Murphy's Law

I've been running around all day so far and have accomplished very little. In fact, the only completed thing is I now have a new cell phone number because when going to a pre-paid plan they have to close out your old account and start fresh. I am NOT amused. On top of all that, I was an hour late to work.

Anyway, I still have half a BILLION things to do. I still haven't eaten today and it's 4:30 in the afternoon. I'm hungry, but just no time. :(

Oh yeah, the Teen Challenge movers said they are booked through October so it is looking like I will have to go with Delancey Street movers at a minimum cost of $400. *cries*

I guess I should update the meds situation first. The meds arrived last Friday, and Brad was nice enough to drop them by my house. Not that I was that desperate; I just felt better with them in my hands.

Xena went to the vet on Wednesday. She was not amused. She was shedding like crazy she was so scared! They eventually took her into a back room and gave her two shots, one deworming pill, and clipped her claws (they charged me $12 for that!). All together it came to $100. This is one expensive cat!

I went to the pet store up the street from the vet after that, and bought some cat food, and a dog bed big enough for both of them. They have steadfastly refused to sleep on the bed. Wednesday night Abby laid curled up next to me, and Xena slept on her cardboard scratching post.

Thursday night Xena went out the back door. I started to get worried because not even the clicker trainer brought her back. She finally came back in - and promptly went out the front door, which was also open. I finally managed to get her in and up the stairs, but Abby's still out.

My nail lacquer for my fungal nail infection arrived this week, so I'm busy using it. The doctor said to put it on once a day, but the directions say every other day. I'm putting it on every day anyway. I want to get rid of this infection.

Here's what it looked like shortly after the doctor got done with it. He cut it way back, dug out all the crud, and then sanded down the high portion at the back that was growing straight up. It sounds awful, but it didn't hurt at all. I wish I had a "before" picture to post.

God seems to be working in Wolf's life. What he will do with it, I don't know, but God is definetly at work. God spoke to him and simply said, "I love you," and it seems to have really rocked his world. (Yay God!) Bobby (Clip the Apex) has recently made the jump and professed faith. Chris has asked God to get rid of the critters in her life, and He did. (Self-deliverance anyone?) And of course Veronica gave her life to Christ a couple weeks ago. Of course we've been praying for everybody.

Susan in in the hospital to have her gall bladder removed. The situation is quite a bit stickier than that, but that's what it boils down to. She has stones that are having trouble passing. Surgery will be either later today or Saturday.

No wonder people on the board, like K and Susan, are having problems. God is at work!

Lost medication?, take 5

Ok, last update for the night, and then maybe I can finally eat. So far I've been too stressed to care. Talked to Canadameds on the phone. They said they have delivery confirmation that it arrived here at 11:10 this morning.

I talked to the front desk, but they had nothing. I searched the "mailroom" but nothing was there. The guy in our little mini post office here was already gone for the day, but his supervisor let me in and we searched the office. No package.

He said it would be impossible to know what time something was delivered to this building, so perhaps it was delivered at 11:10 to the main post office where we pick up our mail. (As a company, we have hundreds of pieces of mail each day.) They said to wait until tomorrow and see if that's what going on. I'm off tomorrow, but I will call. (Please pray that's where it is!)

[signs off to read messages and eat her long-cold burrito]

Lost medication?, take 4

I will check with Brad at work tomorrow on the off chance that it's just been delayed and arrives late.

Lost medication?, take 3

I keep trying to call Lupe, but she's still not in her office.

I tried calling my old doctor (a clinic who always has samples on hand), but they said I'd have to come in as a new patient ($200) because I've been away too long, and that they couldn't get me in for a month anyway. So that was pointless. (I was in tears at this point.)

I tried to call the company (Canadameds.com), but the number keeps connecting me to a local number. (I've had this problem before - the phone fails to recognize the "1" meaning a long distance number). I just faxed them asking them to call me.

I called my Dad, he is sending some money that should arrive later. With that on the way, I intend to reorder from Canada as soon as I can get ahold of them.

