I’m going to give you a quick glimpse into my day today.
7:00am - I wake up and confirm that my scheduled meeting at work (w/the Big Boss) is still set for 10:00am.
I opt to skip breakfast in fear of throwing up all over the Big Boss if the conversation sours over a project I’m working on.
OK… I’m being a little over dramatic about throwing up. But I am however working on a project that is easily limiting my life span by 6 to 8 years.
11:00am - Meeting concludes and I walk out of the my 1 on 1 meeting feeling pretty good about the state-of-things w/the big boss.
12:00am - I break for lunch early (early for me) and I agree to eat at the Fork n’ Spoon w/co-workers. I haven’t had anything to eat since the night before and I’m fucking famished.
The Fork n Spoon in New Bruanfels serves breakfast until 3:00pm. I order a short stack of Buttermilk Pancakes / a side of bacon / large cold glass of milk to accompany a glass of water.
Fast forward to 5:46 pm…
I say to my co-worker Eric: Hey, I don’t plan on staying late. Lets wrap this shit up… I want to make pasta tonight.
Eric is on the verge of breaking through on a batch process we’ve been fumbling with for what seems like months now. I agree to hang back.
6:24 PM - I inform Eric that I will be putting on our end of day album - Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop. Eric and I always play this album at the end of every work day… it lets us know that we’re going to work for one more hour. If we spill over that hour, we’re ok with it because Spotify plays the album Purple by STP and that’s a really good record also.
I inform Eric that I will be cracking open a Diet Pepsi and will stay until the end of the album or until I finish my drink. What ever comes first…
Eric informs me that we’re close… to be a little patient. I decide to face time my parents.
6:35pm - my parents make a big whoop about dinner and ask me if I’m interested in coming out. My parents came into town last night and have opted to spend time at my sisters so they can enjoy their grand daughter. I drove over last night because they just got into town and I really wanted to see Elliot (my dog) seeing how he’s been living with my parents all of 2013 because I work an obscene amount of hours.
I agree to eat with my parents and sister… let them know that I wouldn’t see them until 7:45 pm at the earliest tho’.
7:00pm = Inform Eric that I was going to bounce. He was still working on stuff… I have no idea if we’re closer to completing the batch process or not.
I call my parents and tell them that I’m about to start the 40 mile trek for dinner. They should start without me.
At this point… I’m feeling pretty hungry. A little annoyed by the drive… but I got word today that I’m traveling to Memphis and New Jersey in the month of October. I need to let my parents know about this in advance so they can also keep an eye on my cat while I’m away.
7:24pm - I get a phone call from my sister asking where I was. I’m on I-35 South Bound, by O’Connor Rd. She then informs me that she was going to stop into a store… to which I said - that’s a terrible idea. I’m going to be at the restaurant within 20 minutes. I want to be back at her place to see the Challenge by 9 and I’d like to be back to my apartment no later than 11. We live on opposite sides of town…
Mind you. My sister lives within 4 miles of the restaurant we’re about to dine at.
The place is a fucking dump… but my mom digs it and I have a favor to ask… I press on.
7:42 PM - 40 mile drive complete. No sign of my family… I’m fucking livid. I walk inside the place and notice that the AC is out and they’ve opened the windows to the restaurant.
It’s 103 degrees outside and the sun hasn’t set. I inform my parental units that they have 10 minutes to arrive or I’m bouncing.
First text is sent at 7:44pm
I begin to receive phone calls and texts from my sister and parents. I don’t answer and opt to only reply with a count down of minutes.
Dramatic much? Yes. Totes. But you didn’t fucking drive 40 miles to meet with retired people who live within 4 miles of a destination and a sibling who purposely does shit like - stopping into a store and making you fucking wait somewhere after driving for nearly an hour into the fucking setting sun.
7:48pm - Sister alerts me that my niece is in mid diaper change.
I alert my sister “Not my problem. 6 minutes”
7:54pm - I hop into my car, place phone on silent and proceed with my drive back to Live Oak.
8:20pm - I pick up drive thru… I’m irate / tired / and on the phone with my friend / lawyer / ethicist = Ted, who insists that I pull over and eat something before committing a violent crime.
8:39pm - I arrive home.
Could have the situation described above been handled differently? Sure. I would have understood if they had to pull over to let my dad go to the bathroom… but my 8 month old niece shit her diaper. They were also pulling their pudd in some store and they could have addressed that errand some other time.
My tolerance for anyone: family/friends/colleagues wasting my time and effort is non existent.