Lord knows I tried to stop it, but some events just prove we are not in charge.
My trip to Kinston was swift and safe, my trip from Kinston didn't go as well. I wrote about my car being checked to make sure it was good for a long trip. It wasn't. It had to stay at the doctor so I took tommy's car which is newer and seemingly less risky to drive the distance. I packed it with everything but the kitchen sink, picked up my mother and began our journey.
On the way home I needed coffee. I pulled into a Target to hit up the Starbucks and got right back on the road. Some road. I thought it was the one we drove in on. Not so. It led straight to the Air Force Base in Goldsboro.
The MP officer helped me navigate back to a highway, also not the highway I came in on, and get back on track. I am usually not bad with direction or navigation. This was an exception.
I hopped on I-40 around sunset and started moving toward I-85 with home in my daydreams when all of a sudden DLOP! DLOP! DLOP! DLOP! DLOP! We got a flat tire!
My insides said AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
My outsides started to stiffen with fear.
I pulled over to the wrong side of the road and was promptly instructed to move to the right by my unusually cool mother.
We called the highway patrol and AAA.
The highway patrolman CHANGED MY TIRE!
AAA didn't show up.
Wow. What a helper.
We stayed overnight in Cary and had all the tires changed since the spare was a donut tire.
The flat tire had a puncture wound. It could not have been avoided. It would have happened to my car if I have driven it.
It was an adventure, to say the least.
I wonder what He was keeping me from.
Hmmm.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Unlikely retreat
I am blogging in a place where I would have never imagined. A car mechanic's waiting room. I am writing from the AAA Automark where I am currently having my car serviced.
I can't believe it.
I know I don't get out much and I know there are places where you can bring your own computer and use WiFi and all that, but I am pleasantly surprised. I knew when I came here to wait for the mechanics to look over the Jeep to make sure all is well for my trip tomorrow that I might enjoy some kind of peace. But the kind I imagined was simply sitting in a chair, free from my children, listening to phones ring and beep, television watching on a TV with one fuzzy channel, and possibly people watching. That's what waiting for my car used to entail, before Tommy that is.
But here, you can watch television while drinking your hot tea or coffee or chilled water. (I chose tea. It is after noon after all.) There are multiple flavors of creamers for coffee so I seriously considered it.
If I wish I can even hitch a ride with their DRIVER who will take me to a nearby location to help with my errands or to simply occupy my time and he will wait for me to shop or I can call him to come and fetch me at my leisure.
Unreal.
I am not a fan of errands in my own car much less with a stranger so I passed on that option.
I can watch television on a very clear television which happens to be on the channel I would be watching this time of day, I like the ABC soaps minus General Hospital. I can't buy into it, it's over the top even for me.
The chairs are as I would have imagined. There are no la-z-boys around here, that might promote napping and they probably frown upon that. There was a woman already watching TV so I kept walking in search of an antisocial activity such as this. Writing to myself on my blog that probably nobody reads is just fine and dandy by me.
It is an unlikely place to find rest or tranquility. But I can do that here if I try and if I am not irritated in the least.
The real reason why all this works for me today is that Tori is teething so my night was rough and my headache is screaming. But being here in my nook calms me and gives me reason to think without having to be truly sensible and I don't need to listen intently or direct anything for the time being.
I need that.
I can't believe it.
I know I don't get out much and I know there are places where you can bring your own computer and use WiFi and all that, but I am pleasantly surprised. I knew when I came here to wait for the mechanics to look over the Jeep to make sure all is well for my trip tomorrow that I might enjoy some kind of peace. But the kind I imagined was simply sitting in a chair, free from my children, listening to phones ring and beep, television watching on a TV with one fuzzy channel, and possibly people watching. That's what waiting for my car used to entail, before Tommy that is.
But here, you can watch television while drinking your hot tea or coffee or chilled water. (I chose tea. It is after noon after all.) There are multiple flavors of creamers for coffee so I seriously considered it.
If I wish I can even hitch a ride with their DRIVER who will take me to a nearby location to help with my errands or to simply occupy my time and he will wait for me to shop or I can call him to come and fetch me at my leisure.
Unreal.
I am not a fan of errands in my own car much less with a stranger so I passed on that option.
I can watch television on a very clear television which happens to be on the channel I would be watching this time of day, I like the ABC soaps minus General Hospital. I can't buy into it, it's over the top even for me.
The chairs are as I would have imagined. There are no la-z-boys around here, that might promote napping and they probably frown upon that. There was a woman already watching TV so I kept walking in search of an antisocial activity such as this. Writing to myself on my blog that probably nobody reads is just fine and dandy by me.
It is an unlikely place to find rest or tranquility. But I can do that here if I try and if I am not irritated in the least.
The real reason why all this works for me today is that Tori is teething so my night was rough and my headache is screaming. But being here in my nook calms me and gives me reason to think without having to be truly sensible and I don't need to listen intently or direct anything for the time being.
I need that.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Ho, Ho, Hack
'Tis the season for the common cold and I am getting mine for Christmas. After two days of "resting" and 2 nights coughing, I have lost a bit of my Christmas spirit. I keep thinking that Christmas is far away and then I wake up and it's Christmas Eve Eve. You see, I am a fan of the anticipation of it all. Christmas Eve Eve and Christmas Eve are the best part of the season. I should be gitty with excitement, making cookies, singing songs. But today and tomorrow I will only be able to croak Santa Claus is coming to town and Jingle Bells for Bella and Tori and hopefully I won't scar their memories of Christmas for life. Bella is such a spit-fire and so gleeful about the season and I want to be that with her, but I'm not. Instead I have body aches, headaches, sore throat and a hacking cough. I only pray that the rest of the family doesn't get this nastiness again. Yes, I said again. I am sure I got it from them and as I am learning we just keep passing the crap around.
