Rachel's Not-So-Fun Day

Jim left yesterday morning for Canada, to do some movie interviews and publicity work. Cool stuff. Unless you're me...

Here's my day yesterday:
2:30 pm--Finally finished with a long, exhausting day with my students. Research papers. woo hoo.
5pm--talked on the phone to my dad about a plastic-y flapping sound under my car that seemed to be getting worse. He said he'd check on it when he comes to visit next month.
5:45pm--leave for church early for a meeting with one of my girls before youth group.
5:47pm--pull onto highway 76 and car makes a huge "KABOOM!" and starts shaking. Plastic-y flapping sound is gone. I quickly pull to the side of the road, look under the hood as well as under my car (as if I know what to look for!), and see nothing. I call my dad. We figure out...something is wrong. (I know, genius).
5:55pm--I call AllState for our towing service.
6:45pm--The tow truck finally shows up. (Note: I have been sitting in my car the whole time, with nothing to do in the dark, while I am less than a mile from home. But I had to stay with the car for when the tow truck came.)
7:45pm--My car is finally parked at our mechanic's and I drop the key in the after-hours slot. (Note: It is parked in a Handicapped spot because it won't shift into anything except drive--not reverse or even neutral--so the tow truck driver basically had to shake it off of the truck and this was where it landed. When I expressed concerned about being illegally parked in the handicapped spot, he kind of laughed and hinted that was the least of my problems.)
My amazing friend Lauren left her family and picked me up and brought me home, because everyone else I could think of was at church (where I should have been).
11pm--I finally make it to bed after talking to my dad, Jim, watching the Biggest Loser (ok, that was fun), and prepping Jim's bike to ride to school tomorrow. That's right, I figured rather than make someone go out of their way to give me a ride, I'd kill two birds with one stone and get my exercise done while commuting. Brilliant!
...

6am--Bundled up and looking pretty ridiculous, I prepare to ride to school.
6:15am--I forgot to adjust Jim's seat and I almost fall off the bike.
6:20am--I'm finally on my way...

6:55am--About 2.5 miles from school, my tire feels weird. I pull over--it's flat. But I'm smart! I packed an air pump. Aha!
6:57am--I get on the bike and feel the tire one last time...All the air is gone. I don't just have a flat, I have a blow out that won't even hold air. Hmmm...
7am--After standing there just trying to figure out what to do, I decide to start walking. I walk...and walk...and walk...and walk...At one point, I decide it's just to scary and embarrassing to be walking my bike along the highway, so I turn down Benet Road to catch the bike path. 50 yards down, a group of young homeless people emerge (a lot of them sleep down there) and look at me strange. I can't tell if they're sizing me up, or think I'm one of them. I stop to think and decide the highway is less scary than the low-lying secluded bike path I'm headed toward.
...

8am--I finally arrive at school, looking quite bedraggled and worse for wear. As I try to rush to my classroom (thank goodness for 1st period prep!), I run into two teacher friends who look at me with concern. I freshen up and change to my school clothes, ready to start the day.
9:25am--I call my mechanic and find out it'll cost $2,000 to fix my transmission. I guess it's cheaper than a new car, so I tell him to go ahead. Eek!
9:30am--I tell my story in 3rd period, and a girl tells me she had laughed at the crazy lady walking her bike on the way to school that day.
10:30am--I tell my story in 4th period, and another girl tells me she had wanted to pull over to help the poor lady walking her bike that morning.
12:30--Students walk into 5th period and laugh at the story they heard from their friends.

And here I sit, trying to figure out if I should beg for a ride from someone, or rent a car for the next day or two...What a day!

BUT...Throughout this whole ordeal last night and today, as I attempt to pout and feel sorry for myself, God has just not allowed me too! Everytime I focus on the negatives, I just have to laugh at the timing of it all, and then I can't help but think of all the positives...
*It was a gorgeous morning.
*I made it more than half way riding my bike.
*I have legs to walk.
*I already got my exercise done for today. (and I'll let myself indulge on ice cream tonight!)
*I have good friends who have offered rides.
*I made it to school in time, and had a fine day.
*I have a job. (at least until pink slips come out next week! :o))
*I have a trustworthy (although expensive) mechanic.
*I have a husband I can't wait to see tomorrow!
*I was able to listen to a great podcast on my journey this morning by David Platt, talking about what it means to follow Christ fully (i.e. the whole pick up your cross daily thing--very challenging!)
*There are women in our world who walk as far as I did EVERY DAY just to get a little water or food for their families.
*Those homeless people I was a little afraid of LIVE THERE, while I slept in a wonderful warm bed.
*And again, it was a gorgeous morning.

I am blessed! I wish my blessed life could have looked differently this last 24 hours, but really, in the grand scheme of things, I have nothing to complain about!