Mysterious good stuff

It has been a long while since I’ve written. Since then, I went to New Orleans to visit my dad and pack up my old apartment. I shipped my belongings back to myself in Chapel Hill via UPS in 23 boxes! It was weird to be there and witness a city so proud of its decadence and culture now in a state of humility and total reconstruction. I have to be honest that I was very glad to fly back to North Carolina, though not without a tinge of guilt.

On a happy note: lately, a lot of mysteriously good stuff is happening.

First, here is a photo of the AMAZING TECHNICOLOR BEDSPREAD that Clinton’s friend’s pregnant wife Meg MADE US for our wedding gift! This picture does not do it justice. It really is the most cool and beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, so colorful and made with tiny loving stitches. If you look closely at it, you will see birds, stars, pumpkins, penguins and more.

Last Wednesday I received all of those 23 boxes via UPS. The UPS man had quite a time of it, scanning and hauling and sweating. He lifted up every one, wheeled them to the front steps and then carried them into the house. He did not even let me help. Afterward I gave him a glass of water and we chatted about my move from New Orleans to Baltimore to Chapel Hill. He told me where to find a good local mechanic. When he left, he wished me good luck and then gave me a huge bear hug! I told him that I consistently receive excellent service from UPS, with the package delivery workers going above and beyond their duty to make the customers happy. Hugged by the UPS guy – can you believe it?!

On Sunday I went to Target to buy myself a desk, desk hutch and bookcase. Once I got past the checkout counter, two employees helped me cart all three of the boxes to my car. On the way, I realized that would take a small miracle to get the boxes into my small Toyota sedan, and I told them so. They just looked at each other. I sensed their deep skepticism, especially when I pulled my little car around.

Just as the two were busy strategizing about the angle by which to insert the first box, a muscular, middle-aged women with a t-shirt and gray spiked hair walks up to me and asks where I live. I told her Chapel Hill, and she says, “I have a truck. Wait here, and I’ll bring it over.” I was very happy at that moment, but not altogether as surprised as I probably could have been, what with the way things have been going lately. (No more strange than being embraced by a sweaty postal worker!)

I turned to the two Target employees and explained that some random nice lady was driving up with her truck and would follow me home with the boxes. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum were stunned into an open-mouthed state of confusion and disbelief. They did seemed relieved about the boxes, though. I shrugged, “The kindness of strangers, huh?” They just continued to stare at me. I told them that they might not believe me, but actually this kind of thing happens to me all the time. “Never happened to me before,” Tweedle Dum said dejectedly. Tweedle Dee seemed to be straining to think. He said, ” I guess you if you just go through a time when nothing goes your way, one day everything goes your way.” Something like that, I told them.

Louise, the lady with the truck, follows me all the way back to Chapel Hill – about a 25 minute drive from Target – and helps me unload the boxes. As she got back in her car, I told I hoped I could return the great favor back into the “˜cycle’. As she put her sunglasses back on, she said simply, “Pass it on” and drove away in flash of silver SUV, her Stevie Ray Vaughan thumping.

I assembled all the furniture myself, of course. (See photo of desk!)

Last week I found myself in two different job interviews for the same organization. (I won’t say, on this blog, which organization that is, just because I’m superstitious and don’t want to jinx myself.) I’m very excited about the chance to work there, because it is the organization I’ve always dreamed of working for, and it is also currently the biggest public health NGO in the world. They have amazing benefits, a wonderful work atmosphere, and employees who want to save the world. Today I’m going in for round two of interviews. The 4-hour interview “˜agenda’ shows that I’ll be in five different interviews there, including an interview panel and a 45-minute writing test. Please wish me lots of luck. My nervousness about it is making me feel slightly ill.

Last night Clinton and I saw Walk the Line, the Johnny Cash movie. I have to say that it exceeded my expectations and I was very pleasantly surprised by the talent of Joachin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. An entirely enjoyable film!

Tomorrow Clinton and I are leaving on the plane to spend Thanksgiving with Mom, Chad, Cady, Sam and Grandma and Grandpa in Spokane, WA. We’ve got Xbox, Harry Potter, Vietnamese food, turkey, cranberry, Grandma’s famous fruit salad and gizzard stuffing, hiking with Grandpa, board games and much more planned for ourselves.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to everyone!