Friday Frustration

So, on Friday, I had two quick errands to run. First, I had to go to the post office and mail a package. Second, I had to go to the library and pay a late fee. The late fee resulted because the book I’d checked out was a day late. Believe it or not, it was the first time I’d ever been late returning a library book – and, when I realized it, I was devastated that my record had been tarnished. Now that I think about it, it was a very similar feeling to the time when I was told I had my first cavity – at the age of 23. I guess, in my mind, if I could go that long without a cavity or a library late fee, I was invincible. (Ha!)

At the post office, I carried my package, which seemed excruciatingly heavy, all the way up at least ten steps. Balancing both my package and my big pregnant belly was quite the feat, actually. I thought, several times during my journey, that I would never make it. When I finally got to the counter, the postal clerk told me it would be twenty dollars to mail my package. “What?!,” I replied, completely astounded. “Twenty bucks?!”

Since there was no way I was going to pay that kind of money for my package, I resigned myself to carrying my load all the way back to my car.

Errand # 1 = Failure

My next stop was the library. Since I’d just checked online and found out that the library was open until 5:30 on Fridays, I wasn’t in any particular hurry. In fact, I pulled into the library parking lot and leisurely sat in my car listening to the final few minutes of the Hugh Hewitt show while enjoying the cool blast of the air conditioning. As Hugh’s bumper music began to play, I glanced at the time and noticed it was 4:59. Then I nonchalantly glanced over at the library building and noticed a huge white banner, with bold black writing, hanging over the entrance. The banner read: “New Library Hours … Friday 9:00 to 5:00.”

Enter adrenaline rush.

In no time, I had grabbed my book and started flying across the parking lot to the front entrance of the library. I must have looked like a completely hysterical maniac to anyone observing me. But, frankly, I didn’t care. My only mission was to squeeze through those library doors before they were shut for the evening.

As my luck would have it, the janitor was locking the door as I arrived. I pleaded earnestly with him to let me in so I could pay my late fee. I turned on all the big, fat, pregnancy charm I could muster … but it was to no avail. He shook his head and said, “Sorry ma’am, we’ve already turned off the computers.”

Errand #2 = Failure

Soon I was back in my car feeling very dejected and unproductive. When I was about halfway back to my house, it dawned on me that I had forgotten to drop my book off in the book drop. AARRGGGHH!!! Since there was no way I was going to owe that blasted library even ten cents more, I turned my car around and headed back.

Some days I feel completely incompetent at everything I attempt. Last Friday was one of those days …