In which Our Heroine manages to survive her weekend...sorta...

We last left you on Friday, Dear Reader, with the Self-Installing Cat Accessory, Module One completely oblivious to the reason for Our Heroine's displeasure with him. Read herein Our Heroine's further adventures and see how the tehnical problems engendered during the uninstall of Module One receded to their proper place in the scheme of her Stretched-to-the-Limits Weekend!

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Friday, oy... I tried so hard to do everything. The day started out wrong... Lady decided to sleep in the bathroom Thursday night, and the radiators came on. By 1:20 Friday morning, she was panting so hard Gryph couldn't sleep, so I got up and came out to the living room. It was the only way to get Lady next to the open window, cuz she sleeps as close to me as she can get and refuses to sleep out here as long as I am in the bedroom. I stayed up three hours to be sure that Gryph got some good sleep. By then the place had cooled a little and I went back to bed. I was pretty tired when I got up and I REALLY didn't want to go anywhere, but I had promised our friend the bags and my mom that I would buy the bus ticket to come and see her, so I took a nap before lunch and then forced myself to go.

BUT before I took that nap, I wanted to check my email and finish breakfast. This is the part I already blogged about... damn CAT...it would be so much easier to forgive him if the new keyboard worked properly, but the C key sticks and I am constantly backspacing and sticking in C's...grr.

So anyhow, after a frantic half hour cleaning things up from the Coffee-Fall, I took that nap, got up, got ready, forced myself out the door. I *so* did not want to go! But I swear I could never have predicted the way it would happen. My first stop was the hardware store for a roll of tape; I had the bags and the packing materials with me but forgot my tape. I remembered to get a bottle of water, too; I think that's the only thing that saved me, physically speaking.

I got downtown and immediately and unexpectedly had to detour to the library for the bathroom. *anxiety, I suppose* Then I walked over to the bank. My questions about the routing number change were unsatisfatorily answered by someone clueless--for the most important questions, he did go ask a boss, so I let it be. Then I continued on my way to the post office.

It was a long walk carrying the bags. I found myself grateful that I had taken them out of the box and put them in a plastic bag; much easier to carry that way. *remember that, she says with great irony*

I finally got to the post office, and the line was fifteen people long *eeep* so I looked around for the flat-rate priority boxes our friend had recommended. They were in a closed case, just displays...oy! I would have to get in line to get them before I could even pack one, and then I would have to get BACK in the miraculously self-replenishing line to mail them. Sheesh. But hey, I made it to the post office before they closed, even had forty-five minutes to spare, so no big deal, right?

Soooo there I was standing in line to get the boxes, and I suddenly realized that the mailing address... was on the box I took the bags out of to bring them. *gnash teeth*

Oh but wait! Twas okay, I had her phone number, I would just call and ask her addre-----my cell phone doesn't work right now. *gnash*

Wait! I could call Gryph at work and ask for her addy!!

There was no pay phone... *gnash gnash*

I got to the counter, I got my flat rate boxes, I was so rattled I forgot to ask the guy to weigh the bags...*gnash gnash, gnash*

I had to carry those darned bags all over downtown Wichita. And then I realized when I got a block or so away from the PO... I was lost. I had gotten all turned around. It happens; I am directionally dyslexic. I didn't panic, just kept reasoning things out until I came to a cross-street I recognized again.

Sooo I finally figured out which way to go to get back to the bank--all I wanted to do was go back to the city transit center and go HOME, yanno?--but I forced myself to walk all the way back to the bank, use the ATM, and get the money for the bus tickets since Greyhound won't take our debit card (no Visa logo). *remember that, she says with great irony*

Sooooo coming out of the bank, I realized I was lost again. *gnash* It took longer to figure out which way to head to get back to the cross streets that would take me to the bus station, but I finally quelled my rebellious spirits *lol* and headed that way. It was another long walk.

Soooooo the guy at the bus station spelled my name right. He routed me through Flagstaff going and coming, like I asked him to. He got me the travel dates that qualified for the lowest rate. He was very nice. Everything was hunky-dory and I thought my travails were ever-so-mercifully completed...........right up to the very end, when he turned and said, "$174, please."

What? It was supposed to be $154!

"Weekend rates."

Huh? *inredulous look* "But I'm traveling on a WEDNESDAY."

"You're buying the ticket today; it's Friday. Weekend rates."

I had in my possession $155 specifically for bus fare, and Greyhound does not take my debit card. I was exhausted, I had pushed myself to my limits, I still had to carry those *by now, expletive deleted* leather bags around.... and I knew that I would have to come back on Tuesday *if I could* and do everything all over again.

I managed not to cry until I got outside. I did NOT get lost--thanks be--so I caught the bus and got home about three minutes before Gryph did... and then I burst into tears all over again.

After I was suitably soothed, I thought everything would be okay, turned on the computer.... and discovered that letting the keyboard dry out wasn't enough to fix the damage.

Sooooo I knew I would have to go to the Big Gray Box store Saturday for a new one. *sigh--yeah, this is the point where tears just don't get it anymore, and Our Heroine resorts to the rueful smile--aaannnnd gets lost in a good book for the rest of the evening*

SOOOO on Saturday my tired feet and I went to the thrift store... Nope, no keyboards *still had to go to the Big Gray Box* but I did pick up three fifty cent scarves and a couple of twenty-five cent books!

