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December 01, 2003 - 9:37 a.m.

Some Mondays suck more than others, and this seeming to be one of the �more than� rather than the �less than´ I choose to vent my spleen on the matter.  I really try not to use this as a place to unabashedly rant about things � cause really who wants to read all the depressing bits of someone�s life without some of the interesting and good ones.  But today � it has got to be expressed or the Monday will continue to escalate.

Never a good sign of things to come when the first words out of the mouth are profane.  That is how today started for me � the slow realization that my alarm clock was not in fact beeping for the first time and that I must have hit snooze before � then I looked at the numbers on the clock and realized that I was supposed to be at the fire station in 7 minutes (a neat trick it taking closer to 13 to get there from the house).  There are upsides and downsides to this whole carpool thing.  A quick phone call to Derrick (the fellow carpooler) and 15 min have been purchased.  Dress, out of the house � it is all good.

Half way to the station sitting at the red light (cause you always get the lights when you are late)I realize the badge is safe, warm and happy � and at home.  Issues.  Get to the station, chat with Captain Dan (I like Dan, never fails to put you in a good mood in the morning � see there is a bright spot to the day).  Derrick is not pissed about me being late � the day begins to improve.  Then we head out to the car.  Click � click � nothing.  No battery turning over, nothing.  Not a peep. Not an attempt.  Yet the radio comes on.  *sigh*

How many fire fighters does it take to jump start a Celica?  3.  One to get a vehicle, one to connect cables, one to supervise and if you have a 4th � one to get food and make coffee.  Lacking a 4th there was no food for the occasion but we did get the little car started again fairly quickly.  Then there is the mandatory fussing and theorizing about my alternator and cracked battery cells and � me calling the shop to see if they can take it today.  Ring no answer.  Executive decision to go over there anyway.

Because Derrick is kind and forgiving he agreed to go by my place, get BigBlack and follow me to the dealership � who is still not answering the phone in service. Insert bad traffic into the story here.  Things took forever at Toyota but they will try to look at it today.  No idea when or if I will get it back. Somewhere in there I called in to inform folks that I would NOT be on the 7:30 conference call (don�t get me started on the rant about people that have a standing MONDAY meeting at 7:30 AM .. .talk about cruel and unusual).

The drive in � now being over an hour later is filled with traffic and creeping and crawling.  I remember why I do not commute in BigBlack � it is simply too much of a pain in a crawl.  On the other hand once we got onto the toll road there was that simple bliss of getting in the HOV lane and passing lots of other commuters, but the door to door was still in excess of two hours.  Status call entirely missed and can�t reach the people that I need from that call until after lunch now � as they have run off to another meeting entirely.

Chaos is such a depressing way to start the week.

As for my holiday weekend � let me summarize:
� Wed night, up too late � rescue squad.
� Thursday up hideously early to drive to Uncle Bob�s (Lottsburg, VA).  Cook meal, eat meal, leave by 4.  Get back into town go directly to rescue squad.  Run calls.
� Got to work Friday (yes I worked Friday).  Come home.  Have lovely evening, go to movies (timeline not bad if you divorce the movie from the book.  Do not think it will be like the book, the book is much more robust and therefore better).
� Saturday sleep in past noon, this is good.  Putter.  Hokies game � great sorrw, great loss.  Whimper.  Dinner out with Narr � lovely.
� Saturday night, go to station (how shocking), run calls, play poker, run more calls � sleep very little (2 hours).
� Sunday 8 AM drive to Mom�s house (Newport News) � don�t ask, this was not part of the plan.  I found out at 10 pm Sat that I was doing this.  Eat lunch at Sonic�s.  Come home.
� Sunday night � hate mini-blinds have new ones � good wide wood blinds to replace them.  Take old ones down � damnit why can projects never be simple?  Window caulking is peeling, water damage above windows.  (*sigh*) find tools, startscraping paint, start cursing, drywall compromised in some spots.  Do only reasonable thing � call station.  Tony (FF from station who is a great handyman) will be coming by to do an estimate sometime tomorrow I think.
� Rest of Sunday night: wine, knitting, and TV.

I think I need a vacation.  I would settle for a change of luck.  Hell I would settle for a fixed car, hung min-blinds, curia business being finalized and a good nap in a sunbeam with my cats.

I hope that everyone had a good and relaxing long weekend.
 

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