(erased Wednesday's entry, started over on Thursday)
Tuesday night after I had a LOVELY time with my friend, I spent some time talking to a couple at the bar. I'd helped them in the afternoon, after one of my car moving jaunts, because they had their bicycles and they weren't sure if they could bring them into the hotel.
I told them they probably could, no way to know if you don't just do it, right? Turns out that yes, you can bring your bicycles into the hotel.
So at the bar, they were drinking old fashioneds and I heard them ask the bartender what was good to see around town. He skipped over a couple Richmond things that I thought they should see, so I insinuated myself after a while, and chatted with them.
They had ridden their bikes from a campground in Jamestown, Virginia (took 6 hours, in the hot hot July heat) and they had their RV and all that back at the campground. Wednesday was a day of seeing the city by bike, and then Thursday biking back to the campground.
The bartender had recommended Shockoe Bottom, which I didn't think was that cool a place. I recommended Hollywood Cemetery, Belle Isle, and the trails all along the James River. They said they'd go do that for sure. He asked me if I lived in town and I said no, I've just been here a few times, and I know what I have liked. You seem like you'll like this too. I hope they did, and I hope their ride back to the campground this morning was good.
And then, I went back up to my room and thought about going down and putting stuff in the car to be ready for Wednesday morning. I was packed and organized, I had filled my glass with the last of the wine I wanted so that could get packed in the car. All I needed to keep upstairs was my backpack, and the change of clothing for the morning.
But I felt lazy, and happy to sit on the bed surfing the internet doing stupid things so I opted not to head downstairs. I set my alarm clock for extra early and planned on going over to my cousin's neighborhood to walk around the grounds at the art museum to look at the sculpture garden. What a lovely way to spend about a half hour before having to wake him up.
I really wish I had gone down to load the car up on Tuesday night. What do the kids say "insert narrator voice" and it is Morgan Freeman's voice "But she didn't go load up the car like she should have..."
In the morning, I did get up early as planned. I got my coffee, went back upstairs, thought about grabbing a shower first but instead I picked up the things to put in the car. Since I still had my sandals on. Why not.
I discovered had a flat tire. Had I gone down to put stuff in the car at night, well, it was still light out, I would have seen it.
But there we are, not even 7am. A. Fucking. Flat. Tire.
Okay. So change of plans. I put my stuff in the car, went upstairs, drank a few sips of coffee, and called AAA.
They said someone could be to me by 9am.
Oh no. No honey. That's not going to work. It is 6:55am right now. And no one can be here until 9? You are a 24 hour service. Why so long? It's because I'm somewhere safe, isn't it. Well. I explained my situation, how I needed to be over to his neighborhood. Radiation therapy. All that nonsense. I told her that the cousin needed to be in my car by 8:30am at the latest so the tire had to be changed by 8:15 or 8:20 at the latest. Could they please do something to make it faster. She told me she'd call me right back.
And she did.
"Someone will be there between 8 and 8:15. You will be on the road as fast as possible to take care of your family."
Thank you. Oh my God. thank you.
I skipped the shower, I got my coffee and the rest of my gear. I went down to the car and unloaded the donut/spare which didn't want to cooperate and come out of my car. The valet, Jerome, helped me. What a sweetheart. I had everything ready for the tow truck driver.
I sat at the bar and contemplated a mimosa but decided against it. Breakfast booze wouldn't be a good idea with the day I had ahead of me.
I called my cousin at 7:55, I knew he'd still be asleep so he said "is the door not opening, you can just come in." I informed him this is not the reason for my call. Explaining the tire thing, I told him to just get up, get dressed, be ready, let's go. He started to panic and I said to just relax, I'll be there. It's all going to work out. I just need for you to have the bells on and be ready to go.
The tow truck came, at 8:05. The donut was popped on. The drywall screw was pointed out to me. The hero truck driver rebuilt my trunk with the pieces of the kit for the donut, and placed my tire in the back. I made it to my cousin's house at 8:35. We were in the radiology department at 9:02.
Done and dusted.
And then.
He and I had a fight after the appointment, I do not want to really REALLY get into it (well, I do. But.)
Let's just say I have an absolute limit for raggedy racist nonsense and that limit was met. Not just met but passed, obliterated, and vaporized.
