Monday, November 9, 2009

Here's the thing...

I don't think the guilt is mine to bear. At least not 100%. Far less than that.

Ok, I've been remiss in getting a certain person signed up for an online defensive driving course. A course that will reduce total points by 6, making said person's driving record look better to prospective employers.

However...

I am not the one with a license full of tickets for bad driving habits. Habits that don't seem to change much, even though employers have said, "I can't hire you with your license like that."

What's that smell?

Inhale deeply. Smell that? No? Well, that's because it's gone. The end...finito...hasta la vista, baby. There is no longer a STENCH coming from the kitchen sink, because the disposal is GONE.

That thing was nice, don't get me wrong. But it wasn't hooked into the drain system totally right, the dishwasher wasn't hooked into it correctly, and it frequently chewed with enough power to disconnect the drain pipe completely. Mike never responded positively to this. Never. And to top it off, the switch wasn't up on the wall where it belonged. No, someone came up with the bright idea of putting it on the front face of the bottom cupboard, right below the counter edge. Right in front of the sink. It is not a lie that everyone accidently turned it on. Like dozens of times a day.

When it broke, I was sad for...oh, about a millisecond. Then good sense kicked in and I realized I would no longer be dumping bleach by the gallon or soda by the pound through that cesspool of inadequacy.

Mike ripped it all out and totally reconstructed the drain pipe configuration. No more food chewer; no more cheap-assed pipes; no more blow-ups with nasty water going everywhere, which also means no more bucket under the sink either..

Truth be told, I don't even miss the damn food chewer.

And I'm so thankful that Mike fixed everything under there.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Following the crowd

Therapists recommend concentrating on positive life events, especially in times of stress and duress. Surely it can't hurt if I try it. And when things get really bad, I try to make the positive stand out anyway. I also try to get Mike to see more positives...not easy for a chronic pessimist, I must say. Now I just need a label. Daily Gratitude? Probably overused. My Daily Thanks? My Daily Thankful? Not quite right enough.

Daily Grace.

I'm blessed to have kids that love me! Moreover, I'm blessed that my 16-yr old will, without prompting, say "I Love You, Mama!" even in the presence of all his tough 16-yr old friends.

Now, let's see if I can make it a daily habit.