Bus- 2 Etrangère- 0

Yesterday I had lunch with Annemarie, who I met at the mass the other night. Her sister is just finishing Harry Potter herself (in French; she'd already read it in English, which she prefers, but this way she gets all the details.) She's also having me to tea tomorrow- it was supposed to be today but I'm an idiot and, even though I know the difference perfectly well, I keep confusing things like 7pm and 17h. That is, I was supposed to be there at 5 (17h) and kept thinking 7.

It seems Mary has answered my prayers and is making me more aware of my faults, and more patient with them. At least I'm getting lots of practice.

For example: this morning. My first class is at 8. I will get there on time! I just miss the 7 am bus that goes to mon lycée. I know this because I saw the busdriver of the line I wanted and asked him if he went there, which he didn't. See, I am learning something. So I wait for the 7:18. A bus from the right line arrives. This has to be the one, right? If every other bus goes to the school, and the last one didn't, then logically this has to be the one. Wrong. Is he sure? Yes, quite sure. So I walk up and down the long line of busses. Finally Mr. Wrong, waiting in his wrong bus, calls me over and tells me Right Bus has arrived. I go to the end of the line. I don't see it. Then I do- driving away. Fast. Up until this point I have kept my cool. I havn't broken down at all for three weeks- probably a personal record. But at that point, I lost it. I was going to be late. Running and searching and panicking had all been for nought.

Now after all the times Ive done this and all the times God has taken care of me, I really should know better. Mr. Wrong takes pity on me (you know, if everyone does this every time I break down crying, I don't know how I'll ever stop.) Even though he isn't supposed to, he drives me part of the rest of the way to school. I walk very quickly by the glow of the bright orange moon on the horizon, over the corn fields. And when I get there, guess what: no students. Apparently no one told them they were supposed to come today. Just like no one told me I had a class at 10. Which it turns out I don't. "Pontuellement," I learned today, does not mean "puctually" but "every now and then." Which is great, because I'm much better at being intermittent than punctual.

So today I worked out the schedule, played on the computer, and tried to stay calm.

But great news: TR, who I stayed with last time in Paris, just got engaged to G! She was dating him six years ago, during my first long seperation from John! They're getting married next September! And I'm invited to the engagement party next weekend!

God is good (and don' t forget it)