We’re travelling – visiting family in rural, rural West Virginia.  My sister, Leah, has been visiting us for the past couple of weeks, and we are here both to visit and to drop her off with my parents, who are also visiting.

Today, some dude stopped us in a parking lot as we were going into a store.  He said, “Can I ask you guys a really big favor?”  He wanted us to spot him for some gas.  He said he was on a trip and had just come from the gas station (which was on the other side of the parking lot), and realized then that he’d left his money clip with his credit cards and cash at home.  He said if we’d help him, he’d send a check or Western Union (can I use that as a verb?) the money back to us, etc., etc.

We put $20 of gas into his car for him and told him not to worry about it.  Either he’s an honest guy, and we did a decent thing for another decent human, or he’s a con and we’d never see the payback anyway. Whatever.  Angels unaware and all that.

We had fun, however, inventing stories for the guy – if he wasn’t who he said he was, who is he?  We thought he might be:

• driving a stolen car, but there was no wallet in the glove box like he thought when he stole it
• a dude living with his mom – who grounded him and took away his allowance (he was in his forties)
• on the lam, trying not to leave a paper trail with his credit card
• in the Amazing Race (or something like it), where he had to get to the next destination with no money
• competing with old frat buddies – who can get the farthest from home without paying for anything
• in a fight with his woman, who kicked him out and stole his money

Whoever he was, he’s part of a long string of folks asking us for a few bucks.  Seems like, even in SUPER rural West Virginia, we can’t get away.  =)

I’m back and it’s yucky out – cold and wet and gray.  Hawai’i seems like a million miles away.  I’ve been nursing a chai and whining to my officemate – P’s great at commiserating.

Speaking of P, she was involved in another atrocious-working-conditions fiasco while I was gone.  One of the guys on my team (JR from earlier posts) had to evacuate his office.  It’s directly below the bathroom upstairs.  The toilet overflowed – onto his desk!  They keep saying it was just the tank, but no one believes that.  P was in his office in a flash and ended up cleaning everything, top to bottom, with Clorox.  Yuck!

I talked to our office manager before I left – I let him know how I [we] felt.  He was sympathetic, but basically said, “There’s nothing I can do.”  I suggested that he talk to someone who could do something.  Doubt he’ll do anything, but at least I’ve done more than just whine.  =)  I’m thinking that since the petition thing worked so well for the HoHos, maybe we should give that a shot.

That didn’t take very long. 

A guy from church had someone in his family drop off some fancy-shmancy eco-friendly laundry detergent for us to try.  We weren’t home, so I guess the messenger just popped it in our mailbox.  Unfortunately, we acted rather too quickly in throwing away the mystery liquid.  But seriously - it wasn’t labeled and we live in the ghetto!  No label, no note, no advance notice…  How were we to know?  At best, it looked like something someone tossed into the box because they were too lazy to throw it away.

*sigh*

It was so much more fun as a mystery.

Yesterday, instead of our mail, we received a suspicious, possibly sinister item.  Did someone steal our mail in order to leave this item?  We don’t know. 

I got home from work, turned off the alarm, and let the dog out.  As is my custom, after I let the dog out (and before he comes back in), I check the mail.  I was surprised to find no actual mail in the box – we are quite popular with the folks who offer credit cards, and there’s always an ad or two in our box.  Even on holidays, sometimes.

No mail.  Just a small plastic bottle containing an unknown viscous fluid.  Behold:

Could it be a bomb?  Could it, when opened, release gases intended to kill us?  Could it be some kind of marker (a tag placed in our mailbox by a would-be thief, saying our house is ripe for the pickin’)?  Could it be some bum’s shampoo (it was raining out)?  Could it be a message of some kind?  Could it be a gift?  What does it mean?

We gingerly carried it out to our dumpster, without shaking, bumping, or opening the bottle.  The city picked up our trash today.  We figured “better safe than sorry” – but now we’ll never know what it is.

