I took yesterday off for personal reasons. One, I was ready to commit hara-kiri over the continuing phone issues with HellSouth, the latest being that when I change MY voice mailbox message on MY number, it also changes The Boss’s greeting in HIS voice mailbox on HIS number to MY voice. When this was supposedly fixed, it changed both our messages on both our numbers to his voice. Then it was “fixed” again (and by “fixed”, I mean “totally f*cked up beyond all recognition”), so I put my greeting back instead of Electronic HellSouth Lady. Both messages changed to my voice AGAIN. I spent a good part of the morning puddled on the floor crying. The fact that it’s such a simple thing is what makes it so hard to take. For the love of all that’s holy, you’d think NO ONE in the entire history of civilization had ever moved their phone service from one site to another.

Second reason: eldest son to Dr. Smith for annual checkup. He’s in wonderful health and his fangs were admired by all. I live in fearful anticipation of his impending revenge.

Third reason: needed to be in Athens yesterday afternoon for my brother’s composition recital. It went very well; luckily they were able to repair the music studio after he destroyed all sound therein. It turned out to be a coincidental power spike, so my parents don’t owe UGA a few million dollars for replacement equipment, which is good news for them because they just blew their spare cash and bought Mom a new car. Anyway, his recital was well-received by professors, musicians and rabble alike. I enjoyed “Suspiro” the most of all his compositions but also liked the two W.H. Auden poems set to music. Photos of his studio, tools of the trade and such are posted.

Before the recital, Alan and I ate at Loco’s. We invited Nancy, but she was having so much fun with Yard Sale Marathon, Day Three she wouldn’t join us. Afterward, we went out with Bo and some friends to hang out and converse. It was a good time. I wish I did more of that, but work has been so upsetting - and draining - lately that I haven’t wanted to go anywhere, do anything or talk to anyone. I’m going to make more of an effort, though.

Two good things have happened. Because I upgraded to a paid account when they were still in beta stages, Flickr extended my account for an additional year and gave me two other Pro Accounts to bestow upon worthy friends. Then I got an e-mail from Geraldine’s Bodacious Cheese Straws saying that a number of people had been to their website via my blog link and as a thanks for the mention, they’d like to send me some free samples if I’d provide my address.

This is terrible.

For normal people, if something good happened they would say, “Oh, great! This wonderful thing happened!” and enjoy it. For me, good things are a harbinger of the awful things which inevitably soon will follow, an omen of the unexpectedly hideous. For I am not like the rest of you! I know not of this so-called rumoured “normal” existence! See above, and look what I got into just trying to move our phone service THREE BLOCKS NORTH. Or read any week’s worth of my blog entries! Remember what trouble I have trying to order flowers, or changing a light bulb!

I shall now go and hide underneath my desk. If the phone rings, it can just go to voice mail. Oh...wait a minute...

MONTOYA DELENDA EST!