Tuesday, September 9, 2008

AAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!

This is the sound I made when we woke up Saturday morning to clouds and wind, a portion of our fence laying on the ground and horrors! our cable draped across the backyard. No TV. Worse - no INTERNET. Gah! Tropical Storm Hanna had visited us in the middle of the night.

I immediately called TimeWarner and spoke to a woman who assured me that someone would be out on Sunday to fix our cable. We puttered around the house on Saturday picking up tree limbs and repairing the fence, then cleaned up so we could head downtown to finish celebrating my birthday week. I texted the babysitter to warn her about the cable and hey! She showed up anyway! Bless her.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny and I relaxed in the warm glow of knowing that soon, very soon, I would be reconnected to the world. Time stretched on, 11:00...2:00...4:30...Hubs started getting antsy because his Chicago Bears were playing and come on, WHEN is the cable guy going to show up? Finally I called again to check on their progress only to be told by the computerized answer-lady that there were no reported outages in our area, please choose another option. How about the option where someone comes to FIX OUR DAMN CABLE BECAUSE WE DO-INDEEDY HAVE AN OUTAGE AT OUR HOUSE.

Please refer to the title of this post for the sound I made when I was told that it would be Tuesday before someone would be out to fix our cable. TimeWarner, are you listening? Even the Sunday paper said most cable customers had had their service restored already. Hello? We live RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF TOWN. LESS THAN A MILE FROM YOUR OFFICES.

Fortunately I was distracted on Monday by Thomas starting preschool. I know! I know! How many challenges can one person possibly face in a three-day period?? Considering the total breakdown I had on Sunday night, I was remarkably calm and organized on Monday morning. We actually got out of the house on time and arrived at school a little early, and except for the fresh roadkill just at the entrance of the building our trip was uneventful. Thomas seemed happy and excited that we were undertaking a new adventure, Emmie was just peeved that I had dragged her out of bed at O-Dark-Thirty.

We found his classroom and Emmie and I stayed for a bit to make sure Thomas was going to be ok. After about 30 minutes it occurred to me that he didn't even realize I was still there sooo, I left. That's right, I pulled up my big-girl pants and went shopping because retail therapy makes everything better.

When I returned to pick him up at lunchtime I found, instead of the little boy I had dropped off, this oh-so-grown-up child sitting at the table with all the other kids, looking as though this preschool thing were something he'd been doing for years.



When I walked in he gave me this look that was all "oh, hi Mom." Then he turned back to see what the rambunctious little boy across from him was up to. I was thrilled and relieved, then really bummed because I just don't think he missed me. Then I was thrilled and relieved that he didn't miss me. Too many emotions crammed into one tiny little moment of milestone passage.

My firstborn now attends preschool. And the cable is hooked back up. Life is good.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those moments of independence and maturity are sure bittersweet!

Jamie said...

It's a hard emotion split...do we want them to be fine or miss us like crazy. I vote for both.

Tigriswillreign said...

Ah, retail therapy....

*sigh* I can't get over Thomas in pre-school!