Saturday, March 10, 2007
Highlights Of The Day Before
So....after six months of hoping and waiting, tomorrow is the day. This means that today I have a few things to do because while I’m not one who ordinarily likes waiting until the last minute to do things, I’m just so burnt out anymore that I had no energy to do anything, really, before now. Also, I dub myself offically on vacation even if I don’t leave until tomorrow so I would like to take things at a relaxed pace.
This does not mean, however, that certain things haven’t popped up to irk me just a little.
First and foremost, this morning? My computer was NOT coming on. By that I mean, the power came on and I had a nice little black DOS screen detailing what kind of computer I had but Windows would not come up. I restarted and restarted and restarted and restarted and thought about throwing a fit and started to think there must be some ghost in this house somewhere because my t.v. is also acting up lately, (I turn it on, it turns off, I turn it on, it turns off...repeat about 5 or 6 times before it decides to concede and let me watch it already), felt a knot tightening in my stomach and sat and stared at my tower for awhile. I then decided to unplug everything, open up the back, blow some of the dust out of the way, gawk at the innards, ask it what its problem was before closing it all up again, replugging everything back in and pushing “On”.
And the bitch roared to life. BUT, not before I saw a glimpse of some message stating “previous fan failure”. Well. What the hell do I do if the fan is going out? How do I replace that? Well, whatever. It works for now and I’m leaving for a week so not a top priority but will be in the back of my mind.
Second...actually this happened last night but let’s not get all picky, ok? About a week ago I asked a neighbor if she would be willing to care for my cat while I was gone. I don’t really talk to my neighbors too much but I did know that this one was a vet tech. Ok, picture it, Sicily, 1932....
So last week I come home from work and see my little gentleman friend waiting for me on the steps. I stop to pet him before coming in and a neighbor walks by. We start talking about the stray and then I asked if she was the vet. She said, “No, I’m not a vet”, offering no further information. Ok, my memory is pretty damn good and I know she was introduced as someone who works in a vet office because when I saved the kid kitten, she talked to me like I didn’t know a thing about cats. Not something I forget. So I said, “Oh....I could have sworn they, (other neighbors), told me you were a vet or a vet tech.” She replies that she is a vet tech.
Sigh. It’s not like I said, “Aren’t you the astronaut?” and she was Suzy homemaker...where I would be so far off...oh whatever. Moving on.
So I asked if she would watch my cat while I was away. You know, as a favor. I’m thinking I would buy her something on my vacation or get her a nice present for doing so. I didn’t mention this because I like to surprise people. She states that she is more than happy to watch the cat, in fact, she watches all the neighbors pets when they go out of town. Fantastic! A neighbor AND a vet tech! Could this be a better pet sitter? We agree to meet Friday evening.
Last night she comes over and hands me a business magnet, “for your fridge”. I sort of glance at it and notice it says “pet sitter”. Ok. She then whips out her appointment book and writes in the dates I will be gone and when I’ll be back. I then show her where all the cat things are, introduce her to the cat and then she says, “Do you want me to come once or twice a day? I charge $5 a visit.”
Erk?!
I didn’t know I was hiring a pet sitter. I thought I was just asking a neighbor to do me a favor..you know, like they did in the olden days? Well crap, I have one day to find someone else? This information couldn’t have been revealed to me a week earlier? I either pay her or I have no one to watch the cat. In the end, it’s ok, really, I just wish she would have been forthcoming when I originally spoke with her about this instead of springing it on me one day before I’m ready to go. Regardless, I think she’ll do a great job and I’m not going to have to worry about my cat at all. Just a little...sting, I guess you could call it.
Yesterday at work, it was like every customer knew I was going on vacation because that phone, that normally rings about 4 times a day, (majority of our stuff is through email or letters), rang off the damn hook. Pissing and whining commenced and a whole lot of “you people” and “you haven’t this and you haven’t that even though I asked you six weeks ago....” (to which I always respond, “I don’t recall ever corresponding with you. When did we have this conversation?” and then they always back off with that “you” shit that annoys the hell out of me). Nonetheless, I wrapped up everything on my end and handed anything pending to a co-worker. Notified everyone not to call or write me; leave me the hell alone, for an entire week. Bugger off!