To the person who placed this item in our mailbox: 

• If this was an attempt to kill or maim us, you failed.  Please don’t try again. 
• If this was a marker for theives, HAH!  We thwarted you!  And anyway, we have a big dog and a very loud alarm system that’s connected to the police.  You don’t wanna mess with our house.
• If you’re a bum and you’re missing your shampoo, come talk to me.  I’ll replace it.
• If this was a gift or a secret message, I’m sorry we threw it away.  Next time, leave a note. 
• Also, if you stole our mail, please return the bills, letters, and cards – you can keep the rest.

I have hit a new level of crazy recently when it comes to organization.

My closet (including the shoes) and my dresser drawers (9 of them) are all organized by:

• type of garment  – short-sleeved shirts, dress pants, casual pants, long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, etc.
• size – regular, baby-doll, short, capri, long, etc.
• color – dark to light

It’s not unusual for my clothes to be so organized – what’s unusual is that the organization has lasted longer than one day.  Typically, I straighten up and organize, then proceed to live normally (messily).  When things are messy enough to drive me (or my husband) crazy, I do another round of straightening.  It’s a cycle.

I’m not cycling anymore.  I’m stuck in organization overkill mode.  It’s spread from my bedroom and clothes to other parts of my house, and even to my office.  I’m normally pretty neat, but it’s getting out of control.  On my desk, things have to be stacked just so.  In the stacks, things are organized.  Even the post-it notes, which are typically everywhere (I like taking little notes and keeping them where I can see them – it gives me a sense of accomplishment to throw them away) are organized onto a small section of wall just below my corkboard, which is also organized.

Bethany (my closest girlfriend, who’s studying the DSM right now in her social work masters’ program) suggested to me last night that I’m so anal about organization because I can’t control something (not getting into it here) that’s going on in my life.  She says because I feel helpless (subconsciously, of course) in that area, I have to control everything else.

Or, that I’m pregnant (I’m not) and nesting.  =)

I had this friend in high school – 10 years ago, now, that I graduated! – who used to answer the question, “How are you?” with, “Yellow.”  To her, the color yellow represented contentment.  All was right in her world when she said she was yellow (much like when, in Firefly, Kaylee answers that things are “shiny” when she’s in a good mood).

I have a new yellow theme.  I’m feeling pretty good tonight after a rough couple of days personally and at work, so I thought it was time for a little bit of yellow.

… today I saw a car standing on its side.  On a railroad track.

A couple of pictures from our family reunion, recently uploaded by Dave’s brother and his wife:

Tara, David, Randy, originally uploaded by rauke1.

Jake and Tara, originally uploaded by rauke1.

I just enjoy the first picture – I love having a big brother!  And the second photo…  Imagine that dog trembling – he was TERRIFIED of the water.  See how taut his muscles are?  He was very, very tense, and leaping about from rock to rock so he wouldn’t have to touch the water.  =)  We had a large audience up on the bank.

What a great weekend.  =)

• The Colts won (yeah, yeah – I know that was Thursday, but it was a good game and started my weekend off well)
• We cleaned the house.  The whole house.
• We rearranged furniture.  Throughout the entire house.
• We picked paint colors for the new closet and for the bathroom.
• I finally put our new towels and rugs in the bathroom (Mom, I’ll send pictures for Auntie soon).
• We had friends over for games and fun (we haven’t done that in ages because we’ve been away so much).
• We invited our “daughter” for dinner on Monday, and David’s parents for dinner on Thursday.  And they all accepted!
• I *finally* ordered prints from my 2007 pictures – Hawai’i trips, church things, camping trips, reunions, get-togethers, etc.
• I’ve got my music for this month’s Wind Symphony concert, AND my sax is back from the shop.
• I was relieved of a duty that was really dragging me down emotionally (no details, but it’s a HUGE weight lifted from my shoulders).

Things, I think, are finally back to normal.

I am at home.  My husband is at home.  My dog is at home.  We have no large trips looming in the near future.  Dave’s started school again.  I’m back into the swing of things at both of my jobs.  I even found some time to do a little extra stuff today! 

And football season is started, which means I’ll be watching TV again. 

20 minutes and counting…