Well I’m having one of those weeks.

OK I know we need the rain. I know we were going on -14 inches below normal. I’ve written about my well getting low etc & my garden was awful this year (though that was probably more through my inattention than the lack of rain) But come on- 3 full days? That’s enough- one a week would be OK but 3 in a row? Way too much. The fields are swampy- the streams are overflowing & in nearby low lying areas (Roanoke) they had flash flood warnings.

When I got home Thursday night I had received in the mail- a quilt that I purchased on one of those catalog companies where they give you a credit limit & you order stuff & then pay $20. a month or so to pay the stuff off (I’m afraid I’ve furnished a lot of my house & many of our other needs – like towels & curtains etc- through that type of catalog for years)

I was a little irked that the box had been opened & the kids had thoroughly checked out my purchase before I arrived home but it was late at night- everyone was asleep & oh well- they’re kids – nosy kids but kids- Then I went to take the box the quilt came in to the garage. The garage was wall to wall stuff- half my books that my mother gave me were strewn across the floor- the speakers that I have mostly because the ex wants them back (I do intend to have a stereo strong enough to power those speakers again someday) were stacked as if someone had been sitting on them watching tv & the whole box of cards & note paper which belonged to my grandmother -which I still haven’t found the time to go through was all over the place.

I was not at all pleased & in the morning I left the kids a very clear note stating I wanted the garage cleaned up & that although it is mostly 8’s domain I expected 11 & 17 to help him a little to make it clean enough to be able to walk through again. Off to work I went & was having a pretty good day. Until 1:30 when I went on break & found I had a voice mail from 17. She whispers into the phone that she thinks she’s going to get sent home- everyone is going to have to go home because of a (insert static here) so she might be home nice & early. (what?)

So I text messaged her back & asked wtf she was saying- she never did tell me though later through something she said I found it apparently had to do with the water at the High-school not working correctly so they couldn’t flush the toilets etc- they got it fixed so the kids weren’t sent home- but in the first text I said if she went home early she could get an early start on cleaning up the mess in the garage & got back a very rude reply.

This started at typical mother daughter tirade back & forth which pretty much ruined my day. I also didn’t have much fun on the phone at work either- I mean I can be understanding if you have been a customer of any satellite dish system for less than a year & you call & don’t realize or understand that signal can be lost during heavy rain. But come on. If you have had satellite for 7+ years you know it’s going to go out occasionally while it’s thundering & pouring- if there are bridge closings & flash flood advisories in effect- you may lose service for awhile!

So I muddled through but one especially unpleasant man really upset me & after the call ended I got off the phone- went to the bathroom & had a good cry. When I got back to the desk my co-worker – Chris- who draws the pictures I’ve been posting & who also draws me a cartoon nearly every day of ‘Gloomy Doomy bunny’ who is modeled after both my 17 year old & I in attitude & goth-ness- had put this picture on my desk- because both the customer on the phone who upset me & 17 had called me this that day. Because it’s not exactly clean I’m leaving it in thumbnail- don’t click if you’re easily offended

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Friday started with nothing good. I was busy finishing the fortunes for the haunted porch & so didn’t get my bills sorted out-as to what I was paying what I was not paying this week- while at work Thursday. So the first order of the day- after I put some laundry in the dryer & got my soy protein breakfast shake mixed up – was to sort out the bills & write checks. Never a pretty sight & made worse by the general gloom of the rain. I did catch up on a few TV shows I’ve been letting pile up on the dvr though -light stuff which I can watch & do other things during.

Around 11:30 Miss 17 text-ed me to ask me to come get her- said she was feeling ill & that since it was nearly lunch time & all she has after lunch is a study hall it wasn’t like she would miss anything important. I told her what I was doing & that I couldn’t go to town until I had worked out the bills & figured out how much I needed to take out of the bank.

I put her off until after her lunch & with enough time for me to get on-line & check emails etc. (I was already resigned to the idea that I was not going to get to read many blogs etc this weekend) I then text-ed her & told her I was not going to walk in & say I needed her out just because- (I’m a terrible liar) So she went to the nurse. I was a little surprised when the school nurse called though- she said 17 had felt sick & like she was going to vomit & that her temp was 101! All I could think was – wow- 17’s really got her act going well- how do you fake a temperature after all?

