Getting Kicked While You Are Down

Bill was laid off yesterday. His department has been eliminated at his job. I am a basket case. Once again, I am just feeling overwelmed by everything and don't feel tough enough or strong enough to handle it. It just feels like too much. I guess the good news is that the house is going to sell. Bill is going to get unemployment. We have $7000 in savings right now ($5000 in EF, $1000 for propane and car insurance and $1000 for "fun"). My salary does almost cover our expenses, with unemployment we shouldn't have any issues.

So, I am just trying to figure out everything we need to do. Friday, Bill has to come and clean out his desk and I want him to make sure he has health insurance for the next month. Then he gets to file unemployment and go job hunting. I guess for March; I will put him on my insurance. I know he doesn't really want to because I have St. Johns and he has Cox, but his insurance is SO expensive (like $400 a month and that is with a $2500 deductible-or will be March 1, and yeah it is 90% coverage when mine is 80%).

Anyway, maybe this is a good thing. Maybe having time to heal and not worry about work will be good. All I know is that I scarfed down some potato chips and am drinking a Mt. Dew at 11 am which has not been me at all.

Our pastor called last night and Bill didn't even have the heart to tell her he had been laid off. We'll wait until tomorrow at choir and make that announcement! UGH! I'm just overwelmed, but doing better. Poor Troy made the comment that now that Bill is better he is going to quit his job and I just started bawling. I said well he doesn't have a job to quit any more. Troy felt awful about that, but it wasn't his fault. We'll be fine. I just need to figure out how to pull it together a little better and get a plan together. I had run through a bunch of scenarios last fall in which Bill lost his job or I was on maternity leave. Of course I didn't have unemployment added in. Sigh. If it isn't one thing it is another.

Miracles

At a bible study in college, one person said "God doesn't perform miracles anymore". I said "Excuse me, I believe God performs miracles now. No it isn't water into wine, but I believe that my nephew being alive and living a normal life is a miracle. God uses our technology to create miracles." "Well, that just isn't good enough for some people; they need to see God in action. We need miracles."

I believe in miracles. I still believe my nephew is a miracle. I also believe that how my husband is feeling today is a miracle. Sure he hurts from having surgury, but "the pain" is gone! GONE! Just like that. Sure modern medicine played a roll, but I believe that modern medicine is a miracle of God. We don't need Jesus to lay his hands on you for you to be healed because doctors have been blessed with the ability to heal. We still need Jesus to save and heal our souls.

Faith and other typical randomness

I mentioned yesterday about Faith. So, last night when I broke out my bible, I turned to Hebrews 11. This chapter is ALL about faith. The commentary in my bible called it the Faith Hall of Fame. I also turned to James (Lecia a former friend from my early college years had once told me it was one of the better books in the bible to read for something short sweet with lots of meaning". I start reading about Faith without works. Which to James, was nothing. But that doesn't mean you can have works without faith. Rich Mullins wrote a song called Screen Door on a Submarine. He sings "Its about as useless as a Screen Door on a Submarine. Faith without works, it just ain't happening. One is your left hand, one is your right. You need 2 strong arms to hold on tight". Funny how slighly random selections of readings really tied together. (The Hebrews chapter came from a list of "numbers to call" in different situations that I have had in my bible since Freshman year of college and James just came because it has been a long time since I looked at ... well other than the readings at church it has been a long time since I just sat down and read my bible).

Last night was a bit hectic: choir practice, get home eat, I pull out DDR (because I have been super stressed and DDR has been a great stress coping mechanism). I'm in the middle of a song and Bill comes back in the house from his man cave (aka the garage) and low and behold he has his brother with him. How did I miss a car driving up the driveway? Was I that into my game? It takes a good minute (under normal circumstances) to drive up our drive and we can see you the ENTIRE time (of couse the UPS driver made it in about 20 seconds). Anyway, Kevin laughed at me. I need to get somewhat use to it, having him around because we are going to be his home base for the next couple months or so. After DDR, it was empty the dishwasher and then off to bed. The last two nights instead of pulling out the book I am reading (Tribute, by Nora Roberts...typical Nora single title book) I have pulled out the bible to read.

