Down the Toilet

December 22, 2013.Reading time 1 minute.

Just a typical conversation with a teenager yesterday. Friday night, I heard running water and found I needed to replace the flapper in the bathroom my two oldest share. I love to fix stuff and was ready after a quick trip to the store. As I carried my toilet repair supplies down the hall, one of them emerged from said bathroom, which made me stop and wonder if the situation in the bathroom had suddenly changed.

Me: Did you take a big one in there?

Teenager: Huh?

Me: Did you stink up the bathroom?

Teenager: What?

Me: Did you take a big dump in the toilet I’m about to fix?

I raised up my supplies in a futile effort to show her what my mission was. I think I even smiled in the hopes of reaching out to the gentler side.

Teenager: I don’t know.

Me: You don’t know if you took a dump or you don’t know if it stinks?

Teenager: I DON’T KNOW… BLAHHHH!!!!

At which point she stormed off to her room while I stood in the hall wondering what to do.

THE LESSON – let 30 minutes pass. Let 30 minutes pass between the time a teenager wakes up and the time you choose to ask them a typically easy question AND let 30 minutes pass between the time someone emerges from the bathroom and time you choose to repair it. You see, I can learn stuff.

Virgil’s Big Check

December 19, 2013.Reading time 2 minutes.

Since we started the Virgil Gives Back campaign, Virgil has been itching to hand one of those huge checks over to Heart for Africa. I’ve tried to explain to him that we will be making our donation in private, but he’s a kid so what does he know? It’s all glitz and bright lights to a boy. His heart is in the right place, though. We even found this catalog place online where for $79.95 (+ shipping & handling), you can buy a dry erase big check for all your charity needs.

That’s a great idea if you’re more into being in pictures than giving. Sorry, off my soapbox now. In reality, if we bought the big check, we wouldn’t have much left to give to the babies. Anyone else reminded of Michael Scott’s Run for Rabies on The Office?

December sales have been going okay. If any of you readers don’t know what we are up to, you can read about it here: Virgil Gives Back . In a month-ending effort to raise more money, I’m going to use my KDP countdown time next week so that I can sell the book for 0.99 and still get 70% royalty to donate. Less profit, but hopefully more sales. It will run from Dec 23rd – Dec 29th. I’ve got it being publicized at all the outlets I could find. Any suggestions, please feel free to offer them – I am admittedly a novice at this.

Below are links to the book and the charity.