Oh, what a beautiful morning...

Before I break out in song today...let me tell you all about my morning.

Also, before I begin, let me "throw out there" that I am certainly not "complaining" or "venting", but am instead sharing an experience so that you all can be more informed should you find yourselves in this same situation.

My morning started off really smooth...I woke up at 5:45 with my alarm, jumped in the shower, got to work by 6:50 and worked solid until 8:15, when I was scheduled to leave to attend a Toastmasters function.

I arrived at said Toastmasters function, which was really hosting a group of 6 people as they learned how to become better speakers and presenters. It was sooo much fun, and I got to learn a lot about these wonderful people who all work out in SuperValu-land. I was inspired to laugh about stressful times to help you get through, to volunteer helping children in need, to climb a 14-eer (14,000 foot mountain); be cautious about drinking, acknowledge that when following your pasion, you never know when you'll get the chance to meet your hero, and that every piece of recycling that I do helps out a little bit!

These people were fantastic!!! Most of them had no prior speaking experience, but I feel that the feedback that they were giving to each other was outstanding! I cannot tell you enuogh wonderful things about these participants, and can only ask that I am allowed to be included the next time that this kind of experience rolls around.

Following this, I headed to the gas station to fill my car which was bordering on empty...(oops). Filled up with gas. Nothing...no engine...no starting...no power... HOLY #)%(U$!!!!!! The kind man working at the gas station brought his car over to jumpstart mine, and I got out of the parking lot, into the turn lane to head toward my mechanic's shop (which I'm figuring is the safest place to be) - stop for the red light. DEAD! Completely and truly dead!

Again, HOLY #)($&!!! Next step after the initial freak out and waving people around me is to call the mechanic. Now, I ask you...do I really have any idea what I expect him to do?? No. But I figure that I have no idea WHAT to do, so I call him. He says that if I can hold tight for 10 - 15 minutes that he'll come out and jump the car and get us both back to the shop.

He comes to the rescue 15 - 20 minutes later with 2 batteries in his trunk along with the jumper box. Jumps the car, leaves the jumper box attached and drives my car - backwards - into the parking lot of the gas station. In a calming voice, he tells me that if I feel comfortable, that I can drive his car into the parking lot (yeah, like that's going to happen, my adrenaline is running so high, I don't trust myself to do much besides breathe...even that's a task at this point). Next step, change the battery - test to validate that it was indeed the battery and not the alternator.

Works like a dream, get back to the shop, he tops off the fluids in my car, changes a burnt out bulb, and I get to go back to work. I arrive at work with a wallet that now has less money than before, and at 12:15... So much for 10:30.

The rest of the afternoon was fairly uneventful considering the mornings adventure. This is one morning I don't care to repeat.

So...how was your morning???