our decisions - I am a woman after all.  Chocolate = gOOOd!  
    What I don't get is folks who get angry about joining up "to fight terrorists" and "defend my country" and then blame the government for "using them".
    When you signed up, what did you think was going to happen?  You signed your body over to Uncle Sam to use however he wanted for a period of time. And if you didn't think that was what you were doing, you were stupid.  Yes, stupid.
    Because yes, the government sucks and will lie to you and will use you and it is wrong.
    BUT you control your life and your attitude.
    I haven't seen the movie but I read the letter.                    
    I get that this young man is in a living hell.  I see my husband struggle daily to get dressed, to shower to move around this house.  He is in pain and it isn't fair because if you can't feel anything or move anything below a certain point, then you shouldn't have to feel the pain either.  And  I get that Jarrad "has it better" than some.  He had a job he could return to; one that holds confidence in his abilities and he does well at.  He has 2 great (crazy) kids.  He has wife who would haunt his afterlife if he gave up. He has his faith. He is also a para and not a quad - and that is a great difference.  Still, it hurts to see Jarrad struggle because I have to let him struggle.  I have to let him see what he can do and how to figure it out.  Together, we problem solve but . . .
    When Jarrad was transferred to the Bryan Center, they had to ask him about resuscitation.  He had them ask me if I wanted him to be resuscitated. 
    Dodo head. 
    I forgave him because he was severely injured and in pain and thus on drugs which clouded his judgement.  And I love him enough to respect whatever his wishes are BUT he better be ready for a fight.  I am selfish and nothing, nothing would stop me from fighting to keep him in my life; not even him.  I have a full arsenal that I am not afraid to use. 
     I guess I don't get this guy's wife.  
   
   

public school

     This past week, we had our last Parent Teacher Conference for (Emma's) kindergarten experience.  She has really enjoyed her experience at school.  And we are really pleased with her progress.  I am so glad that we ultimately decided to send her to public school.  
     In the Mommy (Daddy) wars, there are many battles. 
     The Battle of Staying Home vs. Working.  
     The Battle of Day Care
     The Battle of Homeschool vs. Outside Education
     There are many smaller battles or skirmishes along the way - To Nurse or Not to Nurse, Clothe Diapers, When to start Solids.  The enemy is  never the same either.  Most of the time, the enemy is ourselves, public opinion/ friends or sometimes it is the grandmothers.  Sometimes it is our spouse.  Other times, it is a civil war as in the Battle of the Potty or Clean Hands Skirmish or the Eat Veggies Debacle.
     I think that Jarrad and I have won most of our battles.  At least, we feel victorious.  And we really feel victorious in the battle of education.  The proof is in the parent teacher conferences.  Her teachers say she is a delight.  A joy.  She has "lovely manners" (via her British teachers aid).  She has also mastered Kindergarten.  I asked her teacher about the last few days and her response was that Emma could stop coming now and be ready for 1st grade.  I am really proud of my daughter.  I know her class was pretty wild this year and yet she remained focused and listened to her teachers. 
    At the end, Jarrad asked what we could do over the summer.  The response was read and have her read.  He also asked what we could do for the classroom.  The ironic response was parent other children. 
    I get it. 
    And this is not a slam against homeschooling.  I know quite a few who homeschool.  Most of whom are excellent teachers.  A few are not.  But that is just my opinion.
    Still there is a debate amongst those that want to give the best to their children - is public school the right choice?  I can't afford private school but should I really send my kids out into the big bad world? 
    Public school gets a bad rap. 
    Too often in the media, the attention is on the teachers.  They aren't doing enough.  They need to be innovative. They aren't smart enough; I mean, those that can't, teach, right?  Or there isn't enough money in schools.  We need to pour more money into the system and THAT is the reason why schools are failing kids. 
     Again, in my opinion, the system that has worked for over a 100 years isn't broken.  It is the parents. 
    You know the saying, a few bad apples spoil the bunch?  It is true. 
     Money won't fix the problem.  Parents who care will.  You want proof?  Look at the Black schools of the south.  They had crap.  Nothing. And yet, they "still" turned out educated professionals who dramatically added to our quality of life today.  Why?  Parents who had a passion for their children. 
    Teachers are the problem.  Yes.  Yes. They are.  When you have to teach and parent, you can't do a good job teaching, if at all. 
    And yes, this is my soap box. 
    When you send your child to school, you aren't really sending.  You are adding a person to your arsenal of guiding your child.  Don't just wipe your hands off and say, "This is your job" because if you don't do your job, they can't do theirs. 
   Don't "send" your kids to school.  Be a part of it.  That does not mean you have to "be involved" in the school, it means you are INVOLVED IN YOUR CHILD.  That also means that you don't take an aggressive stance against the teacher  - remember, they are your PARTNER; not your adversary so don't treat them as such.
     There are a lot of battles in life.  Imagine feeling like you are losing more battles than winning and you can imagine what a teacher feels like.  Oh, and by the way, if the teacher feels like he/she is losing the battle with your kid, you just might be losing the battle with your kid too.

