grrr

Am I the only one who dreads opening the mail? it isn't because I expect bad news -- it is that I now expect something, anything, to be fff'd up beyond redemption. Example:

Today's mail:
A bill from EZ-Pass for $25.35. EZPass did not pick up my signal from my EZPass device when going thru a toll machine for 35 cents. It looked up my driver's license and sent me a bill for 35 cents plus a $25 fee. I had to call to straighten it out. No, they could not just charge my account the thirty five cents, as the account was in a different state than the toll.(WTF???) So I have to write out a check for thirty five cents. They will waive the $25. The stamp will cost more than the enclosed check is made out for. This took about a half hour to fix. Now they will have to process my check. I wonder how much it will eventually cost them to collect thirty five cents?

But the ail reflects a larger problem. Today I placed the following emergency call to the local police department:

Me: Hello. I have just driven over the XXX Bridge, going South. In the Northbound lane, with much surrounding traffic is a 60 year old African American man in a motorized wheelchair. The chair is stopped. His hands are in his lap, and his head is hung down. I am not sure if he is conscious.

PD Dispatch: And what is the man wearing?

Me: Wearing? I have no idea..pants, a shirt, shoes....

PD Dispatch : So you didn't pay attention to what he was wearing?

Me: Correct me if I am wrong here -- but in a largely white town of 30,000 people, there are probably not a lot of 60 year old African American men stalled in wheelchairs in the Northbound bridge lane. I'm guessing any one you find like that is going to be the guy I saw.

PD Dispatch: (Says they will dispatch a unit.)


Back to the mail:

The state I no longer live in has revoked my license (which I changed to a Mass. license in Feb) for not having my car insured in that state. (The car which has not been registered in that state since Feb.) I have written to them once about this. Now I will do so again.

Is it the moon? Is the combination of a failing school system and too much automation making the SNAFUs more frequent?

I now divide my mail into three piles:

PAY THIS
SAVE THIS
CRAP I HAVE TO FIX

2 simple things - duck eggs and bingo

Well, I have been trying to get two simple things done, to no avail. After watching the movie "Bucket List" I decided that if there was something I wanted to do that was easy to get done, I should just do it. I havenever played Bingo before. I may hate it. But I want to try. I have been trying to get this set up for three weeks. FINALLY this Friday I hope to go to a BIG Bingo (300 people) at a nearby Catholic church. Second -- I found a farm that sells duck eggs. I've never had 'em. Why not try ? They have been out of them for 2 weeks. I'll try again later this week.

These two random things just kept running around in my brain...so now I am trying to settle them down by satisfying my curiosity. I have no idea what will come next --- but everytime that I used to say "Hmmmm..I wonder..." I am now saying "Maybe I ought to..."

I figure this should lead me down some interesting pathways.

An Odd Feeling

Lately I have been aware that I am feeling different. Sort of odd. Then I realized. I was really happy in a subdued sort of contented way. I AM really happy in that way...I had always dreamed of owning my own home. I had dreamed of coming back to New England. I had longed to have a dog again. Now here I am -- 3 out of 3. This is what it feels like to have these dreams come true. Very nice indeed.

Thank you God, for the gift of my life, for its fullness, its amazing dream-come-true quality. Please do not let me forget to be thankful, to raise my heart in praise for a world that can be so kind and generous. And ever remind me of those who need more than I do, whose hunger is deep, who thirst for justice. Forgive me for hesitating today before I gave money to a homeless man. I, who have the luxury of a home. Forgive me for my forgetfulness when I forget those who have less. I sorrow that my hesitancy overlooked your face in him, your presence in the homeless men and women of the world. Forgive me my callousness.

Loving New England

I am so happy that I moved back here. I love that small farms still thrive here, and try to do the majority of my veggie shopping at farm stands. Today I am going to visit an organic dairy farm store. It is possible to support a lot of local businesses -- at least local farms. I have also found some small ethnic grocery stores (Polish, Russian, Italian and panInternatonal) where I shop. And there is no better cheddar in the world than Granville Cheddar. (And I used to live in England, so I do have a wide field of comparison.)

I even buy my soda and seltzer from a small independent soda company.

I plan to visit some of the pick-your-own farms later this season to pick tomatoes, peppers, apples and peaches so that I can freeze them (or food made from them). I should also be able to get a 50# bag of onions to slice and dice. Time to buy that small freezer. It is a way to economize, and also a way to increase the quality of winter food.

Everyone is frantic about the anticipated cost of heating this winter, and I am already planning to put plastic seals on many of my windows -- I may also get a new front door. The market for pellet stoves is brisk, but they are also anticipating a pellet shortage, and a consequent price leap (if you can even find pellets). So much for that option. I'll just throw what I can against decreasing any drafts and closing off rooms I don't use. And will bundle up more.

Everyone here is cinching in the spending belt -- lots of folks have lost jobs or are just heavily hit by the increase in food and fuel costs. I'm doing OK, but being much more careful than usual, just in case.

newsy bits

Well, Zoe the Rescue Bichon and I are doing well -- we have bonded. She now barks when someone is too near the house, so she is starting to feel that this is really, really, really home. She has decided that because the treat she gets for crapping on the wet lawn is so yummy, that she will overcome her butt-sensitivity issues and learn for the sake of the treat!!Yahooooo!!!!!

She still sleeps nested in any of many random curves in my sleeping body.

All in all life is pretty dandy. The weather here is hot and humid, but I have a/c so even that is workable.

I hope to get my small mini-biz launched in a week or so from now. Prayers, please.

Tomorrow I am doing something I have never done before -- I am going to a big church nearby to play Bingo with two friends. Only one of us has ever played before in such a "real" setting, so it should be a hoot.

And..I still love blogging on BlogHer. I write two columns a week there -- and they are such fine women, writing such fine columns.