rolling with the punches.

With my birthday coming up I had a good chuckle at this post I wrote years ago…enjoy!

First texts of the day today…
Sarah: How was your birthday dinner and weekend?
Me: There’s a good story behind it as usual but it was super fun!
Sarah: Blog about it?

LOVE that when I have a crazy story my friends are all about reading it in my blog!  

One of the things I am most grateful for in my relationship with my beloved Mr. Man, AKA Aaron, is that we are generally speaking, able to roll with the punches and make the best out of our sometimes misfortune! This weekend is a good case in point…

Saturday:
Great hike with awesome new friends.
Housekeepers cleaning.
Coached a softball game and came home with a big win.
Dinner was to be at The Melting Pot-my fav-for my birthday!

So we get all dressed up for the evening, I’m wearing a new shirt, feeling terribly cute and spunky and for the first time in public I’m wearing my moxy shoes-the coolest red shoes with attitude ever. I’m ready for a great night! Aaron is looking awfully fine as well. I get a little ornery when he doesn’t really mention my outfit. And we poke a little at each other on our way to the restaurant. With a little bit of tension in the air we find the glass door marked Melting Pot and I go to open it but it’s clearly not opening. Mr. Man see’s the door next to it that looks like it shares a lobby and while he walks in he’s got a little pep in his step. A little attitude like-Hey Mandy, what are you thinking? You should have gone this way.” And as he walks strongly so I would follow he hits this force field of glass-floor to ceiling glass-the cleanest, clearest glass I’ve ever seen that separates the two lobbies. It made a crash that was shocking as he bounced right off that glass! It was as though God reached down and knocked the cocky out of him right there.

I couldn’t help it.
I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe.
And to his credit…so did he.

Until he realized he was about to be gushing blood.

See-he cut his nose on his glasses pretty good AND he hit hard enough that he also had a bloody nose coming on. So after trying hard to stop laughing we head back to the car to see if we can wait it out and try to still do dinner.

Not so much.
So we called it a night.
And the moxy shoes sadly went back in the box.

Sunday:
Aaron found last minute Laker tickets on eBay!
And I’ve never been to The Pantry.
So brunch at the famous Pantry and an afternoon with Kobe.

But the Pantry has a line like no other.
Alternate plan. 
Riordins Tavern serves breakfast next door!

Off to Staples Center.
Run into not one but TWO celebs! 
Makes MY day!
Wait in line until…
“Sorry sir-your tickets have already been used.
These are just duplicates.”

WHAT?!?!?
Spend the next hour getting our money back.
Wander around LA Live.
What the heck-we’ll see a movie instead!
Clash of the Titans it is.

And then on the way home, dear sweet Mr. Man with the swollen nose asks if I’m hungry. And what do you know-we end up at The Melting Pot. Delicious! And just for the record…we opted for the front entrance but you can still see the smudges from Aaron’s face in that uber clean glass wall out the back door.

So at the end of the weekend, as we’re laughing at ourselves and our misfortunes while counting our blessings and discussing where life is headed we realize…life is less about making plans that work out and more about enjoying the way life unfolds.

I used to be a planner. 
I used to need things to work out just the way I planned.
And if something didn’t work out-the day was ruined.

This rolling with the punches?
It’s still newer to me.
But I love the way it feels!