Hit "Repeat" on the Day Machine

or just don't if you have a day like mine. Let me begin by saying I've been rather sucked into watching hours of national news tonight, and after that experience, my day was NOTHING to be complaining about. I have that perspective, I need to share that perspective, and please keep that perspective if you choose to read. I write only because perhaps it will bring levity to someone else. And because a friend swore I could write a book about the past two weeks of my life. Naa, not a book, a blog. :)

- So I am awakened by my mother - something a grownup should not experience for obvious reasons - but alas, I am living with parents again as I'm sick, and this seemed nicer to her than an impersonal alarm clock. She tells me to get dressed and "look cute" because we're going to lunch with her friend after my doctor's appointment. I will not EVEN complain about the "look cute" comment despite the fact that that's disturbing on many levels to be told that when you're healthy - not to mention when you're suffering.

- The test scheduled at the hospital was relatively painless. I was greeted by the nurse who made sure I hadn't eaten or drank for the previous 12 hours. Too bad the nurse who confirmed my appointment on my voice mail said 4 hours. Good thing I was too tired to be thirsty or hungry in those remaining 8 hours. I would've been so angry if I had to wait another few days for this test. The technician was very kind despite being jabbed by the ultrasound tool in my stomach. She actually was a Sunday school teacher of some of my former students in Goochland. Nothing like bragging to the kids on Sunday that she saw the internal organs of Miss Sussman!

- Mom brings a book and reads while we wait. Then dashes to the gift shop and says to meet her there. Dang, that woman can shop anywhere - even at a hospital.

- We then go to my house to pick up mail and check on things before meeting her friend for lunch. Somehow it morphed into a tell-Laura-everything-that-she's-doing-wrong-in-life-session.

- I asserted my independence and insisted on following her in my Jeep - just so I have a vehicle starting tomorrow when mom returns to work. I mean I am 23. In fact, I decided after sitting in the driver's seat of my own car for the first time in over a week that I didn't want to "do lunch" and "be cute" or whatever that entailed. I called mom on her cell phone, said I'd do lunch alone but to tell her friend hello, and planned to hit the salad bar at Ukrop's (much better for a sickie than Bottoms Up Pizza like they were planning - in spite of me).

- She sped off anyway - couldn't have followed her even if I wanted to. "Fine," I thought. I made it about a mile before a bubba pulled up next to me in his oversized pickup truck making motions. Now, please don't think me vain, but I have to assume, in this part of the world, when a strange man with no teeth pulls up next to me on the roadway, that he is not relaying any information other than the fact that he thinks we should pull over and become better acquainted. Gross, right? Well today, apparently I should have heeded Mom's advice b/c I didn't look cute enough. He was telling me that my tire was flat. haha.

- Went to Wawa. Swore I couldn't find that dang air pump to save my life. It's hidden behind pump 5/6 by the way. Unmarked. I found that out after going inside and asking - SO pitiful. While I was in there, I figured I'd save myself some steps and make sure I had the appropriate funds to "buy air" if there was a cost associated with it. Lady said I needed quarters, so I got me 3 bucks in quarters.

- Go figure, air WAS free. Wawa isn't a total for-profit establishment. They gave me free compressed air today. If only I knew what to do with the 12 quarters STILL JINGLING IN MY POCKET.

- Made my way home, don't give a rip about that tire right now - I'll freak out when I need to drive somewhere next. Sat down (with no lunch) with a tall glass of iced tea with a splash of grape juice. So refreshing. So delightful. Just what I needed.

- The one glass I picked to contain my beverage had a leak in the bottom.

- Mom's favorite tablecloth now has a rather large stain. She loves me. Really.

- Top it all off with not being able to nap despite being ridiculously tired b/c the glands in my neck are so swollen, my head just doesn't feel right on a pillow.

Dang. Can you see why both my best friend and my boyfriend got an earfull tonight? They are both wonderful because somehow they made me laugh/laughed with me through it all instead of using this bulleted list as a reason to run as fast as they could from the dark cloud with lightning bolts that seems to be lodged over my head.