Monday, Ugh
Working as much as I have been lately, the days begin to run together. Everyone has had those times when you didn't know if it was Friday or July 2013. I actually asked someone yesterday why her kids were not in school that day, a clear indication that I have gotten so caught up in the project that I am not paying any attention to the Calendar. But no worries, Monday jumped up and let me know it was here first thing this morning. And it continued to give all day.
My morning routine is to get up, start coffee and walk my dog Oliver. So when I put him on his leash this morning he knew where we were going. He was excited to get out and ran down the stairs from my second floor apartment. He is not a big dog, but he is faster than he looks and likes to pull Houdini disappearing acts. So there was no way I was going to let go of that tether. Instead, about 6 steps from the bottom, six icy, slippery steps, I lost my footing. Down I went, landing on the snow covered concrete below. That little tumble made my back bark at me and my knee take the day off. A craptacular start, but just the beginning.
I left for work in my company provided clown car. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of that vehicle, but company car and gas card keeps me behind the wheel. It has had some minor issues recently. This morning, a new problem cropped up. The power steering quit working as I turned out of my driveway. So I had to muscle the car from lane to lane. A few miles later it magically reappeared, and I thought "that was strange, I will need to get it looked out. A moment later, it was out again. And so were the brakes. I decided it was time to pull off the road, and began to once again force the steering wheel to do what I needed. As I was putting the most pressure on it that I had all morning, the power steering came back. The car jerked right, nearly slamming the grocery getter beside me. Brakes worked too as I screeched to a halt. Thank goodness everyone else's brakes were also in good working order. So were their horns as it turned out. I limped the car to the jobsite, knowing its next stop would be Jack Maxton Chevrolet. But it would have to wait until later in the day.
I had to take a trip to Newark Ohio in the early afternoon. We needed supplies, and this city, 45 minutes from the job site, was the only place we could find them. I took a colleagues van and headed out. When I got there, the boards were too long to go inside, so I strapped them to the ladder rack on top. About halfway back, car passed me and pointed to the roof. I pulled off into the berm of the interstate and stopped. As I watched some of the pieces slide off the front of the rack and down the window, I just shook my head in frustration. Never lost a load before, but this is Monday. I re secured it and continued on.
When I got back it was time for me to go to the dealership. Enterprise rent a car was there to pick me up, just as they said. The driver, a retired church steeple shooter (I assume), kept trying to make conversation on the 10 minute ride. But other drivers kept interrupting him. He shouted and pointed his finger at the rear view mirror, brake checked 4 or 5 people while her cruised 5 miles under the speed limit, and then told me he would have been crazy with them if I hadn't been in the car. Really? This was mild? When we got to his office, I pried my fingers out of the dash and rushed out as he waited for a tip. I went in and talked to the guy behind the counter.
"Your car will be back in 5 minutes, gonna put you in a Challenger today." YES!!!! I thought. The Dodge Challenger, a HEMI powered sports car. Something finally going right. I was excited as that 5 minutes passed. Little less when we got to ten, getting irritated at 15 as the cranky Texan was expecting me back at the job site. By the time 25 minutes had passed, he had made it clear I needed to get back. I told the Enterprise guy to give me 4 wheels and an engine, and I drove away in an SUV.
When I got back to the project, Terry told me I had to print out 55 copies of a document for tomorrow morning. With my personal laptop being down I could not use my home printer to do it. Sure I have a work computer as well, but to get anything done on it I have to go through the CIA, Men in Black and Sector 7G just to file the request from our help desk. So I knew the only printer I could use was the one at the hotel business center. I waled in that room and there was a person in a hooded shirt on one computer. I sat down at the other, only to hear the person using the first say "that one isn't working." I muttered an expletive or two and turned around, to ask the person how long they were gonna be. Yeah wasn't a hooded shirt. It was a habit, and she was a nun. Sure that my embarrassment showed on my face, I walked out. I went home.
