Today I was convicted by how horribly addicted I am to comfort and convenience. I’ve mentioned my car problems before. Last fall, when I stalled coming out onto a busy street and almost got killed, we finally decided we could avoid it no more and shelled out the $500 to have the starter problem fixed. That was about three months ago, and we already have a different issue. Both the handle to the driver’s side door and the back hatch are broken. Well, the driver side door handle is hanging on by a thread. It’s going to come off in my hand any day now. And the handle to the back hatch is permanently stuck. So when I went to Target yesterday, I had to cram my purchases in the front seat because I couldn’t access the back at all. LOVELY.
I need to get it fixed, OBVIOUSLY, but who has time to sit in the stinky dealer’s waiting room with one or two kids, depending on the time of day, and shell out $$$$ to fix stupid door handles?
I hate old cars. I hate being nickeled and dimed to death. I hate to be inconvenienced with trips to the repair shop and putting my dang groceries in the stupid front seat when I have this cavern in the back for just that purpose — that’s why I DRIVE the frumpy mom-mobile.
I know that I should be THANKFUL that I have such a comfortable and generally reliable automobile to drive around in AND THAT IT’S PAID FOR but I’m not. I’m grumpy that I have to keep fixing stuff. And sticking my groceries in the front seat until I find time to take it in. Oh and one more thing. The rear windshield wiper? Broken. Try seeing out of the back of a minivan without a windshield wiper. Not exactly safe.
Speaking of life’s minor irritations, I was without data coverage on my blackberry for over an hour today after I dropped it at the mall and the battery went skidding across the floor of The Children’s Place. Would I be able to live contentedly without email for an hour? No, I would not. I was grumping the whole way home, and my poor husband took the brunt of it because he’s always the first person I call when something’s not working. SUCH a lucky guy to be married to me.
This all begs the question, how ridiculously addicted to comfort and convenience can a person possibly be? It’s sickening, truly. But our culture just cultivates this addiction, doesn’t it? Instant gratification is almost expected nowadays. Lord, please grant me peace and contentment… without any suffering or inconvenience please? Thank you, amen. LOL. I seriously pray that way. It’s wise to cover all the bases.
Change of subject: I checked my blog poll results (does that link work?) when I got home, and the tide has turned. It’s almost 50-50 for merging the blogs with the “Absolutelys” taking the lead. How did that happen in a matter of four hours? Is someone rigging this? And I thought I had it all figured out. Y’all are a tough bunch to please.
And I’m also intrigued by the several comments that said that my new WordPress home isn’t as warm and inviting as my old abode on Typepad. I love, love, LOVE this new setup SO much more. I love it because it IS more spacious and minimal. That’s me. I hate clutter. But I also don’t want it to be cold and unwelcoming. So any concrete suggestions you may have as to how to improve the feel of my li’l home here on the Internet would be appreciated. I’m always tweaking. As you know.
So then. Time to get off this here computer and tend to my children who are presently vegitating in front of Cyber Chase. I’m breaking all my rules and posting this immediately without proofing or letting it marinate overnight. I’m SUCH a rebel.
14 Responses
I’m with Nap Warden, I have been super-grumpy about the feedburner thing for days! My dropped number is also 60! ha ha. But back to YOU, Jo-Lynne, I get it totally. I hate it when I can’t fix stuff. That’s a huge part of the frustration we feel being inconvenienced, is the need to depend on someone else to take care of the problem. You’re only human! Something not working at home when my hubby’s not there to magically fix it in two seconds just by looking at it makes me crazy. And then when he fixes it, I am usually mad that he made it look so easy!
In other news, I LOVE your new look here, and I feel very warm & fuzzy here!!
Now go get a Starbucks (or a Mountain Dew if you will) and take a break! xoxo
Isn’t it crazy how this blogging thing takes over? I have been in such a funk because my feedburner subscription dropped by 60 over night. Like 60 folks woke up and hit delete subscription:P My issues…
Fwiw, I really like the new site. Perhaps it’s the cool color scheme you have switched to (which I love) People might find it less inviting (which I don’t)
I am not helping…I’m on cold medicine:P
I hate old cars too. I drive an older jeep that has no heat. Yes, that right. It has no heat! The heat broke last fall and it will cost $2000 to fix. We can’t afford a new car right now so we trade off cars and whoever has the baby gets the sedan with heat. Hasn’t been fun the past few weeks. On Monday, my husband called to complain that the windshield wipers froze to the windshield because there was no defrost to warm up the windshield. I’m hoping for summer soon!
LOL. Nap and Jenny, I hear ya with the feedburner. I lost 100 subscribers. But it’s not you. It’s feedburner. I’ve heard they’re working on it. Merry Christmas!
Megan – NO HEAT!? Are you NUTS? Yikes!
About the car – have you tried looking on ebay for the handles? If your hubby could put them on, you can probably get them cheap there. My hubby is kinda addicted to ebay and this has worked for us for a lot of different things. Just an idea!
Okay, friend, here is a true confession that ties in both things you are speaking to here. Sometimes, no, a lot of times, I read but don’t comment here because all of my info doesn’t auto-fill-in-the-blanks and I am too dang lazy to type it all out again. That’s my addiction to convenience right there!
I am SO READY for feedburner numbers to adjust. Bleh. I should not be this concerned.
No time to chat, wanted to say I like your colors as is but maybe the others that need warmth would like it with a touch of color to the center )(white goes to cream?) I’ll be back later about the other stuff!
I NEVER look at my feedburner. but just have! I too have dropped 50 in the last week, and without you, would not have known to worry about it 🙂
Hope it is sorted soon, but I never even knew I had so many subscribers (even after the drop), so thanks !!!
Hmmmm….now I am wondering who they are!
I was wondering about my feedburner. I thought it was just because I wasn’t posting anything good lately!! It is funny how easily we get addicted to our convenience. My bun warmers in my truck weren’t working and I was in the shop four times telling them they weren’t fixing it. Honestly, I felt foolish pushing the fact that I could warm my bottom, but hey it was under warranty so I figured I may as well get my comfort, right? I’m also addicted to my cell being able to go online with it, when growing up I never had a cell phone and life seemed to flow just fine then. Oh well, gotta move on with the times. Have a great night.
sweetie, sometimes ranting and raving at ourselves – especially when we are convicted about something – is a GOOD thing!
I totally cracked up reading about your door handles! I drive a 7 year old minivan, and last year the side door handle on the passenger side broke off in my daughter’s hand. Of course, this is the side that they are supposed to get in and out of in the carpool line. I have almost zero pride left after pulling up to the school for a year and seeing the tachers’ reactions when there is no handle to open the door. Have we had it fixed yet? Take a guess…. 🙂
LOL! Kristin, I don’t blame you a BIT. It’s just such a PITA! Who has time for that? We’ll be handle-less together, how’s about that!?
I am glad that my husband’s truck is not the only one that has a broken door handle…his is awful. We have gone through three handles in two years. Thanks goodness for the junk yard and my Mr. Fix-It husband! I hate waiting for my car to get fixed too.
Ugh, cars! We just had a new transmission put in the van a couple months back, which took almost a month!
Trying to cram the kids into hubby’s little sporty thing was really annoying. Once I got the van back, I appreciated it so much more 🙂