A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

I'm feeling a bit like Alexander today.  If you're familiar with children's lit or have had small children you probably know I am referring to the character in Judith Viorst's classic.  Though I didn't wake up with gum in my hair I did wake up on the proverbial "wrong side of the bed".  I have been in what we in the South refer to as a "piss poor mood".  All.  Stinkin'.  Day.  You would think getting to sleep late and not having to attend school inservice (as I had the previous three days) would have made for a wonderful day.   Nope.  Just wasn't in the cards today.

My plan for the day was to get up, mow the yard, clean up the house, clean up myself, take the kids and secure some items needed for a Father's Day project, enjoy an evening out with the family, and settle in back at home and watch a little Big Bang Theory (Season One arrived from Amazon.  Its arrival was the only bright spot in an otherwise loathsome day). 

Instead, I woke up irritable.  I hate this yard.  I'm so sick of having nothing to do.  I wish we could get out of this town for a while.  Would you please weed-eat today?  A cell phone just doesn't disappear into thin air (lamenting left over from and continued daily since this past Tuesday)!!!  

So, I decided to mow.  I love to mow.  I love the look of my yard as I mow.  I can clear my mind when I mow.  We have a Bad Boy ZTR mower.  Bad Boy's slogan, "Mow with an Attitude", was something I felt sure I would be able to do today.

Instead, I almost blew myself up.  It's a thousand wonders I didn't wind up in a burn unit somewhere. Someone had left one of John-Heath's t-shirts and pair of shorts laying across the back of the mower and I failed to see them when I began.  One lap from the top of the yard to the road and I caught a whiff of something burning.  By the time I reached the mid-way point back up the yard I caught another whiff.  Luckily, I stopped to wait for Ren to pass by in the drive and that's when John noticed the clothes on fire on the back of the mower and came and knocked them off.  Needless to say, I had to take a little break.  And now there are two small burned spots in my yard.  Of course, better in my yard than on me.

After a day of much whining (plus my near-death experience) we went to Cheddar's for a bite to eat.  It was 6ish.  Usually they are packed at this time and the wait is long.  Tonight, however, we waited no more than 5 or 7 minutes.  Maybe this terrible day was going to end on a good note.  As we stood to be escorted to our table I heard something hit the floor.  It was John-Heath's iPod Touch...the one he received for his birthday NOT EVEN A WEEK AGO...to replace the one he received for Christmas which he lost about a month ago.  It still works but the screen is shattered and will have to be replaced.  

Dropping spinach dip down my shirt (Ren:  Um, mom, you have some spinach in your cleavage) and John-Heath dropping what seemed like the rest of the dip in his lap (on his white shorts) were just the final touches. 

So, goodnight, friends.  I think I had better turn in.  There are still a few minutes left in the day and I don't want to temp fate.

 

P.S.  As rotten as this stupid day has felt, I will still give thanks for all the blessings in my life - which far outnumber a little scare, a burned t-shirt, a broken iPod, and some spilled spinach.  Thank you, Lord.