Oh, what a day

The day started off well enough, I thought. I got up from sleeping on the couch to go to bed. I got into bed, disturbing DW and realized I could not sleep. So, ten minutes later, I was up and into the office. I think DW is quite pleased with herself in making me create an office area upstairs.

In the office, I had to make some preparations on my work laptop as it has had serious hardware problems so I was getting it replaced at the downtown office. I tend to run things differently than the rest of the gang so I had to make some adjustments. Anyhow, I got that done and it was basically time to wake TC and make sure DW got up. Our goal was to leave by 6AM but that is with the built-in family time buffer of an hour. We split the difference and I was able to get DW to the airport by 7:15 (doing some serious numbers across the 407) and then got TC to school by 8AM. I ended up at work around 8:30; in time for cheap parking and my ritual breakfast of an everything bagel with BLT and a Tropicana OJ (they only have no pulp though).

So, I got in, 9AM rolls around and I get an email saying that I would have to wait until after lunch to change my laptop. Uhm. Hmmm. How about "No"? Instead, I marched on over to the support folks, ignoring the email and feigning ignorance as I got not only my laptop swapped but a replacement Crackberry shell as well. The CB BB was not the right model though as they were out of mine so they gave me the next model down. I am hoping that I get bumped to the next model up but highly unlikely.

I did some more work and then headed out with two colleagues (MS and Older Trini) for some lunch at one of my favorite pasta places in College Park. I also stopped into the jeweler's as my watch was finally ready. It was in to have a new battery put in and to have the chronograph function repaired. Another colleague was keeping an eye on the progress of the storm but there was no need. A mere fifteen minutes after we checked where it was, we knew by looking out the window.

The storm just worsened from there on and it was apparent that it was going to be bad. Add to this a 33-car derailment in Ajax and we had a problem brewing. I called TC's school and told her to stay there instead of meeting me. MS and another colleague came with me when I left because the GO train lines were down. We picked up TC and then went to get gas because I was below a quarter and we were bound to get stuck in a long wait again.

We absolutely did as we made our way north to get the highway (why are people so stupid?) and then again for most of the highway trip out of Toronto and into Ajax. Due to some idiot doing something stupid in the stretch to Whitby, we came off at Brock in Pickering and went down to Bayly to continue across. An hour later, MS was at his hockey game. We turned around and dropped my other colleague at the Ajax GO and then went back on the highway to see how it was as another colleague, BB, was on her way over as her fiancee was in dire need of a certain application in order to get his project in on time tomorrow. The school where he takes his course was closed so the procrastinator was screwed. Fortunately, the "library" had what he needed so he was able to take it out to do what he needed. We grabbed some dinner on the way home as well.

We finally made it home, send a text to DW that we were safe. I just rolled up over the drifted snowbank. There was no way I was shoveling Jack Shite when I got home after five hours of driving. Forget that!! And to think I could just chill. Nope. Realized too late that the shows I promised to tape were not taping as the HD-PVR ran out of room again. So, clean that up, more texting with DW to see what she was able to watch and then settled in a bit. Well, until I had to handle a problem that, except for less than two hours around 2AM, kept me up all night (as I am finishing this post at 9AM). Such is the life.

Ah well, I could have been my neighbours across the street with sidewalks. Suckers!

Keep safe folks.