Life of a Griswold

I had a profound moment yesterday.

Super profound.

Like, epiphany profound.

I'm serious.

I was driving off the Albion Ferry, feeling all warm and cozy. Because of the heater issue in the minivan, not my state of mind.

I've been thinking a lot about life lately. Life. Writing. Vehicles. Turning 40. Engine lights. Whiny children. Walls closing in. Engine lights. Endless laundry. Sick children. Money. Engine lights. Getting away for our 20th anniversary. What the heck is the big deal over that Bachelor show and why so many people are enraged that he turned out to be a creep. Not working. Engine lights.

Oh. Did I mention that the engine light came back on in the car today?

The car that we just have repaired for the third time? Ya. That engine light came back on. Again. For the 4th time.

It started a whole little ball of thought to start unraveling in my brain. When I got to the end of that long thread of thought, there was a note attached.

And the note said:

"Epiphany. {Angels singing}
You are a Griswold.

Roll with it."

It was pretty awe inspiring.

I continued to drive off the ferry and headed home.

And I had a new thought.

"I wonder if there's an exorcism for getting rid of my kind of luck....."

Top 10 Positives This Week

I'm IRRITATED. I'm FRUSTRATED. I have a MIGRAINE. And the dog just ripped up an entire cardboard cylinder all over the living room floor. I don't want to get up, pick up all the pieces and then drag out the vacuum. That will only lead to more cleaning and irritation and frustration and migraine inducing pain.

I don't need that.

So I shall sit here on my duff and try to write myself out of my *ahem* cantankerous (gotta love the online thesaurus) mood and think about:

The Top Ten Positive Things I Experienced This Week

10. Watching a biker dude run across an intersection to help a couple of teenagers who's car had stalled.

9. Seeing people run in the pouring rain to chase pumpkins that had burst from their huge cardboard container and were rolling pell mell across the parking lot.

8. A lady coming up to me in a store and telling me my children were cute enough to be put on a postcard.

7. A Husband who made sure I had enough cash with me when I went out to meet a girlfriend for a beer and needed chat.

6. Long conversations with my siblings on the phone.

5. All of my siblings (and there's a lot of them) answering my neurotic and demanding emails.

4. Sitting and talking for two and a half hours with a friend I've known since grade 1.

3. Walking in the autumn sunshine with a two year old and looking at all the Halloween decorations in the neighbourhood.

2. Having a Tim Horton's coffee to drink while waiting at the Albion ferry.

.....and the #1 Positive Thing I Experienced This Week....

1. Being able to say "I love you" to my Mom.


I feel better already.

You can too. Add to my list. We could make it a top 20.

The Albion Ferry

People tell me the Albion Ferry is quaint.

These people take the Albion Ferry 2x per calendar year. With no children. Sipping a margarita. After coming back from a trip to Europe. Holding a winning million dollar lottery ticket in their hand.

The Albion Ferry should not be taken with 6 children, with a four sailing wait, with millions of mutant mosquitoes that can smell human blood through the window glass, and with two 13 year old boys sweating profusely in the back of a minivan....that has the windows closed....because of the mutant mosquitoes. In the summer.

Just putting that out there.