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Confessions. It's how today's post starts. Of course, it's not surprising that these smartypants has many a shameful secret. I mean, generally, smartypants are renowned for getting themselves into difficult situations. Which is exactly what happened today. Although I do not have my wit. lack of filter or smart mouth to thank for once. It is a not-so-fair trait I carry. Today my lack of grace and poise is front and centre. My uncoordinated, ungainly, inelegant, gangling, blundering, lumbering, bumbling, fumbling, inept clumsy self is to blame. An ability I have been notorious for since I was a wee little thing. And of course, was the cause of the great tea spill of 2022. But let me start from the beginning.
T'was a sunny afternoon in Cape Town. I'd just moved into my new home office space (a corner in a different room). Feeling confident with my move, patting myself that it was the best decision, as the new space is much quieter, and I have been powering through tasks all morning. My neighbour had blessed me with a huge tin of Christmas cookies early this morning because I signed for her parcels when she was out the other day (see, it pays off being nice to neighbours). And I fancied a cup of tea and thought, what better way to enjoy my new cookies?
Coming back from the kitchen, I placed my tea on my desk, and it all went to blazers. In seconds there was piping hot tea everywhere on my desk. I grabbed my laptop quickly and wires I quickly pulled it out of the mess, trying to make sure the important stuff didn't get wet. But I was like a bull in a china shop, and the more I tried to save, the worse the mess. The more I wiggled, the quicker the tea spread and got into more tech.
My helper was in today, and I called out for assistance, but she was slow, and the mess was spreading fast. Cursing myself more than anything, we mopped up the mess on the floor and desk and wires. I thought we got it all, and I was all safe. Till I got back to my slightly damp new corner office. And attempted to start working again.
The power tripped. Shite. We have casualties. I switched it back on. It tripped off again. I spent the better part of an hour switching extension chords and plugs around the house to isolate the problem - hoping that the electronic crackling song just magically disappears (the real problem, of course, being me).
Mind you, I used to spill like this regularly when I was an office worker. The mess never got this bad, and there were never any casualties. I must be out of practice.
We lost a few good men today. The good news is that said casualties are not expensive. My trusty expansion chord, with me for almost 7 years since I started my freelance journey. Also, my newish laptop charger. which I bought because I thought my old one was buggered last year, but it was my battery. Tea got inside the male and female ports. And these are not the kind of male and female parts which requires lubricant. So it's pretty much fucked. I attempted to dry it out. Because if I bother to look for my old one, I fear I might find that I chucked it out when I moved a few months ago. This battery ain't gonna last forever. So wish me luck while I figure out my next move.
And that, my friends, brings us to the end of the great tea spill of 2022.