My day of curses continues

Okay, I guess bad-mouthing BART so much was going to get back to me. As I wrote earlier today, I knew my Translink card wasn't going to work on the way home, but I tried it anyway. A big, loud BRAAAAAAAAAP emitted from the machine, and it told me that I needed to stay overnight. I always wondered if I did stay over night, if that means I really can use my Translink card the next day, but how the heck would it know? I immediately turned and walked to the BART ticket machines. They changed them a few years ago so that patrons could pay with ATM or credit card. For some reason at this station, the machines only take ATM cards. Lucky for me, I have an ATM card! I put my card in the first machine. It said it didn't recognize my card. I took it out, put it back in. Same thing. Again. Same thing. I moved to the next machine. Same thing. The next machine, same thing.

I never carry cash. If I do, it would be at the most 5 bucks. So, of course, I had no money. I couldn't use my Translink card, my ATM card or my credit card to buy a BART ticket. I had to go and get some money. Which means missing my train.

I called my husband and left him an incoherent message basically stating that I didn't know when I would be home because of what just happened and I had to go find some money. The stupid thing with doing that is: 1. It's a guarantee that I'll be home before him regardless of how late I am. That's just how it's always been, and I don't see it changing anytime soon. And 2. It's not like you can't get cash pretty much anywhere. I just freaked out is all. I like to do that from time to time.

So I walked 2 blocks down to the Walgreens, bought myself 2 candy bars (had to get 2 because if I got one and my husband saw, he would be sad that I didn't buy him one), got 20 bucks over and then walked back to the BART station to buy my ticket. I tend to walk fast, and I ended up missing my train by about 1 minute or less. So that means it took me 15 minutes to walk to the BART station from work, try 3 machines, leave incoherent message, walk down 2 blocks to Walgreens, buy candy bars, walk up 2 blocks, buy BART ticket and get myself downstairs. Not too shabby. Just stinks that I missed my train by a minute or so because I had to stand there for 15 minutes waiting for the next Fremont train.

What a topper to a lovely day of transit nightmares. At least I'll be able to go home and relax and forget about it all.

No way. Life's never that simple.

I got to our condo and was driving closer to where my parking spot is when I saw it. Two work trucks -- one in my spot and one in the spot next to mine. And no workmen in sight. So I called my husband and left another one of my famous messages about how I can't even park in my spot now!!!! I was stopped in the parking lot, and there were two ladies and a kid getting stuff out of a car. They kept looking at me like I was crazy or like I was going to run them over, but I was only flabbergasted that today, of all days, someone would be parked in my spot AND, AND -- we don't even know what to do about it. As far as I know, we're out of luck in these situations. Since I saw them acting like I was going to kill them all, I waited for them to cross and then drove slowly around and then to the front of the complex. Luckily there was guest parking available.

I called the HOA office and left a very pleasant message (really!) asking them to let us know what we're supposed to do in these situations because this is the first time it's happened. Hopefully we can get a number to call for towing. My husband called me back and asked me what happened. I said nothing. I wasn't going to find the workmen and tell them to move and waste my time. I just parked somewhere else. Go ahead, beat me up world, I don't care. Let me just lay down so everyone can take their turn kicking me!

My husband came home soon after and talked to the workmen who were now outside. They said they'd only be there for another half an hour. Did he want them to move? He said no. Go ahead, park there. We went grocery shopping, which takes over an hour for us, and when we came back, they were still there. So I asked my husband if he asked them to not park there tomorrow, and he said no, he didn't think of that. And besides, it's not their fault that they parked there. It's the condo owner's fault who was getting the work done on their condo. They aren't paying for our mortgage! This is what he's going to tell the HOA today. I'd rather know how to get the person out of my spot regardless of how they got there and who's really responsible. It's not his spot, so he's going to fight the good fight.

I told him that if I came home tomorrow and they were in my spot again, I was going to park in his spot. Then we'll see what happens.