this morning

I've been prickly and on edge for the last few days, like a plate in mid-air, on its way to a thousand shattered pieces on the ground and pissed off at that newbie waiter who thought he could get me where I'm going without a hitch.

So when a plate did break - this morning, courtesy of my daughter - I shattered, too.

I yelled at her, and cried openly in front of her, hoping that she would cry.

I wanted her to feel as miserable as I did ...

....not so that she'd feel guilty ...

....but that I wouldn't be alone in feeling miserable.

It didn't work - she's too smart to fall for my manipulative tricks. She kicked my head as I mopped up porcelain with a wet paper towel, and kept asking for "juice."

So I'm now one saucer short of a tea set (not a metaphor) and still down in the dumps (a metaphor).