Messy Monday: Grouchy heart, Tourist drivers, and Vacation Santa

I was too embarrassed to share this story yesterday. Maybe I shouldn't share it, buuuuuuuuut here goes:

Scene: Stressed out me decides to go out for lunch because
 1. if I don't eat I get grouchy 
 2. I had no food at work and 
 3. I was already terribly grouchy and needed to be outside.

I decide to go to Chick Fil A because I wanted lemonade and I needed a good drive in the sun. All is well, until I exit on to 436. For those of you who don't live in Orlando, this is the road that the airport is on and well......tourists are flooding the area by way of this road. You have to be very careful because evidently, when people go on vacation they feel that they don't have to obey traffic laws.

One said individual was driving his nondescript rental mini van and although I had properly used my left turn signal to indicate that I was going to enter the lane he was in, decided that I must mean that he should speed up and block me out from getting over. Then he proceeded to ride right next to me LOOKING AT ME. I did not choose the proper path. I called him some names and made a "You Are Not Welcome in Orlando" gesture. 

I finally got behind him and then he decided to move lanes and hide behind another nondescript rental mini van. Sigh. I was sitting at the light trying to gather my thoughts when I feel someone looking at me. In tourist van #2, Tourist Dad was staring full on at me as if I was an animal at the zoo. I suppose wherever he is from they do not have girls with colored hair? I only gave him and ugly glare and a mouthed "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!?"

I finally get into the Chick Fil A parking lot, get my lemonade and Asian Chicken salad (which is amazing BTW) and headed back to work. I chose to go a different way back and got into the left turn lane. There are 2 left lanes at this intersection and I chose this one to avoid the crazies who slam on their brakes and then whip into Walgreens without warning. As the pack of us turned, this happened, as usual, and I avoided it. However, then a guy in a car the size of my toenail pulled out and into the right lane, but in the process entered my lane as if he was driving a duely truck that was 20 feet long. I had to slam on my brakes to keep from getting hit by the tiniest car I've ever seen. I was FURIOUS! What in the world was going on?

And then I saw him.

Vacation Santa.

I swear to you that I saw him. There was a portly gentleman be-bopping down Lee Vista who looked just like Santa wearing a large straw hat, a green shirt, and red shorty shorts. And he was walking as if this was the best day of his life. I literally laughed right out loud. 

I don't know where he was coming from or where he was going, but he was ridiculously happy about it. And he made me laugh. And then I breathed for the first time that day.

Some days are garbage....some are stinky rotten garbage. But I PROMISE that there is a laugh to be found and beauty in the most unexpected places. SOmetimes it takes a tiny postage stamp car almost slamming into you to see it, but it is there.

peace, love, and Santa sightings,
chrissy :)