I've conquered my gremlin

Here’s the deal. I’ve been having a problem with my e-mail and I couldn’t figure it out. I thought at one time I did, but then I didn’t after all. It was like some gremlin was eating all my e-mail. I knew I had e-mail because I had seen it when I checked at work, but it just wasn’t downloading it into my mailbox. After a short period of time, it also had disappeared from my web mail account. The only thing that was different was that I have a new computer and had been using Outlook instead of Outlook Express, but that shouldn’t have made any difference. Then today I discovered the culprit. It was my spam killer program on my new computer. For some odd reason, it downloads my e-mail into that program—both the ones it blocks and the ones it accepts. I found lots and lots of e-mails in there. But in trying to disable this program, I ended up deleting all those e-mails.

I rid myself of another stressor that’s been disrupting my peace of mind. I was so busy setting up my computer then battling with my e-mail that I didn’t really notice that I was missing my external hard drive I had ordered with my computer. I did think about it not being there, but when I read the packing list it wasn’t on it. I was fairly certain I had ordered one, but I decided I must have deleted it since I kept making changes to my order before finally submitting it. Then the other day, I came across my order confirmation and there it was at the bottom of the list at the cost of $150. Now I was sick because I had thrown away some of my packing materials and I just knew it must have been in there, and I had just missed it. So I decided I’d have to call Dell to see what the deal was. But I didn’t have time because I’ve been trying to get my reading assignment done (all 11 chapters!). Then today when I went to pay my water bill at the office, they told me that I have a package there. Instantly, I was flooded with relief because it had to be the missing hard drive—it was!

I’m off to Kentucky tomorrow to watch my baby sister graduate from high school. Hard to believe! I guess that means I should get started packing—I hadn’t even thought of that. I’ve arranged my days off so I can have off Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. Some of that time I’ll have to be studying for my exam on Monday morning.

Mixed in with all that, I’m sort of caught in the middle of trying to help one of my friends from work get out of a very bad relationship. I think I’ve talked to her 5 times on the phone tonight, both at work and here at home. She’s quite distraught and very frightened of what her boyfriend will do. I’ve seen for myself what warped things he's capable of doing. I think the last time I talked to her a few minutes ago, I managed to calm her down enough that she’ll be ok for tonight. I think she may be my mission from God at the moment.

On the schooling front, I did decide to go ahead and accept my admission to nursing school in the fall. I’ve decided I’ll just have to exist without a social life for 2 ½ years. After I get through this Pathophysiology class, I’m going to have to tackle the problem of the uniform. It is required that you buy the school uniform at a certain place, and as it turns out, this uniform consists of navy blue scrub pants and a white scrub top. Now as you know, no good little Mennonite girl can wear pants in public, so what is she to do? I had been envisioning white dresses and all that. But I’ve decided I’m not going to worry my head about that little annoyance right now. I’ll just have to go have a word with the administration at some time in the near future.

And so life goes on…..