Today, I am going to the store to pick up a few things and then I’m coming home to clean this place up, (it’s always nice to come back to a clean home after a vacation isn’t it?), and then, at long last, I will commence with the packing. I have been asked if I have packed yet for almost two weeks straight. Maybe I’m just quick at it but I don’t recall packing taking that long. I have a mental list going on and know what I’m bringing....why should I start two weeks before?
I swear, every single morning, “Are you packed yet?”
“No.”
“Why not? You only have “x” weeks (or days)!!”
I know people get excited and start packing early but truth be told, if I were to do that, it would make the waiting that much harder. It’s like seeing Christmas presents under the tree four weeks before Christmas. You know you’re getting gifts but it’s not that hard to wait until you SEE the gifts. Perfect example, when we were kids, most of our gifts would be wrapped and under the tree the entire month of December. C’mon! That’s torture! All the wondering. I’d look at the size and shape of the package, when no one was looking I’d pick it up and shake it trying to figure out what it was...could not sleep most nights because the excitement of solving the mystery kept me up far too long. BUT, the gifts from “Santa” did not go under the tree until midnight on Christmas Eve. Guess what? Even though I knew that would happen, I didn’t sit around wondering and getting all antsy about those gifts.
So a suitcase, all packed and ready to go, sitting in my room, staring at me each and every night while I lay in bed trying to sleep, for two solid weeks is not the best idea for me. That is why I have put that off until today. And even then, it probably won’t be until this evening. Because I’m not a good at waiting for something exciting. Anything I can do to make life appear to be as normal as any other day is just about the only way I know how to calm my ass down.
Anyway, this means I have to venture out in to the world of idiot drivers one more time before the cruise. (I am not driving tomorrow.) And let me tell you something, as it was with work, the people on the road seemed to have sensed that I have something I want to do and I’d like to get there unscathed. Yesterday I was almost taken out on the freeway. I’m talking mere inches and I would NOT have had enough time to stop. The only thing that saved me was the wide shoulder. Thank GOD for that wide shoulder because some douche yanked in to my lane from a stop without looking in his blind spot. Later in the day I saw three accidents on the side of the road on my 16 mile journey home. One was big enough to have fire and ambulance on the scene, one was a motorcycle lying on the side of the road and one was enough for three cop cars to attend. I heard a few screeching brakes behind me in the stop and go traffic on the freeway home and plenty of people ran red lights in front of me. Usually these kinds of things are spread out over a few days so I was a little revved up by the time I finally got home. “You idiots are NOT going to ruin this vacation for me! You are NOT!”
I should probably hop in the shower now and get these things done so that I can pack at long last and then sit here, waiting, impatiently, for it to be tomorrow. And ya know? One thing that IS working in my favor that has everyone else grumbling is that early daylight savings law. That cuts out an ENTIRE HOUR! HA! One less hour to wait! Hurray!
And yes, kids, I will take lots and lots of photos and I’m going to buy a journal to keep little notes in so I don’t forget any highlights to tell you all about when I return. But let’s not think about returning yet. Let’s just think about GOING!
Ok, I need to stop writing about it. It’s making me dance around like I did as a kid the night before Christmas.
Ciao kids.
update Well. I am pretty damn impressed with myself. I have packed the following in to ONE suitcase:
5 pairs of shoes. (Excuse me, do not even start...I have to dress up for dinner a couple of those nights.)
3 dresses
two skirts
two jackets (that go with the skirts)
3 pairs of pants
2 pairs of shorts
2 pairs of pajamas
11 tops (it’s HOT where I’m going, I might get sweaty and have to change so shut up.)
unmentionables
various toiletries/make up
sun screen
a book
bottle of Rum
swimming suit
hat
And then I have a little tiny bag for my keys, ID, passport and money.
Is it stuffed? Yes. Bursting at the seams? No.
The only things I don’t know how I’m going to pack are a towel and a six pack of Diet Coke. (Trust me, where we are going? It’s cheaper this way.) I may undo it all and try again. Nonetheless, I think I rule at packing. (Thank the military for teaching me how to pack.)
updated update Re did the packing. I now have room for a 6 pack of coke. You know, I may not be able to get out of the house TO go on vacation due to my head size right now.
