sigh

i spent a wonderful day in a neighboring town with good company and mexican food. yes, there was guacamole and spanish rice all wrapped up in homemade tortillas. a thoroughly enjoyable, energizing and reaffirming trip to be sure.

i also managed to acquire a printer for myself and for my poor little laptop. in this setting, a $75 printer is like a high-tech life saver for my poor right hand that has been writing out worksheets/exercises/quizzes by hand.

recently returned from the fun mini-break and high on life with a printer, i opened the box, unfurled the glorious machine, carefully unpacked the power cords, the printer cartridges and the information disk...only to find that there is no cable for me to connect the printer to my laptop.

no. none. i know, i can't believe it either. the cable hadn't been absentmindedly 'forgotten' or stolen- i made sure to pick the box that looked like it had NOT actually been opened and left for garbage on the shelf.

i had the guarantee receipt. i had EVERYTHING.

except for the cable to connect the damn thing to my computer.

awesome.

lesson #422 on life here: in this nonsensical place, you have to buy that cable separately.

talk about bad luck. unfortunately for me, i have to go back to this town to buy the cable as i do not have a store in mine that might offer such relief. and i won't be going back today, that's for sure, or tomorrow or in time for all the rest of my classes this week.

*sigh of surrender*

the day to day building and preservation of one's sanity, of one's peace of mind, clarity, ability to function, normalcy in this mess of a place is UTTERLY derailed by menial logistics of life like this.

making such derailed individuals, like me, a little more frustrated and a little less positive.

allow me to revert back to lesson, oh, #1 of being a teacher here... well of just living here actually:

manage expectations carefully. manage manage manage manage manage. you can never be too sure when their indignation will unfurl their fury upon you when you're least expecting it.

bummer, no?