Yesterday, at exactly the hour noted above, my business email inbox was empty. EMPTY! That's a milestone I haven't achieved since somewhere in the 1990's. Of course by this morning it has gathered six new ones.
Meanwhile I'm not quite free yet of holiday stress. Here's how I know:
At 20:13 on 23.12.09 (last night) as I was driving home after meeting a friend to say Merry Christmas, a red light came on my dashboard and beeped at me long and loud. I stopped by my favorite friendly gas station where they are always willing to help.
We couldn't figure out together (reading both the English and the German car manual), how to make the light go out. Pushed a few buttons as noted. Nada. Might be a "defekt," he said (in German). Better go to your dealer.
Now I need to drive my car on Saturday, which is still a national holiday here, out of Zurich where some nice British friends of mine are roasting a goose. Never had goose; want to be there. So I reluctantly set my alarm early this morning to be at the dealer early in the hope he could do something before the entire country closes down at 4 p.m. for Christmas.
On 24.12.09 08:13, I arrived at the top of the garage driveway, which is a steep downhill and reached down to pull on my handbrake (emergency brake). It was already on. Released it to reset it. Red light went out...
I forgot that I had used the brake yesterday on the steep downhill at my office while finding the person who was a bit overstepping my parking spot. I was in such a hurry to clear my office email, that I forgot to release it. Forgot entirely that it existed and drove all over Zurich trying to find a solution to that red light.
That's it. No more email. No more task lists.
I smiled as the terrible auto repair bill I had imagined simply evaporated. Shook my head at my typical rush, stress mistake. And bought my Christmas tree!
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