PANIC OVER!

I was not looking forward to the week, as I knew it was going to be disruptive.  Samantha and Edward were planning a trip at the end of the week, and not only was I going to have to look after the dog, but I had, apparently, offered to take them to the airport late Friday afternoon.  Not only did I have to leave work early on Friday, but I was going to have to contend with the 'check in' on Thursday, as they were going to the cinema.  My routine was being 'messed with', and for some reason, it was causing me to panic.  


Monday was a very busy day, and my adjustment to routine had already started to show signs of deterioration as I had failed to extract anything from my freezer for dinner.  My mind was already racing towards what I was not going to be able to accomplish, rather than to embrace the laid back attitude of those around me.  As the clock spun round to past seven, we finally 'closed up shop'.
After having an argument with myself, as to whether or not to go home and defrost something, which would mean eating very late, or just letting Dana take me out for dinner, I both won and lost the argument, with the sensible me making the decision.  We headed to the diner, where I was once again plunged into panic!  Panic, (and I know this sounds completely irrational,) was because I was already counting down the hours to 'check in' on Thursday!  The decision to go to the particular eatery was based on time and we should be 'in and out', and home, reasonable quickly.  We were ushered to a seat and waited.  We waited, and waited.  Finally, the waitress walked over to our table.  "Did I already take your order?", she asked.  "You took mine, thirty minutes ago", said the man sitting behind me.  "I did?  Okay, but I didn't take y'alls?"  There seemed to be no correlation  between the fact that the order had been taken, and thirty minutes later, there was no food.  After taking our order, she went to put it into the automated menu option machine, and then returned.  "You get a side with that, sir", she said to Dana, who had given an order, including a side.  "Do I get my order?" said the man behind, who was starting to lose his patience.  After thirty minutes, I was surprised he had any left to lose, but he so sat.  Another couple, in their twilight years, meandered to the front of the restaurant.  The woman went to the cash desk to pay, and the man stopped at our table.  "She is the worst waitress in here", he said, in what considered to be a jovial manner.  We smiled.  "No, really, she is", he said again.  The waitress threw her head back, and laughed.  "We have a lot of patience", said Dana, in an effort reduce tension.  As quick as a flash, the man retorted, "Are you doctors?"  We laughed, as the man behind announced that his patience had expired, and he went in search of the manager.  Our dinner arrived while the gentleman previously sitting behind us was at the counter, explaining that he had come in for a 'quick bite' as he was in a hurry!  "I got your dinner here", said the waitress, as if it had only taken seconds to arrive.  However, half of it was on our table, as she had given us his 'sides'.  After being told that the management would 'comp' the meal, the man was presented with the 'check'.  He went to see the manager again.  I sat watching the clock.

Although I did not have a nail appointment on Wednesday, my arrival at the office was later than usual.  I did not put off my trip to Joe, despite having left a lot of work 'undone' on Tuesday night.  One reason was that I needed to replenish our coffee supplies, Reason two was that I had a DVD to collect from the radio station along from the roastery.  My third, and probably the most compelling, was that I enjoy going to Joe on a Wednesday morning!  It has taken me a long time time to convince myself that it is not a problem to have a couple of hours off work on a Wednesday morning!  Our business, despite my self-proclaimed notion that I am indispensable, survived long before I arrived on the scene, and would survive if I no longer worked there!  However, before leaving the house, just to put a little added pressure on the already highly pressurized persona, I made some cinnamon pastry, red pepper, pimento and sweet chili-pepper quiches and some individual hazelnut meringue baskets, filled with hazelnut and coffee cream.  I am nothing if not my own worst enemy!

The treats were accepted, and munched most gratefully, at Joe's, and after picking up my prize pack, I headed back north to the office, where, surprise, surprise, everything was running according to plan!

Although things were rather hectic on Thursday, we finished at a reasonable time.  Dana offered to take me out for dinner, and he was most surprised, not only when I accepted, but when I told him where I wanted to go.  I had a hankering for fish tacos, and despite all my favourite places for partaking of said dish, appear to be closing down, there is one place left!  However, I warned him, I had to be home before eight in order to check Samantha and Edward in for their flight.  We had plenty of time.  We had plenty of time until the till decided to go 'off line'.  There was a second till, but this was being used by someone else, for something else, which seemed to be 'not a problem' to anyone. The person on the 'off-line' till appeared not to be able to decipher the signs that were in front of him once the till came back to life.  The lady in front of us was not in a hurry.  The lady to the left of us, who decided she was next in line, was also not in a hurry.  Tick-tock, tick-tock, went the clock!  Eventually, our order was taken, and we sat waiting for the red lights on the black box we were given, started to flash.  

