01:15 - 02.06.07
Piqued
It seemed as though everything went sideways yesterday dear diary. My unstable computer was a major barrier to accomplishing a number of tasks. I was trying to complete some training modules for the one piecework job I do have. Part way through I found the computer shutting itself down or not responding via the mouse. I was also trying to negotiate some shared information with one of my son's friends through facebook, but the understanding of the issue wasn't as clear as I had hoped. A request about product information from Australia garnered a response from my Mom's cousin, but the computer said it couldn't connect with the websites I needed to visit to finish up the research. Australians speak and write in English - well sort of - so it isn't as though there was a disconnect because of alphabetic graphics - the interface should have been fine. When I tried reading my e-newsletters they were treated just like my cousin's email. No consistency in opening up into the websites, although the sightings of royalty and true gems did come through. I wanted to book something with my airmiles for one son. I realized there was a serious problem with charges on my one charge card as I made preparations to do so. I spent a couple of hours digging out all my statements and figured out what the problem was. On the plus side, I guess, I now have all my finance paperwork in order. However, to confirm my surmise about the credit charges that aren't mine I had to have access to the credit card support network which wasn't operating at 2 in the am or to the person whose response would likely clear things up. They don't answer their cellphone at 2 in the am either. I know they switch it off after a certain time, so I just left a voicemail. Another email from a friend demanded an answer, but the computer froze halfway through the reply losing about half an hour's work and it was nearly 3 in the am. By the time I finally wrote to you I thought that my head was going to explode with frustration. Add in that there was something really wonky with my one foot so that it hurt too much to climb stairs or do yoga. I couldn't even burn off the stress by exercising. Bleagh. Maybe this full moon's purpose was just to reveal what needs work and recalibration, but did it all have to come at one time? Even the cats were howling and yowling for no apparent reason. I thought it was the canine tribe that were supposed to bay at full moons. Add in hearing my neighbour skulking around in the sideyard both last night and tonight, the smell of the ganja very strong, as I post. Means I haven't been a particularly cheery person.
Today was much better once I got going. After the night before I was a bit leery about trying to do my banking, but it worked out fine. Most of what I wanted at the grocery store was in stock too - just none of the fresh fruit that had been advertised. You know fresh cherries and fresh blueberries too. No such luck and the frozen stuff was too expensive to even consider. There was a small tiramisu on at half price, so I decided I deserved to eat extra calories as a sop too my hurt feelings. All was fine until I reached the checkout. It was a slow mid-afternoon so there was only the two cashiers open. One male, who seemed to have lingered in the store a very long time considering the small amount of groceries in his basket, was at the far end of the aisle when I turned into the one cashier's line. It was obvious by his facial expression that he had hoped to get in my line before I did. I was intending to invite him to do so, but he turned and walked a couple of steps back to the express till that had it's "open" light on. Apparently there wasn't a cashier at the till when he arrived, so he threw his basket of goods - still full - across the aisle. Then he kicked it for good measure, produce flying every which way. This wasn't a young impatient adult either. His well worn face and silver hair indicated someone in their "middle" years. What was really upsetting was that there were a number of parents with pre-school aged children within sight of this idiot's tantrum. What a wonderful role model, eh? My groceries were all on the conveyor belt by that time so even if he had approached our line by then I don't think he could have been waited on first. Quite frankly he didn't warrant the courtesy by then either. Sometimes I am in awe of the store's staff given what they have to deal with. Personally I think I would have walked that person to the door and invited him not to come back - after I had donned a face mask and goalie pads for protection.
