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Jun. 20th, 2001 01:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jinianObviously, I need to leave for my acupuncture appointments early. Real early. Like the day before. Something always happens to fuck me over, and today was no exception.
To be completely honest, of course, I will need to say that in retrospect I was begging for it. Overconfidence is a hell of a beacon for misfortune, and I was pretty overconfident. I had a clever plan worked out with my dad where, if I missed the ferry -- which I was not going to do! -- I could call him on his mobile phone and he'd leave the car somewhere I could get it, because he had places he needed to be today. I left home without his number. I also knew that it took a long, long time to get to the ferry; I have missed the boat in precisely these circumstances a rather embarrassing number of times. But I figured it would be all right to leave the U-District only one hour early.
I went to Alexander's with Elynne to get some beads and wire, and I ended up getting on the express bus to downtown around 45 minutes before the ferry left. (The 66 runs every half-hour, so I was still within my "leave an hour ahead" plan.) The express bus was no such thing. Around 5th and Pine, which is still half of downtown away from the ferry dock, my internal clock started poking me in an uncomfortable way. It was 1 already, and by the time the bus stopped again it was about 1:07. I hopped off the bus and ran through a good part of downtown, with a section of the paper in one pocket of my fairly long skirt and two spools of wire and a passel of beads in the other, plus a purse-like object slung about my torso. I got sweaty but not winded; yay biking.
I arrived at the ferry dock just in time to see the pretty wake behind my ferry as it pulled away into the Sound. It was a beautiful day. But I was pissed off, and I was to get more so.
Going into the ferry terminal, I discovered that not only was I without the number to call my dad, I also lacked the number for my mom at work and the number for my acupuncturist. Investigation of the terminal revealed terminals, of a US West nature. US West is now Qwest, which may be why neither of them was functional. One had a screen showing several lovely shades of black, while the other cheerfully displayed directions on how to use the mouse that wasn't there. I seriously considered impromptu electronics work, but eventually realized that I am not my Call of Cthulhu character. It would have been a big, big mess and I probably would have gotten electrocuted, so I merely fumed.
Next option: try to find Mom's work in the phone book. Not easy when you don't know the precise name. Didn't work. One of the numbers listed was not a business at all, though it purported to be. Failed at that one. Used up sixteen minutes of talk time from my prepaid phone card within five minutes, because the bastards charge about three minutes' worth just to connect you to some hapless guy who has his phone number in the book as a financial service.
At some point, you just have to say "hail Eris." The only problem then is that it sounds like there should be more to it. I think my prayer that happened around this time ended up being, "Hail Eris, full of... stuff. Can someone else be the entertainment next time?"
Finally I called Wim at work and promptly got cut off due to being out of time. He had cleverly gotten the number of the payphone from me, and, saints be praised, it was one of them that allows incoming calls. My sweetie is a hero of the revolution, to steal a phrase.
Wim logged onto my Drizzle account, only forcing me to spell my password loudly and extremely clearly in public about a dozen times (that's what happens when it's not a real word. it is secure. hmph. and yes, paranoid girl has changed her password now.), and read my mail from Mom to find her work phone number. He also called her for me and tried to conference us on together, but something failed and I was left with dead air for several minutes. As soon as I hung up, the phone rang. Mom says it had rung on her end about twenty times, but it was teling me it was still connected. Payphone malfies aside, Mom came through brilliantly and called Dad and Karen, gave me the space number for the car, and told me that Karen would still be able to see me. I, um, had kind of expected that, because I have been late before, so I knew that she usually only has one appointment per afternoon, but it was good to hear.
Did I mention I hadn't eaten yet today? I took care of that as soon as I got on the next ferry, which was mere moments after sorting all the other junk out; it took forever. I had a cheeseburger and some chocolate milk. I had missed my chocolate milk fix because Sarah wasn't at Squeeky Hollow when I was, so I was all bereft and stuff. So the ferry ride was relaxing and I got to poke at my beads and eat food, and I got to listen to a jet-setting woman on her cel phone say, "Life is too short to not do what you want to do." When I arrived on Bainbridge, I found the car with no problem. Basically, it was smooth sailing from there, though I had to talk to myself sternly about paying proper attention to the road while driving.
I had my needles and it was wonderful, as usual. Karen doesn't quite understand polyamory. :) "You were really into your man friend last time you were here. What happened?" "Nothing. I'm still really into him. *beam*" She more or less gets it, but it sounds like she's pretty far toward celibacy as a natural state; if it were that hard for me to deal with having a sexual/romantic relationship, I'd probably be inclined to stop at one also.
On the way back, I went to the grocery store because she'd told me to get some calcium salts, and picked those up. I encountered nectarines and discovered that my appetite was back already, so I got a couple of those and an Odwalla shake. The timing for the ferry worked perfectly, I parked the car and left a note on the terminal's corkboard with the space number, and I did not tempt fate any further by not paying for the parking spot.
I wrote this on the ferry:
I feel like I just woke up. It's not unlike sex for me -- lassitude, maybe a little sore in places in a good way, energetic yet serene. And I was interested in food! [...] Oh, it is good. I made the 5:25 ferry, so I'll probably be home by seven. It's a shame I have to go to work tomorrow.
(Everything was about sex today. Sheesh.)
