Here’s how my evening went tonight:
We arrived home after parent watch for my oldest daughter’s dance class to discover that Maria had forgotten to put dinner in the oven before she left. No biggie, just run to McD’s and eat Maria’s yummies tomorrow.
But before I leave, I notice that half of the string of icicle lights hanging over our sliding door is out. Maria got one of those light sting testers this year, I’ll try it our before I run out for dinner.
The instructions on the tester read like this:
- Test the batteries in the tester. Check.
- Hold the tester near the end of the wire set, 5″-6″ from the plug and push the button. If the light lights and stays on, check the fuses. If it lights and goes out go to step 3. Check.
- If you have a 2 strand light go to section A, if you have a 3 strand light go to section B. Uh, it’s two at the plug, but three in the center. Hmmm. I’ll try two first.
- Remove the last two bulbs from the strand and test them in the bulb tester. Uh, the last two of the part that doesn’t work, or the last two of the part that’s out? I guess the ones that are out.
- OK, I can’t get the bulbs in the little tester thingy. I gotta take them out of the little sockets and test em. What a pain. Ok, they’re fine.
- Next, take out the last bulb in the string. Hold the tester near the last third of the bulb and hold the button for 4 seconds. If the light flashes on and stays on, revers the plug in the outlet, as shown on the back of the package card. The package card?!? I was supposed to save the package card?!? OK, it stays on. I pull the plug and turn in 180 degrees. It still stays on. Well, it flashes bright and stays on dimmer, does that count? Is that what it did the last time? I flip the plug again, it looks the smae. Huh? Well, let’s go onto the next step and see what I can find out.
- Next, you move from the last bulb to the next to last, then to the next, and so on. Hit the button ad if the light flashes and goes out it’s fine, if it stays on – you’ve found your bad spot. Sounds easy. Well that one’s good, that one’s good – I think. Does a dim light count as on? Let me check the first one again. It’s dim too. What about the rest? They’re all dim! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?!?
- I throw the ‘tester’ down the basement stairs and head to McD’s, beaten by icicle lights.
So I hit McD’s drive through. There’s this little screen where I order that’s supposed to show me that they got my order right. Typical to so many drive through’s in Columbus, I order and the screen doesn’t change. It still says “This screen helps us improve order accuracy.” when the guy tells me it’ll be $13 something, please pull around. Does this happen anywhere else? Why have the stupid screen just to tell me that it’ll help accuracy?
I get to the last window and they hand me my food. Skeptical because of the screen, I pull up 10 feet and check the bag. Yep, they’ve forgotten the cole slaw. Argh!
So I head inside to get the slaw. The manager brings it out and before handing it to me she feels compelled to explain that because the slaw is cold they can’t bag it with the hot sandwiches and fries. The drive through person must have not have had a chance to give it to me or forgot. “That’s OK”, I say a little tersely, take the little bag and leave. I’m really thinking “Hey, I’m a little tense here, I just got taken down by icicle lights and I’m pretty ticked. I really don’t care about your bagging issues, JUST GIVE ME THE SLAW!”
As I head outside I notice that it’s raining. It wasn’t raining when I left the house, but now that I have to get out of my car it’s raining. It’s at time like this I wonder if God really does tweak these situations – you know, bringing on the rain – to make a point. I don’t think so, but right now I’m wondering.
So I get home, apologize to my daughter who saw my little fit of rage with the tester, and we laugh through dinner. Yeah, the night was frustrating, but life’s too short to stay angry at icicle lights and cole slaw.
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. – James 1:19-20