Oh, the things that happened today!
It actually started as I began closing up the computer last night (at like 3:30AM or something). I had wanted to get a lot of my pictures labeled, so that there was some clarity as to what they were and that sort of thing – what I found interesting about them. Sometime during the evening, my power converter had blown. So as I began turning the computer off, it told me I had about 7% power left – about ten minutes.
Me on the TGV
I needed that time in the morning to plan my metro route from the hotel to Gare Montparnasse. More, I needed it to figure out my bus route from Gare Poitiers to my new hotel. As well, I needed to write down all the information for my e-ticket to Poitiers. And I really did need power for the laptop – and before Monday if possible!
I woke up late, around 10:40 AM. What did I expect? Well, I had hoped to wake around 8:30. My cellphone is dead, or I would have set the alarm… Okay, so I get showered and dressed, and run down to the desk. I make sure I have time to run to Darty, the electronics chain store I bought the convertor at, and pick up a new one before having to check out. I run over to Darty (it wasn’t too far actually – took me a lot longer to find it the first time!) I have a conversation (all in French, since the gentlemen knew no English) to return the old and échanger for a new one. I also bought some more camera batteries. Then I rushed back to the hotel to finish packing up.
By this point I’m sweating up a storm. I check out, run with my bags across the street to the cafe from the previous morning, hoping to grab a cold drink or something. I sit down outside, and am completely ignored. You might wonder, maybe they just don’t realize I sat down out there? No, right as I came out, the attendant came out and set up the sign with today’s selections. He then walked away from me, and began to smoke. Apparently a friend of his walked up, and they both begin pointing at me and laughing. Hmmm. A couple minutes later, he goes inside. Still nothing. I got up and left. I didn’t have any more time to wait.
I rush to the metro (I was able to get both a metro and bus plan somewhere in that last ten minutes of battery life), and get to Gare Montparnasse. I’m running farther behind in time than I thought I would be. I have about ten minutes to get get my physical ticket and get on the train. And, no, I don’t make it. The machines where you claim your ticket asked for my code, and I entered it. Then they asked for my name. And nothing I entered worked. So I ran to the ticketing agent with a couple minutes left (after a miserable dialogue with the help desk – another individual who knew no English, and did not get my slightly-disturbed, broken French), knowing that there is no way I will get back in time. I had a good dialogue with the ticketing agent, another individual who knew no English, and she was able to work everything out (she couldn’t find me in the system at first – my name probably has the II of my suffix in it somewhere). I got a ticket for a train about 30 minutes later.
Speeding Past The Countryside
I finally got my first beverage of the day, a blended orange-strawberry drink. It was good, but I downed it quickly. I ran to my train, and got on board. By this time it is 13:50. I have had about 16 ounces of liquid, and nothing to eat. I’m on the train until Poitiers, then I take the bus to Chasseneuil (tentative the whole way that I have gotten on the wrong bus). I get to my hotel, throw open the computer and am on it for about 3 minutes before the new convertor pops.
I heard it pop this time – and it was extremely hot to the touch. A little flustered, I look over the convertor and my laptop and find that I am overdrawing current. The convertor can supply 40W, my laptop battery (which is dead) says it pulls 60W. At least I know, now. Anyway, another power supply down, and I still need access to the computer – and a meal. I run down to the nearby Darty I saw on the bus-ride in (yep, Darty again) and find a power cable that will work for a Dell, rather than a convertor. I then find someplace to eat (at 18:15PM, not an easy thing thing to do – most places near my hotel open at 19:00!).
Whew. Dinner (or a very late lunch, whatever you want to call it) was good, though I was mentally drained; they had an awesome green apple glace, though. Now I’m back at the hotel. The new cable seems to be doing well with the computer. And I have French TV on in the background. I don’t understand but every word out of twenty or so.
That was my day.
Oooh. “Bleach” is on TV in French…
Bleach 十五, quinze, fifteen
