Friday, July 10, 2009

Clothing is Optional?

Clothing is apparently optional in Eugene, OR.

I hesitated to mention this abnormality, but I've witnessed it myself and it has been witnessed several times by other family members. I'm quite used to seeing topless women and men in g-strings in AFRICA...but it's a bit alarming to see on your way to buy groceries in the good ole' US of A.

I realize I've been living in the South and in Alaska...and both are more Conservative in morals and such...but honestly....when did topless become acceptable in mainstream OR?

As Jared said, after witnessing one "lady" on a bike, "Where I come from it's socially unacceptable to walk around in such attire." ::snort::

Maybe the loss of 13 out of 14 suitcases won't pose too much of a hardship if we stay in OR. No photos to accompany this post - yet. ::snort::

Yes, I've accepted our fate and have gone grocery shopping. We really are NOT going to make it in time to fly with Mike....and we need to get back into some sort of routine. BTW, milk is MUCH cheaper here - $1.99 a gal.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Want an Update?

I've decided the media may be right - this may be a nightmare. Compared to a child dying, a violent crime....it's nothing...but each day we find new things that have been compromised or taken, each day I hear conflicting reports of what I need to do leave America....and so yes...it's certainly not fun and I think is approaching the title of "admin nightmare". I know many of you are praying and want updates. Here's a breakdown of the last day or so. No fancy photos as I need to buy a new camera.

We are in a home on a college campus in Eugene. I'm not sure if we'll be here days or months....conflicting info again. ::snort:: My brother left his lap top with broadband so I can do Internet stuff.

A file with the most recent statement from all our creditors was taken. This didn't initially concern me as I would be happy to have someone make payments on the accounts. The problem is that *I* no longer have phone numbers, account numbers etc to make payments. I'm busy with google and a phone.

Our credit card statement was one statement that has been taken. We had to cancel the card and are expecting a new one (but certainly not before Mike flies).

I remembered that we had a box of checks for each of our checking accounts in the briefcase. Those banks had to be called, new accounts set up, old ones closed. We have a pesky credit card we've been trying to cancel for over a year and IT is now the one bank/credit card that we think may not have been compromised....it's our only source of funds until the new cards begin to arrive next week. Is that irony? ::snort::

The boys left yesterday. ::sigh::

I saw Mom's Bible and cried...because I do enjoy the new ESV study Bible....but it's not MY Bible with MY self-created charts, word studies and teaching notes. It's silly and I reminded myself that I worship the God of the Bible and not the Bible...but I miss my Bible. ::silly sigh:: I continue to pray that someone enjoys the Bible..but I'm fairly certain it's in a ditch somewhere....

The girls are applying for jobs. It's a joy to spend extra time with them.

Everyone down here has been incredibly helpful: cleaning the house, loaning items we need....

The kids are enjoying extra grandparent time.

Mike flies out Tuesday....we need to make some decisions, I need to at least replace his civilian clothes before he leaves....and Arielle and I will need some clothes eventually. I really wonder how long I can live with 3 changes of clothes....it does seem to fit with my new SIMPLIFY mantra. ::snort:: I just am not sure that folks at a new base/chapel will understand when I wear the same thing over and over again. I had been warned to bring clothes that fit and had bought new....it's sickening, isn't it? Arielle and I finally do the dreaded shopping trips and then lose it all. I wonder if it's God's way of saying "Jeans and baggy t-shirts are my will!" ::snort:: Maybe this is irony again.

I'm still trying to get numbers of our home owner policy to see if they'll cover anything. The credit card won't and we only had liability on the van.

NARS is working well with me in trying to recapture the boys' last year of school work. We're waiting on Taylor University to get Jamin's transcript to them and they'll process a final high school transcript for him and the college in TX.

Honestly, we are not sure how long the kids and I will be stateside. OFF THE RECORD....there is a wonderful Christian Sgt that I happened to run into at McChord. He had some OFF THE RECORD suggestions for us to try....he also showed us the SOFA agreement for Japan. We are in the process of checking with Misawa to see if the kids and I can fly on tourist passports pending the arrival of our military passports. Japan will stamp either so this is a US military/state dept issue. Tourist passports can be "walked through" (ye gads picture me and 5 kids in a maze in Seattle ::snort::) in a day or two. We will have to pay for the passports and it will cost, but so do multiple trips to Seattle and hotels. I'm off to check on that next...I can't apply for tourist passports until all the birth certificates arrive (we're waiting for Stacia's from San Angelo), it really doesn't look like we'll be flying with Mike. By the end of next week I may be up in Seattle again to walk the applications through the state department....and to wait for tickets.....I feel like I should stay at Doubletree again to prove that I have no hard feelings towards them....but maybe not. ::snort::

Well, back to looking for phone numbers so I can spend more hours on the phones explaining my plight to one an all. ::snort::

I plan to finish wiping up the nightmarish identity compromises today....shop for Mike's new clothes, have fun on Saturday and say goodbye to him Monday or Tuesday. I'm glad he was granted an extra 7 days.

Boy do I have PCS/packing stories to share now. I laugh when I rememer telling Tammy not to worry....that most packing pcs stories are like labor stories...um....I TAKE IT BACK.

I assume this will post as a note on Facebook and I have no more time to update.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...