I have a home warrantee. It's ~$450/year and what I call a co-pay for each visit, but that's all I pay, regardless of what is involved. I've used it for a couple goofy things where idiots-guide-to-plumbing left me frustrated (like, I couldn't figure out my stupid toilet. ) Called when I made it rain in the livingroom and learned I have no overflow pipe in my tub. Had I wanted them to, they would have installed one, but that would wind up tearing up the floor, which I'm saving for when I redo all the plumbing up there (I really like my floor and intend to preserve it.) And used them again to winter-ready my radiator and learned all sorts of fascinating things. Frankly, I can bleed them myself, but emptying the reserve air tank? Adjusting the pressure? Yeah, next time that needs doing, I am calling them again. And now I know to check that shit.

I'll probably keep it for a few years until my savings recovers some.

I think the water in the basement is coming up through the concrete. Interesting. Long term fix is to drill a hole and put in a sump. But it only really happens when we get saturation like this. I'll live.

Hey, they actually varied the plot a little this time! Drunken obnoxious speed skater was banned from speed skating for punching a teammate, and now he's begging depressed heartbroken figure skater (who was happy fulfilled in love figure skater in the last movie) to skate with him, because he can't stand being out of the spotlight so he figures he'll try figure skating.

Oof. It's been a busy day.

I made it to Target, and have come to the conclusion that the Liberty stuff is not for me. The only adult clothes I saw that had fabric I would have worn were in cuts I didn't like. The rest was just too busy and not me. I didn't look at the sheets or accessories though, and there were some really cute kids clothes. I almost bought a skirt for Amy's Sara, but they didn't have it in her size.

(et finish the thought) Then I went down to San Jose to see G&J--they say Hi, ita and Kat, then stopped at work and managed to do in two hours something I've been trying to find time to do for six or eight months.

Then I went to TJs, and got lots of bad for me stuff.

I totally helped my mother by buying her Caramel Delights off her -- she's on Weight Watchers, and I haven't managed to get any of my own yet!

You're such a good samaritan, Jesse!

I need to stop grocery shopping for a bit, or at least make a strict list. After the Snowpocalypsegeddons, the larders were bare and I think it made me a little nuts. I'm way overstocked now. I normally have enough for the week and maybe a few days. But with the storms? Yeah, that wasn't so good. But I don't think I'm going to find myself unable to do my regular trips to the store for three weeks any time soon again. And I probably have enough dinner food for over a month now. Which is goofy.

I am a helper, is what.

The only family member she still has in this movie is her caring yet over-involved mother who spends pretty much every scene cooking something with peppers and cilantro. Her over-protective older brother who beats up guys who make sexual comments about her seems to have disappeared. But she is still "gutsy" and "ballsy," at least once the drunken speed skater reminds her that she's supposed to be. And, of course, she can hold her own in a bar fight.

And the coach this time is a bald Chinese man who keeps saying things like, "Jade must be chiseled before it can be a gem." And gongs play whenever he enters.

And gongs play whenever he enters.

No, seriously?

There were gongs, or at least some stereotypical Chinese-type music, at least once. Not quite every time.

Also, on his first entrance, this Chinese coach, who has supposedly coached a ton of European champions, bowed to the skaters.

These taxes are taking forever. My papers are a mess. I am missing information. ugh, I just want done, but I also want my money!