Tuesday, August 5, 2008

I'm SOOOO Not A Morning Person

I'm really not. I'm not a night owl either. Early afternoon isn't my highlight. I'm still figuring out where I shine, but it definitely isn't in the morning.

Yesterday morning, the alarm went off at 5:40am, and I didn't roll over and snooze it. Nope, like a good little girl, I got up and took my shower so I could be on the road to work by 6:15. As I stood brushing my teeth, I realized this was probably the last week I'd be able to get ready without turning the light on. Early mornings with harsh light are worse for me.

As I got everything together, I realized that I needed to take off my nail polish before going to work. As a side note, bug spray does not like nail polish. I didn't have time before I left, so I ran upstairs to bring it with me in the car to do after I ate my breakfast. And yes, I eat my oatmeal on the road. It's too hot to eat when I make it, and no food allowed in workspaces.

As I walked out of the house, I even remembered to grab the three bags of Target things that I had to return on my way home. When I got in my car, I realized that I had forgotten my phone and sunglasses, so I retrieved them, as well. Phew!

Traffic wasn't too bad, and I was pleased with that, although I again realized that I'd shortly be driving to work in pitch blackness. It actually got quite dark as a huge thunderstorm rolled in, and I thanked my lucky stars that I'd be at work before (I hoped) the storm would hit.

A couple miles from work, I started reviewing mentally what I had to do when I got to work. That's about when I realized that I might have left my laptop at home. I looked over to the passenger seat and moved the Target bags to find ... nothing. Whoops.

On the way home to pick up my laptop (since my husband and wee ones were still asleep and couldn't meet me halfway), I watched the traffic on the other side of the road build up more and more. There were more than a few deep sighs heaved in the twenty-five minutes it took to glide home through open streets. Yeah, the trip back took over an hour. Well over two hours in the car before I made it to work. Fun!

As I parked, I realized how much the parking lot fills up in the hour and a half after I usually get to work. The south entrance to my building has an upper and a lower parking lot, with an entrance towards the west side of the north wall. I always park on the lower level on the far east row because I usually get the third or fourth spot there. I was about the fourth from the end in that row yesterday.

Now's when my brain fuzziness in the morning started to cause problems, although I didn't realize it until a couple hours later when I thought through the sequence of events. As I got close to the door, I reached into my purse to get my badge. Except that it was still attached to the pants that I work last week and sitting in the dirty clothes hamper (don't judge my laundry speed).

Without a badge, one must go upstairs per the sign near the entrance. I trudged up the stairs to the entrance there. Only once I got through the revolving doors did I realize that there was no guard there and that I had to walk around to the main entrance.

Now. My building employs several thousand people, and it's designed with long wings to the north and south. A normal person would return to the car and park near the main entrance, especially since another thunderstorm was threatening and about to break. That thought never crossed my head, as I walked around the building with no sidewalks to the main entrance to get admitted.

Fortunately, the rest of the day at work went better, as it was no longer really morning. Or at least not early morning. And how much more could I do wrong, right?

Oh, except that I learned that without a badge, I can't print anything or make any copies or get faxes, as all that requires logging in via my badge. Not that I learned this two minutes before a meeting where I intended to walk a couple people through a presentation I had created or anything. Luckily, I work with understanding people!

When I left at the end of the day, I went down to the lower level garage and used my temporary badge to get the doors to open so I could exit. That's when it dawned on me that if the temporary badge didn't work to print anything, it also wouldn't let me out.

I went back to the nice guards to return the temporary badge and gain access to the outside world. Walking outside to more thunder for my trek back around the building and to the furthest reaches of the parking lot, I got out my car keys. And realized that I'd left my phone upstairs (anyone sensing a theme here?).

Fortunately the guard let me back in, and I only had to carry the badge versus getting a whole new holder for it. When I came back, said guard told me good-bye and hoped that it was the last time. Because, really, I needed the snark to remind me that I didn't have it together! Fortunately, at that point, it just made me giggle.

And when I looked at my watch -- oh wait, I forgot to put on my watch yesterday, too, so really it was the clock on my phone -- I realized that the morning was over and the day could only look up.

Next time the alarm goes off at 5:40? I might snooze it. My mom, on the other hand, suggests a checklist. Too practical!

13 comments:

Karen August 5, 2008 at 5:30 PM  

I hate those days. Hopefully tomorrow is better.

