I woke up at 8:15. Today, as usual, my first memory is me staring up at the ceiling, wondering what that awful knocking nose must be. Then I try to remember where I'm at. My bedroom. Jordan is gone. Then I try to recall what day it is. oh, yes, that awful noise is my phone, it must have fallen off my book... Friday, its my work day.
I jump in the shower, knock my head against the shower wall. It's my daily wake up routine.
I scrounge around looking for my clothes, books, and work shirt. Today I even have time for breakfast. As I drive the ten or so miles to work I think about how beautiful the day is. It's not too warm. not too cold. The sky is blue, my car windows are down. The sun is a bit bright, but it's one of those California mornings where you roll down your windows, blast the music, put on your shades, smile, and say, "Thank you Lord for another wonderful day."
But as I pulled into the parking lot for work, I felt today was going to be terrible. Not words, mind you. It's like a little shadow being cast over you. The felling when your dad shuts teh door in such a way that you know only bad news is coming. I shrug it off and say, "Lord, whatever today brings, I want to be thankful for it."
... And today was a stacked deck against me.
It began a few hours into my shift, just as my first break came around. I brought my coffee to the front and had my friend ring it up. No wallet. Somewhere I forgot my walled and I pray it's nowhere but home. I never forget my wallet. So I wallow back to isle eleven and put my life-line back on the shelf.
I think to myself, well it's payday so my check will come in later today just in time for lunch. I'll make it up to myself. Lunch comes around and no check. This is the first time it's happened to me since I began working at this grocery stoe. They don't know when they expect it either because they just started using a new courier service. Well, thank you Lord that I have a job that pays well.
I must have food because, especially when it's about 104 degrees and I'm constantly running about, I'll become shaky. I call my mother and she says she's at Costco. Great! It's right down the street. Oh... It's the one in Lodi - opposite direction. So my only option is to drive to the opposite side of town to my dad's work fro a few bucks in lunch money - just like the good old days. Thank you Lord for parents.
Just as I'm leaving my dad's work, my dad relays great but terrible news. Great for him, terrible for me. I've been expecting it for some time and have experienced it many times before, but now it's here. I shrug it off and grab my lunch lunch to go. Don't worry, I grabbed a much larger burger to comfort myself and digest the news. And I make great time as I rush back to work. But of course, a freight train has stopped on the tracks and is blocking my way to work. I arrive twenty minutes late from lunch. Thank you Lord that I have a running car.
The rest of the day goes particularly expected. The head clerk is keeping great tabs on my where abouts (which usually I don't mind at all) and I drop a bag of our customer's groceries on the floor (which I have done only once or twice over the three years of my services). At one point I was walking through the parking lot thinking, "Lord, I know what would be the next thing that could make this day worse. A van needs to pull up full of people who try to pull me into their car at gun point. But do you know what? I already have a come back. I'll say, 'I'm already having a bad day, so you'll just have to shoot me.'" But no worries, I hit a new all time low as I closed-out my shift by getting into an argument with one of my coworkers over orca rights. I know, perhaps telling my coworker that Sea World is perfectly justified in putting Shamu in a chlorine tank because on a daily basis we harpoon whales, drag them onto ships, and hack them to pieces isn't a great idea.... I've had better, more sympathetic arguments. Well, at least the day is still nice and I thank the Lord for having wonderful coworkers.
On my way from work I'm reminded that the five dollars I borrowed from my dad as some of the money we set aside for bacon for our upcoming guys camping trip. But I need to purchase the special bacon from a special store, so I drive back across town. It's already 6:30pm which will make me late for the 7pm movie. Oh... my brother text me and told me that I miss-scheduled and told everyone the wrong show time, we can't go until the 10pm showing. Well, who needs friends, right? My brothers and I will have a wonderful time watching Guardians of the Galaxy with ourselves. Thank you Lord for my brothers.
Well... The movie was wonderful and The Hobbit trailer etched a smile on my face. But what can I say, it's about 1:30am and I'm sitting on the side of the freeway with two of my brothers waiting for AAA. Front tire blew out. I work at 7am later today. My mother just arrived.
Lord, I really can't say I'd like to do this again, but thank you for being there the entire time. I pray someone was laughing. ^_^
