Let me explain...

No, it would take too long. Let me sum up...

Middlest rode into work with me this morning. That part went fine.

When I got to my desk, I logged on with the new password that I created yesterday and started cranking out the work. After about an hour, I forwarded my phone, locked my workstation, and took a comfort break. When I got back to my desk, my computer would not recognize my password. Eventually, of course, I made enough attempts that the system said NOPE. So I called the IT number, worked my way through three security questions and a couple of other hoops, and got a temporary password.

Logged on with the temporary password, finally came up with a password that the system liked: not too long, not too short, not too complicated, but complicated enough. And then I needed to leave my desk again to do something, I forget what. When I came back, guess what? My computer would not recognize my new password, NOPEd me out, and back I went to the IT number. Three different security questions and two alternate hoops gave me another temporary password. Logged on, created yet another password that was decidedly more snarky than any other password I've come up with in the eighteen years I've worked for the corporation, and attempted to get something done before it was time to leave for our dental appointments.

By this time I had lost somewhere between half an hour and forty-five minutes to stupid technical issues and was midway between simmering and seething. This is when I discovered that one of the letters I created yesterday was not yet necessary, because one of my attorneys had granted a discovery extension to opposing counsel and forgotten to tell me about it.

I cleaned up and e-served the other letter (hey, your discovery responses are late, don't make me have to file a motion to compel), only to get a phone call from opposing counsel that my attorney had granted them an extension as well. She'd also emailed me, so I forwarded that to my guy with the comment, This was a surprise to me. And a frowny face. I marched myself to the loo, stood in a stall, and literally tried to shake it off.

Back to my desk.

At which point it was time to shut down my workstation for the day, grab my lunchbox from the fridge, fetch Middlest from the atrium on the plaza level, and go get Fourthborn. I warned Middlest as I walked up, "I've had an extremely frustrating morning, and it's not your fault. I'm going to the loo before we drive away, and I'll try to adjust my attitude while I'm in there."

By the time we got to Fourthborn's I was in a decent if not stellar frame of mind. And by the time we got to our dentist's, I was nearly myself again. I knitted (baby sock, sigh...) while waiting for our hygienist to finish setting up. We were early. I drive faster when I'm crabby. The knitting helped a lot, and while I waited for Middlest and Fourthborn to get their treatments, I worked on the waistband for Moosey's hula skirt.

Middlest was right about the spelling. It's Moose + Y.

I got a bit of financial good news at the dentist's today. Since there were no X-rays this time, the tab was about 40%, each, of what I'd braced myself for, which further improved my mood. We zipped over to Cheesecake Factory for the traditional desecrating of our teeth, and our server sang Happy Birthday to Fourthborn without the usual pandemonium which happens when patrons admit to a birthday in a chain restaurant.

We took Fourthborn's leftover cheesecake back to her place, and I gave her the strawberries that I'd taken to work yesterday, which had stayed in the fridge overnight. Waste not, want not. And then we went to Knit Night and hung out for maybe an hour and a half. I knitted a very little, and I mostly finished the waistband on the hula skirt and started the neck binding on the superhero cape.

And now we are home. Middlest has retreated to one bedroom, and I'm heading shortly to my own. Life is sweet again, and I'm hoping for a good night's sleep and a productive and blessedly uninterrupted day at work tomorrow.

We did a lot of laughing in the car to and from, and in the waiting room at the dentist's office. There was a lovely woman there with her nearly grown autistic son, and because of Middlest's training I knew how to behave in an appropriate and non-scary manner. Middlest recognized the woman from church several years ago and said, "You know Firstborn." The woman said yes, yes she did. Middlest said, "That's her mom over there, and we are her siblings." The woman grinned broadly and said, "OK. That explains a lot about Firstborn." At which point all three of us cracked up.

My endorphin levels are approaching what passes for normal with me. Night, y'all.

PS. Aren't you glad that I only summed up?