Ingrate
It's now about 16 hours later and I'm still disgruntled.
As always, my disgruntle-i-tude is met with that small, yet imposing figure in my head, armed for some reason with a rolling pin, an apron and a very disapproving expression, telling me in no uncertain terms that I've got nothing to whine about, buck up and stop sniveling and think of all those poor people in China or Afghanistan or Rockford, Illinois, for Pete's sake.
I hate her. I can't even wallow in self-pity in peace.
Anyway. Yesterday. Tuesday. The Tuesday. Annual Date Night Tuesday.
Last week, looking for a movie to take the kids to, I noticed that the sorta local IMAX theater had the new Harry Potter film playing. I sighed and wished that my kids were the sort of hardened ruffians you could take to an intense Harry Potter movie and have them sit nicely and not have nightmares afterward. I then looked at G-rated movie times and moved on. But the seed was planted, and my mind worked a way to make this happen.
Charles, that audiovideophile, even agreed that going to see a flick in an IMAX theater would be even better than seeing it in his home theater and, therefore, jumped with gusto on board the date idea. The last movie we saw in a theater was in 2001. To put things in further perspective, we go out on a date about once a year, usually for our anniversary. As this year's anniversary was the pre-conference barbecue dinner with 150 other educators, I really didn't count it as our annual date.
I was looking forward to this the way a 5 year old looks forward to, well, maybe not Christmas, but certainly the 4th of July. I was even counting down the hours. Really and truly.
So, all I had to do was finish clinic on time, have us scream out of there right at 5 pm, leaving any undictated charts for the following morning, eat dinner in the car, and arrive there just in time for the 6:30 showing. We could just make it if the heavens aligned and the gods smiled.
Which of course, they didn't.
I knew damn well they wouldn't. The last patient was not the easy problem it seemed at first, and the 30 minutes I seemed to have to spare turned into finishing 30 minutes after we had to leave.
Of course.
I had further jinxed things by telling my physical therapist pal that (squee!) I had a date to see an IMAX movie alone with Marvelous Charles. No kids. In a theater. Not 6 months after everyone else had seen the movie.
I had only myself to blame.
Ah, but wait. As my life is often one of those 'good thing events didn't turn out the way I had planned or such-and-such would have turned out differently', it didn't surprise me that there was a Part 2 to the evening: Which would be the 1/2 inch of water in the basement storage room from the foot of rain that had fallen over the previous 36 hours.
Little damage had occurred aside from wet carpets and a few drippy cardboard boxes, so in the grand scheme of things, we'd have been awfully sorry to have had all that molding mess sitting there for another 24 hours or more.
Which should make me terribly grateful.
Instead, I'm still cranky and disappointed and my head is still full of that small rolling pin shaking woman telling me to stop feeling so damn sorry for myself.
Which is only making me more cranky and ungrateful.
Bah.
As always, my disgruntle-i-tude is met with that small, yet imposing figure in my head, armed for some reason with a rolling pin, an apron and a very disapproving expression, telling me in no uncertain terms that I've got nothing to whine about, buck up and stop sniveling and think of all those poor people in China or Afghanistan or Rockford, Illinois, for Pete's sake.
I hate her. I can't even wallow in self-pity in peace.
Anyway. Yesterday. Tuesday. The Tuesday. Annual Date Night Tuesday.
Last week, looking for a movie to take the kids to, I noticed that the sorta local IMAX theater had the new Harry Potter film playing. I sighed and wished that my kids were the sort of hardened ruffians you could take to an intense Harry Potter movie and have them sit nicely and not have nightmares afterward. I then looked at G-rated movie times and moved on. But the seed was planted, and my mind worked a way to make this happen.
Charles, that audiovideophile, even agreed that going to see a flick in an IMAX theater would be even better than seeing it in his home theater and, therefore, jumped with gusto on board the date idea. The last movie we saw in a theater was in 2001. To put things in further perspective, we go out on a date about once a year, usually for our anniversary. As this year's anniversary was the pre-conference barbecue dinner with 150 other educators, I really didn't count it as our annual date.
I was looking forward to this the way a 5 year old looks forward to, well, maybe not Christmas, but certainly the 4th of July. I was even counting down the hours. Really and truly.
So, all I had to do was finish clinic on time, have us scream out of there right at 5 pm, leaving any undictated charts for the following morning, eat dinner in the car, and arrive there just in time for the 6:30 showing. We could just make it if the heavens aligned and the gods smiled.
Which of course, they didn't.
I knew damn well they wouldn't. The last patient was not the easy problem it seemed at first, and the 30 minutes I seemed to have to spare turned into finishing 30 minutes after we had to leave.
Of course.
I had further jinxed things by telling my physical therapist pal that (squee!) I had a date to see an IMAX movie alone with Marvelous Charles. No kids. In a theater. Not 6 months after everyone else had seen the movie.
I had only myself to blame.
