It must be odd to hear the phrase alhamdu lillah (all praise is for God) after such a statement, but I really do mean it.

Life is not just filled with glory moments!

It’s also filled with mundane annoying moments.

After 23 years, my dryer broke down. So we decided to upgrade both the washer and the dryer, and since I’d always heard that front load washers, wash better, I insisted we get one. Not realizing that you can’t use regular detergent in front load washers!

So now we have these brand spanking new washer and dryer and hubby had just recently stocked up on boxes and bottles of regular Tide on sale.

He was more than a little miffed at me when we discovered we have so much of the regular stuff.

So I got the bright idea to exchange it. No way did I have a receipt, but I figured since it was just an exchange, shouldn’t be a problem.

It was.

Went to the grocery store and first the cashier, a surly sort, refused. Then she left the cash and asked the manager (and I got death stares from the people in line!)

Manager said, “No.” I saw  him shaking his head.

But I went up to him afterwards and said, “We’ve been coming here for twenty years. I have a front load washer. My hubby bought the wrong detergent. I can’t use it. Can I exchange it.”

He said, “Yes.”

Then I went over and picked up the exchanges, but it turned out the store didn’t sell the sizes of bottles and boxes I had so hubby must have got them from somewhere else!

This is the kind of piddly little details that drive me batty!!!

In the end I bought one bottle and one box of Tide he and it cost me $27.00!!!!!

And the worst thing was that sometime during that process I lost my Seiko watch.

My favourite watch! The one I bought myself in Ottawa about eight years ago.

A matter of being penny wise and pound foolish, but then, I had sometimes seen the clasp open on that watch, so maybe it was just a matter of time and I would have lost it eventually anyway.

Didn’t get the Tide exchanged, and I lost a $250 watch!

It was one of those days!

And you know what’s funny?

When I do have one of those days, pessimist that I am, I actually feel a bit calmer.

I know intrinsically that life cannot be all smooth sailing. You are bound to have days like I had today!

Now that it’s over, perhaps, God knows, that I won’t be due for another one for a while.

I can only hope.

And I also couldn’t help but think that considering the Libyans suffering their trials, losing a Seiko watch and not getting to exchange some Tide, really isn’t such a big deal.

If this is a ‘frustrating’ day for me, it’s really not so bad. Alhamdu lillah.

But somehow, we in the West, do make a big deal out of this piddly little stuff.

At least I used to.

So I say Alhamdu lillah. All praise to God. May He make it easier for me in the future. And please, may my watch turn up in the lost and found, or if not, then may He give me something better!

But really, I’d just be happy if He gave the Libyans victory over that horrendous tyrant Ghadaffi, and He gives the other Muslims living under oppressive tyranny, relief.