Unless I want to pay $300 for one month's worth of pills here in the U.S., it looks like I will have to wean off with the remaining pills I have (remember, I had hoarded a small number). It will mean that I'll be one messed up person for longer, but should help prevent some side-effects. I'll start tonight.

Now excuse me while I go cry.

Lost medication?, take 2

Let's see, I've already made three phone calls today. I called my doctor to see if I could maybe get samples. The receptionist said they didn't have any, they give them out to "patients who need them." Like I don't ?! She simply said they didn't have any and if I don't have the money to pay $300 for one month of pills from the U.S., then oh well, there was nothing she could do.

Then I called the USPS, who said they don't track Global Priority Mail and they can't help me. They suggested I wait 10 *business* days. (Mail doesn't move on weekends?) Customs said the same thing; they don't track packages and if it got delayed, they would have notified me right away. At least the man tried to be nice.

I'm currently waiting for Lupe (the health adviser here) to get back to her desk so I can ask about a new doctor. "I'm sorry; we can't help you," is not an acceptable answer to a patient in dire need who doesn't have $300 for US pills and another $200 for Canadian pill.

I was really hoping to get out of this financial hole with this paycheck. Looks like it won't happen. $500 out of it will leave precious little for little things like food and bills. (One bill just arrived today.)

Lost medication?

After all the problems mods here seem to have had, it seems to be my turn.

My medication appears to have been lost in the mail. I took a look at the tracking online tonight. The meds left Canada and entered the U.S., but when I go to the USPS site and enter the tracking number there, they have no record of it. The meds should have arrived no LATER than today or yesterday. If they are not at work tomorrow I will start making inquiries to the USPS, Canadameds, etc.

Besides not having another $200 to rebuy these, I DON'T have another month's worth of meds until the replacements can arrive. Quite simply, if the ones in the mail don't arrive soon, I don't have the time or money to wait for another shipment. I'll run out and go into withdrawal.

Which is why I'm here at past midnight posting an urgent prayer request.

Please pray; I'm worried.

Sniffle Sniffle, Sneeze Sneeze

I've reached the end of my rope today. My alergies were so bad that I had to take one pill towards the start of the service, and another at the break. The second one helped knock out most of the alergy symptoms, but also knocked me out; I was tired.

I can't do this anymore. I'm ready to take a daily medication if need be. The doctor gave me a prescription for Zyrtec; I think now I will fill it. Not sure if I will do it in Canada or at the local Walgreens, though.

Bleah. I need relief.

Today I also patched the puncture the cats put in my air mattress. I'm currently testing it to see if it still leaks. Dear God, please let this patch hold, and don't let these cats put any more holes in the mattress. :-p

Light and Power

This is America's 227th birthday. It is also the first July 4th in a long time that I got to see fireworks, and boy was it cool! I really hate having to work some holidays, and this is one. Too bad it falls on a Sunday next year. :( Maybe I can get the night off.

There were lots of red and blue fireworks, and some new cool stuff I hadn't seen before: fireworks in the shape of smiley faces, and two offset rings inside one another, like some nuclear thing, only with fewer rings.

The Grand Finale was the best I've ever seen. There were so many fireworks going off at one time, and low, that I began to wonder if the lauch site wasn't exploding! (c:

Thank You, God, for this country and the freedoms we have. Protect her through everything for the sake of Your remnant. There are still those of us who stand against the tide. Protect her for our sake, Father, and the sake of Your name.

Sometimes We Win One

This is old news, but worth recording. Saturday morning I woke up to read in the forums that Veronica has asked Christ into her life on Friday morning. Evidentally, the thing to push her over the edge was a talk she had with God Thursday night, and then the first post she read Friday morning (Brian writing to Clip) touched on that same subject.

I thanked God on my way home from work Sunday, thanking Him for what He's done so far, and praying for her growth in Him. I also thanked Him for all the work Socrates invested in her, answering her questions, and challenging her.

Despite all this, I knew she would come to Him, knew it was just a matter of time and that I just needed to wait on God. Some people you know don't stand a chance. ;) She's been hanging out at EW for a couple years now, and has consistently stayed with us, and drawn closer to God.

