Things *were* looking up … my laptop had been repaired and returned to me, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover Adobe gives you TWO installs per software program, so I was able to reinstall my PSE7 and begin editing Santa photos.  Never mind they were promised to people last week and I’ll be late with them ….. at least, thank the lucky stars above, I had the good sense to back up the photos the first day, and better late than never, they will be completed this week.

My desktop was returned back to me, but non-functioning because apparently computer manufacturers everywhere are crafty and know that people like me are either too ignorant, or too lazy, to make system recovery discs and they can charge us $30 to make the discs for us in times of hard drive failure.  You know what, Mr. Hewlett-Packard?  I would happily pay the $30 up front and have the discs from the get-go.  In the meantime, my Tech Dude thinks he has the discs and so took my newly refurbished hard drive, and all my program software, and the hard drive back up he made me three weeks ago, and told me it will be completed as early as Monday.  The idea that I will have my computer back, and the ability to print things, and my PSCS4 to play with, makes me practically salivate with happiness.   Or maybe that’s the cinnamon rolls I put in the oven a little bit ago …. whatever. 

So, clearly,  things were looking up.  Blaine fixed Brayden’s closet door and for all intents and purposes, Phase One of the remodel is complete.  I do think I’m going to repaint the Big Bird Vomitus Hallway to a more soothing color, but that is nothing pressing.  My new bedroom furniture was delivered and I slept in a real bed upstairs vs. a mattress on the floor for the past two nights.  Blaine dragged out the Christmas tree and all our Christmas decorations and those will be put up today.  Two weeks later than normal, but at last things will feel a bit more festive around here.

So, looking up.

Then I backed into my neighbors car yesterday.

(sigh)

They have a really annoying habit of parking on the street, right at the end of my driveway.  The streets in our neighborhood are old and narrow, and for two years now I’ve been careful about not hitting them.  But yesterday Blaine put a bunch of stuff by our curb (box springs, nightstands, lamps, rugs, etc ….not even good enough for Goodwill … ) hoping someone will drive by and take it, and as I backed out of my driveway last night on my way to my nephew’s basketball game, I was paying more attention to pile of stuff and not enough attention to my neighbor’s car, and BANG!  Huge dent in my back quarter panel (the OPPOSITE quarter panel that I just got fixed a few months ago ….. clearly I do not deserve to possess a driver’s license.) and a huge dent in their back passenger door.

Maybe I had Kellen, Kendrie, and two of Kendrie’s little friends with me.  *MAYBE* I unleashed a volley of cursing that turned all their little ears pink and ensures those children will never be allowed to visit our home again.

You know what?  I’m a patriot, is how I’m going to handle this.  By hitting my neighbor’s car, and causing damage that will have to be fixed at a repair shop, I am doing my part to stimulate the economy.  Those repair shop people need work right before the holidays.   So they can earn their salary.  So they can buy their little kids Christmas presents.  So their little kids will be happy.   So they will act nicer in school.  So their teachers will be happy.  So the teachers will feel more Christmas spirit, as well.  And because they are not dealing with sad little kids, but happy little kids, they will probably want to do some community service projects with their class.   And surely somebody’s class will adopt a soldier overseas and send care packages.  Which will make the soldier happy, because he’ll be able to share the fudge and gum and magazines with his military buddies and they’ll have the happiest Christmas possible that you can have in Iraq.

So see?  Singlehandedly I’ve supported an entire military unit overseas, just by hitting my neighbor’s car.

Yep, I’m a patriot.