What Kind of Week It Has Been

Here is a story that epitomizes the kind of week I have had. I’m trying to deal with all my bills and money stuff for the rest of the month this morning, and decide that it is time to take all the change I’ve been collecting for the past several months into the bank to convert it to cash. I keep the small plastic boxes that my face-wash clothes come in, put one by the door and keep put my spare change or a dollar in it every day. In the parking lot of the bank I gather up these three boxes of change I have and start walking to the bank. I get just to the end of the parking lot and two of the boxes slip from my arms and crash into the pavement, coins flying everywhere. Sure, on it’s own this is simply annoying. But in Chicago it happens to be in below zero outside, with a wind-chill of -28 degrees. So there I am in the freezing cold with all my saved up quarters, nickels, dimes and dollars splayed across the parking lot. Whatta ya gonna do? I’m not about to leave what I know to be a lot of money just laying there on the pavement, especially with the kind of money-needing week I’ve been having. I guess just start picking them up, but I can’t with my gloves on because the coins are too small and I need my fingers, so I have to watch my bare hands get cracked and red as I pick up all the change. This old woman stops and tries to help me but eventually says “I can’t, it’s too cold” and I thank her for her help, but not to worry and just get inside. I end up having to alternately keep one hand in my pocket as the other picks up change now grimmy change off the ground (surprising that’s not a line in an Alanis Morissette song). I eventually gather it all up, get inside the bank. I’m at the coin-converter machine, up to $64.08 thank you very much with a box yet to go, and the machine just stops and says “Malfunction, See Attendant.” Eventually someone comes and helps me, but as he uses his key to get inside the machine he sighs this unencouraging “ohhhh....” Yeah, machine is broken. Really, I tell hiim, I should have expected this, this is the kind of week I am having.
Yes, I have an account there, yes the money is in the machine and mine, and yes we can go over to his desk and he is very polite and chatty and nice and almost cute, and I appreciate everything he’s saying. But No, I will not get my money today, and they are closed on Monday, so no, it will most likely be until till Tuesday that I hear anything about it. I said, that’s ok, next week will be better anyway.