Everything Was Going So Well: The Morning From Hell

Everything was going too well. I was content with my classes, I was on track with my work, I was meeting interesting people, I was really connected with friends, I was in control and I was having interactions that I would classify as wonderful. So naturally, smiling to myself in bed two nights ago, I thought: something bad has to happen.
Monday started with stress: I saw the pile of work that would need to be accomplished by Friday that hadn't really been tackled the previous weekends because of awesome Cultural Rhythms shows and a great night out dancing. Up until this Monday, I have felt in control, as if no amount of work could sway me, as if I were sitting on top of the world ready to tackle anything no matter how difficult. But that all changed, stress kicked in this week. I will accomplish everything by Friday, I know that. But something loomed.
There is a natural order, a karma, if you will, that flies high and sinks low in the ritualistic ups and downs of life.
And that happened today.
I usually wake up and turn on my computer to check my email, the weather etc. This morning pushing the little power button proved useless. Thinking that perhaps the battery had run out, I checked the AC adapter attached to the computer, switchted the power cord on and off, and tried again.
Nothing.
So this is the point where I started to panic. This week, work has piled up and I depend very much on my computer. A non-functional computer was not an option. After a quick phonecall to the parents for moral support, I went to Staples in the early morn to buy a new adapter no matter the cost. I walked into staples looking like a stressed out parent caring his poor infant suffering from croup or colic or something bad. The salesman tried to help me, but after disappearing behind a wall to scurry around I heard him talking things over with someone on the phone asking what should be the best solution for me. Great. I didn't need incompetence this morning. He returned saying that the store was going through some sort of restocking and they didn't have any universal adapters for my ancient computer (really, not that old.... ol' reliable). My first bastion of help had failed.
Luckily Radio Shack was just up the street. But unfortunately, it was before 9am. So I went to have breakfast, nursing my child to my breast as I walked in the cold to the closest dining hall and had a nervous stressed breakfast. It's difficult to relax and you know your work, your life is in peril... well at least your life on your computer.
At 9am I was at the door waiting for the lights to flick on and the door to open with another anxious customer. The minutes ticked on and as the sales lady tried to open the door it was stuck. It was pretty cold and the door pretty flimsy that I couldn't help laugh. What else could go wrong today. Today had to end, I had to start over tomorrow. Just call it quits, end it early. But of course, one never can.
In the end, I found an adapter at Radio Shack, my computer is working, the battery is shot, life is fine, and I am now relaxed again.
Let this be a lesson to all of you: back up your work and let your battery run low, run low, run low, run low.... or else you might kill it, and your sanity.