it’s like the day of the Triffids

I read a lot of sci-fi in my younger days (when I still had time to read for leisure). One book I remember reading was Day of the Triffids. For those that haven’t read it, the two-cent synopsis is that space weapons malfunction, wreaking havoc on the citizens of Earth. Today felt EXACTLY like that.

It’s probably not space-based weapons going haywire, but it may as well be. First, I started getting a migraine over breakfast. It never went away, but after trying for 20 minutes to get my work webmail to actually let me log in to tell my boss I’m not coming in, it degraded itself into just a headache. As I had training to go to, I decided to grimace and bear it. Then I tried to leave, but my car wouldn’t start. Thankfully, we do have a second vehicle, and it wasn’t needed by the rest of the household today so I took it. Then, lucky me, I got to sit through five hours of extremely dry “training”, which is basically getting an overview of Standard Operating Procedures. To say that it was dry would be an understatement – it was an active dessicant, if anything. Then I get a distressed phone call from Jannette telling me the kids are going batshit trying to get her to give them her iPod so they can play Breakout, and completely not listening to her or even caring that they have lost most of their priviledges for the week and being a hair’s breadth from being smacked (from a woman who has never, ever spanked). I’m still waiting to hear whether our financing has gone through so I call the mortgage broker only to find out that his BUSINESS card has his HOME e-mail address on it, so while he received it he doesn’t have it at work and thereby can’t give us an answer until tomorrow. Then I get home to see if there’s something I can do to fix my car, and notice that the exhaust system has been cleaved in two. Calling the dealer, it may be that the timing belt has slipped (only $600 to fix and replace), or I’ve blown a head gasket, or possibly even damaged the cylinder head ($4000). Realizing there is no way around getting a tow in to the dealer, I call to book a tow for tomorrow morning, and the guy shows up 13.5 hours early. And the last insult of the day was that there were no parking spots left at soccer, so I had to park a good long distance away.

Insert a forceful, ear-searing four-letter word of your choice in ALL CAPS here.

So, come on midnight. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with June 10, 2008, but if it was a car it would be a lemon, if it was a toy it would have lead paint and be recalled, and if it was a horse it would be shot. Screw you, today – I’m going to bed soon.