Murphy's Law

I TRY...really I do...to be a positive person. I try to find good in most things, to enjoy life as it comes. It doesn't always work. Last week, I had one of those mornings. You know the type. A day when, if it can go wrong, it will. It was almost the stuff reality TV shows are made of, or at least a comedy of some sort. At the time, I was NOT laughing. Now, it's a bit more humorous.

M had an appointment at Children's Hospital, downtown. The appointment was at 10. This would give me enough time to get S to school, get all of us packed for what could be a three hour appointment, get gas and head down there. To park often takes quite sometime too.

The drive down is sometimes interesting too. When there was construction last summer it took me 25 minutes to get there one time and then over an hour to get there the next!

This appointment was with Hematology. It was an appointment I was anxious to have, as it was to discuss the B12 levels M has had and to see if we could pinpoint why he wasn't gaining weight like he should. The nurse who booked his appointment didn't help put my mind at ease with her answers to my questions..."The doctor wants you to come in and speak with her"...I hate that answer. Is my kid ok or not!?!?! Turns out he's fine...just a bit of a medical oddity!

I drop S off at school and M and O, and I are off. I tell the boys we have to stop and get gas. Instead of going to the gas station right at our corner, I decide to go a bit further down the road to the cheaper station. We live directly off a freeway exit/entrance ramp and the gas prices are often quite higher than the stations another 1/2 mile down the road!

I pulled in, put $10 in the tank and then decided I'd get the boys and I a drink. We still had a little bit of extra time. I started the car and moved it away from the gas pump so someone else could pump gas.

We went in, bought our drinks and walked back to the car. I buckled O in his seat and tried to start the car. It wouldn't start! I started talking to the car... and tried starting it three more times. I noticed a REALLY strong gas smell and hopped out to see if I could see something wrong...drivers side of the car was fine...passenger side was NOT! Gas and antifreeze was dumping out from underneath my car!

I quickly grabbed the boys and moved them away from the car and told them to sit down while I ran to get the car seats and my purse from the car. The whole time I was thinking, I hope a smoker doesn't come and toss a lit cigarette near me"...with visions of my car exploding, flowing through my mind!

The objects were retrieved with no incident. I ran in to tell the cashier that gas was all over the parking lot and she came out to pour that stuff they pour on it when gas spills.

I called my husband and we began calling everyone within a 10 mile radius to come and retrieve us. No one answered. Seriously...no one answered their phone. My dear husband, finally got a hold of his mom...and sent her to the wrong gas station! No big deal right?!?! We are in the age of technology - we'll just call her...except she left her cell phone at home!

My brother in law/father in law are going to leave and try to catch up with my mother in law...only they forgot to reattach the bed of the truck - they had removed the "cab", the night before and hadn't reattached the bed yet.

My mom calls me back...she's going to come and rescue me. I call her after a few minutes of thinking she should be there. She went to the wrong gas station! No lie. I tell her where I am...fighting back tears the whole time.

How on earth can TWO people go to the wrong place! Is that even possible! By this point, I've called Children's twice to let them know we are running late, begging them at the same time to not cancel M's appointment. It's so difficult to get in there and I didn't want to miss it.

My mom pulls up at the station at the exact same time my father/brother in law does...my phone rings at that same second and it's my mother in law. She's driven back home to get her phone. Everyone came to my rescue...all at the same time. I can't help but chuckle just a little bit.

I loaded the boys and ran my mom back home. I receive a phone call that sends me over the edge and the tears start flowing. One problem, I'm a HORRID crier...ugly, messy, nasty crier. I gag and dry heave by the end of it - it's rough. I'm trying to regain my composure and drive my boys at the same time - thankfully, I brought it under control in a timely manner.

We pull into the parking garage at Children's - drive up all 14 levels and back down again. The whole structure is full. In the 3.5 years we've been going to children's AT LEAST 5 times a year, it's never been full...NEVER. Today, it's full.

I pull up to the valet who quickly tells me that I need to get locks on the rims of my car (which happens to be my dad's AWESOMELY sweet red Impala) because people STEAL THOSE RIMS all the time. What?!?! Someone's going to steal my dad's rims while I'm here was my response to his statement...his answer...a shrug.

To make a very long story...just a little less long....

His appointment went well - much better than I had expected. His odd blood work is just that...odd. Nothing to worry about. He gained a little weight and actually grew a little too!

The rims were still on the vehicle when I returned.

The funniest part of the whole story is this:
Matt got home from work and started looking at the car. He couldn't see anything wrong. He got in the car and it started right up. No problems...do leaking...nothing. We've tried to recreate this "issue" to no avail. The car is fine.

So - the moral of the story is...well...I have no idea. I'm certain the Lord was trying to show me something that day...possibly patience and reliance on Him. I'm learning Lord.