Annoyance

All right, here's how a good day goes bad, then recovers again.

I had a lovely day at work, a little late, and then planned to leave a little early to pick up some new batteries for my two cordless phone handsets (bad feeling starting to set in: I just replaced these batteries about a year ago, so why can't they stand to be talked on for more than a half hour without beeping rudely in my ear?).

Check the bus schedule online before stepping into the heat and bright sunshine. Bus is scheduled to arrive at 16:52, the next at 17:02, and it's only 16:50, so I ought to make the first one. The first one doesn't come. The second doesn't come. The third doesn't come, or is it the third that is arriving in a convoy with the fourth, itself late? If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have spent 30 minutes in the hot direct sun that I really don't need, especially with my complexion. Now very angry.

Go to Bureau en gros to inquire about the battery, with the previous batteries on hand so there's no way I can describe them wrong. Heck, I can even get them to dispose of the old batteries in an environmentally responsible way. That assessment, of course, before running into the ill-motivated and passive clerk behind the counter. She glanced helplessly toward the battery carrousel that is notably behind the counter, well out of the reach of customers, and told me she thought they didn't have them. With my margin of time narrowing, I really didn't have time to insist, so I completed her half-formed thought for her: "Donc, c'est non." And just walked out.

Walked quickly to my only other choice in the neighbourhood, The Source, which sold me the original phones and the substandard replacement batteries. No one in the store, except the two clerks. One heads into the back, the other is talking on his cell phone. When he finally finishes his call and meanders over, asking if I need some help (why else am I standing at the cash?). He needn't have offered, as he had none to give.

I go home with only my worn-out batteries, hot from the temperature and humidity and frustrated all around.

In the meantime, I ordered something online a few days ago and had had a "You weren't home" notice from UPS the day before. When I called their number, it took me ten minutes to work my way through their phone system, hoping in vain to be able to speak to an operator to arrange redirection of my package. No such luck. When for the third time I heard the automated voice encourage me to go to the website, I hung up and went there. Smoothly entered all the information to redirect the delivery to the office. But that was yesterday.

Today, coming home angry, tired and frustrated, I climbed the stairs to my front door and found my package just sitting there on the doorstep. Is that redirecting the delivery to my office? Is that doing everything you can to ensure that I actually get my package? No and no. And not the day for this to happen either.

I seriously considered blowing off my dinner plans, but was talked out of it. I'm glad I went to spend some time with friends and had a lovely dinner with them.