when it rains, it pours

The title of my post is applicable in so many ways. First of all, it's pouring outside. Second... well, you'll see. I wasn't going to update until my life is back in order, but if I wait that long... I may never post again.

I'm updating my blog here at school. My students are all gone for the day - seriously, the moment the door closes after the last student from 7th period exits, I feel like a balloon that someone let the air out of really fast. Only, I don't usually emit gaseous noises and fly all over the room. Key word: usually.

How do I begin to describe this past weekend?

It all started Thursday night, when Doug & I realized that our heat had gone out. No big deal, right? We'll just have the guy come Friday and fix it. I didn't really think twice about it, because I was working up a sweat anyway, cleaning & getting ready for Becca to come visit.

Which brings me to the highlight of the weekend - Becca came to visit! She was the first Bannister family member to see our new apartment, and after this post, she might be the last Bannister family member to see our new apartment. We had an amazing time - a lot of great discussions, catching up on one another's lives and just bonding.

Unfortunately for poor Becca, who is used to the temperate climate of Maryland, the guys weren't able to fix the heater on Friday and told us that the whole thing needed to be gutted. So Saturday, Becca and I did a great part of our bonding cuddling under piles of blankets in front of the space heater with a hot water bottle between us. The heater guys came back on Saturday and after about an hour of working, told us that within the next hour, this would all be a mere memory. Oh cruel fate. Long story short - we never got the heat back and wound up spending the night at our friends' house on Saturday. And Sunday. And last night.

The whole ordeal has been really frustrating, because this guy keeps coming to the apartment, dinking around, and then telling us to "just wait" for it to work. It is NOT WORKING. Last night was the breaking point. We came home, and the guy had strewn our stuff all over the place to get to the heaters. He moved our coat rack into the middle of the kitchen and didn't bother to put it back; he tipped over the garbage can in our laundry room and didn't bother to pick it back up; he shoved around my craft stuff (which, I'll admit, was in a pile in front of the heater in the corner of our office) and spilled my homemade earrings all over the floor; and he must have opened a pipe in the bathroom, flooded the floor and used our good towels to wipe up the mess. Our bathroom had clods of mud on the floor, random puddles of water - and our towels were left in a dirty, wet mess in the bathtub. This all wouldn't have been nearly as bad if the guy had TOLD us about this - or at least apologized. We have not received an apology yet.

Somehow - by the grace of God - I was able to just start laughing when I saw all of this last night. I don't know what else to do.

This couldn't have come at a worse time. I'm trying to prepare for midterms next week and get the house ready for Christmas (Zach & Michele are coming to stay with us for a few days, and I'm making Christmas dinner for the whole Parton family), and Doug has finals this week for his masters classes, plus his year-end evaluation and a huge project for work!

I hate being so whiny, and I know this will all be hilarious to us one day (it's already funny in an exasperating way)... but I'm also just tired and frustrated. If we don't have heat tonight, this will be the 4th night we've been displaced.

But on a positive note - I am so, so thankful to the Schupras, who have taken us in so willingly the past 3 nights and have been so hospitable. This experience has definitely helped me to see even more clearly the loving community that Doug & I have become a part of. So many people, when they found out about our heat situation, have offered to have us over for dinner and offered us spare bedrooms. Thanks to everyone for your encouragement & prayers - you've made us feel so loved.