Day 12 - CDC recommends all J&J patients get a booster after 2 months

Home Security vendor returns…and fixes?? my alarm system…

11/1/21. Monday

6:00 – L. leaves for her long day at Otis. 

7:00 – My alarm goes off, but I lie in bed for some time. 

7:30-8:00 – Finally awake, I go downstairs to say good morning to the dog.  It’s too early for her and she’s out of it so I sit next to her and rub her tummy for some time while I coax her to go outside. Finally, she staggers to her feet, grabs her toy, and we go outside. I stand around, waiting for her to go potty. She poops, too, but a piece of poop is stuck and she freezes.  On occasion, this happens – when it does, the dog won’t move – by that I mean, she stands ‘stock-still’ until I grab a paper towel and manually remove it from her butt. This is so gross. Coffee for me; cheese for her.  I go upstairs. 

8:00-9:00 – I immediately jump in the shower with my coffee and listen to Best Laid Plans. Lotion. Covid-19 uniform. Light make-up. I go downstairs, crack a few windows, and make sure my air purifier is working.  

9:00-10:30 - The contractor for my Home Security Alarm System arrives with the exact same door sensor.  He does NOT have a new part so why he told me I had to wait until Monday is beyond me. In fact, as he parks his van, my entire alarm system inside the house starts chirping. It’s bizarre.  I let him in – we’re both masked – and he reinstalls the same sensor, punches some buttons on my key pad, and the alarm system works.

-I sit at my kitchen counter and read Digital Minimalism because I can’t get anything done when these contractors are here.

When I ask the vendor how much I owe him, he says…nothing, explaining that when he examined my door sensor back at the shop, he found nothing wrong with it. Then, when he heard my alarm system chirping as he approached my front door, he knew it was fine. Apparently, all of my troubleshooting via You Tube videos and outdated, online manuals resulted in me hitting too many buttons on my key pad and f—king everything up.  

The vendor has been here twice, troubleshooting, so I insist on paying him for his labor. When he says, “Well…how about 1 hour of labor?”, I say ok.  He tells me, “$80.” I gasp and instinctively counter with “$50” because that’s my bargaining nature.  I mean $80 for 1 hour when there was nothing wrong with the system?  See what an asshole I am? I committed to paying for an hour of labor then immediately undercut his hourly wage by $30. Why did I do that?  I. Feel. Terrible.  But countering his bid was instinctual…I can’t say now, “Oh just kidding – I’ll give you the $80.” I write him a check for $50 and he leaves – the alarm system is in working order. Note: I will later convey this exchange to L. and she will respond with, “You’re right – you are an asshole.”  When I tell B., he says it’s fine and not to worry about it. 

10:30-11:00 – I leave for the cheapest gas station in my area – other than Costco and Sams Club because I’m not a member – and fill up [$30]. I listen to Be Wealthy and Smart. 

11:00-12:00 – Return and I have a chocolate donut and read Digital Minimalism. 

12:00-12:45 – I send a second round of emails to those students who still have a D or F in my Core Class and Specialty Class 1A, encouraging them to drop before the 11-5 deadline so my numbers will improve. 

12:45-1:20 – I check email at College No. 1 to see if there are any cancellations for my 2:30 class and respond to emails. One of the emails is from my evaluator and he is requesting ASAP – actually the email reads more like a demand than a request – the student surveys that I received from Class Climate a few days ago. What’s the problem? I don’t get it, but I inform my evaluator I’m in class and will scan the evals to him as soon as I get home. I don’t have time to do it right now. 

1:20-2:30 – I load all of my bags in the car, warm up a piece of pizza, and leave. I eat my salad on the way to college and listen to Air Talk. 

2:30 – 5:30 – I barely make it to school on time.  Today is a 2-hour lecture, followed by a documentary. During lecture, the students take the Chapter Review quiz, and after the documentary, they take the Video quiz. While the documentary runs, I grade an extra credit assignment received from one of my highschoolers. 

5:30-6:45 – Class dismissed.  I leave immediately because I need to scan the student surveys to my evaluator, “ASAP” [insert sarcastic emoji here], and eat carrots and hummus on the way home. I listen to Maintenance Phase. 

6:45-7:15 – Home and I bring in all of my school supplies and bags, then scan everything over to my evaluator. He doesn’t bother to respond…there’s not even a “thanks-got it.” 

7:15-7:30 – I pull all the extension cords from the Halloween decorations and store; then 

7:30-8:00 – I eat the last of my salmon and baked potato leftovers from B.’s house the other day while I simultaneously clean the kitchen. I listen to Marketplace. 

8:00-9:30 – Gardening. I rake the leaves, sweep the patio, and listen to Crime Junkie. 

9:45-10:45 – L. and I watch an episode of Squid Games. I really love this series. 

10:45-11:30 – I return to my backyard and water my plants. My neighbors probably think I’m nuts. I listen to Up and Vanished – Season 3. 

11:30-12:45 – L. and I watch another episode of Squid Games. 

12:45-1:30 – I pack a lunch bag; then 

1:30-2:30 – lay my clothes out for tomorrow. Nighttime routine. Bed. I set my alarm for 7:00.