For Once Counting on Karma

I was walking up the large hallway of my new office building today. I had a lot on my mind. I’ve been stressing a lot lately. My sister had surgery this morning. My grandmother in North Carolina whom I haven’t seen in over three years was taken to the emergency room and admitted to the hospital today. I’m worried about my financial situation since I won’t get my first paycheck from the new job for a month. So, I walked and ahead of me I notices a woman passing by and something fell out of her pocket. As I got closer I realized it was money. Without a thought, I scooped up the money and dashed toward the elevator where I had seen the woman waiting to get on. As I came around the corner, the doors were beginning to shut and I yelled, “Ma’am! You dropped your money ma’am!” She managed to hit the button and the doors opened back up just long enough for me to reach my hand through and give her the money. It wasn’t until I began walking away that I realized what I had done. Without even a but of thought, I gave the money back to the woman when it would have been so much easier to pick it up and put it in my own pocket. Especially when I’m worried about money. Especially when I needed that exact amount of cash to play Bunko tonight. But I didn’t. I guess I judt don’t think that way. The right thing to do seems to be the natural thing to do. I want to believe that it only makes me a good person and something to be proud of, but the fact that I am missing that devious gene also makes me susceptible to the kind of people who do have it. I am too trusting. For now, I’m going to hope that I created a little bit of positive karma in my favor. I’m going to hope that it helps get my Grandma home safe and sound. I’m going to hope that it helps my sister heal up fast. Maybe its wishful thinking, but what’s wrong with that?

Wierd Mood

I'm just in on of those weird moods. I have a lot on my mind so I'll just start there.

I started the new job today. I was extremely excited to find out that my new title is "Assistant Art Director." Being an Art Director is my dream job, so being assistant to one is just one step closer. The department is smaller than I expected it to be. There are about 20 of us. I guess that's a lot less names to have to learn. Everyone seems really nice and several people seem just thrilled for me to be there. I had been really nervous about starting. I was a relief to get the first day out of the way.

Valentine's Day was wonderful. I fully expected Scott to have nothing planned. But I was wrong. His Jeep was in the shop most of the week and I stayed at his house, letting him drive my car to work. So on his way home from work that day, he called and told me to be dressed and ready when he got home. He showered and dressed quickly and we headed out, him not telling me where we were going. First, we went to a store in LaGrange where he told me to pick out a really nice dress. I was surprised and completely didn't expect that. So, I shopped around and he bought himself a suit. I had a little trouble in the first store finding a dress that was right, but at the second store i found several dresses in no time. In fact, I couldn't decide between two dress. One was a "little black dress" that was pretty fancy and even made Scott's jaw drop when I came out in it. If that doesn't make a girl feel incredible, nothing will. The other dress was a little less flashy but I felt like I would get more use out of it. Namely the wedding we were going to the following Saturday. So Scott insisted I got them both.

Then, he surprised me with dinner. He took me to dinner at the Piedmont at Calloway Gardens. They have a romantic Valentine's Day special. It was wonderful. I was even brave and tried some things I had never had before: lobster spring rolls and smoked duck! After dinner, we went to a little drink bar they had and sat by a big fire drinking martinis and beer. It was extremely romantic.

But typical of ANY day spent with me, you know something had to go wrong. Remember, that his Jeep was in the shop so we had to take my ghetto-mobile on our romantic date. So here we are, all dressed up and headed home and my car begins to overheat. We make it from Pine Mountain to the Wal-Mart in Valley. We shop for coolant in Wal-Mart wear a little black dress and suit. What else could be expected with me?

Adding the coolant seemed to do the trick for the time being. We leave my car at his house for the weekend and head to Montgomery to attend Ashley and Will's wedding. Once we get back to his house on sunday, we decide to take my car for a test drive to make sure its safe for me to drive back to Montgoemry. No such luck. Overheating again. It spends all of Monday in the shop, so I am once again stranded at Scott's with no car. And the problem with the car turns out to be more expensive than the car is worth to fix. They fixed enough so that its still driveable bbut I just have to make sure it doesn't overheat. So I'm driving Dad's car for now. I'm planning to trade in the ghetto-mobile (if they'll even give me $5 for it?) and try to get something else. I'm just having a little issue getting affordable insurance with my poor driving record. Yeah, I know... nobody's fault but mine. But still, I can't help but be frustrated...

So, that's where I am. Home after my first day of work. Sitting in bed watching Mike Rowe crawl into small and dirty spaces. And somehow I feel like my whole world has kind of turned upside down? Not necessarily in a bad way? But just different. I've spent every day for over a week with Scott and it feels weird to be alone. It felt extremely weird to pass by the State Bar today and head to a new job. I just feel weird. I can't explain it any better than that. I think I should just go to bed.

Another One of Those Days

Once again this morning, I woke up to find that I had no hot water. A trip down to the basement revealed that it was once again full of water and my pilot light was out. Yes, I got a new sump the last time the basement flooded. Yes, it was working properly. Yes, there was a kink in the hose preventing any of the water from being pumped out. So I unkinked the hose and the water started to flush out. I called my grandmother who lives nearby and asked if she minded if I used her shower since I knew I didn’t have enough time to wait for it to heat up. I get ready and manage to make to work only about 15 minutes late.

So, Dad came over to the house at lunch to help me get the pilot light relit. No such luck. Luckily for me, Scott just happens to be coming to Montgomery tonight because it’s my brother’s birthday and we’re all having dinner. She gets to be the next one to attempt to relight it.

So once Dad was unsuccessful at lighting the pilot light, I go into the kitchen to make him something for lunch. I have been in Valley since Friday, so this is the first time I have really been in my kitchen since then. I discover that a loaf of sourdough bread has been invaded by some sort of rodent. And it was ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER. Which means there were little nasty mouse feet on my counter. So to say the least, I am not a happy camper. I have looked all over the house and I haven’t found any droppings or any other sign of them, but I know they have to be around there somewhere.

So, now my debate is what sort of traps to get? I know not to use poison because they eat it and die in the walls and you smell them for weeks. But I don’t want to see a smashed mouse in a trap either. So, that leaves me with the sticky traps or the kind that closes up and captures the mouse. But then what am I supposed to do with it? I’m certainly not going to touch it! And I think I would feel like a horrible person if I just threw a mouse in the trash to starve to death? I don’t think I can do it? Anyone have any suggestions? Or does anyone want to volunteer to come remove a mouse when I catch one?

I'm beginning to think I should sell my house and get a little apartment so there will be a maintenance man to call when these things happen!

Update: I left out the part about my car. My keys keep getting stuck in the ignition. It used to happen only in the winter time when it was really cold outside in the mornings. But if you didn't already know, it feels like springtime out the right now so its not the cold. I have no idea what to do about it? I didn't think I was going to be able to get in my house at lunch because I couldn't get my keys out. (This of course was before I realized the fact that I could take my house key off the key ring and use it to get in - DUH!) So if anyone has any suggestions about what might be wrong or what I can do to fix it, feel free to let me know! I'm hoping if I just leave the keys in it, someone will do me a favor and steal it!