This was a week that was crammed full of stuff. Some good, some not so good. On Monday, I took the van in to Ab & Tom’s again, because it’s been driving so rough lately. Last time they saw it they told me that the ball joints were going, and they must have gone by now. I brought a bike with me when I dropped it off, then used it to ride to work, and later on to lunch. Then I had something happen that had never happened to me before: I got a flat tire. There was a little piece of sharp metal in one of the bike tires so I had to walk it home from Subway at lunch. That may have been a sign of things to come. As I write this, they’ve had the van for a week and it is still not done. The ball joints and tie rods needed to be replaced, and also the steering rack (which was under warranty). They were so shorthanded that it’s taken all this time to get that done, and they haven’t even done anything with the brakes, which have been pulsing a lot lately. So maybe it’ll be done on Monday, maybe not.

Missy had to pick me up from work on Monday so we could get to the final pre-departure meeting for her trip to Europe! All about the last minute things we need to do or make sure we have done or things to buy before departure day. Missy is getting so excited about it. And nervous. But I know she is going to have a great time. 

In the meantime it has been a good thing we have the Honda. Beth went up to Michigan with Missy on Tuesday to visit with her Aunt Halo and Judy and Ted, so she was gone all day. Alex and Natalie worked most all day. Softball had a doubleheader in the evening at 6 and 8: we won the game at 6, 10-9, and lost the nightcap, 10-5. 

Wednesday, Natalie was out all day and when she came back in the evening she had a dog with her. It was her boyfriend’s dog, but she insisted it was hers too, and she was keeping it here. I told her no, that it had to go back to his house and it could not stay here. To which she got very huffy but allowed she would see what she could do. I let it go there and went to bed. Beth, Missy and I went to Ball State on Thursday for an orientation for Missy. She got all registered, we had another tour and met some of the faculty and staff. Missy also met several of her soon to be classmates. We were done with it by late afternoon and headed home, and the dog was still there. Alex told us she had just left it at home while she went to work. So a big fight ensued where we told her that the dog could not stay at the house and it had to go back to her boyfriend’s. A lot of yelling and cursing happened, and her response to me telling her that the dog couldn’t stay here was “tough $#!+.” In the end I went to his house myself and told him that she couldn’t keep the dog at my house. He apologized and said he would come get it later. Instead a little later another friend of hers came by with her boyfriend, and Natalie grabbed a few things, the dog, all of her meds, and left. But before driving off she dumped a bottle of weed killer all over Beth’s flowers. We did not see or hear from her again until Saturday afternoon when she came by with the same other two friends and got most of her clothes and a few other things. We assume she is living with those friends but don’t really know. All we know for sure is that she does not live here any longer. She said she’d be back next weekend for the rest of her things. I hope she’s ok.