bad dreams

    Mommy, I had a bad dream.
    I roll over and open the blankets.  A warm little body with cold feet will crawl in next to me.  If the body is my daughter, I will pull her in close as we snuggle.  If the body is my son, he curls up on his knees so I can rub his back.  After half an hour or so, I take them back to their beds and tuck them in.

    I asked Sammy what his bad dream was about.  It was about bad dragons.
    Did you chase them away?
    No,
    Did I chase them away?
    No.
    Did Daddy chase them away?
    Yes.
    If I have a bad dream, can I come sleep with you?
   Nooo (giggle).
   Why not?
   Because you sleep with Daddy!
   So that means I don't have bad dreams?
   Yes.

   Hmmm.
 
   When I was a child, I learned to change my dreams in that twilight of sleeping and waking.  Going to my parent's room was more trouble than it was worth.  First, I had to go down the dark stairs, through the dark living room and dark dinning room.  Then, my dad, who slept closest to the door would wake up with a loud "HUH?  WHO'S THAT?" After I crawled over his 6 foot frame to get in the middle, my mom - who is a snuggler - would wrap an arm around me and tell me to lay still (she and Emma are kindred spirits). And since I am a wiggler, I kind of felt claustrophobic.  The dream had to be really bad for me to leave the warmth and freedom of my bed to seek the comfort of my parents.  So I learned to alter my dreams while I was on the verge of waking.  I took control of the scary aspects and beat them up.
    But you can't do that with all dreams. 
    I remember one dream.  In it I am in the back of a car and Tony the Tiger was chasing it.  He was going to get me - you would think I wouldn't eat Frosted Flakes anymore.  Actually, I exorcise my dreams by tearing into those buggers!  I kept urging the driver to go faster but the driver kept telling me it was ok.  Nothing was out there.  And Tony kept getting closer.  It was the kind of dream where you wake up heart pounding, pulse racing and sweat dripping.  I know, it sounds ridiculous but that dream always had me jerking awake.  I could never alter it.  Probably because I woke up too suddenly.
    I don't have that dream anymore.  I know I have nightmares every so often.  Jarrad wakes me and tells me that I whimper.  He will ask me what they are about but I don't remember -even moments after I wake.  I guess that is the benefit to being an adult - the nightmares are in the waking world, so I don't have them to "live" them in my sleep. 
    "They" say that dreams are your subconscious dealing with things that you pushed aside during the day.  For example, when I had the Tony dream, it was me feeling like I had no control over my life and no one would listen to me.  Makes sense, I kind of felt that way as an adolescent.   I guess it also means that since I don't have many dreams anymore, I am dealing with my life and not pushing it away.  
    Or maybe it is because I feel safe.  I mean, my children are healthy and happy.  I have good family and friends and my heart sleeps next to me, ready to comfort me when I need it. 

