Frustration

This day defined that post title repeatedly.  REPEATEDLY.  Like one after another!  At work, at the DMV, on the road. Glad to answer knocks of tricks or treaters because I cannot remain wearing my sulky face while witnessing their energy!

Old, Tired but Still a Girl

Summers in Sacramento are not fun.  We sometimes rival the hot deserts of Nevada.  On my drive going home, I had my passenger window down because my car air-conditioner was not working.  I was sweating, and tired and I can't wait to put my feet up.  I was so glad I was on my last traffic light before turning left to get on the major road to my home.  As I was waiting for the light to turn green, I thought of what I will be cooking for dinner.  Then it happened.

On my peripheral vision, I "saw" a pick-up truck stop on my right.  Shortly after, I heard a male voice said - "How are you, princess?"  I smiled thinking that boy, if this guy realizes he is hitting on an old lady!!!   I broke out a smile while thinking - "Come on light, change now."  Then he said, "Hellooooo!"   I was so amused that he was intent on getting my attention that I looked at him and acknowledged him. Realizing what I did, I smiled even wider while shaking my head.  Then my light turned green and off I went .  But not before I heard him say "Byeeee!"

Needless to say, that really made my day.  The guy was not bad looking- salt and pepper hair, with a bit of a stubble, mid-40s, BEAUTIFUL smile, NOT creepy at all!

I am still smiling as I am writing this.  After I put my purse down, took out chicken from the freezer  and drank water (first thing I do arriving home from work), I did something that surprised me.  I went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror!

One revelation:  I might be old, feeling the beginnings of arthritis, but deep down inside, I am just still girl!!!

Cell Phone

Have you ever thought "I better not trip on myself" while wearing high heeled shoes and a few seconds later, you do? Or while patiently waiting outside an elevator you thought that you bet the other elevator will open first, and it does?  My doomsday predictions were at it again.  Just yesterday, I went to a restroom outside our office, like I always do before driving home. The only difference is, I usually go to the restroom IN our office but because yesterday, I was avoiding an "encounter" with a co-worker, I chose to use the other restroom outside - the restroom used mainly by patients from the clinics upstairs. So I put my purse by the sink and my cell phone on top of the ledge below the mirror.  (One OTHER habit I taught myself was to have my cell phone in my hand before heading out our office so I am sure I did not leave it.).  As I put my phone down, I thought - you better not forget your phone or you will never see it again!

I drove home, excited to see my daughter who came to visit. After the usual greet and greet, I started getting ready to cook for dinner.  I looked for my phone inside my purse - maybe my intuition working. When I did not see it where it should be, my searching motion became more frantic by the second. I immediately felt dread .. like seeing another girl at a party wearing exactly what you are wearing only she wore it in perfect comfort while you have a breath-defying girdle and you were trying your best to smile back at her and giving her a "you rock too!" look while deciding if what you saw from her was plain disdain or embarrassment. But let us stay focused here. Here was how my thought process went - 

1. My phone is not password protected!
2. They will read all my emails!

3. What pictures do I have there? Messages?

I requested my daughter to drive me back and she dared not squeak because she knew how stretched my nerves were at that point. After calming down a bit I thought about the hassle of reporting it lost, buying a new phone and losing all the pictures and messages I saved. What phone will I buy next? Will I punish myself? Can I survive without one? What will the finder of my phone do with it? Will she sell it? or use it? 

When we arrived at our building, I ran to the restroom, and lo and behold - there it was!  What a relief!  I honestly did not think I will see it again.

2 lessons I learned: 

1. Always password protect your cell phone - and I immediately did this. 

2. I must not flatter myself into thinking that my phone is "attractive".   I am not one to go with the current fad.  I always go for the older model because I know it is substantially cheaper.  I have the older (x2) iPhone model and  I am beginning to think that it could have been left there the whole weekend and I will still find it there on Monday. 

I wonder how my phone feels ... At least only the first half of my doomsday prediction came true.