And this is why I'm fat

The weather has been cold and rainy lately. So the clear skies and 50º+ temps were beckoning me. I was going to put on my headphones and listen to the Yankees game (EST) as I walked the mile to The Dollar Store. Then I'd listen to the end of the Cubs (CST) game on the way back. Sunshine and the crack of the bat! I was happy.

I noticed, though, that there was something hinky with my phone. It said that today was Wednesday, February 1. It was also very quiet. No alerts or texts. Scariest of all, every time I tried to open the MLB app, it told me to "try again later."

Oh, no! I need the MLB app. So I uninstalled it and then went to install it again. I could not get into the Google Play Store. "Try again later."

Oh, no! I tried to download it via my laptop. I couldn't, because according to MLB.com it was still on my phone. But I'd just uninstalled it!

So I called Consumer Cellular. They really are as nice and accommodating as they are portrayed on the TV commercials. The customer service rep told me to first try this and then try that. Neither worked. She had to send a code to my phone for security reasons before we could go further. My phone wasn't accepting her texts. So she sent it to my email -- my laptop was working perfectly -- and she tried some things on her end.

"Your phone isn't connected to The Tower," she reported. She explained there was a problem with my wifi. Perhaps all I need to do is reset my wifi password.

Only I don't know my wifi password. So I'd have to call Xfinity. The Consumer Cellular service rep said she'd wait. 

I couldn't get a live person from Xfinity to help me with my password because -- wait for it -- there was a wifi "connectivity issue" in my neighborhood. That would be fixed by 5:30. 

Two hours.

On the plus side: after more than 40 minutes, we now knew the problem wasn't my phone. On the negative side: There goes the sunshine.

I was bereft.

At this point, while I was settling in to watch baseball on my TV, my oldest friend happened to call. My emotions were complicated (see the post below). On the one hand, I didn't feel like dealing with her because I'm pissed at her. And I've just wasted 40 fruitless minutes on the phone with Consumer Cellular, which never enhances my temperament. On the other hand, I've been friends with her since Kindergarten. She's more than earned the benefit of the doubt.

We talked about an hour. She's already having sex with her new beau, which bothers me. Not for any puritanical reasons -- I think sex is normal, natural and fun and besides, they're both senior citizens. There's no risk of pregnancy. 

It bothers me because, of the two of us, she's the puritan. She wrings her hands and clutches her pearls when people fall into bed. I know impulsivity is a symptom of her mood swings. So this is a red flag for me.

On the other hand, she's happy. She feels as pretty as she is. She has renewed hopes that her upcoming surgery will improve her quality of life. Best of all, she isn't counting on her cousin for help after surgery, which is good because her cousin doesn't fail to disappoint. 

By now the issue with my wifi is corrected, but the ballgames are over. I saw little of the Yankees or the Cubs. It's after 5:00, the day is over, and I haven't eaten anything all day.

So instead of walking two miles, I walked a couple blocks and picked up a thin crust cheese pizza from Lou Malnati's. Because I had gut trouble this morning, I skipped the vegetables I was going to have as a side dish in favor of mashed potatoes. Pizza with mashed potatoes on the side is not part of any diet plan, but I felt I deserved this after the frustrating, intense afternoon I'd had.

And this is why I'm fat. The end.