Day 2: Adjusting

The drive from New York to New Orleans was really intense. My feet were swollen, my back crooked,  hips tight, brain swirling from podcasts and a cloudy future. On both days of the trip, I encountered blinding rain. The first day was your typical night storm--black sky, cracking lightning, pelting water. The second day, however, was terrifying. The sky in front of me was a bright light brown, behind me a bright vibrant blue, and to my right, a baffling bright white sky. The trees were too dense to see if the light came from, but I finally understood why the people you hear about reporting UFO sighting are from deep rural areas. Lights through thicket can arouse curiosity.

I also at a tremendous amount of junk food: Waffle House, Steak & Shake, Chilis. Not good for your overall health but excellent for dehydration and therefore limits the amount of stops you need to take.

Dr. Anna and I went for a Power Hour class at Reyn Studios to try and re-regulate our bodies. The studio is one big room with little built in closets for the bathroom and shower. The class was free since we were first timers and locals. There was no air of judgement that despite me stating "Yes, I live here. Give me my free class", I could not remember my zip code or apartment number.

The soundtrack was Tribe Called Quest, the room was 88 degrees and sweaty, the moves were tough and abs oriented. By the time we were done, I was exhausted but able to push farther back in downward dog then I was at the beginning of class.

I can be part of this.

Real life has started.

My laptop charger died. I plugged into every outlet in the living room. No light, no charge, mild panic.

I called the Apple tech support line and they suggested I go into the store at the mall and exchange it for free since I finally wised up and got AppleCare. Dr. Anna recommended I go immediately since the suburban traffic window was going to to open up by 4:30pm.

Off I went to Metaire, which is Southern Suburb Standard, could have been Sarasota, FL for all I knew. Packs of houses give way to strip malls give way to a mall complex. I parked in the back and went I went into the store, the snotty young adult charged with the scheduling iPad informed me that I needed to make an appointment because "only a Genius can authorize that return." He was nonplussed by my rebuttal that I was told I didn't need to make an appointment and he couldn't make a recommendation to a bar nearby where I could watch tennis and wait.

Thank heaven for the sprawling ubiquity of PF Chang's. After my 45 minute pre-determined wait time, I headed back into the store. I checked in with a new snotty young adult, who informed me that there was going to be an additional one hour wait on top of the 45 minute I already elapsed. I explained to him, in an admittedly strained but even tone of voice, that this was my third try and all I needed was a simple exchange.

He flipped out, started talking really fast and looking around like I had charged him with the prongs of the charger aimed at his jugular. He said he could get the manager. I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him, bordering on profusely since all I had ever wanted was someone who had the authority to actually help. He summoned a manager to assist me instead, informed me multiple times that he does not get paid to get yelled at and huffed away, his blue polo shirt disappearing into a sea of more blue polos. The manager immediately switched out the charger, no Genius necessary.

I asked the manager what that young man's name was, described his black framed progressive glasses. The manager pointed to the tall 2 eyed white man behind us, "Him?"

"No, short African American big black glasses."

"I have no idea who you are talking about."

"The guy who waved you over to me."

Once again, he pointed at the tall 2 eyed white man, "Yeah, him."

So now I'm hallucinating horrible customer service reps? Must be all the inversions.