I didn't even scream at him.

The high school kid and I share a car that Mr. P bought for us about three years ago. It is a fine car for driving around town, getting to and from work and school. However, over the last two months, the car leaks something, and a different warning light comes on, nearly on a daily basis. Perhaps it will be "Low Coolant", maybe "Service Engine Soon," or even "Service Automobile Soon". Maybe something about changing the oil. Anyway, we have a little bit of money in savings and I have been nagging Mr. P just to get the damn thing fixed already, and he hesitates...he is fairly mechanically inclined and hates to pay mechanics if he thinks he can do it.

About a month ago I warned him...we have the money, you have had the time and you didn't take care of it. If the damn thing breaks down on me on my way to work and I miss a class or a meeting, or I am stranded because you are working out of town, I may punch you in the nuts while I SCREAM at you. In other words I ensured him that I would lose my shit if that car broke down on me. (Do you see where this story is going?)

So, Friday night we were going to meet at the gym after work. Yes, us the people who put drinking beer after work on Fridays on the map, we were going to the gym, then the grocery store, then home to play Risk. Healthy, healthy, healthy. Mr. P arrived at the gym before I did, and texted me. About this time, DING. DING. DING. I look at the panel and the car is seriously overheating. I immediately pull over. Smoke/steam/fog something is pouring out from under the hood. I try to call Mr. P. Guess what? Our gym is in a "dead zone", so my calls were going directly to voice mail. I could feel myself getting more and more and more angry. I was trying to figure out the best combination of words...I thought about including, lazy, inconsiderate, jackass, and I would probably throw some fuckity fucks for good measure.

I called the boy at home, and had him look up the gym's phone number so I could get Mr. P paged, and apparently he heard the receptionist repeat his name, and found service and called me. When he arrived, I had a policeman for company and had already called AAA. When Mr. P walked up, I said, "Remember how I told you that this would happen?" The policeman looked at Mr. P with pity and left. Mr. P apologized, said he would take me to the gym, and he would wait for the tow truck. I had so many words I wanted to say, but then I just thought, you know what? We have the money to get it fixed. It happened to me when Mr. P was 2 miles away, not to the highschool kid when we were in Charleston. It happened when there was no pressure to be anywhere at a certain time, and on a three day weekend so we have time to arrange for transportation for me and the highscool kid. It happened.

I did my workout, and then you know what? I was over it.

mmm. So I guess there is something else to this healthier lifestyle, beyond the physical benefits. I felt the anxiety and ANGER rising up, but then I was able to control myself and not scream at Mr. P. I am thinking about how that could have changed my whole weekend had I done what I normally would do (scream mercilessly at Mr. P). We wouldn't have had a good workout, then fun browsing the grocery store, then a nice evening of watching Planet Earth and playing Risk with both kids. He wouldn't have been so eager to taxi the kids and I to see Paul Blart Mall Cop AND Bride Wars on a cold, grey Saturday. We wouldn't have had such a good time grabbing a beer with yet ANOTHER friend I hadn't seen in 20 years last night.

We might just now be getting back to normal after a weekend of stress, not getting ready to go the park for a walk, then planning our menu for watching football this afternoon.

This way is better.