Stopped and bought dinner on the way. Came home and was talking to a friend on the phone when I knocked my 32 oz drink from the restaurant over onto my bedroom carpet. By this time, my only thought was par for the course. Par for Monday. As I sit here it is 10:24 pm. I will be in bed soon, hoping that Tuesday brings better things than today.
My morning routine is to get up, start coffee and walk my dog Oliver. So when I put him on his leash this morning he knew where we were going. He was excited to get out and ran down the stairs from my second floor apartment. He is not a big dog, but he is faster than he looks and likes to pull Houdini disappearing acts. So there was no way I was going to let go of that tether. Instead, about 6 steps from the bottom, six icy, slippery steps, I lost my footing. Down I went, landing on the snow covered concrete below. That little tumble made my back bark at me and my knee take the day off. A craptacular start, but just the beginning.
I left for work in my company provided clown car. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of that vehicle, but company car and gas card keeps me behind the wheel. It has had some minor issues recently. This morning, a new problem cropped up. The power steering quit working as I turned out of my driveway. So I had to muscle the car from lane to lane. A few miles later it magically reappeared, and I thought "that was strange, I will need to get it looked out. A moment later, it was out again. And so were the brakes. I decided it was time to pull off the road, and began to once again force the steering wheel to do what I needed. As I was putting the most pressure on it that I had all morning, the power steering came back. The car jerked right, nearly slamming the grocery getter beside me. Brakes worked too as I screeched to a halt. Thank goodness everyone else's brakes were also in good working order. So were their horns as it turned out. I limped the car to the jobsite, knowing its next stop would be Jack Maxton Chevrolet. But it would have to wait until later in the day.
I had to take a trip to Newark Ohio in the early afternoon. We needed supplies, and this city, 45 minutes from the job site, was the only place we could find them. I took a colleagues van and headed out. When I got there, the boards were too long to go inside, so I strapped them to the ladder rack on top. About halfway back, car passed me and pointed to the roof. I pulled off into the berm of the interstate and stopped. As I watched some of the pieces slide off the front of the rack and down the window, I just shook my head in frustration. Never lost a load before, but this is Monday. I re secured it and continued on.
When I got back it was time for me to go to the dealership. Enterprise rent a car was there to pick me up, just as they said. The driver, a retired church steeple shooter (I assume), kept trying to make conversation on the 10 minute ride. But other drivers kept interrupting him. He shouted and pointed his finger at the rear view mirror, brake checked 4 or 5 people while her cruised 5 miles under the speed limit, and then told me he would have been crazy with them if I hadn't been in the car. Really? This was mild? When we got to his office, I pried my fingers out of the dash and rushed out as he waited for a tip. I went in and talked to the guy behind the counter.
"Your car will be back in 5 minutes, gonna put you in a Challenger today." YES!!!! I thought. The Dodge Challenger, a HEMI powered sports car. Something finally going right. I was excited as that 5 minutes passed. Little less when we got to ten, getting irritated at 15 as the cranky Texan was expecting me back at the job site. By the time 25 minutes had passed, he had made it clear I needed to get back. I told the Enterprise guy to give me 4 wheels and an engine, and I drove away in an SUV.
When I got back to the project, Terry told me I had to print out 55 copies of a document for tomorrow morning. With my personal laptop being down I could not use my home printer to do it. Sure I have a work computer as well, but to get anything done on it I have to go through the CIA, Men in Black and Sector 7G just to file the request from our help desk. So I knew the only printer I could use was the one at the hotel business center. I waled in that room and there was a person in a hooded shirt on one computer. I sat down at the other, only to hear the person using the first say "that one isn't working." I muttered an expletive or two and turned around, to ask the person how long they were gonna be. Yeah wasn't a hooded shirt. It was a habit, and she was a nun. Sure that my embarrassment showed on my face, I walked out. I went home.
Stopped and bought dinner on the way. Came home and was talking to a friend on the phone when I knocked my 32 oz drink from the restaurant over onto my bedroom carpet. By this time, my only thought was par for the course. Par for Monday. As I sit here it is 10:24 pm. I will be in bed soon, hoping that Tuesday brings better things than today.
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