My plan for the day had been to take him to Burger King after the appointment, which he wanted (and if he wants to eat, that's a good thing and I wanted to encourage it), go back to his apartment, do his dishes, do the laundry, take the trash out, get him some groceries. But the tire changed those plans.
I needed to take care of my needs in getting the tire plugged, put back on, and get on my way. I knew it may be late. The tire thing was going to add time to my original plan. Before the fight, I thought I could at least get the Burger King taken care of, maybe stop at the market for eggs and bread. But I wouldn't be doing the laundry and dishes. I could still grab the trash on my way out the door.
Instead, all bets were off once he pissed me off. I dropped him off at his apartment and slammed the door behind him before he even made it down the 6 steps to his front door. I didn't even watch to see that he didn't fall. I just left.
I went to a Midas in town. The staff was so nice. Everyone was so nice. I explained that I just wanted to get the fuck out of Richmond and go home. Could they please help me.
Right this way ma'am, we'll get you right in.
It was 11am, I worked for an hour and watched our (depressing) company All Staff meeting at noon. By the time the all staff was done, they were done. I was out 45 bucks but I have to say, it could have been a lot worse. I could have been stuck in Richmond another day. I could have not gotten him to and from his appointment.
To be honest though, I like the hotel in downtown I've been staying at but Scott's Addition is the neighborhood I'll go to next. The Marriott over there is more expensive but I've got points, and there are so many restaurants, and several breweries, and it's just fun.
If I ever go back.
I don't know.
I'm incredibly mad at him. And right now, I'm not sure how obligated I feel to be of assistance. My sister said to my mom once after she pissed me off "you just made the nicest person in the world mad at you" or something to that effect. And my cousin has done the same.
Anyway. Because it was already 1pm, I thought about going to the Ardent Brewery and bringing some cans home but honestly I just wanted to get the fuck out of Richmond, put miles between me and that experience, and go home to my husband, son, and dog.
Traffic driving north was wonderful, until I got to LORTON! Goddamn Lorton Virginia, why are you this way. The GPS once again routed me into town, by the Lincoln Memorial, the Kennedy Center, past the zoo, and up Rock Creek which thankfully was not flooded (like it was last week, the creek rose 10 feet in an hour). No rain, just two lanes and trees and it was relaxing. I even got to stop and do my steps at 3pm in that parking lot before the last leg of the journey.
I told Doug about the experience. He didn't have much to say but he understood why I am so mad. He didn't ask me if I'm ever going back or not. He took the dog for a walk and I did a twenty minute indoor stroll while talking to C on the phone.
I was asleep at 8pm.
Today is Thursday, I woke up on time, did a lot of work. Helped a client with a DNS problem. Chatted with another client about their rebrand and did a training with their team on one of our products that they needed help with. Then, an hour long talk with my work bestie. Canceled a meeting with another bestie where we planned on getting some big things done, but I told him I didn't feel psychically able to be present and fully engaged for. He absolutely understood and we're going to meet tomorrow. And at 9pm, I worked with another client on a late night DNS switch because they wanted their website to not go down in the middle of the day. And it didn't go down at all.
All told, a much better day today than yesterday.
My steps yesterday and today fell short of 10k but I got walks in both days, So that's a half victory. Here are some pictures from the Tire Fiasco. Digits, below.
wednesday digits
exercise: 12/12 hours. Inside walk while chatting with C, 20 min/.88 mi. 8800+ steps by bedtime (could not bring myself to finish and take a short walk)
blood glucose:
7am: 120
5pm: 80
10pm: 120
food & meds:
n/a: no phentermine+jardiance with me today, only packed 2 days worth
10am: part of a bacon, egg, cheese croissant (threw the rest out. dry and nasty)
noon: met+glip
2pm: protein shake and protein bar snack
5pm: entenmann's chocolate donut
6:30pm: chicken penne fra diavlo a la Geoff
9pm: met+glip
white wine
thursday digits
exercise: 12/12 hours. 15 min indoor easy stroll while chatting with jess, .52 miles 7700+ steps by bedtime
blood glucose:
9am: 142
5:30pm: 102
10:30pm: 95
food & meds:
9am: phentermine+jardiance
11am: turkey and cheddar on english muffin w/mayo
2pm: met+glip
6pm: chicken parm
8:30pm: ramekin of mixed nuts; white wine & diet ginger ale
9pm: met+glip
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