When MS Sends You Home From Work...Unexpectedly

MS and I have a pretty good working relationship.  After all these years, it seems that we have an understanding.  And my working conditions are fabulously geared toward compromise.

For example, if ms decides my eyes shall not clearly distinguish the contrast of the font on my computer monitors, I can shut the lights off in my office, which allows me to read my screens with ease.  Well, aside from the black floaties in my right eye.  But still, I'm able to read.

If my hearing is buzzing in and out in my left ear, I can turn music on to overshadow the bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  If my hearing is ultra sensitive, which it usually is, I can turn music on to drown out the sudden noises that take place outside of my office, or knocks on my door.  If my brain is moving like a pinball that's just been shot out of the hatch, I can turn music on to distract it.  Bottom line?  Music is on.  And, since I'm in the room alone, it isn't an imposition to anyone else.  Win/win.

If I'm feeling stiff/sore from sitting too long, I can stand and type.  I have a window I can stretch in front of and stare up at the beautiful sky from.  God bless those who may be walking by as this is taking place.  I can also take a short break to go outside the building and walk around a bit.  That often helps to loosen my legs and refresh my brain.  Again, win/win.

If my feet are tingling and my shoes are strangling them, I can slip those shoes off and hide them under my desk for quick replacement in the event that someone needs to stop by to see me.

I have plenty of space to store my water, Pepsi, almonds, sunflower seeds, etc.

I work as quickly as my brain goes (200mph) and thoroughly enjoy being able to go at my own (ludicrous speed) pace.  Yes, that was a shameless Spaceballs reference.

And?  I have sick time.  Ya know, for when ms decides it shan't work with me.

Today is that day.

Folks needed to do some construction work in close proximity to my office.  The thumping and banging set into my feet.  More banging.  Thumping.  Bumping.  Then lots and lots of banging.  I was vibrating from feet to face.  More and more banging, bumping, thumping.  The vibrations morphed into the sensation of barbed wire, wrapping around my arms, legs, and feet, squeezing.

Ouch.

That ouch became a serious ouch, which became a concession.  It was time for?

(drum roll) 

Sick time.

Fast forwarding to laying as still as possible here at home...with a soft and fluffy kitty cat...who's kinda really good at knowing when I need her to be a nice kitty...the barbed wire is loosening a little...into a mix of sharpness and vibrations...instead of just squeezing stabbies...which, to me, means it's improving.

Today may have been your day, ms.  But?  Tomorrow shall be mine.  Because that's how we do.  We compromise like that ;)


Speaking of compromise, I sent a note to the cute guy with the fancy hat in that picture below to let him know I was on my way home for an ms sick day.  You see, he's the ultimate provider and protector.  And when he loves you?  Really, really loves you?  As he loves this family, and maybe like...2 other people?  He'll move mountains for you.  Tonight, he'll be moving the mountains of laundry baskets around.  Because if he doesn't, he won't have stuff to wear to work tomorrow.  And one of us has to make it through a full work week, right?

The Sequel to...REMIX: Temper Temper, A Kid's Soccer Game, And How God Keeps Me Classy

Here I am again, finding myself needing to follow up to the remix of my son's soccer post.  It's like the recurring post that keeps giving, right?  But really.  This is a neat ending :)

To summarize:

Part 1:  I attend a ladies' prayer breakfast twice a year.  I left the last breakfast early so I could attend my son's soccer game.  He had a bad game and was the subject of some very negative, unkind speech from a particular person.  It required every ounce of personal fortitude and newly acquired peace I had gained at the ladies' breakfast to keep my mouth shut.  Wait.  Some of that strength also came from my legs and eyes, because those acted up on me in my fury.  But!  No retaliatory words were had and the world of all that is youth soccer continued to spin.  Imagine that.

