Just to Balance out the Bitching

My word for last week was 'fortuitous'. In the online Merriam-Webster dictionary, the primary definition of fortuitous is simply 'occurring by chance'; it's only the second definition that has the 'fortunate, lucky' connotation which much of us attach to the word. But that's okay because this is my blog and I say 'fortuitous' means 'happening by a lucky twist of fate that makes you feel all fresh and grapefruity'. Those who wish to challenge my definiton may line up on my right where you may bite me, one by one, in a calm and orderly fashion.

On Monday morning my Mom and I went downtown to the Market to do some fruit-buying, flower-looking, gelato-eating and general happy summer wandering. I parked at the place where you pay the machine for a ticket that goes on your dashboard. You can only park there for an hour, but since we're wandering in the vicinity anyway it's easy enough to feed the machine. As we pulled up, a man walked up, knocked on my window and handed me a ticket paid up for an hour, saying they'd decided to park underground instead. I don't think this has ever happened to me before, and I was appropriately gleeful and grateful. We walked around and bought a few things, then came back to unload and pay for another hour. Just as we got to the machine, there was another man there realizing that he could only park there for an hour and asking where there was a parking garage. I pointed it out, he thanked me and walked away, then walked back and handed me his ticket saying 'this is useless to me now'.

We parked. For TWO HOURS. DOWNTOWN. FOR FREE. Next time maybe I should just lurk buy the machine waiting until people have paid and then saying 'you know, it's kind of inconvenient how you can only park for an hour here, have you seen that incredibly secure and long-term parking garage just down the street?...

Then, Angus was supposed to go golfing with my Mom and Dad on Wednesday, the tee time was booked, and he was invited to go sleep in a tent in his best friend's back yard. I usually stick to honouring the prior committment, but he's missed a fair bit due to goddamned baseball this summer and I knew he really wanted to go on the sleepover. So I called my parents, and my Mom said she was getting a cold and really didn't want to go golfing anyway. Okay, it's not precisely 'lucky' that my Mom got sick, but I'm working a theme here so thbffft.

And yeah, this next one doesn't really have anything to do with chance, just my crappy memory giving me a nice surprise instead of a surprise of the sticky, rotting, spiny and rancid variety. I looked up the details for Eve's camp for the next week to see what I needed to dress her in and send her with and realized that...wait for it..... LUNCH WAS INCLUDED. Cue the appropriate soundtrack.

It's been a great summer. I kissed my daughter's tummy not half an hour ago. Two nights ago I was awake and grumpy at 2 a.m. and my husband was awake and jet-lagged, so we had a bath together. A nice, quiet, conversation-filled, candlelit, g-rated bath (well, we were naked, but g-rated other than that). I am a lucky, lucky woman.

What? Like I can't ever be properly thankful for my goddamned blessings? I will be grateful and sunshiny until you scream for mercy. Stop looking at me like that!

Comments

Mary Lynn said…
Yay for great summers...and camps with lunches included!
Kelly Miller said…
Wow, you are on a roll. You should buy a lotto ticket!
Nicole said…
I love it! I love your sunshiny and rainbow side. Also, people that give you their parking tickets...that's awesome. That happened to me recently and I wanted to smooch the guy that did it because I was having such a crappy day and then someone gave me his parking stub! Yay for happiness.
Anonymous said…
Hooray for grateful and sunshiny, which are indicators of happiness in my experience. I hope that more of it comes your way.
A bath at 2am. I'm impressed. If I was in the same situation my husband and I would have just been all grumbly together about not sleeping. I like it.
Pam said…
Awesome. Well done tricking others into your free parking. Great ballance in the universe for all those other annoying times. May your fortuitous streak continue!
Ms. G said…
I think your definition is perfect. Those truly are grapefruitily delicious blessings!
Patti Murphy said…
Did you know that wearing grapefruity perfume makes people think you're younger?

Also didn't know how to spell the sound one makes when blowing raspberries until I read your post:

"thbffft"

So, I guess you can say we contributed to each other's edubification here. (Hey, if you want to say fortuitous instead of lucky, I can turn education into six syllables. I'll bite you on your right side then next time I see you and then you can bite me on my left. Then this won't be g-rated anymore.
Ninja Mom said…
Wow - the g-rated bath with your husband sounds divine (not exactly thinking about the two of you... but picturing the same with me and my hubby). What a fab idea.
SuziCate said…
Awe, I knew you were a sweetie just dying to get out!!! So glad you had a great day...I want one of those where everything just falls perfectly in place. They are few and far between, but I am fortunate that I am here to experience any kind of day if I want to start counting my blessings.
Kitty Deschanel said…
Let's hear it for Goddamned Blessings! ;)
Me? I would go to sleep.
Julie said…
As much as I like bitchy allison, happy sunshine from ass blowing allison is pretty cool too.

Call it fortuitous, lucky, chance, fate or serendipity. Free downtown parking is the best score evah!!
One Photo said…
I am most impressed with the bath at 2am. But then when you have children any time you and your other half are actually awake without them around is a good opportunity for bonding I have discovered :-)
Sandra said…
Wow. A bath. With a man. I believe you when you say it was g-rated because really, how can two adults do anything more than bathe innocently in the bathtub. Because really, if you were to, say...flail about sexually, there'd be water on the floor. And you'd have to clean it up. See how I balanced out the joy with a little bitching!
Very terrific post though!
I love your definition - especially the "grapefruity" part. And I love markets, and free parking tickets, and camping-sleepovers (what? you think I should have grown out of those?!). So that all sounds awesome :)

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