Boss man wants to take me out to lunch today for passing my exam (yeah I realize we found out a month ago, but between having the stomach flu, christmas, and his wife's foot surgury; it got pushed to the back burner). Bill and I are going to this Pondering Parenthood Seminar tonight put on by my hospital. We were actually going to go over to Primas for supper, given that it is close and fairly quick (still going to leave work early though). So, now I am trying to find some place good that isn't overly filling so I can handle going out to eat twice in one day. Bill, on the way to work today, mentions that he wants a little "action" tonight (given that post surgury he can't have any for 4-6 weeks .... which is WAY longer than we have EVER gone since the week we started dating...what can I say, he was easy). Then he goes wait I'm going to going to a seminar that talks about the effects of that action...then he goes, nah I just don't care (about the effects, still wants the action). So he is coming around a lot on the whole having kids thing.

So, tonight it is Pondering Parenthood, then more DDR (because I like IT!) and then pack up things to go with us to the hospital (like my laptop and some books) and then early to bed because 4:30 is going to come way too early (Bill wants to leave 45 minutes for a trip that only takes 20 minutes ... especially that time of morning). The weather is suppose to be good (although not nearly as awesome as today) and Linda and Sam are going to come and Mickey is going to come after feed the horses and I will not lack for company. Hopefully, Bill will go first and it will all be over soon, but I am not counting on it.

Thoughts on the Day

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090121/pl_politico/17714

That is the BEST article that sums up my skeptisism on the presidency (and in politicians as a whole). Finally someone speaks up (of course it is after the inauguration, but at least someone did it).

For being a person of faith, I am extremely skeptical. I have faith in God, I have faith in my family, I have faith in my friends. I even have faith that someday the Cubs will win the world series, but I don't have faith in politicians.

Ok, back to personal crisis. It turns out that Bill's Health Insurance does their deductibles on a calender year, not on the policy year. So, suck! Oh, well. The bottom line remains the same that the money won't be available until Friday, but I can't change that. Of course I could always post date a check. It isn't like it will clear until Monday, but I have issues with that (I have been burned in the past with pending funds and used my debit card to pay for a college class...not the same thing, but still leaves me skeptical).

I bought my elliptical 3 years ago and I decided this week to figure out this ifit compatabity thing. Well, it just didn't work the way I had hoped. I don't have the card reader on my machine, I only have plug in and I was disappointed in the lack of selection and I was disappointed that it didn't control the resistance like I thought it should. I do like having the pace coach, but bringing the laptop to the living room to "control" my elliptical was a pain. I have officially decided I stink at DDR. Not that it isn't fun, but holy cow do I need practice. :) My problem is that as I get tired, my eye foot coordination goes away and I actually get worse at it. Anyway, I have been doing good working this month (10 official workout days + 1 DDR only day). I just need to keep it up another 7 weeks and then we will have Daylight savings time which will motivate me to take walks again (assuming it isn't raining) and possibly ride my new bike. By then Bill will be better and we can take walks together (I hope).

