#362 - Birthday Party

Today was a busy day, but a better day.

I started work and logged in from my home setup. It wasn’t long before I was in a call with some of the higher ups in the company. They wanted to follow up with me about all the things I had said in the meeting yesterday.

Overall, it was a pleasant call, and we sorted some things out. Communication is key to a successful venture, even if it’s not what the other side was hoping to hear. I was glad I had spoken up, and I already knew a lot of others were feeling the same way I was. I inadvertently became their spokesperson.

I had another call with my producer directly afterwards; I am sure they had been speaking to each other. I told her I was feeling much better about things today and that they needn’t have to look for my replacement.

Our team got on the revisions needed to finish this episode, and we began to have a better direction for this episode.

Robyn and I took a short walk at lunch just to get a bit of fresh air, and we both lamented that we didn’t have the time to walk in the park under the trees.

I worked until five and then got ready to leave the house. We had a birthday party for our friend John to attend, but first I wanted to get him a gift card from Long and McQuaid, the local guitar store in town. John writes and records his own music and I hoped it would help him continue to create music.

I was near impossible to get one of the cashiers at the music store to sell me a gift card. Multiple finished helping a customer, looked and me and without a word walked to a different part of the store. This happened at least three times before I eyed an acoustic guitar near the doors the looked very expensive. I had the idea to grab and walk towards the doors to see if I could get their attention.

When one of them tried to stop me and say, “Were you planning to pay for that?” I would turn calmly and hold up a blank gift card and say, “No, but I’d like to buy a gift card.”

Eventually, I walked around to the other side of the checkouts, where to men were standing, both of home had seem me waiting on the other side.

I approached them at speed and slapped the card down on the table.

“Do I have to buy a guitar first before I can get one of these?”

The guy behind the desk smiled at me and put on his face her reserved for problem customers and managed to sell me a gift card before he could escape behind the wall of synthesizers.

I made my way to our friend’s house and was on my second bowl of chilly when Robyn called to say she had loaned the car to kiddo #1 who was spending the weekend at her grandmother’s house. The car she was supposed to use to drive to the party where I was about to have my third helping of chili.

I sighed, put down my empty bowl and excused myself to the hosts and the other guests. I drove to where Robyn does her extra work and waited in the car like a stalker.

David Sedaris’ voice came over the car radio as I played his newest audio book to pass the time. At least he was able to put a smile on my face. Many of the essays in this collection were ones he read at the live reading he did in Toronto earlier in the year and were just as funny on the second listen.

With Robyn in the car, we headed back to the party. There were more people there than when I left and the party was in full swing.

John brought out a bottle of Macallan’s 12-year-old Scotch and offered me a glass. I was more than happy to accept the fine amber liquid. It was smooth and had a nice warm flavour. I would surely be a welcomed drink on a cold damp night.

There was a hard cut off time of ten PM, but John asked me to stay for a hot tub, and I had come prepared with my swimsuit. It was a great way to end the night.

 We said our good nights and thank-yous leaving with fuller bellies and even fuller hearts.

It was a topsy turvy week and this was a nice way to end it.

Until tomorrow.