“Remoted” – Day 480 (Friday)

Some days, from the moment of the first opening of the eyes, are annoying. Not necessarily singular, big annoyances that cast a long shadow, it’s often a steady stream of smaller issues that build upon each other. There is always the chance the day will redeem itself, and that is the glimmer of hope/big fat lie that keeps me going. Its cousin is the frequent lie, "If I drag myself to this party/art opening/gala/museum/Tractor Supply Store maybe I'll meet someone interesting."

It's not their fault the human
keeps getting derailed.

Today started out annoying with the recently developed habit of forgetting Winston’s insulin shot. For around seven months it was an easy groove of food and insulin, then suddenly the new Moose meal plan came along and the system fell apart. Now, with food coming from the refrigerator for one dog and from the bathroom closet for the other, it’s just enough of a shift in the routine that the insulin is sometimes missed. Luckily, it’s usually remembered sooner than later, and the train gets back onto the track.

Pre-work chores included emptying the dishwasher, usually a non-event. The top rack was full of the many plastic containers from the new prepackaged chicken, rice, and veggie portions, and thanks to the mysterious and magical properties of plasticware, none if it was dry. Meanwhile, every non-plastic item in the dishwasher was perfectly dry. The phenomenon is a mix of fascinating and annoying. The many wet containers were stacked in heap on the counter amid some grumbling and everything else was put away so the whole cycle could begin again. 

After logging in for work, the fun continued with the search for an image file from a recent project that was needed for a new project. For the life of me, I couldn’t find it. The plasticware grumbling escalated to swearing before finally giving up and asking our designer for the file again. I hate bothering him with stupid stuff like resending a file he already delivered to me, but it was needed to complete the morning’s mission.

During the morning, the skies opened up. The gutter over the front door rained down a sheet of water like a feature wall I once saw in a Chinese restaurant. The dogs wouldn’t go outside to potty. The basement wall along one side started taking on water. When I went upstairs for socks because my feet were freezing even though it was 74 degrees in the house, I saw that one bedroom window was open. The windowsill was soaked. I could see into the gutter that runs across the front of the house and it was full of water which is what was streaming down over the front door. It’s clearly past the time to have the gutters checked, which I remember only when it’s raining.

A delivery was due at work “on or before July 9” and I was hoping it would arrive “before” or at least by 10:00 this morning so I could go to the office and deal with it before knocking off at noon on a scheduled half day. It did not arrive today by noon, and it looks like I’ll be headed to the office Monday to handle it because the stuff is due to arrive at 26 branches by Wednesday.

Friday fun!

It rained and kept raining, making the idea of driving less enticing, especially as the afternoon destination wasn’t lunch or a friendly visit, but a dental appointment with the potential for a root canal. A quarter-mile from the house, I realized I hadn’t put on makeup. There was no time to turn back, despite feeling naked and like I failed to at least try to look presentable.

It was rain and slow-moving traffic the whole 40-minute drive, during which I kept thinking it’s probably years past the time to find a dentist local to the BungaLowell. 

After a 30 minute wait in the chilly waiting area that featured chit chat with the receptionist about hot flashes, I was finally led to the inner sanctum to see the dental professionals. The problem tooth of last summer with the crown that didn’t fit and needed redoing was tapped, prodded, subjected to a cold test, and the gums around it were poked with something very pokey. In the end, it was not the lucky recipient of a root canal. There is a reasonable likelihood the root is cracked and the tooth may not be salvageable. There are more thrilling dental adventures ahead, timing yet to be determined. Can hardly wait.

Things were brighter upon emerging from the dental office. Literally. The rain had stopped, the clouds had parted, and the sun was out. Even with heavy traffic, the ride home was more pleasant. The decision to leave the sunglasses on the kitchen table because it was raining suddenly seemed less of a good idea.

Macaroons and Long Drink.

Back at the BungaLowell, the royal feeding of the Canine Overlords went like it should with all the necessary steps including insulin conducted in order. The basement had more water when I returned than when I had left, but less than it’s had before. Using the push broom, the water was moved across the floor toward the sump pump, basically redistributing it from one smaller area to a much broader area across the span of the floor. During the water redistribution exercise, I told myself it was a free fitness activity that would tighten my flapping upper arms. I'm really leveling up on the self-deceit.

By 7:00, the sky was cloud free and clear blue with sunshine all around. The online weather report featured the “Hurricane Local Statement” that “Elsa has moved away – all tropical warnings have been cancelled.” Bye bye Elsa! For the tropical storm departure party of one, the refreshments were Finnish alcohol (Long Drink) and Jewish macaroons. The annoying day was redeeming itself.