Thankful Thursday #16

I took a little mini vacation last Thursday and Friday to get some things done around our new home. We're getting there folks, but we still have a long way to go before we're completely settled. I'll say it again...ten years.

Do you realize how much stuff can be acquired in ten years?

Oh sure, you may think you know; but really, you have no idea!!

No idea whatsoever, until the day comes that you have to move.

When that day comes, you get a clue - in a BIG way!

For ten years of stuff, and only being in our new place for two weeks, we've come a long way.

So Thursday and Friday were used to get some things settled around here. One of those things was to get Sugar registered into her new school.

You may recall how well that went over...Remember? The horrible not so great day that I had on Monday, when I had to take another emergency vacation day. UGH!

Just thinking about how awful that day was makes my blood pressure go up...

Shelly pauses here for a moment to rub her ears **woosah**

Okay, sorry about that... Now, where was I?? Ah yes, the mini vacation. So I took Thursday, Friday and Monday off, to get my affairs in order. Then Tuesday was a holiday.

I was able to get Sugar registered for school Tuesday, but not before having to jump through one last hoop. I had to go to the health department and wait in that line, for almost an hour, to get her shot records transferred over from one state's form to the other.

I'm not sure what difference it makes, which state's form her immunization records are listed on, as long as she's had them all; but, whatever.

So, I got that done and now she's in her new school.

Wednesday morning was her first official 'full' day of school and my official first day back to work. And after all the drama of the last few days, I was happy to be going back.

Until we could get a sense of what time the bus arrives in the mornings, I made sure she was at her stop ten minutes early. She stood outside, on the same corner where the driver dropped her off yesterday afternoon. But, as time ticked on and she remained out there, standing in the cold, wet rain, with no sign of a bus - or even that any other children in the neighborhood rode the bus to school - I decided to drop her off.

After getting her to school, I jump on the interstate to take Spice to Ms. Jewal's house. Traffic is a little heavier than normal because of the weather - that, and the fact that I'm a few minutes behind schedule.

There is a sign letting drivers know two of the three lanes are shut down up ahead which, of course, means that traffic is at a complete stand still.

Thirty minutes later, we're still creeping along. I'm only a mile away from my exit and now I have to go potty - and I'm not just talking about little potty here folks. I'm talking about BIG POTTY.

Of course. Of course I would be the one who has to go BIG POTTY while stuck on the interstate with nowhere to go. Of course!

Have you ever been stuck on the interstate while you had to go BIG POTTY???

Well letmetellya, it's not a very good feeling. And not that I would ever - in a million years - use one; but, I think it would be a good idea if they put a "Johny on the Run" alongside the interstate, every couple of miles, whenever they shut down lanes.

I'm just sayin' is all. ;) BUT, I digress...

So now a few more minutes have passed by and we've crept along until I'm only a half mile away from my exit. Suddenly, everything clears up - wa-la, just like that. It was like the parting of the red sea or something.

God is smiling down on me - Thank you, God!!

I jump off on my exit. I'm almost to Ms. Jewal's house. I take out my phone to let her know that we are right around the corner. And right as I turn the corner I hear it....

The train. :(

You have GOT to be kidding me, God.

The train that is coming down the very tracks that I must cross in order to get to her house.

The train that there is no way around.

The train that is preventing me from arriving to my ultimate destination - the bathroom!

The train moves on and we finally arrive. Of course, the minute we get there the rain starts pouring down even harder; but, I don't let that stop me....I'm on a mission.

Clear out the restroom because here I come.

Whew! I made it. Thank you, God.

And just to show you how good His sense of humor is in situations such as these, when I left her house the rain had slowed to a drizzle. There were no more trains to delay my progress towards work and traffic had cleared.

I am telling you, I was so thankful to finally be back at work that I could have kissed my boss when I saw her.

I had the biggest smile on my face when I finally walked into that drab, old building. There is nothing like the chaos of real life to make you appreciate the simple chaos at work.

I am thankful for my job. Thankful that I have somewhere to go where I not only get paid - which is always a plus - but where I can escape.

I am thankful to work for a company that understands and practices the concept of family first.

I am thankful to have finally gotten Sugar's school registration taken care of.

I am thankful that I had vacation time available to take, so that I could get all of this settled.

And of course, I am also thankful that I made it to the bathroom in time. I'm just sayin' ;)