Take a Mental Health Day.

Hey all, those that know me, hopefully understand most things are minor distractions to me, life is full of experiences, some good, some bad, many indifferent.

The past few days I was tested mentally and physically and today it came to a front. For the most part, I enjoy the stuff that happens, yes, I will bitch about it, but always get through it with a smile and maybe even a lesson or two learned.

*If you want to skip the drama of the story, just scroll down to the lesson marked by the next "*".

Friday was not one of those days. LOL So, besides, tax season, 3 growing children, business and life, my wifes power steering pump goes out on her truck. We need two vehicles to get kids and work, etc. So, with the help of a friend, friday he shared his heated garage with me so we could change out the pump. I refuse to pay people for things I can do myself, thats just how I am wired.

Anyway, 4 hours turned into 5 hours, then 6, new pump worked, but hose connections leaked. So, got to bed around 3 am Saturday morning, up at 6:30 (missed the gym completely), bought a hose, stopped at a shop to ask about this and found out that aftermarket pump I got was not milled properly andI need with OEM one from chevy dealer. Stopped at Chevy, ordered it, can't pick up till monday morning though. Saturday afternoon, tore into the truck again to just "bandage" it up until warmer weather, but when I drove it, the "bandage" lasted only a few miles.

Saturday night took my wife out for dinner/drinks, then bed. Got to the gym Sunday morning and felt drained after. Sunday was in a fog, then monday rolls around, grab the new pump, drop my van off for the wife to use and walk to work.

Catch a ride home from a practice member (thanks Joe and Denise). Truck won't fit in my garage, so set out to lift the truck up in the snowy driveway, by the time I get the pump off the truck and new pulley pressed on its after midnight. Sleep a bit then Tuesday morning drop kids at school, get bundled up and lay under the truck installing new pump. Have to take breaks every 15 minutes cause my fingers are blue and numb, toes also. Get new pump installed, find the serpentine belt is completely off now. Have to reinstall that in freezing cold after a quick google search to find how it loops around. Now, fire up the truck (its on blocks and ramps, so can't really turn the wheel much, but no leaks. YEAH!!!!

Replace tires, lower the truck, back out of the driveway and feel steering start to tighten up again. Stop, check under the truck and DAMN, fluid still leaking.

So, with my numb fingers and toes, I just drive to the shop, and drop it off, I AM DONE!!!

Just needed a new hose, threads were too worn on the old hose, I left the truck there and walk all the way home. Plus it was friggin cold and my hands and feet were still froze. So get home just before 3pm. Kids and wife will be home in 1 hour. I took a hot shower, really hot once my feet stopped burning, then bundled myself up in warm clothes and blankets.

Its now 7pm Tuesday night as I write this, The past 4 hours were my mental vacation, I sat wrapped up in blankets, watching my kids fight, made dinner and just went back to normal. Tomorrow I will be back at the gym early, come home take the kids to school and be back to happy.

*Lesson learned from the above story for those that don't need the dramatic storyline.

I take pride in doing things myself, I like learning new things and have no fear of tearing into something new to fix it. This wasn't anything I haven't done before, just usually have a warm shop to work in. What "Broke" me was when you finish doing something, you get the satisfaction of having done it. I DIDN"T GET THAT satisfaction. I wanted that satisfaction!!! I pouted on the cold walk home after leaving the truck at the shop, wallowing in defeat. It wasn't until my family got home that I started to realize just how lucky I really am. I wasted a cold, but probably very beautiful walk home from the shop being upset that I failed. I think a better walk home would have been enjoying all the white snow we have currently and pondering what lesson I should be learning from this. That my friends is what I did during my Mental Health Vacation later that evening.

The quote above are good words to live by. I will be working on not letting the little shit bother me so much.

Now, look at that quote, 90% of our stress is from how we respond to something. Thats a choice, sometimes its a hard choice to make on the spot, but its a choice we have. I could have pissed and moaned for a week, but it wouldn't have done a bit of good, it doesn't change the fact that I lost this particular battle (and I don't like losing), so I made a choice to be done with it, and try and work on not letting the little stuff piss me off so much. What in reactions in your life might you change to lessen your stress level?

Sorry its so long, but this we my Mental Vacation and I needed to write it out to let it go. LOL