Up or Down

It's one of those days. The kind that could throw you completely into the dumps if you let it.

I had a funny feeling I should ask my boss for a lift to work today (he lives just down the road). But, being the stubborn "me do it!" chick I am, I thought - nah, it's not raining, O's going OK, let me just drive there myself. Well.... yes, just near work Olivia cut out. Darn fuel starvation again! Not an empty tank this time, fortunately.

So there I was in howling gale-force wind, holding the front door out of speeding-by traffic with one hand, and undoing things under the driver's seat with the other. Needless to say pretty soon I was both covered in various grades of dirt/mud and smelling rather distinctly of petrol. One colleague saw me on her way past and phoned to check I was OK. Two others stopped by to see if they could offer a lift. And then my boss turned up in his big 4x4 and towed me to work... Olivia's now standing out in the shopping mall parking area, awaiting:

a) a replacement fuel filter
b) a check of the fuel pump and fuel lines for blockages
c) a thorough check-through at lunchtime (hell, I'm already dirty, a little more won't matter)

I may need to get a lift home with the boss tonight, leaving poor O overnight (in hope and faith that she'll survive it), and come back bearing spares in the morning. But I hold out all hope that I can sort her out over lunchtime.

So it was late to work, dived right in, washed off whatever fuel I could manage - but I'm still slightly perfumed with the stuff and dusty around the edges. Oh well.

NOW... I could see this as an Absolute Disaster. The entire day ruined, down the drain, not going to look up.

or

Well there's an alternative way to see it. Just part of the adventure. Another challenge to sink my teeth into and work through. An "added extra" to give a shot of excitement to what would otherwise have been a pretty routine day.

Life's a journey. It's filled with a multitude of experiencies. You can choose to either moan about the ones that come your way, or simply live them fully, "sucking out the marrow" of whatever learning curve you're hitting. Guess which one I'm doing.

::update::
Perhaps it's the post-lunch slump (during which I didn't get her going). Or the fear of leaving Olivia in a public parking lot overnight (when she's been voted "car most likely to run" between the two I own). But as part of the "living fully" I think I'm going to indulge in a slight bit of woe-is-me. Just a small down-dip before I shake it and find another bright side to look on.

I'm wondering exactly how many bright sides I need to find today though. The other stuff is just going to have to be pushed away for now.