From Bad.....To Good....

On Mondays I start work at the mall Customer Service desk at 9:30.  This week I arrived at 9:26, which gave me time to set my purse and lunchbox down before I clocked in.  I used my key in the office door, but it was already unlocked.  Before I could think too much about it the door opened and my boss poked his head out. I gave a little shriek--and by the look on his face I think he was equally surprised.

After we both recovered, he asked me if I'd forgotten the schedule change for the day.  Instead of opening, I was working the middle shift that began at noon to accommodate a co-worker with a dentist appointment.  Boss had come in on his day off to cover the time until I started.

(If he had told me, I didn't remember; I'm always paranoid that when the schedule changes I won't show up when I'm supposed to, so I send myself an email and make a reminder on my phone so I don't forget.  In the almost three years I've had this job I've never forgotten.)  

But in the end my certitude that I was right and he was wrong didn't really matter.  What the boss says goes, so all of a sudden I had two and a half hours to kill until my shift started.  I walked away from the desk in a foul mood and pondered my options.

I had everything I needed in the car to get exercise and run errands.  My original plan was to take care of the tasks after work; now I'd just get as much done beforehand as I could and finish up the rest on the way home. Since I wouldn't have the opportunity to shower I figured out I could take a walk without getting too sweaty.  I went into the closest bathroom and changed from work clothes to workout clothes, then left the mall.  It felt strange to be driving away just a short time after I'd arrived.

My first stop was a nearby Walmart to return some things.  After I finished up I attempted to use the restroom on the way out.  It was closed for cleaning, which made me even more annoyed.  I left the store irritated at everyone and everything.  I drove several blocks and parked the car at a nearby office building, then went inside and used their restroom before I started my walk.

Car keys and cell phone in one pocket, music player in the other, I turned left out of the parking lot. and another left at the first street.  I tried listening to the radio, but the tuner on my music player wasn't picking up the station's signal well (yet another reason to be irritated). Instead I flipped over to music, choosing an oldie but goodie--Supernatural by Santana.   Soon I was walking in time to the uptempo Latin rhythms and my mood got a bit lighter.

The neighborhood turned out to be made up of large older homes, each surrounded by lovely mature landscaping.  As I walked up one street and down the next I tried to pick out which house I'd like to live in. Before I knew it I realized my bad mood had completely vanished. I looked at the time on my phone and realized almost an hour had passed; I had to get back to the car, eat my lunch, and change clothes so I could be back at work on time.

I thought I'd kept good track of the streets I walked on, but when I got to the first intersection I couldn't remember which way to turn. I tried one way, but the houses didn't look familiar so I turned around and doubled back. A second street didn't seem right either. I began to get a little concerned, so I pulled out my phone and used the mapping app to give me directions. It told me I was almost a mile away from the car (yikes!), so I picked up the pace and broke into a slow jog.

When I made it back to familiar territory I breathed a sigh of relief.  I was about five blocks from where I needed to be.There was plenty of time to do the things I needed to and get to the mall. However, I didn't count on what happened next.

(TO BE CONTINUED......)

Five years ago today: Implements Optional