Oh, the places you'll go

Western Bagel. My cup o' joe and chocolate chip bagel, and breakfast is done for less than three bucks. I glance over at the five elderly coffee buddies sitting and chatting, with a leisurely air about them. That's good, these gentlemen have friends and hobbies - and can get out of the house. Although it is a bit early for a friends' coffee gathering.

The alley behind my garage. This is when a little birdie told me that my ancient apartment building has had problems - rat problems, which prompted the trimming of the trees on our street, since apparently rats were jumping off of trees and onto our building. I'm sorry, what were we talking about? Just reeling from that disturbing mental image. Oh, right. There has been no mention to them of replacing the piping system in our building, or the hot water pressure problem. Apparently they have had problems with getting various repairs completed by the owners and management also.

Building number one, let's call it the Marshall building. I report for my temp gig twenty minutes early at the parking garage. They tell me I should go to the next garage down, let's call this one, Ray of Sunshine.

Ray of Sunshine's garage. I pull up to the gate and the attendant tells me I need to enter through the other side of the garage. She makes a call to the other gate's attendant and he informs her that I should be on Level P2. She lets me in and I finally find a parking spot on P2. I walk over to the elevators and the garage attendant sees me and steps out to find out where I'm going. He indicates that I shouldn't be here but over at the Apex building. I make a call to the agency and fill them in. I take a seat on the planters facing the elevators and wait.

Still sitting on the planters. They've checked all their records and everything has listed the initial Marshall building location. I then get back in my car and leave the parking garage (after a flustered search for the exit).

Back at the Marshall parking garage - there the attendant tells me that all the spaces are reserved, so I'm probably supposed to park somewhere else. I then get another call indicating that I should be in the Apex building.

Olive parking garage. I get off the elevators and make my way through the courtyard to the building.

Third floor. After walking down the hallway and circulating the whole floor, I find that none of the suites on the third floor indicate where the company is located. The nice enough employee in one of the suites there finds out that I should be in the other building across the courtyard, the Apex Dos building. I check with the security guard outside that I am, in fact, going in the right direction.

Apex Dos. I finally make it to the building for today's destination. In the lobby, I check in with the security guard and she issues me a pass.

The third floor suite, which the company has full reign over, has finally found its way to me and I check in with the receptionist and she shows me to my desk for the day. Oh, temping.

Three parking garages. Three parking attendants. Two security guards. And it's not even 10:00am. At least I had breakfast.


Some names may have been changed to protect the identity of...well, I guess my whereabouts. But who cares? I mean, nobody in Hollywood wants me dead yet.