the day started with bacon.. how could it have gone so wrong?

Not just bacon, but bacon and eggs and toast. In bed! On a tray! Cooked by Michael!

You'd think that a day with a start like this would almost have to be wonderful.

FYI: This blog post is going to veer from the usual talk about working out, etc. Although I will say I made it to spin class Wednesday morning.

And it did start out innocuously enough. I made it to work on time, had my day somewhat planned out. I knew it was Fancy Drink Friday, whereby one of the doctors I work with buys us a fancy drink from Second Cup (I chose a Chai Tea Latte yesterday). I also discovered a free lunch was on the way because usually after the staff meeting there are leftover sandwiches and veggies.

Here is where my Friday the 13th (coincidence, since I don't believe in superstitions!) took a very minor turn for the worse. At the suggestion of my co-worker Ana, in the early afternoon I decided to purchase my bus ticket to London online so I wouldn't have to go extra early to wait in line at the ticket counter. The plan was to meet up with Mike at Rob's place for a bit then head over to the bus station for 8:30pm.

I do what I gotta do and purchase the ticket and they tell me that I should receive 2 emails shortly. Fair enough. I receive one that clearly states the second email is on the way and that's the one with the printable ticket. I wait a bit longer. I re-read the first email and it gives me the option of "retrieving" my ticket online if I haven't received it after about 30 minutes. I attempt this, but lo and behold my ticket does not seem to be available! I decide to call Greyhound. The lady proceeds to tell me that I must have made a mistake because the ticket is listed as "will call" so I am supposed to pick it up at the station. I explain to her what the email said and she says there's nothing I can do but go and pick it up at the station. Fine.

At some point shortly after this I decide that I need to go to the Apple store because I was given an iTouch a while ago and I bought a hard case and screen protector for it, but I bought the 2G stuff and didn't realize until I brought it home that I was given the first generation iTouch. This was in July. I had already uploaded a ton of podcasts and The Office onto my iTouch so I figured now would be a good time to finally exchange it.

I'm still at work and it's relatively quiet and I get things accomplished, but I still end up staying a bit late because that's what I do. No problem. So instead of going to Rob's to hang out with the boys, I decide to just go to Eaton Centre then to the bus terminal.

I arrive at the Apple store and do my darndest to find the first generation cases. No luck. I approach one of a thousand Apple workers (seriously, there had to be at least 50 of them in the store!) who is extremely helpful.

Problem #1: They do not sell any first generation accessories anymore. He suggests Walmart.

Problem #2: I couldn't just get my money returned and then go to Walmart because I purchased it on a gift card.

Problem #3: Oops. Return date was July 20. o.O He tells me I can't return it anyways.

Did I mention it's a million degrees in the Apple store? I think it's all those Apple employees! Not to mention all the hardware that's on. As well as the hordes of customers.

So. We discuss these problems for a few moments and I show him that the stuff I bought was clearly never used. One package was still sealed in fact! He says he may be able to talk to a manager about it for an exchange. I am cool with this. We look at the products and find a slider case for the iTouch that mine will fit into. It's not the hard case that I want, but it'll do. So he gets the manager's approval and away we go! There is even a balance in my favour! They can't do a mall certificate (which is what the original gift certificate was for), but they can do an Apple one. I will take what I can get. I am just trying to get out of there as fast as possible before they notice the rip in one of the boxes I returned. Phew.

Life is good, right? I trudge down to the bus terminal. I get in the line I had been trying to avoid by purchasing my ticket online and am a few people behind the smelliest man ever. Part of me is sad for him, but the other part is tired and getting cranky. I also am pretty sure the man in front of me just came from a hockey game or something. He didn't smell so fresh either!

I of course get the teller (are they called tellers?) that the smelly man just vacated and I'm trying not to touch anything. I explain my story to the man who then proceeds to tell me that this part of the GREYHOUND BUS TERMINAL does not, in fact, work for Greyhound and do Greyhound things. Like fix problems. Did I mention I was in the Greyhound Bus Terminal?

Now those of you familiar with the station knows there's a little Customer Service office, but that's not where I was headed. Nope, the man (teller?) directed me to this tiny cordoned off area in the far corner of the terminal. Now let me tell you about this "office". It was separated from the waiting area by a rope. It was a tiny maybe 5x5 space where 2 men in neon vests were doing Greyhound things apparently.

