Thats not quite how it happened...
Today was my day off. My son is with my parents. I have no responsibilities. :P
I had big big plans. They involved lots of nothing with a little sleeping on the side.
Boy was I in for a surprise.
First I rudely awakened and quickly grateful that I do not work for Future shop or any other such store in the city. The trash that was spewing from "my partner's" mouth in regards to the customer service that that they had to offer for customers calling in. Calling into one of their busiest locations in Halifax the day after a huge storm that shut down the Province essentially the first shopping day after the holidays - Gee who would of thought? But I digress, this after all is still only moments after being torn from my sleep and dreams of nothingness, I was more then a little bitter.
My few attempts to avoid the whirlwind of anger and slip comfortably back into dreamland were soon shattered and resigned to the fact that sleeping in was the first of many disappointments for the day. Once I was able to drag myself out of bed I did manage to make it to the shower. (Which of course was long and hot and just what the morning called for. :P I wasn't going out to face completely loosing my dreams for the day.)
The shower, I think, helped keep me from committing murder so it's a far trade off.
Up, showered, and dressed we bundled up, grabbed what we hoped was all that we needed, had a quick fight over who got to drive, jumped into the car and pulled off for Halifax - or so it was planned.
Didn't quite happen that way.
First "my partner" changed all the heater settings I had just fixed. MY window fogged for the first of many times and I asked him not to touch them while I was driving. (A personal pet peeve). Second we needed to get money for the video card "my partner" needed for his computer. (which is such a sore subject at the moment it will have to wait for another post :P )
So we drove to his parents house. Picked up the money they were giving him for Christmas and stayed and chatted for a while. "my partner" fixed something on the computer. Then we bundled off again to the car and tried to settle in as we headed once again for our destination.
I made it as far as Irving. (Did I mention that I won the driving argument?) Before I announced that we were going to have another stop off. :P We went to subway. I was starving. "my partner" is a super slow eater (no big surprise to those who know him) so this took awhile. Finally though, finally we were on our way.
When we hit the highway I was smiling. The days plans had been altered, but at this point the sun was shinning, my belly was full, I was driving fast.
Or as the theme for the day seemed to be.... thats not what quite how it happened. You do remember I mentioned this was the day after a huge storm that closed the city? Well the roads certainly were no picnic. I was Lucky to hit 90km/hr for most of it. Slower at other parts. Most other parts.
I must admit the closer we got to Halifax the clearer the roads became. And (this I am very proud of) I did not get lost. Not once. And it's not like I wasn't driving allover the place. I did. I was amazed with myself. But again I am rushing things. Let me take you back to my first turn. The industrial park. Future shop. And, to my belief, "my partner's" one and only destination. (I'd plan to drag him shopping till he screamed. )
I knew the exit was coming up. For some reason I always know that it's coming and still I always manage to think "no thats not it" when I see what undoubtedly is the right exit. This time I saw the exit and I knew. Now I have to admit the day wasn't perfect... At about this point I was for the third or fourth time fighting with "my partner" about him making the windshield foggy on me by changing my settings. I made the exit turn as I should, then I made the made the turn at the lights, but I managed to get the wrong lane then therefore I had to pull in somewhere and turn around, but I feel that compared to another day when I drove across the toll bridge 3 times in one lost mass of confusion, today was a step up.)
The road though Bayers lake is packed (duh its boxing day). I finally get near to the Future shop doors. My plan is drop "my partner" off there, park head into the Superstore and put some money in the bank then double back and meet "my partner" at the Future shop doors. All parties are aware of the plan and in agreement. We park, "my partner" goes to Future shop and I get head to to drink machines outside of Superstore and then the bank machine. But... This is not quite how it happened. As we close the distance between us and the doors to Future shop, "my partner" makes a mad dash for his prize.
All my thought is now of the traffic. I feel constricted and decide to make a mad dash off the main drag and towards the parking spaces. I veer though the oncoming traffic and down a lane searching for an empty space... anywhere? And then it hit me out of nowhere. A traffic jam. I swear, it was a scene from a cartoon. There were no cars in front of me. I glanced to the side for a space, looked back and there I was smack dab in the middle of a traffic jam. Bumper to bumper. I wasn't going anywhere.
After about 15 minutes of sitting there, a car parked there started to pull out.... the line ahead of me moved and like magic I was parked. Now to Superstore. This trip goes relatively smoothly. I parked far away from the store so its a bit of a hike though all the snow that hasn't been properly cleared. In the store I find the drink machine quickly, It's empty. Quickly I make my deposit and I'm once again off and running. Well there was the strange man who insisted I dropped my receipt and it wasn't mine. He was pushy. :P
So Back to Future shop. Here's what I see.....
