Sick...

Well, Eva brought home a cold from Wichita, and now Charlotte and I have it...

So, I'm not getting a whole lot done at the moment...even though the girls stayed overnight with grandma.

Hubby and I went to help run the beer garden at the county fair in a larger nearby county last night. The Knights there run it, and mostly they use their money as a fundraiser for the parish school. They also let other Knights councils come in an help some nights for a portion of the profits. Hubby got to work as a bouncer (no beer past this point) and I got to take money and serve. It was actually a lot of fun, if a late night (we didn't even stay until close, and got home right around midnight!)

We also had the opportunity to go to the nearest big box home improvement store while we were there, and found a dishwasher for $329 that I'm going to be getting as my birthday present (YEAH!!!) Hubby and I had a real disagreement whether or not a dishwasher was an appropriate birthday present. He really felt that a housewife was OWED a dishwasher and it didn't make an appropriate present. I asked him what an appropriate present would be...he said flowers, or jewlery or new clothes. I reminded him that the last time he got me what I wanted for my birthday it was new laundry baskets (I think that might've been for my 25th) and that I still LOVE them this many years later. I think he's finally given in...

So, my question for you guys today is: If you had a dishwasher in bad shape (ours doesn't consistantly fill with water, so we have to dump 2 1/2 gallons of hot water in the bottom before we run it) would you consider a dishwasher a good birthday present? Or would you feel as though the dishwasher should be replaced (given that we've already had one repair call on it this calendar year and they found a wad of extraneous wire duct taped into the front panel...) AND you should get some other (less practical) gift for your birthday?

Once I'm feeling a little better, I have one small bucket of little cucumbers, one large bucket of medium sized cucumbers and one large bucket of monster sized cucumbers to deal with...I am seeing a vast quantity of pickle relish in my future!