Coping mechanisms

I rarely write about personal stuff here.

This week has been trying, and it's only Tuesday.  Hubby flew out on Sunday for a week in San Francisco, and at 7:30pm the water was cut off at home.  I was told it would be back on at 8:30pm Sunday, then between 10am and 2pm on Monday, then 4pm, then 10pm.  Every time I called the water company (Missouri American Water) I got a different story.  It was a huge stress.  Missouri American Water didn't answer my emails, and one person on the phone was so obnoxious and rude.  I've done customer service, and I know you never treat a customer like that.  The water finally came back on at 6pm Monday, after 23 hours of no water at all, and we're supposed to boil drinking water for the next two days.  I'd arranged to shower at a friend's house that night, but called it off and stayed home because I was exhausted.

My reaction to stress is often to retreat to a safe place: home.  Except home was uninhabitable.  I ended up in work extra early, drove a bit too fast (speed is regulated by law, acceleration is not), and played Natalia Kills songs (Mirror and Zombie) too loud on my iPod and in the car.  There was a karate lesson in the afternoon with some sparring and a new defense strategy, and a new book, "Greywalker" by Kat Richardson.  I ate a little can of Pringles which, while definitely NOT on my diet, didn't push me over my calorie limit for the day.  There was nothing I could do to fix the water, the only thing I could do was arrange a shower at a friend's place (and I have truly AWESOME friends), and wait, impatiently.  I'm not good at waiting.

I've mostly tamed the comfort shopping reflex with the question "what would I use that for?"  It works well with yarn I think is pretty but can't think of a project for, less well with lip balm where the answer is "replace the three you just put through the washing machine, the two that have vanished, and that waxy one you don't like".  Window shopping is free, online and off, and malls always have working bathrooms.  An occasional chocolate from Godiva helps too.  Exercise helps too, but only if you know you can go home and shower afterwards.  I have just got decent running shoes and am trying to run, but it uses very different muscles to karate.

Those are some of my coping mechanisms.  Thank you Natalia Kills, 6500rpm, and good friends.  I needed you all yesterday.