I'm but a mere mortal

Thursday I was driving home from the gym, and I was thinking to myself how awesome I am because I never get a flu shot, and I never get the flu, and flu season is all but over and I WON AGAIN, so take that sucka! 3 hours later I was laying on my bedroom floor with my cheek on the vent, except I didn't notice my face was on the vent until Addie walked in and asked me why I was "doing that". Oh man, the gods of flu smote me hard for my blasphemous thoughts.

Friday was spent in bed. It was fun. I was sweating profusely, had the window open, fan on full-blast and a thermometer under each armpit. (Well, one was Celsius and the other Fahrenheit so I was having a show down. And I was too congested to keep my mouth closed for an oral temperature reading, and I wasn't really in the mood for a rectal reading that day.) Then like 2 hours later I was chattering away under 4 blankets and 2 layers of clothes wondering when it got so COLD.

I shan't bore you with the details of the subsequent days, but I submit that the flu is more powerful than I. Just when I think I have a handle on it, it punches me in the face. Did you know that the flu can last up to two weeks? Did you also know that my kids don't care that I'm sick and still want me to take care of them? Bless their little hearts. Last night for dinner, I think Addie and Ava ate cheese. I don't remember what the others had.

Well, they're all still alive, so score one for me. Me: 1. Flu: A billion.

Evolution- Cheers to the bumpy road!

We're attempting an evolution of sorts in a few areas of life. It's slow and painful, but necessary, and will lead to greater peace and happiness in many ways.

Dave Rasmsey said, "SELL THE CAR!" 

We sold the car. We sold the camera. Gasp. Even I'm a little sick about the camera. We've committed to sacrificing "wants" in order to achieve financial independence.We've learned things we already knew, but somehow we've had a meeting of the minds this time. That's good. Selling the car (van) was not a sacrifice, it was an enormous relief. We got another van- just a much cheaper one. Selling the camera was hugely symbolic, though- like a burnt offering. 

You know how when you're in the middle of a nasty trial and you feel like it will never end and it's hard to have faith and hope, and you just want to crawl under the covers until it goes away? But you can't, because in order to land on the other side of it, you have to work and struggle and fight and endure and just pray like the dickens that you'll come out of it stronger and better. And through it all, there are those tender mercies that are carrying you through, and you probably won't recognize some of them until the whole thing is behind you, but you know they're there, simply because you can get up every day and function somewhat normally.

I have a lot to be thankful for, and I am. So here's to sacrificing, enduring and fighting. It'll all be worth it. The financial maturing we're doing just happens to coincide with some deeper, involuntary, but very necessary maturing. It's interesting how it's all spilling together.

My theme for 2011 is this: It Can Only Get Better. For Realz.

P.S. When I was a kid, our family had the saying, "Cheers to the bumpy road". It came about when we were on a trip and my dad took a "shortcut", which turned out to be a ridiculously bumpy dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Anyhoo, it seems appropriate now.