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This week, i am so thankful to reach Thankful Day that i could bust. It's been day after day of "thankful in spite of" episodes. A week of hypograts, if you will.
Maybe i am exaggerating, but you will have to decide. The in spite of's seemed to reach "believe it or not" proportions to me.
Upon finding out that, yes, the lady in the accident from last year is suing Bigger Girl, who, thankfully, is a broke college kid from whom she probably won't get much, i called the sheriff's deputy to work out when we could get the paperwork he'd tried to deliver when no one was home. (We are also thankful that the insurance adjuster is relatively sure it will get settled for what they will cover, and we hope she's right.)
He was very nice and easy to work with, for which i am thankful.
Meanwhile, Bigger Girl had accidentally backed into a parked vehicle. Is there gratitude here? Yes, indeed, i am thankful no one was in the car, and we are going to be able to borrow the money to fix it and not have to hit her new insurance.
This is where i put in that i am very thankful Bigger Girl will graduate, they mail her diploma this week and she gets to have a ceremony in August, after which she is moving to the Oakland, California area, where she will not have a car! She fell in love with walking cities/cities with good public transportation back in The Netherlands, and wants to go where she can do that. We love this child very dearly from the bottom of our hearts, but she simply needs to quit driving, and where we live, you drive or you depend on rides all of the time and it is awful.
She did not leave the person she'd backed into her own phone number, but mine. The reason was revealed when Dr. D drove me past her apartment while we were running errands together, and i thank Dr. D for that.
We also thank the person she backed into for being patient until we get the money, and he says he's willing to go with us to a notary and sign that what we will be paying takes care of it in full.
Meanwhile, it turns out that, on top of everything else, Bigger Girl's six-year-old often dropped phone had finally decided it wasn't going to take any more, refusing to make or receive phone calls or send or receive texts. The thankful here? It still hooks up to wifi and she still has email, and that is how we've been communicating since.
We arranged for her to be here on Thursday afternoon so the nice deputy could come back and give her the papers, and i'm thankful she showed up in plenty of time and thankful he was very nice and arranged to be here and now we have the papers which we need to forward to the insurance company.
No one is working at the local offices, so i am thankful Grandpa has a scanner, i am going to scan and forward them to the home office today.
Now, about the phone. After the papers were in hand, it was off to AT&T to see about Bigger Girl's phone, because while i am thankful she has email, it will not suffice long term. AT&T's cheapest phone available is $500.
That is not going to happen, sorry. Even she doesn't want anything that expensive. The nice gentleman there told us to go to Best Buy, get one that's compatible, and bring it back so we can move the SIM card.
Off to Best Buy, where the nice attendant on duty was sitting in his truck and not paying any attention (thankful!), which means we did a no-no and were not directed to the right place so we parked and a nice lady walked up and asked us if we had an appointment. No.
Thankfully, she did not simply direct us to the long line where we would have been directed, and instead grabbed someone with whom she could make an appointment for us in just a few minutes.
That gentleman, for whom i am very thankful, came and asked what we needed, and went into the store to check the stock, then came back and said his cheapest in stock phone was $350.
Upon my asking if they had anything cheaper i could order, he proved to be worth his weight in gold and made several trips in and out of the store, finding us one that with tax was just under $200, ordering it to be delivered to the house and it should arrive today, and to make himself even more valuable, helped Bigger Girl find a CopyMyData app that will allow her to save her pictures and contacts to her new phone when it comes in.
Who was that masked man? He turned out to be our Lone Ranger, and i wish i could have hugged him, although i am not sure i would recognize him again because of all of our masking up these days.
Anyway, we top our week off with Friday, which saw us asked to wash windows instead of the regular cleaning an upstairs room at our morning client, which work took more than twice as long as cleaning the room takes, thus putting us way behind for our second client, who was an angel and said it didn't matter.
Then the rain came, and i am thankful that my windshield wipers, in spite of needing replacement, still do an adequate job.
Today i am thankful that, despite less than enough sleep much of this past week, and being behind on blog reading (thank you for your patience, i will get there, i promise!) i am at Grandma and Grandpa's house to clean and shop.
