Turning 29...

I believe this blog is actually going to have to be written in parts. I have finally been granted IRB approval (for sometime now admittedly) and am currently in between data collection sessions. I had one earlier this afternoon at 1:00pm and another one coming up at 2:30pm. Now, I can hear some of you already...

1) What?!?! Are you seriously working on your birthday?!?!

and...

2) Why did you even put that in there? What does it matter that you're collecting data?

Well, first of all... even though in my book it should be a holiday, it is TUESDAY.

Drat.

That means that today was mundane in that I had to go to the doctor to get my foot re-x-rayed (wow, how many hyphens can I put in one word??) only to find out that the boot is sticking around for another two to three weeks; I had to send reminder emails to tomorrow's participants so they will actually show up and make my LONG day worthwhile; and finally, now I'm actually here on campus to a) collect data and b) meet with a student at 3pm. Truth be told, I'm hoping she doesn't show up so I can cut out of here early and do some grocery shopping for the birthday dinner we're having at my house tomorrow evening. So yeah, there's another mundane task for me to do today-- grocery shopping. Granted, it's got a good end to it (hooray for people coming over to celebrate me!)... and no, I'm not narcissistic in any way, shape, or form.

I have to admit that I didn't have a good start to today to be quite honest. Typically, around midnight I have a few peeps who are diligent birthday celebraters who believe that "Yes, Virginia. Your birthday does begin at midnight." Today at midnight, I was actually taping garbage bags to my driver's side car window in the hopes it would somehow keep the snow out. Yes, I dragged my poor roommate out of the house to help me too. GOD BLESS HER. It was quite a hairy situation with me shouting various curse words as the wind blew and the tape refused to stick-- and eventually led me back into the house where I immediately begin crying out of frustration.

Yes, I was so pissed off (and there is no nice way to put how angry I was... ) that I burst into tears and cried for about an hour. So, by the time I actually got to bed... it was 1am and I knew I was going to have to wake up super early to try to get the car into the shop right when it opened. Gee, five hours of sleep-- what a great way to start your birthday.

Believe it or not, as fate would have it... when I went to warm up the car to head over to the shop, I thought I would try one last time to see if the window would go up on it's own. AND IT DID. Although I thanked God and whoever else was responsible for this happening (fate included) for NOT having to spend $200 to get this fixed-- I later realized that either way, Honda was going to get my money because guess who has a hole in her muffler?

That's right. Me.

This day just keeps getting better and better.

PART TWO... AFTER the hit and run

That's right. Someone hit me (rear-ended me to be specific) and ran. Thanks jerk. I hope he realizes that what he did is a misdemeanor and that my insurance fully intends on going after him. Now, whether the police cooperates with that... that's another story. Then again, apparently I can't seem to keep information straight in my head. I'm hoping I gave them all the correct information. (sigh) I hate that someone thought they could hit me and then just run off from it.

Enough talk about that though.

I ended today having dinner with Tatiana and Megan. I had to cancel my dinner/theatre date with Lyn (who was lucky enough to recoup the cost of the ticket by selling it to someone else!) because I just wasn't in the mood to see Annie. It's been one of my favorite musicals for as long as I can remember... and ask my parents, they used to hear me singing so many of those songs from the top of my lungs as a kid... but I was just tired and traumatized enough that I didn't want to see people or hear "cheerful" songs.

That's right. I wanted to wallow in my own misery. Stupid birthday.

Dinner at Olde New York sure did the trick though. If you haven't had the chance to go there and happen to live in the State College area, you should really give it a try. I've never been unhappy with my meals when I've been there and it looks like it's really starting to take off and become a new "local" favorite. I had the Central Park and a lovely Sam Adams Winter Lager and that really took the tension off of what had to be the LONGEST day ever. We were just talking and laughing and it really cheered me up. Granted, I'll have to deal with a little more fallout from the birthday over the next week or so, but I was just so appreciative to these two for being willing to postpone their plans to spend that time with me. I almost cried thinking of it.

The other thing that almost made me cry was the fact that when I got home and visited my computer again-- I had so many messages from people! I am truly grateful for all the messages I received via Facebook & MySpace... they really cheered me up. I had so many people rooting for me-- and hoping that I was having the best day ever, that in the end... they were what made it the best day after all.

Maybe there's a lesson to be learned through all of this. As I was telling Melissa the other day, God likes to remind people of a few key things that always seem to escape us at the most inconvenient moments:
1. Be thankful for the little things in life...
You know, my car window may have been stuck... and it may have been annoying, but at least I have a car that works (and it will again!). It gets me where I want and NEED to go and has never failed me. Thanks Ladybug.

2. Be thankful for your family and friends...
Through the many tears I shed yesterday, and today as I think about the many people who called, sent messages, were worried about me, put up with me through my anger and frustration... there are no words or not enough thank yous I can give. From my roommate who stood outside with me yesterday at midnight helping me tape up my window while the wind blew in frigid temperatures, to Caesar who (God bless him!) tried his best to calm me down, Melissa who helped me see the humor of it all... ALL OF YOU. Thank you. I am truly blessed to have you in my life. I only hope someday I can repay the kindness you showed.

and I think the BIGGEST and MOST IMPORTANT lesson of all...

3. You are NOT in control of everything.
I don't think God is mean or spiteful in any way, shape, or form. Far from that, I think sometimes we get too caught up in our own lives and forget whose glory we should be working towards. God's glory. We are here to do GOD's will. I pray that I am always walking the path I should be and that what I am doing is always the best I can do. And I think God sometimes wants to remind us that you know what, in the end you can plan and scheme and think that you've got everything down to a science-- but in the end, you don't. Life happens. And how we respond to the chaos is just like my mother says... the hotter the fire, the finer the steel.

And I would like to think that I am of the finest steel made. I know that although I was saying this was the WORST birthday ever, that in the end-- I should be grateful that I had a birthday. That I have been alive to see 29 years of my life go by. That I have family and friends who cherish those 29 years I have been around with them.

Thank you God for my friends and family.
Thank you God for all the blessings and trials that you give me. For I know, they are not without a reason or a purpose.

For everything, dear God... I thank you.