Crazy Couple of Weeks

Life has been busy recently. I have been exhausted, but God has blessed me with many good things at this time, too.

A few weeks ago, it was Family Weekend/Homecoming at Buffalo State, so hubby and I each took a 1/2 day off work to drive up on Friday afternoon. We had dinner with Bryce and then went to the football game the next day. Then, took Bryce out to eat again, then came home on Saturday evening. On Monday, we drove back up to Brockport State College, which is over an hour drive to watch DS's JV Football game. Whoa! I'm tired already. We were in the car several hours in 4 days and we worked two of those days. Well, you get the picture...my van has become my second home.

The following week, Bryce came home on a Friday evening and we returned him to Buffalo bright and early on Sunday morning, so he could make his football practice that day. It's grueling riding 2 hours up to Buffalo, then turning around and riding 2 hours back. I think next time that happens, we're going to find a little detour in Buffalo or nearby to break up the trip.

Bryce called Monday night to say that his cell phone had been stolen. He had dropped it while sitting in the lounge, returned 2 - 3 minutes later and it was gone. He called the phone from a friend's phone and the person who picked it up had turned it off. He said he knew he had it on and it had a full charge. Thankfully, I have insurance to cover theft or lost electronic items while he's at college, so I called (since he had no phone), and had the new phone in less than 24 hours. In fact, I called around 5:30 p.m on Monday and when I came home from work on Tuesday at noon for lunch, it was here. Speedy!

Since Bryce had seen a lot of us the last few weeks, he was missing us and wanting to call home a lot. Thankfully, his two roommates have been gracious enough to let him use their cell phones to call us in the evening and weekends when they have 'unlimited' calling.

Last week, he talked to me over an hour, panicked that he was going to fail his Human Origins class. Now, if you know my son, you'd be surprised. For one thing, Bryce is a very good student, secondly, he 's extremely laid back. He's so laid back, you feel like you have to light a fire under him once in awhile. (He's just like his daddy in that respect, which is what helps to keep me grounded sometimes.) So, I surmised that he was exhausted. The only time I know my son to become agitated and stressed is when he's overtired. So, like any good mommy, I told him to relax and take a nap. He did. He called me back later and said that he took a nap, ate some fruit and felt better. Ahhh, what a good nap and a little fruit can't do for what ails ya!

Apparently, the stress from Human Origins came about when he realized that the professor has given them nothing to be graded on yet, but they have a mid-term exam in 10 days. So, Bryce had decided to devote a whole afternoon of studying to get acquainted with what might be on the mid-term. That's when he became panicked. Apparently, the book teaches one thing, the syllabus says another and the teacher teaches something entirely different. As he said, it never bothered him until he decided to study for the mid-term, because just what do you study!?! Well, son, go ask the professor! Ask the professor? Gee, he hadn't thought of that.

We traveled to Buffalo for Bryce's Football Game on Sunday, bringing along his new cell phone and a winter coat (as it's getting much chillier in upstate NY). We had decided to drive our small S-10 pick up truck, because my van has had some issues in the last few days and it wasn't going into the garage for a few more days. I had been driving Bryce's car to work everyday, since he didn't take it to college. Freshmen are not allowed to have cars when they live on campus.

Well.....we were about 20 minutes from campus traveling on the NY State Thruway going around 70 - 75 miles per hour when suddenly the truck felt like it was stuck in 'neutral.' Hubby (being cool, calm, and collected) was losing ground quickly on the roadway alongside all those 18-wheelers, but decided to drop it down into 3rd gear, then shot it back up into 'overdrive.' It caught and it drove the rest of the way to campus without incident. Sigh of relief! We made it! But when we climbed out of the truck, we could smell something distinctive like a burning substance of some sort. Hubby said it was just as well we go watch the game and give it time to cool off, then he'd check things out after the game.

Bryce's team lost, but he played excellent. He has moved himself up in the line-up and has worked extremely hard. In fact, that's the reason he was becoming so stressed, because he's been exerting a lot of energy maintaining his school work and physically exerting a lot of energy trying to maintain the football game, too. They talk about the 'Freshman 15', which is where most freshmen upon entering college gain 15 pounds their first semester. Well, DS has lost 5 pounds, which concerns me, because during football season he usually gains about 10 pounds, then keeps them. So, I know he's been working way too hard, but what's a momma to do? I advised him to eat his veggies and fruit, drink milk, get enough protein, etc, etc, etc. He laughed and said, "Mom, I learned the food pyramid when I was in Middle School, I think I can handle it." LOL! Okay........

After the game, we took Bryce to dinner, yet again. After all, I might as well oversee his eating habits whenever I'm able to. Then, we dropped him off at college. My hubby had surmised that the transmission fluid had leaked during our trip that morning, so we bought some fluid and put it into the tranny. Now, I didn't know there was such a precise method of putting transmission fluid in your vehicle, but hubby taught me and we accomplished putting about 1/2 quart into the transmission. Then, we were on our way. We were 125 miles from home and I did a lot praying. God answered my prayers and we arrived home in what was double the normal driving time and a few stops to add more transmission fluid. Thirty miles from home, we ran out of fluid, but God saw us home safely.

So, I have two vehicles in the driveway that need to go to the shop, I have a son who can't figure out how to re-activate his new cell phone, I had a killer headache yesterday that I'm thinking was caused by sitting too long in a vehicle over the last few weeks, and I have a son at college that I worry over (even though I know he'll be fine, I think moms just worry).

But, I also have such a great job that I took a 'mental health' day off today and I get paid. I have a husband who loves me and takes care of me when the killer headache hits. I have the money to repair both of those junk vehicles in the driveway. I have a smart son who will eventually figure out how to re-activate his new phone. I have a roof over my head, money in the bank (which hasn't closed their doors yet), food on my table and a God that I love with all my heart for all my blessings.