I think that's the key - does the person draw closer over time, or stay at the same distance, or worse, retreat further? It is those people who could go either way and you don't know. Right now Wolf is like that, and I see it in Chris, though she says she has crossed the line, and there's a good chance she really has.

Gay Pride Day, take 3

Final tally: one AC Transit bus, one BART train, three Muni busses, and three hours. It should take only one AC bus, one BART train, one Muni bus, and about an hour and a half.

Gay Pride Day, take 2

I just set a new record for the longest time ever getting to church - three hours even. I arrived just after church let out. To get there I took a 14 Mission south, a 47 Van Ness northwest, and finally a 38 Geary west. I got to the church at 1 p.m. No sign of Carol or Janice, so the morning was a complete and total loss. Next year, I will stay home. They win. No point in even trying. I have better things to do with my time than spend three hours getting to church.

I love this City so much and hate to see such pride in sin. It quite literally makes me sick. God is not here.

Or rather He is. In small enclaves there are groups of His people. Such a minority, so outnumbered. Lord, for the sake of Your remnant, have mercy. Kyrie eleison. Pray with me for my beloved City. Kyrie eleison.

Gay Pride Day

"Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps." --Emo Phillips

This was one of those mornings.

So here I sit on a bus on Sunday morning in San Francisco, trying to get to church. The Gay Pride Day parade is preventing me. I left the house at 10 this morning. It is now past 11:30 and I am still downtown, crawling along on a 14 Mission bus that is stuck in traffic. The 38 Geary was nowhere to be found, even though I went to the Transbay Terminal. Market street is closed for several blocks, so Mission is getting all the traffic. In the last half hour we've gone 6 blocks. I think I will set a new record today for the amount of time and number of busses to get to this church.

I don't know when or if I will make it to City Church. Maybe in time for communion at the end of the service. Maybe not.

I told another lady on the bus, also trying to get to church, that I should have stayed in bed. She said that God honors our efforts. Somehow that made me feel better.

I will write more later and update.

Payday?

Yesterday was payday. All the money was literally gone before I got it, so I find myself once more with no money and two weeks until payday. :-p I am getting some medical reimburcement, which will go into checking to buy food, and Dad is sending me some money, but I had hoped to put it back into savings as I've taken so much money out recently.

Miscellaneous

Another church was doing a yard sale yesterday in the parking lot, so while Rocky was casting "demons" out of people I went out to look at the wares. I ended up buying a spaghetti strap shirt for sleeping, a blue denim hat, a lime green bath towel, and pink bunny ears. :-D I have no use for the bunny ears, but there was no way I was passing them up!

A bunch of us from the church sat in the foyer talking while Rocky did his thing, and some of us also went to the 7-11 for Slurpies. I had a blue one (of course!). It was a relaxing day, with perfect weather.

Conference is coming up in just 40 some-odd days and I still don't have my registration in. Perhaps when I get paid on Thursday. Also need to pay for my plane ticket.

A Holy Alphabet

A lthough things are not perfect
B ecause of trial or pain
C ontinue in thanksgiving
D o not begin to blame
E ven when the times are hard
F ierce winds are bound to blow
G od is forever able
H old on to what you know
I magine life without His love
J oy would cease to be
K eep thanking Him for all the things
L ove imparts to thee
M ove out of "Camp Complaining"
N o weapon that is known
O n earth can yield the power
P raise can do alone
Q uit looking at the future
R edeem the time at hand
S tart every day with worship
T o "thank" is a command
U ntil we see Him coming
V ictorious in the sky
W e'll run the race with gratitude
X alting God most high
Y es, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

--Author Unknown

The Rocky Path

I've had a night to think about yesterday, and I am deeply disturbed by it. To believe Rocky Peterson, one would have to believe that pretty much every person in the world, including just about every Christian, has several demons each.

Even more disturbing that pastor gave this guy the pulpit. What kind of church am I in anyway? I think I need to talk to Pastor Steve. It probably won't do any good, them being friends and all, but I think it needs to be said by somebody.

