What's the matter? Haven't either of you ever sat their sipping??? <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Why, it almost sounds as if you are mocking me!

A little more English teacher humor: the bulletin yesterday, when it announced Neaksis' presentation for the evening, said, "Learning How To Recognize and Prevent Child Abuse by Neaksis Clam."

What a difference a comma can make. Or a couple of letters. Double <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

what an E card neak!! romantic and loving AND a coat!! wonder who's on cloud nine Mmmmmmmmmm? <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

neak your smile is visible from space!!

[ I'd settle for a scruffy piece of paper with pencil scratchings <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> ...hey I do! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ]

<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /><img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /><img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

But I like pencil scratchings and scruffy paper, too.

Got another email from Aussie <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I can read this sorta <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />



edited the more rude bits <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> What a complete larrikan I have. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />



Did you ever notice how vastly the definition of "good time" varies, from males to females? <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Try and imagine Aussie's scenario, this time with it being all women doing the drinking, fighting, tromping, bleeding, etc...and then all of them going singing arm-in-arm back to their quarters when it was done, and saying, "Nice women, those Poms!"

Ha. We'd still be pulling hair out weeks down the line. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

t&l

t&l

I'd still be gouging their eyes out! LOL <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> In a totally friendly manner of course! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

However I wouldn't be surprised if it was more a case of deciding to replay the rugby match inside .... that sort of fits the thing they would do. They would call it 'good fun'.

probably letting out the stress the lot of them .... it wouldn't look good to cry like a sensible civilised person would - a woman that is!! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Reading between the lines I think they are all very keyed up. All we can do is sit at home and pray for them. ...to break a leg, both legs, in camp....oooops did I type that???? <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Bad AW.

Actually, crying might have a certain intimidation factor for the Taliban. "You know, those Australian soldiers cry like women, but they still fight like maniacs. We'd better not ever make them MAD!!" <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

t&l

Well, girls, another day of worrying shot down the tubes. I called the house lady and she said she was still "working on it" and I should call her tomorrow. I'm sick to my stomach again--when I eat or when I'm hungry. Doesn't matter. Just sick. So I've put off my response to the county for another day, since I don't know what to tell them. I was driving up to get the mail, worrying and fretting and queasy, when the song Like a River Glorious came on the radio, and when I sang the words, "We must trust Him fully, All for us to do; They that trust Him wholly, Find Him wholly true," my eyes and throat filled with tears and I couldn't go on. It sure is a lot easier to "trust" when everything's going well, isn't it?! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

Neak, if you are inclined to do so, and have the chance, you can tell about the trouble we're having right now. I don't care; I just don't have the time to do it myself. If they do decide to lend us the money, though, you'll need to drive your GP and me over to Sacramento as soon as it's ready. Hopefully I can sleep on the way over and the way back, since I'm working till Friday and could really use the money by Wednesday if it's coming at all.

t&l

P.S. As long as it's started raining, I hope your water conservation program is in effect. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> Sorry about that. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

T&L,
I was thinking about the house stuff over the weekend, and wondering how it was going.

Though I don't know what will happen, I do pray for the best for all of you. I am so sorry about the continued stress. Having been through some myself, I realize how it affects one's health, ability to smile, and sleep. Little stuff like that - that makes one wish for better days.

Though I can't do much, and often I don't even know the right things to say, I care. Wish I could help more.

I kind of sit here, and no more words come, so I think I'll go home from work.

You can always just break out in a smile just because. I understand it's good for your face.

SS

neak & T&L

is this still the septics that are causing you a lot of stress?
I wondered if the local county is being difficult on the issue.

Are they restricting what you can do? sounds typical of that type of issue....

I know that I have put in 2 extra soak wells to extend the life of a current system until I decided what I would do.

AND Aussie made me dig it all by hand as well!! said it was good for me to help him ..yeah sure was ..he saved #200 getting someone in to use a backhoe shovel. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

glad we are on the scheme here

That bad Neak abandoned home and hearth last night to take the kids and go over to spend the night in the motel where AJ was staying after work. She probably just wanted a chance at some unlimited water usage! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> So she was useless as a storyteller last night, wasn't she? <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

I've got to get to bed so I can get up early and get the verdict on the money. Maybe later. This crappy septic <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> failed within the first week of their moving into the house when it was brand new. Was it 2 years ago? I forget. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> And it's been an ongoing problem ever since. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Nice day, everybody. Have one, I mean. I've already got the bad one, so you all ought to be in the clear! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

t&l

Hey you'all!

Thought I would stop by and let you know that I think I'm almost through with wallowing! I haven't even read here in weeks, because I was afraid I would post!!

I'm about to pull my head out however!!!

See you soon!

Thought I would stop by and let you know that I think I'm almost through with wallowing! I haven't even read here in weeks, because I was afraid I would post!!

I'm about to pull my head out however!!!

See you soon!


Was worried about you -
Hope things are better, and continuing to improve.

Hi T&L (SS waves)

Hi Everyone (Waves even more.)

Neak, you are sounding better, but It looks like you still have bad days. Here's to better ones.

