“Remoted” – Day 478 (Wednesday)

Dog meal prep.

In advance of the Independence Day holiday observance on Monday, an entry in pencil had been made in my day planner. It said “Relax! Goof Off!” That was the loose plan for the day. Like so many of my half-baked plans, it didn’t go quite as penciled. That was the day I trimmed bushes, mowed the yard, pulled weeds, vacuumed, and prepped several days’ worth of dog meals. It couldn’t be more different than the day I imagined. 

Countless other times, important house tasks were penciled in and no gutters were checked, no organization was done in the spare room, no laundry washed, dried, and folded, and no vacuuming done.

This leads to the new realization. Maybe the key is to keep penciling in “Relax” and “Goof Off” and then accidentally reap the benefits of my inability to stick to my own plan. This could be my best idea in a long time. We’ll see how well it works on the next scheduled day off.

The other accomplishment of the current week was more deliberate. According to the USPS Daily Notification for Monday, June 28, the first bill for my new auto loan was due to arrive in my mailbox on or around that date. It did not arrive that day or on any of the few days later where mail was delivered on the new random schedule. Every other piece of expected mail has arrived except the car loan bill.

The missing loan bill wouldn’t be an issue except for the part where I didn’t know the account number, which was not on the initial paperwork from the dealership, probably because it wasn’t theirs to assign. The payment is due in a few days, so time was running out. An internet search pulled up the website of the finance company, and the phone number delivered the delights of a big bank phone menu that wanted voice responses. My answer to one prompt was “yes,” which I said in a normal voice and then had to repeat, so I yelled “YES!” the second time. My answer to another prompt was “billing and payment” which then needed to be repeated as “BILLING AND PAYMENT!” I screamed it. That’s when I remembered the windows were open and the new neighbors were out in their back yard, and my top-level 100% annoyance was instantly replaced with a solid case of “oh shit” embarrassment.

The best part of any day.

The phone menu system was a nightmare and I ended up hanging up and starting over. I need a land line for moments like that, purely for the satisfaction of slamming the receiver. The second attempt finally provided a human on the other end of the line who was very polite and provided the information needed to pay my bill online and earn more of the many rewards points that are redeemed for gift cards and cash. When the mail came at 5:00, there was still no auto loan bill, but that’s okay, it’s all set now. 

The post-supper entertainment was Prime Video and the show Red Oaks which is mildly entertaining and has the familiar faces of Paul Reiser, Gina Gershon, and Jennifer Grey, with Moose cuddled at my side and Winston in the bed near my feet. The pre-work and evening couch cuddles are always the best part of the day.