Under Lock and Key

Today I had to venture down to the Armory, again. I say again because last night before going to play rehearsal, I realized that I needed to get a gift certificate for someone at work. So I went.
Not looking up the times that they are open, which was my first mistake, I figured, "they serve dinner, they have a restaurant....so certainly I should be able to get a gift certificate from someone there."

How wrong I was.

Getting there at about 20 minutes past 6 p.m., I caught the attention of the hostess, who was in having what seemed to be a personal conversation with a man behind the desk in the office. She glanced at me once, then again, then re-engaged herself back into the conversation. Realizing that I just wasn't going away (and I NEVER do when I am on a mission), she put on her best Pat Nixon smile and ask if I needed something. I told her I needed a gift certificate for $100.

She clenched her teeth, sucked in her breath and said, "gee...I'm sorry, the person from the box office just left." I asked her what that meant, and she said,"gift certificates can only be given out at the box office, and they just left 2 minutes ago." When I asked if she was serious, she said, "yeah, I'm afraid so." I then asked, "so there's absolutely no way that I can buy a gift certificate to the Armory." Quickly, she said, "nope, I'm sorry. You have to come back when the box office is open. They are the only ones that can ring up a gift certificate."

Now, in these trying economic times where restaurants, theatres, and any unnecessary frills are often eliminated due to economizing, I would have thought that they would have been eager to sell $100 to me. Apparently, the Armory is not hurting for business like the rest of Janesville is.

So, I trekked down there again this morning, just after they opened the box office. After all, I was following their rules. The young guy behind the glass partition got my gift certificate, and then proceeded to tell me that I needed to follow him up to the host's station so that he could ring up my purchase, as they weren't able to do it in the box office.

How interesting, they couldn't process the payment in the box office. They couldn't get the gift certificate at the host's station. Sounds like a very plausible system to me.

I should have just gotten the person at work a gift certificate somewhere else where you can do everything all in the same spot. Little did I know that those gift certificates were like gold in Fort Knox. Apparently it's called "The Armory" for other reasons.

Inside Out

It happened again today.

My worst fear was realized: part of my clothing was inside out. And I walked into work. I literally got dressed in the dark. Yes, I matched. Well....maybe my blacks didn't. But I matched nonetheless. But....my sweater vest (a fashion style I seem to have become affixed to) was inside out.

Try as I might to make sure that I'm appropriately dressed to go out in public, apparently this was an oversight today. I say before that this has happened to me in the past.

One time, it was that I was wearing two different shoes. I remember having to give a presentation to a bunch of bank people. I glanced down at my shoes, and they were two totally different shoes. It wasn't that they looked the same. One was a black penny loafer, and one was a black wing tip.........WITH TASSLES. Funny, they should have felt different on my feet. But alas, they did not.

And yes, I went out and bought a new pair of shoes on a lunch break that day so as not to embarrass myself.

I've had my sweater inside out before too, only to find out about 6 hours into my working day (and after working with about 4 clients) that my fashion sense was somewhat askew.

Furthermore, I remember working with a woman who had her dress on completely inside out. Not wanting to embarrass her, I said nothing. Yet, a co-worker did. And this woman literally had a meltdown. I don't know which was better, not saying anything, or saying something.

Whatever the case may be, luckily this morning, I caught my error, and quickly right-sided myself before anyone would notice. Yet still I felt like a bonehead. And....I have no idea if I would have liked it if someone caught me at my weak moment.

Perhaps that would have been best. I most likely would have laughed (felt like a complete jackass for only a moment.....well....for certain to be reminded that this traumatic event happened), and not have had a meltdown.

But the shoes....I still look back and think....WTF was I thinking!

Rainy

I feel rainy today. Just like yesterday. With the sloppy grass, mud, and the never ending chore of having to wipe 8 bony, muddy dog feet 3 times a day, I feel rainy.

The extra hour of daylight should be (and is) a welcomed relief. But I still feel rainy today.

Perhaps its a multitude of things I have been recently committed to that leads to the downpouring of feeling overwhelmed and waterlogged.

Most likely it is the soggy feeling I feel for not being able to attend my niece's birthday today (the first time in six years....and she is six today), makes the rain feel extremely heavy today.

Perhaps it is dewy impatience for a much needed, sunny vacation that I feel dampened.

Whatever it is, I need to snap out of it.

After all, spring is almost here, with it's sunshine, it's calling birds, and all of it's days with the smell of lilac, tulip and hyacinth permeating the air. And the welcomed extra sunshine should dry things out...eventually.

I'll wring myself out, let the sun bake it out, and become crisp again. Perhaps I need a tan, since I look pasty white. At least that way I'd look sunny...