Yay for Life.

It was freezing.  Hard sleet was coming down in buckets.  The highway was deserted.  I'm pretty sure a man with a hook for a hand was lurking in the pines just off the desolate interstate.

Okay okay okay. So it was only about 41 degrees, drizzling enough to be annoying, and my tire had gone flat in the parking lot of the local Arbys, harshly set ablaze by those Ginormous flood lights.  And I was far from alone.  My daughter and I watched my wonderful Dad get down on his knee and curse my car like any true sailor's parrot as he shoved the jack under it in the grimy parking lot.  My five year old bounced gleefully from one side of the car to the other, fogging up all the windows, and doodling random pictures.  By the time she'd been in there five minutes the windows of my car were fogged up worse than any highschoolers on a friday night. Kids. 

I leaned over to check...I don't know...something...I was trying to be helpful-and promptly busted my head on the wheel well of the car. So now I am standing in the increasing rain, with a bleeding skull, a wet father, and a five year old who thinks all of this is hilarious.

Yay for my life.

I trundled the spare out of my back hatch [which was a miracle in itself] and rolled it over to my Dad.  It flopped funny for a spare-but what did I know.  My Dad did know-rather quickly on the other hand, "Your spare is flat."

Yay for my life.

My Dad drove over to the gas station for air while I contemplated my poor car.  My car looks like a typical soccer mom car that just emerged from a fight with a Decepticon.  I have left side damage from one of my sisters "pulling too close to an ATM". We all know what side the ATM should be on-and it is not the left. Don't ask her about that night-her memory stops at the ATM run before they "hit the third bar" [I'm pretty sure she means that literally].  I have a hole in the front bumper [the size of the trailer hitch on the SUV I rear-ended], a missing grill, a headlight that is duct taped to the socket, various and sundry dings and dents, and a back hatch that is bungee corded shut [courtesy of the other sister].  My poor car is struggling. But it gets me where I need to go and honestly that is all I care about.  It gets good gas mileage and it is a very safe car [see all the wrecks I've walked away from without a scratch] so thats a plus.

Yay for my life.

Two hours later I was limping along back roads towards home.  Apparently you can only drive 50 mph on a spare donut tire. Dad says he is going to replace all my tires with donuts because thats the safest/slowest he's ever seen me drive. My daughter just wants to know if she can eat them.

Yay for my life.

This is me reminding you to appreciate the ones that stand beside you in the aftermath.  Whether its during the loss of a loved one, or simply witnessing your stupidity at hitting [another] curb and getting a flat tire in the pouring rain-love them for standing there because they love you.  Yay for my life. I am loved.