[Previous: "Kikkoman to the rescue"] [Back to blog] [Next: "I'm their second-favorite designer"]

02/25/2003: "From bad to worse"

Today is one of those days you just have to chalk up as a total loss and hope to start fresh tomorrow.

I'm not even upset about it; the misfortune is completely out of my hands. I'm just along for the ride, strapped to the hood of the car.

• We had bought a cheap but new VCR to replace the BF's ancient one. After I got back from rowing this morning, I pulled the entertainment center away from the wall and tried to make sense of the jumble of wires behind it, hoping to get the new VCR hooked up. When I plugged it in, I heard a loud POP, and all the lights on the front of it went black. As I pushed open the front door, a little trail of smoke came out the front.

  Brand-new VCR: toast. Cheap piece of shit.

  I groaned and spent the next few minutes reconnecting the ancient (but still functional) VCR. Grrr.

• Annoyed, I went to make myself some breakfast. While I waited on my toast, I noticed a couple of itty bitty dark bugs on the counter. This after we found a bunch in the third bedroom. Termites! Our house is concrete block, but I would think all of the trim, cabinetry and doors would be in danger. Our pest control company wasn't very sympathetic: "It's termite season. Happens all the time." They've been busy and won't be able to come out to our house until Monday. Ugh.

• Tonight is the mayoral election. Work will not be an improvement over the rest of my day.