Pillows tumbling, frames diving, furniture wobbling, I searched for the camera. It was the day of the MacKenzie Center picnic, and I wanted to bring it along. I grilled Miles, "Have you used it? Where did you put it last?" He replied, again and again that he hadn't used it, hadn't seen it, hadn't touched it...for me to calm down. Yeah, right.

It was a idyllic August Tuesday, and my Mary Sunshine mood was in the tornado's path. I had used the camera just the previous weekend, at Michelle's party. It should have been in my purse; that's where I had stashed it that day. I looked there for the umpteenth time to discover that it still hadn't appeared. Dang that Miles, he's always using things and failing to put them back in their place! How can I have any sort of order with him around!?

I stormed about the house, looking in this nook or that cranny, cursing Miles all the way. After an hour or so, I wilted upon the loveseat, clearly dejected. Where could he have put it? My thoughts turning all the more toward the irritated, I got up and paced. I still had the SD card, cameraless and needy, in my hand. I picked up my camera case to place it in the SD card holder.

I grabbed the strap with a fury. Fine. No pictures today. Fine. That's just great. Way to go, Miles. So distracted was I, that I failed to notice the weight of the bag as I hauled it up. T'was not empty. I groaned inwardly and looked over at the man sitting in the rocking chair. He was, of course, unaware of the epithets hurled silently at his head all morning, but I am not opposed to eating crow when the situation warrants it.

Wincing, I called him over softly, all friendly-like. I gave a convincing mock-chuckle at myself as I pulled the camera from the pouch. There was nothing even remotely mock-like in his chuckle. Returning to his chair, he cheered over a fresh wave of laughter, "You're NEVER living that down! NEVER!"