What a day!

Up at 6am to farewell Rob for work, then get ready for the telephone/cableguys to arrive at 7:30. Pulled the furniture away from the walls where the cables were and put dust covers over the furniture and computers.

They arrived, did a diagnosis on our continued problems with the home office fax – the elderly (20 years old) PABX system needed to be removed! I called Rob and he agreed. So out it came, making a LOT of dust.

Then we had to put in a new system. The telephone men suggested a brand and style which I discussed with Rob, with reference to the internet using my MacBook. However when walking through the house with my MacBook the first disaster happened – I tripped and dropped the MacBook. One of the men kindly came and helped me up. He looked at me, then the MacBook. “Oh madam, I am so sorry,” he said. I looked down. The MacBook, that had travelled around the world with me, was well and truly broken!

However by then we had decided what telephone system to buy so I left them working to re-arrange the wires and raced off toe Harvey Norman. I got there so fast that I had to wait for 10 minutes until they opened. The purchase was quick because I knew what I wanted – 4 wireless handsets.

Back to the house and the men started the installation. However it all took a long time so I could see I wouldn’t get to the farewell morning tea at 11am so called and apologised for that.

They finished just in time for me to race into town to my weekly Rotary meeting. Good thing as I had to meet and greet 2 guests that day!

I attended the committee meeting after lunch, knowing I needed to leave by 3:30 to get back home for another meeting about the leadership program. The meeting finished at 2:45. I had JUST enough time to get the Apple computer shop to buy another computer before racing home for my meeting. I grabbed a taxi and raced to the computer shop. There wasn’t much choice, really, so I bought a MacBookPro, which is hardier than a MacBook. As I had worn out 1 keyboard and was well on the way to wearing out another, I thought a tougher replacement was called for. I called a taxi, then waited out on the footpath by the highway. The taxi arrived and drove right up onto the footpath to collect me! As I sat in the back seat while the taxi drove me home, I chuckled to myself what I must have looked like when he’d arrived: green “town” jacket and black pants, new backpack (that came with the MacBook) over one shoulder, handbag over the other shoulder, MacBookPro book in my hand…

Got home just in time to tidy up the back room ready for my meeting and put the kettle on. Alfred arrived and I took some deep breaths to calm myself and listen well. Surprisingly we had a good meeting:-)

After Alfred left I did a frantic tidy up from the telephone installation so that Rob wouldn’t come home to too much mess.

By the time Rob arrived, hot a sweaty from riding his bike home, all was calm and tidy and I was ready for a drink!

PS The MacBookPro is indeed sturdier than the MacBook, which had served me as well as it could. However I learned from that day’s experience that the took is only a tool. As my MacBook lay dead on the floor after I’d tripped and dropped it, I realised that the only important thing on it was my writing…