toni bologna and the terrible, horrible, no good, dirty rotten, very bad day.

Okay, so I wouldn't go as far to say that it was a terrible, horrible, no good, dirty rotten, very bad day.. But things just weren't looking my way.

So I did what Toni's do to make themselves feel better.

I bought a Sharpie.
Four, actually. I bought a 4 pack of Sharpie pens, a pepsi, and an itunes gift card. Sharpie pens just make me happy. Something about the big bold lines dancing across the paper just makes my insides happy. Music always makes me feel better, and pepsi was my quick fix. I took a refreshing drink of pepsi, and then headed off to work.

Something about the rhythm of Del Taco just calms me down. The clanking of pans, the beeping of timers. It's almost a type of music in it's own way. You don't have to worry about the future or anything of importance. You just have to worry about getting that order out in 60 seconds or less and not messing it up.

Sharpie in pocket, I tackled those orders. I was already starting to feel better when one of the cooks pulled out some orange juice. It wasn't lame juice either. This was my favorite kind. Simply Orange, topped only by Naked Juice and the kind squeezed right out of an orange and into your cup.

If you know me at all, you know that I'd love to recieve flowers if I was sick or sad, but I'd be equally as happy to recieve a bottle of Simply Orange Juice, and in a weird way... that's exactly what I got.

My mood was improving big time.

An old man went through the drive thru and ordered about $10 worth of food. He was in one of those contagiously good moods and got the whole store laughing as he ordered over the intercom. I was still giggling as I told him his total at the window.

When going to give him his card back, he handed me a couple dollars. "This is for you!" He exclaimed. I smiled.

As I put his stuff in the bag, I found myself humming a little tune that was stuck in my head. We sang it at church yesterday, and I was struck at how much I could have used it earlier.

The words go like this.

" When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

[Chorus]
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your blessings;
See what God hath done.
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings;
See what God hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings; ev’ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by."

My smile got bigger as I thought about the words to this song. With a huge grin, I handed the man his food. Before leaving, he slipped a twenty into my hand and winked. "Have a great new year!"

I had to conciously stop myself from skipping away from the window.

Attitude, my dears, is key. Keep that in mind.