Katie Reider’s 365-Day Benefit

The goal of this project is to link 500,000 people within 365 days to www.500Kin365.org, a website being developed to connect or re-connect people to singer song-writer Katie Reider as she continues to face an ongoing battle with a rare myofibroblastic inflammation tumor.

The action is to then give your $1.00 gift to the cause in exchange for Katie’s gift. We are only asking for a $1 contribution that will grant the user access to download a collection of 9 original songs Katie’s performed over the last 10 years. This is not a purchase, but an exchange. When you give, you receive!

Katie Reider’s 365-Day Benefit
ATTN: Lauren Fernandes
P.O. Box 480722
Bicentennial Station
Los Angeles, CA 90048

My Poor Old Car

Did you know my Mountaineer is now offically 9 years old. And boy is it starting to show its age. It also have 130K miles - it would have more but I didn't drive it much while I had the convertible and these last couple months we have been car pooling so it doesn't get out as much any more.

Because of gas prices and because Chris was out of town I've been driving the Jetta for the last 5 weeks. My car only got out once in those 5 weeks and that was to go pick up some mulch just down the road. Well today was one of the days where after work Chris and I head in different directions so we can't car pool. So he takes the Jetta (since he is going farther) and I take the Mountaineer.

I was quite pleased it started this morning and except for the brakes being stiff (from sitting) there were no problems.

Until I got near the airport.

I noticed the ABS light had come on - okay, no big deal, just be careful - it could just be from sitting. Then the airbag light came on. Then the radio died. Then the check engine light came on. Then all the gages dropped to zero. Then the car died. In the left lane, right by the airport. I was able to coast into the turn lane by the gas station before I came to a halt.

While the car was in the process of dieing I called Chris who had just arrived at work (about 3 blocks from where the car stopped). So he gets back in his car to come push me out of traffic and into the parking lot - My hero!!!

With the symptoms it was showing we were pretty sure the alternator gave up the boat but since neither of us could fix it right there as we both had to get to work we left it in the parking lot.

Chris went back at lunch to see if it would start - well it did so he moved it to the work lot where it wouldn't get towed (being that I died right at the airport I wasn't sure how long it would be before it got towed). After work I picked him and the bad alternator up (he pulled it out on break) to go get a new one (and a serpentine belt since the belt was off and need to be changed anyways). And hour later and I was on the road and the car drives like new!!

This was going to be the year of money spent on my car any way - it needs plugs, wires, and exhaust, shocks, front supports and probably a starter (since those also seem to go about about 100K miles). And since its paid for and I couldn't sell it becuase of its gas milage and I really don't want another car payment we will do the upkeep needed and get another 5 years out of it.

I think I have the oldest car right now.

What we did today

And their off.

We got tickets to see the Indy 500 today. Chris has lived here 11 years and has never gone and I've been here 2 and have never been inside the track - flown over and driven past many times thou.

Since we were given tickets (Misty, a friend of Chris got tickets thru work and didn't want to go) and have a friend (Von) who lives about 3 blocks away and she let us park in her driveway we thought - what the heck, lets go.

And I've been once and once is enough for me. Think Taste of Chicago on the 3rd of July but with every one drunk.

It is a huge drunk fest. You can bring in alcohol and food so there is no need to buy their over priced beer. So fill a cooler with beer and you are set for 3 hours of sitting in the sun watching the cars go around the track.

According to the reports this was the biggest turnout in 12 years (since the league split).

We were sitting on the north stretch between turns 3 and 4. The crash between Kannan and Fischer late in the race was just to our right.

Oh and more women need to be race car drivers - if you didn't watch the race Danica Patrick got hit coming out of pit row late in the race. Her car got spun and her back wheel broke. Once they got her out of the car she was on a mission to find the guy who hit her (who was also damaged and had been pushed back into pit row). She marched thru pit row towards him and track security ended up stopping her before she got to him. Word on the radio was the guy who hit her was told to stay in the car and not get out. I'm pretty sure she was going to read him the riot act and bitch him out but we will never find out now. Up until that point she had been pretty much running in the top 10 and would have had a chance at a win. That was the best part of the race.

How does your garden grow

Look what is growing in my yard. This is a bed of Oriental Poppies.

Last year I had this weird plant growing that had what looked like a flower head on it. Well instead of letting Chris cut it down I let it flower so I could figure out if it was a weed or not.

This year that one flower has turned into a whole bunch of flowers. Aren't they pretty.

Only problem is they are in the way of where we are going to move the driveway to (along with my lilac tree and peonies which are getting moved as soon as I get their new home ready). So once they are done flowering they are getting cut down so gravel can go in.

I am going to make sure to save seeds and try to get the bed established on the other side of the house where the new flower garden is going to be.

Well depending on how you look at it they could be weeds.....

Road Trip Any one?

Well the Hendricks Symphony orchestra (of which I'm a member) is playing at the 4th of July celebration in Plainfeild Indiana (down here on the west side of Indy).

Not only are we playing before the fire works - we are playing with the fire works.

So we are currently practicing firework music. Which includes all your favorites, Sound of Music, Music from Star Wars, various Sousa marches, Battle Hymn, 1812 and the William Tell Overature (the good part).

How come I remember last playing these pieces and they were really hard? Or at least the percussion parts were alot different and much more involved... Maybe it could be that the last time I played the 1812 I was in highschool. Damn memory.