Ok Personal Crisis Time

So, Bill got a call from the financial person at the surgeon's office. They say he has not met his deductible for this year!!! WHAT! His insurance is from March 1 to Feb 28 so how in god's green earth have we not met the deductible. Because trust me we have met it. Then they tell him they need half of what our cost is going to be up front! Ok, we have the money but it is in ING and I immediately transfered it. It won't clear our bank until Friday. They want the money Thursday. So I guess we will have to put it on the discover, which will put us within a couple hundred of our limit (it is only a $3800 limit and Friday is payday so it was going to get paid off Friday). They said our portion will be $2500 because we have not met our deductible (just for Dr. Strang). Well, that should only be $1600 ($1000 deductible). Which, we still have to come up with $800 on the fly (only have $140 in our checking account right now). UGH. Maybe I'll just break out one of Bill's old CC with a high limit to put it on. This sucks. Bill is going to call his insurance agent to figure out what is going on. Considering the house is not going to get closed on in 10 days (thanks to stupid Real Estate Agent Tammy, the dumb blond) and the sale may not go through at all, $1000 is a big deal for our immediate future. In the grand scheme of things, $1000 isn't going to make or break us. In fact in the grand scheme of life the last year probably didn't effect us that much at all when we look at it 30 years down the road. We may be better off because of it, but right now it hurts. I put my entire bonus into savings and it sucks to know that almost half of it is going to be gone by Friday. Ok, I have to stop my crazy ramblings and get to work.

Inauguartion Day

I am not a fan of Barack Obama. I feel he is a whole lot of beautiful talk, but his walk in my opinion lacks. Well, maybe it doesn't if you are liberal, but I am not. I am a southwest Missouri conservative. I want the government out of my business even if it means I have to scrounge for food. I think the last 4 months have just proven that government intervention doesn't really work. Lets approve $700 BILLION for a bailout that does nothing except allow CEOs to continue to make big bucks, but we HAD to approve or the world was going to end and the markets were going to tank...oh look THEY TANKED ANYWAY. Ok, back onto my focus for today. Soon to be President Obama talks a centrists game, but NO ONE questioned his lack of a centrist record. Centrist....far from it. People wanted the "anti-establishment" by voting for him and what they got was the Clinton White House staff. "People" are acting like he is a savior. A savior? Sorry, only Jesus Christ is my savior. I probably wouldn't dislike him so much if people didn't put him so far high on a pedastal.

I don't disagree that this a great day in our nation's history, but I feel that he cannot deliver much (or most) of what he promised.

Being Bold and Facing your addictions

I am addicted to the WIR message board on msn. There I admitted it. I waste way too much time at work going over there and reading and typing messages. I have routinely promised myself, "this week, I will be more productive" and I don't do it. I get ticked at my lack of will power and then spend more time putzing on the net because I am mad at myself. So, today I went into my settings at work and made it a restricted site. So, no more posting from work, but that is a good thing. Hopefully it means more productivity at work which means more $$ for the company, bigger bonuses for me, better retention of clients (not that we have a real problem with that). In this economy you can't afford to waste time. Yeah I am posting on my blog, but I am not desperately waiting to see what "Beej" and "Sharing" and "Sheila" and "Nitza" and etc are talking about today. I can just write about my life and what I am thinking and let it be a quick little outlet.

So, I am going to work at being "miracle Mary" at work and not alter-ego Muttleynfelix on msn.

Speaking of "miracle Mary", at the F&P meeting at church on Saturday, I mentioned I throw shoes when I don't get my way. Which lead Dick to go, "I didn't know you were a Muslim". I told that story today at work and TRD goes, "Should we start calling you Muslim Mary instead of Miracle Mary". LOL

(5 hours later) Ok this is tough. I keep going to the website which comes up blocked. Cold turkey is tough. But I will get there. I know I will.

Dear Diary

I use to write in a journal a lot. In fact all through college, while I took notes in class, I wrote in my journal. Usually something about the relationship or nonrelationship I was in. I really stopped when I started dating Bill, because it just took too much time when I couldn't do it while in class (and yeah I graduated with a 3.52 GPA with a BS in Civil Engineering, so it worked for me). So this is my new journal. I type SO much faster than I can write and it is actually ledgible!

So, news! Bill is having surgury on FRIDAY! Can I panic? Can I have a COW? Friday! OMG. Less than one week after we made the decision, he is going in for surgury. This better do it or I might get a lawyer and start suing people (I know not typically me, but really this is insane). Mickey and Linda M are going to sit with and I might ask Sally tomorrow to see if she wants to come around too. We have to be there at 6 am, but I have no clue what time they will take him back.

