Days Like This

Last Edit June 25, 1999

6/14/99

It did not begin well, this day.
I have survived, just barely, the Synthesis ITT workshop. Five whole days.
Stress.
Strain.
I slept and read all weekend - preferring to stay in bed.
Let the dust bunnies rein. Let them breed.
Step over the laundry. Ignore the dishes. They aren't moving yet.
Last Thursday, during the seminar, my truck died - again. So I took the van to work.
"Starter," says the garage.
"Starter," says I. I've lost them before. The truck is nearing 80,000 miles. That's a magic obsolescence marker for alternator, battery, starters, etc.
"Starter," says the Auto Club mechanic this morning when I finally called. He tried jumper cables. He banged on it. My son and I rolled it up and down the street earlier. Get off the dead spot. No joy.
They towed me.
Flatbed.
From Fremont to Sunnyvale.
16 miles.
God Bless AAAPlus! Worth every penny!
Already bought my son his card.
I rode in the wrecker all the way in thru the Monday morning traffic rush hour. Cool.
I started this day at 5AM. I got to the garage at 9AM. I got to work at 10AM.
I have a temp in to type course evaluations. I have my G3 to play with.
I try to focus.
Really.
I get the G3 up and running and load it with Office 98 (boo hiss).
Hate those damn dancing paper clips. Their designer needs to be taken out and shot.
On sight.
My younger son says I can put a dancing Mac in there - I just might. He also knows how to turn them off. Good boy!
By 1PM my car is ready.
I had to call the garage since they have inadvertently disconnected my phone in the old office (where I have the temp).
Seems I don't need a starter. Seems that I had an open circuit failure in the security key override so ---- they pulled out the security unit.
No more black key to lose. And I had so many creative ways of losing it! Must rely on the Truck Club - a longer version of the car Club.
By 2:30PM, after a one hour wait, the garage collected me and reunited me with my truck. Lubbed and oiled. And the starter and alternator and battery are just fine.
Good.
I don't like my truck in the shop. I get wierd. I like to be mobile.
Maybe tomorrow I can get back to my new office (I have to drive between the two). Check in on voice mail (13 messages) and move the e-mail off the guest machine back to the main one ( 64 messages).
Then I can start on the next version of the 5-days from hades - the next seminar is in July.
For now I am curling up in bed. Reading.
Something soothing about the fetal position and warmth.