I hope everyone has a nice day today - sans stress, and bad vibes. Well, I really do hope - even if it's not too likely.

T&L, do you celebrate when HP is gone, or miss him, or are you neutral?

SS

Mom,
Don't forget to cover the hole in the roof with shingles. I forgot about that aspect of the plan.

Hole?

Was this from a shark attack?

Or what?

SS

We're too far from the water for sharks. It was a meteor.


Hello, everybody, I'm back!

Welcome back !!!

You are well?

What an ordeal. The Mustang needed brakes so I would finally have a car to drive even when AJ is at work. My brother put on the front ones, but I didn't have a C-clamp big enough for him to do the back ones. He was not firing on all cylinders by that hour of the night/morning, or he probably would have told me how bad the rotors were and I could have been forewarned.

But no.

I took it into the shop yesterday morning, arriving about 9:30 am, thinking they could throw those old pads on in a jiffy. Well, the rotors were ruined, I knew one caliper was bad but it turned out the other caliper being ruined is what was making that terrible grinding noise any time the car was in motion, and when they took the tires off I saw nothing but metal in a ring around the inside of each front tire. It's a wonder they hadn't both blown out at once already. Then as I was getting ready to leave, they said, oh by the way, your battery is bad, too.

That I also suspected, since I have had to jump start in the driveway several times lately when I didn't think the kids had left anything on. Even with these blows, blessings followed me around all day long.

During the many long hours we waited at the brake shop, I took the kids on a nice long walk to Taco Bell for lunch. At one corner, we met one of my friends driving by. She lives 40 minutes away, had long since dropped her kids off at school, and 'just happened' to be getting a car rental right at that moment while the insurance company paid to have her regular van fixed, having delayed at least a month from her accident. She has a very disabled baby, so you can imagine what her stress level is all the time, and it was just good that we had a while to talk to each other.

Back at the brake shop, they let me make payment arrangements for the chokingly large bill, and at the tire shop they not only agreed to hold the check for 2 weeks, but found 2 barely used tires in my size so I got both tires for about the price of one new one. Next we stopped by the cemetery on our way to the bank, I stalled the car upon leaving, and the battery died. The kind gentleman right behind me gave me a charge, my third of the day, and I was rolling again.

Needless to say I did not turn my car off at the bank, opting instead to go through the drive-through, before heading straight to Wal-Mart.

By this time the sun was going down, so I tried to hurry so I would still have a bit of daylight in which to complete my installation. Well, there wasn't much when I got back out there, but the streetlight was bright enough to see the top of the battery, anyway.

That is just about when it started to rain. I had to take off my coat, too, because I didn't want to get grease or battery acid on it. I can wear a different sweater, dry off, warm up, even grow new fingertips, but there is only one Coat.

It was painstaking work, but I finally got the cables off the posts. The battery wouldn't come out. I pulled and tugged to no avail. After much groping (the peanut gallery would be correct that I have had enough practice, so now they don't have to say it) I found only one little bolt, seemingly in the wrong place to do anything to the battery, since it was off to the side, pointed straight down, and not touching the battery in any way, but there was nothing else so I started trying to loosen it.

After about 20 minutes I went on the 1/4 mile jaunt to the front of the store to use the pay phone. AJ answered, thankfull, which he is normally not able to do while he is on duty at that location, and confirmed that it was the right bolt.

So I tried some more.

It still wasn't working, and the cheap little adjustable crescent kept adjusting when it wasn't supposed to, so after another eternity I went in and got a wrench set (women would sell them individually <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />) and a flashlight.

Once I had the flashlight it only took a few minutes to see that neither wrench would budge the bolt even a smidge further, and found myself faced with a choice. I could either go and buy a set of socket wrenches to see if they would work, or ask how much to have someone just install the stupid thing for me. I figured they would only charge $5-10 to install it, and the sockets were $16.

So I asked.

And I saw the sign.

Battery Installation - No Charge

There's a bright side to everything. Not only did I finally get the battery installed, without additional cost, but I now have a superb sermon illustration on the futility of trying to earn our salvation when we can get grace for free.

And so we left Wal-Mart a little after 7:30 pm. For any of you who have trouble counting time, that is around 14 hours of dragging the children from one repair place to the next, and waiting. Wow. But at the end of it, I had a functional vehicle so there was no reason not to continue on to the motel.

The only problem we had there was it was so late I had to go straight there without going home to pack, so we had no clean clothes. HOWEVER...I had listened to the quiet little voice that told me to send AJ's stuff with him early that morning, so he at least had clean undies, pajamas, and a toothbrush for us all to share. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Plus I had forgotten to unpack the suitcase from the car after his last stay, so I ended up with enough of his clothes to at least have dry pajamas for me, since I was the wettest, and I had AJ's long johns so he wouldn't be cold today.

In one fell swoop, fixing the car cost more than burying the baby, if that gives you any idea.

So even though in some ways it was a really bad day, I got to see God's providence working all the way through.

And the best thing about that long day is.......it's now YESTERDAY!!!

Oh, hi SS! I didn't see until I was done with the above, but it will probably answer your question and then some. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> The short answer is yes, I am well.