Thursday, August 16, 2007

Self Abuse

I want to thank everyone for your concern over my ankle (it is slowly getting better.)

Your interest in my husband’s rentability made me laugh. Just to be clear, as a fisherman, he is very good with his pole and it is only this ability that I would consider lending out. He only told me about the woman paying attention to his lure once we were home, so we never did actually get to hook her.

At our last family reunion, I was suckered into being the new secretary. I admit to being a sap but the woman who held the position before looked so forlorn and downtrodden after five years, I decided to take over. How hard could it be?

My first duty was to book the pavilion for next year. The appointed date to call the PA Park Service was August 15th, according to the notes left me by my predecessor. I have been on edge since mid-July, worrying that I would miss the date, not get the required date for next year, disappoint my father and look like a fool incapable of doing the simplest things. Yeah, I know, I’m not wrapped too tight.

Tuesday night I was so agitated I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned, finally falling into a nightmare where I slept through the seven o’clock deadline to call. I had this nightmare about five times before the alarm went off.

I got up, made my coffee and walked around the kitchen staring at all of the sticky notes posted around the room with the word “Pavilion” written on them. I called at six fifty-five and got a recording telling me the office didn’t open until seven. I called again at seven. The automated system couldn’t find the park I wanted. I was sure someone would get my date and pavilion before I could figure the system out.

At five after seven I got a live body. She politely asked for the park I wanted. She asked what date I wanted. I was five days too early. They only took reservations exactly eleven months to the day. I’d have to go through all of this again on the twentieth.

I’m a little cranky right now.

26 comments:

  1. Wow, your family is so organized!
    We tend to fly by the seat of our pants (our 4th of July shindig was planned on about June 26th) and planning for 40+ people is no small thing!
    Glad the ankle is impoving and if you decide to rent out your fisherman at least you know where to advertise!

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  2. Hahahahahahaha! Ness, you need to take a chill pill!

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  3. Sounds like you have the hard part done already. Now you just have to remember to do it all again in 5 days.

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  4. Think of that first phone call as a full dress rehearsal.

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  5. sounds like you need a box of wine!

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  6. Logo: We are not organized, which is why thisa is so important. Same Sunday same spot for about 20 years now. It’s the only way people know how to get there.

    Jenn: Ya think; D

    Mizmel: No decent sleep until then <: (

    Quilly: Could you imagine if I were on stage. No wonder actors need rehab.

    Crystal: Box o’ wine sounds perfect.

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  7. LOL. Really. Laughing out loud.

    Oh. Yeah. Sorry you had to get upset and lose sleep. But look at the bright side: you amused me. I'm not that easy.

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  8. Poor Goldennib! How frustrating! You deserve to be cranky. I'll be thinking of you at 7 o'clock on Monday. :)

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  9. That sounds pretty much like how I became the treasurer for the deacons at my church. Sigh.

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  10. Don't you just love bureacracy?
    I know how you feel...I always loose sleep the night before any event...travel etc.however.

    Fun post...you might be annother Erma Bombeck.

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  11. Sounds like when a woman is trying to get pregnant. Except I don't think they fret that much.

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  12. "Just to be clear, as a fisherman, he is very good with his pole and it is only this ability that I would consider lending out."
    You realize that could so be misleading :)

    I feel for you, hey three days an then you better get up at 5 to 7 and you'll see how easy it really is...(says teh woman who dreads just about any official phonecall!)
    breathe!

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  13. I am so sorry your trial run ended up being a trial run instead of the real thing. And I hope the ankle continues to heal.

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  14. Everyone has the right to be a little cranky...whenever SHE wants to be.
    Hope the ankle is better.

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  15. Congrats on placing in the caption contest this week, Nessa!

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  16. Whenever you deal with the government you have a right to be cranky. But in five days it will be over.

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  17. that's so ludicrous! you have to go back 'cos you're 5 days early? How so very efficient! lol

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  18. What makes this story so great, is most of us can relate to it. Made me laugh too.

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  19. Oh no, small wonder you are cranky. Today, is the twentieth. Did you secure the pavilion for the desired date? Did you sleep last night?

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  20. I don't blame you for being nervous about making that call on time. I would be the same way.

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  21. I feel terrible! Its my job to take the reservations for the shelter house in our park, we have a similar system because its so popular. I hate that we're stressing people out over it!

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  22. I didn’t have as many nightmares this time. I tried to book online, but the lady who said I could do so from midnight on was wrong. This caused me some anxiety as I thought I had already lost the date. I called at seven using two phones because all of the lines were busy. Once I got through, all was smooth sailing. Here’s to success.

    Tlp: I’m glad one of us is happy: D

    Dan: Thanks for the sympathy.

    Diesel: We are just too good.

    Mo’a: I think I should be drugged.

    Bert: At least I didn’t have to get shots.

    Minka: I was just talking about fishing, really.

    Brooke: I bet my ankle doesn’t hurt as bad as your toe.

    Swampy: Yeah, baby.

    Diesel: I’m number 2!!!

    Dr. John: Those governments are so picky.

    John: I feel like Goldilocks.

    Bazza: Nessa, The Everyman.

    Mjd: I did get the date, but not without some additional pain.

    Rhea: I called my dad right away to let him know I was successful.

    Kat: The lady who helped me was very nice. I know you guys don’t make up the rules.

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  23. Glad your ankle is healing: I messed mine up the 2nd full day of my vacation in Italy... but had to stump around on it anyway or miss out. Be gentle with it :-D

    And congrats on being secretary: there is talent to it you know.

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  24. Tsduff: Oh, I'm sorry to hear you had to hobble on the cobble. He, he.

    Now that the deadline is successfully over, I have fun things I want to do. I have plans for a family website and I want to try a family network. We are large and far flung. And I don't have enough websites.

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  25. I had to laugh at this....I go through the same thing every year. There are four state parks that we like to stay in, and there are certain sites that meet all our requirements (wants!). Two book 11 months prior, and two book 9 months prior. It's always makes me nervous that I'll miss the time and not get my favorite place! Good luck.

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  26. Jackie: How do you do it? They'd have to take me to the little white room if I had so many to book.

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