iPods, downloads and cats...

Not a good day, all in all, or so it seemed before kindness won the day.
I woke with a monster headache to the alarm at 6.30am.
I didn't need to get up, just had forgotten to switch off the alarm.
Fooey! M stirred and went back to sleep. I'm more easily roused...
Once up, it was so cold, I put on the heating and switched on the computer and never made it back to bed...
I started to get riled over things I read but took a step back (mentally, not room to do this where the computer is) and hopefully stayed in control.
Later, T's iPod broke. A cracked screen. No one did it, it happened on its own, he explained.
Another miracle!!
But a megadisaster.
The iPod for us was the best invention ever.
No longer did we need to travel round with crates of CDs, batteries and CD cleaning stuff, T could be kept happy by this small device, loaded as it was with all 500 of his favourite tunes (ranging from Cliff's Millenium Prayer, thru the Dubliner's Lord of the Dance to various artists I've never heard of and never wish to hear again.)
He was not happy (Brit understatement mode)
Fortunately, being of some forsight, I had insured it against accidental damage (*cough*) and rang the helpline.
Twenty minutes of pushing 5 followed by 2 followed by 3, led me to talk to a human type person, who informed me I just had to return it to the shop.
I set off, iPod and receipt in hand, to drive straight into the traffic jam from hell, as the rugby supporters all tried to get to town at the same time.
I arrived, eventually, stressed out and tense and then waited for half an hour in the queue before being told I should have had a number given to me...
By this point, I was close to the edge.
Hormones, lack of sleep and tetchiness were just adding up inside me.
But once again, I took a (mental) step back, a deep breath, and kept calm as the problem got sorted. As it was- alas - though, no iPod for a month while they fix it.
Oops.
T was furious on my return and wanted me to go and buy a new one instantly, but I managed to divert his attention and we've got out the crate again, on a temporary basis...

So I finally lay on the bed, exhausted, his brother to the rescue having engaged him in a game.
4 hours sleep, not really enough, I snuggled down, soon to be joined by my cat.
We looked at each other, shutting our eyes in a Cat like smile, and both curled up together, the big and little cat, just being content to snooze.

And when I awoke, I read a little from a book by the Dali Lama...
I liked it:

This is my simple religion. No need for temples. No need for complicated philosophy. Your own mind, your own heart is the temple and your philosophy is simple kindness.

Hmmm
What else can we live for if not to make others happy, and in doing so, to make us happy too? Simple kindness seems a good way to go...
The kindness of the girl in the shop, the kindness of Mw to his brother, the kindness of M as he woke me from my sleep, all being given to me today.
To live at peace and be content; even on difficult days, it can be done.
A challenge to live it through more difficult times again, but what is life without challenge?
Time to start dancing in the dark again, I think...