One of the regular cab drivers picked me up after I paid for my groceries. He was in a good mood and was regaling me with tales of other passengers who also displayed quirky behaviour. As we were finishing loading up his trunk with my purchases, there was that crunching sound of fiberglass you just know means a collision nearby. Of course. The start of rush hour and an accident at the main intersection leading into the enitre shopping complex and the four communities behind it. Fortunately there didn't appear to be any serious injuries. Just several stressed and confused drivers - at least three it seemed all trying to figure out what they should do next; blocking three of four lanes of traffic as they debated the issue. Two were on their cellphones and I'm surprised that they weren't hit by the oncoming traffic that they didn't seem to be aware was passing. Might explain the initial accident. My driver was cussing up a storm in his first language at one point. I guess he thought I wouldn't understand but remember, dear diary, I've told you the tales of my sons' buddies visiting on a regular basis. Young men from every part of the world. They spoke several languages so I now can recognize cursing - that frustration with electronic games being the reason for their slips of the lip. I didn't indicate any discomfort to the cab driver, because he was just frustrated that we couldn't get through the intersection. He didn't want me to pay extra for the wait time, but he also loses income by the time lost. He had said that the past two weeks had been very slow for his business. He was looking thin and peaky at that. Anyway as we waited for the intersection to clear, he was talking about some of his passengers who were struggling financially because all their income was being consumed by their mortgages. Average house price in the city now is over $400,000. For the people he was dealing with they were paying considerably more than that. We were both in this city for the last major economic bust and we both can see signs of the next one coming. Even with very high paying jobs - if one still has one in a downturn - the chances of losing one's shirt in the real estate market is a distinct possibilty as the value of one's home can drop by half to two thirds in days while one is still paying that outrageous mortgage. Last bust about one third of the residents in my community of modest dwellings had their homes foreclosed. It would likely have been more, but there was no resale value even for the speculators and legal types who scooped them up. Saturated market where people were selling their homes for $1.00. It was just a very sad time. I think that temper tantrum in the store was a symptom of our out of control economy right at the moment. Prices are going up, but wages aren't even at par with inflation or the cost of living. Most newcomers to the city don't have enough equity to anchor them through to a more stable cost of living scenario. I guess maybe I shouldn't judge that tantrum man so harshly after all, eh?
Got home and the cats were hiding in the basement. Could be because of the heat - +25 C/78 F - with no air conditioning I suppose. The one person who could solve my credit card mystery had called back and confirmed my theory about the extra charges on my card. Not the smoothest conversation, but at least it is one where the problem can be resolved without a major upheaval. After the bust of two huge credit card skimming operations in our city this week and the announcement that several banks will be cancelling numerous credit and debit cards as a result I was worried about the implications if that had been the source of the problems. It's all relative - right? Got the groceries put away and the cats got their fresh supply of quackgrass - it's starting to look quite decorative to me set up in a vase in the kitchen. I was pondering bringing in some lilacs from the back garden, but maybe that's too rich a diet for felines. Besides those flowers will bloom and give off their womderful scent for weeks if I just leave them where they are.
I tried getting the computer and mouse to behave themselves after that, but I still don't seem to have gotten all the bugs out. First thing I did was clean all the appropriate surfaces with rubbing alcohol thinking it could just be a build up of cat hair and other dusty, dirty bits of grime floating in from outside. Dusting is a chronic daily task and I don't know where all of it is coming from either. When I opened the door for Ms Kitty tonight she sneezed, gagged then bolted from the window. That was the reaction I had had while walking outside to the bank and the grocery store so there must be some spraying of pesticides still going on. Maybe that is part of the problem too. Can computers have seasonal allergies? I don't know, but some window from the browser just opened itself while I was keying this discussion and I almost lost all of this post. Has my PC caught a virus or has some hacker enslaved my poor PC? Don't know.
There was a new email from the company that has hired me to do piece work for them asking if I could take on some jobs this weekend. When I went in to take the training I was told I wouldn't be allowed to cover the job in question anyway, but would I try the training for the other work they had posted. Tried that and the computer crashed once again. I just can't seem to get any forward motion going and Mr Mercury doesn't even start retrograde motion until mid-month. Arrrgh. No word on that other job I interviewed for last week, but given that article in the newspaper last weekend I'm not getting my hopes up. We'll see. Could just be that they are rethinking what they really want in a worker too. Since I don't know the people or the culture of the workplace it could just be that a fit is difficult to find. I had similar problems in staffing the election office too as you may recall dear diary. Sometimes some personalities are just not a good fit even though the people themselves are all really good, productive individuals. It's the teamwork thing that can be tricky to piece together after all.
Anyway time for bed. Need to try those training modules again tomorrow. May my PCs' fit of pique will be done by then. Good night dear diary.
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