Errands and Oblivion

I ran errands over my lunch hour. Specifically, the following:

-I went to the hardware store to buy a new light switch.

-I got my hair cut.

-I went into a restaurant at high noon, ordered some food, and took it to go.

-I filled my gas tank.

-I went to the ATM.

Now: which of these took the longest?

The haircut, right? NOPE. Went to a new place, and I was in and out (and happy, no less) in less than 10 minutes.

Well, it had to be lunch, right? I mean, straight up noon, no call ahead…

NOPE. It took less than 5 minutes.

It was the ATM. Because the oblivious, selfish jackass two cars ahead of me apparently decided to do his entire 2009 small business accounting from the driver’s seat of his car.

I’m not kidding. The guy deposited AT LEAST a dozen checks, one at a time, correcting his entries. Then, he fed money into the machine bill by bill. Then, he removed his debit card, PUT IN A DIFFERENT ONE, and made a withdrawal…THEN SAT IN HIS CAR FOR 30 seconds writing in his checkbook.

The guy in front of me laid on his horn and started cussing, at which point the jackass looked up as if to notice the line behind him for the first time.

Don’t be that guy. I know it’s a lot to ask in this world of self-absorption, but pay a little attention to your surroundings--at the ATM, in the aisle at Walmart, while you’re running a stop sign right in front of me because you were having such an important conversation. I’m not always as patient as I was today.

Reasons Yesterday Rocked

1. I locked in our mortgage rate 1/8 of a percentage point HIGHER than it was the day before. How could this possibly rock? Because it was a full ¼ point higher than that by the end of the day. Bond prices crashed, which boosted interest rates nationwide as a result. Another lender we were considering went from 4.75% to 5.625% in 48 hours.

2. I received yet another ticket on Southwest. I now have four in my account, if you’re counting at home.

3. I found out my car’s air conditioning compressor was NOT seized up; it had simply run out of coolant due to a slow leak in the system. Leak is repaired, system is charged, just in time for summer. I’m out $66 instead of $1000.

4. My garage door, which failed quite violently Tuesday night, is being repaired right now. The person who took down my information scheduled me for yesterday by mistake, which left them overbooked at the time listed on their schedule. In the meantime, another person I had called for a quote called me back and gave me a $75 lower estimate. Needless to say, I simply cancelled the first appointment.

5. The much-predicted rain never materialized, allowing us to actually start our summer softball season on time. We won both games, and I didn't get hurt (which, as I age, is becoming more of a victory than saying "I hit the shit out of the ball".)

Life can be pretty sweet when it wants to be.

Thoughts I've Had During OSHA Training Today

1. Our monologist for the show tomorrow night, Kevin Dilmore, is a natural. He should be highly entertaining, which means everyone should come see him. Tantrum info
2. Corporate gigs can be weird. It's hard to have people play big, bright, shiny, fun basketball games (not to mention drink beer) at the CBE and then make them sit down and watch us.
3. They just showed a picture of a dude finishing the edge of a roof. He's tied off, of course...to a large Hispanic man. Is that a violation?
4. What am I going to do Monday? President's Day's a comin'...
5. Once I get a company phone in a couple weeks, is call forwarding free from my personal phone? No way in HELL I'm carrying two phones, considering I don't even like having ONE.
6. The carpet tiles in our office were installed two months ago. They already look like crap.
7. Stop asking so many questions, dude--you're only prolonging the agony.