Sunday, May 25, 2008

I'm So Spoiled!

Ok, I admit it. I'm spoiled. I never thought I was. I didn't want to be. I've told everyone I'm not. But I am. However, I'm not a brat so I won't complain (too much). I'm in San Antonio visiting my aunt and cousin. I came with my sister because she's attending a conference here and it was a chance to spend time with her as well as family. Good plan, right? Wrong.

We met in Dallas and flew together to San Antonio - I'm from Arkansas, she's from Missouri. We rented a car, plugged in her GPS system that she brought with her, and headed for the convention center. The woman on the GPS didn't like us. She told us to take a "hard left" while driving 70 down the Interstate. When we refused she griped like a wild thing. She was a nasty, hateful, mean......well, witch comes to mind. We drove 2 1/2 hours looking for the convention center which is 12 miles from the airport. Tired, hot, hungry we started looking for my aunt's house. Neither of us had been there since she moved to this house so we again tried to rely on the GPS. We were nice. We smiled. We did everything she told us to do. She took us back to the airport. Well, she tried but being the smart cookies we are when we spied the airport signs we unplugged her, tossed her in the back seat, and drug out a map!

Second day, knowing we were so lost the day before that my sister would never make it to the meetings on her own, I volunteered to take my computer with me and go to the convention center so I could give directions while she drove. I figured this will work out fine - I can do my blogging while she's in her meeting because a convention center will surely have wireless. Make sense? Sure. Except wireless at the convention center is $12.95 a day. I was only going to be there a couple of hours. This did not compute with me. So I read instead.

Still the second day, but a different problem. I'm addicted to Starbucks Iced Chai Lattes. I don't buy them at Starbucks because they cost too darn much. I'm savvy, I look on the internet and find the Tazo Chai Concentrate at Coffee AM and order it by the case. I mix my own and I'm an expert at it by now. I'm over 60, I need calcium, so that's how I get it - twice a day. In my own defense, I do use skim milk. Back to the problem - there's a Starbucks in the convention center but they have no chai. I am not happy.

My sister likes to talk on the cell phone while she drives. I have explained that we are getting older and multi-tasking is not something we do well. But, her daughter is getting married and they have to make wedding plans so (still the second day) she and said daughter talk the whole time she is driving. Ergo (don't you just love that word - ergo - it's such a strong, descriptive word) she didn't learn the way there or the way home. Therefore, you guessed it, third day I have to go back to the convention center with her.

Third day and I threaten to kill my only sister if she picks up the phone while driving. She must learn the way there and back home again. She must. But I found the mall and found a Starbucks that has Chai Lattes so I'm thinking I can do this! I can sip a Chai and read, shop a while, have my second chai of the day, read some more, and it will be time to go home. The Chai was awesome. The mall was awful. It's Memorial Day weekend and you can't breathe for the people. So it's back to the convention center for me.

I still haven't found Internet access anywhere I'm willing to use it - because for heavens sake, why would I pay $12.95 just to get on the Internet for an hour or two? That's a yard and a half of fabric! Why with $12.95, if I find it on sale, I might even get 2 yards! Aha, my aunt has Internet. Trick....my aunt is blind. Her Internet talks to her. It is a strange man asking me strange questions which I do not understand. My aunt explains it to me and finally, finally I can blog! No pictures, but I can type! That's when I finally came to realize I'm spoiled. But I like being spoiled and I don't have any intention of changing. There are just some things that are necessary. So friends, for today, I'm wired again (Chai and Internet!) and, hopefully, when I get home on Wednesday I'll be back to my real world where I can mix my own and type to my heart's content.

4 comments:

  1. I'm sorry you've had such difficulties, but your account of them is hilarious. I've had trouble with one of those GPS women, too. Wish they would get someone who sounds nice and pleasant like your grandmother or favorite aunt who caters to your every whim instead of your mother shaking her finger at you when reprimanding you for something bad you did for the umpteenth time.
    San Antonio is a delightful place to visit. If you get a chance, eat at the Teka Molino at th e 5-way intersection of E St. Josephine and N St. Mary's and something and something and someething. It's WONDERFUL!
    Then enjoy your return home to your own wireless and chai!!

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  2. Oh, man! Laughed so hard when I read about you & your sister's traveling adventures. Too funny. And you are sooooo right about being able to buy so much more fabric with $12 than just access on the internet.

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  3. Too fun! A secret dream of mine is to be 'the voice' on a GPS - if only for April Fools Day alone!
    :)

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  4. What a comedy of errors! But at least you had good company. Everything is more fun when I'm with my sister, which unfortunately is not often enough, as she still lives in Ireland....And so right about the much better value of a yard of fabric for the cost of a few hours internet! We all need a reminder once in a while of how lucky we are....

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