January 1, 2011

New Year's Eve

I think I was the only person who worked on New Year’s Eve. I did take vacation days before and after Christmas, so I can’t complain.

I had a couple of errands to do before I headed home. If I don’t make the stops before I get home, chances are slim to none that I will get back out. I stopped at Office Max for XL Black printer ink. I can buy the regular at Wal-Mart, but not the XL cartridge. While in Office Max, I found a cute 2011 calendar/planner for work. I had actually already purchased a similar planner for work; but this one was so dang cute. I have visions of using some of the elements from planner number one in the cute planner number two. What can I say?

Since Michael’s is in the same shopping center as Office Max, I decided to run in there and have a quick look around. Nothing really reached out and asked me to take it home and I left with only a couple of pieces of cardstock. You know, a girl can never have enough cardstock.

Then I stopped at the Wal-Mart for a few things.

Help. Me. Rhonda.

There were people everywhere. Kids running around, some were screaming, some trying to find their parents. Folks parked their basket or the electric cart they were driving in the middle of the isles.

It was a mad house. A mad house, I tell you.

At first I forgot that it was New Year’s Eve. I wondered what all these people were doing here on a Friday night. Is it payday? Is there a big sale? Then I remembered.

I set my sights on the things I needed; hoping to get in and out of the store as quickly as possible. I found most of the items on my list with no problem. However, I needed one red bell pepper and the only red bell pepper in the store was packaged with a yellow and an orange bell pepper. Well, I didn’t need the yellow and the orange peppers, so I did what my mama would do, I bought a green pepper.

Because it was New Year’s Eve, I also bought a bottle of
Llano Estacado wine. When the sweet lady at the checkout scanned the wine, the register asked if the purchaser was under 40? Apparently, the sweet checkout lady answered yes. I was then required to give my date of birth. Month, day and YEAR. In the Wal-Mart checkout line.

On my way out of the store, I had to smile, because at least one person thinks I look like I am under 40 years of age. If the truth be told, she probably hit the yes button by accident and didn’t know quite how to go back and change the answer. It made the whole Wal-mart on New Year’s Eve episode worth it.

I got home, fed my dog, put a frozen pizza in the oven, threw a log in the fireplace and poured myself glass of wine. I enjoyed a solitary evening, surfing the internet, catching up on some blog reading and listening to House Hunters (I love HGTV). I might have also tried to pay Donkey Kong returns on the Wii. I could never get past the frogs on the first level. How do seven year olds just pick up the remote and know what to do? I read the instructions and still didn't know what to do.

My evening was pure joy. That is, if I don’t think about my inability to play Donkey Kong, even when no one is watching or yelling instructions at me.

For more years than I can count, I have been unhappy and sad on New Year’s Eve. I have always told myself that everyone in the whole world is out with friends, having the time of their lives; everyone, that is, but me. I have finally learned that this is not true. The world is full of hurting, lonely, sad individuals. This year, I made the choice not to be one of those people. I ate my frozen pizza; I had a glass of wine and I thanked God for my life and all the blessings he has given me.

Happy New Year!

Blessings!