Fifty cent scarves!! and right after I had finished Scrap Bunny I told Gryph the next thing I wanted to make was a red paisley chicken. Okay, so I was deliberately being outrageous just to get a laugh... but then the idea was lodged in my head and wouldn't go away, and now I have finally found red paisley! Plus, yanno, a little peach for a trial run. Hey, I thought it was A Good Omen, yanno? Didn't know it was A Consolation Prize, sheesh.

*here Our Heroine pauses a moment to consider whether scarf fumes might be as potent as cotton fumes* Only one way to find out! *eyebrow waggle*

Sooooo I scored at the thrift store, and after a fun five minute browse at the new antique store, I caught the bus downtown and then to the Big Gray Box: Mission--new kb and a new printer cable.

I blazed through that Big Gray Box and got in the shortest line with X-Acto blades, thread, kb and cable in my hands; only one person ahead of me and six minutes to spare! But yanno... I missed the bus anyhow. Slow cashier. *OYYYYYYY*

SOOOO I went back into the store and did some shopping, looked for things we have been needing and can't get at the hardware or grocery store. Didn't find most of them but I did find more twisty flourescent light bulbs which was good because our electric bill is double what it was in the old apartment and we have to save *somehow* plus I like the brighter, whiter light, helps my depression and is so good for craftwork!

Sooooo I caught the bus back, walked the dog.... and found a round kitchen table-top in the trash. *shocked look*

Soooo I took the dog inside and went back to rescue the table; nearly killed myself pulling it out of the trash bin--thanks be the legs were just stacked against the garage door!--got it home and cleaned up and realized it didn't have any washers or hex nuts. Well, I had to have them--I wanted to surprise Gryph with a fait accompli, have the table all set up and fixed up.

Soooooo I went to the hardware store and the grocery store, came home; the contact paper was fine and the washers were perfect... but the nuts were the wrong size. *shoot!*

Sooooo I went back to the hardware store, and on the way I found a BIG old-fashioned printer cart (the kind with the shelf slot for the continuous-feed paper!!) on castors and in really good shape, just sitting in an alley! It was still there on my way home with the new bigger hex nuts--yanno, I got the next size bigger ones cuz the "coarse thread" ones were ugly; the metal on the table fittings was shiny and so surely they wouldn't have used ugly hex nuts when the table was new, right? *remember that, she says with great irony*

Sooooo hanging on to my prized new hex nuts, I pushed and pulled that behemoth printer cart three blocks through alleys, across streets, down sidewalks... got it all the way to the sidewalk in front of our building... and snapped off a castor.

I did not cry. I cussed.

Soooo I managed to get the thing up the steps and into the building, all the way down the hall and into our apartment. It was a trick, getting it in past the table and not letting any cats out, but I managed. It was even bigger trick getting it cleaned up, manuevring it into position behind the puter desk, and then after seventeen bazillion tries, getting the castor glued back on. I slipped the flat rate boxes under it *they might as well make themselves useful for something, eh?* along with a magazine to keep the weight balanced while the glue dried--good thing, too, cuz you know how particle board is, and the piece didn't set up properly
after all. Sheesh.

Soooo then I tried the new hex nuts on the table legs... and they were the wrong size again. Not only that, it was after 9 pm and the store was closed... I was sooooo disappointed! The table didn't get finished but it was for the best because I was quickly losing the ability to stand by myself. Oy, eh? And Gryph came home not to a wonderful more organized place, but to a mess. *sigh*

*once again, Our Heroine retreats to the safety of a good book for the rest of the evening*

Sunday I repaired the table top and installed my new surface---two layers of contact paper, lol, only the best for this girl--and Monday night we went back to the hardware store and got the proper size hex nuts. The UGLY proper size hex nuts. Who knew?

This is the table as I covered the edges. The gold metal-looking pieces are actually the wood skirt.

I was so excited when we finished the table. I laid a piece of leather out to begin a new bag, walked over to get the pattern, stopped to talk to Gryph... turned around..... Self Installing Cat Accessory, Module Two, all curled up and snoozing soundly.

Yanno, I didn't have the heart to disturb her. I reclaimed the leather after she woke up.

Here is Module Three, claiming a spot. Notice optional Camera Flash Eye Enhancement has been installed as well. *grin*

I really did too much, and my knees are both just as bad today as they were over a month ago. I can feel the swelling and the weakness. *sigh* I really pay for being physically active. It hasn't stopped me from looking to see if someone has thrown away bookshelves... a recliner... a dresser. *wry smile* Hey, it worked in Phoenix... ya never know!

I didn't make it out the door today. Here's hoping three days of comparative rest will do the trick, and Gryph and I can get to the post office *WITH the address!!* and the bus station tomorrow.

Take care of yourself, Dear Reader, and I most SINCERELY hope your week is better than my weekend was! *wry smile* But if it's not, may you find pleasant dreams to match my red paisley chicken, and a sense of accomplishment to match my new kitchen table!