I Had a Bad Day! But it's all relative.

From "The Best of..." Files

 

(This is from 2009.  I needed a wake up call... otherwise known as a slap across the head, and God sent me the message.)

I had a bad day!   It was one of the worst!  The stress!  The people nitpicking!  “I want...!”  “I need...!” “Please do...!" was the extent of the one-way conversations I had with my coworkers.  I’m going to share my day with you because once you hear how bad my day was, it can only make your day seem great in comparison.  Everything’s relative, right?

 

The day started with my groggy eyes focusing on my alarm clock at ..7:50 am...  I was expected to be at work by ..8:00...  Oh well, I’m already late so I might as well enjoy the extra time.  It’s not like I can turn the clock back, right?

Off to the shower.  Wow!  How relaxing.  I stood there for what seemed like an hour experiencing the soothing massage of the warm water cascading over my body, the fresh scent of the soap and the calming inhalation of the steam enveloping me. In reality, it was only about five minutes. Stepping out of the shower, my hot body felt the seemingly frigid air from the open window. 

 

“Dang you!  How could you forget to close the window before jumping in the shower?!” I cursed myself.

 

I got to work a half hour late.  Unfortunately, Chaos showed up right on time at eight and started my day without me.  The rest of the day was a race to see who would win.  Would Chaos, the current champion, win the race to the finish line at 4:21?  Or would the up-and-coming challenger be able to catch up to the leader and surpass the current title holder by getting everything done today?  The race is on, and the winner is not going to lose all in this song, honey!

 

“10 O’clock..!  Coffee time,” my coffee posse announced.

“Coffee? Not bloody likely today.”

“Ahhh… c’mon,” my counterpart nagged.

 

“Screw off and leave me alone!  Can’t you see I have work to do?!  If you were any kind of a human being, you would unselfishly let your work go to heck and help me with mine!  But instead you run for coffee and your morning's dose of local gossip. What kind of team player are you?  A slack-assed one if you ask me!”
That’s what I wanted to say. I substituted it for a smiley response. “I’ll pass this time.”

 

What a bad day!

Does your day seem better yet? Everything’s relative right?

 

Lunch time wasn’t much better.  I knew I'd have to work through lunch.  I rushed to the cafeteria to get something in my belly to bring back to my desk.  After all, I hadn’t eaten yet.  Mmmm… Hawaiian Pizza rotating in the warmer.  I’ll try that.  It looks like it just got out of the oven.  The cheese stretched the length of his arm as Paul, the cook, pulled my piece out.  “I’ll have  it to go” I stated matter of factly.  I can’t wait to get into that.  I rushed back to the office with my fresh, hot pizza. 

 

Dangit!!  I left my keys in the office.  Knock, knock on the door.  Nobody answered. What the heck?!  Don’t tell me that even Chaos went for lunch.  A moment later, someone had mercy on me and let me in.  (Truth be told, she had to go to the bathroom and had to open the door to get out.  I took advantage of the timing.)  I sat at my desk with a mouth full of saliva craving the texture of the warm stringy cheese.

 

“Ok, let’s get to this pizza.”  After all this is the best thing that has happened to me so far today. I took a bite. Mmmmm… it is just as good as I thought it would be.  Suddenly, I inhaled a small crumb.  “Cough, cough, hack, hack.”  I needed water.  Ooops, forgot water.  I grabbed my keys and rushed back to the cafeteria to get some water.  I returned to my office as quickly as I could.  I was freaking hungry and a nibble of that pizza was just a cruel tease.

 

I sat back at my desk and opened the white styrofoam container which was keeping my pizza almost warm.  Took a bite.  Well, it’s not hot but it’s ok.  Anything is ok when you’re hungry, right?  As I ate, I kept working.  About 4 bites into my pizza, two people came to the locked door.  I have always wanted to put blinds on the window beside the door which gave onlookers and peeping-toms a wonderful view of me at work. I'm now regretting my procrastination with that.

 

“Click, click” I heard the door knob rattle.  I tried to just stay focused on my work hoping they would get the hint that it is lunchtime and we are closed.  Obviously, the sign in the middle of the door indicating that we were closed was not clear enough.  “Click, click, click”, yep, if you keep trying the door handle enough times, it’s bound to magically unlock.  Keep trying folks… I mean IDIOTS!

 

Since the onlookers could not seem get my attention with the clicking of the handle, they resorted to knocking on the window.  Well, I couldn’t just ignore them any longer or flip them the middle icon so I got up and opened the door.  After all, how long could this take? A minute?

Fifteen minutes later, I was able to finally convince them that they would have to come back after one to see the person who could help them.  She had gone for lunch I told them. (Take a freakin’ hint, punks!  I’m trying to eat too!)

 

I sat down to my ice cold pizza and water.  Mmm..?? mm?  Nah… I can’t even fake the satisfaction that I could have achieved if people would have left me alone.  I ate a few more bites and then I had to dispose of it.  The texture was like cold rubber on my tongue now.

 

What a bad day!

Does your day seem better yet? Everything’s relative right?

 

The afternoon continued with me and Chaos head to head.  People needing this, wanting that, and “if you can please do” this and that. To top it off, one of my partners was on holidays and I had to do her work too.  I still have reports to do from Monday and I'm expected to pick up her slack?  If I keep doing other people's work, I will never be able to go on vacation in two days.  (Ironic, huh?)

At coffee time, one of my colleagues brought cake for the team. What a nice jesture.  An excuse for everyone to comingle and avoid work. Actually, I was looking forward to a delicious piece of cake after my pizza foibles.  The bugger of it was that while everyone else in my department was celebrating the upcoming 29+ birthday of my dear friend, I was singled out to have to continue working again.  No freakin’ rest for the wicked… or me either it seemed.

 

Well, 4:21 hit and it seemed Chaos was still in the lead.  I’m not giving up without a fight!!  I pushed myself another 40 minutes until I could convince myself that I had beaten my animus foe.

 

What a bad day!

Does your day seem better yet? Everything’s relative right?

 

I went home.

 

“An adult and two children are in hospital Wednesday after a freak bolt of lightning struck them at a soccer field in Brampton…,” the headline reads.

 

“The death toll from a typhoon that hit region of Taiwan has risen to more than 100 overnight…,” the headline reads.

 

“Winnipeg mom of missing kids pleads for their return…,” the headline reads.
 

..              <silence>

 

…           <ponder>

 

………..?

 

Wow!  I had a great day today!  One of my best!  It all started when I accidentally got the rare opportunity to sleep in.  I awoke so refreshed and ready to take on the day!  It was going to be wonderful!

 

“Look out world!  Here I come!”

            Does your day seem better yet? Everything’s relative right?