Having a bad day? I am. But it could be worse. (Believe me, it can always be worse.) I've been there on many levels. So today as I struggled through my angst, I thought of a really bad day that I had. This could probably go into the category of "One Time..." but today it's more than that. Don't ask why. It just is.
It was late in November when I lived in Abbotsford and working as a drywallers' helper. Our job was in Richmond in a very posh new development overlooking the Georgia Strait, and we had like 7 units to complete in like 4 days and things were not going along as scheduled.
This morning started off terribly. We woke up to freezing, pouring rain, and a flat tire on our crappy little Hyundai we were calling the work vehicle. It was a bit of a beater, one of the windows had been rolled down and wouldn't go back up so was covered by a piece of plastic and duct tape, and the muffler was going, so it looked and sounded like a real gem!
Anyway, we started off waking up late and having to fix the flat tire in the rain. Then the car wouldn't start so we had to give it a boost. By this time we were 45 minutes behind and very anxious to get going and get our daily Tim Hortons fix before the congestion on highway 1 to Vancouver was unbearable. By the time we got to Timmys and through the drive thru we were about an hour and a half behind, but hopeful that the worst was over and happy to finally be on the highway. Ha!
We made it to the Aldergrove overpass when we were going through our mental checklist of things we had to do for the day, when we realized we neglected to bring some of the most important tools that were needed. And of course we had to wait until Langley to be able to turn around, but we HAD to, we had no choice.
So, back we went. Cussin all the way. This contractor was very impatient and wanted us there like 2 hours ago. The rain was falling so hard you couldn't see the road, and I was freezing in the back seat, squeezed amid all the tools and next to the plastic window, which was flapping in my ear so I could hardly hear a thing...but at this time I still had my steamy double double so I was alright. We had just arrived back in Abby when suddenly... boom! The car hit a boulder (Well a REALLY BIG rock) right in the middle of the road which was so cleverly concealed by the rain- and probably because we had no defrost and you could hardly see through the windows. Instead of stopping, we just headed home to check out the damage there. When we got back we found that half the muffler was hanging off, but decided to quickly MacGyver it with a coathanger and just get to the job!
We threw the tools into the car and left again, now like 3 hours late.
At least this time out we made it a bit further before catastrophe commenced. We were just talking about how nothing more could go wrong (I never ever do that anymore) and I believe we were actually in Surrey at this point, when a towtruck in the left lane decided, I guess, that he really had to get a Starbucks coffee...cause he completely cut us off (we were in the right lane) And, not only did he cut us off, he pulled only halfway into the driveway and decided to stop with all his junk hanging out into our lane. There was nothing we could do. We crashed into the back of his truck, crumpling the hood of our lovely Hyundai.
Well this didn't go over very well for the driver of the car, who was already furious and overly anxious to get to this job and get it done. But thanks to Starbucks and their generosity of a couple free coffees and a coathanger to hold down the hood, we were on our way, only about 5 hours late.
I think we each spent the rest of the drive to Richmond in TOTAL silence. But we made it. Unfortunately, by this time, all of the other contractors were gone, and they turned off the water and didn't leave us any lights. And being right on the oceanfront, it was pitch black, so we only had about 2 hours of work before we had to pack it up and go home.
So now we were heading back home, in the rain still. I was tired and cold, with wet feet, crammed amid the tools, going deaf from the flapping plastic and frustrated by the whole events of the day. Actually, it was probably carbon monoxide poisoning due to the muffler rather than being tired, but that's besides the point. I can't remember exactly where we were, but I looked to the left at one point and thought "Oh! Look at that house...it's in the middle of a lake". Then I looked at the other side of the highway and thought "hmm. Are we right by a river or something?" The highway we were on was on very low land, and was being washed out right as we were on it. Right then suddenly you couldn't see any road. It was terrifying. I thought we'd be washed out to sea, never to be seen again. :( Thankfully though, that road was on a steep incline and soon enough we were climbing a hill to safety. BUT as soon as we got to the crest of the hill, we were nearly T-boned by a lunatic in a white car who decided to turn in front of us with no signal and no warning. That was the last of the drama for the day. But the trauma stayed with me for a long time!
I was thinking today...maybe that day happened for a purpose. Maybe it happened because today I was brooding and thinking unhappy thoughts and I needed to be able to look back and say Hey. I had a worse day once. A really worse day. And this really isn't so bad when you put it all in perspective.
I was sitting outside mulling over the past year, and wondering if Life was going to be good to me in 2006 when along came this rabbit, which to me could only mean one thing...luck!! Yay me!!
It kinda reminded me of the time I got the haircut and was walking down the street wondering how it looked, and that lady said she liked my hair.
Anyway, I kinda expected the bunny to hop away quick, but he didn't, he sat there until I left. Which to me, meant I would have luck, and it was there to stay.
Wishful thinking? Perhaps. I call it positive thinking. This year was a rollercoaster. A year ago today I was living in Abbotsford, going to school, hopeful about 2005.
But...luck or not, I intend to make 2006 my year! I'd like to quit smoking while I'm at it but we'll see how that goes. I'll be busy in January looking for a new apartment, tending to legal matters and working on a website.
So to all of you best of luck in 2006, may your year be filled with health, wealth and happiness...and may you all cross paths with your own lucky bunny! 