Bah!
I need some eggnog and gingerbread cookies to kick me out of this funk!!
Bah!
I need some eggnog and gingerbread cookies to kick me out of this funk!!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
The stars are stacked...
Ellen Whitehurst is a Feng Shui advisor who has a spot on a popular morning radio show I listen to. She always gives interesting advise that includes astrology info plus Feng Shui methods of maximizing one's Shui.
I'm a Virgo.
Not only do I expect everything to go smoothly but if it doesn't I will fixate on it until the original problem can never occur again...most of the time. I'm on the cusp.
Anyway, I like Ellen Whitehurst because I think there is functionality to her advise. I even bought her book Make this your lucky day.
Here is the link for the advise for Virgos this month:
http://www.ellen-whitehurst.com/b2/blog2.php/Virgo/
It's incredibly specific.
The negative day so far was right on, but the advice is nearly impossible to follow.
"Try all best to remain calm cool and collected...especially when you feel like your back is against the wall and every button you have has been repeatedly pushed."
The reason why one should act this way in these trying times and always really comes later in the astrological reading she describes the month end will be so positive that that choirs of angels will be jealous of the beautiful music your life is making.
How could this be?
Aren't I supposed to fight when my back is up against the wall or do I just take my lickings from the universe?
I'm a Virgo.
Not only do I expect everything to go smoothly but if it doesn't I will fixate on it until the original problem can never occur again...most of the time. I'm on the cusp.
Anyway, I like Ellen Whitehurst because I think there is functionality to her advise. I even bought her book Make this your lucky day.
Here is the link for the advise for Virgos this month:
http://www.ellen-whitehurst.com/b2/blog2.php/Virgo/
It's incredibly specific.
The negative day so far was right on, but the advice is nearly impossible to follow.
"Try all best to remain calm cool and collected...especially when you feel like your back is against the wall and every button you have has been repeatedly pushed."
The reason why one should act this way in these trying times and always really comes later in the astrological reading she describes the month end will be so positive that that choirs of angels will be jealous of the beautiful music your life is making.
How could this be?
Aren't I supposed to fight when my back is up against the wall or do I just take my lickings from the universe?
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Nutcracking Christmas
This Christmas is going to be interesting to say the least. We are in a position we've never been in before. We're really taking a beating, it's going to be a real nutcracker.
Tommy is very educated, I also have a college degree. Yet the floor may be falling out from under us as every day passes. We've never been afraid of work, Tommy's been working since he can remember, but now since the economy has gone to pot, the penny pinchery begins.
Before this year you would have called us frugal at times. We shy away from extravagance for sensible reasons, we just don't take many chances. This year though, nobody can.
I seem to have a string of bad luck that follows me around. I'm not sure why.
I bought an SUV the day after hurricane Katrina. $$$
The business Tommy and his family began flipped a house and put it on the market the week of the financial crash, it's still for sale.$$$
Our checkbook hemorrhages the season we enroll Bella in a tuition paid preschool, which she loves.$$
We have a baby and the price of formula is RIDICULOUS.$
Tommy had a small car accident.$$
I am on a "whenever you can" work schedule because of Tommy's commitments and my mother goes back and forth with illness.$$
And the biggest one of all, Christmas is coming.$$$$
That last one is a stretch since the bills are still due during Christmas, I should change it to $$. Either way, it's a lot, it's stressful and I've said this before, I'm no rock.
I just can't seem to find my Christmas spirit. I can't even get motivated to get rid of my pumpkins.
Tommy is very educated, I also have a college degree. Yet the floor may be falling out from under us as every day passes. We've never been afraid of work, Tommy's been working since he can remember, but now since the economy has gone to pot, the penny pinchery begins.
Before this year you would have called us frugal at times. We shy away from extravagance for sensible reasons, we just don't take many chances. This year though, nobody can.
I seem to have a string of bad luck that follows me around. I'm not sure why.
I bought an SUV the day after hurricane Katrina. $$$
The business Tommy and his family began flipped a house and put it on the market the week of the financial crash, it's still for sale.$$$
Our checkbook hemorrhages the season we enroll Bella in a tuition paid preschool, which she loves.$$
We have a baby and the price of formula is RIDICULOUS.$
Tommy had a small car accident.$$
I am on a "whenever you can" work schedule because of Tommy's commitments and my mother goes back and forth with illness.$$
And the biggest one of all, Christmas is coming.$$$$
That last one is a stretch since the bills are still due during Christmas, I should change it to $$. Either way, it's a lot, it's stressful and I've said this before, I'm no rock.
I just can't seem to find my Christmas spirit. I can't even get motivated to get rid of my pumpkins.
Monday, December 1, 2008
And she's off
Tori can do a lot more these days. She eats from a spoon, sleeps all night and I think she's even teething.
Bella's being such a great sister lately. She loves to involve Tori in her games and Tori enjoys it so much that she looks past some of the toy whippings from Bella.
I'm learning how sisters "love" one another.
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