Let the world flow you by

Manuka honey.  It's this crazy expensive honey that I bought at the health food store because I am a sucker for such things.  It tastes very strong and makes me feel kind of sick.  So I don't eat it.

I do however, put it in a cup of tea from time to time to derive all the benefits that are promised.  But for the most part, it sits in my cupboard.

On the 4th of July I slipped on a step and really cut my leg on the stone patio I landed on.  It's a fairly deep cut but right on the bone, so it's never generated much in the way of blood or ooze.  But this morning in the shower the scab-like thing that was protecting it came off and now it's just plain icky looking.  I haven't had a bandage on it since the first day, but I've been running around all day with it exposed and it kind of hurts.

Then all of a sudden I thought "manuka honey."  And sure enough, it is this hugely healing stuff that is perfect to put on a wound to create an anti-bacterial barrier so that your body can create new skin.

So, that is why I have that honey.  Just in case I was wondering.

So when you are in the flow, you are usually REALLY in the flow, and today was exactly like that.  Maddie woke me up (I thought quite cruelly by yelling at me that it was TIME TO GO) this morning because she was anxious to go get her driver's license.  (She is out on her first solo trip right now as we "speak," and quite frankly, I've been there/done that and I am happy that they are both out of the house!)  The plan was to drive up to Lebanon because she was obsessed with taking her test in a place that was not a city.  Whatever.  I looked it up, and the offices in Lebanon were open on Mondays.  But first we had to head in the opposite direction about 10 minutes to pick up her paperwork from the driver's ed. teacher.  Fine.

In the meantime, Charlie was obsessed with torturing the middle school secretary (apparently the only body in the school) and then the high school secretary (apparently a wonderful and HELPFUL woman who actually in the end did help him) and he kept calling me on my cell phone.  So I was in the midst of calming him down from a sobbing crisis because the middle school bitch (umm, secretary) basically told him tough patooties once again, and also insisted that EVERYONE was on vacation this week.  And because the guidance recommendation wasn't sent to one of the schools, they weren't going to be able to give him an answer.  He was flummoxed.

Maddie climbed into the car DISGUSTED and said that we had to drive further in the opposite direction because they had written her name wrong on the paperwork.  I then announced, as we drove further away from Lebanon and closer to Concord that we would be going to Concord.  She was mad.  She didn't want to go to Concord (you know, because everyone who goes there fails.  In her mind anyway).  I then told Charlie to call the superintendents office (and wouldn't you know, somehow they managed to scare up the principal of the middle school, who upon hearing from the superintendent's office that he needed to do something, actually did it.)  Unbelievable.   So, I am going from one phone call after another from an irate and upset child to a steaming and freaked out and anxious child sitting next to me in the car.  

Oye.

And I am talking about being in the flow?  Odd, I know.

So we arrive in Concord and there is no line.  We walk right up and the woman processes the paperwork.  Maddie goes in to take her test.  Charlie calls and says that everything has been taken care of and he should hear from one of the schools by today.  (The other one still has one thing coming by mail, because no one in the middle school actually knows how to use a fax machine apparently.  OR, they choose not to.  Power.  Or abuse thereof.)

I open up my Kindle and happily read, though actually it is more fun to people watch at the DMV.  Which I did.  Drama.  I should spend a day there then write a short story.  Because as I was waiting for Maddie to go to the bathroom on the way out, an older woman was taking her eye test but only got half right.  So the woman behind the desk asks her if she wants to guess.  TO GUESS!!! HAHAHAHAHA.  So I stand there, literally laughing out loud, as this woman guesses. G?  No, the woman shakes her head.  M?  Unbelievable.  I left in near hysterics.  And Maddie was concerned about getting her license!  Hell, they want the money, they don't care who is on the road!

But ... she finished her test and came out and said that she didn't know one question.  NOT ONE.  She said nothing was from the book.  The child is so predictable.  And so anti-flow!  She stood in this one line behind two people for a few minutes, then I pointed to another line that had no one in it.  The thing about the DMV is they don't care about fair -- they just take the next person.  So lo and behold, she went right up to the woman and discovered in seconds that she had only gotten two wrong on the test.  Excellent.  But.  There were no driving appointments left for the day in Concord.  I said, what about Lebanon?  The woman shook her head.  "No, they are closed today due to a gas leak."

WHOA!  Can you imagine how frustrating it would have been to drive up there to discover that?  Clearly we weren't supposed to go there.  Awesome.  We signed up for a 1:00 appointment (it was 11:00) in Manchester, and wouldn't you know, as the flow goes, it was right in the same plaza as the health food store I needed to go to.  Love it.

So, Maddie was freaked about driving in the city, so we drove there, found the place, then I had her drive what I figured would be the route they would choose.  We did that, returned, waited about five minutes and then off she went. (And yes, he took her that way.  I am so smart.)  She returned 15 minutes later, we went back upstairs and lo and behold, there was NO line!  (Earlier there had been about 20 people in line.)  This young kid jumped on it, and then even followed us to the next step to make sure that the woman took us next!  Beautiful.  So about 10 minutes after that Maddie had her new license in hand.

And then we went to the health food store and I picked up all the things I needed, and then Charlie called to say he was accepted at the school.

The 13th has been a good day!