Re-tired

It goes without saying that I have a very wonderful wife, but I think I got a reminder of that the past few days. To say I haven't been in a fit mood would be an understatement. There was the tires being slashed that set things off, of course. I've also spent most of this week trying to do something that most people down south would take for granted...buying new tires.

The tires were slashed early Monday morning. I started calling around Monday afternoon to get replacements. I finally got them this afternoon. In-between I had one company say they didn't carry that brand and hang up on me, and other company not bother to return my messages and the one that finally got my business...well, it took some work. Now, they actually came to the apartment building and put the tires on for me, which was good. Driving to a garage on rims was not something I was looking forward to (a flatbed truck to transport the car was not an option).

Still, it took several days, repeated trips to their store and finally calling the owner on his cell phone before it got straightened out. Having said all that, I still haven't actually paid for the tires. And, just for a kicker, I still don't know how much they cost. Not that it matters, they were the best of a dubious bunch I've dealt with this week. Plus insurance is covering it.

The other thing that set me off was a taxi ride today. I had to walk to the airport to pick up our food mail order. As I wasn't walking back with a bunch of boxes, I called a taxi. On the ride to the apartment the driver asked if I owned the green Hyundai Accent parked in front of the building. I thought he was going to comment on the slashed tires, but he surprised me.

"Man, I drove past there a week or so ago and there was about seven or eight kids just jumping up and down on that car. It was unreal."

I swear to God, I could feel my blood pressure spike. I'm half-surprised I didn't drop dead from a stroke on the spot. You know, all I want is for them to not fuck with the car. Is that so much to ask? Not fucking with something.

I think it's just the frustration. Knowing the police couldn't do anything because they're all likely under 10. If I caught them I likely couldn't reason with them and they might even feel the urge to retaliate. And just to add to that, if I went to their parents the odds are they wouldn't do anything and likely not understand why I'm getting so upset.

So yeah, not a happy person. Cathy, god love her, just stayed out of my way. I've been a slow burn for days now. I try very hard not to snap or get irritable, but I know some of it as leaked out. She knows it's best to just leave me alone for a few hours and it'll work out of my system.

Which is pretty much what she did for part of last night (vastly annoyed about the fact I couldn't get a hold of anyone to talk about the tires) and finding out about the car stomping today, well, she knew enough to give me my space and let me play Civilizations for several hours (where I destroyed the Spanish, Incans and Greeks and I'm about to declare war on the Japanese. I've feeling a touch warlike right now for some reason).

Anyway, I'm calmer now and in a more civil mood which means my wife now feels safe to talk to me again. She's even got me to laugh several time. We have tires on the car and I think on Monday Cathy is going to mention to her students that some kids have been messing with her car, that it isn't very nice and she hopes it's no one in the school is doing it. With luck maybe word will get around and the screwing around with it will stop.

Because I really don't want to die of a stroke in Iqaluit. Over a Hyundai. That would be tragic. Or just really stupid.