When Life's a Bummer...
But we lost.
As the newspaper so cleverly put it, we lost by a foot.
Wahama beat us 10-7. By a field goal.
My poor babies were so bummed, they could barely eat. Cole, a 290 pound six-foot-two-inch lineman, had less than twenty wings before he called it quits.
That's scary sad. And as a mom, having bummed babies is worse than all the pain of all the rejections I've accumulated over the years.
So, yesterday, when everyone went back to school and work, the house was quiet, and I just felt flat.
You know that groggy feeling that is unshakable, even though you KNOW you have a to-do list that is growing as fast as your to-read list?
- clean the house- see if there is still a floor
- laundry- you can only expect them to use hand towels after showers for so long
- decorate- skipped Halloween and Thanksgiving; skip Christmas? O Holy Night, no way!
- shop smart- got to stick to the budget this year!!!
- book launch- come on, this should be fun!
On and on it goes.
Nothing but words on a page without some get-up-and-go.
And I had none.
Then a friend called. Someone took down some of our signs...our beautiful hand-made works of art that we spread all over the town to support our boys...they were being removed...without care!
She salvaged the ones at the school and had to get to work...
I tied on my tennis shoes, grabbed my step stool and was off...granted it was a slow, groaning, possibly bitchy start...but I was moving. It was a little after three and I figured I'd get as many down as I could in two hours, then I'd stop by the grocery store, and be home in time to fix dinner.
Five o' clock hit and I thought...go till six. Six came and I called home and told the boys, "I'm finishing this. Have McDonalds for dinner. I'll be home by eight."
Street signs...collected. Sheet signs on the highway and hanging from porches...even the one locked behind the fence on the mini-golf course...saved. (Yep, I squeezed between broken boards and nabbed it. I was feeling bold. No one would dare cite me with a B&E...I didn't break...I only entered!)
I'll get that sucker in the daylight, and I'll take a friend. Yeah, I'm a chicken...sue me :P
Now, let me get back to my point...there is a point to this.
See my family roadster there? See those stacks?
That job is done. As I relaxed in my recliner in my jammies...I felt better. What normally takes several people a day, I did in an evening.
And that's my point. Feeling sluggish? Pick the crappiest job on your list and do it till it's done. I swear, you'll feel more energized in the morning.
Now, what's your crappiest to-do and when are you getting it done?
Oh geez. I'm a notorious procrastinator. . .
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad about the game. When I was in HS that was how far we made it, too, and then lost. It sucks. Those boys work so hard! I hope yours are feeling better soon.
I feel better and ready to tackle the tinsel!
DeleteI love this post, Elizabeth. My mom used to tell me, "When you're sad, I'm sad." I didn't understand that until I had my own kids.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love this advice: "Feeling sluggish? Pick the crappiest job on your list and do it till it's done." So true. Thanks for the post. :)
Your mom is so right. I would rather hurt a hundred times than them a single time!
DeleteSorry they lost! Glad you saved the signs though. And is that the same rationale as eat a frog first thing in the morning and then nothing worse could possibly happen that day?
ReplyDeleteLOL...sure thing! Get the ugly stuff out of the way and you just feel a little better.
DeleteIt's good to find things to do when you're sluggish. Sorry for the sport loss, better luck next time.
ReplyDeleteYep, next year, we will begin again!
DeleteOh my gosh. This is SO ME today!!! Okay, I'm doing this. I'm on it. I'm going to tackle that ugly thing and feel accomplished.
ReplyDeleteYou can do it Morgan!! Anyone who can dance on her toes can...well...do whatever it is you need to do!!
DeleteI applaud you, Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteThe crappiest thing on my to-do list involves climbing into the attic to sort out Christmas decorations. :(
I absolutely hate dragging them out. The only part worse than that is putting them away!
DeleteYou're a superstar! I don't know why, but I just thought of Molly Shannon (superstar) while reading this post. But really, this is inspiring and it shouts, "Look out, awesome mom coming through!" And I would've taken a friend, too! :P
ReplyDeleteToo bad we don't live closer...you would make a great ghost watcher wing man...or gal.
Deletewhat a total bummer!! been there! so hard to see their anguish & be helpless
ReplyDelete(i felt the same the day after election day, i know its not the same, but i was a mega mope!)
what a surprising way to pull yourself out of the dumps! i will have to try it! thanks for sharing that experience! poor guys!
Yeah, I've felt your pain too. Can't help but wish do-overs were possible.
DeleteSometimes the crappiest thing on my to do list is making my to do list. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm really good at the lists. I can make really long ones with detailed break downs of what needs to be done. The only thing lacking in my to-do list is often the DO.
DeleteYou know, the pick the worst thing is actually a thing. It's called eating the frog. There's a book about it, but it's basically the idea that if the first thing you do in the morning is eat a live frog, then that's the worst thing that's going to happen to you that day. Clear sailing from there.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think it's great that you went and got all those signs.
That's so awesome and I'm so going to try that. You're right of course. Once the crappiest thing is over, everything else seems easier.
ReplyDeleteOh and I love, love, love this cause it's so true:
"And as a mom, having bummed babies is worse than all the pain of all the rejections I've accumulated over the years."
Hey,
ReplyDeleteLate again to the post-event (I won't say party :( and wanted to say sorry that the lads didn't make it to State.
Hopefully, they'll both get the chance (??) next year, and if not... tell them this in six months... but they achieved a LOT by getting as far as they did.
Great job getting all the signs, by the way... ya Loonie :)