REALLY bad day.

The following is an edited version of the series of events I sent in a letter:

This is one of the days that you just shouldn't leave the house. Really. Forgive me if I sound a bit bitter, and perhaps part of it is being in an unfamiliar place, but today was a day I do not want to repeat again.

Things went all right until lunch. Then, I decided I needed to get my food subsidy money cashed and my graded papers from the University, since it looked like I wasn't going to get to a museum or to do anything really productive.

A quick internet search later, I left armed with the different locations of the Nordisa (I know that spelling is wrong but we'll go with it) in my pocket, and determination. I got on the subway and started heading to the nearest one. I went there, and they informed me that I needed to have a Swedish person with me because they could not know if I was the person on my passport. Ok. I get frustrated, but that's all right, they're probably being strict so I'll just go to the next bank. After all, I know I CAN cash at check at Nordisa, I did it in Visby all right. So I get on the subway and head to the second location. It turns out just to be an ATM kisok, after I walk about half a mile. OK. Great. Excersize. That is good considering I've been an invalid for the past four days.

I go to the next place. Oh, they're relocating. Wonderful. At this point, I'm close to the University, so I go and pick up my papers and stuff. Then I turn around. I'm frustrated, it's cold, and it's getting to be almost three o'clock- banks close at four. I get on the subway... and happen to notice a sign for the Mika concert I'm going to. Except... wait a moment. It says the 9th. That's the day I'm leaving to go see Dad in Oslo. But I thought the concert was on the 8th... Well, I just happen to have the tickets with me, I'll just take them out and look at them and... SHOOT.

I have the wrong day.

Now, take note, these tickets have caused me some trouble, being more expensive than I was first quoted, then the girl that was planning to go with me having to cancel, (so now I'm saddled with two tickets and she never paid me for hers), so then Anita offers to go with me, and now, wonder of wonders, I've got the wrong day. I've been functioning thinking that the concert was on Thursday, but no, it's on FRIDAY. And I'm going to miss it. Because I GOT THE WRONG DAY.

Of course, because I'm on the subway, I now have time to think of the repercussions of my actions, and the fact that Mom is going to be furious with me because she already gave me the talk about keeping my spending down while I'm in Sweden (because when I first got here I got the conversion rate wrong AND I didn't know that there was a service charge on my credit card... I asked and the people SAID there wouldn't be). And now, I'm being frivilous about money because I've just sunk 100 dollars into tickets to my first ever real concert and in EUROPE of all places and Anita thinks she's going with me on Thursday but it's not Thursday it's Friday and well, SHIT.

So I stew all over this while I go to the third Nordisa bank, and they flat out tell me they won't cash my check because I don't have an account with them.

I go out of the bank and cry.

I then proceed to go back home and cry to Sam who tries to be supportive but I'm having none of it because all I have in my brain is thinking about looking really really stupid in front of Anita and telling my parents and them being FURIOUS.

Narrator intervention. I then proceeded to rehash the whole argument, which, unless you were there, was not very interesting other than both mom and I loosing our tempers, me getting off the phone and crying. I also spoke to dad before speaking to mom; and dad was a lot calmer.

A while later I get back on the phone with them again, and we figure things out so that I can go a two days earlier, on Wednesday. And now, on with the excerpt:

I'm happy I'm leaving earlier, but I'm also emotionally wrung dry, and I keep ocliating between wanting to cry and just feeling ambivalent.

So... yeah.

I'm still smarting from everything. Gabe's delighted about the tickets, now that the show's on Friday he can go, and take a friend if he wants. And I need to be packed and leave the apartment by... 5:15 am tomorrow morning. And I have no clean Laundry, because that was what I was planning on doing tomorrow. That is, I have clean laundry to go, but I'll have to clothes to wear when I come back.

Joy.