The Sand Blows In

"I can't see clearly now the sand has come. Are there obstacles in my way? It's gonna be a dusty, dusty, non-shiny day!" (Can ya place the tune I'm doing a parody of?)

Yesterday, the weather was spectacular. Munchkin #2 and a friend (who moved back to Sweden last night by the way) were able to swim in the pool. The water was still chilly, but they had fun jumping and splashing. Munchkin #1 spent last night at his mate's ('Australian' for friend) house. They played Legos most of the night. This friend/mate lives on the edge, essentially, of what is open desert. When we went to collect our munchkin #1 this morning, there was a hot serious wind blowing in off the desert. We had taken the roof/top down/off my vehicle of choice the previous day. By the time we made it home, I felt like I needed a bath. My vehicle certainly will need a bath!

Munchkin #2 had a trip in to see the dentist this morning. One of her fillings had come out (we had NO idea!). The dentist said that the nerve is dead because it has decayed further. So, Munchkin #2 is having a 'tiny little' root canal tomorrow morning. Poor kid. One of her best friends moves out of the country, and two days later Munchkin #2 has to have SERIOUS dental work.

The lease on our current place in this country is up for renewal. We've been given the go-ahead from the husband's company to sign a two year lease. So, we know we're in this country for a least another two years. The adventure continues........

(BTW: Can you see the huge sand dunes in the snap today? They were spectacular!)

And, one last bit.....

I was just reading the New York Times online. And, I came across this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/business/economy/28recession.html?exprod=myyahoo I'd like to talk about a quote from this article:

"As troubled banks remain hesitant to lend, even healthy companies are laying off workers. As more Americans lose jobs, they are cutting spending, depriving businesses of revenue, and falling behind on house, car and credit card payments, multiplying losses in the financial system. As more homes land in foreclosure and would-be buyers fail to secure mortgages, housing prices fall further, adding to the losses of the banks — a downward spiral."

Ok. So the housing bubble has burst. But don't the banks understand that if they don't do business, they won't have any business to do? For instance, if I owned a pet shop and I said, "I'm nervous. I'm not selling any pets today." Then, how do I make money? How do I stay in business? Certainly, my animals would get older, and I'd have to pay vet bills. So then, I'd lose even MORE money. Why are the banks doing this? Maybe, I just don't get it.