Friday, February 11, 2011

Things That Make the Crankies Go Away

I should have posted this blog post yesterday but I was in an epically cranky mood. No particular reason - a combination of delays and frustrations on the reno, The Boy not being ready when I got home to take him to Tae Kwon Do when I'd asked him to (this is a recurring theme with him), my hair needing a major re-do and a few other things that, by themselves aren't anything epic but accumulate them over a day or a week and suddenly I find myself in a major Blue Funk or becoming "The World's Crankiest Mom and Wife".

Besides having a glass of wine to deal with these episodes (and that wasn't possible in yesterday's busyness) there is one other thing that never fails to help me to feel better when I've got a case of crankies: I search where my book is in various public libraries across the country and see if it's been checked out. I know, I know. A bit self-obsessive, isn't it? But the idea that someone is reading Illegally Blonde always cheers me up. And the other day I checked the Toronto Public Library and found they'd ordered 14 copies of it! This was a major pick me up because Toronto's my home library and the city with the biggest Portuguese-Canadian population in Canada. Since IB features a Portuguese-Canadian teen I was a little bummed the TPL hadn't stocked it yet. Well, as always, librarians come through and make somebody's day (mine this time) a little sunshinier. Thank you, TPL!

How about you guys? What cheers you up when you've got the crankies?

8 comments:

  1. Reading. I hate being a cranky mom but sometimes the little things all add up! I didn't know you could see who'd check your book out from libraries. Yikes. That's awesome - 14 copies. Cool.

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  2. It's the little things, huh? I can handle the big nasties pretty well, but those tiny irritations really wear on me.

    How do I fight the crankies? Chocolate, of course. I go with the classics.

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  3. I'll have to remember that....when I have a book to check out in a library- for now it is Art- all the bad things in the world slip away when I am stitching!

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  4. Reading other people's blogs and seeing that they are surviving life's little annoyances, too. Writing my blog and trying to put a funny spin on the stinky things in life. Escaping into another world by reading. Oh, and cheesecake. Congratulations on the 14 copies!

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  5. Hi Laura: Reading is the best antidote for so much cranky. And I was surprised to find that you can search the catalogue's of a lot of libraries and see if certain books are in stock and if they've been checked out. LOVE Libraries!

    Hi Linda: I agree - the accumulation of little things just wears you out after a while. Of course adding chocolate to anything it makes it all better! :)

    Hi Julia: I used to cross stitch but my eyes have gotten so bad it's more of an effort than a pleasure these days.

    Hi JLD: Thank you! Ahh, the soothing of the blogosphere, yes. That helps too. And cheesecake, mmm. Chocolate cheesecake of course!

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  6. For me it's book review reading and ordering the books I read about, lol. Gets a wee bit expensive! But--worth it.

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  7. Wine is a good idea. I should have some around.

    Sometimes I remain frustrated and then work actively until things are crossed off my to-do list.

    Other times I read, take a walk, or take a bubble bath.

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  8. Hi Deb: Man, if I bought a book every time I was cranky my family would be seriously broke! :) But those stories do take our minds off the crankies, that's for sure.

    Hi Medeia: One should always have a bottle of wine handy for any occasion - especially a visit from the crankies. Ahh, and the bubble bath - of course. With the glass of wine and a book. Now THAT is a solution for the crankiest of souls. Thank you!

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