The highs the lows

This week has been one of highs and lows. From the low of trying to get to Showcase, to the high of the band at the gala dinner, the coming down when trying to get home, and lower once at home. To finally getting some energy back about Wednesday, to doing too much work yesterday, not sleeping last night because so many ideas were swimming around my head, and then BMW painting on the walls this afternoon - and no this was not a planned thing, and I was not impressed. Amazingly I managed to get it off the walls, tiles, benchtop, and the inside of the lenses of my goggle. Why you would paint in there I have no idea. A great achievement was that I actually got him to admit to doing it after everyone claimed it wasn't them. So since I'm about to scoot off to ballet (with the boys - yuk) and then we have swim club tonight. I am going to leave you with my story of how I got to showcase. I wrote this when I finally got on the train to get to Sydney. Its full of emotion, but its my story and this is my blog.

Cheers

Off to Showcase

Its been a giant rush this morning. I got my bag packed. I got TJ’s dancing clothes ready. 3 sets for the next 3 days. I got Nathan to preschool. And then all hell broke loose.

I got the kids to check on my laptop what time the train was going while I collected my last couple of things. Like money. The small stuff I keep for change for when someone pops in to buy something. I figured there’d be at least $20 worth of coins, and $40 in notes. Enough to catch the country train to Sydney.

So while in the midst of getting the money out the phone rang. It ended up being my UL to see how I was going. In a hurry I said. A quick look at the train timetable confirmed if I got the kids school bus, I would make the 9:25am train to Sydney. It would get me there at 11am. Plenty of time to walk to Museum and then make it to Darling Harbour for lunch.

So I hang up the phone. Write a lunch order for the kids, get their morning tea. Stuff the last couple of things in my bags. Go to go out the door and go... Oh no where is my handbag?

I do the mad search. Look all the regular places. Where could I have put it when I came in from dropping Nath at preschool? I go look in the car. Its not there. The bus is due. I send the kids to the corner so they don’t miss the bus. Like good children they wait at the corner and don’t cross the road.

I’m still searching like mad. All the same places all over again. I was getting in a mad flurry and all worked up. I check the kids. They are still waiting at the corner. TJ was saying come on Mum, you’re going to miss the bus whats wrong? Then the bus comes. I run to the corner, hold their hands and cross the street with them. I tell them I’ll see them on Sunday. No big goodbyes. They’re on the bus and gone. My neighbour who was waiting at the bus stop said, oh I wasn’t sure if I should take them across the road or not. Yeah thanks.

So I go back to searching. Try to clear the mind a little. I paid preschool fees at the counter when I dropped of Nath. I must’ve brought it home with me. I’ll have to ring UL and tell her I’m going to be late. Can’t the phones in my handbag and that’s where her number is. Oh IDEA! Ring my mobile. If its here the bag will ring and then I can find it.

Well why did I not think of that sooner???? My handbag was sitting on the ironing board where I had put it when I went to get my money out. Because the phone had rung I got distracted. And walked away from it. And then in my mad flurry of checking all the usual places I didn’t go that far into the loungeroom.

OK so now I had everything. Out the front door. Lock the door and off to the bus stop. Check that the car is locked as I’m walking out the driveway. Not its not. Since I’d been in and out so many times looking for my handbag I’d forgotten to lock it. Quickly back inside, grab the car keys. Lock the car. Relock house. Walk quickly down to the main road and the bus stop which will take me to the station.

You know how you get that feeling that the bus is just around the corner and you are about to miss it? I ran. Towing suitcase, loaded with CM album bag on top, backpack on my back and handbag looped over arms.

I missed the bus by 20 feet. I was running and waving my arms. The people on the bus were looking at me. Not one of them told the driver. He did not stop. The tears start.

There’s a taxi. It goes the other way. I live in the country. A taxi is a rare thing. And it goes the other way. More tears.

So I start to walk. I figure my only chance is getting to the highway and getting a bus from there to the station. It would be an hour before another bus came through where I was.

So I’m walking, dragging my bags. Backpack on back. At first there’s a footpath. Then theres no footpath but smooth road where they are building the rest of the estate. Then theres the old potholed country road. Uneven and gravelly. Its 3km to the bus stop. Its 31 degrees celcius and very muggy. I am sweating so much its not funny. I’m trying really hard not to be upset.

I finally make it the highway. I cross it and walk half looking backwards to the bus stop. You know how you do that walk. Walking forwards and constantly checking over your shoulder in case that bus comes and you miss it again because you are not at the stop?

I make it to the bus stop and my mobile goes. It my UL again. Checking if I’m ok. No not really. Here comes the bus I gotta go. This is the point where gravity decides to take over and my bags hit the dirt. Not happy. My laptop is in there. I quickly grab them up and wave madly at the bus. The blinker is not going on. I wave even more and the hands were moving into that praying position PLEASE!

So the bus stops. It’s a red bus. Its going to The Entrance. It has to go thru Wyong where the train is. The bus driver says I’m sorry I’m not allowed to pick you up. Major tears on my behalf. I am red in the face, covered in sweat. I finally make it to a bus stop with a bus and you’re not going to take me???

I blabble out that I’ve already missed two buses. The tears are streaming down my face. OK OK he says, gets out of his seat and takes my bags on board. He explains that it’s a Busways bus stop (another company) and that he’s not allowed to pick up anyone from it. So I tell him that busways has already not picked me up because I missed the stop from 20m. He tries to tell me that buses have timetables and if I was late it was my own fault. So I tell him I’ve just walked 3km to get to this bus stop dragging all my stuff. That shuts him up. Plus the tears are still coming down my face.

So he takes me to the station. There was an elderly lady on the bus. She’s really nice and says its ok dear. We tend to get very worked up when we’re hurrying. She waits for me to buy a ticket and we take the elevator together up to the overpass so we can get on the right platform. It turns out that she didn’t know how to work an elevator. Didn’t know what buttons to press. So I explained it to her. Also turns out that she can’t see very well and couldn’t tell what the buttons said.

So finally I’m on the train. I will be arriving 40 minutes later than intended. Not too bad I guess given the circumstances. My UL is going to meet me at the train station. Thank heavens for that because I left the address at home of where I’m now staying at. I was really worried they were going to go off to meet everyone else without me and I would be big time stuck, dragging my bags all around the city. We’re having lunch with all these other consultants I don’t know. I’ll have to eat light, unless I can find a bank and get some money out. So typical that I’m going somewhere and have no money. Well only a little.

I’m going to be real hungry by then. I haven’t had any breakfast yet. Although I’m thinking that the nuts and sultanas that spilt in my album bag when I was searching for my handbag. If I was to get them out now I could eat the spilt ones for morning tea.

Good idea 99. I’m off to eat spilt food. Yah. I’ve got plenty of time since this is an all stops train.

I keep thinking to myself. Not all bad. Still alive. Should’ve stayed with my family and looked after them. It will be ok. I will have a good time. It will be worth it Still alive. All will be ok. And then a man on the train when he heard my story said yes, its ok to be still alive, but we need quality of life too.