today was one of those days

Beginning at 6:30 am, I knew it was gonna be a bad day. I woke up 10 minutes late and scurried out the door to the bus. Even though I flashed my card as I always do, it didn't read and as I walked toward a seat on the back of the bus, the bus driver was asking me to come back up. I was in my own barely awake world and that, combined with having John Legend singing in my ears, meant I didn't hear the driver. Suddenly some man told me that the bus driver was calling for me. The bus was waiting on me. I felt like an idiot. When I walked back to my seat and the bus got on his way, some woman in the middle of the bus handed me my hat which I had apparently dropped. I just wanted to go back to bed.

At the gym, I was breaking in my new sneakers which led to some bleeding on the back of my right ankle. The outfit I brought to wear for work just wasn't feeling right. I was fidgeting all day. I kept getting overheated, fanning myself off and on throughout the day. I had to run an errand at lunchtime, and the shoes I was wearing were KILLING my ankles. As soon as I sat down at my desk again, the shoes came off. Work itself was slow so I just played around all afternoon, which was probably the best part of my Wednesday.

Then came the easels. The easels were the straw that broke this camel's back - literally. You see, I am going to a Career Fair tomorrow for my company and was the designated person for the easels. We place these around our table with posters/signage about our company. I had to get four or five. And these easels are the most cumbersome things to carry. They are heavy. They are put together like tent poles, so the pieces keep unbending and sliding all over the place. They would not stay together. They kept falling on the ground. Since I had to look at some apartments after work, I left the Career Fair materials at my desk and would come back for them after doing the apartment thing. It wasn't even out of my way. Easier said then done. When I returned to my desk, I attempted to corral the easels under my arms. This was on top of the tote bag I had slung over my left shoulder and the plastic bag full of cereal in my right hand (this plastic bag later broke, of course). So I managed to make it to the elevator. Some poor girl had to help me pick up the easels since they fell on the ground before I got to the lobby. How was I supposed to get on the bus with these things?

Checking out of the building was more of the same. Easels collapsing on the ground and me looking ridiculous. I went outside to wait for the bus, but as I stood on the street desperately squeezing the easels under my arms, I knew there was no way I was going to make it all the way home via public transport with these damn things. So I went back inside. The man at the security desk suggested that I ask the mailroom to bundle up the easels so that they would be easier to carry.

(Timecheck - 7:30 pm)

The mailroom was empty. Very few employees finishing up many tasks at the end of the day. My easel-bundling request was not on the top of their priorities. But I waited patiently until they were ready. Even packaged up, there was no way I could take these on the bus. Imagine two cardboard boxes the size of golf bags. No Way.

I brought them up to my desk. I would make the car stop at the office before leaving for the Career Fair. Someone would help me carry these. And I vowed never to volunteer for easel duty again.

I finally left work. I got on the bus without my cardboard burdens. And I made it home at 8:30.

At least I had Project Runway to watch tonight.