One of Those Days

Last night I had a fun email conversation with a friend that somehow kept me up thinking til well after 2:30 am … and then those friendly neighborhood dogs didn’t want me to miss a bit of that darkness before the dawn, so they greeted us all with great vigor and noise … around 6:30 am … for quite some time.  Once they quieted down, those friendly neighborhood public works guys decided to scape that 1/4 inch of snow off the parking lot under my window … the parking lot that stands empty 99% of the time … but they didn’t feel the need to plow the streets of the 3 to five inches of sloppy snow.  Nope.

So … rather than slide back into sleep – I got up to get ready for the meetings I had scheduled this morning.  And I drove over to my first meeting … where no one showed up … and my car got stuck in the unplowed snowbank on the side of the road.  Okay.  It wasn’t that far to walk to the Venus to find someone who might lend me a shovel.  Fortunately, I saw my friend Bryan outside shoveling around his studio … and he was kind enough to walk down and dig me out and then push my car into the center of the road.  I drove him back home and left the car at my house.

Grrr.  It was not far to walk to my other appts … but it was messy … and the trucks were driving way too fast and splashing the hapless pedestrians with dirty, wet, slushy snow.  That would be me.  Now I’m cranky.  And … my next appt doesn’t show.  I find out they’re elsewhere … and no way am I going to trudge back home and drive anywhere .. plus I didn’t have enough time now for that before I had to head over to work.

It’s not something I’ve said so often in the past – but – thank goodness for work.  For that silly little job in the used bookstore where they appreciate that I show up … on time … and that I take care of business while they’re off with family.  I appreciate that I have the little haven of time and place.  I calm down … I am at peace with the world.

Then … about ten minutes before I close up the store – the wind and snow hits Butte .. and hits hard.  Of course, my car is safe at home where if it gets stuck … that’s okay.  And I am walking home with the wind whipping the snow at my face harder and faster than I can remember since the blizzard of ‘77 when I lived in Rochester NY.  It hurts.  And as I’m walking … I’m thinking … if this scars my face I’m suing someone.  I don’t know who .. but someone will pay.  Fortunately – my tender skin survived.

And I’m home .. happy as a warm little clam .. the rice is bubbling on the stove – the tofu and greens and awaiting a quick visit to a hot olive oil bath – and I am breathing .. and releasing my day in to the past.  It was one of those days – but it’s over.  And, as Scarlett O’Hara was fond of reminding us, “tomorrow is another day”.