Talk about your Manic Monday . . .

Not to be curmudgeon, but yesterday was a Monday through and through.
First off, at 4 am, I hear the toilet running.  Which means the water tanks are out of water, which means we have no water in the house.  I fix the toilet (it's a sticky flusher), wake Gary to turn off the pump and pray that the tanks will fill up so we can shower.  Then I try to go back to bed to sleep.  It wasn't happening.  
 At 2:00 we drive to the dentist and got delayed by a train.  They're swamped, Noah gets in late and there's a mix-up about ex-rays, procedures, blah, blah, blah.  So Noah's late to basketball practice - not good.  So, by the time it was India's turn at the dentist, she was really running late, not to mention we had the same mix-up with ex-rays, procedures, blah, blah, blah - all over again.  Meanwhile, as I'm driving back to the dentist to settle the bill, (I literally had to flee without paying cause Noah was so late) the pickup stops.  I mean, it was running, but not moving.  I had well over a half a tank of gas, but when I pushed the gas peddle - nothing.  I'm only going  about 5 miles an hour, just coasting.  So, I literally coast to the dentist - finish up there and try to coast my way to the mechanic's.  It's a good thing our town is pancake flat, or I would have been in big trouble!

I talk to the mechanic and he says he can't look at it til tomorrow afternoon.  Splendid.  So I wait til Gary can leave work, walk to the dance studio, pick up India's car and drive over.  Now, I'm late picking up the boys from the Y, I am late to talk with the swim coach about our bill and swim stuff and since it's now nearly 5 o'clock, it's too late to pay for the licence for our vehicles and get to the post office and do 1/2 the other errands I needed to do.  I was starting to get a wee bit frustrated.  

Gary finally gets to the shop and hops in the pickup to check it out.  And what do you think happens?  That's right - it works just fine.  Of course.  He's Gizmo. You know - the guy in the comics - the guy who whenever there's a computer problem, he comes in, sits down and suddenly the broken thing that was just happening, stops happening and everything works just fine??  Yeah, that's Gary.  It always happens with computer stuff, car stuff, appliance stuff, printer stuff . . . you name it.  And so now of course he thinks I'm delusional. (not the first time) But that's not where it stops.  NO.  We drop off the car for India, and I can't lock the doors.  Seriously.  I hit the driver's side lock, they lock and instantly they re-open, like some little imp is lifting up on the lock right after I lock it. (it's as if I can hear him snickering in the back seat)  I keep trying and trying and it just keeps happening.  Okay, now I'm starting to wonder if there's something wrong with me.  Like something metaphysical is going on or something.  Hey, I thought, I did have ex-rays last week - maybe I'm radioactive.  (or maybe it's just my electric personality. . .  okay - maybe not)   But it was starting to freak me out a little, I have to tell you.  But can you guess what happens next?  Yep.  Gary simply walks over, flips the lock and of course all the doors lock and don't  'magically' unlock.  Now I'm really getting paranoid.

So I sit there, forehead on the steering wheel, wallowing.  Come on, God, I say.  Enough!
Then it hits me.  I really do have a choice here.  I could milk this for all it's worth and complain as to what a woeful day is plaguing me, how terrible and utterly horrible things are and such.  Yeah, I could.  (and did inside, a little - I have to admit)  But, then I suck it up and say out loud, oh, good grief.  It could be worse.  And you know, it really could be.  WAY worse.  I mean, just think how way worse it could be.
 Just then, Gary hops in the pickup and says, after getting the doors on the Honda to stay locked,  See - things are looking up already!  (always the optimist, eh?!)

I had to smile.  Yeah, these little Monday annoyances are just petty when you think about it.  A bit stressful in the moment, but in the scheme of things, not exactly catastrophic.  So, I chose to grin and sigh and thank God that these are my problems at the moment.  Everyone of them buggy by themselves, taken together just plain aggravating, but in the context of eternity, completely and totally trivial.

So, I survived Manic Monday and laughed in the devil's face.  I have so much to be thankful for and I need to focus on that instead of all these little ticky things.  Besides, they all got solved, and no there was no harm done - except to my self-control - or lack thereof.  

So - smile!  Some things - most things - just aren't worth getting so worked up about. (I'm telling myself)
And besides -  now it's Tuesday!  :)