Ironman - 190 days

French fries. A mound of crisp, hot, salted french fries starring at me begging to be eaten. I actually went out and purchased them. I toned my craving from an extra large poutine to a small fry with salt and vinegar. It seemed a fitting end to an unbelievable shitty day.
I can put things in perspective: I am not dying, nor did anyone die or get hurt.
It was just one of those days where nothing unfolded as it should.
It started with a brief visit by Morgen to my bedroom (never happens) where she informed me she was feeling dizzy and under the weather. I sent her back to bed to get more sleep, emailed the school to inform of her absence, got up quickly, and started looking at my work calendar to see what I could reshuffle around and what meetings I could take from home.
While I was doing this, I let Matis watch an extra hour of TV. I took him to daycare late, and on the way, in the middle of a very busy street, the car just stopped. I pumped the gas pedal, and the spedometer went downwards steadily instead of upwards. And then it just stopped.
Now, I don't know much about cars. And when I don't know about something, it makes me feel helpless and vulnerable. But I had a five year old in the car, I was in the middle of a busy street, and I couldn't show that I was petrified because the city buses barely had enough room to squeeze past us. As I rushed to find a phone number to get help, I tried to make a game out of it with Matis. He had no idea what was going on...
Mom came to the rescue and took him to daycare for me. We were about 800 meters from his school when the car breakdown occured. But it was easier to have him go then to make him wait for the towing. I was on the phone with the 1-800 road sign assistance for about 20 minutes before they informed me that I wasn't covered for their service. I hung up a tad frustrated, and called the local garage station who gave me the phone number for a tow truck. Grateful, I waited. The tow truck gentlemen called about 20 minutes later to inform me that he had a few sets to finish at the gym which would take him 20 minutes, and another 30 minutes to get to me... so he should be there in an hour. I hung up. Last phone call to my standard and overpriced service team at the car dealership. They reccommended a towing service, and a yellow toothed man with a nice attitude picked me up 20 minutes later.
In the middle of all of this action are business meetings to be held.
An hour later, the service team at the car dealership tells me to go home, because they don't yet know what is wrong with the car or how to fix it, and because it's almost lunch time for them and they can't work through lunch so they won't know until later. I oblige.
As soon as I get home, I see the registered letter with a little red flag stuck in the door. I tear it open to find a cheque that I had written last November to pay some parking bills. Turns out the payment was made late, and a cheque was not an adequate way to pay because of the lateness of the payment. The letter goes on to say that I must present myself at municipal court to pay, and that until I do, my driver's license is suspended. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
The car dealership calls to say the gas pump needs to be changed ($1000), and that I will need to rent a car because they can't get to it for a little while. Renting a car isn't possible with an invalid driver's license.
I start to get mad. At Laurent mostly, for being out of town a second week in a row. Why does this always happen when I am alone? First stop: Municipal court to pay bills. I am not smiling. I am actually giving the clerk my best angry stare.
I am off to rent a car. The clerk is in training. He tells me neither of my credit cards are valid, and that he has to call the credit card companies to make some checks. My blood is boiling. But at least the driver's license shows as valid.
As I back home through rush hour traffic, it dawns on me that I haven't worked out today. Its now 4h30pm. I have graphology class at 6h30pm. And I need to pick up Matis and take him to mom's before I go to school. Barely enough time for a 5km run, but I try anyway... and manage to run 30 minutes. But I stop often, I am not concentrated, and my leg hurts.
I give myself points for trying, and hope that tommorrow will be a better day. But it doesn't stop me from consuming the French fries...because I have barely gotten any real work done and I figure I them to keep me going....