Part 2:  A short while ago, I learned my son would have greater interaction with the person in this new season.  My immediate thought was to have him moved to a different team, different age group, heck...maybe a different town?  Alas, I decided to stay out of God's way.  I mean, there are no coincidences in this life.  He ended up on that roster, a roster which a volunteer surely spent a great deal of time working on.  We're all in each other's lives for reasons.  We cross each other's paths for reasons.  It really all ends up being used by God.  So yeah.  I decided to stay out of it and told God, as I often do:

"I'm giving him to you, Lord.  He's yours before he's mine.  I'll let you work it out."

I say that, but don't let me fool you.  My heart doesn't always get that message.  They're all the right words, but I don't have it down to the point where I can actually feel the peace of them.  Work in progress ;)

Part 3:  Today, I attended another ladies' prayer breakfast.  Again, it coincided with my son's season opening soccer game.  But this time?  I didn't leave early to go see the game.  I wanted to enjoy the experience from start to finish.  To rest in the Lord for those few hours.  To shut off the noise of the world around me.  To spend time with my daughter and my friends.  To forget about my health.  To hear the message.  To just be.

When we got back home from this beautiful breakfast, my son was making lunch for all of us.  I - slightly nervously - asked him how his game went.  He was very excited to tell me that it was GREAT!  Great?  No.  GREAT!  Okay, well that's awesome!

:::silence:::

I, still that mom who remembers all the speech/occupational therapy homework assignments that he and I have completed together during his early childhood, instinctively went to leading questions:  "What made it great?  Give me one thing."

He began to tell me how the coach honored him after the game by saying he was the biggest contributor of the day and that he wanted him to have a patch for his jersey to commemorate his efforts.

I'm sorry.  What?

"Yeah, he said I tried really hard.  And he said something about getting me a patch."

...it was a really good thing that I was in the kitchen and he was telling me this from the living room, because I was overwhelmed.  Tearful.  Proud of this kid.  Humbled by God's mercy and grace.

All I could think of, back when those awful comments were flying last season, was - if that person could only know what this boy is all about.  To know what he's overcome.  To know how hard certain things are for him and what kind of effort they require.  The great offense I had taken was not because of actual words spoken, it was because I wanted someone to look past outward shortcomings to see just a glimpse of who this kid is.  But honestly, that's a pretty tall order.  After all, it's really just a youth soccer game.  Spectators aren't there to assess the content of a player's heart or appreciate his/her "story" as they're out there trying to kick a ball into a goal.

Well, consider me humbled.  The very thing I was so offended over was reconciled in the first game.

His ways are not my ways.  His timing is not my timing.  If I can just continue to remember to stay out of his way... :)

The Day My Kids & I Ran Away...

When your computer shuts down on you for the fourth time...
And you're essentially the only person in the building, since it's a holiday break...
And your eyes are working together...
And your legs are at about a 7 on your made up steadiness scale...

You decide to lock up shop and go home.  Home is where your kids are.  Ya know, on holiday break and such ;)

My instructions were:  Get up.  Get food.  We're outta here!  Where?  Wherever! Wherever a little over 1/4 tank of gas and $10 in cash will get us - one way.  We'll then put enough gas in the car to get home.  That's where.

Petting zoo - after 17yrs, it never gets old...

Random lake!

Kids taking panoramics with their phones...

Insert laughter...

Taking in the beauty and the sounds of like...nothing :)

When in a strange land, the native Walmart is all the more strange.

We picked Sia up with our $10!!!

Went to Cabela's, 'cause Cabela's is cool!

They were anxious for my descent.  No worries!  I got this!

Fudge shop!

This is the "take sunglasses off the display and get a picture" picture!

My daughter touching the top of the mountain...

We laughed.  We got a little lost.  We laughed again.  We drove on roads we'd never seen before.  We got a little more lost.  We laughed to excess!  And yes, we had to stop so that I could use a bathroom.  Often.

That!

That's what it's all about.  The hugs I got from my kids that night, once we decided to finally come home, reinforced my theory :)

Taking advantage of the good days...making memories...laughing until we could barely breathe...eating little bags of snacks for dinner...stopping to use random bathrooms...singing...yelling "MOOOOO!" to cows minding their own business in various farm fields...singing again...laughing again...and using more bathrooms.

That sun though ;)

Praising God for that good day...