Houseboat

Simple little houses are apparently the easiest thing to draw.

Well, here's something exciting: in about two months I will be visiting the land where Jesus walked. !!!!!!!!! Someone offered to pay my way to go on a church group Israel trip, and I graciously accepted. I've never been to another country before; it's something I would probably never do on my own, so this is a blessing.

And so I had to renew my passport. It involved two things I'm not crazy about: making a phone call to schedule an appointment, and going into an unfamiliar situation (that being the appointment at the post office). It all went pretty effortlessly and I didn't do anything idiotic, which makes me feel oh so happy. I really appreciate nice people who explain things to you in a way a child could understand, but don't make you feel in the least bit dumb. Just plain friendly. You know those bumper stickers that say "mean people suck"? Well, I would make one that says "kind people rock."

The passport office was a closed off room, and therefore a hundred times better than going to the DMV, where a big line of people are usually staring at you, waiting for their turn. Really, the only thing I could have messed up was to stutter my words, or make a mistake writing a check (I've mangled my signature before =P), but that didn't happen. Oh yeah, there was one moment where I had too many things in my hands and didn't know what to do with them. I picked up some papers while I was already holding my wallet or keys, and trying to shove my checkbook back into my front pocket, and it didn't work so well. It's not even worth mentioning, except that I think it's funny when I do that.

Anyway, I couldn't sleep very well the previous two nights because the passport appointment was looming in the back of my mind. Such an easy affair, and yet that's how my brain likes to challenge me. (Didn't sleep so well last night either. There was a domestic disturbance out in the apartment parking lot, involving a man running around without a shirt, screaming obscenities and telling his "b***h" to give him his daughter. He kept circling all the apartment blocks in the area. The police showed up and talked with him a good while, and I think they escorted him away somewhere. Not long after though, I thought I heard the man's voice again, and then the police were back with their flashlights. This time when they found him they took him down and put on handcuffs. They were not too far from my window. He didn't appear to be high or drunk to me, but he sure screamed like a maniac. If his daughter was indeed in one of the apartments and heard that, she must have been scared to death. It was exciting, but sad.) I look forward to some peaceful sleep tonight.