We only have a handful of rehersals to go and we still have music coming in. But this group can do it - well as long as the parts don't get any harder.

So does anyone want to come down and see a free concert with fireworks? Let me know and we will find a place for you to stay.

Oh yeah - does anyone know where we can borrow a cannon from?

Life just got better

Chris came home on Sunday!!! yeah my husband is home again.

What is the first thing he did when we got to the house (after stopping at my sisters to see the deck, picking up a keg of beer and getting a load of mulch)???

Cut the grass. Seems that I didn't do a good job of it when I cut it about a week ago and it was looking too out of control for him. I mean it wasn't 8 inches tall and going to seed or anything like that (well it was when I cut it last). It could have gone another week in my mind.

So he spends his first evening home doing yard work.

You should see the Oriental Poppies that are growing in the grass. Since Chris wasn't around to cut them down I've let them get big and tall and now they are flowering. So pretty. Chris says once they are done flowering he is mowing them down. At least he hasn't cut them down yet.

Oh well, he's a man

Okay changing again

Did you know Blogger.com and Multiply have sharing capabilities. So I can post on either site and have my blogg show up in both!!

So depending on where and what you want to book mark you can find me at either place. I'll try to put a cross link between the 2 as I'm not sure yet which I'm going to keep up to date with pics and other stuff yet.

Here is the link to each of them so you can check them out as you wish.

http://cedarchip.multiply.com

http://cedarc.blogspot.com/

Ramblings from DFW

So I'm now sitting in the DFW (Dallas - Fort Worth) Airport killing time. I have about 5 more hours to kill.

The flight from Monterry Mexico to DFW was on time and had no problems. We make it thru customs and check our baggage in, turn to check the monitors to find our gate and what is next to the 10:30 Indianapolis flight but the big word Cancelled.

So after spend about 20 mintues trying to find a gate agent we finally head back out to ticketing to see what needs to be done.

I was scheduled on the 12:45 out into St. Louis with an arrival into Indy at 5:30 - but the flight from St. Louis to Indy would be on a really really little plane which I really don't like. So I opted to take the 3:45 direct flight (on a bigger plane) into Indy instead and not have to deal with the potential of missing the final flight into Indy. So I will finally get to Indy at 6:55 and home by probably 8pm.

So I have a bunch of hours to kill. Finally to get to all those web sites I've been meaning to check and balance my check book and read the news and a bunch of other stuff. I would much rather be at home doing nothing but I guess this is okay, comfy chair, nice and bright windows and not alot of people around me now (Oh I'm sitting in the International Terminal which is alot newer than the rest of the airport and has better restaurants)

7.138 Pesos

Now what exactly costs 7.138 Pesos as of May 15th?

A liter of gas.

You heard me.

A liter of gas.

So that works out to about 27 Pesos a Gallon and the going rate is 10 Pesos to the Dollar.

So gas in Saltillo Mexico is $2.70 a gallon.

And we are at $4 - tell me why that is.

Can you ship Gas? I wonder if it would be any savings.

No wonder all the old US cars go to Mexico to die (you see alot of 70's and 80's cars still there and the big SUV's)

Back from Wichita

I spent this last weekend visiting my husband in Wichita KS. Because you really never hear about Wichita (except that their college basketball team liked to beat my college basketball team) I wasn't really sure what to expect.

First thing.....
Its really really really windy there - like all the time. To the point that this morning when I left it was about 50 out with about 50 mph winds which brought the temp down to the 30's. The wind really makes it hard to spend any time outside.

I know Chicago is windy but really thats just because of how the wind funnels thru the buildings. This wind just cuts thru you.

Second....
I'm not sure if this is true but they have more aeorspce companines out there than I've ever seen. For a really small town they have 5 - 6 airports. 1 is the commercial airport. HawkerBeechcraft (who Chris and Matt work for) has their own air field. Boeing, Cesna and Spirit have assembly plants out there with associated run ways. There is a Military base with a run way and a small private airport as well. As we were driving around I saw alot of aerospace companies had manufacturing facilites as well. So it seems like Wichita is a hot bed of the aerospace industry.

Third.....
The town has a really nice downtown area thats very tourist friendly with a bunch of museums and lots of things to do. Its probably about the same size as downtown Indy but with not as many tall buildings. Once you get aways from downtown things are really spread out (at least on the East side). I'm used to development upon development and everything being really packed in. Out there you drive down a city road that all of a sudden turns into a mud road. A mud road is a road that consists of mud and gravel and when it rains really hard it becomes almost impassible. I saw alot of national chain restaurants and stores. Oh and the main Colmen factory is out there and they have tours and an outlet store (that I'm disappointed we didn't get to)

So all in all its really not a bad little town. Probably smaller than indy but still has alot to offer.

This is PavonII he is a full blood Andalusion stallion that Ellin (the owner of the barn I'm at) owns. For a full stallion he is very gentle. He doesn't get pushy and loves to be around people. Just look at him move.

Here I am

Well I've finally abandoned Yahoo360 - I hate to do it as I've been there for a couple years but as they are not supporting the program any more and Yahoo seems to be changing directions I needed to move.

So this is where you will find me.

More to come

OH and someone else already took the cedarchip.blogger.com so I had to settle for cedarc - not too much different. If you try cedarchip you get a blank blog, wonder who that is....