Ah, but wait. As my life is often one of those 'good thing events didn't turn out the way I had planned or such-and-such would have turned out differently', it didn't surprise me that there was a Part 2 to the evening: Which would be the 1/2 inch of water in the basement storage room from the foot of rain that had fallen over the previous 36 hours.
Little damage had occurred aside from wet carpets and a few drippy cardboard boxes, so in the grand scheme of things, we'd have been awfully sorry to have had all that molding mess sitting there for another 24 hours or more.
Which should make me terribly grateful.
Instead, I'm still cranky and disappointed and my head is still full of that small rolling pin shaking woman telling me to stop feeling so damn sorry for myself.
Which is only making me more cranky and ungrateful.
Bah.
Labels: Whining to a Captive Audience
posted by Diana at 9:38 AM
28 Comments:
HA! You've been doing this long enough that you KNOW anytime you really, truly need/want to leave on time (and heaven forbid, need to leave early), that the "simple blood pressure recheck" or "earache" that is scheduled last thing of the day will either turn into "oh, and I've been having these chest pains" or "oh, I keep losing vision in my left eye and having terrible headaches, do you think it's anything serious". I refer to it as the "You will never have a life" rule. And it likes to bite me in the ass frequently.
Truly, I'm sad the rule bit you on the ass and ruined your much anticipated date. I will confess you greatly out-did my usual whine by managing to have a flooded basement on top of it all.... Any chance you'll get to reschedule soon and re-live the romance that is a Harry Potter date night?
Aw! Rats, diana! That's crummy. Having no kids, we kind of take it for granted that we go out when we please and only have to consider two felines, who really don't care as long as we leave them food! If we lived near you, we'd gladly offer to look after the kids while you guys have a date!
Just because there will always be a sadder tale of woe than yours doesn't make your own tale any less sad. Hang in there.
Leave the kids with us on Friday night for mini-golf and ice cream and sugar, and you guys go to the movie. ;)
That truly sucks. And tell the woman with the rolling pin to shut up and get off your back.
I don't know what it is about date night in our house either, but it absolutely never works out right. Never.
I think you have every right to a good wallow. And an attempt to do it again.
(thanks too for the link, I added yours to mine as well!)
Am I right in thinking that your blog post netted you another option for date night? (See Ariella's comment!).
If so, well done. And fie on the lady with the rolling pin. She knows nothing.
Sigh. I kiss you all. Truly. I have the most fabulous friends. And I'm all better. Sometimes, I think you just need to have a good snit, sort of like a good cry but with less nasal congestion and blotchiness.
Christie- You are so right!!! I knew that it'd not happen, even as I was dreaming, especially as I was blithering on to my PT pal. I am just so stooopid. The complaint was 'asthma' which actually meant new, worsening dyspnea with no history of asthma and not chronic asthma with some worsening. And he was terribly nice. Kiss of death.
Ruth- See, it's just so rare that we even do things like this. We really, really like spending time all together. We'd have been delighted to take the kids with, it's just that they'd SO not be ready for it. Believe it or not, the dog is actually the biggest hampering creature in the family. She requires we either take her with us or be home in 8 hours to let her out.
Cagey- Awwwwwwww. You make the scary rolling pin apron woman shut the hell up. For a few seconds.
Ariella- I fucking accept. I fucking adore you and Erik. (And you know I'd never ask nor would I have written this to try to cop a favor but you just completely rock.) I'll email you tomorrow. And Colin was just asking us on Sunday when we were going to go golfing with you two again and we said "how about seeing if they can do it week after next?" Your timing is exquisite.
Rotten- You make me giggle most unbecomingly. And people wonder why we medical idiots are so damned superstitious.
Rozanne- YES! Ariella and her Erik to the rescue. (A friend I met via zee blogue, I'll have you all know.) I am happy, happy, happy. (Actually, I became my usual chipper self as I posted it. Better out in the 'net than festering in the psyche.) The judging rolling pin woman perplexes me. I have no idea where she springs from.
The key here may be to give rolling pin lady her due and listen up. She sounds pretty smart to me. You have every right to be pissed.
Time to make the damn date happen. Try it again.
But, um, maybe just try to watch a video at home with your hubsband, and, em, with the kids.
Sigh.
Here's my thought, forget the IMAX, rent a basketful of soft porn vids, (or harder if that's your taste), and take up every babysitting offer you get here. And here's my offer, If you're running late for clinic, I'll come in and finish for you. So I have a law degree, not an M.D., I can fake it.
V.
I'D be cranky too!!!!!
Do the date when you arent cutting it so close. And when water isn't in the picture!~
Jocelyn- Yes, she is right. I'd no business getting so disappointed over such a little thing. Stupid. Last night, we all went downstairs and played a guitar video game together. Fun to see the small ones rocking out to Cheap Trick with a plastic guitar.
Voyager- Just fake it and use big words. Works for me. And, when in doubt, order a test. Or two. Just make sure it has to be done at the hospital but not for a day or two. (And, yes, I'm kidding. A bit.)
