New Day, New Week!

Man, I have been super crabby this past week. I have no good reason other than it just seem to be a particularly stressful week! I haven't had a really stressful week in a while, so I guess it all just came upon me and got the better of me. I refuse to let it conquer this week too though! Too much to look forward to this week and really no good reason to be crabby...............and I know this!

So what were the crabby paddy's all about? It included the negativity radiating from the adoption agency folks I spoke to last week, the lorrie (big rig) that drove by us (going the opposite direction no doubt) and some how managed to throw a rock up and chip the windshield, the hiccup in the plans for this week with both Jeff and I needing the car at the same time, the stress of car shopping since we have virtually no credit on this side of the world, the hassle the insurance companies want to give us and the huge rate they want us to pay because we are American (like we can't drive or something), and then the astronomical quote we got to change the oil in the Yukon (even when we have everything other than the oil). It's not that any one of these things is bad.............it's that they all come bombarding down all in the same week. Thankfully we got through most of them and hopefully we are well on our way to owning a second car here. We'll find out more about that later today or tomorrow. Either way, a second car is really starting to be an evil necessity. We managed okay for a year, but it's time to get that second car.

I've come to learn that we will be given a harder time because we are American and that some people will even discriminate against us and at times be very upfront and forward that they are being rude to us or making it more difficult for us because we are American. Those things I am trying to just let roll off my back and develop a thick skin for. Please don't get me wrong, there are a lot of really nice and welcoming people around us. We just know that when we start a new process or look for something different that we might run across some people that aren't so warm and welcoming. But we've also learned that if we look around the next corner and try a little harder, we might find that person that's a little more welcoming and understanding........and willing to show us a different way or offer a better alternative to getting that task accomplished.

So I leave you with this.................maybe we'll have a second car as early as tomorrow, but if not we have a back up plan, we've found a more reasonable price for the oil change (thanks to one of those warm and welcoming friends we've made here), I'll continue looking at different adoption agencies another time (when things aren't so stressful), and I'll have a busier week to make room to get the windshield repaired and the oil changed. All in a weeks work!

New day, new week...............................no more crabbies, I refuse!

Totally off the subject.............but THIS is my favorite part of Scotland.......the landscape around the North Sea. Just a beautiful part of the country!