Losing my mind.....
Today was the day.... The day I've been waiting for all week! The day I was scheduled to apply for my social security number! That will never expire! With which I could get paid! And FINALLY get a cell phone with a plan that can call long distance! And make all my dreams come true! (Ok maybe not that last one.) The social security rep even came to campus, so that we poor souls wouldn't soujourn to their office way out in the middle of nowhere (ie, I have no idea where it is). Problem was, where she was holding application sessions on campus required a long walk from my building.... which isn't so bad (exercise, anyone?), except that being outside meant being out under the sweltering sun during the hottest part of the day.
Oh wells.
What must be done, must be done, right? Just think of the walk as exercise AND being in the sauna, all at once. Suck it up and all that. So I grabbed the reference letter I was supposed to bring (Paulette our office administrator MADE me promise I wouldn't lose it or forget to bring it), made sure I had my sunglasses, and set out. I hugged every shred of shade I could find along the way, squinting and wincing at the sun when none was to be had. Finally, sweaty and fed up with Texan weather, I made it to the teeny tiny International Studies office a few minutes before my scheduled appointment, cooled down a bit................... then realized that I had forgotten my passport in my office, AND my student visa documents at home. Plus I had a meeting to get to! So I checked with the lady to make sure she was going to be around for the entire afternoon, planned to return after my meeting, and booked it as fast as I could back to my end of my campus..... got in my car (praying the whole way that God would let me find another parking spot when I got back), sped home, grabbed my visa, and got back to school just a few minutes late for my meeting.
After our meeting, I steeled myself for yet another trip through the oven to the International Studies office. I even brought a sweater this time to shade myself a little during the walk. I got there, disgustingly sweaty but glad I was one walk closer to finishing this application (and never having to make the trip again! I was so naive....). I waited until the applicants before me finished, got in the room, sat down, got out my passport and visa forms......................................... and realized that in my haste to finish my application and return in time for my lab, I had forgotten the reference letter on my desk (that I wasn't supposed to lose or forget, remember?).
UUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGH.
So I heaved a sigh, collected my things, apologized to the lady, and made my way back to my office - thinking the whole way:
1. what had happened to my BRAIN,
2. telling myself that one's response to adversity says much about their character (I have good character! I do I do!! Just not when things don't go the way I plan. Errrrrmmmm.... yes.),
3. wondering what lesson God could possibly want me to learn through this, and
4. why did it have to be so dang HOT out?!
Back at my office, I stuffed EVERYTHING besides my textbook and lunch containers into my backpack (Lord help me if I had to go back a FOURTH time), let my TA know that I might be late for my lab, and once more made the trek to the International Studies office. On my third try (sigh), I finally got it right. The application form was straight forward, and before long I was back in my lab, only having missed a few minutes'-worth of introduction.
--
Later on in the day, I ran into Dr. Joe (my supervisor) and told him my sorry tale.
"You need to be more organized," he commented.
"Yeah, maybe I need an iphone too," I joked. His iphone is his newest toy.
Meanwhile I was thinking, But you don't understand. I AM organized. Freakishly so. Just ask anyone. I remember obscure details and I have a planner that I actually use. You don't understand. This type of thing just doesn't. Happen. To. Me.
I still don't get it. Texas brainwashed me and tossed out the memory part of my brain with the wash water.
Or something.
Today was the day.... The day I've been waiting for all week! The day I was scheduled to apply for my social security number! That will never expire! With which I could get paid! And FINALLY get a cell phone with a plan that can call long distance! And make all my dreams come true! (Ok maybe not that last one.) The social security rep even came to campus, so that we poor souls wouldn't soujourn to their office way out in the middle of nowhere (ie, I have no idea where it is). Problem was, where she was holding application sessions on campus required a long walk from my building.... which isn't so bad (exercise, anyone?), except that being outside meant being out under the sweltering sun during the hottest part of the day.
Oh wells.
What must be done, must be done, right? Just think of the walk as exercise AND being in the sauna, all at once. Suck it up and all that. So I grabbed the reference letter I was supposed to bring (Paulette our office administrator MADE me promise I wouldn't lose it or forget to bring it), made sure I had my sunglasses, and set out. I hugged every shred of shade I could find along the way, squinting and wincing at the sun when none was to be had. Finally, sweaty and fed up with Texan weather, I made it to the teeny tiny International Studies office a few minutes before my scheduled appointment, cooled down a bit................... then realized that I had forgotten my passport in my office, AND my student visa documents at home. Plus I had a meeting to get to! So I checked with the lady to make sure she was going to be around for the entire afternoon, planned to return after my meeting, and booked it as fast as I could back to my end of my campus..... got in my car (praying the whole way that God would let me find another parking spot when I got back), sped home, grabbed my visa, and got back to school just a few minutes late for my meeting.
After our meeting, I steeled myself for yet another trip through the oven to the International Studies office. I even brought a sweater this time to shade myself a little during the walk. I got there, disgustingly sweaty but glad I was one walk closer to finishing this application (and never having to make the trip again! I was so naive....). I waited until the applicants before me finished, got in the room, sat down, got out my passport and visa forms......................................... and realized that in my haste to finish my application and return in time for my lab, I had forgotten the reference letter on my desk (that I wasn't supposed to lose or forget, remember?).
UUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGH.
So I heaved a sigh, collected my things, apologized to the lady, and made my way back to my office - thinking the whole way:
1. what had happened to my BRAIN,
2. telling myself that one's response to adversity says much about their character (I have good character! I do I do!! Just not when things don't go the way I plan. Errrrrmmmm.... yes.),
3. wondering what lesson God could possibly want me to learn through this, and
4. why did it have to be so dang HOT out?!
Back at my office, I stuffed EVERYTHING besides my textbook and lunch containers into my backpack (Lord help me if I had to go back a FOURTH time), let my TA know that I might be late for my lab, and once more made the trek to the International Studies office. On my third try (sigh), I finally got it right. The application form was straight forward, and before long I was back in my lab, only having missed a few minutes'-worth of introduction.
--
Later on in the day, I ran into Dr. Joe (my supervisor) and told him my sorry tale.
"You need to be more organized," he commented.
"Yeah, maybe I need an iphone too," I joked. His iphone is his newest toy.
Meanwhile I was thinking, But you don't understand. I AM organized. Freakishly so. Just ask anyone. I remember obscure details and I have a planner that I actually use. You don't understand. This type of thing just doesn't. Happen. To. Me.
I still don't get it. Texas brainwashed me and tossed out the memory part of my brain with the wash water.
Or something.
4 comments:
what a story!!!
boy i have had those days. in fact, it's almost like every day. you can be thankful you don't have MY memory. ;)
And also if it makes you feel any better, i am totally sweaty all the time everywhere. i'm not sure which is worse in the summer - Taiwan or Texas? hmm.... i should ask my friend living here FROM Texas. will keep you updated. :P
update: "well, it's a different kind of hot...in Texas the sun just cuts down on you. Here's it's the oppressive humidity that gets to ya. it's like being in an oven versus being in a boiler."
and there you have it.
HAHAHAHA.... Thanks for checking!! Happy baking!
Oh ladies, you are so silly. I will visit neither of you in the summer, but may consider it in the winter! heehee! Personally, I do not prefer to be super sweaty all the time :P
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