The world is falling apart at the edges

Life runs on at it own bumpy pace. One week everything is going hunky dori and then it starts to frazzle around the edges. The space between frazzle and major dump is so narrow that sometimes it is impossible to foretell or prevent. It starts with the little things. Did you know that three of you are currently having problems with your CD player. Definitely a fringe item but I still thought it was odd that they all died together.

Now Lydia's Babysitter allegedly stole the pig. Which is definitely a step worse. Hard to determine whether the money or the lack of baby sitter will be more disconcerting in the long run. I have very few suggestions dealing with theft. Except for a very small amount of electronics and the occasional item with sentimental value I am usually the one hoping they steal my stuff. I keep telling Les I want to move next time in a Camero. He gets annoyed when I tell him the first thing I would do if he died was sell almost everything we own. Now I thought that was what we bought all that shit for anyway. Yes its collectible but its not like I have a retirement fund. Back to the babysitter

Choices as I see them are as follows:

#1 - Ignore it hope it doesn't happen again and figure if she had to steal it she must need it for whatever reason and that God will surely get her in the end. Remember GOD, Old Age and Children Get everybody in the end.

#2 - Set her up - Invite her to babysit again, Leave a couple of twenties somewhere at her eye level but above the kids. Do not include kids in the scam. Lee a note folded inside that says. "Sometimes people leave things laying around to test that other people are honorable" Or if that is too cryptic. Smile you are now on Camera always works.

#3 - Call her desperate to find the pig and ask if she would mind helping you for pay of course clean your house so that the pig can be found. Tell her how disappointed Kelly is and go on and on I think you have mastered parental hysterics before. While she is there work closely with lots of hand wringing about how upset your husband is with you and the catastrophe that losing the pig is going to cause, occasional tears and self flagellation wouldn't hurt. At some point during the cleaning need to leave somewhere and leave her there to keep looking. The pig will probably have shown up before you get back if she really had it.

Well that's all I have to offer on the babysitter theft but I may have another person will to sit if needed. Which leads me to my moral dilemma of the day. I have always before in life taken in stray teens and sometimes their girlfriends. Of course always before I had a house big enough that it didn't really matter. I would like to say that they always appreciated it and did chores and earned their keep. But I can't because it would be lying and lets face it troubled teens don't even understand what I expect them to do much less have the capablility of doing it on their own. I can say that I think they came out of it as more balanced and trusting people because someone was willing to care for them no questions asked.

Now I have a couple of Kids 23 & 17 who are both very talented. He is the best Natural Network Wiz I know and she at the young age of 18 is already a concert cellist. Unfortunately they have, as usual these days, truly screwed up parents. Unfortunately there is not a cool parent among them and these two are now basically on the street.

The girls mother was evicted from her house and sent all of her younger kids to live with their father while she regrouped. Told the girl to contact her in a couple of weeks, it has now been a month and at this moment they have no clue where the woman is. Mind you this is the child that is the concert cellist. Had a scholarship to Juliard but didn't take it. Nice girl have been trying to get her to blog but she would have to have a home and a computer.

The Boy is a handful I can not deny, basic Texas Redneck, Has more than dabbled with drinking etc... but he is someone I genuinely like and trust. His biggest fault is that he is hyper all the time. Reminds me of my son Josh when he was younger. He is an expert at computers, building them, networking them, setting up game servers etc... When he has a home and a stable job he does great. Both are hardworking spent today hauling dirt for cash. His problem is the evil step mother. Granted I don't know her side of the story but then I don't think there is ever an appropriate time to put your children on the streeet. There maybe moments where they need to be tied up in the basement but never pushed out onto the street. He was living with his Step-Mom and dad working a good job and getting his life straightened out. The problem started when he started dating the girl. Because she is under 18 it is not allowed and as long as he was seeing her he could not live there. The part I don't understand is that she is the best thing he has ever brought home that I have seen. I don't know how anyone couldn't like her and while there is a slight difference in their ages and yes I know technically its illegal but that is a very stupid law its certainly not enough to make either of them live on the street. They were able to keep it a secret for a while but the boy is not capable of forcing her to live on the street alone. Gives me willies just thinking about this.

So my question is, is there anywhere in corpus they can go for help? In Europe they have Youth Hostels that are cheap, basic and clean. In America we have ratty hotels with cracks whores. Now I admit crack whores can be an adventure in their own way but who really wants to live with one.

If you need a baby Sitter The girl would be happy to babysit for you she says four is no problem she had lots little brothers and sisters and the only thing she didn't like babysitting was when she did it for 6 kids at once who all knew Karate. I am sure there is a story there but I didn't get to hear it.

So if you know anyone who needs computer help or other help contact me and I will put you in touch. Anyone else in Corpus Christi that wants to help can contact me through the blog.

Please note I have suggested all the normal things. Like playing kiss Ass to the step mom and hoping she will feel pity on them. Was told they had been there done that and it didn't work. Told Girl she should contact police since she is under 18 and her mother had to house her but she would just end up in the legal system for 2 months until she turns 18 and then the government wouldn't care either. I can offer them Dinner and a shower but there is now way I can let them live here as it is a company house and I would be fired.

I am open to all suggestions