As Brian so aptly put it on EW: Look at the NT -- Paul doesn't waste time telling people to seek out the particular demon of hatred, adultery, oppression, whatever. These things are caused by the FLESH, not by demons. Sure, demons can TEMPT you toward them, but it's the flesh that holds you in 'em.

Weird Sabbath Service

I'm not even sure where to start, or how to keep this short.

We had a speaker at church yesterday, Rocky Peterson...he runs a Chistian camp/conference center in Southern California, and does deliverence, but not in the way we often think of it. There were a lot of red flags that went up (like the mention of Bob Larson), yet I can also see that he does some good, so I'm not prepared to condemn him.

He spoke at length, and then people could go aside privately and he would work on helping them to get rid of their demons. I can deal with the idea of Christians being oppressed by demons, and having the authority of Christ over them, but the whole idea of spirits of hate, adultery, anger, etc....that sent up more red flags. If it works, great, but spirits? - I have reservations.

I will say this. We occationally have this crazy guy, David, show up at the church from time to time. He knows he'll get a free meal out of it and that we won't totally shun him for his psychosis, so he drops by from time to time, but blessedly he hasn't for a while. I have trouble thinking it's coincidence that he just happens to show back up the same day this guest speaker comes. Rocky was going off to see if he could help him at all when Anita and I finally left.

At least Eric was at church, so we had some cool music for once. :-)

Unlucky 13

Went to the dr. yesterday to get a new prescription - I have gained 13 pds. since my last appointment 6 months ago! That's what...a pound every other week?!

ARGGHH!!!

What am I going to do? I'm over 200 pounds now. :...( I was always a very respectable 170-175...stayed there for many years...a tad overweight, but as long as I was stable, I decided that I'd like myself that way. And I did. I became comfortable with my body.

And then Zoloft came along and it was a miracle drug and lifted my depression....I felt normal again. But to gain...what...about 30 pounds, almost half of that in the last 6 months alone? That is depressing.

I also have to see a podiatrist...the dr. said it is an infection under the nail..she said it's so misformed it may just have to be removed. Will make an appointment with that dr. tomorrow (he's already gone today). I want to be able to wear sandels again! It doesn't hurt...it just looks real bad. I'm not afraid to have the nail removed. It sounds like a fairly simple procedure.

Also gave me some samples of Zyrtec for alergies, and a 'script to fill if it works for me. She tried to give me Alegra, but I said I'd tried some a co-worker gave me and it did nothing. It might as well have been a sugar pill. I only get alergies occationally, so I don't want to have to take something daily. I've been using OTC stuff, but one time it took three pills to knock out my alergies, and in the process it knocked out me. As in...asleep at work.

Got my Zoloft 'script into Canada today, so 3-4 weeks before my pills arrive. She had no samples to give me, so I'll just keep taking 100mg in the meantime to stretch out what I have. Life sucked on 75. It's amazing what that extra 25 does for my outlook. So perhaps in a month I can go back to the 150 I'm supposed to take.

Hammer and Nails

Where the hall and my room meet, the carpet does not meet. For ages now Xena has been digging under the carpet edges to get the padding out from underneath. It's nothing but a game to her, something fun to do. But this is destructive and could result in my losing my security deposit. So for a while I've been thinking of nailing the rug down to keep her from doing that. I decided to do so this afternoon and pulled out my hammer and nails. In the midst of the project (I don't even remember where), the power went out. All of it. All over the house.

I let Lou know, and he called PG&E, who came right out. He found a lot of bad fuses, but finally found one good one, and added one of his own from his truck. As he stuck the second one in, something evidentally sparked. He told Lou that he would have to call an electrician, and that most likely two wires were crossed.

I told Lou what I'd been doing when the power went out, and he came up with his toolbox and pulled out the nails on one side. He found that at least one had gone directly through a line or cord of some sort, and that that had caused the short. Once the nails were removed and the breaker turned back on, everything was fine. [insert embarrased icon here]