Trooper Thorn August 5, 2008 at 6:59 PM  

The thing I am looking forward to retirement for is being able to enjoy Sunday evening without thinking about getting my clothes ironed, packing a lunch, finding my ID badge, cell phone, power cord or anything else I might have brought home on the weekend.

I feel your pain.

Irene August 5, 2008 at 8:49 PM  

Holy cow! I would seriously have been in tears. You sound like you took each new obstacle in stride. Did you really handle things that well in real life?

Hope tomorrow is much MUCH better!!!

Angela August 5, 2008 at 9:01 PM  

You know what the problem was, right? The problem wasn't you at all. The problem was, it was Monday. (Shudders!)

I have had these kinds of days and feel your pain. And I have a mom like yours who was Born Organized. I am lots of things, but Born Organized just ain't one of them. (My mom would also be appalled at my use of the word ain't in a public forum...) LOL! So sorry you had such a rough day!

Jules August 6, 2008 at 12:04 AM  

I can sympathize. I hate mornings that start before 10:30....... and sadly, most seem to.
At least it wasn't pouring rain when you were driving and then trekking with your almost forgotten computer, right?

So, got your list ready for tomorrow? LOL

Michelle August 6, 2008 at 12:16 AM  

Karen - Fortunately, today was much better! I honestly can't say that anything I remember went wrong today. It's all good!

Trooper Thorn - Welcome! I don't iron, so at least I don't have to do that. And obviously I don't prepare anything the night before, although that's an idea.... But I will say that I have a spare power cord for my laptop and my cell AND Blackberry in my briefcase so I don't have to lug those back and forth and lose them in one place or another.

Irene - Actually, yeah I guess I do handle them fairly well. My attitude is that I can either deal with them as they come or make myself more miserable. I truly laughed at the security guy. Although I did for a brief moment think about the capper to my day, which would be someone t-boning me on my way home to the point I could actually visualize it until I told myself to quit being stupid! And yep, I arrived home safely!

Angela - Good point. And now that I'm going into the office on Mondays instead of Wednesdays, I'm going to have to deal with this every week, aren't I? Great.

Jules - Actually, I left out the part about how the skies opened up about five minutes after I started for home. I actually had my wipers on high (anyone who's seen me drive in the rain knows that I hate using wipers if I don't have to as they annoy me and I keep them as low as possible as long as I can safely see). The rain lasted until about five minutes into my trek BACK to the office and probably contributed to some of the increased traffic I encountered. And it rained again en route for awhile, but not as hard. But no lightening strikes AND no tornados, so no worries, right? And no list for tomorrow -- I work three days a week, but two of those are from home, so I don't go in until next Monday! (And then I'm taking the next week off)

MaBunny August 6, 2008 at 6:15 AM  

Wow, sounds like you got some good (although frustrating)exercise worked in there!
I'm more of a morning person, while Nicole and Chris are night owls. They want to party and I want to sleep, lol.
Hope today goes better!

anymommy August 6, 2008 at 12:00 PM  

What a day! I'm impressed that you wrote about it this calmly. Well, you come across very calm anyway. Definitely snooze tomorrow.

Mom August 6, 2008 at 1:33 PM  

OK htat my friend sounds like the shitiest morning ever. If I were ou I think I would have needed a drink that night.

Angie's Spot August 6, 2008 at 3:16 PM  

Ok, I think after having to go back for my laptop, I would've just stayed home. You're a trooper!

Debbie August 6, 2008 at 9:20 PM  

OH. MY. WORD. I'm gonna mail you one of those leash things for you to use at the State Fair. Alas, you might, well you know, forget something or someone ;)

Michelle August 6, 2008 at 10:33 PM  

Mabunny - I did get some exercise in. And it definitely wasn't how I was planning to!

Anymommy - After reading your comment, I realized that when I do things that screw myself up, I'm generally pretty calm. The problem comes when other people do things that screw me up. I don't have such a calm demeanor always then....

Steph - Sadly, I had no drink that night. I did, however, go to a really intense yoga class that made me feel a lot better!

Angie - Umm had that been the first time I'd left my laptop at home, I might have just stayed home. But I've done it ... a few times in the past. Including once where I left it in my husband's car and had to drive to his school, get the keys from the secretary to get it out and THEN drive all the way back to work. Really, it's my subconscious telling me something!

Debbie - I may take you up on your offer! It isn't quite so easy (or legal) to go back and find the wee ones! Have you used them in the past?

-Bridget August 7, 2008 at 9:33 PM  

These are the days I wish I had stayed in bed.

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