(I'll get back to you on posting the actual picture. Server changes messed some things up and now I can't find a copy of it. . For now understand it was a line up of about 50 people outside the doors to future shop all waiting to be allowed in. Fire regulations restrict the number of people in the store at one time they told us.)
My first instinct was to call him, after all we pay all this money for our cell phones for this very convince, how simple easy and convent. :P But of course, Thats not quite how it happened. I reach for my bag to get my phone and where is it? Who knows. "my parter" had it earlier this morning yelling at the Future shop employees while his charged. I have no idea as to where my phone is. Time to revisit my situation. I can stay out side and wait for him as we said that we would do or I can take "my partner's" personality into my equation and wait in the line up (giving him lots of time to show up before I enter the store as it's a slow moving line up) then I go in and have a quick look around for him. I sit and think for so long that I become amazed with the people coming and going. They had to have a sale on Sony Vega TV's. Man a lot of people bought them.
About 30 minutes after getting TO the line up I decide to get IN the line up (It's shorter at this point. maybe only 35 people.) About 20 minutes later I am in the store. I have one good look around and I am pissed. I just spent 55 minutes outside in the cold (and it is damn cold) waiting to enter a store to get someone out of it, only to see that they have more people lined up outside the store then they have customers in the store!! The worker to customer ratio was damn near close to 1 to 1.
The beauty in the emptiness suddenly hits me as I realize that I can easily find "my partner" in this big store and I do. Quickly I confirm that they did have the video card, at the price he wanted to pay and yes he has bought it. (I think my heart stopped while I waited for his answer.... I could not of imagined my day if he couldn't get it.... terrifying... I get shivers thinking just about it.) I move fast, grab the video card and attempt to direct "my partner" out of the store.
As the story goes.... Thats not quite how it happened. "my partner" now owning a new DVD/CD Burner and a New Video card needed Cd's and Dvd's so he could play his new games. He needed to check prices. Glimpses of parking flashed before my eyes and in a weak moment we agreed to split again. I find the car. Manage to get out of the spot out of the lane and try to make my way towards the doors of Future shop where the hoards are loading their new Sony Vega TV's into cars (most too small to handle the TV in the box.) But I digress.
"my partner" See's me (our first glimpse of luck). He makes his way though the traffic to the car. There I am on the phone with my best friend ("my partner" told me where to find my phone when I cornered him in the Future shop and stole his Video Card). I tell my best friend where we are, get basic directions to his house and then tell him we'll call when we get closer (or if we get lost - which we didn't!!) 25 minutes later we have made our way out of the parking lot and onto the main street though Bayers lake. We call my best friend again to tell him about the delay, but we're back on track. 30 minutes later when we have driven about 1 kilometer up the road and the high way on ramp is in sight we call him again to let him know of our progress.
Slowly, but with the only incident being "my partner" again messing with the heat settings and fogging the window, we make our way on to the highway and into Halifax. Smoothly I make my way across the city and onto the McDonald bridge. Over the Bridge (I even had the $0.75 ready). We make it to Octerlooney...(?) and up to Pine..... then we are there.... I call announcing we are lost. He's expecting it. Then I say surprise! It was great. You had to be there. Even "my partner" laughed. :P
We gather and plan our next course of action. MicMacMall.... after Future shop I feel no shame in saying I felt the fear. Not haven eaten subway with "my partner" and I, my best friend's mind was on his stomach. We fought to keep his mind clear ;) While we scooped the mall. "my partner" it turned out did have an alternative motive in the city - Randy River. He needed to exchange a shirt. He took off for the store while I tried to hunt down Bluenotes. After some mild confusion my best friend and I found the store. I dumped all unnecessary items (such as my backpack), rolled up my sleeves and waded through the crowd for the jeans display. ( I was not going home with out at least 2 new pairs ). My best friend stood guard outside with my stuff. I thought this was nice, in truth though he didn't want to go near the store.
As I was saying, I wasn't going to leave Bluenotes without at least 2 pairs, but thats not quite how it happened. I ended up striking out. But the MicMacMall is a big place so there was still hope. I did find what I was looking for in another store. It didn't take much time or effort and we were again reunited with "my partner". Now we all had a plan, I needed Chapters, "my partner" wanted Staples and my best friend was headed for Kent. We decided to all meet at chapters and off we went. I exchanged my books with ease and found my best friend in the process. On the way out of the store we found "my partner". The three of us happy with our shopping decided to brave the traffic in Bayers lake once more. "my partner's" heart is set on Wendy's while my best friend and I are thinking Chinese... or better... Chinese buffet!!
