gratitude day 21, seasons and just-one-of-those-days

Hallelujah, glory be, fall/winter (I'm gonna name it Finter) has finally arrived here in Phoenix.  We're having lows in the 30s, there is snow on the ground up in Flagstaff, Turkey Day is gonna be a cool 60 degrees, and I'm wearing my holey but oh-so-comfy sweats at night.  We don't really have all four seasons here in AZ--we have hot and we have cold, and I think we are officially into the cold.

A couple of days ago we picked this out of our 25 Days of Gratitude Grateful Jar:

I was looking through our Grateful Jar activities from 2009 and noticed that for this day we went up to the park and fed the ducks.  That hadn't even occurred to me this time around, but I thought it was a perfect idea to get us out of the house.  So off we went to Kingswood Parke.

  

We've done this several times over the years, so none of the poses are new.  Just slightly older and taller kids.  :)

 

  

And a slightly skinnier me--check me out from the back!  (or. . . don't, actually, but hey, not bad, right? *wink*)

Now let me tell you about this day I had. 

I went to work today and after I got there, learned that my 'employer' was having just one of those days.  You know those days where you have grand plans and then just absolutely nothing goes right.  Anything and everything prevents you from getting done the stuff that needs doing!  I won't go into detail, but I just had to shake my head and sympathize with her.

Anyway, we had a full day planned. I was gonna help the gentleman I work with run a bunch of errands--get a haircut, do some Christmas shopping, scout out the toy stores, etc.  We had a full day planned.  All was going well until we left the Barnes & Noble and I went to put him into the van.

1)  I unlocked the van

2)  I opened the back hatch so he could wheel his wheelchair up the ramp and into the van

3)  I opened the drivers' side door, put the keys in the ignition, turned on the van (for radio, A/C, heat, whatever), shut the driver's side door

4)  I opened up the sliding side door, hooked up the front buckles to the wheelchair, shut sliding side door

5)  I went to the back of the van, hooked up the back buckles to the wheelchair, shut the back hatch door

6)  Tried to open driver's side door

7)  Tried to open any other door

8)  Freaked out

The van was locked tight.  And the gentleman I work  with is completely wheel-chair bound, can not reach over to unlock doors, etc.  My phone was in my purse in the van.  Phone numbers, everything.  I had nothing and I had no idea what to do.  I was *this close* to just calling 911 and having them come break into the van.

Fortunately my client was very patient and was safe and sound, but I had to figure out what to do.

The woman in the car next to me noticed I was locked out and offered her phone.  Painstakingly I was able to get my client's wife's cell phone number from him, one number at a time (his speech isn't very good) and eventually I was able to get in touch with her to request she bring an extra set of keys!!

I've gone over this scenario a hundred times since (and while waiting 20 minutes outside the van for her to show up!) and I have no idea what I did, how I could have locked the door, etc.  If I'd accidentally locked it on my way out, I wouldn't have been able to open the sliding side door. . . my client claims the van just did it on its own and it wasn't my fault, but I think he was just trying to spare my feelings.  So, wow, crazy morning.

Then, we're at the pond:

and minutes before this picture was taken, I had my phone and camera in my jacket pockets, my keys in my hands.

And I was standing at about here.

And I fumbled with my keys and dropped them.

Reaching down to pick them up, my camera and phone fell out of my pockets.

And my cell phone now lies at the bottom of the pond.  *forehead slap*

So it was fun, but a kinda pricey outing!

Then I came home and ruined dinner and nearly burned the house down but I won't go into that.

Long story short, we ate out at Las Fuentas here in town (and oh my heck, mexican food never tasted so good--this place is awesome!  we had their Tuesday buffet and kids ate free, so it was a very good price.  Totally worth it for the chocolate cake alone!)

Ooooooh my goodness what a day. 

We actually had a great day--other than the trauma of locking my client in the car, losing a $100 phone in the lake, and nearly setting my kitchen on fire.  We decorated the house for Christmas and put the lights up (all except the tree, ran out of time) and Danny and I re-taught ourselves how to do The Pretzel.  (it's a country dance, not a euphemism) 

Honestly, it really ended up being a great day.  How are you celebrating the change of seasons?