A Monday of Mondays

Today was a Monday. We at work can always tell Mondays by how much they suck. And by the fact that there's still four more workdays to go.

It started at the subway station. People make fun of me for talking to inanimate objects (which is right up there with talking to myself, I guess), but every morning, as I walk to the elevator, I check my shoulder bag for my Metro card, that magic little card that replaced the beloved subway token and gets one onto the subway or a bus. And this morning, as usual, it was in its place, within easy reach for pulling and swiping at the turnstile. Except when I got to the station, it was nowhere to be found. So I had to take a few precious moments to root around in my bag for it. Darn thing decided to migrate under the comb. I cursed it out under my breath and I think it will be behaving tomorrow. You just have to tell your things who's boss and praise them when they perform as required.

Then I got to work and found out my boss couldn't log into her computer. Fortunately, it's not a PC problem, but a keyboard problem. Someone else had a problem logging in, but rebooting cleared that problem right up. Me? Well, I got into the network fine, was able to log into our databases and get online, but MS Office seems to have flown the coop. If it's a virus, I'm gonna scream. The only files I ever download are ones I'm expecting or I've forwarded from my home PC -- which I did over the weekend when I downloaded some photos I took at work, then sent them to myself to download at work for use on our website.

Then the phone calls started, because, well, it was 9:00 a.m. on a Monday. First, one of my staff calls out with an emergency. Then another calls to say she'll be late. And today was one of our two long days and we opened at 10:00 a.m. It's also the busiest day on the phones. I'll never figure out why people can't spread out their calls, but most of them hit us first thing on Monday. By Thursday, calls slow considerably (though they're more plentiful at the end of the week in recent years than previously). I had one hour of phone duty in the afternoon. The only thing I can say for it is that it went quickly. Lots of calls and not enough staff to provide backup.

After work, I engaged in another Rite of Fall -- the purchase of pantyhose. I don't wear stockings or nylons or whatever they call those things now. I wear colorful, opaque pantyhose or tights, some of which are heavy for the colder temps of winter, and I've discovered that if I shop early, I can find the non-control top ones in pretty colors. If I wait too long -- which seems to be anything after October -- all that is left in the stores is black, and perhaps beige and navy blue. I won't wear control tops. I used to, when I was thinner and didn't need them as much as I probably do now with my middle-aged spread, because I loved the colors and the control tops didn't bother me as much as they do now. Now, they're so constricting I can't breathe. If I have to sit in those damned things all day at work, well, I just won't. I need to be comfortable at work, not worrying if I'm going to pass out from pain or lack of oxygen because my breathing has been compromised.

And then, when I was in the subway station to go home, discovered delays due to switch trouble. So my 40 minute ride took over an hour.

Tomorrow has to be better. I don't think I'm in the mood for two Mondays in a row. But at least, the weather was perfect.