My little trooper of a girl put up with a two hour drive to our shopping destination so that I could buy picture frames, and then a two hour drive back, and then just ONE more quick stop in town before heading home. It seemed that quick stop was the last straw though, and my poor little tired, hungry Growly Bear had had enough. And, she was letting me know it at the top of her lungs. Although I felt bad for her and, a little guilty that she'd been in her car seat for so long, I wasn't overly worried because I knew we were only about 5 minutes away from home.
So, while telling her how sorry I was for making her wait, and what a good girl she had been all day, and that it was OK to let it out till we got home, I pulled out of the parking lot of this last stop. Almost immediately, a big pick-up truck pulled out in front of us. "No big deal!" I thought and kept going.
Well, said truck did between 20km and 30km along what's marked as a 50km zone (and where I fully intended to go at least 60km to get my little screaming munchkin home). I thought, "OK, once we get past these little twists in the road, he'll speed up". NOPE! He went sssllloooowwwweerr!
By this point, my Growly Bear is really letting me have it! In my head, I'm calling this person ahead of me every horrible name I've ever heard in my entire life, while soothingly trying to tell the screaming car seat in the back, in my calmest mommy voice, that it's OK, and we are almost home (a lie!).
Our "quick" drive home has more then doubled by now, and I'm about to loose it. I'm thinking I'm going to shoot this person my best death glare when he pulls over. And then as the wailing from the back seat starts getting to me, I think it might make me feel a little better if I flip him the bird as well!
As the minutes (feels like hours by now) go on, I start having nasty (exhilarating!) thoughts of pulling over when this... aah-hem... person stops, and letting him have it! I mean seriously, if you have NO intention of doing the speed limit and there is a car RIGHT behind you, at least have the decency to pull over and let the following person go by!
Right when I'm almost at my breaking point, I see his turn signal come on! Thank God! I'm preparing my best ugly face, and am about to shoot it at the drivers side window, I see where the truck is turning in! It's the driveway of my close friend's parents house.... It was her step-dad! I can't flip the bird to my friends step dad! Plus, he's a nice man who's house I've been in many times, and I'm sure will be in many times more! That would make sitting across the dinner table from him in the future somewhat awkward I would think.
So now I'm feeling sheepish and a little mean, and instead of my nasty face I had all planned out, I smiled and waved like a civilized person.
I guess the moral of the story is, don't get your panties in a bunch when you live in a small town. There's no avoiding the person that you're annoyed with. Sooner or later you'll be sitting across the dinner table from them, and no one likes a tension filled meal.
So, I'll be practicing my patience skill!
Till next time, Loves and Hugs