Master Reset

18 years ago, my life went through a "master reset."

April 19, 1995 was an odd day.

I had scheduled a vacation day. Usually I look forward to vacation days because I can not wait to be off and doing my own thing. Something about vacation days in the middle of the week make me feel like I'm being bad.

But I went to work anyway. I remember it was a coworker's birthday and I was carrying my famous (well at least famous at my office) bacon wrap hors devors.  Cooking them that morning had run me behind and I asked my (now ex) if he would carry Julz to daycare. 

I should have known something was up when he agreed without complaint.

When my car died as I was getting off 459, all I could think about was being late for work. Calls to my home went unanswered.

 I got permission from the owner of the interstate Chevron that I frequented at that exit, to leave my car there until I could figure out what needed to be done. He was a really sweet man that I had developed a friendly rapport over the past several years, stopping nearly every morning for a soda, or gas, or my weakness, a Zero bar.  He told me to leave it as long as I needed.

I had one of the guys from the shop, who was a known mechanic on the side, to come out and pick me up.  He took a look under the hood. There was sugar on the top of my engine.

Mystified, we went to work.

My coworkers were surprised to see me. I was supposed to be off. But all were glad that I had brought the bacon wraps. I kept trying to reach (my ex) but no one had seen him. Julz had made it to daycare, but that was all I could confirm.

When news reports began circulating that the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building in downtown Oklahoma City, I was distracted by the drama. My whole department began trying to reach the rep working Oklahoma City that day.  This was a pre-cell phone time and only a few of our manager's had "beepers."  We knew that Bob, the regular rep was on vacation and his manager, Hank, was running his route that day.  Tensions were high.

Then the call came that would change my life.

My grandparents called to tell me that (my ex) was at home. "Everything is gone." my grandmother had said "Gone."

After dropping Julz off at daycare, he had returned home and packed up his belongings so that they would be spared. Then he took a sledge hammer to everything left in the house.  Then he preceded to cut up all of my clothes and decorate my house with their remains, like he was throwing confetti at a party.  This went on, uninterupted for a few hours. The shotgun blast, killing our German Shepard, Be'be, alerted my grandparents that something was amiss.

I look back at that day, now 18 years later, and marvel at the things God had put into place. The Grace of God saved my life that day.

Truly a "Master" reset

What I Wore Wednesday

This is my rosette tee-shirt with one of my cropped sweaters. I paired this with my classic black pants. My silver and turquoise earings pulled it all together

~EnJOY

Confession Time: Slacker Mom

I love to read different people's blogs. Recently I came across this one called The Slacker Mom.

My name is Joy and I too, am a Slacker Mom.

Right now the victim of my slackerdom is son, Tigger. 

Tigger is a Senior and is graduating 42 days from this moment.  I currently do not know where his announcements are, his cap and gown, when his prom is or what what happened to the cap and gown pictures he took in February.

This morning, while getting breakfast and putting my lunch together the word "YEARBOOK" caught my eye. In that instant, a thought went through me like a knife:  I forgot to buy Tigger's Senior Yearbook.

I was panicked and understandably so....I had paid $250 for a Senior yearbook ad!

After quizzing Tigger, (have you ever tried to speak to a teenaged boy before his breakfast?) and coming up with no solid answer, I decided I would call the school when I got to work.

I tried to not completely freak out of the lady that answered the phone. I can only imagine what she may have been thinking as I explained that Tigger was a Senior and some how between his ADD and my OCD I had managed to miss the memo on buying a yearbook, nervously laughing the whole time. I am not certain if that helped or hurt. She understood my dilema but still told me that I would have to email the teacher in charge of yearbooks to check for certain.  Then she said the words I feared most..."I THINK THEY WERE PRE-ORDERED."

OH >> MY>>WORD!!

I wrote my email, rewrote it, tried to tone down some of the crazy-how-could-I-be-such-a-slacker-to-forget-my-son's-Senior-yearbook, rewrote it again, and then with a short prayer, sent it off.

It came back as "undeliverable" within five minutes.

...and I nearly had a nervous breakdown...

but I realized that I had sent it "(dot) com" instead of "(dot)org".  I copied my original message, pasted it into an email with the corrected "(dot)org" address.

Two, very tense days later I got my answer.

No, we did not PRE_ORDER our yearbook, but she had ordered PLENTY and to send the money on to school.

PRAISE THE LORD!!

What I Wore Wednesday: Easter Edition

I'm a little early with my WIWW post.  Thought I'd get the jump on the other WIWW posters by posting a day ahead.  This weeks post is my Easter suit, but most importantly, my Easter bonnet.

 

This is my Easter Bonnet

 

Suit: Burlington Coat Factory $39.99

Hat: Burington Coat Factory $15.99

Tank: Ashley Stewart $9.99

Shoes (not pictured): Cato $15.99

Flower Pin : Cato Clearance $3.99

 

 

I've always enjoyed wearing a hat at Easter. Except for the 80's when my hair was too big.

 

I credit my grandmother Clara for my love of hats. My earliest memories of Easter involve a floppy, white lace hat. Somewhere, there is a picture of me, standing next to Clara in her front yard, in front of her azalea bushes, wearing our Easter finest....hats, hose and gloves.

 

She loved a good "dress up" occasion and would dress to the hilt. She enjoyed dressing up for the little mundane things too.  I often think of her as I dash the mall with whatever I have on. How she would just die because I had gone in whatever I might have on, rather than dressing for the occasion.

 

 

I think she would have enjoyed my outfit.

 

 

~EnJOY