Don't Jinx Me

I stopped at the gas station a couple of weeks ago on my way to work. It's a twenty five mile drive up the interstate to the outskirts of Atlanta and can see the sky line on my short stint riding the Sardine Shuttle to International from the parking deck. The nice smiling woman behind the counter asked if I was having a good day?  I replied "So far so good...don't jinx me".

She laughed.

I crossed my fingers.

I was driving my third purchased (in one year) also used older vehicle and a nervous wreck every time I merged with traffic from the on ramp. I always start out in the "Cotton Lane" better known as the slow lane. It's much easier to limp a broken down vehicle from to the emergency lane and only have one solid line to cross. Chances are you'll make it from there without getting plowed from behind...if you're lucky in Atlanta traffic.

I bought (am buying) the car from my nephew who got it from an older man he did some work for. Old dude liked my nephew who didn't currently have a car so gave him the car, all it needed was a battery. My nephew had a lot of work done on it but old dude had taken excellent care of it and even had the owner's manual in the glove box with all the notations and sticky notes old dude had made and done concerning the car. It was almost like a history of the old dude's life while driving the little Beluga.

It's got more buttons to push and switches to flip than a space rocket. I still don't know what over half of them do. The speedometer goes up to 140 mph. Are you kidding me?

Just as with any car I've bought recently, has it's own little quirks. The driver's side door won't open from the outside so you have to open the back passenger side door, stand on the back seat and lean over the front seat to open the door from inside. I call it my free anti theft deterrent.

I opened the ash try the other day for the first time to plug in my phone and found an extra set of keys. Guess it's a good thing that driver side door doesn't open, I've been leaving the car unlocked at the airport five days a week with keys sitting in the ash tray.

I called my nephew the second day I had the car to ask him how to turn off the cruise control. I'd seen the switch on the steering wheel and must have pushed it by accident. I was coming home from work the first night on the interstate going seventy miles per hour and my foot wasn't even on the accelerator. After a bit it would slow down while I tapped my foot on the floorboard in time with tunes on the radio literally cruising to music.

Casey (my nephew) told me I hadn't hit the switch, the car seemed to have a will of its own so be sure and keep my foot on the brake at red lights.

My little Beluga is a real "go getter", that's for sure.

Fast forward a week or so...

Our first grand child came a few weeks early weighing in at 5 lbs 9 oz but healthy with all ten fingers all ten toes and a tiny head full of hair. She's a little beauty and TJ is over the moon. She looks just like him with her fat pouty lip. I'm relieved everything went smoothly and everyone is doing fine.

It worked out pretty well, Tim was coming home on a buddy pass from my sister this weekend for Massey's baptism and can meet his new grand daughter, Juniper. It's a two-fer!

...Or so I thought.

I got a text from Tim while at work tonight...all flights booked up and he wouldn't get off work in time to make the last one tomorrow.  He has to drive six hours to Dallas to catch a flight. I kinda teared up when I read the message. Even worse it was during a busy time at work and had to fake happiness with the travelers who are paying my bills.

I immediately dropped a mental letter in my mental mail box, took a deep breath and somehow made it until eleven o'clock when I clocked out.


Dear God,
        I don't mean to sound pushy or ungrateful but could You start implementing more of the better ones, post haste?

                          Most sincerely and waiting ,
                                                                         Kelly




I keep telling myself how lucky we are and in fact really are but was kinda starting to get excited about us all being together again.

I can't even imagine how bummed out Tim was but pretty sure he felt like tearing up too, alone one thousand miles away from everyone he loves, his pups and even the wife he hasn't attempted to kill once  though often times somewhat  provoked.

In my defense, I didn't see ONE shotgun at our wedding. (just sayin')


When Tim got this great new job offer, we had to take it even though  meant living apart for up to two years.

I'm just two months in and already starting to feel stressed. I've always acted like I did everything anyway but now don't have him to gripe about it to (at) and have learned how hard it is to be the "Head of the Household."

I should have griped less and paid attention more.

 
I came across this quote and thought it fit my life perfectly about now.

It'll be okay, it really will.

I have faith this (best described as) totally exasperating half decade is now behind us and have nothing but sunny skies ahead. We just have to wait a tiny bit more.

Til next time...COTTON