Nov. 27

**** Scary anecdote added below****

1. Went to the bank and deposited checks that have been laying around my house for months.
~1 hour

2. Laundry. Again. I think I need to tell myself that one day of the week is laundry day and not do any laundry on any other day. Tired of it! Although I suppose that means I would spend the whole day doing it and that wouldn't be fun.
~30 min.


I had big plans to do all sorts of things today but all I did was sit in front of the computer for hours looking at international schools and adoption blogs--my two current obsessions/time wasters. :( I need to start living in the moment. I know that teaching abroad or parenting will help a lot with that because both of those experiences will be so rich and life-changing. If only I had something beautiful and positive in my life right now that helped me live in the moment and enjoy the journey instead of always being so focused on what's to come. Alas, my eyes are burning from the past X hours staring at the computer screen so I am going to sign off.

** I wanted to put this incident in my blog since I am still feeling nervous and freaked out...

I had planned to rake my leaves today but a man approached me as I was walking into my house and asked if he could do it for me. I agreed to let him do it for $5.00 since I like to help out my people when I can and he seemed harmless and in need. So I gave him the lawn bags and paid him in advance. He was surprised and made some joke about how he could take off running down the street, but I said jokingly, "My neighbor [who was on the porch] will keep an eye on you." Mind you, the man on the porch I had never seen before, but the raker didn't know that. Anyway, I mention this whole event because it made me a little uncomfortable when he rang my doorbell when he was done. I was on the phone so I was able to keep it short without appearing too rude, but when I answered the door he had a piece of my mail which he handed to me. I asked him where he had gotten it (as my mail had already been delivered that day) and he said my neighbor had it. Then he proceeded to pull out a pen and paper and started to write down my name--now knowing from the mail, my first and last name-- and ask me for my phone number so he'd be able to reach me the next time he was in the neighborhood to rake leaves. This struck me as very odd as he said he lived just 3 blocks north of me. What random leaf raker, snow shoveler, etc. asks the person who hired them for their number?! I said, "No, why not just give yours and I can contact you if I need your services again" but he balked. Not that I would ever call him, but if is so hard pressed for $5 you would think he might want to have the option of making more money, especially considering he was about 44 and in need of some dental work. I am not trying to be mean here. Let me explain. I feel very weirded out by this encounter and I wanted to put as much detail in here that I could... you know why. Needless to say, I set the alarm immediately, but I don't know how well I will be sleeping tonight. At least the man on the porch next door (whoever he was) got a good look at him and my home phone number is unlisted.


Hope you had a productive day. See you tomorrow.