Today I got to meet my APUSH guy's "kid." Since he's spent the last week at my house, working around my boys and my calls for refereeing and beating the bosses on Super Nintendo it only seemed right that he bring his child over. It just so happens that his "child" is an Australian Shepherd that's just over a year old. He has super pale blue eyes and is super soft and cuddly...and super excited to be around people!
I told him from the very beginning to bring Ghost over with him when he came over but when he hadn't come with him for a couple of weeks I stopped thinking he might come over but on Monday he texted and said, "I might bring him if that's okay." YES! When they arrived Ghost greeted me with a thousand puppy kisses all over and we became fast friends. I even typed one-handed so I could throw the ball with the other! It was clear we were insta-besties. And his dad and I managed to get a lot of work done, too, so it was win-win!
Tuesday, my youngest son and I had a day of coffee, allergy shots, a quick trip to Target, a virtual counseling appointment, and a couple of other things and we agreed it was the busiest we'd been in a while. It's so strange to take him to allergy shots only to wait in the car for him. For so long I had to go in with him and distract him while they stabbed him in the arms. It's crazy how quickly things change but I think part of it truly has to do with him just not being around as much.
On Wednesday, Ghost came over again. We had a conference call for almost an hour while we took turns throwing the ball down the hallway or into the living room. He spent a lot of time sitting right next to me and I resisted the urge to lock him in my room so I could keep him. I got lots of cuddles because I knew we weren't going to meet again until next week and I have no idea if Ghost will come with his dad but I sure hope so.
The rest of the week has been pretty low key. My not-so-little little and I have mostly just been hanging out at home. I went to deliver a delayed birthday present (stinking shipping issues) but when I went to start my car...NOTHING. I thought it might be the battery so I checked to see what was working and I was kind of baffled. I called the auto parts store nearest to me and told them what I was thinking. They told me I was wrong. It was cool. Then they told me, "Hey, if you can bring it up here we can diagnose it." Well, you see...it won't start, moron. I called a mobile mechanic and they couldn't get me in until the end of next week so I called my tried and true saviors: Coppell Tire & Auto.
These guys have been around since I was a teenager. They had a different shop then but the guys are still the same. They like me because I call them and tell them my car is a piece of crap and I cuss just as much as they do. BUT their favorite part is when I mimic the sounds my car makes. It's freakin' hilarious, if I do say so myself, and they always get me taken care of as quickly as they can. It's never cheap but it's always done well. This time, I explained the issue to one of the owners and told him what the idiot at the auto parts store said and how he said, even though everything I described was battery-related, it was definitely the starter. We both laughed and laughed and then he said the most beautiful words: "I'm going to send a guy with a jump box to see if he can get it running. Follow him back to the shop and we'll take care of it. If it won't start we'll tow it and get you fixed up."
The guy arrived, jumped it, and an hour or so and $200 later I was on my way to deliver my delayed birthday present. I had been delayed so much that the recipient was no longer home but she did text me later to tell me it was perfect so yay!
Which brings me to my next topic...gift giving. I have a few love languages but the ones that ring the most true are acts of service, gift giving, and quality time. I love to "do" for others and I think it goes hand-in-hand with quality time. Maybe it's as simple as being there or showing I'm committed to someone by attending their activity, sport, performance, etc. It might just be lending an ear or giving advice. It might be making something or writing a note to brighten a day. The point is I am all for it. I'm a nurturer. Gift giving, though, is my jam. I pride myself in coming up with ideas for gifts that are uniquely personal, fun, and totally fitting. I try to combine useful and practical with fun and heartwarming.
For Christmas a couple of years ago, for example, I worked directly with two people. One of them was obsessed with Star Wars, especially Darth Vader, and Milk Duds. I found him a container that had Darth Vader on it and "I find your lack of treats disturbing" and filled it with the little boxes of Milk Duds. He never saw it coming and was THRILLED. After he ate all of the Milk Duds he filled it with mints for his students and it's one of 80-something Darth Vader items in his classroom. For my work bestie I wrote this long, intricate note, that referred to a variety of things, many of which were underlined. These underlined phrases corresponded with gifts in a gift bag that basically wove the tale of our whirlwind and instantaneous friendship. I had socks made with her baddest puppy on them (she's commonly called the Screwdriver because she's a bad bitch) and BFF bar necklaces and some other defining inside joke items that would make zero sense to anyone else.
I like to listen to what others have to say and file away things that are seemingly unimportant to try to use them later to show that I listen and remember and, well, care. There's not enough caring in the world. If I can help or show even one person how much they matter to me then that's purpose.
Adorable, cuddly, fluffy dogs like Ghost are an added bonus.
Aubs
No comments:
Post a Comment