Monday Sucked!

Monday was raw and chilly, with a wicked wind. Most of that could have been avoided if I had thought to grab a jacket on the way into work, but I didn’t. So, walking outside in the morning was definitely challenging!

I went to Home Depot at lunch and picked up the two 2 x 4’s I needed for the workbench. I also grabbed a small bag of grass seed and two 100-watt CFL bulbs for the garage. I dropped them off at the house and ate a bowl of that Spicy Tuscan soup.

I didn’t even try to walk outside in the afternoon. I walked around back in the shop instead, much to the amusement of the mechanics.

Back at home after work, I went through the mail. Most of it went into the trash, but one of the letters was from my doctor’s office. I opened it up to learn that my doctor is “moving into another area of medicine in her career.” There are two new doctors taking over her practice who would be very happy to continue serving me…

I was so bummed. Jake and Carla have ragged on me for years to get a doctor closer to my house, but there was a reason I drove 40 miles one-way to see her. I liked her. I trusted her! Now what the hell am I gonna do?

Well, what I did was to go out in the garage. I moved the car outside and replaced the light bulbs. Then I got started on the bench. I cut the two new boards to length and then cut the eight existing 2 x 4’s down. It was easier than I thought, BTW. I started pre-drilling holes and screwing everything back together. I got the bottom plywood screwed back in and then started in the legs when more tragedy struck. All of a sudden, the 2 1/2-inch deck screw stopped screwing in! I figured I had messed up the screw head when I took them out, so I got another screw. But, when it kept happening, I checked it out and discovered that my square-head bit (that I’ve used for years) was worn almost round!!! I looked around to see if I had another one somewhere, but couldn’t find one.

Since it was almost 7:30 p.m. and the outside light was fading, I just gave up. So, the workbench I’d hoped to finish, put into place and take celebratory photos for you will have to wait yet another day. I did take one photo, just to show you how close I was…

I realized I hadn’t taken out the trash, so I did that next. And that’s when I met the garbage fairies (or gremlins)! I was putting my old sweeper out to the road when they drove by. It was an old guy in a pickup with 4-foot wood sides. There was a young girl and a guy sitting beside him. The young guy jumped out and grabbed my sweeper, while the young girl (His wife? His sister?) peeked out at us. I told him that it worked, except for the brush. He said thanks and put it in the truck, next to a set of metal box springs. I pointed out that he needed to take the charging stand as well and he grabbed that, thanking me again. Then they drove on slowly down the road, checking out the other garbage offerings.

I pulled the car back in, shut everything up and went inside for the night.

I warmed up a bowl of the pasta dish I invented (that I should have named, I suppose) for my dinner. It was still delicious, even reheated.

I dozed off watching TV and woke back up just in time to watch the 11:00 o’clock news. It was then I learned that the Tigers were in trouble in the playoffs. Could this day get any better?