Stepping- Looks like we have a friend to the rescue, so won't have to try to repeat the experience next Tuesday. Of course, I've condemned us to a car crash or a tornado or something tomorrow as we try to do this on our last Friday off. Guess that'll make good blog fodder.
Why does nothing go as planned? Sorry about your date night. Eww wet basement... Do you have another planned soon? Date night, not wet basement.
VERY informative post on the shenanigans of the medical and legal professions ...
Maybe if you got a "mental head" on board they could sort out "rolling pin lady"?
That so totally sucks! I'm sorry. I got all excited hearing the word "date" that I was living vicariously through you.
Sorry your evening was crashed by the evilness that is mold.
Kate- Such is life. Yes. Another in the works.
Rise- She's very grandmotherly and neither of my grandmothers were the 'coddling' sort, (loving, yes, but coddling, no) so I'm guessing she's some sort of amalgamation of them. One of my best friends is a psychologist. If I'm inclined, I'm sure she can help with insights over a lunch.
Dana- It really did all work out for the best. Well, it will once I've bleached and put more sealant on the water-porous concrete walls and floors.
No date and soggy stuff? Hell, I'd be disappointed, too.
Annual date night? Aren't you the lucky ones! We do try to do much the same thing but then merde happens...
ANNUAL date night?!!?!!
Lady, you gotta get out more.
Plan it again, it will work. That really stinks about the water, but it's really good you caught it in time... water damage is covered under renters and homeowners policies... but mold is most definitely NOT. Sounds like you didn't have to turn in a claim, but if it'd been 24 hours later, you might've needed to.
Bah is right.
PS - Remember I said I started the Harry Potter series last week? Garden gnomes... I am halfway through book 4. I like it better now... wasn't toooo impressed right off but the kids are really starting to grow on me.
Thank gawsh I didn't have to wait 2 years between each book, I'll have the whole series read in a week and half.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Sort of like your uncle, my brother, who stepped out of bed in the basement and went "splash" in a puddle. It was an excavation project that I missed out on. Whew. Hope nothing was damaged, but our Christmas presents were unbought at this time--now we have corrected this oversight.
Keep us posted on all the details.
The Ole RF-er
PS: Similar to our crawl-space which now has a sump-pump.
Crimeny! I soon as I get this moving business done, I'm going to drive my butt out to you house and park it there to watch your kids so you can go on a date, already!
Scarlett- It really sounds more pathetic than it is. We actually enjoy our kids and like taking them out with us. It's our fault, for we chose to move out to the country where babysitters don't grow on every block. Plus, my mother-in-law has been gone this summer (she lives near by).
I'm thrilled you're liking HP. Book 4 is where things really start to get good, in my opinion.
Dad- You'd think concrete would be not so porous...
Teri- Never fear, we achieved date on Friday, thanks to lovely Ariella and are, now good for another year.
Diana, we love your kids! Leave them with us more often! No, seriously, if you ever need us to watch them for whatever reason, you should just ask. I think Erik finds them as charming as I do.
Aww Diana, I am so sorry and I would feel crummy too, if I were you. I realised how easy it is for some of us to just get up and go for a movie. If we lived closer we would be more than happy to baby sit the kids.
Just realised you made it thank to Ariella? Yay!
I'm sorry your date night was a bust. I have to say I agree with some of the comments here and that you and the fashion god must get out more! Have some fun! I wish we lived near you because Allie became a Red Cross certified babysitter and not only could she watch your kids, she could perform CPR on them!
I have been trying to leave a comment for quite a few posts now but seem to really have lost the comment mojo. However, I wish I lived closer so I too could babysit the children - I could bond with Sarah over frilly piglets, and with Colling over - something. Somethong gross?
You know I'm reading, just pretend I'm illiterate for a while bcs really, this word thingy isn't going so well.
You know I could have sworn, that's right SWORN I'd left a comment here the other day. But then again I am braindead so who the hell knows. So we shall pretend I left a witty and scathing comment which made reference to er, something witty and, er, scathing. Perhaps I mocked my brother for your benefit. Or Syl!! And you can laugh heartily, oh yes.
{Ha. Dug myself outta THAT hole didn't I?? Though announcing it probably just throws me back in it, hey?? Fine. Hand me the damned shovel}
Hey lady, I left something for you over at my page...
It'll come in handy next time you go out.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Sanjay- It is really our fault as we've not cultivated a close by babysitter. Thanks to darling Ariella, though, we got to have our night a few nights later.
Stace- If we lived in Portland, I guarantee that Allie would be our sitter of choice.
Johnny- Colin would adore you and you could both bond over the microscope and things of science. Sara would like that too, as she loves whatever her brother loves, plus tutu-attired piggy banks.
Babs- Ah. That Trash. And that Syl. Goes without saying that I am laughing gleefully AND heartily at your comment, both present and lost. (I am frequently guilty of such. I read the post and then get pulled away before I can comment and then forget that I've just thought the comment and not actually typed it.)
Scarlett- Thanks, babe. That'll come in handy for sure!
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