Friday, January 16, 2009

Life is good even on a roller coaster

I scared poor Matt yesterday when I opened an email inviting us to see the inauguration from a building directly 1000 yards in front of the podium in front of the capital building as I started to cry. It's not just Texas that can make me cry, it's the dream-come-true, like a visit to Texas, that makes me cry. The special, heart-felt, even small unimagined things in life.This is more than a dream come true, it's beyond my imagination as we have been invited to attend a brunch on the eighth floor of a corporate building facing the capital-yes, INSIDE. We had been making lists of what we needed...long underwear, bullet-proof vests, hand warmers, etc. Now we are going in style but still have to tackle the metro subway, oy. This is just one view, we can go on the roof and see the whole parade, via binoculars, but still, and view from somewhere else. I'm soooooooooooo happy with this. We were going, come whatever but I never expected this. These wonderful surprises are what make getting through the tough times worth it. Ya, I will be post-posting! And this comes on the tail end of what had been a bit of a bummer for me last weekend. Not a brain tumor and not leukemia (as Julia so rightfully says) but in the small scheme of things, a bummer. I'm so proud to be a Texan (I know-shocking revelation, right?) and to drive a true Texan's vehicle, a global warmer, 4 door full size, V-8 Toyota Tundra (okay, it's Japanese but only by heritage, it was made in the U.S. of A.) and am totally at ease with it as my first vehicle and several have been pickups. So when I sideswiped a car last weekend pulling into a parking space I felt my Texas pride get zinged plus I was just bummed that I hit some one's car. So when you pick a car to sideswipe, what do you think of? I think of the car below...a 1987 Ford Escort. But, of course, in reality when it happens, it's a... ...brand new Mercedes!!!! Of course. Matt and I were out looking for dishwashers no less and so we had the guy at the front of the store do a page and we stayed out in the parking lot for a while and no one returned so we left a note. The woman called that evening and she was no happier than me. My bumper got scratched some but a couple of small places are to the metal so I'll have to have some of Jusin's ex-co-workers take care of it. I knew at the time it wasn't a life-altering event but it's not like me to go around playing bumper cars so it just surprised me in a not too good way. But...and here's the will-she-ever-make-a-freaking-point point...a couple of days later here comes this email that I get this unimagined opportunity to see history in the making and aside from the historical aspects it's just a fabulous, wonderful, hopeful change made by a guy that seems so human as to be just like you and me and wants to make the world a better place for his and our children. Tundras and Mercedes come and go but this...this is life-altering.