March 27 - Simulator

I’m finishing up a few last exports when I get a text from my friend Regan.

“I’m walking over right now!”

My eyes subconsciously perform a cartoon look around the room as I digest her text. Huh? Obviously we have plans to go to a golf simulator tonight, but not until 5:30pm. At least, that’s what I wrote down… and why I’m still sitting here working at 4:40. I have 50 minutes to get down there.

I pull up my calendar. Sure enough, I have a 5:30-7pm block.

I look through my texts with Regan and Ahana… and, lo and behold, I am completely wrong. The simulator is not 5:30-7pm, but instead 5-6:30pm. And I am at LEAST a 30 minute commute away.

Throwing in my airpods, I call Regan as I frantically shimmy out of my ‘work from home’ sweatpants and tear through my closet for a pair of comfortable-enough-to-swing-a-club-in jeans. “Regs,” I say, breathless as she picks up, “I am so sorry I don’t know how but I put the time down wrong. I’m putting on pants and running out the door. I’m gonna try to be there by 5:15, let’s hope a train is coming.”

She cracks up. “I actually just tracked your location and was like … hm. Larkin is still at home. Odd.”

“Yeah. Larkin is still at home is right.” I hang up with her and run out the door, checking my transit app to see when the next train’s arriving. 6 minutes. My god. Okay. That means I need to actually gently jog to make it to the stop in time.

Fortunately I hit every walk sign and work hard to not think about other peoples’ perceptions of me as I power-walk/ jog to the train in my jeans, sneaks and puffer jacket.

And I make it. With 2 minutes to spare.

I roll into the golf simulator at 5:11pm and no one can believe their eyes.

Ahana turns to Regan. “I thought you said she was gonna be late?”

“I am late!!!!” I sputter. “I’m 11 minutes late!”

Luckily for me, meeting your friends at a golf simulator at 5pm on a work day is a little less ‘on time is late’ and a little more ‘late is on time’.