Monday, January 07, 2008

Maybe Not So Smart and other Minuta

Now that I’m doing the “gym” thing early in the morning my routine has changed. I roll out of bed around 4:45 am, slip on socks, sweatpants, a bra, t-shirt, in the dark of my bedroom, then pad into my bathroom where I brush my teeth and run a brush through my hair. Into the guest room to retrieve my coat and gloves, then into the living room where one light is on – to put on my shoes, grab my keys and head out.

So far it’s been deceptively easy and uncomplicated. I thought I was on the same track this morning.

Until ...

I got ready to leave the locker-room after placing my coat and purse in the locker. As I went to pin my locker key to my pants, I realized my pockets were all bunched up.

Bunched up because ...

I had them on backwards.

*sigh*

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Eight days ago I apparently killed an important brain cell between purchasing glasses on Thursday December 27th and going to the grocery store on Sunday, December 30th. It seems my mind has completely blanked out my PIN number for my debit card.

The pin number I’ve had since 1986.

Let’s absorb that for a minute … 22 years, same PIN.

This is a card I use AT LEAST once a week. This number is my life-line. I bank in California. I live in North Carolina. I use my debit card for EVERYTHING. Especially getting cash at the store.

We all know I have problems with numbers. I cannot memorize them well. Certainly not in order. So when I got this card, all those years ago, I memorized the “pattern” of the code – because I was always mixing up the order of the numbers. Now, all I can tell you is the number started in the upper right-hand corner – and ended with two numbers next to each other … somewhere on the second or third line of the keypad.

Someone told me, “Don’t worry. It will, “just come back to you”.

Well, it hasn’t.

THANKFULLY I can also use the “Visa” part and just sign for my purchases – because otherwise I’d be up shit creek the times I’ve tried to use it and NOT THINK ABOUT WHAT THE NUMBER REALLY IS, only to realize I really don't know what the number is!

I have never written down this number … because you should NEVER write down passwords where they can be found. (Plus? Hello! 22 years ago … that’s like 10 different college address moves, 2 different post-college houses in Arizona, moving to California, and then here). I’m sure the original notification of the PIN has long since been boxed, filed and shredded.

SO! Today I had to call the bank and ask them to send me a new PIN. (Dear God. If you are reading this can you please make sure all four digits are the SAME NUMBER!?)

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It was a quiet weekend.

Had a little excitement on the way home from work Friday night. Our receptionist sold the Nano IPOD she got for Christmas on Facebook’s Marketplace. She was going to meet a strange man, in an unknown place, to make the drop. I said NO WAY and we ended up meeting him at the YMCA. He seemed perfectly lovely and everything went smoothly. But still, I’m glad I was there, and she wasn’t on her own.

Saturday I went to see a bad movie (I’m Not There) with Dr. Esq. I have NO IDEA how it’s received the average rating of 7.8. It has Cate Blanchet, Richard Gere, Kris Kristofferson, and Heath Ledger in it, so I figured it WOULD be good. Purportedly it was about Bob Dylan.

It was so bad, “Mr. Movie” fell asleep about a quarter of the way through. When I realized it was HIM snoring – and not the guy in front of us, I woke him up and said, “we’re out of here!”. No complaints on his end – so we went and had a late dinner. Over dinner we inaugurated some travel plans for March.

Sunday was church. No major snafu’s with my graphics (woo-hoo!), the Sunday school lesson was “Keep Pressing Forward”. Among the points were:

  • Be positive towards yourself

  • Develop better relationships

  • Form better habits

  • Embrace the place where you are

Sounds like a familiar theme, doesn’t it? Big People’s Church was about leaving things behind and moving forward in the new year. (I hope God is trying to strengthen my resolve with all these coinciding messages, and is not saying “MIT!! You’re not paying attention to what I’m REALLY trying to tell you! *knock, knock, knock*”)

After church I went to Mr. Guitar’s to see the new digs and had a lovely lunch. He seared a Tuna steak, roasted some green beans, put together an Asian influenced green salad, with fresh fruit for dessert. It was great to catch up and hear about his holidays and what’s going on in his life. I am going to enjoy him living 1.4 miles from me!! (Really it is almost OBSCENE how close our respective abodes are to each other.)

Leaving there mid-afternoon, I drove to the top of the hill, where I have a cell phone signal.

(I have no signal at my house – and it seems like 90% of the places I drive, I lose the signal too.) (and YES, I have a major carrier. People with the SAME carrier have a signal, when I don't as we stand SIDE-BY-SIDE). (I am convinced it is me. It is ok. I hate talking on the phone anyway.)

I made 3 calls from the top of the hill.

Two and a half hours later I drove back down the hill to make dinner!!! Two and a half hours on the phone! For those of you who don't know me … that is an eternity for me to be on the phone.

To those who know – and were the recipients of said calls, I hope you enjoyed them!

(Also – I suspect all 3 people will read this … and I just want you to know – I enjoyed the conversations. It really wasn’t THAT bad. But don't get too use to it.)

By 7:30 last night, I was wishing it was already 9:00 pm. I was so tired! (It was all that talking! I’m sure it had nothing to do with how late I was up Saturday night – or how early I got up Sunday morning.)

I tried to hang tough. I had some writing to do, but just couldn’t think well enough to put words on paper. I crawled into bed, read a few pages of “In a Sunburned Land”, hoping time would fly to nine o'clock and bedtime. It didn’t. I finally gave up and turned the lights out at 8:10 pm.

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How was YOUR weekend?

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Ps: The second semester of my fiction writing class starts next Tuesday. It will be interesting to see how school and working out mesh with each other. I expect my “social time”, will once again, become even more restricted. Rest assured though, I will continue to post, as part of my grade will include my writing journal.

5 comments:

Geggie said...

Busy busy bee!

My next trip to Durham is the 28th to the 31st...wine?

MitMoi said...

Yes - how about the 30th? Or 28th will work. Class on 29th. Send me an e-mail. We'll get it squared away!

*claps hands with glee*

Me and Geggie!

Mamie said...

to get up at 4:45 in the morning I would have to lose a pound a day, no plateaus...gawd!

Anonymous said...

2 1/2 hours on the phone and I wasn't even one of the calls! Wow! But then maybe you were one of the "beeps" I had while I was on the phone.

Anonymous said...

I certainly enjoyed our last conversaton, whether it was one of those 2 1/2 calls or not ! *o*