A Mother's Balancing Act

Monday Morning Coffee

As I sit this morning, making my "to-do" list before dashing off to work, I am ever so thankful that I roasted a turkey breast yesterday, in order to make my gravy in advance of "The Big Feast". And oh my goodness, it is delicious, if I do say so myself...and I do!

Entertaining 21 is not something that I do often. It didn't occur to me until last weekend that my cleaning crew (once again) did not "ping me" to ask when they could reschedule me since my regular day falls on "The Big Day". Last year, when I realized this, I opted out, figuring we were heading out of town to my brother's house. I thought, "Hey, we'll save the hundred bucks, do some cleaning ourselves (ahem...), and no one will be the wiser." Well, this time, I've got a cast of thousands coming to my house. It needs to be cleaned. I was sick a good part of last week (yuck!), and College Girl comes home tomorrow night to boot!

It looks like we'll be pulling together as a family to do an "all-out-effort" to get the house in order. I worked on everything but the floors in the kitchen last night, so it's in pretty good shape at the moment. I reminded Big Strong Man (that's BSM for any of you newcomers...) that I'd need his assistance, and we'll just make it work. That's right...Tim Gunn style. Yeah, I know. It sounds lame, but when you're used to having help, it takes a village to really get the whole house clean at the same time!

Truth be told, I'm just so excited to get my College Girl home tomorrow night, I'll do anything to get the Big Feast on the table on Thursday. Family, friends, feast, faith. It'll all be there. Life is good.

Cheers,

Balanced Babe (Molly Wendland)

Music Muses & Contemplations

The music of my life plays in the background of my day like the raindrops that fall down our chimney into the foil pans placed there to catch them. The notes stand as accompaniment to my pain, my sorrows, my grief and my careful discontent. Yet they also resonate with my joy, my successes, my delights and all of my countless pleasures. Music is so central to my core that the same song can produce within me anguish and undeniable bliss within nearly the same moment. How can that be?

Balanced Babe (Molly Wendland)

FedEx...$88 for Shipping Raggedy Ann's Costume?

So, I needed to ship a care package to College Girl last week. It contained a Raggedy Ann Halloween  
costume, among other things. I have a FedEx account with an excellent discount due to having a home-based direct sales business through a company that happens to be their largest residential shipping customer. I had the package, all 5.5 pounds of it, boxed and taped up, pre-addressed, etc. I just wanted to find out how much it was going to cost me, depending on what time it arrived (morning or afternoon). It was shipping from KC to Chicago. I had shipped to College Girl previously, just not overnight. The gentleman assigned to assist me was visibly distressed when I handed him my account card, shoulders heaving and sighing heavily.

Balanced Babe: Could you please tell me what it will cost to ship, morning vs. afternoon?

FedEx #1: About $5.00 difference.

BB: Oh, well, I have a really good discount, so if you could just check what it will be for each, that would be great.

FE 1: (Sighing...disturbed, looking at my FedEx/Kinko's combo card with consternation...) Frank, is this a shipping card???

From somewhere hidden across the room, Frank responds that yes, it is indeed a shipping card and the account # is the one that says, "FedEx Shipping #". Hmmm...funny how that works. There really isn't that much data on the card, but this has been the source of confusion for some time, actually. FE 1 proceeds with his sighing and types a few numbers into his monitor. He stares at the screen for a few moments and then confidently announces the following:

FE 1: That will be $88.02 for 10 am tomorrow, $58.01 for about noon and $51.76 for 3 pm.

BB: (dumbfounded and...nearly...at a loss for words) Are you kidding me??? $88? (panicking...gathering my thoughts...panicking some more...knowing that College Girl needs this costume the next day, or I might as well not even send it at all) So, you're telling me that the least expensive option to get this to Chicago tomorrow is 51 dollars...and 76 cents?

FE 1: (nodding) Yes.

BB: (mouth gaping)

But then, I suddenly catch a glimmer of doubt in this man's eyes...

BB: You're quite certain...

FE 1: Wait...let me check something...(studying the monitor and glancing uncomfortably at my steely gaze)...Frank!!!

Suddenly, there's Frank, whom I recognize from many other competently managed visits. Ah, Frank...where've you been? Frank, save us. Frank, what's the good word? Frank, give it to me straight!

Frank: Zach, go ldfkgjlfdkjgld;fkgh

I don't know what it was that Frank told FE 1 (now known to me as Zach) to go do, but FE 1 disappeared with his tail between his legs. Frank took over, typing furiously on the keyboard.

Frank: OK, you wanted this there for the cheapest price possible???

BB: No, actually, I need it there tomorrow, but I just wanted to know the various prices, depending on the time of day.

Frank: OK, it'll be $18.77 if it gets there by 10 am and $16.08 if it gets there by 3 pm.

My heart soars. Halloween is saved. Raggedy Ann will live on!

BB: 3 pm is fine.

I slide my chicken-scratched post-it across the counter to Frank.

BB: Just so you know, this is what Zach quoted me for morning, noon and 3 pm...

Frank's eyes bug out of his head.

Frank: Yeah, that's why I sent him off...that was your discount percentage.

Ha! I knew I had a great discount! Disaster averted. But wow, I hope they keep Zach off the FedEx counter. Perhaps he should just sweep or something.

Didn't Raggedy Ann look adorable -- in her homemade costume --from last year, no less? And her friend, who dressed as Snooki? She's sooo not like that...which made it all the funnier!

Balanced Babe (Molly Wendland)