We had a Building and Grounds committee meeting this morning at church. Merlyn is the chair and he asked basically couples to be on the team. So we have Mickey and Merlyn, Joanna and Herold, Linda and Sam, Suzy and Leon, and Bill and I. Along with Raymond, Dick and Glenn. I think Sally and Jerome may be on there as well. It was a good meeting. We are a bunch of lets get it done sort of people.

After the meeting, Bill and I went furniture looking. We found a couch and love seat we REALLY like for a price we really like. We found a couple dining room tables that are close (some are closer than others but price is a sticking issue). We were very disappointed in the quality of the chests and dressers. If you are spending $500-$800 on a chest, you want quality. You want drawers that slide out nicely. But nothing seemed just perfect. So we will keep looking there.

Then we went to Game Stop and I bought my very first video game for just me. I finally bought DDR after wanting it for more than a year. I was so excited to get home and play, I didn't change when I did it and now I am all sweaty in my jeans and t-shirt. It is crazy, but fun. I did it with out shoes and my feet and shins sort of hurt. I am tempted to change and put on shoes and do it again since Bill is watching TV. I do want to figure out how to load more songs on it.

We also bought a wireless router for the house. I don't have it installed yet, but I can't wait to blog from my living room instead of my desk. We figured with Bill's surgury he may want to be in bed and putz on the net or play freecell.

Friday, when Bill told me about the surgury, I was pretty freaked out, but now I think it is just a matter of doing it. Friday will be here before we know it and this will all be over with. I know I need to work on leaving things in god's hands more. I think maybe for lent when I give up soda, I will read my bible every day. I really stopped doing that and I need to get back at it. Alison once decided for lent to give up a bunch of stuff and then also run a mile every day (or something like that). I like that philosophy. While lent is pondering that Jesus died for our sins, that he made the ultimate sacrifice and giving up something is suppose to enforce that sacrifice with us, doing something difficult everyday and giving up something everday enforces it even more.

Well, I think I am going to go run through our song for Sunday and then put my music in the car. I also have to decide if i want to do anything for the talent show at Church in February. I could probably play either my 7th or 8th grade competition songs without much effort, but something new might be nice and I do enjoy singing a lot too. Oh well, that is something to think about which I am so good at doing.

Craptastic Vs. Craptacular

Well, so far the week has been just craptastic. (I think that was an Alison-ism from senior year of college, but felt it needed to be resurrected this week). But today crossed the to craptacular.

Craptastic was getting to work and having D call me into his office and say we are leaving to meet with the City in 5 on RRLLC can we sit down and go over the comments. Well, good for me for taking work home last night; I was prepared, but that was extent of how well the day went. Craptacular was the meeting. D and I like the people at the city but holy cow was it a knock down drag out commentary on Hydrology and Hydraulics with the City's regs.

Craptastic is client M.D. He is just a trip. Well, he made the day craptacular when he went off because I would not send my surveyor out there without the most recent plans from the architect. He told D that he gave us consideration for paying for a redo (because of him) and we needed to do the same for him. Wait a minute buster! You DON'T have approved plans; you DON'T have a permit; your contractor IS NOT READY for us. I will not send my guys out to WASTE everyones time when I could wait 4 hours and get the updated plans for the architect. How hard is that. We didn't cost you a dime by waiting. So take a freaking chill pill.

Craptastic was when B started complaining about D to TRD and me last night. Ok B we know you are upset, but come on you have worked for the man for over a two and a half years at some point, stop bitching and learn to adapt. Craptacular was when D went off the TRD and me about B. Oh boy. TRD and I just laughed because what else can you do. Your boss, the owner of the company you work for ... and it is more than a job... is highly upset with one of your coworkers who was highly upset at him. We have communication issues. WE KNOW THIS. Figure out a way to FIX it. And Sorry D, but never ever complain down. You can complain up in a higher archy, but complaining down is a no-no.

