OCT 4, 19 .. THE BEST LAID PLANS OF MICE AND MEN

I had today planned out in my mind.

At 8am I had to lead a meeting that I was asked to lead for three consecutive weeks beginning on September 20th. The first meeting was Phoenix-like in that it arose from the ashes of a meeting that never happened into a meeting with some substance.

Just in case you’re interested.

http://aaphotoshere.blogspot.com/2019/09/sep-20-19-quite-meeting-this-one.html

The second meeting on September the 20th was an absolute zero. No one came and that-was-that.

Assumptions. Assume. To assume will make an ass (out of) u (and) me.

I had assumed  that today’s meeting would also be a zero.

Therefore I’d show up, wait a few minutes, then leave and my day would begin at about 8:15am. 

This would then give me a few hours to finish writing post cards. Then I’d mail them early in the day with NO drama on the buses and totally avoid doing the trip to the Post Office during the Friday evening rush hour.

WRONG.

There were fourteen ( 14 count them) people at the meeting. 12 members and 1 newcomer with his mother at his side made up the 14.

NO translator. Sports Fans : Your Captain is a total failure at Feeling the Love and hearing the Language of the Heart in foreign country meetings. Last time I checked, Mongolia was a foreign country and I sure don’t speak nor do I understand the Mongolian language. I used my Samsung Galaxy A10 and its Google Translate App to say a few words (I’m happy to be here. I’ll listen this morning. Nice to see so many of you here.) I then (along with several other members who were fixated upon their smart phones) texted Patti a few times and then behaved myself and sat quietly for the duration of the meeting. The other smart-phone-fixated-ones kept their eyes down on their smart phones. The meeting ended promptly on time. “I’m outta heah!” I assumed. 

WRONG.

Five of the members formed a small circle..

And I-mean-to-shout  they began a serious and dedicated meeting-after-the-meeting that went on and on and on for about an hour and a half.

I had to stay. I am the keeper-of-the-key to the room we’re allowed to use in a governmental community building. It was upon-me to make sure the room was spic-and-span after the meeting, all lights were out and the door was securely locked.

At this point-in-time I was running several hours behind schedule. I finished writing my post cards, put together and published an OCT 3, 19 Post here on dot.net and finally headed to the bus at about 2:15pm to go downtown to mail seventeen (17) post cards.

I waited ‘forever’ for a bus that I could wiggle and jiggle and squeeze onto. Ah I’ll get to the Post Office about 3pm and head right back home.

WRONG.

As my bus made a left turn off Peace Avenue onto another major road, I realized that I’d gotten onto the wrong bus!

The number 57 has gotten me before. It runs a loop. It does not go from A to B and back from B to A on the same route. It does get me home outbound as it finishes its loop but does not get me to the Post Office inbound.

I WAS NOT HAPPY.

“Well?” I mused “What will I learn from this small disaster?” 

I decided I was NOT going to back track and go to the Post Office. YOUR post card will be mailed on Saturday.

“Burger King at the MAXMALL it will be!”

I’d brought my knife so as to eat my Whopper like a gentleman and not like a half-starved animal.

It really did-the-job. From now on this is how I’ll eat Whoppers.

“Hum-m-m, there’s a new-to-me supermarket in the basement of the MAXMALL. I’ll check it out.”

BINGO !  I found canned tuna and got some.

So what?

So this : I’d been ‘idly thinking-about’ getting some tuna to see if I could make some good tuna sandwiches for myself and ..? BINGO.

I decided to walk outbound on Peace Avenue to get some exercise and see what else I might find.

Another Supermarket I’d never visited. Into it I walked.

BINGO !

THIS I DO NOT BELIEVE ! 

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE JULY OF 2015 THAT I’VE SEEN PEANUT BUTTER IN ULAANBAATAR !

How did I know it was really peanut butter? I didn’t BUT one give-away was the word ‘crunchy’.

And? The peanut butter is really great. This is a big boost for me to have as a snack or even part of a meal.

Into yet another new-to-me, never before visited, supermarket I walked.

BINGO.

Corn Flakes. So far I’d not been able to find corn flakes here in Ulaanbaatar on this visit. I did not purchase a box but certainly will return soon to get them.

Time to get on a bus. On I squeezed. BINGO. The passengers had saved me an empty seat !

For What It’s Worth .. Something is happening here ! You tell me.

Today’s Rhetorical Question : I know I can again find the supermarket in the MAXMALL, but I wonder IF I’ll be able to again find the other two new supermarkets?

So what’s this Post really about?

My self-deprecating mind remained silent. I did not allow my stupidity (this is the third time the number 57 bus has ‘gotten me’) at getting onto the wrong bus to yet again bum-me-out. I decided NOT to go to the Post Office and to simply mail the cards tomorrow Saturday. I made-the-most of it, I made a little lemonade out of a lemon. I earned one Atta Boy. I’m proud of that.

Cap

This afternoon Patti had an endoscopy. It went well. She’s home and in high spirits.

• ← OCT 3, 19 .. THE PARKING LOT RESURFACING .. Chapter 1
• OCT 5, 19 .. MAN O’MANISCHEWITZ .. WHAT A MEAL →