Before I get to the main thing I want to write about this week, I had a nice phone conversation with Robert on Monday night. The amusing part was that he said something to the effect of "you say you're never home, but I never seem to have trouble reaching you on the phone." I had to point out that we usually exchange email trying to set up times to talk on the phone. "Oh," he said, "that might explain it." I'm still not exactly happy about our situation and he didn't fall for my theory that, since he's going to be tired and stressed out no matter what, he might as well be the one who has the additional stress of travel. Sigh.
I did have some stress of travel myself this week, with a trip to Boulder. My flight on Wednesday morning was delayed for reasons that sound too stupid to be plausible. The pilot claimed that, due to weather, the Air Traffic Control folks in DC wanted to reroute us on a route that he didn't have enough fuel for. So they argued routing for over an hour and, eventually, we left on the original routing. Fortunately, the Avis bus was prompt and there was no traffic on the toll road, so I made my meeting on time. But I'd have liked to have had a more leisurely morning.
The evening had a peculiarity, too, as Mary Joan and I went to Zolo for dinner. We got there about 7:30, only to be met with a sign that they were closing at 8 for a scheduled power outage. It worked out okay and I was pleased that the seared ahi is as good as ever. I didn't do quite as well Thursday night, as that day's meeting ended a bit too early to have dinner in Boulder before driving down to the airport. (I stay near the airport when I have an early morning flight, on the grounds that sleeping later is a vital health measure.) I found an acceptable Asian place in the new shopping center down on Tower Road. Given the lack of local options it was fine, but not really special.
My time at home has been eaten up completely by errands. Balancing the checkbook, paying bills, filing stuff, grocery shopping, laundry, etc.. None of it is exciting and all of it is stuff that just has to get done. I want somebody to stand on line for me and to go through phone death menus and open envelopes and make appointments and so on. I know there are errand-running services, but that isn't quite enough. I want to feel competent at handling the chores of adulthood and, somehow, I never do. I just seem to keep feeling overwhelmed by how much stuff I have to do. I guess what I really want is to have someone else to just turn my life over to when I'm feeling too stressed. Sigh.
Copyright 2005 Miriam H. Nadel