Little Miracles II - My Toilet Overfloweth

This evening we went to my son's german club dinner. The food was probably what you would get in an authentic German Gymnasium cafeteria, it it were say a government-run Gymnasium for encouragable boys. Needless to say, I am sick to my stomach beyond words. The authentic german "cuisine" (borscht? What the HELL is borscht?) ... Anyway, that's not the real beginning of this part of the tale...

When we got home from Doichland, I found an e-mail tonight from a very happy friend. She was counting down the days until the bunch of us would be able to hang under the moon, tellin’ stories and jiving each other, until such time as sleep must come. But when she said 8 days, I thought, no 15 days – I’ve booked my tickets. They’ll be there in 8 days… I’ll be there in 15 days…

I’VE BOOKED MY TICKETS!!

There was a buzzing noise in my brain – I could hear it all the way through my skull.
Then my daughter said very loudly “Something’s leaking in the bathroom!” I thought the buzzing was trying to tell me something and there was something leaking… in the ….

I envisioned a large group of people sitting around a fire, I could see their faces in light and dancing shadow, and I could not find my face among them. And they all looked right, at, me, and their faces went set sad and their voices went soft and tight– a funerary in tableau…

There was water flowing somewhere behind the buzzing (flies with voices) in my head and I moved somehow, feet touch and then squish carpet – I see the spot but feeling adds true dimension as my foot sinks into the carpet, which instantly becomes the bottom of a puddle. Toilet clogged – float dislodged – Nina was in there for 20 minutes taking a shower. And I’m grateful, because, when I first saw it I thought that the fixture had been cracked .

So, I went next door, borrowed a wet vac, and sucked up what I could in the carpet, started squishing towels into it – and wiping up the tile in the bathroom with more towels. Then I went outside, smoked a cigarette and called my friend who, I figured, was more sane than me – not too high standard that point, and she told me to breathe, and so I decided to.

So, I sat and breathed for a little bit – and things calmed down – in me, and…

I called Travelelocity to ask them for a refund of my ticket. I know my legal rights, and what rights I waive when I e-sign a contract including the purchase of access to a federally regulated (technicalities) commodity, and what rights I don’t waive therein and thereby.

So, while dialing the call I looked at that Travelocity logo in front of my eyes, on the 22 inch monitor, and hugged it.

But, I had no use of any of that - it was great! "I bought the wrong ticket" - "I'll cancel that and refund your money, sir." "Thank you, sir." - and he DIDN'T plug the company at the end of the call – and he was intelligent and cool, a guy I might want to have coffee with and discuss CSR work – philosophy – CSR is the dish-dog of the corporate structure – not the mail room, like many people believe.

I couldn't fathom it as I got off the phone... They said “Sure, no problem, it’s all taken care of, sir.” I now have the proper plane tickets for the proper dates - yay! - Travelocity rocks! Flat out.
but wait, there's more!

The entire call through the Travelocity maze of interactive voice recognition and switching functions; the hold time; the CSR contact, discovery, and diagnosis; (Woot!), and the completion of the resolution was 8 minutes 52 seconds.

I've waited at McDonalds longer than that.

Now! Just because you read this far, you also get...

I found replacement tickets for a week earlier for $9 more (total, round trip & fees.)

It changes the childcare situation. I called my X, who is part of the childcare solution - I told her about the one week shift in schedule, and how I found tickets, and that I really wanted to go, but was tired and teetering on adrenaline overload, and my cells were trying to burn fatigue toxins- and I wasn't sure what to do. She said - "I just checked a book out of the library today, I'm just going to tell you the title and that's my answer."

"You'll See It When You Believe It"
-by Dr Wayne W. Dyer

It is a great book - I've read it, and it was just the 7 words I needed hear to free myself from doubt, and get back on the road to the S F M

So, now all I need do is deal with childcare – and keep breathing easy.

My squishy carpet awaits.

Namaste