Ah.
So here's how my day gets going this morning:
(First realize that I'm driving our completely uncool van, which is uncool in more ways than one because the air conditioning is broken.)
I get Matthew to school by 7:00 a.m. (which is basically when Leona has to be at school)
I get Melissa to the Orthodontist by 7:30 a.m.
I get Michael to school by 8:00 a.m.
I pick up Melissa from the Orthodontist around 8:05 a.m.
I take Melissa to school around 8:15 a.m.
I go to the store to pick up a couple of extra things for Michael's birthday and arrive around 9:00 a.m.
And then things begin to get goofy.
Leona calls as I'm arriving in the parking lot. I turn off the ignition while I'm still on the phone, and suddenly there is this frightening and freaky buzzing sound. Then the horn starts honking. Loudly. On its own. Hooooonnnnk! Honk! Honk! Hooooonnnnk! Honk! Honk! The keys are not even in the ignition. I start it back up, and it keeps honking. At this point the people in the parking lot are beginning to stare, and Leona is beginning to laugh.
It's still honking. Did I already say that it is loud? Hooooonnnnk! Honk! Honk! Hooooonnnnk! Honk! Honk! I'm now driving out of the parking lot and heading to the mechanic that worked on the van a few days ago. Obviously, something has gone horribly wrong.
The thing honks all the way from Watauga to Keller, causing quite a bit of confused and befuddled looks along the way, I might add. It finally stops honking about two blocks from the mechanic, so I stop at another parking lot and kill the engine. I take a breath and turn the key again. Hooooonnnnk! Honk! Honk! Hooooonnnnk! Honk! Honk! I just about jump out of my seat.
As I drive into the parking lot of the mechanic, the thing is still honking like a constipated duck in a yodeling class. The people there are coming out of the building and looking at me like, "Whoa, chill out - we'll look at your van. Keep your shirt on! What's the matter with you?" I just lift up my hands like a prisoner and kind of wave at the steering wheel. They don't quite get it until I get out of the van and it's still honking the goose national anthem.
A couple hours later, the car alarm that we didn't even know was installed on our van has been surgically removed, and the haunting honking noise is just a mind numbing memory. The next several hours are spent with a makeshift lunch, picking kids up from school within an hour of each other, making a couple of trips to the store, stopping by the house for a cup of lemonade, and sweating profusely. Yes, it's about 100 degrees in the DFW Metroplex right now, and yes, reparing the air conditioning will have to wait till another day...
But believe it or not, I'm still thankful.
Because old "Chitty Chitty Honk Honk" is paid for. And I'm celebrating my youngest son's birthday, tonight. And I'm really getting excited about how the plan is coming together and all that's ahead for Compass Church. And I have a beautiful, smart and supportive wife. And I have great kids. And God is good. And heaven's gonna be great, one day and it probably won't be this hot or sweaty there... And once again, I'm realizing I'm still a pretty blessed guy.
And that's pretty honkin' cool.
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