Craptastic is having one of your major projects about to be killed by city buearachracy. Craptacular is having 2 major projects on the fritz because of city stupidity. A nice, lovely retirement community in town is working on their third phase. During phase 2, a road was roughed in and underground electric was installed in the ROW. The county came through and widened the road it is tying into and put a turn lane into the development. They also relocated the driveway across the street to line up with this driveway. The city is now saying NO WAY. That 10% grade coming down to an intersection doesn't meet the city standard. "People are just going to slide right through everytime it rains". Wait RAINS? Are we on RACING SLICKS? What do you mean slide right through when it RAINS? Perhaps snow or ice, but rains? Good grief. Have you been on Battlefield at Loan Pine? THat doesn't meet City standards. What about Weaver road? THe ENTIRE LENGTH? That doesn't meet City Standards. What about Campbell and Weaver? They want us to move our entrance to the north. Well, we can't! The county BOUGHT the ROW so it is limitted access. Plus they put in a turn lane. Yes 10% at an intersection is steep but it isn't a death trap.

This afternoon was just bouncing back and forth on one project. Mary do this. Mary I need this. Mary. Mary. Mary. UGH!!!!!!! Craptacular. That is what it was. I don't see tomorrow getting any better. But we can hope.

Frustration

Today has been a very frustrating day. I overslept. Bill finally woke me up at 7. So it was a scramble to feed the cat, make my lunch and grab a shower and go. Except well at 7:40 Bill wasn't ready to go. Ok, we'll just go straight to his doc appt at 9. So, I get breakfast and chill around the house and we get to the doc appt at 8:40. We get ushurred in at 8:55 and are seeing the doctor by 9. Quite a change from our last visit where we waited an hour and a half and they apparrently forgot about us.

As far as Doc appointments go, it was good. We knew what we wanted to know and the illustrious neuosurgeon conveyed to us what we needed to know. Bill has a an annular tear in a disk in his neck. It is probably what caused his problems all along (as in the last year and a half). In fact what the doctor described as classic of this tear was exactly what happened with Bill. The doctor mentioned the 3 things that work for healing: strengthening muscles, the traction, and time. Ok, DH has worked on the strengthening. After more conversations, the traction (which Bill has tried) is probably not something Bill should be continuing any more. The last one was time. The doc mentions 6-8 weeks and I'm like wait a minute this has been going on a year and half. Shouldn't that have been sufficient time for it heal or at least partially heal? So, finally option is, gulp, surgury. This is the same surgury (with the same doctor) for the most part that our friend Pam had last year. He's talking 2 weeks recovery on it. While I think this is our answer, how do you know for sure? We THOUGHT that shoulder surgury was the answer last year. Turned out it didn't do anything. The thing that I can't figure out is that the therapists have all mentioned to Bill they thought it was something with is neck, but the doctors never looked at his neck until the shoulder surgury didn't work. Sigh.

Anyway, I am a bit of wreck over this. I know DH doesn't want surgury again, but what is his other choice to be in pain the rest of his life. His mother (apparently) at Christmas said that he just needed to suck it up. Wow. She doesn't live with him. She doesn't know how bad he hurts. Ok, I don't either but I can tell his good days from his bad days. Then, the other thing is how in the world do we bring a child into this world knowing that he isn't able to do a lot of things because of his shoulder. Am going to for the rest of my life be like "I'm sorry Crackle and Pop but Daddy hurts today; so you are just going to have to leave him alone". "I'm sorry daddy can't throw a baseball".

