This morning I had to work from 7am to 12pm for a new student orientation (I work at a university), which was not fun. The duty of my office at this event is to print student IDs and give them out. Things were going fine until about 30 IDs in, and the laminate on the printer stopped working. The printer just refused to laminate any more cards. So we couldn’t really do much because our equipment wasn’t working. Not a good start to the day!
After work, I went to my best friend’s house so we could take her 2 kids (1 and 3) to a petting zoo. Whenever I’m driving, I always plug my iPhone into a USB hook up in my car to listen to music from it. So I had the music playing and my phone laying in my lap while it was plugged it. While I was cruising along, I just happened to look down and notice something peculiar. I was listening to a song by the Noisettes, but when my phone laid sideways it displayed a different song. Let me show you. Here’s the “portrait” orientation:
And here’s the “landscape” orientation:
They show 2 different songs. Every single time I flipped the phone sideways, it would show that song. Usually, it shows all the album art from all the artists I have on my phone. The thing about that “Dancing in the Sky” song is that it was one of the most touching songs that was played at my grandfather’s funeral. My whole family loves the song, and we can’t get through it without crying. I hadn’t listened to it in a long time because of how emotional it is. But, feeling like I was being pushed to listen to it, I played it. Here are the screenshots after I started playing it:
Showing the same thing, only this time it has the little pink bars by the title of the song, showing that it’s playing. Seemed weird to me. But I listened to it. And I cried. And I decided that before going to my best friend’s house, I should stop and see my grandpa’s grave. Best friend lives right beside the cemetery he’s in. So, tears streaming and eyes burning, I drove up to his grave site, bawling. I got out of my car, left the door open so I could hear the song, and sat down beside him. Instantly calm. Song was still playing, but I was comforted. I looked at the flowers and decorations he has sitting on display and felt better. I told him I love him, got in my car, and went to best friend’s house. And I was fine.
So we got the kids ready to go and headed for the petting zoo. We saw wallabies, ostriches, prairie dogs, and little goats. The goats were hands down my favorite. Best friend bought some food for the goats and fed them while I held the 1 yr old. I didn’t want the food smell on my hands. But even though I had no food, one goat kept coming up to me and sitting on my lap! Nibbling on my purse strap and shirt. He was the cutest little thing ever! Then we played on a playground and then headed home. On the way, a black bird flew directly into my windshield, scaring the bejesus out of best friend and I. It flew right at us and then *THUD* hit the window. What the hell!
The petting zoo was about an hour away from her house, but it wasn’t so bad because we chatted and laughed. We got back into town and she wanted to get some food. So we stopped at KFC and then Taco Bell. As soon as we pulled into Taco Bell, smoke started coming out from under my hood and my temp gauge was showing my car was a little bit too hot. I was just low on coolant, but it’s still scary to see smoke come from your car! So I stopped immediately and got coolant out of my trunk to fill it up. But I couldn’t get the coolant into the reservoir without spilling it everywhere. So best friend’s husband brought me a funnel and we got it fixed up. I let it run a bit, went through the drive thru and then wanted to stop and check it again. So I did, and it needed a little more coolant so I put more in. And then dropped the lid down into the engine. Dang nabbit (that isn’t what I actually said, but almost). So I was freaking out and decided to just drive it to her house, only about 5 minutes away. We got there, but my temp gauge kept going higher and higher, but no smoke coming out. Best friend’s husband was able to get the lid out and secure it back on. Thank the heavens for that.
We went inside and ate our food and waited for my engine to cool down. We were both tired and just wanted to go to sleep, but I was stressed about my car. I did not want to drive it. I don’t handle car stress very well.
Reluctantly, I got in my car and told best friend I’d call her if I needed her. I got in my car, started it up and immediately said out loud, “Okay Grampa. I need your help.” I told him that I was anxious and needed him to keep me safe and help me get home. I didn’t plug in my phone. I sat in total silence the whole way home, aside from talking to my grampa out loud.
And let me tell you, my temp gauge stayed right where it usually is the entire way home. All 40 minutes. Steady as a Rock. Steady as my Grampa, Rock (his nickname). I kept telling him I needed him and that I loved him. My friend who lives in the town I live in told me there was heavy rain in town. This made me anxious, and I told my Grampa so. Aside from some light sprinkling, I encountered no rain. I got to my apartment, temp gauge still solid in its place, and I thanked my Grampa for carrying me home.
It could be that the coolant got to the engine to cool it down, and that the rain had passed by the time I got to town. But I believe that my Grampa helped me. I believe he was with me, just like he told me he would be, and helped me. And I think he wanted me to visit him at his site, and I’m glad it did.
When I was a toddler I told my Grampa not to be silly with me when I asked him a question and he replied “I don’t know buddy.” I said to him “C’mon papaw don’t lie. You know everything.” I still believe that, I believe that even from wherever he is right now, he still knows everything, and he’s still my buddy.
babbling buddy 