Bad Day

Ever had days you wish you had never gotten out of bed? For me, today was one of those days”¦..  As positive as I try to be, as much as I really like to try and see the sunny side of the situation, you know a bad day will be just that from start to finish.  You just have to ride it out; head down, bum up and get on with it.

My day went something like this.

After yelling like a banshee to get the kids out of the house we all jump in the car to do the daycare and school run.  The petrol light is flashing.  I mutter an expletive or two to myself before cursing the last insensitive and disorganised person that drove the car.  That person was me.

I get the kids off to school hoping like crazy I won’t run out of fuel at the five ways and do the ‘walk of shame’ to the petrol station.

Luckily I do make it (only just) and fill the tank before realising I’d left my purse on the bench last night when organising the tuck shop money.   I’m beyond mortified and can feel my face going red and my palms starting to sweat.     I give my bag a shake and there sounds like there is some money in there somewhere.  I start taking out coins and stacking them on the counter to the dismay of both the console operator and the growing number of customers behind me.   I walk out with my bag about 2kg lighter than before and my face a nice shade of beetroot red.

I arrive 90 minutes late to an appointment after getting hopeless lost only to find I’m at the wrong place anyway.  A lovely young girl offers to drive ahead of me so I know where I’m going.  ‘Do you have a 4wd?’ she asks.  Yep sure do.  So I was surprised when she appeared in a tiny two door buzz box.  We weave in and out of dirt roads before heading down a gully and the poor girl’s car hits a pothole and loses the front end.  So I get out of the car in my heels and stockings and attempt to push her out.  I then spent 30 minutes in a meeting covered in mud.

I make it home looking forward to a hot coffee and a breather and washing the mud out of my hair.  I go to put the kettle on no water comes out of the tap.  I ring hubby in a panic thinking the kids have left the hose on and have emptied our tanks.  He calmly gives my instruction on how to check the tanks and the pump.  I trek out to the tanks in my high heels and stockings to bang on the side of the tanks.  Luckily they are full.  I’m not game to check the pump as I’m frightened of both spiders and snakes and bugs.

So I suck it up and drink orange juice which doesn’t have the same effect on my mood as a strong coffee does.

And now, as I sit at my desk, I realise that most hope for today doing a 360 and repenting itself by showering me in good fortune is lost, and that the only really good thing about today is that it will, eventually, come to an end. Oh, and that soon, somewhere in the country, it will be a respectable time to open a very large bottle of wine.

Jody Allen is the Chief Editor of www.stayathomemum.com.au.  She is doing a weekly column for The Gympie Times and thought you might enjoy it too!