An Icky Day with a Great Story!

All I can say is "sigh." Our power was cut this morning and we went all day with no power. I had planned to continue working on my dissertation data today - I did for the 1.5 hours my battery (laptop) lasted, but now am just even further behind than I already was. I'm going to have to contact my committee for an extension (and another $2,200 fee for me) as I don't think there's any way I can pull this off by the end of July at this point. I'm thinking I'll just work as much as I can through the weekend and make a final decision on Monday about my plan of action for the coming 2 weeks.



On a happier note, I have a really cool story I'd like to share as I know many of you will truly enjoy it - however, I will say no tears (specifically Rose and Janice!!) - just joking, but it might bring a few to your eyes! Our friends who adopted their second child from China recently had planned to hang a lock on the Great Wall commemorating both adoptions. They had found out the Chinese, at various places along the Great Wall, have strung chain that holds locks which symbolize a long, loving union for newly married couples. The family thought to hand an engraved lock to symbolize the start of the "forever" family for the girls; a really neat idea. An aunt was along for the trip as well, and she brought a lock from her home on the West Coast from another family that wanted to do the same thing for their adopted child. Everyone had the locks engraved and off they went to China. A series of mishaps, resulting in numerous lost articles plagued our friends. One of those was a digital camera lost in Beijing (I think) - anyway, they went to the Great Wall one day, but their tour didn't go to a location with the chain! Their guide told them she went about once a week to a location with a chain and that she'd take the locks and hang them. After they left Beijing, they contacted her about the camera, which she had found and was sending to them at their new hotel in Jiangxi (where the orphanage was located). The camera arrived after they had left for Guangzhou, where they would get physicals for the children and visas. Long story, but the camera arrived the morning of their departure back to the US! In the meantime, their guide had left on vacation to France. Well, lo and behold, after several days back in the US, a look at the pictures revealed the following photos. I don't tell this story well, but I'm sure you can imagine how comforted they were to know that not only had their tour guide followed through, but she was thoughtful enough to take pictures, and make sure someone was following the progress of the camera while she was in France to assure the camera made it back to the family! Wouldn't it be something if someday the girls are able to go back to China and were able to find the locks?