swim

   When I was a kid, our family would take vacations to Assateague Island - home of the wild ponies.  I don't like camping and those vacations are probably the reason why.  Almost every memory I have of camping has to do with rain - torrents of rain that caused the tents to flood.  Mosquitoes. Hard ground.  Ugh.  I like basic amenities - flushing toilets, a bed that is not water logged, not having to tramp through the grass to go to flushing toilets.  I think my folks felt the same way because after 3 or 4 years, we started staying in a nearby hotel.
    Awesomeness!!!
    Because there were 4 kids, Mom and Dad always got adjoining rooms.  Again, AWESOMENESS for us kids because we got to have a TV all to ourselves!  Non stop cartoons!  On CABLE!   As an adult, I realize that this is just another indicator of how smart my parents were. I find my adult self telling them how smart they were back then (and still are). 
   Sun, sand and water.   Flushing toilets, beds, this place even had continental breakfasts. It was a vacation everyone could enjoy!  And we were at the beach so the fact that the hotel (as did most reasonably priced hotels at the time) didn't have a pool wasn't an issue.
    Move ahead (um, how old am I? - start mental calculations) about 25 years, you kind of expect a pool. Standard.  Now, however, we are going to be looking for pools with a lift.
     You should have seen the kids'  faces when Daddy got in the pool with them. They climbed all over him. 
     Of course, they also wanted to push the button that made the lift lower him into the water.  I am all about letting my kids "help" but . . .
     I will admit the lift made me nervous, you can see that there are no sides and just a rinky belt.  I had visions of him falling sideways in the water or worse, against the edge of the pool (reading this will be the first time he is privy to those thoughts) but I should have trusted him more.  He has a better sense of balance now.  I am so very proud of him for getting in the pool with just me and the kids there.  I would have been nervous but Sam gets his fishy tendencies from somewhere and it isn't me so I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised at my adventurous guy!  

thank you Hampton Inn

   When we were discussing going to PA, my parents offered to let us stay in their room which is on the ground floor of their house.  We could have done that but there was no way that Jarrad could have taken a shower (they have just a shower stall).  So my mom put in the time to go to different area hotels and check out the wheelchair accessible rooms.
     You would think that something called a "handicap room" would be able to accommodate a wheelchair - I mean, how much more "handicap" can you get?  But that is not the case.   Not all "accessible" rooms are wheelchair friendly - even if you call ahead and specify "wheelchair friendly" as we found out on our way home from rehab, you might get put into an accessible room that is for the hearing impaired or a clerk will tell you that they can "put up grab bars" which is all well and good IF the chair can get into the bathroom.  Mom went to at least 4 different hotels to check them out.  One was no go - the grab bar thing.  One was ok but kind of dingy.  One was an awesome and beautiful but that was about 200 a night - not happening.  Then there was the Hampton Inn in Ephrata - 12 miles from their house.  But it was booked.  Still, Mom asked to be called if there was a cancellation and since we knew the front desk clerk (my SIL's neice - yeah for family connections), we knew that if there was, we would get a call.
    Sure enough, she called about a week later.  Reasonably priced room and a reasonable distance.  And Mom said she would keep the kids at her house!  YEAH!!!
    Still, before we got the call, I was distressed.  It was still 6 weeks out from our trip which I think was plenty of time but I was having a hard time locating a room for us.  It appears that most hotels only have 3 accessible rooms only 1 of which is a wheelchair room and it goes pretty quick (apparently, to non wheelchair users).  I was not happy as I was calling around Lancaster County aka tourist country trying to find a room that we could use.
    I cried.
    Really, does no one think that wheeled folks might want to travel?  And only 1 room per hotel that can accommodate a wheelchair???
   I have received no compensation for what I am about to write - although if someone wants to hook me up, I will be glad to write an official and honest blurb for Hampton Inn and Suites.  
    In my quest for a room, I called another Hampton in Lancaster  and talked to the front desk there.  When I explained (and they didn't have a room either) what I was looking for, the young lady there offered me 3 different hotels (not all a part of the Hampton Empire) with phone numbers and the tourism office number to call as she was sure that if the hotels didn't have a room, the tourism office would be able to help me locate someplace.  Fortunately, I found a room and then the Ephrata Hampton called.  I was impressed with both the Lancaster and Ephrata staff.  Professional and very helpful.
   Our room was extremely clean.  The staff was great - helping Jarrad get coffee.  The bed - well. . .  it was not our bed.  We slept as well as we could on it but what can you say about a hotel bed? Better than a stable??? 
    We had a great view.  The hotel is on a hill and overlooks Ephrata, which is a pretty little town.  There was an Applebee's nearby and the hotel had a pool with a lift for Jarrad - which he did use.
   All in all, it was good.
   Still, Dorothy, there is no place like home!

