Leaky Eyes and Retail Therapy

Well.

The year and a bit of court proceedings in two countries did not do it.

Finding out my husband wanted to divorce me a year and before he began the court proceedings did not do it.

Packing my life into 35 boxes and several rolled paper packages and sending it all off on a ship did not do it.

Living with friends and their children and my children and being carless and homeless and slightly stressed did it. My eyes they leak. At least that is what I told my children repeatedly this morning before we took them to school. I could not take it anymore. Living in someone elses home and not having a vehicle tipped me over the edge. I cried my way through the lunch prep, breakfast routine and school drop off. My oldest did point out to me that my eyes were not leaky, I was crying and he'd really like to know why. He was on a warpath. My middle opted to cry with me, which only made the leaking worse. My youngest chose to ignore the leaking altogether, the leaking was occuring within the first ten minutes of her waking to begin with, and therefore falls into the catagory of NOT ACTUALLY HAPPENING-mornings are hideous enough, why make it worse by acknowledging the leaky problem?

I decided to take back some of my independence. I can not control the ducts in my eyes but I can control just how much I pay for a used car. I knew what I wanted. I had researched. The used car dealer had no idea I had learned all I have ever known about negotiations from my experiences in mediation with my ex-husband and his slimy lawyer, that and my dear friend Dr. Fiona who told me prior to the mediation to channel the smiling assassin. Ta for that one Fiona, now it has come in handy twice. I wanted the car. I needed the car. My son has a soccer tournament 2 and a half hours drive from here this weekend. White is my favourite color for a car. I really like Honda, I think they run forever. I did not really want the car that was down the road that I had driven after looking at the white one. All information that I knew that I chose not to share with the used car guy. I gave him my offer, I looked him in the eye, I smiled, and I waited. I am actually quite comfortable with silence, I have 3 children silence is rare, embrace it, savor, and enjoy. So I did. He left the room. He came back. I smiled. he talked about stuff, you know, taxes, title and other fees. I gave him my offer, I looked him in the eye and I smiled. I got my price, my warranty, and same day - my white car.

I do not suggest repairing leaky eyes with retail therapy, but it worked for me today.

Next time, it's Half Price Books for me,
and I might just stick to buying books for my kids.