Day 39/40: The Joy Riding T.V

This weekend I got cable installed in my apartment. The following day I decided to purchase a t.v. This is the first t.v I have ever purchased; and so I was both excited and very caution with the new purchase.

Televisions have come a long way, they now only weight 20lbs and even a featherweight like me can easily carry them around. I was overjoyed to learn that I could retain my independence and move the t.v into my apartment on my own. This was the end of any happy feelings for the rest of the afternoon, as subsequently a series of rather unfortunate evens unfolded.

It all began when I underestimated the amount of things the 'moving cart' could handle carrying and so I ended up having to move the grocery laden cart a few feet and then returning to carry the t.v a few feet to catch up, repeating this process a few times I made it to the elevator, after bottle necking back door traffic for 10 minutes.

The real catalyst to the subsequent chaos was the spilled milk. Inexplicably, my half a gallon of milk began to spill into its containing bag; I sheepishly attempted to rub the milk around on the floor with a plastic bag to make it less obvious; although a quarter of a gallon of milk is a lot of fluid - do not be fooled, it will not end up looking like extra shiny floor.

I believe at this point I was sufficiently hot and bothered to lose some of my speed and agility. When I managed to get the t.v into the elevator by the time I turned around to get the cart of groceries in after it, the elevator door began to shut. I am nearly positive that at that point, time slowed down as I lunged for the door and when that didn't work, lunged for the "up" button.

Too late.

The elevator headed up, and up, and up. All the way to the 17th floor. Where it stayed for about 2 excruciating minutes, during which I imagined another tenant coming across my television all boxed up and ready for them to install into their apartment. Then the elevator went down, did not stop at "ground" despite my mad and continued pressing of the button to summon it. I assume the fact that we have 6 elevators did not help my cause as a number of other elevators turned up.

The elevator then shot up to the 6th floor, at which point I imagined that another tenant had come across the t.v and was now taking it to his 12th floor friend to sell for a nice price. At this point my body was full to the brim with panic and so I sprinted to the reception and in a shrill and delirious manner tried to relay my dilemma to her. Naturally, she stared at me as though I were the village idiot and she slowly told me she would call maintenance.

I sprinted back to the elevator and thank you Universe; there, in all its theatric glory, was my elevator yawning open to reveal my T.V still inside and the 1/4 jug of milk.