Something doesn't sound right coming from...

May God bless all the people from every walk of life who are now picking up ashes of the past several days in southern California.

But truly, when you see a celebrity come on Television and say, "...you can become a part and help us rebuild our lives..." it just doesn't sound the same as the people from New Orleans saying, "...you can become a part of this and help us rebuild our lives..." Same words but coming from a celebrity, who earns millions and millions of dollars on ABC's hit show 'Ugly Betty' just doesn't seem too needy. I wish celebrity's the best, I truly do, but they have bank accounts, insurance policies, investments and assets they can dig into and have spare afterward to help their neighbor.

I would like to see how the McDonald's worker plans on rebuilding their house, or where they're going to stay until there is an apartment complex they can afford and is ready for move in. I would like to know what is going to happen to those who work three part time jobs at the mall (that burned down) for a living, how are they going to rebuild their lives, send their kids to school, pay their car insurance, etc... How are these people, without fat insurance policies, assets and investments, and heafty bank accounts going to get up on their feet again? Why not put someone we all know doesn't have a hit TV show standing in front of their ashes saying, "...please be apart of this because I had just paid my car insurance two weeks ago and I have $153.27 in my bank account and we have no food. Help me and my neighbors rebuild our lives..."

The lesser of the two evils

So if you've been following this at all I would like to thank you for allowing me to release all of my anger and agression toward a certain place because of a certain stupid thing. I would like to also let you know that my car problems have now turned into car payments. Both Don and I are relieved and happy with this new lesser of two evils.

We are the proud owners (and both drivers - just as exciting) of a 2007 blue Ford Taurus, used, with less than 20,000 miles! We are truly thankful to Fox Ford, Steve Scheffler the sales man who is honest, trustworthy, and one who truly looks out for your best interest, and all others involved in this: the service guys, the insurance agent, and all of the fans who voted for us and watched our... Oh wait, that was my acceptance speech... But we are just, if not more, grateful!

The Final Saga of the Castle

As much as I like these little stories I create of all my neighbors to make my world more interesting, I must say, this is the final episode. Let me first explain. I was reading in my headlines about this website, I think it was called 'rottenneighbor.com' or something like that. The just of the website is that all these people write in and complain about their neighbors and how horrible they all are. As I read some of these profiles I realized that all the people writing were just as bad and that I was no better telling sorted stories about the people in my building. Tho all I say is true and I do not say anything in a demeaning way (tho it may come off that way) I still am no different than all the tattle-tale neighbors.

I do however want to tell you my new neighbors. They're from Sudan, they are part of the Lost Boys. They are good neighbors and Don and I look forward to continuing to get to know them better.

That is all.

Crop it all!

So this past weekend my mom, sister and I went to this cool little Bed and Breakfast called "Lasting Impressions" with a bunch of ladies that we know just to work on our photo albums. We all do Creative Memories. We cropped our tail ends off and I was crowned "Queen of Crop" (the annual award - as they do this every year - for the lady who does the most pages). I laid 95 pages. in three and a half days. I finished my wedding book (of which is actually two books and I need to purchase a second cover set), my honeymoon and all up to our first anniversary trip (I have four pages left til the trip is finished). I am beyond excited.

I'm a cropper for life too...as I finally committed myself to buying the cool things necessary to start doing it at home...well, the basics at least.

In other news, its been two weeks and one day since my last rear-ending and my neck is stiff a little...not enough to immobilize me in any way.

And one last tid-bit. Don passed his drivers test and we're going to the Secretary of State later this morning to get his license! I'm so proud of him!!

I'm searching for...a magnet

So back in March I did something really stupid. I was talking on my cell phone while driving and I rear-ended the guy in front of me. Hence the story about the Body Shop from Heck (which by the way, on trip number five, I retrieved my car that now has a whistle, my dad says its probably not anything to worry about). Exactly 10 weeks later a young lady rear-ended me while I was stopped at a green light. I ended up in the ER for a whiplash the next day. And yesterday, it happened again: I was stopped at a red light and the TAXI DRIVER (a lady) hit me! I couldn't believe it! How does something like that happen three times in six and a half months??? Yes my neck is a little soar...but since insurance is a nightmare and I continually have to pay on top of my co-pay/deductible for health insurance, I'm just going to ignore it and hope it goes away. If it doesn't go away, my insurance company will hear about it and WHY I didn't go in before.

Lord, help us all!

Culturally Relevant

I was walking into our castle this past Friday and low-and-behold someone was moving in. Actually, five or six someones into the same two bedroom (805 sq ft) apartment we own. These six someones have only been in the US for six and a half years (yes, they're legal) and hail from the great country of Sudan. They're very friendly, dark as night, guys that we hope to build a friendship with.

They offically moved the rest of their stuff Saturday. We stopped by mid-afternoon to bring them ice-cold water because it was so bloody hot outside (can you believe upper 80s in October?!).

What I don't understand is this: how do five or six people fit in that appartment? The two of us fill it perfectly...not to big, not too small. A third person would make it crowded and I would feel a bit congested. The space in the apartment isn't all that evened out. We have a generous master bedroom and good size walk-in closet. The living room is bigger than we would need too. The kitchen is on the small size but still very workable. The dining room is probably perfect for a four foot round table (but their long rectangular table over flows that). The only thing that is obsurdly out small is the second bedroom...seriously, its probably one and a half of of my cubical at work and my cub is a normal cub.

So how do they fit all of them there? Well, as I pondered this with my hubby and brought it up with my mom, we all reenforced each other's notion that its all culturally relevant. They come from Sudan where the houses are probably small, few rooms, and crowded with many bodies. They probably don't realize that to me, that would be crowded (afterall, less than a mile from our apartments are two bedroom, 1,000 sq ft for only $21 more a month).

Don and I were talking with the people who were helping them move. The wife said that when they finally arrived, they knew nothing, they had to be taught to work a light switch. So I obviously their living standards are a bit different than mine. I could relate too...as could Don...the difference living from country to country, especially contentant to contentant requires you to learn many things all over again.

Culturally Relevant.

A funny thing happened with the Sudanese in Apt 6...One came over Sunday night about 9pm, and kindly asked if we could watch his apartment while he went to work. It struck me as odd but then again, we were the only people they knew in the apartment AND it was very new to them.

And so goes the saga of our little Castle.