I apolagize in advance for the ranting and raving that shall commence

It's been a fun filled few days. Oh yes, the joys if living in a city, of living in a luxury condo, of shopping online for Christmas presents, of scary people on the loose, of neighbors having dogs....

Let's start with 2 days ago. Wednesday night, all I really wanted out of life was to go to Kohls. They were having a big sale ending that night and I wanted to go. Don't know why because this season, it seems whenever I actually enter a real store to try to Christmas shop, I wonder around overwhelmed at all the choices that are just not quite right, and then leave empty handed. I have really struggled this year folks. I don't know what my problem is, because I tend to be a gifty person - I love buying gifts. But when they don't come easily... arg. Then I start to feel guilty. Like I love buying stuff when there's that one thing or 2 that you know the person would just love and you find it. That feels great. But when you have someone to buy for and just can't decide, it's like you're randomly walking around trying to find something that the person might possibly find a little fun. When I could just use that same money to buy goats for World Vision and give children milk and families income... so I thought about buying a goat every time I just can't decide and then when Christmas rolls around, telling everyone that they have a goat in their name in Africa. I'm partly serious. And then I wondered how I would feel about having a flock of goats in Africa as my Christmas gifts and really, while receiving gifts is also very fun, that would seem quite noble and logical when you think about. Anyway, I got totally sidetracked there. Back to Wed. So I wanted to go Kohls but it was dark outside and I'm still a big chicken at times when it comes to city driving and it's worse when it's dark. I just need to get over it. I'm still recovering from picking Bethany up at the airport. I didn't really know of anyone who might want to go shopping on a wed. night... I started longing for Warsaw with it's closeness together of things, it's ease of getting where you want to go in less than 5 minutes... and I felt trapped in my city apartment, trapped and cranky. And I tried to tell myself that I don't have it so bad - think of all my friends and relations in Madagascar and Northern Canada who can only go to Kohls once a year maybe or something like that. Poor Dave. He had tons of school work to do so I wasn't even asking if would go. But anyway, he eventually said let's go and he'll do math in the car while I shop. I know, husband of the year award. It took me forever and I didn't find what I wanted to find. Although I did find shorts for Dave (not underwear, the kind that come to your knees) for $3.60. That's right - they were 90 percent off. It's the best deal I've seen in awhile. That was Wednesday night. Yesterday I got up early for Bible Study with some ladies (after staying up till around 3 the night before - big mistake). As I was walking to my car - huge pile of dog doo doo which isn't uncommon around here, but this time, it was in the middle of our sidewalk. That's right, the one we have to walk on to get to our cars. I muttered annoyed ramblings at least in my head, and went on my way. After Bible study, feeling emotionally unstable (one of the ladies started sharing about some complications with her pregnancy and I started crying and couldn't stop. I need to get more sleep before I hang out with a bunch of women), I left to do some shopping, alone, in the big city. Just me and trusty little Lucy. Soon after leaving, I pulled into a gas station to use the facilities and buy a little smackerel. As I pulled up, this old man came and stood by my car. odd. He was just standing there hanging out. I got out of the car and he, to make a long story short, asked me to give him a ride to his house a couple miles away. Well now I'm in a conundrum. I hate saying no - just hate it. And I mean, I help people, right? - that's what social workers are supposed to do. I asked him how he got here and he said he ran. And his wife was supposed to meet him here after Christmas shopping but she wasn't there. Part of that seemed really believable (like the wife taking longer than expected to Christmas shop - but why meet at a gas station 2 miles from home?) and some of it odd. I himmed and hawed around saying I didn't know where I was going because I just listen to Lucy and she tells me where to go. It wasn't the driving of the 2 miles that I minded. But visions of being alone in a car with an old man who pulls a gun on me and demands a ride to Mexico were dancing in my head. Also visions of Dave never letting me leave the house again, should I live to see Dave again were also very real and present. So I tried to graciously decline. Feeling just terrible about it all. What if he's an old man with Alzheimer's? What if he dies alone at that gas station, trying to find a ride home? ack. So I continued to shop and not find what I wanted and waste lots of time, with frustrations mounting over how crazy long it takes to get ANYWHERE. Came home and told Dave that were was a group of ladies going out for supper that night, and even though I was crazy tired, it would be kind of fun to go. He thought I should definitely go. Possibly he needed a break from me as well.... no, he was just being really nice. = ) Anyway, I went by myself driving in the dark, and without incident. Of my own anyway, but when I got to the parking lot, there had been a little car accident and a guy and girl were QUITE yelling mad at each other. Oh my. Drama drama drama. We're talking in your face yelling and shouting. And then the guy was calling the police as I went in the restaurant. So I went inside and had a wonderful time. Came home, still dodging dog poop on the side walk. That was last night. Woke up this morning. We have no water. Dave calls the leasing office. They are rude and obnoxious as usual. He also asks them about our broken window that was reported 3 months ago. And they again said they would look into it. Anyway, about the water, they told him to call another office. So he did. And THEY told him to call the water company. Oh, and get this. She said, if you get a hold of the water company, could you call me back? Where do you people come from??? So, now I'm again trapped in my house, because there is no one alive who would particularly enjoy interacting with me at this point (more due to the physical nature of life than the mental or emotional). So I go to get the mail and in the box is a package that was sent media mail. It's pretty rough looking - a bit torn, and it's EMPTY! I fume to myself thinking that I just flushed money down the drain for a Christmas present I didn't even end up receiving. ARG. The dog poop looks even more vile now. I want to go to some stores, but you know what? It's Friday afternoon and that means it would take 3 hours to get anywhere. And also, as previously noted - no shower, no toothbrush... yeah. I go online and find what it was that was sent to me and arrived empty. ARG!!! I send her a message but have no hope of getting it back. And now it's too late to order another one because we only have one more week of checking the mail before we leave. ONE more thing to rant and rave about, and then I shall leave you in peace. It seems I am incapable of keeping this place looking decent. How does it happen? I don't understand. This week, I spent a good portion of Sunday (I know it wasn't the restful, sabbathy thing to do) cleaning the house. It was beautiful. Felt so nice to have that done. Then I don't know what happened, but I spent a good portion of Tuesday doing the same thing. Now it's Friday, and oh my, if you could see this place. Time to start all over again. And there's just the 2 of us. What in the world? What do all those people with 10 kids do? Even a couple kids? I must be missing something obvious to the rest of the world. On that cheery note, I think we now have our water, without Dave calling the water company and then reporting the problem back to the people to which we give half our income. Oh wait, I guess it was the people that those people said we should call. And it's not quite half. ANYWAY, now I have options! I can clean the house OR take a shower. Yippeeee!

Totally unrelated, I think Elise asked when we're arriving up north - probably the 17th, possibly the 16th. Can't WAIT to see everyone! We are so looking forward to this trip. I'll be there, goats and empty packages in hand.