So that there was my day of acupuncture. I post it now and go to sleep. Maybe I'll go in to work a bit late tomorrow. :)
To be completely honest, of course, I will need to say that in retrospect I was begging for it. Overconfidence is a hell of a beacon for misfortune, and I was pretty overconfident. I had a clever plan worked out with my dad where, if I missed the ferry -- which I was not going to do! -- I could call him on his mobile phone and he'd leave the car somewhere I could get it, because he had places he needed to be today. I left home without his number. I also knew that it took a long, long time to get to the ferry; I have missed the boat in precisely these circumstances a rather embarrassing number of times. But I figured it would be all right to leave the U-District only one hour early.
I went to Alexander's with Elynne to get some beads and wire, and I ended up getting on the express bus to downtown around 45 minutes before the ferry left. (The 66 runs every half-hour, so I was still within my "leave an hour ahead" plan.) The express bus was no such thing. Around 5th and Pine, which is still half of downtown away from the ferry dock, my internal clock started poking me in an uncomfortable way. It was 1 already, and by the time the bus stopped again it was about 1:07. I hopped off the bus and ran through a good part of downtown, with a section of the paper in one pocket of my fairly long skirt and two spools of wire and a passel of beads in the other, plus a purse-like object slung about my torso. I got sweaty but not winded; yay biking.
I arrived at the ferry dock just in time to see the pretty wake behind my ferry as it pulled away into the Sound. It was a beautiful day. But I was pissed off, and I was to get more so.
Going into the ferry terminal, I discovered that not only was I without the number to call my dad, I also lacked the number for my mom at work and the number for my acupuncturist. Investigation of the terminal revealed terminals, of a US West nature. US West is now Qwest, which may be why neither of them was functional. One had a screen showing several lovely shades of black, while the other cheerfully displayed directions on how to use the mouse that wasn't there. I seriously considered impromptu electronics work, but eventually realized that I am not my Call of Cthulhu character. It would have been a big, big mess and I probably would have gotten electrocuted, so I merely fumed.
Next option: try to find Mom's work in the phone book. Not easy when you don't know the precise name. Didn't work. One of the numbers listed was not a business at all, though it purported to be. Failed at that one. Used up sixteen minutes of talk time from my prepaid phone card within five minutes, because the bastards charge about three minutes' worth just to connect you to some hapless guy who has his phone number in the book as a financial service.
At some point, you just have to say "hail Eris." The only problem then is that it sounds like there should be more to it. I think my prayer that happened around this time ended up being, "Hail Eris, full of... stuff. Can someone else be the entertainment next time?"
Finally I called Wim at work and promptly got cut off due to being out of time. He had cleverly gotten the number of the payphone from me, and, saints be praised, it was one of them that allows incoming calls. My sweetie is a hero of the revolution, to steal a phrase.
Wim logged onto my Drizzle account, only forcing me to spell my password loudly and extremely clearly in public about a dozen times (that's what happens when it's not a real word. it is secure. hmph. and yes, paranoid girl has changed her password now.), and read my mail from Mom to find her work phone number. He also called her for me and tried to conference us on together, but something failed and I was left with dead air for several minutes. As soon as I hung up, the phone rang. Mom says it had rung on her end about twenty times, but it was teling me it was still connected. Payphone malfies aside, Mom came through brilliantly and called Dad and Karen, gave me the space number for the car, and told me that Karen would still be able to see me. I, um, had kind of expected that, because I have been late before, so I knew that she usually only has one appointment per afternoon, but it was good to hear.
Did I mention I hadn't eaten yet today? I took care of that as soon as I got on the next ferry, which was mere moments after sorting all the other junk out; it took forever. I had a cheeseburger and some chocolate milk. I had missed my chocolate milk fix because Sarah wasn't at Squeeky Hollow when I was, so I was all bereft and stuff. So the ferry ride was relaxing and I got to poke at my beads and eat food, and I got to listen to a jet-setting woman on her cel phone say, "Life is too short to not do what you want to do." When I arrived on Bainbridge, I found the car with no problem. Basically, it was smooth sailing from there, though I had to talk to myself sternly about paying proper attention to the road while driving.
I had my needles and it was wonderful, as usual. Karen doesn't quite understand polyamory. :) "You were really into your man friend last time you were here. What happened?" "Nothing. I'm still really into him. *beam*" She more or less gets it, but it sounds like she's pretty far toward celibacy as a natural state; if it were that hard for me to deal with having a sexual/romantic relationship, I'd probably be inclined to stop at one also.
On the way back, I went to the grocery store because she'd told me to get some calcium salts, and picked those up. I encountered nectarines and discovered that my appetite was back already, so I got a couple of those and an Odwalla shake. The timing for the ferry worked perfectly, I parked the car and left a note on the terminal's corkboard with the space number, and I did not tempt fate any further by not paying for the parking spot.
I wrote this on the ferry:
I feel like I just woke up. It's not unlike sex for me -- lassitude, maybe a little sore in places in a good way, energetic yet serene. And I was interested in food! [...] Oh, it is good. I made the 5:25 ferry, so I'll probably be home by seven. It's a shame I have to go to work tomorrow.
(Everything was about sex today. Sheesh.)
So that there was my day of acupuncture. I post it now and go to sleep. Maybe I'll go in to work a bit late tomorrow. :)
