when it rains, it pours

Well, I know the saying goes "if you don't laugh, you'll cry."

But what happens if you've already laughed, but it was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week and the laughing didn't work and so then you cried?  Maybe even more than once?  And also maybe you're spending Friday night holding a bag of frozen broccoli normandy on your face because you officially have the worst luck in all the world and inadvertently slammed your eye into a table?

This week has kicked my butt and while the details of Monday through Wednesday aren't necessary, let me tell you what happened on Thursday.  I had interviews in one office in the morning, and meetings in another office in the afternoon.  I normally pack my lunch, but I decided I'd stop for a special treat and get myself lunch on my way from one office to the next.

I can't explain what came over me and my appetite at lunch time, but I decided to make a little run for the border.  AKA, I wanted Taco Bell.  Here is where it's important to tell you that I have not had Taco Bell in YEARS.  I'm fairly certain the last time I've had it was college, and below is photographic evidence that I enjoyed it on January 28, 2007.

I pulled into the drive through line and could not get over how busy it was! Who knew Taco Bell was so popular with the lunchtime crowd?  It was hot out so I had my AC running full blast and was listening to a podcast.  When I (finally) got to the menu, I studied it carefully and decided on a number 9 (a Crunchwrap Supreme), entree only.  I slowly pulled forward, and forward again, until I finally rounded the corner towards the window.  And as the car in front of me pulled up to the window to pay, it suddenly dawned on me that I HAD NOT ORDERED ANYTHING.

I sat in front of that menu for a good four minutes and studied it like I was cramming for a final back in 2007, but do you know what I did not do? Roll my window down and ACTUALLY PLACE MY ORDER.  Between the AC and my podcast, I couldn't even hear if someone was asking, "May I take your order?!"

I decided I had one of two options.  I could just floor it and speed past the window, but I figured that might look a little shady.  Or, I could tell the lady at the window I didn't place an order. 

I ended up going with option two, and sheepishly informed her that I'd "changed my mind" once I got in line and didn't order anything.

I've officially never felt dumber.

Today wasn't much better, and when I got home I definitely wanted to put my PJs on, and possibly lay on the couch and feel sorry for myself. 

But Matt's brother and his wife bought a house today, so instead we went over there to see it and then Matt's parents took us all out for pizza.  We laughed a lot and when we got home, it hit me that the house was a total mess and I had 87,00 things to do before leaving for Denver early Sunday morning.  But Matt said he was going to make a fire out back, so I ignored the mess, poured a glass of wine, and met him by the fire.

And it was SO relaxing.  I'm no medical professional but I'm pretty sure my blood pressure went down by the second as I sat out there.  I laid in the hammock, we listened to the Phillies game, I read my book, and it was seventy two degrees with a slight breeze, aka perfection.

Until our neighbor and her crew decided to go for a 10:00 swim, complete with flood lights and Broadway show tunes on a loud speaker.  We ended up going inside shortly after the swim team showed up.  Matt went to bed because he and his dad are going on an early morning "recon mission" to find a hunting spot for this fall, so I decided to get a jump start on my Denver packing.  I knew we had a brand new laptop carrying case up in our top bedroom. 

We don't have a light up there but I knew where the box was, so I ran up, bent down to pick it up, and in the process smacked my eye, full force, into the old kitchen table we have stored up there, leaning against the wall above the laptop bag.

I saw stars.

And then, I looked in the mirror and saw blood coming from my eyelid. 

Which is not ideal.

I'm leaving for the fancy conference in Denver on Sunday morning.  Four people from my company are going, and we had a conference call this afternoon about networking expectations.

I'm naturally super awkward in networking situations, and I'm not so sure that a giant black eye is going to work in my favor.

The good news is I've done extensive research on things to do in Denver so I'll plenty of activity options in lieu of networking.

And I can wear sunglasses to all of them.