Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Powerless

A hydro crew is working on my street, so I have no power. I've come to the library to browse quickly (We can only have 30 minutes. I may have to go to Starbucks.) I'm not sure how long the power will be out. All I know for sure is that a lot of men are digging a hole in my back yard. A nice gentleman in a hard hat promised that they would fill the hole in, afterward.

I do want to thank everybody who commented on yesterday's poem. I felt strangely at home, channeling Ted Hughes. That can't be good.

Today has been hectic. I had to go to the dentist, but first I had to go to work, and then I had to go to the optometrist. That last stop was NOT on the schedule. The right ear piece of my glasses just up and fell off. The piece (arm?) fell down and got lost in my car. It turned out to be inside the casing for the seat belt. I had to use needle-nosed pliers to get it out. Then I found out that it wasn't just a matter of putting a new screw in. "No," said the man behind the counter. "We can't fix it. It has to be replaced. See?" He pointed. "That part goes inside the arm, and it's broken." He took my glasses into the back room and left me to stew. Those frames cost me $350. That was more than a year ago. I didn't buy a warranty, but I suspect it would have run out by now, in any event.

A few minutes later, the man reappeared, holding my glasses. Both arms were attached. "I fixed it," said the man.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Twenty dollars." Phew. After my fantasies of having to spend $350, $20 sounded just fine. Not only that, but I could see to get the money out of my wallet. That was a bonus.

Then I went to the dentist (routine) and drove home to see whether the hydro had been turned on. No. Hey - I hadn't had lunch. I had planned to cook a veggie burger and soup. Off I went again, this time to try out Sukkho Thai, the new restaurant that opened downtown recently. Any excuse for Thai food.

The strangest thing happened when I went to order my food. Omigod, I thought. It's all in English. I don't know what to order. I knew I liked Larb Gai, and that was what I had planned to try - but the menu was full of things like chicken with vegetables and red curry sauce with Jasmine rice. Oy. I ordered a chicken dish with Thai basil (I like any kind of basil) and hoped for the best. The meal turned out to be delicious, though I have no idea how authentically Thai it was. I mentioned my problem to the waiter as I was leaving. He told me they do serve Larb, but only in the evening. Now I have an excuse to go back for dinner. Maybe the power still won't be turned on at supper time, and I can have a Two Thai day. Heh.

Meanwhile, my time is running out. Bye for now.

7 comments:

RLM Cooper said...

ARGH! I was wondering where you were today. Hope the power is back on soon.

Sandra Leigh said...

Thanks, AM - I'm at Starbucks now, until such time as my battery runs out.

Anonymous said...

We only get 30 minutes at the library, as well( unless it's not too busy then we can extend the time ). Do hope they fix all and fill that hole in!

Sandra Leigh said...

Me, too, Subby. Furthermore, I hope they do it before my battery runs out -- or Starbucks decides I need to drink Yet More Coffee to justify my presence here -- or the sun goes down. Apparently, they (the Hydro people) are doing something that will improve our service. How? I plug something in, and it works. What more could I ask? It's a mystery.

Sara Diana said...

Glad you got your glasses sorted out rather inexpensively! I now rely on glasses for reading and they have made life so much easier.

Hope your power is back on but what a bonus having and excuse to lunch!

Unknown said...

What a day! As much as I dislike power outages, I'd like them much better if there was a handy Thai restaurant as an outage option!

Anonymous said...

I love Thai food. My friend was Thai and cooked some delicious dishes. I was especially fond of her sticky rice... sadly, she passed away a few years ago.

Ugh on the glasses. But kudos for getting off cheap!!
x0

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