So we get back to work fairly quickly, but then I meet my dear office manager at the bottom of the steps. It turns out I need to get a letter of continuing authority for a sewer project that was not my baby. I don't even have anything in the file that officially says it was approved. Next, I found out my new project for D's buddy down in GA is Fulton County. Ok I knew it was in Fulton County, I just didn't realize that Fulton County was Atlanta! Ok. GA guy wants me to use the regs we use in Columbia, GA. Right. Fulton County has regs on the net, so guess what I'll be doing tonight. Yippee. I just have so much little crap that I need to do at work. Everyone is like do this, do that, no wait Mary I need this. Last week, D asked me to work last weekend. Well, it was sort of a joke, but I was like no, I'm not doing it. This week, that may not be an option or at least I need to bring stuff home to work on. Everyone is waiting on me for one reason or another. I wish I could more happy about this. People have gotten laid off in my position around town. It's a small engineering community. If everyone is laying people off, that is bad. But anyway, I suppose I should get back to it and do this work that I am complaining about.

Random Book Critique, Bears Critique and Vacation Planning

I read a lot of romance novels. I don't like to read much else because I like happy endings and I don't want to think too much because quite frankly I think enough at work. Well there is a lot of romance novel crap out there. I mean total crap and I grabbed this book thinking I liked the author and then I realized I was thinking of another author. So, I'm reading it and in the second chapter we meet the hero; a wealthy young man who owns an economy car and pick up truck. After his last girlfriend "lied" to him (premise of the story since the title is Tell Me No Lies) and he had to dump her, to get out of his dulldrums he bought a Jeep Cherokee. A Cherokee. A Cherokee! What redblooded, small town, american (or canadian) boy (or girl) buys a freaking cherokee as a fun car! I could see if she had said Wrangler; that is sexy and fun. But not a CHEROKEE! Buy a sports car or a supped up truck. Or for at least an Escalade! Give me a break. I read another chapter or two (the Cherokee gets rearended by the heroine) and I just could not get past the use of a Cherokee as the vehicle one buys when they get dumped. Maybe when the dumping is divorce and there are kids involved, but come on. A Cherokee. UGH! Another example of stupid books getting published when my sister's awesome stories don't get published. Who are these people who decide to publish this crap?

In another example of poor use of logic, my dear Chicago Bears have hired Rod Marinelli. Rod. Marinelli! Of the 0-16 Detriot Lions. I love loyalty and I don't think most people are loyal enough especially in pro sports. I understand Lovie Smith and Mr. Marinelli are like best friends; however, if you are in a hiring position, your team showed a lack of heart last year, so you want to add someone who helps get that heart back........ So you hire the guy whose team was the first to ever go 0-16! Where was their heart? If you can't get your team up to win one game all year, you have no motivational abilities whatsoever. He may be a fantastic defensive line coach, but I don't think Lovie Smith is doing right by the fans (aka the consumer of the product being put on the field). He may be trying to do right by his friend, but there 30 other teams in the NFL (not counting the Lions, obviously he isn't going back there) and I am sure Rod Marinelli has ties to a lot of them given that he comes from the Tony Dungy coaching line. So let him get his confidence back somewhere else; where his BFF isn't propping him up.

Finally, VACATION. DH and I are at least making plans for the vacation. I was running time lines and to at least hit all the places we want to hit, it was going to be right at 2 weeks. So, I figure lets utilize the weekends on both ends and make it a little longer. Looking at the timing and distance of everything, it is only 80 miles further if we swing by my parents house on the way to Niagra (which considering it is 450 miles one way to my parents, that makes it on the way). So, current plan has us heading out the Saturday before Mother's Day and getting to my parents and spending most of Mother's Day with mom and dad and Grandma Bonnie. Then heading toward Michigan (I think we will cut across Canada to get to Niagra). This will also take us pretty much right past the cemetary my Grandpa is burried at (well, his ashes are burried). I did not get to go to the inturnment since it was the Monday after the Friday funeral 13 months ago (and I had to work that week and then we came back the following Saturday to spend Christmas with them; talk about CRAZY). So, it would be very nice to stop there. Our current schedule has us making the trip home the Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. We can use Sunday as a Flex day and possibly spend an extra day somewhere and Monday as day to recoup before heading back to work. The only bad thing is that I wind up with my day to be at my cousin as Thursday. I hope that works for her. I would hate it if it didn't. Anyway, is it May yet.

