Wasted Days
Today I had looked forward to as one on which I would get my computer back, and spend the rest of my time puttering around trying to finally get my accursed home network to finally, completely work again for the first time since I upgraded to broadband almost three years ago.
Instead I sat around all day waiting for the phone to ring, which it never did. I, on the other hand, made several other people's phones ring, including the computer shop, who finally told me at a quarter past four this afternoon that my machine would be ready at 5PM. Yeah, that's also when they close, but I did tell them I was coming to pick it up, so I figured the tech would stick around for a little past official closing time to accommodate me.
Guess again. I left a few minutes after I got off the phone for the last time, traffic was a nightmare, but I still managed to get to the shop by 5:15. But the place was locked up and deserted. So not only did I waste a fifty-mile round trip, but I have to make another one in the morning, taking up time that I needed for a number of other things preparatory to a weekend trip that kicks off tomorrow afternoon.
This is, you must understand, on top of the repair job taking twice as long and costing twice as much as promised. Needless to say, I was pissed, and even after venting a voicemail message, I'm still miffed.
I planned to take vacation time back in the spring and then again last month, but was unable to do so due to circumstances beyond my control. If this is how my vacation time is going to go, it would appear that I haven't been missing much.
The trip, BTW, is to commemorate my parents' golden wedding anniversary (which, technically, is today). My mother tried to talk me out of it a couple of weeks back, and I deployed the Admiral Kirk response: "The word is no; I am therefore going anyway." When I informed her of our imminent arrival tomorrow - thus making the matter a fait accompli - she was much less resistant.
The resistance had to do with her latest dog, which is reportedly an emotional basket case. So we're compromising: we won't go to their house, but will meet up elsewhere. And it does have the virtue of affording me more blogging time, so all these dark clouds are not entirely bereft of silver linings. Just 95% of them.
Guess the tech at the PC shop will be thrilled to see me as he walks in the door tomorrow AM. I'd have camped in their parking lot if I'd had my camping equipment and wouldn't have been at risk of being towed away.
If they make me wait....
Naw, you gotta tune in tomorrow for the next installment.
AFTERTHOUGHT: I commandeered my kids' machine to post this evening, in case anybody was wondering. Didn't give them any choice, and ods my bodkins, but they didn't complain, either.
Of course, just as I would get to like the idea of use fait accomplis as standard operating procedure for getting my way, that'd hit a brick wall that would give me a nasty bruise.
Then again, maybe that's my inner pussy talking.
Instead I sat around all day waiting for the phone to ring, which it never did. I, on the other hand, made several other people's phones ring, including the computer shop, who finally told me at a quarter past four this afternoon that my machine would be ready at 5PM. Yeah, that's also when they close, but I did tell them I was coming to pick it up, so I figured the tech would stick around for a little past official closing time to accommodate me.
Guess again. I left a few minutes after I got off the phone for the last time, traffic was a nightmare, but I still managed to get to the shop by 5:15. But the place was locked up and deserted. So not only did I waste a fifty-mile round trip, but I have to make another one in the morning, taking up time that I needed for a number of other things preparatory to a weekend trip that kicks off tomorrow afternoon.
This is, you must understand, on top of the repair job taking twice as long and costing twice as much as promised. Needless to say, I was pissed, and even after venting a voicemail message, I'm still miffed.
I planned to take vacation time back in the spring and then again last month, but was unable to do so due to circumstances beyond my control. If this is how my vacation time is going to go, it would appear that I haven't been missing much.
The trip, BTW, is to commemorate my parents' golden wedding anniversary (which, technically, is today). My mother tried to talk me out of it a couple of weeks back, and I deployed the Admiral Kirk response: "The word is no; I am therefore going anyway." When I informed her of our imminent arrival tomorrow - thus making the matter a fait accompli - she was much less resistant.
The resistance had to do with her latest dog, which is reportedly an emotional basket case. So we're compromising: we won't go to their house, but will meet up elsewhere. And it does have the virtue of affording me more blogging time, so all these dark clouds are not entirely bereft of silver linings. Just 95% of them.
Guess the tech at the PC shop will be thrilled to see me as he walks in the door tomorrow AM. I'd have camped in their parking lot if I'd had my camping equipment and wouldn't have been at risk of being towed away.
If they make me wait....
Naw, you gotta tune in tomorrow for the next installment.
AFTERTHOUGHT: I commandeered my kids' machine to post this evening, in case anybody was wondering. Didn't give them any choice, and ods my bodkins, but they didn't complain, either.
Of course, just as I would get to like the idea of use fait accomplis as standard operating procedure for getting my way, that'd hit a brick wall that would give me a nasty bruise.
Then again, maybe that's my inner pussy talking.
posted by JASmius at 8:21 PM
<<< Home