I didn't tell anyone that I was going to tan, partly because I just didn't want to bring it up, and mostly because I know that tanning doesn't get good press (probably for good reasons). So I decided that this would be my little secret. Dalton agreed to let me have a month to tan, woo hoo, so I signed up and started right away, wanting to make every tan count. For those of you who are anit-tanning beds, don't worry…..I never tanned my face and I only tan for 1 month about every 3 or 4 years, haha.
It was fun tanning, I like that quiet time just laying there. It was mostly relaxing…..except that I started listening to the Old Testament (trying to read through the Bible in a year) and it gets pretty hard to follow/pay attention to all of the names and places and relax at the same time. I also like the quick results that tanning brings, I'm not as scared to wear shorts now.
One Saturday I asked Dalton to watch the kids so I could go into town and tan 'real quick' since they weren't open on Sundays. We also had a birthday party at 4 that afternoon, so I really did have to be quick. I got away a little later than planned, which meant I had to leave Dalton to deal with lunch for the boys, ooops.
I finished tanning, went to my car and turned the key…..nothing. I tried again and again and still nothing. Great. I sheepishly called Dalton to see if he could come up there. I say sheepishly because when I'd asked if tanning was an option, I told him it wouldn't be an imposition on him and I wouldn't be calling him all the time asking if I could tan, oooops. He said Tucker was already asleep but they'd head up there, poor Tucker, maybe he'd go back to sleep in the truck.
I waited for a while and they finally pulled up in the big rig. Of course this place is on main street downtown so there was constant traffic zooming by us. Dalton got out and went to work trying to locate and fix the problem. I was on kid duty…..I think working on the car would've been easier than trying to keep the coons at bay inside the truck. Thankfully there was a package of Reese s Pieces in the glove box, so that kept us entertained for a bit. And someone stopped to help Dalton, which was also good. While they worked on the car, we tried to keep busy. Finally I had to let them out for a second so they could say hi and not tear the truck completely apart.
Trapped fun….Dalton giving everyone on main street a show, working on my car.
An hour later Bobby Rice and Dalton towed my car to the Pitcock office, while I drove the big rig over there. No luck on fixing the car. Drat. We went home, put the little boys down for a quick nap and then headed back to town for the birthday party….in the rain. I tried to talk Dalton into letting us chicken out, but he said no. He's very polite and proper, I appreciate that.
The party was one of those where you don't know many people and so it's just a little awkward. The kids had fun, but were soaked with rain water by the end so we borrowed a couple pair of shorts so they didn't have to go home wet. Cooper was very uncomfortable with this, even though he knows the kid we borrowed from. He did not like the idea of wearing someone else's shorts, so funny!
As we were leaving I had the bright (turns out not so bright) idea of going out to supper. We didn't have much to eat at home, we were already out, and I had skipped lunch due to the car incident. He reluctantly agreed so we headed to Dos Chiles, the spot we usually go when we do go out to eat. We hadn't been there in a while and I was looking forward to it. We got a booth in the corner…..a round one with too much space for the boys so they were bouncing around. Two minutes into the experience and I realized I should have just settled for a PJ&J at home. Oh well! The food came quickly (thank goodness) and we enjoyed it. Then it was time to pay. Sometime earlier in the week I'd lost my debit card (or rather misplaced it) so I only had a check……but when I went to get a check I realized I was out of checks. Uh oh. Dalton then realized he'd forgotten his wallet……but thankfully he had a check. We relaxed until we found out that Dos Chiles does not take checks……UH OH! So there we were……3 rowdy boys, a meal that wasn't paid for and no method of payment. This was really our day. So we did what everyone does when they are in this situation….we called the parents.
My little stalling partner. I should've let him eat the chips instead of me!
Mere Mere and Popsey happened to be in town, so they brought us by some money….how embarrassing, ha! Dalton, Tucker and Ace went outside to wait for the money while Cooper and I stayed inside, trying to look like we were still eating…..since our waiter had already dropped off the ticket and kept walking by our table looking at us suspiciously. I ate another chip, asked for a to go tea, ate a few more chips, asked for a to go box, ate another chip and avoided eye contact….you get the picture. By the time Dalton got back with the money I was stuffed with chips and ready to go.
We sheepishly left the restaurant, loaded up and headed home. No more stops and no more adventures. This day was definitely not our best and we didn't need to invite any more calamity on ourselves.
The next week Dalton was super busy so he didn't get a chance to work on the car until Thursday, which meant I had to drive the big rig. I must say that I improved my standard driving quite a bit that week and even ran some errands I normally wouldn't have felt comfortable doing in his truck. That's one plus for getting out of your comfort zone.
I was anxious about taking the big rig on Cooper's field trip to the Graham Airport. I had signed up to be a parent helper and they told me I'd be hauling an extra child or two. I thought, oh great I'll probably let the truck die at a red light with extra kids in the back! A friend who's husband also drives a standard came to the rescue and offered to let me borrow her car to take to the field trip. I was so thankful and didn't hesitate to say yes! The field trip was fun, and even though I only wound up having to take Cooper with me, I was glad I didn't have to join the convoy in the big rig. We saw lots of planes and even watched one take off, while we stood in the misting rain.
Finally, late in the week, Dalton worked on the car but we wound up having to take it in to the mechanic anyway - turns out the parts he bought weren't good. They fixed it and $650 and a weekend later we went to pick it up. As I prepared to drive away I noticed that even though I'd shifted into drive the dash said it was in reverse, and the lights on the speedometer were only half lit. Wonderful. Well, we had somewhere to be so we told them about the problem and said we'd be there in the morning.
That evening, as I was driving home by myself I passed a cop. The instant he passed me I knew what was going to happen. I got pulled over. Not only did the dash say it was in reverse, but my reverse lights had stayed on instead of my taillights, which we didn't notice until it was dark. I gave him my spill about what had happened, and then apologized for not being able to find my insurance card…yeeesh. Thankfully he was very nice and understanding and I didn't get a ticket. And I was even more thankful that the kids rode home with Dalton so I didn't have the commentators in the back seat.
The next morning we took it back in, got a loaner truck and had to wait another day to get my car back. The boys were pretty excited about the new ride, a truck. I had to keep reminding Cooper not to tell people we had a new car, that we were just borrowing it until ours got fixed. When I went to pick my car up, expecting to just get the keys and go, I was surprised when they handed me yet anther bill….hadn't they squeezed enough out of us??? My cheeks got red and I reacted a little harshly, and then called Dalton to tell him that this is why I don't do the auto stuff…it's his department. He made sure I didn't say too much to them and then said he'd take care of it. God really knew I needed a calm and steady man when he made me so erratic and emotional!
So I huffed and puffed while I switched the car seats over yet again, and then did my best to smile at the people when I said goodbye. These situations always make me sigh because I let my temper get the best of me instead of being kind and sweet…..God still has so much work to do in me.
Moral of these stories: Laugh out loud when things like this happen. It makes everything better. At least it did for us (maybe if I'd have just laughed at the auto shop when they handed me bill #2 it would've gone over well….mabye not).
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4
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