Ever have one of those days, when you can't find a parking place?
Well, this morning I was running a little late, and if you don't get to work at a certain time, the parking lot is packed. Of course, this morning, it was fully packed. It doesn't make sense because there are two empty offices in the building, and there should be plenty of parking, but apparently a lot of people park there illegally. So, of course I was driving the family van today, so I ended up parking it near the women's jail facility which is about 3 blocks away.
That is okay I thought. It was a beautiful day, I'll enjoy the walk. And, yes as a matter of fact, I did enjoy the walk to work. It actually turned out to be the highlight of my day. From there on, it all went down hill.
I come to work, with an incredible pile of work to conquer before the lunch hour. I worked a half day on Monday, and there was extra work that was still waiting from Friday. So, I'm trying to organize my work, when suddenly I'm surrounded by the "new people". These new employees, are nice, but they can turn incredibly annoying very quickly, when I'm trying to play catch up. The new people seem to think I have answers to everything. Okay, I do, but..please, one newbie at a time. I was sitting there with piles of files surrounding me, and with two newbies. Errr...
Boss lady needed copies run. Gee, why can't boss lady learn how to use the copy machine? All you do lady is put the paper on the tray, and press a button.. Then boss man comes in, with that look on his face. You know that, "scattered, and I don't have anyone to help me look".
"Julie..do you have time..."
He looked at me, and I guess he could tell by the look on my face that I had no time to come to his rescue. I don't know if it was the expression on my face, or the fact that I was holding 10 files..
"On, never mind....I can see you are very busy.."
"Sorry, yeah, I really am, and I have training to go to..."
Training. Err. My lunch hour was spent finding the college campus room for this training for interstate supervisions-(complete waste of time). I didn't have time for breakfast this morning, so I took off early so I could get a bite to eat and buy a sandwich, but of course the parking lot I was driving through did not have parking space big enough for my big fat van. Then I got blocked by this cement truck, and I had turn around it, and ended up at the Taco Bell. At that point I was so hungry, I stopped there instead, and ended up regretting it. I walk in and there is a line of 6 people, and one guy at the cash register. The guy at the register had a lazy eye, that kept on going to the left. I tried not to stare, but I I didn't know which eye to look at...
I sat down through two hours of "training" that did cover really anything of what I do. I did learn something that I suspected all the time. The duties in assigning interstate cases shouldn't belong to a clerical position, but to a probation officer. Duh. The instructor was amazed that the probation officers in our county did not carry weapons. Yeah, I come from a very liberal town. I also learned that there are many states (government agencies) that just don't like California, like Texas. Oh, and here is another tidbit: back in the 70's the state of Michigan got all of there transient people, loaded them on a bus, and sent them all to San Francisco. San Francisco of course accepted them all with open arms, the city gave them a free outdoor concert, and threw daisies at them.. Hmm.. Instead of conquering my pile of work, I had to sit through that. Total waste of time.
It's like 98 degrees outside, and I am so hot, and so happy I don't have to go back to work, that I decide to drive near the ocean, and have myself an ice cream cone at the Dairy Queen I used to go to near my old condo. Well, when ordered my chocolate dipped cone, I apparently forgot how BIG a medium sized cone actually was. When I saw the boy hand over the humongous cone from the window, I almost died. How in the hell was I going to be able to eat this incredibly large cone while driving?! The boy must have known, because he kindly handed over at least 20 napkins. So here I am, with my melting cone in 98 degree weather, driving and trying to eat it at the same time. I looked in the rear view mirror a few times, to see ice cream on my chin and cheeks.. Que vergonha..how embarrassing. I hope no one I knew saw me biting in that cone driving on the highway. There should be a law against it, really--it's much worse than texting I think.
The next errand was my mother's doctor's appointment. Ever have those days, where you feel like you are invisible as you are sitting in the waiting room? You wait there, hoping to hear your name called, but your name never is called? We checked in on time, and our appointment was at 4:15. Why did the guy who had a 4:45 pm appointment get seen first? We were there in the lobby waiting for a hour before my mom was seen. The receptionist was very apologetic. Apparently they "forgot" my mom was there. (She is doing very well, by the way.)
Next stop, was picking up Nicholas from preschool at 5:30 pm. Poor kid was there alone with one other little girl. I'm sure he felt a little "forgotten" as well. Next stop was locating the older son, Andrew, which led me on a wild goose chase up and down. Why do teenagers do this to their parents? Why can't they just tell you where they are instead of "I'm walking towards the school.." Why can't they just stop, and say, "I am here..." I drove up and down, back and front of the high school, with no trace of him. After sitting in the hot van, with my mom, and Nick in front of his friend's house downtown (which was going to be his final destination, he finally calls again to inform me that he is now in front of the high school. Well, when I finally found the kid, sure enough there he was surrounded by his friends, with a few girls in tow. Hmm.. I think Andrew didn't want me to see that he was hanging around girls now. Hmm..
By the time I got home, I just wanted to fall into the couch and do nothing, but here I am, and it's 10:34 pm. I'm looking at what I just wrote, and I think I've totally lost you, or whoever is reading this back at my 3rd paragraph. For someone who is claiming to be exhausted, I'm sure doing a good time boring someone to death.
I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow!
I know, it's not even Thursday yet, but I'm looking forward to it already. I'm so ready, you have no idea.
I really do :) 
(She is very proud of this. My mom always dressed up for church, still does, and she made a point of dressing her children in their Sunday best, every Sunday.) My mom also had a strong voice and always sang in church. Sometime causing people to turn around. 
