Updates on this and that

I still follow a Facebook page from our old druggie/homeless infested town. I think because I keep hoping those people dealing with it will get some change/relief at some point. It's gotten worse, from the posts, though last year one new council person was voted in, who wants to get rid of the problems. (though still outnumbered by the liberal council members who want to allow it). They have tied the police's hands. There is currently an election going on for one of the council positions, where one of the local business owners/residents, who has gotten so fed up with the town turning to crap (literally and figuratively) he is running. It will be interesting to see if he wins. If he doesn't, then I honestly think there is no hope for that town. The town was always such a nice little town (we lived about 6 miles out, in the unincorporated part). Nice shops and restaurants, lots of parks, a river to walk along or fish. Now there is comment after comment about how no one feels safe to take their kids to the parks, no one feels safe to walk along the river, because of all the drug/homeless activity going on. Kids have to walk by all this to get to schools. It's just sad. My DD's future in-laws still live there. They will be retiring in a few years and sounds like they will be selling and moving.

The problem is several years ago the town let this homeless "resource center" open up right in downtown, next to small local businesses, homes, an elementary and jr. high school. It is basically run (if you dig down into it far enough) by an activist attorney, who profits off (follow the money trail) of getting these people SSI and disability. The place is just a hang out for all the druggies, inside and outside. A majority are not even from that town, they were told "free stuff" so they came and stay camped all around. Not to mention all the crime it has brought. City council meetings, for several years now, have been a constant source of the community complaining and trying to get something done about it, but anything the city has tried to do, this attorney and his group file law suits against the city, in addition to a majority of the council doesn't want to solve it. Over the past 5 years the activity from this place has spread out from a small radius around the place to all over the town. Needles, feces, public urination, etc all over the town. The main grocery store area is so bad now that the police opened up a satellite office in the shopping complex! I'm also glad my DD doesn't live in that town anymore. While her area she lives in isn't perfect, it's much better than the town she grew up in. Her town doesn't allow (and enforces the laws) loitering and camping.

DD might come over for a quick weekend visit weekend after next. She looked into flights, coming over the weekend after 4th of July (and other weekends) but the cost is back up at $335.  She starts work at 6:30am, so she's thinking she could work half day that Friday, leave straight from her office at 10:30am and be over here in about 6:30pm. I had been thinking to myself I wish she could come over and we could go dress shopping for something for me (summer dress) to wear to her outdoor wedding. I know she's swamped with the remaining weekends, so I didn't even say anything. I just asked what she thought I should wear. Then she said she should come over for a quick weekend so we can go shopping :). She's going to double check with her DF and make sure he's got nothing planned for that weekend and she'll just drive over by herself. I found a couple of cute summer dresses online with Target, that they have in store. Since I rarely/never wear dresses, and in keeping with her low budget wedding (haha), I figure a $30 is a good deal :).  We can start there and if I can't find anything try Kohl's or Ross. I always find dresses look totally different on the hanger than they do once I get them on. Last time I wore a dress was to her college graduation, 3 years ago, LOL.

I guess DH has a $400 check on it's way from a life insurance policy his dad had through his union. SIL couldn't even get the policy amount right in her communications - she told him and his brothers it was a $1000 policy, so he'd get $200, but it was a $2000 policy. They've still got about 2 1/2 months to wait on the will with the creditors notification.