I explain what happened to man A. Let's call him George. George tells me this is impossible and that it clearly states on the ticket that I was supposed to print the ticket. We go back and forth. Man B, let's call him Bob, gets involved. He says, ah yes, this has been happening all day. We just need to write you a ticket. Perfect. He tells me to have a seat. I do so like the obedient patron that I am. Then turn in disbelief when I hear him ordering Chinese food! He goes around getting his crew's orders and calls up the delivery place. Did that just happen?! Luckily, I am here extra early so I have some time to kill. After Bob places his order, he writes up my ticket (which took 5 seconds by the way - would it have killed him to do it first?).

It is now about 7:50pm (bus leaves at 8:30pm) and I hunker down to wait for the bus. I held on to some hope that maybe the bus wouldn't be that full since I was the one and only person in this "line". By about 8:15pm that hope was shattered. I watched the line grow. And grow. And grow. There were probably a hundred people behind me! So much for not having to sit next to someone. Oh well.

We board the bus and luckily! the girl who sits next to me is quiet and sleeps for most of the trip. If only the rest of the bus were filled with such people. There were about 5 teens/early 20s on the bus, although they sounded like 10 since they were spread out on the bus and had to talk - sorry yell - at each other to try to have conversations. Loud, increasingly drunken conversations. One girl had the shrillest voice. Brutal. But it's ok. I can get through this, despite the fact that my iTouch's volume doesn't go very high.

I am not sure if I yet mentioned this, but I knew I was going to arrive around 10:40pm, but my mom wouldn't be able to pick me up until closer to 11:30pm. But I knew there was a Tim Horton's across the street that I could hang out in. No problem! I also thought my cousins might be able to meet up with me for a bit, but it didn't happen, but again, no problem! I can entertain myself.

I arrive at the bus terminal in London. It. is. freezing. But it's ok because hot coffee awaits me! Oh. Wait. There is no seating available at Tim's. Not to say that it is so busy, but that seating actually does not exist. It is a strictly to-go Tim's. Who does that?! Since I can't carry a beverage and walk at the same time, I decide against the hot coffee and go back to the bus terminal. Although in hindsight I think I should have gotten a coffee to warm me up since the bus terminal was locked up by this time. I mill around in an unknown city, but at least I'm downtown. On a Friday night.

In my immediate vicinity are a sketchy pizza place, a convenience store, and a pool hall. I considered the pool hall, but didn't feel like spending any money :P

What would I do without my trusty Blackberry? I use the Poynt application to search out another Tim's. Even though I have no reason to think this, I have this random feeling that it's probably in the ghetto (I really don't know what the basis for this belief was..). I did also worry that it might not be 24-hours and I'd be stuck again.

Next step: McDonald's. I do a search and I find one a little ways up.

Oh! I forgot to mention that during this time, my Blackberry was randomly freezing up and shutting itself off. So many times that it started to kill my battery. Or maybe it was because of my battery. Regardless, this was not improving my evening. Did I mention the cold?

Anyways - I finally find the McDonald's. Oops. It closes at 11pm. Which it happens to be right now. Across the street is a Starbucks. I knew it was farfetched, but I thought, hey why not! Yup, closes at 11! Pizza Pizza next door. (Sorry this is so long, but you all know how I like to drag out my stories :)

Such relief! Pizza Pizza is open until 3am. Good god. I grab the door handle and - locked! What the. I can see them inside and the sign clearly says 3am!

Oh. There's another entrance. Phew. Did I mention I have also had to pee this entire time?

Ah bliss. It is warm and quiet in Pizza Pizza and I have The Office to keep me company and I decide to take notes about my evening to share with you, dear readers.

It is now nearing on midnight by this point. My mother has said she is on her way and I'm trying not to use my BB for anything lest it die. There are no outlets at Pizza Pizza.

Then to improve my day (because at this point I'm relishing other peoples' suffering - I don't claim to be a good person!) a bunch of teens come running in. One girl is already so sick from the drink. And they choose the table right beside me! Ugh.

But it's ok - my mom calls shortly thereafter to come save me from my day. My day. It is finally over!

Hopefully she won't mind if I sleep in the car..

To make it better - Saturday morning started off with a glorious facial. It was glorious.