Making it home with ten minutes to spare, I ran upstairs, opened my laptop, waited while it decided to show me an array of beautiful scenic pictures, and finally spun into action.  I put in the information I needed, performed a 'practice run', to make sure it was working, and was told I was 'too early'.  I sat for the next sixty seconds, with my finger on the buzzer, waiting to click. The airline with which they were travelling has a number system, where you queue up dependent upon what number you are given when you check in.  There are no assigned seats, so the quicker you get on the plane, the better the seat, and the quicker you 'check in', the quicker you get on the plane!  I sent Samantha a message with the letter and number I managed to get.  I thought it was rather good.  She responded with, "I missed the end of the film as I had to go .....".  I was expecting, "Thank you!"

Friday was not going to be a good day.  I had decided that before the week had begun.  However, to add insult to injury, (not meaning to sound ungrateful!) I received a call to say I had been picked, again, to come to the radio station for another 'meet and greet'.  Instead of being delighted, I was overwhelmed, and not in a good way!  In fact, I was not the only winner of this prestigious award.  Entering Samantha for the contest as well, I had put the office phone number, and on receiving a call for my daughter, I had dutifully pretended to be her when accepting the invitation, when they called.  Immediately after putting down the phone, I realised that I may also be a 'winner', and was not going to be both 'her' and 'me' again, this week.  As I walked back to her office, with my phone in my hand, it rang.  "Be me!", I told her as she recoiled and promptly refused.  I swiped the arrow on the screen and the phone connected.  I put the phone to her ear, and she had no choice but to say, "Hello".  She reluctantly pretended to be me when accepting the invitation.  

The performance on Friday, by Anderson East, whom we had 'met and greeted' a couple of months earlier, was very good.  I did not have a 'question' ready to ask, as I was not in the right frame of mind, but the fact that I was out of the office, and at the venue, caused me to take stock of the situation, and enjoy the show!  There was an amusing interlude, as we noticed the absent of the 'constant' who failed to show last week, when someone else looked around and said, "She's not here!"  We realised we were not the only one who waits for her to arrive.  I then wondered if the other people say that about us!  

After photos and a brief 'chat', we left the studio, and I thanked the guy who had shown us through earlier, and welcomed us back!  I asked, "Who are we going to see next week".  It was a joke, but totally lost on the poor employee, who stumbled over his words trying to remember who was going to be at the station the following week.  

Both Dana and Samantha were heard (by me) discussing my concern about using the toll road to get from the airport back to her house.  The plan (not set by me) was to drive from the office to my daughter's home, take her car to the airport, (as she has a toll-road tag, and it would be quicker to use the toll,) and for me to drive back to her house, via the toll, and then drive back to the office.  The reason I had offered to take them to the airport, apparently, was so that I could take my case, which had been damaged on return from England, to the airline office, within the airport, so that they could send it away for repair.  My sixty days in which to return the case, empty, to their office, was running out, and this would be (apparently) an ideal opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.  I recall mentioning that this may be an opportunity to take care of the matter, but do not recall setting it in stone; the stone, no doubt that was to kill the two birds!  I had printed out a map to show me the route from the airport back to her house, and was ready to head into the unknown.  However, because I had mentioned that I was not au fait with the toll-roads, they assumed I was setting myself up for failure, and concerning myself about the trip.   I knew I could not get lost on the toll, as there is no deviation, and even if I took it all the way to Waco, I would be on the Interstate back into Austin in no time.  I might not arrive back until the early hours of the morning, but I would  be in familiar territory.  They mistook this sarcasm as an assumption that I was setting myself up for failure, and concerning myself about the trip. 

I left the office at four fifteen, in order to be at Samantha's house by five.  I arrived early.  They were not ready to leave.  I started to panic.  Dana was quite caught up with his work, which was an unusual scenario, and could have left at five, but I had his car!  At twenty minutes past the hour they had designated as 'zero', we left, with Samantha driving.  I was studying the map.  "Let me put the directions in your phone", said Edward, "And it can tell you which way to go".  Oh ye of little faith!  I thanked my son in law for his suggestion, and offer, but declined, emphatically.  I would be fine!

