Susie's Leaning Tower of Chocolate for 2006 January 25

The other day I had a - we'll call it a "thing" - at work. I didn't want to tell John about it because I was afraid he, being a man, would tell me what I should have done, or should not have said (which, of course, I already knew). Well, turns out I was way wrong because he totally defended me and found some humor in the situation and made me feel a lot better. Thanks, John!

John has been having a hard time at work since being pulled from his training. I am being a good wife and listening and telling him he's right (because he always is). People are stupid sometimes. High school is over! Move on!

Yesterday at the grocery store, I forgot to use my coupon, so I went back to the Customer Service Center. The girl was really nice and not only let me use it after the fact, but let me keep the extra dollar when she accidentally scanned it twice.

Ten minutes later, at the gas station, a guy came up to me and asked me for money for bus fare for he and his wife. "Right", I thought. I told him I didn't have any money and wondered if he would want the 10 cents in my purse. As I was getting in the car, I remembered the scripture that says if someone asks for money, it's the Lord's job to judge and your job to give. Suddenly I remembered the $2, so I grabbed it and ran over to give it to him. I mean, I wouldn't have had the $2 in the first place if it hadn't been for the nice girl at the store.

As I drove off, I saw him go over to his wife. She was standing there looking at a bus map.

In Romania there were a lot of people begging for money. You can't give to everyone. I mostly just gave to the street kids, and even then, I mostly bought/gave them food. (In general, they ate the food, whereas the money was given to their parents.) There was this one sweet old man we walked by every Sunday on the way to church. I always gave him a 10,000 lei (about 30 cents; a decent amount to receive from one person while begging). I was doing my alms on Sunday! Oh wait, maybe it's healing people you're not supposed to do on Sunday? Well, we did that, too.