I have a plan

And a lot of bug bites at the moment. But most importantly, a plan. We have come to refer to our screaming, stuff-smashing neighbors as "the crazies" or "the psychos". So compassionate, I know... Living above them is like having two very angry babies who scream around the clock and smoke four packs a day. Sick. Our apartment is saturated with their secondhand smoke and we've had about enough. Tonight I was moving one of our dining chairs and noticed it makes a wicked screeching sound on the tile floor. So Sam and I decided that next time they start the screaming we are going to perform Chair Screeching Sonata in A Sharp until they get the point. We can't go down there and talk to them, so we'll just drag the dining chairs around until they realize that it is on purpose. Or maybe they'll never realize and they'll think we are the crazy ones for moving furniture at midnight... and 3am and 4:30am and 2pm and 6pm and 10:15pm.

Last night Sam and I decided we needed to get out for once, so we found this park in Tempe that was playing Ratatouille outside and we went and hung out with a billion little kids and their parents. It was pretty hysterical. A very little girl from the blanket next to us thought we were more fun than her family and spent most of the movie regaling us with nonsense stories and dances, showing off her sunglasses and trying to kiss Sam. Of course he's used to most girls being that way with him, but it is always cuter when they are under 15.

We are checking out a new church tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it. It is beyond time to find a community here. I can't stand being surrounded by so many people and still being so isolated. Heck, I was in a new decorating shop by our apartment today and I made more of a connection with the owner there in 20 minutes than I have with any human being outside of my job in the nine months we've been in Phoenix. Maybe we need to work harder at this...