The Procrastination Begins

I'm flying out tomorrow at, er, let's see here, 12:30 in the afternoon.  It's about 10:20 at night just now, so, give or take, I've got about 12 hours between now and when I hit the door for the airport.

Number of suitcases currently packed:  zero.

Number of bras that are currently clean:  one.

Yeah.  So clearly this evening's activities will begin with me putting a load in the washer.  (At least I had the good sense to wash, like, ten pairs of jeans last night.  Yes, I own ten pairs of jeans.  Eleven, actually, as I'm pretty sure I was wearing a pair.  I, um, wear a lot of jeans.  A casual office will do that to you.)

And it's also going to involve charging up the netbook, refilling itty bitty shampoo bottles, and all that other crap I do when packing for a trip.

And what am I doing now?  Blogging about it, of course.  I'm a world champion procrastinator at the best of times, but when the matter turns to packing (and its partner in crime, unpacking), my procrastination hits new and exciting heights.  It actually isn't so much procrastination as focussing on the little details so much that the main task doesn't get completed for about, oh, six or seven hours.

(I mean, I can't pack until I have clean bras, now, can I?)

I'm gonna try though, which basically means you're going to be spared the rant you were going to get at Verizon Wireless.  Well, OK, here's the condensed version:

Friday:  Want to order accessories for new phone; want 25% government employee discount.  Would've ordered them when I got the phone, but they can only be ordered them from the special government employee discount website -- the link to which is sent to my government e-mail address via super-secret email, so I must be at work when I do it.  Order accessories (with alleged free overnight shipping).  Receive receipt which does not include 25% discount.  Call Verizon, "where's discount?"  Am told there's a delay in the system processing orders, but once my order is processed, they'll be able to fix it.  

Monday:  Apparently, the order never processed.  Am told to order the accessories again.  Try to use government employee discount website, but my link to it was only good for 48 hours, so the link has expired.  Must get approved for new super-secret email.  Apply immediately; Verizon takes two hours to turn this around.  Get link.  Order accessories again.  Again receive receipt which does not include 25% discount.  Call Verizon, "where's discount?" The order has not yet gone through, but I'm assured that when it processes, I'll get the discount.

Tuesday:  And yet, still no accessories.  Call Verizon -- the second order never processed either.  Now I'm pissed off.  Ask employee if I can order the damn things on the phone because clearly, there's something screwed up with the government employee discount website.  Employee on phone says she'll transfer me to person who can order accessories.  I tell person who can order accessories that I have a meeting in 10 minutes so let's do this fast.  I tell her the accessories I want.  She places the order and asks if she can put me on hold; I say, "Only briefly; I've really got to go to this meeting."  My phone keeps track -- she has me on hold for 10 minutes.  I hang up.  (I am never called back to finish the order.)  I call later and ask if I can get the employee discount if I buy the damn things at a Verizon store.  I am assured that the discount is in my file, so it will be applied.

I (more or less) finish work at 8:30 -- the Verizon store closes at 9:00.  I violate a few speed laws and hit the door at 8:57.  I cannot find the accessories I want.  I ask the nice employee where the accessories are.  He says they're out of stock.  He says he can order them for me, and give me a 25% discount for my trouble.

:::headdesk:::