Getting Kicked While I Was Down

When I talked to Shaun on the phone today, I told him all about how awful my day was yesterday. He thought that I should blog about it and share the experience with all of you, so as he suggested, here is how it all went down...

It all started with Shaun leaving. He's going on a three-week long pretend deployment trip. He left around 8:30 yesterday morning, and I followed up his absence with a good cry. But then, I decided to make the best of my day. That morning and afternoon I scurried around the house, organizing and cleaning whatever I could find. Nothing picks you up quite like the scent of Lysol. :)

I am also in a cooking small group this summer with a bunch of 20-something women from our church. We meet on Mondays at 6:30 and have a theme for the food we bring. We are also supposed to bring 20 copies of our recipe to the group so we can all share. Well, in my emotionally-charged cleaning frenzy, I had forgotten to remove the ground beef from the freezer. It was about 3:00 when I realized this and sat the meat in the sink to thaw.

By 4:00, it was still no less frozen, so I started running water on it while I proceeded to write the recipe 4 times on a piece of printer paper. We don't have a computer hooked up to our printer, but it does have a copier function. However, the darned copier would not copy. So I decided to go to the on-base housing office and use their copy machine, since the meat was still not yet thawed. But first, I decided to swing by the gas station to return our DVD rental from the night before.

We don't have a Redbox on base, but we have a similar machine. The only downfall is that you have to return it by 6:00 PM the next day to the same machine you rented it from. So that's what I ventured to do. As I went to return our movie, the box promptly informed me "This machine is full. Please return at another time." It was now 4:40, so I had no other option, and did not want to be charged for an extra night, so I called the number on the machine to report an issue...

Our base only has two DVD machines - one at the gas station. As I am telling the lady on the phone about my dilemma, she stops and asks me "Wait, you're at the one at the gas station?" Umm, yes. "Hold on, I have to transfer you." So I hold. Then Lady #2 gets on the phone. I repeated my dilemma. "Oh wait, you're at the one at the gas station?" Umm, yes. Yes, I am. "Oh, well you need to tell the manager there at the gas station." (So I ask you, what on earth was that help line number about?) Either way, I go and wait patiently in line at the only cashier's line.

Once I got to her, I repeated my problem for the third time. She told me to hold on and paged her manager. The manager informed me I had to go return it to the base's liquor store, the second machine location. I told him that I was under the impression that it had to be the same machine. Apparently, more than one of the signs on the machine are inaccurate. So I sighed and drove the extra 15 or so minutes to finally return the DVD. Success!

Then on my way back, less than a mile to the housing office, I had to pull over and wait for the end of the National Anthem, which is played every weekday at 5:00. I made a beeline to the office and parked just to see the last employee lock up. Apparently they close PROMPTLY at 5. I submitted to the fact that I would have no copies of my recipe for the small group, and hightailed it home to the ground beef.

It was now 5:15, and in order to get to my small group, I have to leave at least 45 minutes early. Oops. 'Oh well,' I decide, 'women events always run just a little late; no big deal if I show up a couple minutes off schedule.' So I dash around the kitchen to finish up my Barbee Cups, set them on a platter and glance at a clock. 6:10, shoot! I'll be like 15 minutes late. I figure my accelerator can make up some lost time. Out the door, I flew...

Anyone who's driven in Panama City knows that Highway 98 is ridiculous, and ridiculous it was. I hit the majority of lights and was not gaining much in terms of my time deficit. Then, at 6:25 I hit construction traffic. I texted my small group leader to let her know I was going to be a little late. She texts me back with where we'll be meeting -- the condo's clubhouse, not the condo. I figure that will save me an extra minute or two, so I'm good.

But traffic, on the other hand, was not. I waited the next 35 minutes to move 3 miles. By now I was 20 minutes late. I finally got over the Hathaway Bridge to Panama City Beach, but realized that when I drove to this condo last week, I was coming from Destin, so I had no idea where I was going.

Thankfully, I was able to call Shaun and ask for his help. Like 6 times. Ends up, we both were getting confused as to where I was and how to get there. Shaun's friend, who happened to be with him, used his phone to find out that I had now driven 20 minutes out of the way, and I had to backtrack. Frustrated tears ran down my cheek as I told Shaun I wanted to just go home and skip small group. He convinced me that I had already invested so much time into driving here - and I was so close - that I should still go for the last half hour.

I finally made it to the condo an hour late, and found that I had to park super far away from the clubhouse, which ended up being locked. I texted the leader again, and she came to my rescue. When I sheepishly walked into the meeting room, I realized that they still had yet to eat and that they were introducing new girls who had not come last week. I was side-swept. Had I really not missed small group?

I spent the next two hours eating, chatting, and sharing testimonies with nine other Godly women. I left that night amazed at how good my God is. I had come from a crazy day, so frustrated and emotional, and He turned it into a wonderful night of fellowship. How amazing to worship and serve a God so lavish in His love!!