Should i go into the trouble with Sam's Club ordering and pickup? No, i shall not, just know that i am thankful we are able to get anything from there at any time by this point.
The above may not make a whole lot of sense, i think i rambled, but know i am thankful for all the good things that worked out in spite of the week we've had.
Please write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful, where Kristi and her co-hosts always have a warm welcome waiting.
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Today is:
Armed Forces/Amateur Radio Crossband Test Day -- US (today and tomorrow, ham operators and the US military team up to test ham operators ability and expertise in contacting appropriate military radio stations in an emergency)
Birth Mother's Day -- the day before Mother's Day, for all the women who have made an adoption plan for their babies
Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Awareness Day -- shedding light on this rare genetic condition
Europe Day -- European Union
Independence Day -- Romania (1877, from the Ottoman Empire)
Lawn Mower Day -- a rotary blade mower was patented this day in 1899
Lemuralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (first of 3 non-consecutive days dedicated to getting rid of the spirits of the malevolent dead; rituals performed today, the 11th, and the 13th)
Liberation Day -- Guernsey; Jersey
Lost Sock Memorial Day -- they go to the hozone layer!
National Babysitter's Day -- US, giving recognition to the babysitters who make your date nights possible
National Butterscotch Brownie Day
Olympieia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (spring festival for Zeus; date approximate)
Remembrance for Gudrod of Gudbrandsdal -- Slavic Pagan/Asatru (pagan martyr)
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Fairies Founded -- Fairy Calendar
Stay Up All Night Night -- as declared by George Mahood of Northampton, England, everyone needs to relive the excitement of staying up late like you always wanted to as a kid at least once a year
St. Beatus of Lungern's Day (Apostle of Switzerland)
St. Nicholas Albergati's Day (Patron of learning)
Sun Awareness Day -- like Melanoma Monday, a few days back, a day to remember the damage the sun can do to skin and stock up on sunscreen, if you haven't already
Tear Tags Off of Mattresses Day -- yes, you can! If you bought it, you're allowed to.
Victory Day / Victory and Peace Day -- countries that didn't celebrate V-E day yesterday, mostly Russia and former SSR's
World Belly Dance`Day -- to celebrate the wonderful art of belly dance
World Fair Trade Day -- sponsored by the World Fair Trade Organization; this year's theme is "Fair Trade Innovates."
In response, we launched the #StayHomeLiveFair campaign. There are three ways to join the campaign:
1. Post a photo or video of their favourite Fair Trade product with #StayHomeLiveFair
2. Support crowdfunding efforts of Fair Trade Enterprises: wfto.com/SupportFairTrade
3. Support Fair Trade webshops: wfto.com/webshops
World Migratory Bird Day -- original date second Saturday in May, but the WMBD organization encourages you to celebrate when birds are migrating in your area
Xotira va Qadirlash Kuni -- Uzbekistan (Day of Remembrance and Honors)
Birthdays Today:
Rosario Dawson, 1979
Steve Yzerman, 1965
Tony Gwynn, 1960
Billy Joel, 1949
Candice Bergen, 1946
James L. Brooks, 1940
Charles Simic, 1938
Glenda Jackson, 1937
Albert Finney, 1936
Glenda Jackson, 1936
Richard Alonzo “Pancho” Gonzales, 1928
Mike Wallace, 1918
Howard Carter, 1873
J.M. Barrie, 1860
Belle Boyd, 1843
John Brown, 1800
Today in History:
The first battle recorded with what is considered historic accuracy and detail, the Battle of Megiddo between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Kadesh, BC1457
Christopher Columbus leaves Spain for his 4th and final voyage, 1502
Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal England's Crown Jewels from the Tower of London, 1671
British inventor Joseph Bramah patents beer-pump handle, 1785
The city of Reno, Nevada, is founded, 1868
The Vienna stock market crash (Der Krach) heralds the Long Depression, 1873
The first horse-drawn bus makes its début in the city of Mumbai, 1874
Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show opens in London, 1887
The first horseless carriage show in London opens, featuring 10 models, 1896
The lawn mower is patented, 1899
Australia opens its first parliament in Melbourne, 1901
The steam locomotive City of Truro becomes the first steam engine in Europe to exceed 100mph, 1904
The Australian Parliament first convenes in Canberra, 1927
Edgar Bergen and Charley McCarthy take to the airwaves, becoming an overnight radio sensation, 1937
Rainier III of Monaco becomes Prince of Monaco, 1949
