Lucky

Today was moving day, and moving always sucks. There's simply no way around it.

I woke up feeling like I was on tilt -- so grumpy, likely because of the dread at all the tasks ahead of me.

I went to Costco, but their beds, although on sale, were still a bit more expensive than I'd like to pay. I found some heavy-duty measuring tape and didn't bother to look at the price till I was at the cash register. It cost $21! Whatever.

So then I got directions to a moving place and rented a truck. I found a mattress store, but they said their warehouse was closed on Sunday, but they'd have a mismatched bed and box spring ready on Monday. Great. Now I had rented a truck that I couldn't use, and I couldn't buy a bed, which was the one task I wanted to accomplish. I went ahead and ordered the bed and told them to deliver it to my apartment.

Then I went to look at carpet, but I hadn't been back to the apartment to figure out its dimensions with my $21 measuring tape. What a waste of time.

I drove to the Salvation Army to see if they had any decent used furniture, but they were closed. Shit.

My truck was still empty, so I decided to get some lunch at Carl's Jr. As I was pulling into a space, I scraped against this van with a couple and their child inside. I'm such a dumbass. The damage to the truck was barely noticeable, but the van had been dented and the paint scraped. The couple was very nice though, and the guy said his job was to fix these kinds of damages. He asked for $100 to cover the costs of paint and damages, and I was happy to pay him cash.

By the time I got inside Carl's Jr., I knew what I wanted: some hamburger with bacon on it. Mmm, Western Bacon Cheeseburger.

Back on the road. I drove around aimlessly looking for this used appliances place that this guy at my new bank had recommended. I couldn't find it, so I asked some guys on the street for directions.

Long story short, this is when my fortune turned around. I got a deal on a TV, computer desk, small entertainment center and two chairs. A guy on the street helped me carry the computer desk into my apartment when no one else would.

I found some carpet just before the place closed, and the grumpy carpet cutter was nice enough to divide it into the sizes I needed.

When I returned the truck, I found out there was a dent in the side from my mishap. I came clean, and the guy told me it would cost a ton -- I hadn't paid for insurance. But then the guy let me off scot free.

Very lucky! At every point in my day, the kindness of strangers and fortunate coincidences guided my steps. The accident, the nice couple, the guys in the street, the truck rental guy, the used appliances salesman -- I'm really thankful to all these strangers for helping me make my move. Even the mattress warehouse being closed turned out well because I would have had a hard time carrying the bed from the truck to my apartment without assistance.

Of course, I had to come home and win some money in poker after all that!

These generosities encourage me to try and do better to pass on the positive vibes. If you see someone who needs a little help, take a few minutes to do some good.