My Boogers Are Frozen

weather
Originally uploaded by SunFlowery.

Today was Amy’s Pet Peeve day.

Pet Peeve #1: Once again, while the only one in the bathroom, the next person in sat down in the adjoining stall and proceeded to poo and it stank. Gack!
Pet Peeve #2: AGAIN! I was in the elevator, the elevator got to my floor and as soon as the doors opened, I tried to exit only to be stopped by a VERY IMPORTANT man in a hurry trying to get on the elevator. Elevator etiquette dictates, offs first, ons second.
Pet Peeve #3: While driving over my lunch hour I was going 55 miles an hour in the right hand lane. There was no one behind me. Yet a big black SUV turns right directly in front of me and stays in front of me. I had to slam on my brakes and then merge into the left lane in order to avoid an accident. Why do people do this? If you’re going to pull out in front of me, at least have the courtesy to speed over to the empty lane.
Pet Peeve #4: (See accompanying photo.) The weather. I hate it when the highs for the day are projected to be BELOW zero.

In accordance to doctor’s orders, I had to go in to the doctor’s office to give blood for the annual physical. Because my actual physical was scheduled for 6:30 at night, they didn’t want me fasting all day before giving blood. Instead, they scheduled me for 11:30 this morning. I thought I would keel over from hunger before this. The doctor told me no eating OR drinking. When I got to the lab, they had a hard time finding a vein. They finally used a butterfly needle in my hand and even then, things were slow moving. Now I have a huge lump on my hand where the needle mark is. The lab tech told me I COULD drink water and in fact, they would prefer it because it plumps the veins. D’oh! Now they tell me. I don’t really have a problem giving blood but I do have a problem with them poking me half a dozen times in order to find a good spot. I am NOT a pincushion.

The weather might be cold, but the weekend is HOT! Tomorrow morning I am gathering with my beeotches for some brunch. I am bringing the monkey bread. I am coming home, coloring my hair, and then Bob and I are picking up two of our friends and we are headed to Stillwater for the MDA annual Winter Wine Down. This is an awesome event. There will be dozens of wine to taste, great food, fun games, a silent auction, and a mystery wine pull. We always have fun at this thing and end up meeting the coolest people. Pictures will be forthcoming, of course. If it was any other event, I wouldn’t even both to venture out. But for this, I will brave the frigid temps.

Tonight is not as hot. Tonight is all about tax preparation. We have a guy, but he doesn’t take all our receipts and stuff. I have to tally everything and write it down and then we give him the W2s and charitable giving stuff plus the stuff I went through and added up. Thankfully, I should get through it all tonight and have it ready for our tax guy on Monday. I know. I party too hard. (I didn’t even know Sunday was Superbowl Sunday until yesterday!)

I am desperately sad over an issue that cropped up on the local news this week. You can read about it here. The adoption agency in question is one Bob and I supported physically, financially, and emotionally for years until about this time last year. We knew the woman who ran it as well as several of her staff. We know several families who have built their families through this agency. We hoped and planned for a day when we too could use the services of this agency. Then, last year we found out some things about the founder’s personal life that kind of hit us wrong. We were surprised and hurt at the time but still felt that helping the orphans was a good thing to do so we kept our donations coming for about a month. After that, we felt convicted that our money was not being handled with the utmost of character and care so we began donating to another local agency that helps women and orphans. We didn’t hear anything from the former agency until summer when we got the desperate fundraising letter the article speaks of. We did not send more money. Now our hearts are breaking. Breaking for the families caught in the middle of this crisis. Breaking for an agency and the founder we looked so fondly on. Breaking for the children in several countries who may or may not be getting the quality of care they were getting. The children who may or may not be in the process of getting placed with new families. The children who may or may not have had their hopes and dreams crushed by this situation. Yet we thank our lucky stars that we weren’t in the middle of an adoption at this particular agency. This news comes at a kind of a serendipitous time. Tuesday night we are scheduled to attend the adoption info meeting at Children’s Home Society. You can bet we will be going into that with eyes wide open and will ask pointed questions. I can’t imagine the horror these families are going through. A process that is already fraught with anxiety, hope, fear, impatience, and little control has been made worse by the very people that should have been there to make it better. My heart breaks.