Bad Day Turned Good

Yesterday I left work a little early. Every time I do this, my Karma slaps me right in the face. Normally it is in the form of a big project, or a new client, etc. Anyway, whenever I leave early on a Friday I know it’s coming and I brace myself. I drove down to the good mall because I had an NY&Co. coupon and the store closer to my house is closed for renovations. I had to park far away because apparently everyone left work early that day. It was pouring rain with no end in sight. I walked as fast as I could and prayed the entire time because the lightning and thunder were happening simultaneously right above my head and I was holding onto a metal pole in the shape of an umbrella. Do you know how hard it is to walk fast in wet flip flops? Your feet either fall out or are jammed so far forward that it is painful. I make it into the mall without serious injury, but with the uncomfortable and slightly embarrassing problem of my jeans being soaking wet to my knees. I shiver uncontrollably down the escalator to find that the fucking NY&Co. is CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS! Argh. They are sending me excellent coupons just to taunt me, knowing full well that every store in a 30 mile radius is closed. Ok, fine. I have a couple of other errands to run while at the mall. First, I can’t find the enormous Hallmark store in its usual location. I can’t even find a crappy Carlton Cards or anything. Second, I go into a Limited Too for the first and hopefully last time in my life to get my niece a birthday gift. When I have passed this store before, it always looked like a cute lavender and pink haven in which I would have manipulated my mother into shopping. Fortunately for her, she was only manipulated into shopping at Au Coton, but that is another story for another day. This Limited Too looked like someone threw up in it. It was jam packed with every piece of clothing, shoe, bathing suit, boogie board, toy, candy, etc. that a preteen girl could beg her parent for. I was completely overwhelmed by the choices and sizes and kids running around, so Megan will be receiving a gift card this year. I made it out of the mall, through the torrential downpour, and into my car in one piece. Any part of my jeans that had dried, were now wet again so I decided to drive through Starbucks for some tea to warm up. This is when my luck changed, maybe because my Karma decided to take off early on Friday too. When I pulled up to the window the kid handed me my tea and said “on the house.” That has never happened to me before. I drove off after pulling him through the window and kissing him full on the mouth. I stopped by Barnes & Noble and almost tripped over a group of teenagers sitting on the floor making posters. “What’s going on?” I thought, and then remembered that the latest Harry Potter was going on sale at midnight. Oh my God. I haven’t laughed this hard all day. I hear the cashiers telling customers to come back at 6:00 pm to get their lottery ticket for a place in line to buy the book. Concerts, ok. Star Trek movies – I don’t get it – but ok. Harry Potter book? Give me a break, losers. I don’t know how J.K. Rowling can handle the pressure not to let down all the Muggles each time. I had to get the hell out of there, so I made my way home and find that my mother’s birthday gift had arrived early. It's an original Little Golden Book of “Little Black Sambo,” which the censorship Nazis stopped publishing because it was considered racist. This was one of the two books my mom and aunt had when they were kids. I am so happy at this point with visions of my mama crying from nostalgic joy when she opens it. Anyway, I got in the house, dried off, opened a beautiful handmade afghan that was sent as a wedding present, cried a little, ate a tasty chicken dinner, and sat on the couch for the rest of the evening with my best pal. I hope you did the same, Karma.