Tuesday update

I feel as though I’m behind on blogging, even though it’s only been 4 days, so I’ll just offer a brief update in bullet points.

• We have completely vacated our former residence and are now full-fledged Brocktonites…Brocktonians...By the way, what do you call citizens of New Brockton? I need to know, since I are one.
  We still have quite a bit of unpacking and settling in to do, but at least you can move around our main living areas now. The place is smelling less like cardboard boxes. There’s a clear path to the couch and the guest bathroom, so I think you’d be safe coming to visit.
  
  We have a cute gray storage building in the back yard, complete with shelves Gunter built himself. Now I have a place to stack all those empty pots, evidence of plants gone by.
  
  
• Speaking of moving (I’m as ready as you are to stop speaking of it), I’ve also moved offices at work. By “office,” I mean the kind with no ceiling, window or door, a.k.a. “cubicle.” I like a change of place, and this new cubicle has lots of storage space. I’m getting used to the new sounds and the brighter lights. So, I’m in store for more finding places to put things. I might even bring some décor from home that I no longer have room for. I miss my next-door neighbor already, even though we’re still right across the hall.
  


• I have spotted a couple more brown, six-legged intruders at home, but their demise was swift and unmerciful. Unless they hide well, we've been pretty clear of them.
  


• This week, I’ve been dealing with a different kind of critter, namely, a tiny green lizard living in my car. I would say trapped in my car, but he doesn’t act like he wants to leave. We first spotted the puny reptile on Sunday morning, sunning on the back seat. We tried to catch him, but he disappeared somewhere under the driver’s seat. Gunter and I agreed that I would not drive the inhabited vehicle until the lizard was apprehended, for fear that if he crawled on me, I would injure myself and others on the road. I’m not afraid of lizards, despite how it sounds, but I am afraid of things crawling on me.
  
  We figured the lizard was dead by now – no water, varying temperatures – but he proved tougher than our estimations. He reappeared twice today as Gunter was driving, managing to escape the first time. Apparently, Gunter’s compassion ran out and the second time…death by umbrella. Sad story, I know.
  
  
• I attended my very first Bethany Baptist Church trunk-or-treat and fall festival/barbecue this week. Had a blast! I wish I could show you how cute some of the kids’ costumes were, but I have a policy against posting other people’s kids’ photos on the Internet without permission.
  
  Instead, here's a view from our "trunk" -- Bro. Milford is trading us his half-eaten Crunch bar for one of our Tootsie Rolls. He said he didn't bite off the Crunch bar, so I ate the rest.
  
  What’s a fall festival without a good ol’ fashioned hayride? And what’s a good ol’ fashioned hayride without shivering in the cold, being tackled by phantoms in the woods, dogs hitching rides and broken glow sticks on little boys’ heads?
  
  
• Started my Christmas shopping Saturday! As is tradition, Mom, Grammama, Aunt Pam and I enjoyed the Pike Road Arts and Crafts Fair. As always, it started out chilly and ended up hot. As always, paley got just a little bit of sunburn. And as always, I got some great ideas for gifts I’d like to make but likely will not get around to (and would probably end up spending more than I would have had I just bought whatever the item was). Gunter says people will begin to not want our gifts – and I say, what’s so bad about that?!
  


• Today was a new experience, the first time I’ve ever voted without incident. I get nervous every time. Usually, I have to fill out more than one ballot because the machine won’t take mine the first time. “What if I don’t draw the little arrow right?” “What if I mark the wrong one?” “What if they don’t have me on the list?” “What if I get in trouble because they think I’m cheating off the next guy’s ballot?”
  
  Regardless of who wins each race, I’ll respect those God places in authority over me, and I’ll agree with my pastor, “I already have a King, and His name is Jesus.”