It's just been one of those weeks...

So, I was in a foul mood this Tuesday during work. It's something that started on Monday, my day off.

Dev and I drove to D!'s to watch some RAW when I noticed that my tire was getting pretty flat. To the point where I had a bumpy ride, and Dev wasn't aware of much different. This is because it was the front left tire on my car that was flat.

I vowed that I'd get it filled on the way back home, since there was an Esso two blocks away.

After RAW, we hit the Esso, only to find that the air pump was out of order.

No matter, I thought. I'll just get it filled before work on Tuesday.

When Tuesday hit, I drove to THREE gas stations before I found a working hose. The 99th St. Esso, no hose on the air pump. I couldn't even get into the Shell on 82nd.

I found myself driving down 99th to about 58th Ave where I got lucky and found a Hughes with a working air pump. And I realized I'd been driving on my rims for about 30 blocks.

The tire was smoking. This was not looking good.

I try filling up the tire, only to find that the air was being left out of the tire by a nickel-sized hole. GAH!

I rush into the gas station and buy one of those aerosol tire fixit dealies. Spent my last $10 on it, so I was now officially broke until payday this Friday (tomorrow).

The hole, of course, was too big to fill using this spraycan. The fluid kept oozing out. I tried masking tape. Nope. Nothing sticks to those tires that the gas station had.

At this point I'm about 10 minutes late for work, stranded about 60 blocks away from work.

I call my boss, and he tells me he'd pick me up. I look across the street and find a Kal-Tire outlet. I tell Chris that I'll call him back from the tire store, after finding out the kind of damage that my tire and wheel took.

I limp the car over the half-block, and bring it in to the Kal-Tire store.

I'm going to need a new tire. Which would cost $120 with installation. I have $8 in the bank.

Forlorn, I ask if I can leave the car there until payday. The mechanic said, "Sure. No problems."

(My brother Braden was talking to me yesterday about this:

B: Usually, you should have the cash before buying something. That's what credit cards are for.
Me: Yes, thank you. Next time I intend to get a flat, I'll make sure I've got cash for it.)

Chris comes to pick me up, and I was in such a low mood, mostly because I thought I'd failed the car by letting it get a hole. I have NO clue where the hole came from, but God, it was big.

That night, I had to take the bus home. You know how much of a ride it is from Mill Woods Town Centre to Old Strathcona at 9:45 pm? I got home at 11. Man, this sucked more than all the days I got home at 10-10:30 during my other stores.

Wednesday, I had the day off, and just sat inside, mourning the loss of my car.

Today I brought my Game Boy on the bus, because with a 45 min to an hour ride, I had time to kill playing Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. I put the game down in October due only to the fact that I couldn't play an entire battle on the ten minute bus ride to Edmonton Centre. But, man, did I get addicted again.

I was a bit late of work today, thanks to not having a proper copy of the ETS guide. My old one no longer works, apparently, since I was about ten minutes late for the bus that would have got me to Mill Woods on time. Stupid September schedule. (Alliteration!)

It was a slow sales day at work, but one of those days where nothing got done because I was dealing with stupid customers over things that wouldn't get me money.

For instance, I left an hour late from work today (so that makes up for me getting in ten minutes late) due to mainly this conversation with a woman over the phone.

Lady: I bought a phone from RadioShack on Sunday.

Me: Right.

Lady: The redial button is slow.

Me: Pardon?

Lady: The redial's slower than my phone from eleven years ago.

Me: Oh.

Lady: When I was in on Sunday, the gentleman I was speaking to didn't really know which cordless phones of yours had the quickest speed dial.

Me: Yeah, that issue never comes up. (In my mind: Because we don't charge up every phone we have just to see how fast the redial button is! I start miming blowing my brains out to Alden.)

Lady: I was given a number to call for your district office on Monday. The woman I was speaking to said she'd get someone to look into that.

Me: Okay.

Lady: It's now Thursday.

Me: Yeah. No one in our stores can really tell you how quick the redial works on some phones. I can call up head office tomorrow and see if the buyers know.

Lady: I certainly hope so. (I start mock strangling myself to Alden.)

I'd like to say the conversation ends there, but she just kept repeating the same things over and over again for another five minutes.

When Chris called to see how the store was, I told him about this.

"Aw, god. Not again. I think we should just return the phone and tell her Best Buy would know which of their phones has the quickest redial."

Another gentleman over the course of the day was looking for DSL filters to go behind the wall mounted phones. Which we don't carry. And he kept on insisting that Telus told him he could find them at our stores.

My reply: "I don't know what to tell you, sir. It happens sometimes that people from other stores assume we have something that we don't carry. I'm sure I've told people they MIGHT be able to find something at another store, even though I have NO clue if they carry them or not. It's just a suggestion."

It happens at LEAST once a week, and I'll yell right here for people to know:

Other stores that recommend us for some things are NOT always right. They AREN'T preaching the Gospel and people DO make mistakes about what RadioShack stocks. If I tell you we don't carry something, you can take the word of someone who's been working for the company for almost five years now over someone who works at Telus or a computer store!!!!

I'd like to say that made me feel better. I'm not sure if it did.

* * *

So my birthday's coming up next week, and I have no clue what to do about it.

Because of short staffing at the store, I've got one day off this week. That day happens to be Wednesday, my birthday.

Now, sure, it sounds cool that I get my birthday off, but if I want to celebrate it with friends, I'm sure that most of them will not be able to hang out on Wednesday night. If I had Friday night off, I'd suggest bowling or a movie with a few dozen of my friends.

Unfortunately, I work until 9:30 that day.

Saturday! Everyone can get together on a Saturday evening, right? Well, yeah, if I want D! and Dev to choose between me and a Chapters friend of theirs.

I sort of share my birthday with Barber (His is the day before mine), but I'm sure that he's got enough studying to do that week.

Figures that my birthday this year happens to fall within Exam Week, and a load of my friends still take classes.

Sigh. Maybe I'll be able to celebrate my birthday the week after or something. Before March, in any case...

* * *

The Arlo Song! Liam Lynch is one cool uncle to make a DVD full of songs for his sister's son. Especially when he does songs like this.

* * *

Reading: McSweeney's Volume One, an anthology of short stories that D! lent me.

Listening to: Kicking myself in the head for forgetting to bring in my new mix for the store. Day after day! It always ends up sitting on my desk! I'll post the track listing sometime (although it IS 160 songs.

Playing: Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. BOOYA! Also, wrapping up Paper Mario.