Christmas Letter

Hello Everyone: I wanted to let you know about the Fey Family Christmas Letter for 2008 - I try to write one every year, and this year is no exception. I got a little "behind" with my timing, therefore, the letter just got completed. Through my burgeoning technological savvy, I have uploaded the letter and you can access it through the link on the top right of this page - ENJOY!

Check out the 2008 Year-in-Review - the link is below:

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=ff4c890d32ceda89d2db6fb9a8902bda

Snow 'Madness' is a Legitimate Disorder

So any of you who have lived in Washington for some time realize that many of us have acquired a certain 'hubris', if you will, about our ability to drive in inclement weather. And while our skills do help us navigate the various treacheries associated with the frequent rain, they do not, despite the over-confident guy flying past you at 50 mph, extend to snow-driving, as evidenced by the past few days. Large parts of Washington, including Puyallup, received unprecedented levels of snow fall starting last Wednesday, but didn't really increase until late Thursday afternoon.

I just happened to be finishing with a work Christmas party in downtown Puyallup, as the snow began to fall in earnest. I decided to jump on the freeway and head home, but once on the freeway realized it was gridlocked. Attempting to maneuver my way around the backpack, I exited and began to weave my way through back roads....all was well, until I got behind a line-up of cars attempting to crest a hill. I became impatient, called Scott, pulled out the Tom-Tom and we began to look for an alternate route home. Scott found a side street for me to take that would help me avoid my current back-up, so I turned around and headed for my new path. Unfortunately, Tom-Tom does not provide you with any topography, so we were unaware that my route now included a steep descending hill. As I made my way down the hill, Scott listening through my cell-phone ear buds, my car began to slip, and I ended-up sliding backwards toward a ditch. The whole while I was screaming at Scott, "I'm going in to the ditch, I'm going in to ditch!" Miraculously, my car stopped a few inches short of the ditch, but still facing backwards. I managed to pull away from the ditch, only to lose traction again, and began to slide horizontally toward a parked car, this time sobbing and screaming at Scott to "help me - help me!" What I didn't know at this point, was that Scott was frantically running around the living room, unsure of how to help, picturing me and my vehicle careening over a cliff. When the car stopped 6 inches from the bumper of the car, I just sat sobbing for a few minutes, while Scott offered nonsensical suggestions. My final effort to right myself sent me drifting toward a cropping of trees - foot aimlessly pumping the brake. Again, the car stopped inches away from disaster. My nerves frayed, I inched my way down the hill and around the corner and......in to a line-up of cars waiting to ascend another hill!!!

I called Scott again and demanded he find me help - good man! He called back minutes later to say he had enlisted the help of our neighbor to drive him to the top of the hill to retrieve me (she's from Montana, by the way, and actually knows how to drive in the snow). When Scott and Jackie got to me, I was trapped behind a teenage driver who had attempted to mount the hill, only to slide back down and become a literal target for all of the "hotshots" who thought they could make it up the hill themselves (she had already been hit three times). For over an hour and a half we tried to decide if we could make it up the hill, how to move the other driver, or whether to abandon the car for the night. The whole time the snow was dumping, and we were freezing. Occasionally, a driver would pass the line-up of vehicles, and a "good Samaritan" would explain the treachery of the hill....the driver would quietly listen and then, brainlessly, attempt to "storm" the hill. We watched at least 6 vehicles lose control and come rocketing back down the hill, people jumping out of the way, others screaming to "watch out!". One car slammed in to a gate, busting it open; four went in to a ditch; and another gave up and turned around. Our favorite "hill-challenger" was a young guy smoking a cigarette, talking on his cell phone, and driving a Geo Metro, who made it about a third of the way up the hill before sliding in to a ditch - the sledders at the top of the hill cheered when he lost control. Eventually, Scott and I decided to ask a nearby resident if we could leave our car in their driveway, and we hiked out to Jackie's waiting car. The moral of this story? Hubris is the downfall of many a driver....and Geo Metros have no chance in the snow.

Enjoy a few snow pics from the past few days:

Ode to our Vacuum

Today Scott and I treated ourselves to an elaborate purchase.....a vacuum. And not just any vacuum, a very "special" vacuum. 'What makes this vacuum so special, Sara?' - Well, folks, this vacuum......actually works......a fact that in our household is real cause for celebration. It means that the pine needles are no longer winning the war; it signals the end of my discomfort over lying on the carpet to watch a movie for fear I might get cooties; it represents the dawning of a new era at Chateau Ennui - after six months of living in this townhome, our carpets have finally been thoroughly cleaned.

When Scott and I were married, nearly five years ago, we needed to buy a vacuum, but our funds were limited. We ended up having a ridiculous amount of cash on a gift card from Macy's and that effectively limited our options to buying a vacuum at, well, Macy's. At the time, Macy's was actually the Bon Marche and they did not carry any brand of vacuum but the Shark-brand. Our lack of knowledge about the brand and our limited funding options were not the only reasons we fell prey to the Shark. In fact, at the time, bagless vacuums were just starting to emerge as the "must-have", and wouldn't you know it, the Shark was bagless, so Scott and I assumed we were getting a sleek, top of the line product. However, we quickly learned that we had been duped. This vacuum literally mocks our efforts to keep a clean floor, taunting us with it's deceptive vacuum-noises, all the while ignorning every pine needle, string, and speck of dust. Scott has decided that the Shark simply gives our carpet a relaxing "massage" every time we attempt to vacuum, and stinks up the joint, at the same time. Buyer beware the catchy name: "Shark Pursuit," and flee for the saftey of your hard earned cash.

Scott teaches the Shark a lesson and now it knows where it stands (or lays, literally).

So, we did a great deal of research and decided to invest in a vacuum that would literally do the job and keep doing it for a looooonnnggg time. In the end, I'm embarrassed to admit to all our blogger friends how much we paid for Penny, but she has proven to be worth every penny (no pun intended). She has a six year warranty, a kevlar belt, and all metal engine parts.... so she doesn't mess around. She may not look as sleek as say, the Dyson, but she is German-engineered and highly rated. Introducing the Riccar SL5, copper vaccum (thus her name, "Penny"):

She's "old-school" in the sense that she looks like a 50's model upright, and has no fancy new-fangled attachments. But...she only weighs nine pounds, and we got a small canister vac with tools and attachments to use in our car, on the stairs, and on our upholstery, as a bonus - whoo-hoo!

Scott shows the Shark who his new master is....the Riccar.

And now a haiku written by Scott in appreciation for our Christmas-vacuum:

Coppery vacuum,

Sent from on high; now you are

One of our family.

This is the Coolest Blog Site EVER!

So Scott and I have to thank Amy, my brother Matt's wife, for introducing us to this site through her Facebook account. I just spent several minutes literally laughing my head off with Scott, while we looked at picture after picture of the most mind-blowing cake disasters....even though it was 1:30 am. You must know that when I am willing to forego sleep for something, it has to be incredibly special....and I guarantee you all.....this IS special. Check it out and be amazed:

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Here's just one example to whet your appetite for the hilarity that will ensue: