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My day went spinning out of control in the middle of the afternoon, and I didn’t recover until I’d spent some money I probably shouldn’t have and eaten some things I know I shouldn’t have. But that’s just the way it goes sometimes.
It all started with a phone call at just the wrong time. I’d talked to the Boss this morning and told him I was making good progress on the Big Project. I almost made the mistake of telling him I thought I’d be done by the middle of next week, but I caught myself in time. But I told him, in the politest possible way, that the more he left me alone, the sooner I’d get done. Not only did he promise to try to keep the phone and fax quiet, but he also said he’d tell Tim not to call.
It was a super double bonus, and I took it to heart by getting right to the tedious busywork of updating all of the year-end cost reports. That’s the easiest part of the Big Project, but the most time-consuming. Once it’s done, I can sail through to the next round, as they say on TV. What I didn’t expect was that Julie would call and ask me to type something for her (for the Boss, really, but he wouldn’t ask me directly). It was a one-page letter and took only a few minutes, but it broke my momentum and reminded me that I’d been sitting at the computer too long at one time. All of a sudden my back started hurting.
So I decided I needed a break. I made a cup of tea and sat down to read for a few minutes, all the while thinking I’d be getting back to work when the teacup was empty. That didn’t happen. I got too close to the end of the book, and I wanted to finish it. It’s a sad, moving book, and I got sadder and sadder. When I finished the book, I could have gone back to work on the cost reports, but instead I started looking around for something happier to read.
What I found was Truman, David McCullough’s 1100-page biography. Well, you know what a sloooow reader I am. I wasn’t inclined to dedicate the rest of my reading life to one book, but it occurred to me that if I had the audio book version, I could listen during the day while I worked. I wouldn’t want to listen to a novel, but history and politics seemed like good ways to spend the day, especially now that Al Franken’s show on Air America Radio has ended. The three hours a day I’ve been listening to him are now freed up, and audio books might be a good substitute.
Instead of buying the audio book, I checked several online sites that rent them. I had several browser windows open, comparing prices, selections, and service. I hesitated. I changed my mind at least three times. But then I went ahead and subscribed to the service that seemed to suit me best. It’s a six-month trial plan, because it was cheaper that way, but I had immediate regrets. Buyer’s remorse. But in five to seven days my copy of Truman should be here, and I’ll reevaluate then. I can always back out and get most of my money back. |
