Deflated

So, yesterday I was on top of the world. Well, I should qualify that. I was on top of the world about being able to help others. The rest of life is rather less than topish, but I was going to be working with The Mobility Project again!


Sure, I wasn't going to be going anywhere, but I was helping. I was going to help refurbish wheel chairs which would then be going with a local group to Houston to help displaced Katrina victims who needed mobility. Usually this group doesn't work within the United States because there is so much federal and personal wealth. However, as we all know, Katrina created so much need, that they decided to accept an invitation to Houston. I was also going to send with them 10 homemade baby carrier wraps-- donated by the local NINO group I lead--to be distributed to needy moms who could really use a hands-free way to carry their babies.


Even yesterday my elation began to wane. First off, the VP of the organization called me to tell me to wear makeup, TV cameras and a Seattle Times reporter would be there. Bleh. Then, after having arrived about 20 minutes later than I hoped to (the makeup application) I was told by the VP's husband that there really wasn't much left to do... but be on TV. They had stepped up the effort Sunday, and had over 100 chairs to pack for shipment to Houston. So I felt pretty useless. With Eve strapped to my back, I didn't have the capability of just doing whatever, and had been hoping for a job that would fit with my back-baby. So, all-in-all, I managed to help screw into place a single wheel-chair seat. I think I was more in the way, but the TV crew wanted to record some working... and most the real workers had left. Then, I helped move about 10 wheel chairs that needed to be packed up and shipped back to the warehouse where they would await refurbishing another day. Oh, and I helped another lady remove a bolt from another wheel-chair part. Woo hoo! Oh well...I consoled myself that the baby wraps were a worthy contribution, even if I hadn't been needed for the chairs.


I came down a bit more when Tom decided we wouldn't go out to dinner with the crew... great people who I haven't gotten to spend much time with since I returned from Afghanistan over 2 years ago... I miss them, and dinner would have been an awesome time!


Oh well. Still, a good thing that I was a small part of was going to happen for my countrymen. Plus, maybe Eve would have her television debut in the evening news. ;)


However, today the VP sent out an email to let us all know the trip has been canceled due to Hurricane Rita.


*Shrug* what can you do about the weather? I feel small for being disappointed. So... no chair delivery, no wrap distribution... no news segment! Combine this disappointment with what the rest of my life is handing to me these days, and you've got a recipe for a nice little pity party that could carry me through the week. However, as the only adult in my household, I am not afforded the luxury of pity parties... so I must buck up and smile and figure out what to do about the baby wraps.