Sam and Friends, with Jim Hensen and his muppets, debuts, 1955
The FDA announces it will approve birth control as an additional indication for Searle's Enovid, making Enovid the world's first approved oral contraceptive pill, 1960
Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian is executed by firing squad in Tehran, prompting the mass exodus of the once 100,000 member strong Jewish community of Iran, 1979
The South African parliament chooses Nelson Mandela as president, 1994
Estonia ratifies the European Constitution, 2006
A report reveals that hackers using fraudulent ATM cards in February, 2013, stole $45 million, 2013
The fossil of a Chinese feathered baby dinosaur is formally given the identification of Beibeilong sinensis (baby dragon in Chinese), 2017
The discovery of the oldest viral DNA, a form of hepatitis B in 7,000 year old skeleton found in Germany, is reported, 2018
French adventurer Jean-Jacques Savin (72) successfully crosses the Atlantic Ocean in a barrel arriving in Martinique; the journey took four months, 2019
A full published report of the contents of an Anglo-Saxon tomb found in 2003 in Prittlewell, England, is hailed by archaeologists as being Britain's equivalent of Egypt's tomb of Tutankhamen, 2019
What a week indeed - but I am so very glad that the clouds had shining silver linings - which you recognised.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get a little more sleep though. You work way too hard to be sleep deprived.
I'm thankful on your behalf that Bigger Girl is moving to a place where she won't need a car! All she needs now is a nice thickly padded cover for the new phone to protect it when she drops it.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful that I had enough space in my garage to store all the things I took from my garden and thankful that I have security doors front and back of my unit.
What a lot of thankful in spite of ... A truly inspiring list.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to look on the bright side, as you have managed to do with regards this past week's events is to be admired...and admire you, I do.
ReplyDeleteMay the sun and good fortune both shine brightly, and generously, upon you. :)
So sorry to hear about your various difficulties. Trust in God, and always be thankful that He is by your side whatever happens.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
So much challenges you have to face but thankful that somehow things will work out for you and your girl. Have a blessed weekend.
ReplyDeleteYep, Ripley might be waiting to hear from you. I'm glad Bigger Girl won't be driving, it's great she'll have lots of transportation options.
ReplyDeleteWhat a week! I'm glad you were able to see all the silver linings. My sister lives in the Bay area, and chose, like your daughter, to forego owning a car. It's worked out well for her, so hopefully your daughter will also find it manageable.
ReplyDeleteWow! What a week is right ~ hope all goes well with your daughter and living in a 'walking city' and that her new phone works well ~ Wishing you well too and be safe in all your travels ~ Xox
ReplyDeleteBe Well and Happy Mother's Day to You,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Being able to just walk to stores and transportation is the best. I used to live a block from the station and shopping in a small town...loved it!
ReplyDeleteGood job phone shopping.
I am glad that everything is working out. I think I would get my first migraine if I had to deal with all that.
ReplyDeleteNow that's a great thankful list!.I pray for resolution and for your daughter's future events.
ReplyDeletegood that things have worked out to the best of their inherent potential.
ReplyDelete...though a proponent of the Book of Secret Rules (aka the Secret Book of Rules) allowance for use of hypograts, when you mentioned them, I started reading faster than normal.
Like a story with characters you really like, sometimes you want to get past the scary parts to where they win in and the end and live happily ever after (at least until the next episode).
have a good week
Wow! What a week, and you do such a great job of finding the good in the middle of what some might refer to as crises. Although sometimes when things just start rolling in one after the other, I just have to laugh and remember that eventually it will get better. Here's to a better week ahead.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help but laugh about Bigger Girl needing to live somewhere that she wouldn't need to drive a car. I'd have to say I agree with you! I'll bet your insurance adjuster will be able to settle the case. I used to work at a law office that did insurance defense and know they're pretty darn good at getting that to happen.
ReplyDelete