rain, rain...go away

i logged on this morning and abbie had sent me a *lemonade award*, which tickled me to death, i hafta tell ya. it made me genuinely smile. big hugs go out her way, and i'll be by to pick up my award soon, i promise!

this morning, its pouring the rain here. typical for tennessee in the winter, tho unlike my beloved seattle, the rain here makes it rather difficult to Get Things Done. you've got inconveniences to deal with, such as mud. but after the last few days i've had? i think i'm physically incapable of letting these little things bother me anymore.

i'd planned to take several car-loads across town, during the course of the day, today. which will now prove significantly more dirty and time-consuming, seeing as how i can't back the car up in the yard or i'll be mud-wrestling eleventeen thousand pounds of fiberglass, rubber and steel.

:sigh:

these are the days when i really really wish the camcorder wouldn't have fritzed out. like last night when we virgin carpet-layers got busy with a box-cutter and some strange angles. at one point, jason was laying up under the padding as i tried to blindly guide him in the right direction. or yesterday afternoon, when i spent 23 frustrated, sweat-soaked minutes trying to stuff 180 sq ft of carpet padding in my neon, when the floor person plainly told me i could. let me tell you what. i did finally conquer that sucker. but not before i'd given the guy sitting in his car, shoulders heaving from laughter the whole time, a good show. and certainly not before i'd given one final heave and busted the hind end out my once-upon-a-time favorite jogging britches, now covered in paint and flooring adhesive with the butt ripped out.

it is my most sincere hope that they had parking lot cameras and that i was able to entertain the whole of lowes flooring department, for i evidently have *sucka* stamped on my forehead.

chalk one up for my husband tho, who failed to see the injustice of the situation, upon my arrival *home*, instead sauntering over with a "roooowwwr. easy access? kinky".

or then there's the handy-man that took a week to come out, mind you, only for me to overhear him with his buddy, "gotta love these $100 mansions", before i found out our water line is busted, and neither one of us was laughing.

i've been properly humbled, trompled, and quite literally, ripped wide open, over the past week. gimme your best shot...."trailer trash"? bring it.

because its all kind of funny, now. and because despite all of that, i've not yet been defeated. which i chalk up to Gods grace and a wicked bad sense of humor. also, its hard to remember the last time i bathed, properly. which i'm convinced has something to do with my chutzpah. because when you're dirt-caked, its kinda hard to look you straight in the eye & take you too seriously. especially when you can see polka-dotted underwear when i turn around.

and because its been so frustrating and difficult and yet we've had so many unexpected blessings in the proccess.

take the carpet we finally wrangled last night. this coworker of jasons' had been let go in the last lay-off spree. and out of the blue one night last week, called jason and asked if we could use some carpet. turns out he does remodeling on the side and was helping a neighbor to put down hardwood floors. he wasn't sure of the dimensions but we were welcome to it if we wanted it. he didn't even know we were moving. the carpet was in pristine condition. absolutely beautiful. even smelled wonderful. and it was exactly enough to cover both bedrooms.

'seems like every time we've turned around, there's been something else...another unexpected expense. and yet, even then, we've had little blessings. i was slobbering over the border i'd love to have in my kitchen and wondering how i'd afford curtains too...seemed like a want, rather than a need. i'd have to pick one or the other. i'd found the perfect valances that would match my primitive *theme*. a pale green gingham that were so beautiful. but each one cost $15, so i'd moved on, and googled how to make valances out of bedskirts. it was a silly pipe-dream i've not shared with anyone, not even jason. he's been so busy with the important stuff around there, that aside from getting my blessing on the trim color, we've not sat down to discuss trivial things like decorating. yesterday afternoon, i'd just got back with another car-load and stopped in at my inlaws to grab a drink of water when linda jumped up and told me to hold on a minute...she had something for me. out she came with a bag, thrusting it into my arms, saying if i didn't like them, it wouldn't hurt her feelings...i could exchange them for something else. but as i peered inside, my heart melted in a puddle right at my feet and i could feel the tears coming on. for inside, were 3 valances in pale green gingham.

you know, its so true what they say..."when it rains it pours". quite literally, today. but its so true, also, that these million tiny frustrating and overall insignificant moments are also the most precious and meaningful. not the destination, but the journey there.