Friday the Thirteenth

Typically, I've never been one to be superstitious and I usually have fantastic Friday the 13th's. Honestly, today I even forgot it was that notorious date until someone commented on my disastrous morning. Regardless, I'm just chalking it up to a string of bad events.

It all began like this...
7:00 a.m. Adam usually wakes up early and takes Ian to school and lets me sleep, but Ian was coughing incessantly due to his allergies and I was awake.

7:43 a.m. Adam was having a rough morning already, as it was cloudy and he was disappointed because his flight lesson got canceled, and I could hear him scrambling madly to get Ian out the door. I decided I'd get up, help out and shower early and see if I could get my passport renewed for the honeymoon before my doctor's appointment. I had a physical scheduled at 10:30 to see if I qualified to participate in a research study to try a drug for my seemingly endless stomach problems. By the time I got ready, I was starving, of course, but could only drink water until after they drew my blood.

9:15 a.m. Dropped Adam off at work and went to the Passport office. Apparently, having your old passport is not sufficient if you dog has chewed on the corner. I was instructed to go home and retrieve my birth certificate. Oh and payment must be part cash and part check or money order. Highly annoyed, I rounded a corner quickly and cringed at the sound of my little car hitting the curb.

9:49 a.m. I arrived home, successfully sequestered my birth certificate and filled out my paperwork. I wanted to eat so badly but I had just a bit longer to wait.

10:11 a.m. I decided not to risk it and headed straight for the doctor. It was my first time there and of course the research study's instructions failed to mention the first turn, and I had to re-track myself using my handy GPS. In the midst of this, a car pulled up beside me honking frivolously. She slowed and mouthed the dreaded words, "You have a flat tire", gesturing toward the wheel that had my irritation taken out on it earlier. I thought about going straight toward a Discount Tire but decided I desperately wanted in on this study, so I drove the extra two miles, only to discover the entirely deflated rubber when I parked. I filled out additional consent forms (I had already spent nearly forty minutes filling out background info last night), waited for a bit, trying not to stress about my tire, to no avail, and was finally called in. Ten minutes later, I was escorted out, no check in hand. Apparently, I have to stop taking any and all drugs/herbals/supplements related to my stomach and the acid blockers my real doctor prescribed are the only thing sparing me from nauseating pain.

10:53 a.m. Staring at the horribly disfigured tire, I set my things down in my trunk and open the storage, shaking as I failed to lift the oddly placed tire. I glance around and notice a 711 less than a quarter mile away.

10:59 a.m. I pull into what I thought was a gas station, only to be flagged down my several men telling me to stop immediately before I drove through wet concrete. Apparently, the deceptive sign housed an under construction gas station. However, the men were kind and hooked up their air hose for me to get me to the Discount Tire a mile away.

11:03 a.m. Hazards flashing, I wheel slowly into the Discount Tire, as a man commented "Man, you made it here just in time". I got out to find that my tire had completely gone flat again after only a mile. Thankfully, I had coverage from my lease and my new tire was free.

11:14 a.m. Overheated, stressed, nauseated, shaking, headachy, frustrated, and famished, I hiked a quarter mile to a Quiznos and collapsed into a seat with a sandwich.

12:03 a.m. Thankfully, I was done in 45 minutes, however I noticed I was short one hubcap. It must have fallen off when I hit the curb. and I decided that I was going to accomplish something on the agenda today, so I returned to the passport office (which was on the way to work) and submitted my application. After all that, I certainly wasn't about to risk missing my honeymoon!!

Three tylenol, a 7up and a sandwich later, and I am feeling nearly human again. TGIF? Well, usually!