Now that I've returned from the 5th shopping trip in 2 days, I finally have a phone, 100+channels of english-speaking TV, and... (drum roll please), an internet connection. I thought I had it all figured out. Even before I left, I planned, researched, ordered things online, made calls. I was sure I could pull off this move without a hitch. I forget about entropy. No matter how much planning you do, something unexpected happens. Like planning a wedding (so I imagine after having participated in many of my friends' weddings), you can't account for everything--there's always a monkey wrench that gets thrown in at that last minute.
Yesterday, I went to IKEA and got a bed; to Target and got other various essentials for the house--all of this after a a brief nite's respite and with a major dose of jetlag. A quick tour at Whole Foods for some yummy edibles, and back to the house to unload all of the purchases. Whew. The bed box was so heavy I had to unpack it at the foot of the stairs to take it up piece by piece. But I managed to unload most everything and find a parking spot for the rental car.
Alright, now I just need to find that mattress that comes with the bed and enjoy a long night's well-deserved rest. Wait a minute. Hang on just a cotton-picking minute! Where the hell is the mattress? No. It's a cruel joke. It's 8:30pm and IKEA closes at 10--too far to make a return trip before they close. Right. Well I bought some carpets and blankets and, oh yes, towels. Let's make a big pile of them and maybe add... yes, my big fluffy robe- that'll do it. Surprisingly, it wasn't too uncomfortable for a makeshift mattress in the end. Aside from turning in the night and ending up in the bathroom, that is.
Today, tour 2 of IKEA. Amazingly, I manged to buy some more crap that I was too tired to bother with the day before. Ah, evil genius that is the design of the IKEA showroom, I salute you. I used a Zipcar (car sharing/rental) for the 1st time, and successfully avoided crashing into kamikazi Bostonian drivers who thought that the fastest moving car had the right-of-way at intersections where the traffic lights weren't working due to a power outage. (For the record, this is not true- one should stop at each light as if it's a stop sign, even in Boston). I even made it back to the house on time for my cable/TV/phone appointment, basically my savior at this moment in life. Nice guy comes and sets me up, but tells me that I need another plug so that I can connect the cable box and my phone at the same time. "Don't you have a power strip?" he asks. No, I didn't think of that. Don't have a single thing with an US-standard plug, actually-0ther than the lamp I bought at IKEA yesterday. AGGHH. Well, no matter. At least I have internet. Who needs a stupid phone anyway, I have Skype. One small problem, the installation program doesn't work. I need some stupid account # that the guy didn't give me. But he did said that i could call if I had any problems. Great. NO phone, because I can't plug it in without a power strip. Ha. Ha. Ha.
Right. So I need a power strip. I have no car today, one day rental only. So... I can't go back to Target. Where can i find one here? Let's try the super-duper grocery store. Happily they had not only my power strip, but also some tools that I realized I was missing when I tried to assemble my foldy-IKEA bed. Now I'm all set. Opened the Cote de Ventoux, made some American artichoke dip and guacamole with blue corn tortilla chips. Minor dramas solved, and I'm now reconnected to the world. Bienvenue, Bienvenido, Welcome!
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