It's the Little Things

Today was one of those days. I coughed all night, or most of it, and by the time I was at work at 7:30, I felt like I was going to fall down.

I love writing, I really do. And how wonderful to be able to help little kids learn to write for a job? But today stretched me thin. After the 3rd group of 2nd graders, with 3 more to go - doing their very first key word outline from a piece of text (I'm teaching them early about the evils of plagiarism) and my voice was shot. I could barely squeak without coughing my head off. I made it through - thanks to some pieces of sugar-free gum (yuck) and black coffee (not ideal, I know).

Then a host of computer fixes which had me running from one end of the building to the other, and I totally felt my age, and then some (about 30+ years). And people wanting to know why their tv/vcr/dvd players wouldn't work - well, if you misplace the remotes, they're not going to work well. Arggghhh! Why is this stuff such a mystery? And why, why, why, do people do exactly what you ask that they not do? "Please don't buy that software until the tech people can check out that it is ok for students to use." "Oh my gosh, did you really go ahead and buy it?" "Do you think the public has money to burn on things that you aren't sure will work?" "don't you know we have the Senate and the House to pay for all their extra "work" lately? Honestly. I didn't say all that, but I really really wanted to. Holding it in just drained the tank even further.

C. had purchased some weird looking pork loin chops. I am not a fan of pork chops, and these were truly not going to change my opinion about them. So I had to fry them, stink up the house, and peel and mash potatoes since we had no other side dishes to make - and C. is adamant about "side" dishes. I was kind of at the end of my tether.

I escaped for 10 minutes to the grocery store. Yes, I am a desperate mom/wife. I get all giddy when I get to leave the house BY MYSELF for 10 minutes to buy toilet paper and avocados. I've sunk to new lows. I wanted out of the house so badly that I lied! I had one packet of peppermint tea left, but I LIED and said I was out. Just so I could wander the aisles of the local market, inspecting bags of rice and s-l-o-w-l-y inching my way past the dairy case - "you never know when butter is going to be on sale" is my motto.

So I picked up a couple of packages of store bought cookies - hey, it is another new low. I've been sick, people, and I'm not going to bake anything that isn't necessary. Besides, the $2.50 I spent on a pack of cookies is less than I'd spend on making cookies from scratch. Have you seen the price of chocolate chips lately? What are they making them out of, anyway?

And then, they holy grail! Just when I wasn't expecting it! See, I love Celestial Seasonings Peppermint Tea. I just love it! It is the perfect peppermint tea. And sometimes, sometimes, if you're very lucky, the company encloses a collectible tin inside the package. I looked down and the package said, "Collectible Tin Inside". Well, hard to believe, that one little thing (and cookies I didn't have to bake) just made my day! Silly, I know. And no, I don't really care. Maybe it's another new low - my life can instantly be made better by a collectible tin inside a box of tea.

It's always the little things.