The Ending Is The Most Important Part Of This Post!

My husband just called. It's 8:30 p.m. He left for work today at 5 a.m. and wanted to let me know he still has about 1 1/2 left before he makes it home and has to finish putting up our fence. "How is your day?" he dared to ask. "Oh," I drawled coyly, "I'd really rather not talk about it." He knows this is my code for "if I really let you know, I'm going to scream and not stop for the next 3 hours. " So for good measure I reiterated, "I don't even want to discuss it because I WILL lose my testimony." At least his reply made me laugh. "I'm sorry Babe. I had that kind of a day again too. And I still have my testimony but unfortunately it's probably not a very good one." :-)

For the past two days, Murphy's Law around our house would be a laughable understatement. First, there was Walmart. I DETEST Walmart! Always have. I don't know why I haven't learned my lesson by now. Frankly, I am far too tired and swamped with chores to explain it all. I'll be up well until 2 or 3 a.m. at least and that's JUST to deal with the basics. THE VERY BASE BASICS. So the really super short version is that I could get no help there with a roughly 200 pound swimming pool that I was purchasing precisely to give the kids something to keep from getting bored while I spend the summer trying to recover from 3 1/2 years of frustration stemming from our complete lack of organization that makes absolutely everything we ever try to do far from anything even resembling efficient. (I know that is a monstrous run-on sentence and I don't care. Can you FEEL my sassiness?!) I had to push the STUPID BLASTED swimming pool ALL THE WAY through Walmart by myself, barefoot (to attain enough traction), bent over at a 30 degree angle (to get enough muscle), sweating, while "customer care representatives" (bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!) stood around watching with all the amused customers doing the same. UGH!!! And then I went completely against principle and bought the dumb thing anyway just to not waste any more time (at a laughable "discount" "for all my troubles" - there is SO MUCH MORE to the story.) Then I got home and wouldn't you know, a main piece of equipment (and the important first step in setting it up) IS MISSING! AAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

O.K. Then, our mortgage company just informed us that THEY made a mistake but it will be costing us just under $5000 to fix and BTW, they need payment by June 26. And, oh yeah, property taxes are going up (from all the nice homes built on unaffordable credit and now in default - my add, not their, of course) and so even WITH paying our escrow deficiency, our new payment will still be 30% higher from now on. Ahem. Yeah. Let me just pull that out of my sock to pay you big guy!

Oh, and our company's worker's comp is now requiring coverage for two of our employees who work either in their own homes, or in ours, for no more than 3 hours per week crunching numbers. But because they work for a construction firm, we have to cover them with the same "higher risk" status as our guys who work with the heavy equipment. And they'll need close to $5000 right away as well. Are you serious?!!!!

Here is why I need to rant tonight. NOT BECAUSE of all that is taking place. Quite frankly, my husband is angered and annoyed far more than he is worried. And I'm convinced God is going to take care of us. That's not my issue. If we have to move or home school again or whatever, so be it. But why do people have to be so rude about demanding "their" money even when you pay in full and on time and try to be pleasant while they tax you four times on the same dollar? Sometimes I just want to ask them who crowned them king of civilization!

WHEW! O.K. not out of my system yet, but that helped.

And now could I please ask something that makes all that junk written above rediculously unimportant by comparison? (I'm afraid the former part seemed more serious - and it is, but God has given me the ability to keep it in perspective and laugh once I get it off my chest.) Just now, however, as I was typing my hubby called with some hard news. His brother, my age, and a wonderfully loving big ole' teddy bear, has mental handicaps and has recently been having a REALLY rough time with the balance of his medications. HE IS MISSING. In just the past couple of days, he was released from a lengthy hospital stay to return to the center that cares for him. I would REALLY REALLY appreciate if you would please pray for him, the police who are searching for him and for my MIL, who is not only a loving caretaker but also right now, a graceful but secretly frantic mom. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I appreciate it so much. Last time they asked me to contact the news stations. I am off to see what is needed. THANKS!!!!