BAD THINGS HAPPEN IN THREES
Well we decided to fix our washing machine. It would have cost us close to $700 with tax to replace it and it was only $250 to fix it. It’s only 3 year and 4 months old….not sure if we made the right decision or not. I figure if I can get 3 or 4 more years out of it I will be happy. I know why it broke, overloading and doing comforters…so I am to blame. So on Sunday we were running a cable from the living room satellite box to the TV in the kitchen and were drilling through the floor into the basement. Well I caught the wire going to the stove. 220 volts!! Brad says I am lucky to be alive!! I even started the wire on fire. I am lucky I did not burn down the house. So they say that bad things come in 3’s so I am waiting for number 3.

So I figure my number 3 is that we are not going to get our appointment letter by September 6th, which is when we need to rebook our flights. At least this time we have a very good idea when we will be going, so we might be booking on speculation. AAAHHH!! Man, I have been saying that a lot lately.

I THOUGHT MY LETTER ARRIVED!!
So Friday afternoon was my last Friday afternoon off for the summer….how sad. So on Friday I got home early, about 3 p.m. and let Benji (my indoor dog) out to use the facilities. I could hear Fred (my outdoor dog) outside dog barking which means Ben is doing something he is not supposed to (yes, Fred is a tattletale) or someone if in our yard. So I came out to see what the commotion was...it was a courier. I just about died, I started shaking, I thought I was going to ralph right there on my grass....but it was not my letter. When she told me that she had a box that weight 40 pounds for me I wanted to cry. A delivery for Brad’s business. AAAAAHHHHHH!!!

AAAAHHHHH!!
I have killed my washing machine. We have been without a washing machine for a week, the guy came out today to look at it (and charged me $120) only to let me know that it’s going to cost another $250 to fix it. The worst part – it only 3 or 4 years old and I am the one that killed it!! OK, Brad never does laundry and it was acting up before my sister came and used it for a month. I take full responsibility…..the vote is in, it’s not worth fixing it so I guess we are off to buy a new one today.

Well the latest news is that on August 15th (Tuesday) the SDA has finally posted a list stating when they plan to see families. We have been anxiously waiting for this list, so needless to say we are ecsatic. I have attached the list. We fall in the October category – actually right in the beginning. The "unofficial" infomration says that the September letters have been sent out, even thoguht I have not seen any dates posted on the messaeg boards. Also one family from our agency would get a September date, but they have not received the letter yet. The info also says that the October appointment letters will be send by courrier on August 23rd, so we should, and that a big SHOULD, know by the 28th or 29th.

September – numbers 9913 – 14507
October - numbers 14511-15194
November - numbers 15196 – 15717
December - numbers 15718 – 16099
January - numbers 16104 – 16235

OK, my world is coming to an end. Someone on my message board posted that Chapstick is a banned substance on the airlines. I can’t go that long with out my Chapstick.
On the other side, we seem to be in a bit of a standstill. Hopefully we will know something shortly. NW has given me a list of stipulations for the rebooking of my flight. Originally I was ecstatic, but once again I am getting nervous.

- Travel must be rebooked on or before September 6, 2006. nervous
- Travel must commence by October 22, 2006. nervous
- The applicable change fee will apply. who cares
- The difference in fare between your ticket and the lowest price ticket available at the time of your new purchase will apply. who cares
- The fee for ticketing with our reservations office will apply. who cares it's $5 each
- Tickets are not transferable. who cares I am going SOMEWHERE, maybe not Ukraine, by somewhere
- Tickets may not be combined. who cares
- If the new ticket is less than the value of the original ticket, no residual value will be returned. who cares

Just as quick update on nothing new….The good news is that about 4 or 5 more families got appointment letters last Thursday. They are families who are adopting know children (meaning they are adopting children that they have hosted of siblings of their adopted child). These are the "easy adoptions" but at least they are moving. The letters have been coming via UPS and COD. My sister in law informed me on Friday that UPS uses Selkirk courier. Selkirk courier is VERY familiar with my hubby’s family so if we are not home they will head down to the in laws. They are also saying that by the end of August all families who are already registered will receive their appointment. So we just sit and wait a bit more.

My sister and here kids left on Saturday and they were here for a month….Brad and I were saying how fast that month went so a couple of weeks should not be to bad right. We have got a few things going on so time will speed by…Brad’s 40th birthday bonfire party on the 19th, his 40th birthday on the 22nd and then a family wedding on the 26th.

Finally some movement!!!! Yeah!!!

Some families have 'officially' gotten their appointment dates. I keep checking the sites and 2 families got theirs’ yesterday, one is for September 4 and the other is for September 6. One is for an older child and the other is for the adoption of a sibling, however they both seem to have very low registration numbers. The letters have come by UPS so I am crossing my, fingers, toes, etc. and praying that we get ours this week???

Well we got some AWESOME news today!! After fighting with Northwest Airlines by e-mail for the past week and a half and about 10 e-mails back and forth they finally told us that they will give us a 30 day extension to rebook our flights!! So now we have until September 6th. Sure, they gave us a few stipulations, but that are ALL ones that we can live with!! Yeah Northwest! Happy birthday to me!! My b-day is August 7th, our original date to rebook. Happy days are here again. Going to the Bomber game with my hubby, sister and brother in law, meeting some friends at Hooters before the game….time to celebrate!!

I HATE NORTHWEST AIRLINES!!

After days of fighting with Northwest airlines, numerous e-mails back and forth and several unsuccessful attempts to contact them by phone they have flat out said NO they will not grant us a 30 days extension on rebooking our flights. So, here we go again, rebooking our flights to Ukraine when we don’t even know when we are going. Nothing like blowing another $400 American.

I have also read on FRUA that on August 10th the SDA will be mailing out letters for September appointments and posting them in a public place at the SDA (for facilitators to view).

So close, yet so far……….