It didn't start well.

This morning was one of those mornings that I imagine is a little like what being in boot camp is like. Okay.. maybe that is a little dramatic. I would give you a better description.. but, I think all the sayings I want to use all are now racist.

Anyway.. I wake up to the power being out. Get the nuance here.

I didn't wake up to no power. The power going out - woke me up. The click of every electrical device shutting off happening in quick secession. Then the inescapable silence. Then comes the high pitched scream/beeping of the UPS's. I swear to you, this can be heard at the street. It is like all the fire alarms in your house going off at once. Mr S. starts running around hitting all the buttons to make them stop.

I lay there thinking - when does the f-ing power go out in the morning? Surely it's going to come right back on. Eventually I find myself looking for PG&E bill so I can call them and ask why I have no power.

Since it is morning.. it also means the coffee maker is also not going to work. Not good. Not good at all people. Through one eye Mr S. makes his way out the door to Starbucks while I'm on hold with PG&E.

Even though I've asked for an operator - the voice recognition software wants to ask me more questions.

Me - operator.

It - Okay. I heard you want an operator. Let me transfer you. Wait. Do you have an account with us?

Me - operator!

What does it matter if I have an account?

As Mr S. is giving me a kiss and walking out the door I mumble something about their call service being annoying.

It - If you want to give feedback on our service press ...

At this point I'm trying to ignore it, but I'm a little paranoid that it understood I was annoyed. What.. now I can't even yell at the automated system?

The doubly annoying thing about the electricity being out is I have a doctors appointment. I never go to the doctor. I completely hate it. I need my coffee, and time to prepare. It is a half day thing. Mostly revolving around waiting. But.. my doctor wants to see me twice a year. So I go.

Usually I don't even have anything going on. So we wind up talking about personal stuff. I think I know more about my doctors personal life than he knows about mine. Or about me for that matter. It's a funny relationship. I'm not his normal patient. I view the recent vacation pictures he took from his blackberry.

I often save things up for him to cut off. A skin tag here. A newly developing mole there. As people get older they get bumpy.. and I don't want to be bumpy. He seems to find joy in having something out of the routine to do. And in the end I leave his office finding the whole experience kind of wacky. But, I've done my duty. I'll see him again in 6 months, and we'll do the whole thing over.