Why Do I Even Bother Formulating a Plan For My Day????

I had fun with the blog meme, and met a few really nice, equally addicted bloggers out there. Actually, you would have to maybe be addicted TO blogging to qualify. And I am obviously not. Reading them? I can't walk away.... writing them, it's hard these days!

I ran over to Wholly Devoted and really enjoyed Deena's blog. I especially enjoyed that her initial plan for her blog was to reflect thoughts around a Bible study for her church. I loved that idea and thought about posting a reflection on my daily Bible reading here. Well, I did THINK about it, and even had a thought or two yesterday.

But today has not quite gone like I had planned. And, you know, I say that so frequently -- I really just need to quit planning my day. Truly, that is the easy answer and probably what the Lord is trying to teach me anyway. For instance, one of my verses from yesterday was Proverbs 16:9: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

So I got up and skipped my "first thing, no matter what" Bible reading because I had to hustle out the door so I could get in my walk and be back before my door installer got here. So I got home just in time to greet door installer and get him on his way and immediately set about my work (which is why I should do my "first thing, no matter what" Bible reading since I just can't seem to stop later) and house piddling, etc. I went to turn on the water in the kitchen -- nothing.

So, I ask the door guys, "You don't have the water turned off for any reason do you?" "No, ma'am, but there was a guy from the city here in your front yard about 5 minutes ago." Yuck, my gut fears what has happened -- I check my online bill payments. Yes, I did make that payment. 'Cause in May I TOTALLY forgot to pay the water bill. I don't mean remembered a week or so later, I mean I COMPLETELY forgot. You know, I did have a thing or two going on in May. And, it's not like I was actually LIVING in my home to think about, appreciate, and pay for my water usage. Until we got our bill for June that also included the May amount. So I scheduled them both to be paid. The day before my payment was to go out we did get a friendly little disconnect notice that caused me to double-check that I had, in fact, scheduled the payment to be made. Yes, there it is. Ready to go tomorrow, two full weeks before they are going to shut us down. It's all good.

So when I called my not-so-friendly water utilities employee this morning to ask if I might, please, have my water turned back on, she sniffed and told me all the hoops I would have to jump through to show her that I HAVE in fact made that payment (two weeks ago now) because they don't have it. Or maybe Maybel put it on her desk before she left for vacation last week. Either way, it's not posted, you don't have water, Missy, and we hold the power because YOU haven't paid your bill. Oh, but I have, but we don't want to hear any of that.

So after a call to the water department, the bank, my online bill pay service, the water department (again) and the online bill pay service (again), I thought I was in business. But when I called to check on that whole process, I was told that a) the original employee I had talked to had gone to lunch b)they would tell the city employees who are probably leaned against their truck around the corner from me to turn it on when they felt like it and c)I have to be here to sign something for them to turn it on.

Let me get this straight -- you can turn it off without my permission or knowledge, but I have to sit here and wait for you to turn it back on. I did tell this happy little soul that I am SO glad the original person got to go to lunch since there is no way for me to wash hands or fix lunch for my family, yet you're telling me we can't GO to lunch because I can't leave. I do understand that this isn't the city's fault, and it certainly isn't the fault of the lunch-eater OR her replacement. I also understand that the bulk of their dealings are not with people like myself who actually do pay their bills on time, and evidently the bulk of their dealings are not with people who use these new-fangled computer-internets-type-things.

So, I here I am, still covered in the grime from my walk this morning, a half-filled washing machine waiting to complete a load, and toilets that will flush (thank you, Lord) but not refill. I told the kids to look real pathetic if a city employee drove up, so, to be funny, they went and rubbed dirt on their faces. They were a little irritated that they couldn't wash their hands after that, though!

So I should use this time to go do my "after it's all been said and done and it's all over but the crying" Bible reading. I'm sure the Lord has LOTS to say to me today!