We parked the car, and I went and deposited my bag with the airline official.  I got back to the car, and followed my written instructions, finding it amusing that I was actually entering the toll-road, on purpose!  Dana has managed to drive on to the road a few times by accident, as the signs are rather misleading.  The toll-roads are always to the right, but the signs letting you know that you are about to enter are always on the left, with the signs letting you know that it is the last 'free' exit, directly above the entrance.  I wonder if there is a reason for this!  Cynical is the word that comes to mind!

I drove at high speed, as the limit is 80mph, and remembered that I was meant to 'swap' toll-roads along the way, but did not remember at which junction.  I called Samantha, who was not sure, and she passed me to Edward, who said that I just 'kept left'.  The signs were rather clear, and despite the difference in opinion as to where to exit, I chose the one with which I was familiar and headed back to Samantha's house, where I deposited her car, and then drove Dana's back to the office, where I picked up both him and Frank.  

We arrived home around seven thirty, and I realised that the week had come to an end, and all was well!

Saturday morning was going to be fun!  I was going shopping!  I dressed accordingly, as the weather forecasters had said it would be a lovely, mild, sunny day, and just for precaution, wore a jacket.  I went to the DIY shop, as I was in search of a shelving unit, but left empty handed.  I went to the Container Store, but again, nothing suited.  I headed for Costco, where I was complimented on my attire, and wandered around without a care in the world.  It was Saturday, and freedom from my own 'mind incarceration' had been obtained!  From the warehouse, I went north, to the Dollar Tree, where the queues were long, and my the length of my patience, longer.  I offered my space in the queue to someone who appeared to be in a hurry, and he thanked me profusely.  I listened as the two ladies operating the cash register, speaking in 'southern' accents and diction, not feeling the need to correct grammar or pronunciation! I felt tremendously light.  

The temperature had dropped dramatically, when I left the store and I was thankful for my jacket!

Walmart was busy, but I sailed through like a yacht at a regatta, and headed back towards home, without having purchased my shelving unit, and resigning myself to the fact I would no doubt have to make a trip to the 'Swedish' store at some point.  However, I pulled off into the strip mall, that housed the Big Lots store and decided to take a look.  An older lady was standing in the middle of the store, debating with a salesman over a piece of furniture.  I looked at the unit and it was exactly what I was looking for.  "But if I put it like this, my TV will be too high!", she said, as if he was responsible.  Very politely, he suggested that she put the unit on its side.  "But then it will be too long!, she said, as if chastising!  He looked around and suggested she take a look at a different unit.  That was not going to work because of the price.  I was curious.  The smaller units were much cheaper than the larger one, but she seemed not to notice.  However, once deciding, finally, that this was not going to work for her, she turned to me and said, "He was gonna let this go for half price!"  I did not miss the opportunity!  "How, much for the unit", I said to the salesman, who watched with what seemed to be a look of relief, at the departure of the first woman, but who then looked as if he was going to have to go into battle again.  He was polite, but I detected a wariness within him.  He told me the price, which he said would be final, and make the item non-returnable, and then went to walk away.  "I'll take it!" I said, quickly, as if there was a queue and I was about to lose a prize!  It was a 'flat pack' item that had been put together for the 'floor', and was at such a good price.  It measured up to my measurements!  I paid for it, and then he suggested I drive my car around to the front of the store.  My car!  The mini!  Oh dear.  This could be a problem!  I had forgotten that I was not with Samantha, in her larger vehicle, nor with Dana, who could probably fit the unit in the back seat.  

It is amazing how much space there is in a mini!  Albeit the seats were as far forward as they could go, and my seat in particular had the back so far forward that it would not 'click' into place.  I drove home jerking forward, each time my foot hit the brake, or accelerator, as the chair back was loose!  I managed to get home, and unloaded the car.  It had been a successful trip.  

With the week over, but a new one headed my way with a few more unusual adjustments ahead, I think I managed to conquer all the levels of my own 'extreme' week.  We have snow again today, which is another 'not-normal'.  However, many unexpected things come together, hopefully, to make............. another story!