All in all, I guess it my day did get better as it progressed.
I had big big plans. They involved lots of nothing with a little sleeping on the side.
Boy was I in for a surprise.
First I rudely awakened and quickly grateful that I do not work for Future shop or any other such store in the city. The trash that was spewing from "my partner's" mouth in regards to the customer service that that they had to offer for customers calling in. Calling into one of their busiest locations in Halifax the day after a huge storm that shut down the Province essentially the first shopping day after the holidays - Gee who would of thought? But I digress, this after all is still only moments after being torn from my sleep and dreams of nothingness, I was more then a little bitter.
My few attempts to avoid the whirlwind of anger and slip comfortably back into dreamland were soon shattered and resigned to the fact that sleeping in was the first of many disappointments for the day. Once I was able to drag myself out of bed I did manage to make it to the shower. (Which of course was long and hot and just what the morning called for. :P I wasn't going out to face completely loosing my dreams for the day.)
The shower, I think, helped keep me from committing murder so it's a far trade off.
Up, showered, and dressed we bundled up, grabbed what we hoped was all that we needed, had a quick fight over who got to drive, jumped into the car and pulled off for Halifax - or so it was planned.
Didn't quite happen that way.
First "my partner" changed all the heater settings I had just fixed. MY window fogged for the first of many times and I asked him not to touch them while I was driving. (A personal pet peeve). Second we needed to get money for the video card "my partner" needed for his computer. (which is such a sore subject at the moment it will have to wait for another post :P )
So we drove to his parents house. Picked up the money they were giving him for Christmas and stayed and chatted for a while. "my partner" fixed something on the computer. Then we bundled off again to the car and tried to settle in as we headed once again for our destination.
I made it as far as Irving. (Did I mention that I won the driving argument?) Before I announced that we were going to have another stop off. :P We went to subway. I was starving. "my partner" is a super slow eater (no big surprise to those who know him) so this took awhile. Finally though, finally we were on our way.
When we hit the highway I was smiling. The days plans had been altered, but at this point the sun was shinning, my belly was full, I was driving fast.
Or as the theme for the day seemed to be.... thats not what quite how it happened. You do remember I mentioned this was the day after a huge storm that closed the city? Well the roads certainly were no picnic. I was Lucky to hit 90km/hr for most of it. Slower at other parts. Most other parts.
I must admit the closer we got to Halifax the clearer the roads became. And (this I am very proud of) I did not get lost. Not once. And it's not like I wasn't driving allover the place. I did. I was amazed with myself. But again I am rushing things. Let me take you back to my first turn. The industrial park. Future shop. And, to my belief, "my partner's" one and only destination. (I'd plan to drag him shopping till he screamed. )
I knew the exit was coming up. For some reason I always know that it's coming and still I always manage to think "no thats not it" when I see what undoubtedly is the right exit. This time I saw the exit and I knew. Now I have to admit the day wasn't perfect... At about this point I was for the third or fourth time fighting with "my partner" about him making the windshield foggy on me by changing my settings. I made the exit turn as I should, then I made the made the turn at the lights, but I managed to get the wrong lane then therefore I had to pull in somewhere and turn around, but I feel that compared to another day when I drove across the toll bridge 3 times in one lost mass of confusion, today was a step up.)
The road though Bayers lake is packed (duh its boxing day). I finally get near to the Future shop doors. My plan is drop "my partner" off there, park head into the Superstore and put some money in the bank then double back and meet "my partner" at the Future shop doors. All parties are aware of the plan and in agreement. We park, "my partner" goes to Future shop and I get head to to drink machines outside of Superstore and then the bank machine. But... This is not quite how it happened. As we close the distance between us and the doors to Future shop, "my partner" makes a mad dash for his prize.
All my thought is now of the traffic. I feel constricted and decide to make a mad dash off the main drag and towards the parking spaces. I veer though the oncoming traffic and down a lane searching for an empty space... anywhere? And then it hit me out of nowhere. A traffic jam. I swear, it was a scene from a cartoon. There were no cars in front of me. I glanced to the side for a space, looked back and there I was smack dab in the middle of a traffic jam. Bumper to bumper. I wasn't going anywhere.
After about 15 minutes of sitting there, a car parked there started to pull out.... the line ahead of me moved and like magic I was parked. Now to Superstore. This trip goes relatively smoothly. I parked far away from the store so its a bit of a hike though all the snow that hasn't been properly cleared. In the store I find the drink machine quickly, It's empty. Quickly I make my deposit and I'm once again off and running. Well there was the strange man who insisted I dropped my receipt and it wasn't mine. He was pushy. :P
So Back to Future shop. Here's what I see.....
