*ded* Managed, amazingly, to get out at more or less the usual time--possibly because Cheerios don't require as much chewing as frosted shredded wheat. Stephanie, Carole's successor, arrived as Lark and I were heading out, and then Syd called to talk to me about Isaac. I'm afraid she was pretty unhappy about the way he was acting on our walk the other day. -_-; She wanted to tell me if I ever want her to intervene, I'm to tell her, but otherwise she'll let me deal with it. Which is a relief, because I can deal with him, but not her dealing with him. Anyway, after we finished talking I had to go be introduced to Stephanie, and then we larked. It wasn't too hot. I was sweating pretty profusely when we got home, though--I think it was just humid. Hm. Stephanie was still here but Philip hadn't come yet; I wandered off to computer-land.

Philip called to say he'd get here eventually, and tomorrow morning we're doing to do the Incline and then leaving for Nebraska. Sheesh. And then I started packing.

Father Paul came by this afternoon, and said goodbye to me before he left. I have to say, that was not someone I expected to get a hug from, but oh well. I let him get away with it, anyway.

Went over to the Seamans' before dinner to tell 'em I was leaving. Now those are people I like to get hugs from. Er. Ahem. Syd promptly went over to talk to Grandma (taking a glass of wine along to drink) and I followed her, after talking to Ralph for a bit. When I came back Syd said she'd been thinking about it, and she'd like to come along when we do the Incline and see how she felt doing that. So I'm to call her in the morning and see if she wants to come. Although unfortunately she doesn't want to do it with us. What's with all these people who don't stick together on a hike?

Larked after dinner. It was pretty nice out, albeit a bit buggy, and we only ran into one person. He was standing at the edge of the pond, and he told me he'd seen a turtle there earlier and was hoping to glimpse it again. Sounds like a good cause to me....

Mostly lab, possibly pit, and "mostly poodle, if not all"

Philip ended up being the one waking me up this morning, somewhat later than usual for a Sunday--eight-forty, maybe? I panicked, anyway, enough to get out of bed pretty promptly, and then forget what I do first--i.e., let the dog out. I remembered before actually, say pouring cereal, but it was a discomfiting feeling. There was one stoplight where Philip thought we were going to be late, and we just barely made it before the announcements. The sermon was on Romans 8:28-30, which kinda drives me nuts because of course they don't use KJV, and hearing the familiar words so changed drives me insane. Of course, it would probably still drive me nuts if the words were the same, because he would cadence them differently, but not as much.

After church we ran home to let the dog out for a few minutes, and then we went to the Boonzaijers' for lunch. There was rather a flock of children, Jenna's four and one more. Soren, the eldest, is perhaps ten; Decker (?), a friend, about the same. I think Charis told me she was five, Aunica (sp?) is two and a half, and Silas is just walking. He tends to run around under everyone's feet at church, which always rather startles me. I'm getting used to it; everyone else seems to take it for granted. It's such a small church, nobody really worries about losing track of their child. Have I mentioned I love this church? Anyway, besides the little ones, there were Jenna, Steve, Philip, me, and Ben. Ben seems to be an old friend of the family, especially of Jenna's, and he's very good with the kids. He's also a programmer friend of Philip's, so they talk to each other at church a lot. So the older kids all ate at the island, and the grownups and the toddlers ate at the kitchen table. The conversation was pretty interesting, mostly about the duty of Christians to the poor and whether it applies to those who are homeless through their own fault, etc. I didn't have much to contribute, but it was interesting to listen to. We eventually left, some time after dessert, fleeing a discussion of iPhone apps that degenerated into Jenna and Ben taking turns with Phil's phone playing a game on it. Ben threw her his phone so we could escape. 

It began to rain heavily shortly after we got home, and I read Passage until about five or so, when I took Lark out into cloudy humidity. We met two women up towards the far end of the first leg, accompanied by a muscular brindle sort-of-like-a-pit to whose breed they claimed ignorance, and a big black mostly-lab. Lark was pretty relieved to get away, because even after they were leashed the two dogs, both larger than she, continued to bark. Sheesh. So I jogged for a spurt, and then had to quash Lark for jumping at me while I ran, after which we walked. Actually she walked, trotted, loped, and galloped, but I walked. We went down to the head of the creek for splashes; it was pretty lively, after the afternoon's rain. Coming up out of the wash we encountered a familiar pair: a small poodle mix, sopping wet, and a shirtless man on the farther slope of middle age. I think the first thing he said, after greetings, was, "Oh. Military?" "Ah--no, I just like their clothes," I answered, in the most glib reply to that inquiry so far. After those two the rest of the walk was hot but uneventful.

Finished Passage, Philip went back to Golden, started another Mrs. Pollifax. Did I mention Jenna's given me another reason to drive now? She wants an au pair/housemaid, and while I don't think I'd live there coming over a few times a week, or whatever, would be cool. Also certain instincts were stirred by the kitchen floor. I just wanted to grab a mop and attack it. So add it to the list of "Things to Do that Someone Might Actually Pay Me For If I Move Out Here." So far we have:

Work at Rock Ledge Ranch (driver's license required)

Help Jenna out (ditto)

And anything more I think of.

Fifteen pushups, getting easier. Twenty situps--should probably up that.