Oh the only thing I don't know is if I want to keep it a surprise from some people of us being there for Mother's Day. I would like to, but given my compulsive planning issues (which my mother has the same), I don't think I will be able to keep it a secret.

Vacation Vs. Mission Trip Chaprones

Last night was Bill's first night as an official member of session. This is a different situation for us because we have a tendancy to do everything together. Not for any particular reason, but it just happens that we can carpool to work together and then we have choir together and then we do our grocery shopping together and well that is our life. Bill was asked to be a chaprone for the youth group's week long mission trip this summer (and if he went, I would go too).

Well, here is the rub: We had planned on taking at least a 10 day vacation in April/May. We were going to leave our Missouri home and see my cousin in New York - I haven't visited her since her high school graduation 8 years ago, see Boston, go to Maine, check Niagra, etc. With limited vacation, this would leave us with very little vacation time around the Holidays; making it tight during the holidays since the majority of our family lives out of state. Our only vacation not to visit relatives was our honeymoon 3 years ago.

The youth group mission trip sounds great. It is shorter; it is closer; it is for an area that needs it. They asked Bill because the need a male chaprone and haven't found anyone yet. The kids are great and a lot of fun. But it is in Oklahoma...in JULY! Yuck. We would probably be sleeping in seperate buidings being that we will be chaprones.

Then there is the last issue. We have talked about/planned on trying to get pregnant this summer. So, if everything goes well...I could be pregnant or we could be missing out on an opportunity to try. If I was pregnant, I wouldn't be at a point I would want to tell anyway and well if you are throwing up every morning the girls are going to freak out and the other chaprones are probably going to guess. Which means even if you tell people not to tell, by the time you get back, half the church is going to know.

I'm really leaning towards vacation. The fact is that we won't get another opportunity for years to go on a vacation just the two of us if things go as planned. I wish we could do both. But life is full of choices to be made.

Map

Since I am all about visuals. I thought I would add a map.

Drama With a Dog

Tuesday, Bill was home sick and he heard this howling at the door. Turns out a little puppy was on our doorstep. So Bill takes him in the garage and when I got home from work we took him over to the Darnell's. They thought the dog was Greg's. So we went to Greg's and he wasn't there. He has a gate and barbed wire fence around his property. So I left a note on the lock on the gate. So we go over to Bledsoe's, "yeah we think the dog is Greg's". Well Greg drove by, so we head over to his place. We get to his place and the gate is still locked, my note is still there and his female dog comes out and she has had puppies recently. We honk the horn and Greg doesn't come out. We decided we couldn't just leave the puppy there, so we took it home and decided we were going to contact an animal rescue group and have them adopt out the dog.

We got that all arranged and I was just stressed out about the whole thing on Wednesday. Wednesdays are crazy anyway with choir practice. So we get home fairly early and the puppy had chewed and left a mess in the garage. Anna is all stressed out; the garage stinks. The phone rings and it is the adoption agency. They found a home for him. While I am talking to her, a car pulls in our driveway. It is Robert and Rondie's kids. "Max" they cried out "You found him". Unbeknownst to the neighborhood, Robert and Rondie's kids got a puppy recently (you would have thought that the Bledsoe's and Darnell's would have known this since their kids go to school with R&R's kids, but the rumor mill turned out to be WRONG).

I felt terrible. They had no idea how close we were to giving their dog away, but I had to call the lady who wanted to adopt him and explain to her that the puppy had a home. Anyway, I am sure Max will be back and we will get to know R&R and their family a lot better.

The problem with living as far off the road as we do and working longer hours than most of our neighbors is we just don't have an opportunity to see them very often. No one wants to make the walk up our driveway; so it is up to us to come down the hill and talk with people. Well, lesson learned. As much as we love pets, next time a puppy shows up on our doorstep...we will take him to every single neighbor and if we can't find his home we are leaving him outside.