(I'll get back to you on posting the actual picture. Server changes messed some things up and now I can't find a copy of it. . For now understand it was a line up of about 50 people outside the doors to future shop all waiting to be allowed in. Fire regulations restrict the number of people in the store at one time they told us.)
My first instinct was to call him, after all we pay all this money for our cell phones for this very convince, how simple easy and convent. :P But of course, Thats not quite how it happened. I reach for my bag to get my phone and where is it? Who knows. "my parter" had it earlier this morning yelling at the Future shop employees while his charged. I have no idea as to where my phone is. Time to revisit my situation. I can stay out side and wait for him as we said that we would do or I can take "my partner's" personality into my equation and wait in the line up (giving him lots of time to show up before I enter the store as it's a slow moving line up) then I go in and have a quick look around for him. I sit and think for so long that I become amazed with the people coming and going. They had to have a sale on Sony Vega TV's. Man a lot of people bought them.
About 30 minutes after getting TO the line up I decide to get IN the line up (It's shorter at this point. maybe only 35 people.) About 20 minutes later I am in the store. I have one good look around and I am pissed. I just spent 55 minutes outside in the cold (and it is damn cold) waiting to enter a store to get someone out of it, only to see that they have more people lined up outside the store then they have customers in the store!! The worker to customer ratio was damn near close to 1 to 1.
The beauty in the emptiness suddenly hits me as I realize that I can easily find "my partner" in this big store and I do. Quickly I confirm that they did have the video card, at the price he wanted to pay and yes he has bought it. (I think my heart stopped while I waited for his answer.... I could not of imagined my day if he couldn't get it.... terrifying... I get shivers thinking just about it.) I move fast, grab the video card and attempt to direct "my partner" out of the store.
As the story goes.... Thats not quite how it happened. "my partner" now owning a new DVD/CD Burner and a New Video card needed Cd's and Dvd's so he could play his new games. He needed to check prices. Glimpses of parking flashed before my eyes and in a weak moment we agreed to split again. I find the car. Manage to get out of the spot out of the lane and try to make my way towards the doors of Future shop where the hoards are loading their new Sony Vega TV's into cars (most too small to handle the TV in the box.) But I digress.
"my partner" See's me (our first glimpse of luck). He makes his way though the traffic to the car. There I am on the phone with my best friend ("my partner" told me where to find my phone when I cornered him in the Future shop and stole his Video Card). I tell my best friend where we are, get basic directions to his house and then tell him we'll call when we get closer (or if we get lost - which we didn't!!) 25 minutes later we have made our way out of the parking lot and onto the main street though Bayers lake. We call my best friend again to tell him about the delay, but we're back on track. 30 minutes later when we have driven about 1 kilometer up the road and the high way on ramp is in sight we call him again to let him know of our progress.
Slowly, but with the only incident being "my partner" again messing with the heat settings and fogging the window, we make our way on to the highway and into Halifax. Smoothly I make my way across the city and onto the McDonald bridge. Over the Bridge (I even had the $0.75 ready). We make it to Octerlooney...(?) and up to Pine..... then we are there.... I call announcing we are lost. He's expecting it. Then I say surprise! It was great. You had to be there. Even "my partner" laughed. :P
We gather and plan our next course of action. MicMacMall.... after Future shop I feel no shame in saying I felt the fear. Not haven eaten subway with "my partner" and I, my best friend's mind was on his stomach. We fought to keep his mind clear ;) While we scooped the mall. "my partner" it turned out did have an alternative motive in the city - Randy River. He needed to exchange a shirt. He took off for the store while I tried to hunt down Bluenotes. After some mild confusion my best friend and I found the store. I dumped all unnecessary items (such as my backpack), rolled up my sleeves and waded through the crowd for the jeans display. ( I was not going home with out at least 2 new pairs ). My best friend stood guard outside with my stuff. I thought this was nice, in truth though he didn't want to go near the store.
As I was saying, I wasn't going to leave Bluenotes without at least 2 pairs, but thats not quite how it happened. I ended up striking out. But the MicMacMall is a big place so there was still hope. I did find what I was looking for in another store. It didn't take much time or effort and we were again reunited with "my partner". Now we all had a plan, I needed Chapters, "my partner" wanted Staples and my best friend was headed for Kent. We decided to all meet at chapters and off we went. I exchanged my books with ease and found my best friend in the process. On the way out of the store we found "my partner". The three of us happy with our shopping decided to brave the traffic in Bayers lake once more. "my partner's" heart is set on Wendy's while my best friend and I are thinking Chinese... or better... Chinese buffet!!
All in all, I guess it my day did get better as it progressed.