After picking up 17 -who said the school lunch & it’s greasiness is what made her ill & that the nurse to OK her temp via an ear thermometer & she didn’t know how it was so high but that she didn’t feel that bad. We stopped by my friend Jody’s house- she’s moving to North Carolina this weekend & had some stuff for 11 (she has a daughter between 17 & 11’s ages so lots of hand me downs over the years) It turned out she had some stuff for all of us- books & video tapes- clothes & some stuff for 17 in the way of housewares- (for when she & the bf take up housekeeping next year after she finishes High School) she also had a bunch of plywood cut outs that she & her dad have been making- Holiday decorations- snowmen- Christmas trees- a witch- pumpkins & graves for Halloween she gave me her whole grave collection !!! Thanks Jody!!! We’re going to keep the hidden until Wednesday & put them up specifically for the holiday this year (in later years we’ll -from now on- have a full graveyard! instead of just the 3 I’ve been able to make)

We had just barely gotten the car unpacked of the stuff from Jody when 11 & 8 got off the bus & we drove into C’burg to meet 17’s bf & go grocery shopping. One of the reasons 17 wanted to come home instead of having me pick her up at the school & head into town after school was because she wanted to try for her learners permit again.

After picking up the bf who’s car is malfunctioning due to the deer incident last week. We went right to the DMV & in to see about this learners permit. We walked in at 4:34 & they told us that since they close at 5 we would have had to be there before 4:30 to take the permit test today. 17 was furious- 8 – 11 & I were more interested in using the bathroom so we ran over there while 17 stalked out to the car radiating frustration & anger. (the bf had walked to his bank in the rain while we were in the DMV – my car never runs well in the rain & it was so choppy I was having trouble keeping it going- he didn’t even want to try)

We ran a few other errands & we went to dinner & then headed back to Walmart to do our grocery shopping. We arrived in the left turn as the second car in line at the front of the light. waiting all the way through one of these large light cycles on a big major route like 460 is a long process & 17 was especially annoyed that we didn’t make the first turn light. I said it was no big deal to just wait for the light to run it’s cycle.

When we finally got the green arrow the car in front of us stalled or maybe they didn’t notice the light was green at first or something but they didn’t step on it & go right away. I – since I drive a straight drive- had my foot off the brake & the clutch half way out balanced with the gas ready to pull out as soon as the person in front of me went. The person behind me though- did not realize soon enough that I was not rolling. All of a sudden – crash! She drove right into the back of my car!

She says she was really just rolling but all 4 of my passengers & I agree that it was more than a roll that hit us. It was a big crash. really big. & now I can’t close my hatchback! The woman who hit us was driving a Ford Explorer & the only thing that happened to her car was the licence plate fell off! Nary a scratch- you can see by the picture that there is considerably more than a scratch on my car!

However- I am not a particularly materialistic person & we’re all- alright-( except for some tension in my neck & lower back which I hope will pass in the next day or so) – That’s the important thing. She- the other driver- was fine too- just upset. I called the cops because I felt like it was enough damage- that we’d need to have the police report- I’ve had other accidents- the one where the lady backed into my car- & the one where I was backing out of a space & couldn’t see around the giant SUV beside me & backed into a woman who was driving through the parking lot- that was a bad one- my fault that time- Not this time though! (& I admit I wouldn’t be talking about it or feeling as OK about the whole thing if it was my fault)

So the cops came- wrote information down- we traded paperwork- we hung around until the cop said we could go & then we went grocery shopping. Ah such fun- grocery shopping in a college town (or the nearest Walmart to the college town) on Friday night. I wasn’t sure if I was in a store or a pick up bar- there were a ridiculous amount of collegians standing around in aisles talking to one another- mostly in my way- why try to pick someone up in front of the cereal? I much prefer the summer months.

Saturday I woke up at 7:30 to my cell phone beeping- I checked it & couldn’t figure out why it was beeping. There were no text messages etc. I started to fall back to sleep & it dawned on me that it might be the power- looked at the clock & sure enough the power was out- Mr 8 woke up about an hour later & woke me up to tell me about the power, he fidgeted & fussed until I told him to go read a book or something. When I got up at 9 I took care of business right away. Called the electric company (they already knew- at least it wasn’t a problem on my property exclusively again) & the other driver’s insurance company first thing. They’re going to come take a look at my car on Tuesday when I’m home from work. Should be interesting- I’m rather unhappy because the extent of the damage is likely to mean the whole back hatch will have to be replaced- meaning the bumper stickers will be gone & I’ll have to consider replacing them or getting new ones.

I was able- with out 2 weeks of groceries & 5 pumpkins in the trunk- to close the trunk well enough to have the interior light go out on my way to work. I worked 4 hours of overtime & went to the new Best Buy with a co-worker to check it out after work. Looks just like the old Best Buy in Roanoke if you ask me. (which no one did!)