Breakdown

It was a cold winter morning in December and it was fairy tale like.... almost like a fairy tale that is, because the events were about to take a somewhat different turn...

I had a hot cup of my favorite coffee in my hand, savoring the aroma, looking out of the window to the whirling snowflakes and the freshly fallen snow. I stroked the gently purring cat once again snuggling on my warm, fluffy couch cover and then left the house in the direction of my car - final destination office.

On the radio there was a mélange of songs suggesting we all have a peaceful Christmas season, mingled with the Media Markt "The Battle of Christmas will be decided under the tree" advertising campaign. In between, the moderators discussed topics like favorite sexual positions or announced the upcoming information of the century if we would all just stay tuned.

I was just taking the last turning to my place of work when my car started issuing some high pitched beeping informing me that the battery was empty .... great! So the engine dies and I am left standing there. Behind me two cars that immediately start exercising their well functioning high beam flashers. This was followed by recourse to their proper horns and the ensuing racket they made shocked a few birds perched in the trees at the side of the road into flight.

I get out of the car, and the first car behind immediately overtakes on the sidewalk at a brisk pace - not without the driver brandishing his middle finger at me. All that would have been missing from this wonderful intermezzo would have been Media Markt shopping bags on the back seat, a cigarette dangling from his lips and a speech bubble "Merry Christmas, you asshole!"

After the traffic was past I was able to push my car on to the sidewalk. Another car passed by at a leisurely pace and the driver showed considerable interest in my activities. Strangely enough, for the time being I somehow preferred the drivers who ignored me and my situation...

My office and the ADAC were notified in the meantime, and I was no longer holding up traffic, so what to do now?

I made myself comfortable on the back seat of the car, unpacked my laptop, connected my mobile phone, got onto the Internet and started to read e-mails and work on some tickets. I even succeeded in taking part in a little telephone conference, no problem whatsoever. The only thing missing was some coffee - so I dictated a reminder to Siri that it was really high time to buy a coffee machine with a separate power supply for my car.

After a half an hour that simply flew by, the friendly yellow ADAC tow-truck picked me up. My car is at the garage, I am back home - in my home office - and I have some lovely coffee at hand and the purring cat next to me.

Not a bad start to the day - so what's next?

Peter Laschtowitz

Peter Laschtowitz started as a trainee IT specialist at censhare in 2006, and has been a staff member of censhare IT Services since 2009. He particularly values contact with very different individuals in this area, as well as the many and varied opportunities for fieldwork at clients' premises. He is an enthusiastic events photographer, cook and snowboarder when censhare and his terminal allow him time.

New Comment: