Warning! Positively crabby
My phone is out of power (almost). My charger is out of reach (kind of). I can’t find my camera. And I feel totally crabby. Justifiable? Perhaps. But my head is telling me that it’s been a great day and I have no reason to feel that way. Yet, the part of me that controls crabby (doesn’t quite feel like the heart) wants to feel crabby. But since my head is rejecting the notion, but losing the battle, I think (and it’s my head that thinks) that writing can swing things to my advantage (I’m on the side of my head).
This really started yesterday when I woke up a little too late…perhaps on the wrong side, but not quite. Just late but can’t recall why. Rushing out the door, almost forgot my phone. Then remembered. Then realized it was almost out of power. So I grabbed my charger and rushed into the car…with the kids. Oh yeah, I woke up on the rushed side of the bed because I spent the rest of the day rushing. Rushed from one meeting to the next and forgot to plug in my cell phone. Rushing around, I didn’t pause to eat proper…drink water, eat healthy snacks. I was hungry. When the time came that I didn’t have to rush, I didn’t have the will to go to the gym. I was hungry, I needed hydration. So I got my lunch instead. Then I noticed the chocolate cake that said “eat me”. It beckoned and I answered. Twice. After all, I was hungry.
End of day came, I looked at my gym bag. Unused. I decided to leave it at work so it was there for me on Monday. One less thing to lug on Monday morning. I got home and looked at my phone. Still uncharged. And my charger is in my gym bag.
My head says “so what?” How many calls do I get on a typical weekend? Not too many. Sometimes none. And for the call that matters the most, I let hubby know my situation. So he knows to call the home phone or not worry when I don’t pick up my cell phone.
I stay up late last night filing papers that had piled up. I was pleased with myself and planned to sleep in late. But hubby didn’t let that happen. Then he headed to school and I tried to sleep some more. By now, both kids were up. It didn’t work. Crabby feeling.
We had breakfast and got dressed. The playhouse square is showing a musical based on the “Puss in boots” story. The tickets are free so that should feel good. It’s a preview show, I hoped it was good. Who knows with ‘free’? As we drive to the theater, I turn off my phone. If it has only 5 minutes left to live, then better save it for an emergency. But I feel queasy. I need my phone. By the way, can’t find my phone either. I have a faint memory of returning its memory card into its slot that rushed morning. I have a faint memory of putting it someplace. Could it be my gym bag? I hope so. My head tells me it’s a good thing I had just downloaded photos so the camera won’t be a big loss. It’s pretty old. 3 years old…I think. Or is it 4? My head is getting annoying. I want to feel crabby.
I always have my camera when I go out with the kids. I have to be prepared to take their photos when they’re having new experiences. When I’ve taken photos of the stage, at shows we’ve been to in the past, the pictures have always been blurry. But I take them anyway.
We’re at the show. All tickets are free. No seats were assigned. We get nice premium seats. But the musical is not a musical. It’s an Opera. It’ll be premiering in New York sometime. We got to see it first. That’s so cool. We’re not allowed to take pictures of the show. So I don’t need my camera. But I if I had it, I would have taken pictures of the kids sitting in their premium seats (not that you’d be able to tell). An announcement is made. All cell phones off. Mine is already.
I’ve never been to an opera. I couldn’t make out most of the words in the operatic songs. Why do they have to sing like that? But it doesn’t matter. The story line is clear. Puppetary was used for the puss and other story characters. It was outstanding and beautiful. And funny in the right places. My 3 year old son clapped with great enthusiasm after every scene. Though some longer scenes lost his attention, it was only briefly and he quickly got back into it. My 7 year old daughter was her usual cool show watching self. But at the end, she thanked me for bringing her to the show. And asked if we could buy something to eat even though she wouldn’t eat same items if offered at home. I told her we’re eating at home. But we could buy something some other time. I forgot about my phone and camera during the show, but good things don’t last forever (thankfully, neither do bad things).
We get home. Daughter is asleep. I decide to drive past home in search of Girls Scout camp which we will have to visit next week. Next Saturday’s schedule is so full it’s giving me a headache. Every minute will count, so I wanted to eliminate unknowns. I know the camp is not too far away but I can’t remember the descriptions I received. And I don’t have the address written. So I tried the GPS. Entered the name and it supplied address and phone number. Away we went. GPS said it was 14 miles away. Surprised…but distance is relative. Apparently, I assumed wrong. Down, down, down twisty paths we drove. I began to have second thoughts about visiting this camp. I wouldn’t like to drive this path if it’s raining or dark (or snowing). We head out of the twists unto country roads with “Equestrian crossing” roadsigns. I see signs for various camps and picnic areas but not the one we’re looking for. Then the GPS announces, “You have arrived”, but I do not know where we have arrived since it’s more woods, crossing signs but no camp signs (talk less of the one we want). By this time, Daughter is awake. Son had napped and is also awake and professing hunger. I am hungry too. Daughter, now away from concession stands no longer feels hunger. Thank goodness. I continue to drive. I see a farm with a visitor center and pull into their lot. I feel queasy over the phone situation. I turn on my phone and call the number on the GPS. A guy picks up and I try to make myself understood. He says something about access required from a particular road. I turn phone back up. Queasy. I figure I’m several miles from where I should be. “Let’s go home”, my son whines. I punch the home address in the GPS. But we’re not going home, we’re going to try again, but not with the GPS. But I did need it to get back to familiar ground.
I worry that hubby may have been calling home from school to find out about our show. I turn phone on, send text message. I turn phone off. We drive to familiar territory. I find the particular road but what had the guy said? I turned phone on and called again. Got directions and found the camp. It’s only 5 miles from home and doesn’t involve any steep, twisty roads. Great! But I’m tired and hungry.
At home, I thank God for some leftover rice in the refridgerator. I microwave. We eat. Let’s sleep. But Daughter and Son had had enough sleep. Well, I’ll sleep. They can watch TV. I try to sleep. But there’s stuff to be done. And then Son comes and grunts near me. “To potty, to potty.” He grunted the poop out into his diaper. “I’m not getting up from this bed”, I tell him. “You poop in diaper, it stays in diaper. It will feel nasty”. He was okay with it. He continued to play. But the smell bothered me. “Go to your room!”, I yelled at him. He went to his room. I wasn’t getting up. But it did bother him. He returned and asked me to change him. “No”. I repeated, “you poop nasty in diaper, it stays in diaper. next time, use potty.” He returned to his room. Then he came back with his box of wipes. He wailed as he struggled to get it open. “Go and play with your nasty”, I told him. Then I noticed his diaper was off. I had to get up. And clean the muck off his butt. And retrieve the diaper (couldn’t believe how he placed that on the ground without any smearing accidents..lucky) and dispose it. Felt crabby that I had to get up.
I’m going to stop recounting because not much of significance happened after that. Since I had to get up, I folded away laundary. I did other stuff too. And in recounting, the good outnumbered the crabby (and there was really no bad). I’ll get my phone charger on Monday. Hopefully my camera too. All’s well. I’m too tired to feel crabby now.
