Sometimes I just don’t really have my act pulled together enough to write a coherent blog post. Today is one of those days.  Perhaps the unpacking has finally gotten the better of me.  So instead of trying to come up with something amazing for you to read I thought I would jump on the Five Random Things bandwagon today.  So fasten your seatbelts and get ready.

1. The new community we live in does not have garbage collection service.  I know!  It’s weird.  But if you saw some of the roads here you would understand.  I successfully took my two garbage bags tagged with the lovely orange sticker to the garbage and recycling place.  It is an experience.  You heave your tagged bags  (tags cost $1.50) over the mountain edge into a dumpster/trailer below.  They have different bins set up for the recycling and I was savvy enough to have mine all separated out ahead of time so I wasn’t clogging things up.  The set up there works but it is interesting.  Two lines of cars can come in with probably a total of 6 cars fitting.  But you have people running back and forth to the different areas to put their items in the different receptacles so it does not mean you get in and out quickly.  Everyone is very nice and the attendant even grabbed my bag for me and tossed it.  Maybe I looked weak.
2. Our oldest, Micah, officially started work this week at McKinsey in New York.  He has had a good summer after graduation from grad school  and I think he is ready to get back into the working world and we are excited for what is ahead for him.
3. When Aaron had the cats he got a new electric self cleaning litterbox for them.  YES!  I was not convinced when he told me about it but it is pretty sweet.  Of course it costs more to use it than a conventional litter box but I am thinking it might be worth it.  It scoops itself.  It monitors their use and I now know that the cats have used the litter box 26 times since they came to our house.  I might have to do a video.  It is actually pretty amazing.  
4. We need a sign for our house.  No one can find us.   Our driveway is very steep with 2 other driveways off of it.   You have to see it to understand.  We have missed deliveries and repairmen because they could not find us.  Or they end up in the wrong driveway.  We are taking ideas for names for our place.  We have a beach house name but this is not a beach house.  Got any ideas?
5. When we lived in Australia I forwarded my US cell phone number to my Australian cell phone number.  My US friends could still call me on my regular phone.  We live in a “dip” and AT&T does not cover our “dip”.  We are  stuck in the contract mode for awhile.  It has been driving me nuts.  When I drive out of the development a mile down the road I have service.  I had been forwarding the number to my Skype number and it has not worked at all.  Today I finally figured out that I could forward it to our landline at the house and now I can get my cell phone calls again at home.  Yay!  I can’t get texts but I can still do iMessages and Facebook Messenger on my phone.  It isn’t perfect but at least I have an option that works now.  I just have to remember to forward the number before I get back to the house and unforward it when I leave.
6. I couldn’t leave it at 5, could I?  I got two fabulous surprises in the mail yesterday. The first from my friend Mary of Natural Plus Nursery.  She sent me a housewarming gift that was perfect, don’t you think?   The second came from Josh and Nichole Steiner of Pot and Panhandler.  I “met” them through JeniEats and as fellow North Carolinians they felt we needed this fabulous book.  I agree.  I can’t wait to explore.  
7. Oh and one more!  I got my library card!!!!