More of the Drama that is MY Life

Whew......home again, at last. It's been QUITE a morning...definitely "one of those days." Know what I mean? I will say, although I am exhausted (in every sense of the word), I have learned a few important things through the unexpected turn of events that took place today.


My day began early when I got out of bed to get ready for a doctor's appointment. I didn't feel that great -- a little lightheaded and weak -- and kind of had that "about to pass out" feeling. I've felt like this before, so I knew it was just dehydration. Once I got some water into my system, I would be fine. I've never been one to drink a whole lot, so I'm always having to force myself to drink water. It's even worse now that I am pregnant. Anyway......I walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water and overcompensated for my lack of fluids by drinking a very large glass of water without taking a breath (one of my many hidden talents). That leads me to lesson #1: Never drink a large glass of water without taking a breath. First of all, it makes you feel like you're about to throw up. Second, I have had to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes since 7:30 AM.


I managed to get myself ready and was feeling much better by the time I got Jacob out of bed and ready to go. He ate breakfast and we were out the door, headed to Erika's house since she was going to watch him during my appointment. As I was nearing her house, I called her to let her know I was minutes away. While we were talking, my low fuel chime went off and showed I had 42 miles to go before I would run out of gas. This is where lesson #2, part A comes in: The low fuel chime in your car is meaningless. Forty-two miles worth of gas was certainly more than enough to get me to Erika's and then to the doctor's office, so I didn't think anything of it. Then, as I approached the stoplight to make a left turn, my gas pedal stopped working, the a/c began to blow warm air and my car came to a stop. I tried to crank it again. Nothing. Of course, I was the first car in line to turn at the stoplight, so when we had the green arrow, I had people honking and hollering at me. I didn't know what to do. I waved my hand out the window and yelled for them to go around me, but apparently, they didn't know what I was doing. So, they just honked and yelled louder. There I was, Jacob in the backseat saying, "Uh-Oh," blocking traffic in the middle of the road because I ran out of gas. (I didn't know that's what was wrong at the time.)


I called Heath and he and a co-worker came to rescue me or at least push the car to the median. The only problem -- our car weighs about 50 tons. Ok, so it probably weighs a litte less than that, but it was too heavy for them to push. A guy driving by saw they were having trouble and stopped to help. (Yes, there are still a few nice people in the world!) Thankfully, the three of them were able to get the job done. At least then, I wasn't blocking traffic. I had already called AAA...twice (don't get me started on that one), so the tow truck was on it's way. Meanwhile, it's like 130 degrees outside (ok, so that's a little exaggeration too) and Jacob is turning into a little ball of sweat in his carseat. Poor thing!


Finally the tow truck arrives and the guy says he thinks I probably just ran out of gas. I say, "But my fuel meter said I could go 42 more miles!" He put a little gas in the car and, sure enough, it cranked right up and we drove it over to the gas station across the street to fill up. It took a little over 21 gallons. Yes, I was indeed out of gas....very embarrassing. Later I stopped by the dealership to ask about my faulty fuel gauge and was told those things are meaningless. Here's part B of lesson #2: If you want to extend the life of your car, no matter the make or model, you should never let it get below 1/2 a tank. Believe me, my gas tank will be no less than half full from now on. AND...never again will I laugh at that guy on the side of the road filling his tank with gas from a little container!


With that problem solved, I decided to get some shopping done. After all, I had missed my doctor's appointment and I was already out, so...why not? I went to one store, then noticed it was almost lunchtime. Knowing Jacob wouldn't be a happy camper without food, I pulled into Moe's to grab a bite to eat. Lesson #3: Never go to a restaurant alone with a busy toddler. Jacob did not want to sit down and eat. He wanted to climb on the table and share his cookie with the kid sitting in the booth in front of us. He finally settled down and ate a few chips, but that lasted all of 5 minutes. I ate my salad as fast as I could, partly because I wanted to get Jacob out of there and partly because I had to go to the bathroom so bad I couldn't stand it.


Going to a public restroom with an almost 2 year old is an experience in itself. I'm always so grossed out because he touches everything (including dirty plungers...GROSS!) and there's nothing I can do to stop him. Finally, after changing his diaper and washing his hands and mine, we were out of there. Here comes lessson #4: Always check your clothes when leaving the restroom. I didn't and when I got to the car, I realized the back of my long, flowy maternity top was tucked into what I'll call my "maternity hot pants." I had walked all the way through the restaurant like this. Wow...two embarrassing moments in one day. Now, the pants I have on aren't really "hot pants," but they're kind of stretchy (not trashy stretchy or legging stretchy...just....stretchy). I wouldn't ordinarily tuck a shirt into them. Plus, they have an elastic waistband. At least they didn't have that giant panel across the top. Now, THAT would have been REALLY embarrassing. :)


SO....a few stores later and several public restroom trips later, here I am back at home. Jacob is napping and I'm enjoying the peace and quiet. I think I'll take this time to pray for God to grant me an uneventful afternoon and evening. That would be nice. I'll do that...right after I go to the bathroom again.