Wednesday, we had our annual appointment with our financial advisor over in Sis-Town at 2:00. I was meeting Farmer H there in front of the building. I left home with time to pick up my prescription, make two stops for scratchers, and mail a bill.
"HO HO HO," said The Universe. Because Mrs. HM plans, and The Universe laughs.
There are only a couple days a year that Mrs. HM has any specific place to be at a specific time. This being one of them. I wanted to get my other stops done before the appointment, because it takes an hour, and this was my main TV night, so I'd be in a rush getting supper made and eaten, and my tickets scratched before the first show started at 7:00.
I left home ten minutes before my original plan. There was a line of two cars at the pharmacy window, so I proceeded to 10Box, almost next door, for my scratchers.
I got a good parking space. The machine on the right spat out my tickets. I put money in the machine on the left. It accepted. I selected the crossword ticket. The picture of it came up on the screen. But no numbers to choose how many. The machine was stalled. It does this sometimes. You just have to be patient, then it works. Not this time. The screen went back to normal. I selected a different ticket. The picture came up, with no numbers to select. I waited. The screen went back to normal. I selected the crossword again. Nope. Same picture, no numbers. I could see this was going nowhere. I turned to ask the two chatting cashiers if they could call someone up front. One did. The Manager Gal immediately came to the front.
Their phone rang. A distributor wanting to talk to the Manager Gal. "Just put them on hold. I'll talk to them in a minute." She opened up the lottery machine, and gave me back my money. Said she couldn't give me tickets, because the machine wouldn't register a sale. I understood. But I'd wasted at least 7 minutes waiting on that machine, and now I'd have to get my tickets elsewhere to get my daily requirement of crosswords.
Back to the pharmacy. Nobody in line. I parked at the window. They have a brick wall, and two big metal poles painted yellow that won't let you get close. I couldn't reach their little doorbell thingy to notify them that someone was waiting. However, there's a big window. People were walking around. I knew they could see me. They must have had a customer inside. I waited. For five minutes! Then I got my meds, and proceeded on my way to the financial appointment.
Of course I had to make a stop at the School-Turn Casey's on the way. I had planned to get my crosswords, and use their bathroom. No time for the bathroom! I drove through the outside mailbox at the main post office, put in my bill, and was in front of the financial office with five minutes to spare.
Farmer H and I went in. We never get sent back at our appointment time. It's usually ten after the hour. We chatted with the receptionist about the McDonald's food poisoning issue. We don't eat there, but she enjoys it once a week. She was saddened that one of her meal choices had been taken away. We waited. And waited. Heard sirens and saw the fire rescue truck go by. Then the actual fire truck. Receptionist got a call. Our financial advisor was stuck on the highway, in traffic, from a motorcycle accident.
Another couple came in, saying they had an appointment. I checked my phone, and it was 2:30. The receptionist told them there were two ahead of them. Heh, heh! Doesn't pay to be early, or even on time, at this place! I was regretting not taking bathroom time at Casey's.
It was 2:40 by the time we got in. I said right off that we could just sign papers and go! No need to chat! FA said it was okay, she knew the couple waiting, and it was not a problem! Thankfully, Farmer H was not his usual talkative self, and we were out of there at 2:55.
I made it home, got my tickets done (with moderate winners), and after making Farmer H's and my own supper, was only five minutes late for the start of my show.
Take THAT, Universe!
(Perhaps I should have left off that last part, considering the cards The Universe dealt me the next day...)
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