I deliver newspapers to 55 customers, 6 days a week. Amanda has 41 customers. Depending on starts and stops, give or take a few each week. So my weekdays sort of go like this: Get out of bed around 7 am, shower, dress, check email, start coffee brewing, go out and haul the papers in and count them out by route. Then it's breakfast while watching the news and reading the paper, fold papers, work on piano stuff in shop while Amanda has breakfast and folds her papers. Walk 4.5 miles delivering the papers. This brings me to Pat. I am Pat. I think all my customers know my name except this one. For some reason she thinks I'm Pat. At first I corrected her, but it didn't stick. For two years she has called me Pat, and I haven't the heart to try to correct her at this point. Pat gets good tips, too, so I'll keep the name!
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DEATH WISH SUNDAY
Went to church on Sunday. I think it's the first time this month. First mom was sick, then me, then it was trying to catch up on all the work. Anyway, I headed out in to town. First death wish.....a jogger on the wrong side of the road. No sidewalk, running with her back to the traffic. Tempting....but gee, it was Sunday after all! Number two was on Broadway. Two women exit a car that was parked on the right side of the roadway. Woman number one obviously has brains and stays on the sidewalk. Woman number two is trying for an early death and steps right out in front of me (I'm only doing 20mph - the speed limit) and proceeds to just saunter across the road. Never a glance in either direction. Idiot. Death wish number three was a taxi driver. I watched in amazement as he drove without hesitation behind a car that was backing out of a parking space. I mean it was very evident that this guy was backing out! He was halfway there and the cabby just kept right on coming. And then there was death wish number four. This person just provoked me and had I been *the* type would have succumbed to a parking lot version of road rage. Mom and I went to Maria's for dinner. We shared an enormous dish of fried haddock, french fries, and onion rings. Well, I could see my truck from the dining room window and I watched as a car pulled in next to me in what WASN'T a space. I was griping that they were soooo close that I would not be able to get in the door of my truck. That car was thisclose. So, what happens? The passenger in the car opens their door and tries to get out. Bang, Bang, Bang into the side of my truck! I was fuming. I watched the people as they came in to the restaurant and made note of where they sat. If there were dings in my truck, I fully intended on coming back in for their insurance information. We paid and headed out. I couldn't get in my side (and I'm not a big person) and had to crawl through from the passenger side. It's a small truck and kinda requires becoming a pretzel to do this. I did check the side of my truck and thankfully there was no damage.
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Home again from deliveries...it takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, starving and have lunch while checking email once again! Then it's working in the shop, driving Amanda to work, and then either more shopwork for me or some tunings, dinner sometime between 5 and 6 p.m., pick Amanda up from work usually at 7, then home to crash with the TV or computer or both. Bed at 10 with a good book to read until 11 p.m. Then lights out.
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I was reminded of something spectacular (for me) at church this past Sunday. Last year, this time (Lent) it was suggested that rather than "giving something up for Lent" that we should look to see what we could add as "service". It was about that time that Jayne asked me to officially be on staff as a WHOA volunteer. I am forever grateful. And, for those of you who still don't own a copy....go to the official Net Crimes web site and order a book!
2 comments:
I really do think that coffee comes before e-mail checking.
Gosh, you go a long way to deliver just 50-odd newspapers! I used to deliver about that number in two streets, totalling something like 400 yards.
Drivers? You are right deb, just try to remain aloof and keep your cool, regardless of how silly/annoying/dangerous they may be. When you remain calm and collected you are in charge. When you get mad and enter into the fracas, then you are merely a participant. Regardless.
Yeah, well, this morning I awoke to 11 new email messages. And I had checked at 10 pm and cleared everything! Some of the piano tech people stay up reeeeaaaaal late! So, anyway, coffee before this response.
Someday I'll post a route map. Most all homes are on large lots, many times there are a few in between that don't get the paper. Not to mention the walk to the start of the route from my house. The benefit (and the reason I still do this) is that it is paid exercise. I earn the same amount that I used to spend at a fitness center on membership and a trainer. Hey BTW, dickiebo, the trainer I had for a year was a former British paratrooper. We used to call him Mr. Torture.
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