A Not Exactly Beautiful Day

Today was a challenge, to say the least. My goal of looking for the beauty around me and feeling grateful for my manifold blessings sort of took a back seat to the necessity of maintaining some minimal grip on my emotions so as not to utterly and completely freak out.

The results were mixed.

7:00 a.m. - arrived at work. First car in parking lot. Computer issues followed by one crisis after another all morning.

late morning - "Houston we have a problem" moment. Meltdown! The rest of the day is spent in a series of meetings and behind-closed-doors conversations about what we can do to realign work-flow to prevent "thermonuclear disaster".

7:08 p.m - leave work. Return voice message from DD. She advised Dastardly Dogs require food immediately and suggests I stop at the store. While I'm there perhaps I might pick up some of that excellent spaghetti sauce "a la Vodka" for dinner since she will be dining at home in order to finish a paper.

7:30 p. m. - grocery store. Call DD to put on water for spaghetti.

8:00 p.m. - arrive at home. Spaghetti water is heating. Put out dog food; whole bowl inhaled by Old Dog before Little Bit knows it's even there. Broccoli in microwave. Sauce in pan. Glance at newspaper.

8:40 p.m. - Dinner is served. Put out more food for Little Bit, which she scarfs down. Old Dog is too full to beg from the table. A few pleasant moments with DD. Things are looking up.

9:00 p.m. - DD's friend stops by. Mom does dishes. DD and friend commiserate about homework, wasting valuable time.

9:30 p.m. - DD goes into a tirade about how much she hates to write and how bad she is at it. Mom urges her to focus on the project at hand and bitch later.

9:45 p.m. - Mom decides to pour a glass of wine, using new stemless wineglass. There being nothing to hold onto, glass slips from hand and shatters in a gazillion pieces on the tile kitchen floor. Mom is barefoot. Mom manages to avoid cutting feet whilst picking up glass from all over the room.

9:46 p.m. - Mom gets out mop and bucket and commences to clean kitchen floor.

9:55 p.m. - Dear Husband returns from poker night, tracks through the wet floor and grouses about bucket and mop in the kitchen. Mom manages, with difficulty, to avoid braining him with the mop.

10:00 p.m. - (During Senator Obama's speech.) First draft of DD's first Freshman English paper is complete for Mom's review/editing. [Subject: why I am voting for Obama.] We discover that Mom can't open Word 2007 documents. DD sends text in an email. Mom edits text of document, misses Obama's speech.

11:00 p.m. - Final document is ready for printing. Since Mom still can't open Word dox, DD emails text to Mom. Mom sets up new document on her computer and formats for printing, using MLA formatting, which is a TOTAL PAIN IN THE ASS.

Midnight - Mom finally has document formatted for printing. Mom manages to have a few minutes of pleasant conversation with DD while printing takes place.

12:15 a.m. - Paper in hand, DD retreats to bedroom to talk to Wonderful Boyfriend on the phone. DH has been in bed asleep for a long time (I can't recall exactly when he -- wisely -- made his exit). Paper is printed. Floors are clean. Mom pours wine into a glass, with a stem to hold onto.

12:45 a.m. - Mom pours second glass of wine. House is quiet and peaceful, except for Old Dog who is pacing the floor, not happy that Mom is still up with lights on when he is ready to go to bed. (Mom to Old Dog: "Tough shit. Deal with it, Pup.")

12:50 a.m. - Old Dog went to sleep. DD and DH are both asleep. Second glass of wine is beginning to take effect.