Norm has a honey-do list for things to do around the house before Ilya comes home. #3,212,007 on the list (kidding, that's actually Ilya's b-day) is to hang doors in our basement, especially the 2 doors that lead from our exercise room and my office into the shared bathroom between them. The doors have actually been hung for awhile but the handles and door jam thingamabobs were missing. (They've been hung so long that I haven't thought about them for a few months.)
So as is my routine, I called Norm when I left work today to let him know I was on my way home. He tells me he has a surprise for me, which I know by past experience can be either a really good thing or a really scary thing. I was trying to decide whether I should rush home at wharp speed (after all, I know all the deputies and can talk my way out of a ticket) or pretend to be stuck in traffic, when Norm said "I think you'll really like what I've done to the doors."
Huh?? Doors? What doors? Then it dawned on me that he must've finally fixed the handles and door jam thingamabobs.
15 minutes later I pull up to our mailbox 1/2 hoping but not expecting to see our 171H waiting for us. I open the mailbox and not only is there no 171H, but no mail of any sort. Bummer - disappointed yet again.
Norm met me in the basement, pride written all over his face because of the surprise waiting for me. He drug me into my office and said "See! Aren't they nice?!" Referring to this:
We ooh'd and awe'd (yeah, we're dorky like that!) and he said, "Open the door and see the other one!" And I saw this:
Wait a second...what's that taped to the door? Need a closer look? Here ya go!
WOO-HOO!! Yes, our 171H came today - APPROVED!! Norm has already faxed a copy to C and we're hoping she got it in time to fax/scan and send to I in Moscow so she'll have it tomorrow morning.One last picture to show how impressed Bandit is with all of this! (Please excuse my Hello Kitty pj's!)
Thank you all so very much for your prayers, support and encouragement. This is a huge weight off our shoulders and a MAJOR step closer to getting Ilya home!
