36 Hours

Let me tell you about the past 36 hours.

Wednesday

5:00 pm: Plane flight cancelled due to Mechanical problem.

9:15 PM: Get on airport bus home.

9:45 PM: Arrive at Port Authority, walk home.

9:55 PM: Realize that I left bag with all candles, etc. in it on the airport bus. Run back to Port Authority. Bus is gone.

10 PM-Midnight: Runaround from bus company.

Midnight: Bed. Cat leaps into bed. Nauseating cat hygiene issue (not her fault) necessitates changing freshly laundered sheets.

12:30 AM Back to bed. Bedroom door closed and sad cats on the other side of it.

Thursday

8 AM : Bus company still hasn't found bag. Finally they tell me they'll call me back.

8 AM-4 PM: Work. Need I say more?

4 PM: Still runaround from bus company. Write angry letter to bus company on Firm letterhead, signed "William D. Hawkins, Esq."

7:30 PM: Leave work and go to post office. Post office has screwed up mail hold and I must pick up mail Friday morning.

8:PM: Arrive home; UPS notice. Walk to UPS on 11th Avenue. Wait for package.

8:30: Get package after half hour wait. Thank UPS guy, as this has been the most "right" anything's gone in the past 24 hours.

8:45: Get package home. It's a replacement strap for my briefcase; prior strap broke.

8:46: Strap doesn't quite match.

8:50: Put rice and water in rice cooker for dinner. Rice cooker doesn't turn on. Fiddle with it. Resist urge to throw it through a window. Look at online review site and find out it's a piece of crap (1st one conked out too). Throw it in trash and order Mexican food.

Midnight: Bed. Heartburn.

Friday

6:45 Awakened to sound of helicopters over my apartment. Call 311 (NYC Info). They have no idea.

6:50: I have no water.

6:55: I have FILTHY water.

7:00 I have no water.

7:30. Leave, unshowered and unfed, for work.

7:35: 43rd Street flooded; crews washing mud off of sidewalks in front of theatre up the street. 6 foot gash in pavement and muddy water everywhere. In other words, Water Main Break.

7:40: Pick up mail.

7:45: Jury duty notice in mail.

***

So, I'm waiting for: (1) my bag to be returned by the bus company and (2) the meteor that is undoubtedly headed my way. So watch cable news for the second one. I'll try to wave.