Surviving

I haven't said much because there hasn't been much to say. I started work; I survived. It has been pretty warm here. By "warm" I mean in the 80s. Now after 95+, 80 might not be that bad, but imagine 80 without any air conditioning. And if there is air conditioning, it is incredibly inadequate.

And then there is the saga of the screen. See, my apartment doesn't have screens on the windows. I thought it was incredibly weird until I walked around the neighborhood and saw that hardly any of the old buildings have screens. I guess bugs aren't much of an issue up here.

So, I ordered a screen. But first I had to measure the screen. and then I had to figure out where to buy the screen. I hit Lowe's thinking that would be the place. The guy in the window section told me they had kits to make screens. Make screens? What? So when I stood there, looking at him like I was an idiot, he didn't say anything. Then I asked him where these so-called kits were.

After wandering around, I found them. I read the instructions. I looked at the screen. I looked even more confused. I needed help, but I didn't really know what to ask other than, "Uhhhh... " and that isn't a question. But I guess I didn't look confused or stupid enough for any of the people to ask me if I needed help. And when I wandered to find someone, I couldn't. I had other issues with this particular Lowe's, and I think others did, too. I saw lots of people pushing the little "help" buttons at various counters and no one helping them.

A few days later I went to a local hardware store. I was hoping if I looked stupid there someone would take pity on me and just make a screen for me. Nope. Same kits. They told me to go to the window place across the street, but that they would charge me an "arm and a leg."

See, this is when I miss the South. If I just put on my best "I'm an idiot" face, I knew whoever was helping me would just do it for me. Part of me hated this because I felt like I was playing into the helpless woman stereotype. Maybe I was, but in my eyes I was just playing the part of an idiot so that I didn't have to put out much effort. Two very different things.

Anyway, I went across the street to the window place. They could have a screen made for me for less than $30. I didn't know that an arm and a leg only ran a person about $28. Well, my screen arrived today. And guess what? It didn't fit. And I mean it didn't fit by less than a quarter of an inch. But that less than a quarter of an inch caused me to break the damn screen frame in the window. But! The window place will fix the broken frame and trim the thing down for next to nothing. Thank god; I was afraid I would have to reorder the whole damn thing.

Other things I have done: Not much other than drive to Seattle. Do you know how weird it is to know I can just drive down to Seattle? I took off Saturday morning thinking it would take forever and that traffic would be horrible. It took less than an hour and a half and traffic was not a problem. And you know what? It is a gorgeous drive. Of course, I took the same route when I drove here, but it was rain and crappy so I couldn't see the bazillion of mountains you see when you drive down there. I suppose at one point the novelty of living around mountains will wear off, but for now, it is damn close to awesome.