Pop Quiz: Why Is This Woman Mad?

                                     A. Her paycheck was M.I.A.

                                     B. She got a parking ticket

                                     C. She lost her keys

                                     D. She needs that sniffling sneezing coughing aching stuffy head                                      fever so she can rest medicine

                                     E. All of the above

Beware: Long Post Ahead...

If you answered E, ding ding ding, you've hit the jackpot! Today was a day that I do not want to repeat, ever.  First off, I woke up congested and sneezy this morning and was late to work because I could not find my keys. Thankfully I found my extra apartment key and car key but looking for keys put me behind schedule and it was raining out so I was late to work. Since I didn't have my key to the classroom, I had to shamefully ask for it from the office manager who kiddingly threatened to paddle me for being late and forgetting my keys.
  
Did I mention that I still have a kindergarten kid who still cries every single morning when he is dropped off? And today he did not disappoint, wailing and waving goodbye at his brother as if he was on death row and the governor had denied his last stay of execution. I'm thinking, seriously kid? After three weeks, we're still playing this game? Thankfully, the rest of the class continues on as if this kid is not crying to high heaven and he eventually stops and even gets some coloring done.

I went home after work to check the mail for my paycheck and realized that I could not get into the gate of my apartment complex because I didn't have my opener since it is on my key ring (that I cannot find.) I saw that the mailman was parked on the side street of my complex, so I parked behind him, got out and asked him if he could let me in the walk-in gate to check my mail. Checked my mail, went inside to call and find out why I didn't get my check and decided to go to the payroll department to speak to them directly.

Once I got outside, a parking enforcement officer was headed towards my car. "Maam, you are not supposed to park here during the hours posted, " he growled. (Okay, not growled, but I was already mad that I didn't have my check so anything was ticking me off.) "I cannot find my keys and I parked to ask the mailman to let me in but I'm leaving now," I tried to explain. "WELL you're not supposed to park here." He was putting my information in his ticket maker or whatever you call it so I just got in my car and closed the door. "Maam?! MAAM??" he banged on my window as I started to drive away."YOU'RE GOING TO GET A TICKET!" he yelled but I didn't care at this point, I'm thinking he can just mail it to me. Why sit there to get a ticket from a disgruntled parking dude?

I was supposed to get paid Friday but for some reason my check was not directly deposited into my account. I called the substitute office and they told me that I would get an actual check. Fine, I thought, it should be there when I get home. Checked the mail; no check.

Fine, I thought, it will be here on Saturday. Checked the mail; again no check. Monday was a holiday so I'm thinking DEFINITELY Tuesday I should have my check. NO FREAKING CHECK!!!! I called (Insert City) ISD and was told that I could place a stop payment but I would need to go to the payroll department. Laura (lady on the phone) could not tell me where my check was, why I hadn't received it, if it had been mailed out or if I even HAD a check. Gotta love it, right? So I drove to the administration building, found payroll and was told that my check was on hold. ON HOLD??? What does that mean? "Did you call and ask them to hold it? " the bored clerk asked, looking at a website to rent homes. "No, why would I want them to hold it?" I asked. "I don't know," she said, "but you can go and pick it up at the Treasury Department."

I trudged down to the Treasury Department and finally got MY CHECK! Apparently, when I did my paperwork at the Sub Office, they told me that they did not need a voided check for my direct deposit, only my account number and routing number. This was obviously WRONG *&@&#*@&#@ information and they could not do the direct deposit so they held my check. But I am still scratching my head as to why they couldn't have just mailed it to me....


As I was leaving the bank about an hour later, Laura from (Insert City) ISD called and told me that I could pick up my check tomorrow. Really Laura? Because I already got it, dear. They are really on the ball, aren't they?

So now I am off to bed, thankfully no second job tonight, I could not have handled that today.

P.S. Still haven't found my keys...

This book is great for a bad day, a classmate gave it to me in high school(!) and I still have it. Thanks Melanie Minica, wherever you are! Thanks for reminding me that everyone has bad days, even in Australia...