First time.

Song of the day: “Grace Kelly” by Mika. I’ve definitely had this one many, many times before, but since it is a great song, who gives a fig? I sure don’t.

Writing wise, I really have nothing interesting to tell today. I’ve hardly had time to fire up my computer, let alone start typing a scene for the present project going on. Darn it.
I’ve been suffering withdrawal symptoms, I assure you. Hah.

But anyways, let’s get to the interesting part: First day on the job…aaaaargh.
Hah.
Seriously though, it wasn’t too bad. Yep, it took an eternity, but since I had sort of anticipated as much, this wasn’t unexpected. What should have lasted about six hours, took me nine, plus another three the next day. Yeah, yeah. I never claimed I was the smartest of the litter.

I was all set to leave at four, seeing as I needed to go past the insurance and car sales man…right until my main distributor called and told me he was running two hours behind. Darn it. There I was, clean and without too much dog hair, and I had two hours to kill. In the end big brother and I decided to make use of the lapse, and did some editing.

In the scorching heat of August (yep, really summer now) I headed down the mountain and met the distributor at the mall. Apparently something had gone wrong at his supplier, cause they had given him packets of 40, rather than 20, so within no time at all the back of the car was filled about halfway through. The “misunderstanding” started there, FYI. I’ll explain later.

So it started out fine, got the first three down pat, at which point I came to this maze of streets where I literally took more than an hour to locate the four small businesses. Seriously, there were times when I was just standing there in the middle of the road needing to orient myself by the scent of the see, just because I was unable to see it over the houses that were everywhere.

But I persevered, got in and out unscathed in the end, and had another string of good hits before I got confused in memories, again, in yet another urbanization/golf course…seriously, the coast is one big chain link of golf courses and clubs. It’s insane!…where I had to go up and down for the six locations scattered throughout the area.

Now don’t worry about me going into detail every single stop I made. I met some nice folks, tired folks (near closing time, you know), grumpy folks and folks who were flying higher than a kite. At some point I came into a bar where I was supposed to place a stack and the owner was lounging about on a couch, looking seriously “outta-there”, hah. Luckily he was the friendly type, not entirely sure what I was doing there, I think. When I finally got through the haze and explained, he was nodding “wisely” and asked “What’s an angel like you doing out this late on a night like this?” Gawd, cracked me up, he did.
I assured him that it was just because I was running behind and doubled outta there.

The thing I discovered during my “route” is that people are apparently unused to smiling. I tend to do a lot of it, seeing as I know that a smile is reassuring when you meet a stranger. Seriously, some would actually do a double take when I’d just come up and ask if I can put a stack somewhere. I’d smile at them, and half the time I’d get a reluctant one in return. (Maybe it’s my smile. It might just freak people out. Hah) But anyway, at about three fourth of the way, I started to wonder about the rather massive pile that is still in the back of my car. Seriously, there were at least 60 stacks piled there, at which point it began to occur to me that the distributor expected me keep to the old count (as in stacks of 40 instead of stacks of 20) rather than just splitting the big packs in half. I know, I should have specifically asked, but I assumed that he would want me to keep to the list. Showed me what assuming does, doesn’t it?

But anyway, after being unable to locate three of the drop points, I arrive home at four in the morning, more than ready to hit the sheets and pass out for the night…did exactly that, too, right after popping a pain pill. A pre-emptive strike on my part. I learned from the last time, and my foot already felt like it was four sizes too big (sore like heck too) by the time I managed to peel my shoes off. It wasn’t funny, I tell ya, and my dogs were looking at me oddly during my noisy “ouchouchouchouch!” Poor darlings. All alone for nine hours. Thankfully one of the sibs had already put them in my cabin, ‘cause I still had to do about ten location in town before noon.

Half an hour before my alarm went off, I woke up from a dead sleep because I had to pee like mad. I don’t know why I would sleep through that last half hour too, but what the heck. I stumbled through my morning rituals, got dressed and hopped in the car (big brother went with me this time due to difficult parking in town. Good big brother! Hah) to deliver papers before noon. Managed it too, hah, and then spent another two hours in the small car to round up a few more locations. Sorta like a make up thing for misunderstanding the plan, I guess. Finally managed to get eighteen extra drop points, and even if only 3 or 4 of those pan out, it think it’s a fair exchange.

The extra part for the Matiz hasn’t arrived yet either, so either the car sales type is lying his pants off, or suffering from a multiple personality disorder (he keeps referring to his partner Ray, who hasn’t turned up as of yet though it has been promised). Whichever is the case, I’m still curious if this postponing part is a trick, or something.

The day ended (it was another scorcher, hitting the forties) with a wonderful couple of hours in the yard, watering plants and gathering whatever was ripe. I wrote a bit on paper throughout, dozed off for five, or ten minutes, and then we went inside where big brother helped me update the list for “work”. Afterwards I sent it to the distributor, at which time I could finally head to bed at two in the morning…just five hours before I had to leave again to pick up our friend in Marbella, aaargh.
I swear, there are days when I would love nothing more than an excuse to stay home for a solid two weeks without any trips whatsoever.

Well, my poor doggies are waiting for attention. I really should do something about the small carport I’m building for the Matiz. Then I’m heading down to the yard, which should relax me a little at least, after which I can finally settle down for the day, and do some writing. Yay.