Not My Best Wednesday

Every once in a while we all have bad days. I am thankful that I feel that my good days outweigh my bad days. Yesterday was a bad day.

I went off to work and everything was fine. I pulled my car up to a culdisac curb, and for no reaonable reason, I drove my front passenger tire right into the curb. (And before you try to laugh at me, try to tell me you've never done the same.) Well, at that same time I heard that dreadful decrescendoing sound of air escaping my tire. I went out to look, and sure enough, my tire was as flat as some of those singers from Opera Idol (see my previous post, "Looptopia!").

I had just started this new job as a painter, and yesterday was only my second day. I probably should've told the other guys I was working with, but then I'd have to tell them that I drove my car into the curb. They barely know me, I barely know them, I thought that maybe would be something I could do towards the end of the semester. So all day I worked and went about my business, and then just sat in my car as everyone drove off at the end of the day. I drove nowhere. I called Joy, who (this is what's great about my wife), didn't mock me and offerred to help. I called Geiko and got someone on the way to put my spare one and Joy looked up the number for a tire place. We were on the right track. For the record, I did try to change the tire myself, although Joy still seems to doubt if this is something I know how to do. I was doing fine, had all the tools, but I just couldn't get the bolts off. And I guarantee you couldn't have either. Even the nice man who did come to help me told me that my measly bold-taker-offer didn't have the leverage ("It's all physics, man") needed to get those little suckers off. The tire was changed in less than five minutes, just as a new storm began.

I drove to the tire store thinking this wasn't going to be so bad after all, and there I waited and waited and waited. This whole time, my attitude got worse and worse and worse. After waiting for a little over two hours, I finally got home, hungry and wet. Joy, once again displaying her skills as a wife, had dinner ready on the table and greeted me at the door with a glass of white wine. I strongly believe that we can control our attitudes, and I try to live this out. I told Joy that I was in a pretty lousy mood, but that what happened was done and I wasn't going to allow my bad mood to ruin the rest of my evening. And then it was time for American Idol.

Now, I don't know how many of you have been watching this season, but here's the gist of it all: there have been many fine contestants and then one artist who simply is in a whole other league. Those other contestants can remain nameless for my purposes here, but everyone should know the name Melinda Doolittle. She can take any genre and will sing and perform beautifully. She's sensational, and even the judges recognized that all they could ever do was give her praise. I would go as far to say as she's the best singer to ever be on American Idol, and I think others will agree. Well, you know where this is going. Melinda got booted last night. Joy and I sat in a state of shock and despair, and I kept watching Fox even after the show had ended thinking surely they would come back on and say they had made a mistake. You know, something like Florida and recent elections. Well, that never happened, and needless to say, my attitude took another hit. I decided to call it a day. I cuddled up in bed, grabbed The Chronicles of Narnia (which I am reading through again and will certainly be posting about) and drifted off to sleep.