Two minor hiccups

As the days pass by and I become more comfortable in this new life, I feel like a pretty independent person. I'm logging long hours at work and gaining ground on projects, I'm slowly exploring my new city, I'm shopping and cooking well, I'm exercising and reaching new levels in my relationship with Libby, I'm continuing to decorate my place, I'm planning for visits to MN and others' visits to Jax, I'm reading a lot and I'm contemplating grad school. Yep, most days I feel pretty sturdy and focused. But two obstacles recently plopped down in my path and caused me to feel less like Miss Independent and more like Miss Run-home-to-MN.

1. The Saturday before vacation, the coughing ignition issue plaguing my aging car for the last several months escalated to a check-engine light issue -- which ended with a nearly $500 repair job. I am currently the proud owner of new crank and camshaft sensors, yet the coughing ignition issue persists. My faithful yellow-pages repair shop has since recommended an additional $1200 in repairs and tune-ups. SCORE!

2. While talking on my cell with Kristi the night the girls were coming into Jax, I was attempting to do too many things at once. I was slicing watermelon above the sink when I hung up the phone and stupidly dropped it into a pan soaking with water. It took only about 5 minutes before the life-centering device started emitting a mutant chirp and quickly died. Thank goodness for Google and Mapquest -- I got myself over to the closest Sprint store, doled out more dollars for a new charger and phone (sans the 200+ contacts I'd meticulously keyed and stored over the last few years), recommitted myself to another two-year contract and was on the road for the airport by 9 p.m. as planned.

With a little bit of perspective, it's much easier to regard what initially feels like MAJOR issues as minor hiccups. Problems get solved and life goes on, right? (Even when you're living 1500 miles away from the familiarity of home :-) .