First World Problems

So the worst thing that some folks have to worry about these days is the fact that Starbucks has removed any "Christmas" symbols, like snowflakes and reindeer, from their holiday cups.  One militant Christian posted a viral video online saying that this is because Starbucks "hates Jesus."  I'm fairly sure that snowflakes and reindeer are not signs of Jesus.  And even if they were, why does it matter what is on your coffee cup?  My understanding of Christianity is that Jesus is supposed to reside in our hearts, not on a paper coffee cup, especially a coffee cup that will,  minutes after being paid for, be tossed in a trash can only to be replaced later by another such cup.  Maybe this is why Christianity is making such a bad name for itself right now.  People treat God, Jesus, and their faith like they treat their coffee cups; as disposable.  For a little while people feel all warm and fuzzy inside and then they discard the cups and don't think about them again until they need to feel good again.  This whole debate/discussion/tantrum about the red cups is ridiculous.  I am almost ashamed to have even mentioned it.  It does, however, give me an introduction to my own first world problem of today.

On Tuesdays i only teach until 1:30.  With the addition of Piper to our family, we make sure that someone comes home every day at lunch to let her out.  Since I had a relatively short teaching day, I figured I would come home and do some work from home this afternoon, though I had also entertained the idea of a nap first.  This is one of those stories about the best laid plans...

While I was walking home, Weber called to tell me that there was a possibility that we had no power at home.  How did he know being that he was at school?  Our thermostat is hooked into the wi-fi, which requires electricity.  When the thermostat goes offline, it sends and email notification.  Sure enough, when I got home, no power.  I figured that was a sure sign that God wanted me to take a nap since with no power, I could not do any work on the computer.  (I have a desktop, not a laptop so battery power was not an option.)  Cool!  A forced nap.  And then the problems started...

I'll just have some lunch first.  Since I'm going to lay down, I don't want anything super heavy...maybe a couple pieces of toast.  Oh wait, I cant use the toaster.  No big deal.  I'll have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Get the bread.  Go to the fridge for the jelly.  It is really dark in here!  Where is the jelly?  The fridge is stuffed full since it is early in the week so most of the weekly groceries  have not yet been eaten.  Fumble around feeling for the right sized jar in the place where I last remember seeing the jelly.  Success!  Next to the pantry for the peanut butter. Wow!  I sure wish we had a window in the mudroom. It would make it slightly better than impossible to things in the pantry.  Fortunately, the pantry is well organized so the peanut butter is easy to find.  Voila!  Sandwich now made.

I just need some iced tea to drink.  Back to the fridge only to discover that there is none there.  I didn't miss it in the dark.  The big bottle would have been right in the front.  Not a problem.  I'll get a new bottle from the pantry.  It will be warm, but I'll just have it over ice.  Oh.  No I won't.  I can't use the ice maker to dispense the ice.  Forget it.  I'll have a Diet Coke; the power hasn't been off long enough for the cans in the fridge to get warm.  

Lunch was good.  Now time for my nap.

Gather up the puppy so that we can curl up in the recliner together.  That way she doesn't have to go back to her crate but I know she, and all the shoes and socks in the house, would be safe.  Ready.  Set. Go.  Push the button to recline and nothing.  Oops. We now have a recliner that is electric.  No reclining happening right now.  The puppy and I move to the couch.  In Piper's opinion, the couch is not a suitable nap location so we give up on sleeping and go sit outside on the patio.

The temperature here today was perfect so the lack of heat or air conditioning caused by the power outage was a non issue.  I had  a reasonable lunch, much more than many people get  to eat in a day or maybe even a week.  I had running water and a flushing toilet. My cell phone was charged and handy to keep me entertained.  And I was surrounded by three loving dogs.  Life was good.

The events of the afternoon did make me think about how much I take for granted every day - the ability to make a piece of toast whenever I want it, with either peanut butter or jelly atop, an ice maker, my beloved recliner, my computer.  How silly is it to "miss" such trivial things?

About as silly as is it to miss snowflakes on a disposable coffee cup!