Just Another Day in Paradise

Just Another Day in Paradise!
Joanne F. Miller

Ok...I am soaked through to my underclothes and am waiting for the next disaster to happen. I actually woke up with a start this morning remembering that I have to be at the prison tonight and Daniel has to be at Nashville Choir dress rehearsal for a performance on Sunday. Both of us will be a long way from home and I have a lady coming at 8:30 PM to pick up my sofa I sold on Craig's List yesterday. She can't come another time. She has rented a U-Haul and has to have it back in the morning. Can't pick it up till around 7:30 tonight. We'll both be gone by then.

So.....THAT'S an opportunity for a solution......meaning I finally decided the best bet is for me to drive separately and come straight home when I finish with the worship service at 8:00 instead of going out eating afterwards and discussing the events of the time there as we usually do. Not sure WHEN I will eat any dinner since the lady will be here when I get home and wants to talk to me about prison ministry......I leave the house about 4. Guess I'll eat a big lunch. Ok...that problem solved.......

Ashley instant messages me to see if I can go to Curves with her and Dad watch Clara for an hour. Mmmmm........no go. Much as I'd like to, Dad has a client coming from 9-11 AM but I can watch her. Can't go this morning myself because I am waiting for the delivery from Haverty's of our new furniture. But I do put on my brand new bright red Curves T-Shirt in case I do get a chance to go sometime today......which is looking doubtful. And the shirt is wet now too. I'm getting to that part. I go attend to the laundry, take Dan his tea and morning muffin.

So Ashley and Clara come and Clara's fussy so when Ashley leaves I put Clara in the walker, give her some baby snacks (food solves any problem, you know) and pop in a Barney video to amuse her. She seems happy for the moment.

I hear a familiar beep from my computer. Autumn, my 11-yr-old granddaughter wants my attention to chat awhile through instant messaging. Mmmmm.....ok...I can handle several things at once. I am finishing up getting envelopes ready to go out with thank you letters for donations to our son, Jared's, ministry in Africa. I am also printing off pictures of the art show my art teacher was in last weekend so I can take them to her when I go to class on Monday. Autumn wants me to take pictures of Clara so she can see her.....Autumn's in Colorado. So I do that...take three pictures and put them into the computer and send them to her.

Meanwhile the phone rings and the delivery truck.....an 18-wheeler....is here. The guy says the lane is awfully narrow. I assure him trucks make deliveries here all the time. It is ok. But I need to scarf up Clara and run back to the converted barn we call the Sanctuary to orchestrate where to put things in Dan's new office. He is with clients so he can't do this himself......or help me out....... It's raining. Hard. Very hard. And no umbrella in the closet. Of course. So....Clara and I run in the hard rain to the car to get the umbrella and then run to the Sanctuary. I get halfway there and realize there is no truck there....and I hear beep-beep-beep......a truck backing down the WRONG drive. We GAVE them explicit directions to the drive to the Sanctuary. No trees. No fences. Just easy access. I am dripping wet at the door of the Sanctuary. Jace (who does our order processing) looks up at the panic on my face and grabs for Clara and I say....."Take her, please! I'll be back in a minute! I've got to avert these guys!" I run back to the house FAST...to try to stop them. I try to call on their cell phone. No answer. I am about to have a heart attack. It's hard for a fat lady to run in the rain. It was pouring. I'm wet, wet, wet.....and winded. I run to the lane. The truck is slowly inching its way.....backing in.....an 18 wheeler......with one guy trying to direct another. They are three quarters of the way in.
I talk to them.....they have two choices. Finish backing in SLOWLY around one more big tree.........or pulling ahead and going to where they were SUPPOSED to go to avoid tearing up our trees and causing undue frustration. Neither is a very good option where the trees are concerned. They decide to keep backing up. I hear a crunch. Ohhhhh.....our poor trees. This is too much. I am dying here. Not sure if it is frustration or from the fat-lady run. Probably both.

I'm wondering what Jace is doing to console a screaming baby. I call Ashley. She is on her way home. Praise God! I tell her to go straight to the Sanctuary to get Clara. The guys pull up to the deck to start unloading.

They can't get the back door open. At all. No dice. Not gonna happen. They try and try. I get tired of standing in the rain waiting and I go inside and scour the kitchen sink so I can watch out the window. I see them taking pictures of the top of the truck with a phone camera. Ashley comes in to see whats happening. One guy finally comes to the door and says they have to go back to headquarters......a long way off.......and may or may not be back today. May have to reschedule.

I'm keeping my cool, here. The trees which they were NOT supposed to have encountered messed up the top of the truck. The door is off the track. Would not have happened had they followed directions. GRRRRR......I politely accept that there isn't much I can do so off they go. Out the lane they were supposed to have come down the first time. And I'm standing there with no delivery, soaked to the bone and a nice big white bleach spot on my new red t-shirt. Well, now.....it's just another day in Paradise, right? Anyone relate? I don't want to go look to see what damage was done down our pretty lane of trees and fence line. Do you think if I don't look, it'll all go away??? I think I'll be like Scarlett O'Hara....I'll think about it tomorrow!