packing for the trip

    We decided to go to PA Easter weekend.  It was Emma's spring break and I wanted to go and meet our niece Aubrey who was born this past January with a rare condition and to get some good cuddle time with my other niece and nephew.  Easter just happened to be a good time to go. And all my sibs and their spouses would be able to get together.  (My mom was GIDDY!)
    I was a little nervous as this was our first big trip.  I contacted a blog writer to ask her advice about trip taking with a wheelchair (there really aren't that many blogs out there that I could find about paraplegics.  You want organizing, there are oodles . . . Hindsight, I should have asked a couple of folks closer to home but that is hindsight.)  She really didn't have much advice to give.  I was kind of disappointed but when I made a list of what I thought that I would need and really looked at it, there wasn't really all that much more than we used to take.  I had a wheelchair instead of  a stroller and a shower chair.  I didn't want to just take the shower chair in as it is -it is an awkward shape, even taken apart.  We decided to buy a duffel bag to put it in.  I measured and ordered one that I thought would be big enough and it was but just barely.
   One issue solved.  And brilliantly, I think. 
   The other thing that I was nervous about was space in the van. Breaking down the wheelchair makes me a little nervous (I am afraid that Jarrad will get in it and it will collapse under him.  I can see it happening!) but I knew if I needed more room, I could do it and stick the pieces in nooks and crannies. 
    A couple of years ago, I determined that packing in suitcases was nuts.  Unless you are flying, don't pack a suitcase.  They are big and heavy in and of themselves.   They are awkward to pack.  I discovered the joy of plastic tote boxes. They save room, you can stack them and they hold so much more than a suitcase.  I packed 3 - 1 held my clothes, 1 held Jarrad's and 1 held miscellaneous stuff.  I did pack the kids clothes in the suitcases that they got a couple of Christmases ago but those are light and small.
   I should have taken a picture of the car packed but I didn't think of it and I am not lugging out my still packed boxes just to recreate it but if you can picture the back of a minivan with 3 totes making an "L" shape and 2 kids suitcases on top, with 2 duffel bags and a couple of tote bags, you get an idea of how I packed the van.  In the open part of the L, I put the wheelchair.  I didn't even break it down! I am kind of proud of my packing abilities.
   One of the duffels held the shower chair and Jarrad's gripper.  The other held other odds and ends that I thought we might need.  I packed one small tote for his catheters and another for snacks.  I was afraid we would forget something.  In most cases, it is no big deal -just  go buy what you forget but it is not like you can go to Wal-Mart and pick up the narcotics you forgot
. . . (oh, wait, there are some places where you can . . . )
    I got everything packed and only forgot a few things that we could pick up (legitimately) from a store that were just "would be nice to have" stuff.
    The trip itself went fine.  Nigel (our GPS) took us around traffic.  Jarrad and I listened to a book on CD. We got the kids head phones for this trip and are kicking ourselves for not having them before.  Ah, the blessed absence of DVD noise!
   Conclusion:  Traveling with a wheel chair isn't bad.  Jarrad did weight shifts in the car.  Stop at larger rest areas where the handicap stall is actually big enough to accommodate a wheelchair.  And buy headphones for your kids (wait, that isn't a wheelchair thing; that is just a smart thing!)
   

What a week!

    In my previous job, I was solely an English teacher.  I used to teach 7th graders how to write essays.  How to connect thoughts in paragraphs and paragraphs to each other so that thoughts flowed and created a somewhat coherent piece of writing.  At times, this was torture.  Mind numbing, head banging, I will do anything to avoid this torture. Really, if someone needs to invent a new way to inflict punishment on criminals, just have them read some of these  "essays".
    That being said, what I love about blogging is that it is  (to me) not as "horrible" as essay writing.  In fact, it is kind of fun.  I get to write about big, long events such as this past weekend BUT I get to chop it up in bite sized pieces without worrying about how to make the whole thing "flow" as one long essay.
    I kind of feel like I am cheating - but in a not guilty way - you know, zero calories.
    This past Easter, we headed to PA to visit family and see our newest niece.  I have a lot to write about.  I want to tell you how I packed - which will be going under "organizing our paralyzed life".  What I felt (Nothing more than feelings) and what we did (haven't got a label for that yet).
     That is the plan anyway.  But we all know how the best laid plans go . . .