So I called Kinko’s today. They know how to spiral bind things, you see, something I, myself, cannot do. And today is the day I must take my thesis to be bound, so that I can take it to the university tomorrow. And tomorrow is only about three or four weeks later than the good people at Duke wanted it.
But now — not last week, nor the week before, nor any week before that since December– I have time off to take things to Kinko’s, to pick things up at Kinko’s, to deliver them at the university when it is open.
And I’ll admit that, despite the Incredible Inconvenience of this process, I am glad that here is a situation when paper– actual paper– must be delivered in person, by hand, rather than shot electronically through the ether to invisible persons at the other end. I respect the page.
So, yes, I called Kinko’s. How long does it take you to spiral bind things, I wanted to know?
How many pages is it, he wanted to know.
About seventy, I told him.
He paused. You need it copied, too? he asked.
And the answer to this is yes, as the laptop on which my thesis is saved is not yet compatibilitied with our Very Annoying home printer. I’ll be saving the thesis to one of those little memory key things that connect with the laptop and then taking that oh so carefully to Kinko’s.
Yes, I told him. I’ll need it copied, too.
Pause.
I should be able to have that for you by Tuesday, he said.
Oh. No.
Because the thesis needed to be in at the office weeks ago and I haven’t time during the course of a regular day to go over to Kinko’s and pick something up and then take it to Duke while it is open which would mean I’d have to do this over the course of two days if you see what I mean and an isolated errand on any given day after a full day of teaching is enough to exhaust me as it is without having to do Two Separate Errands on Two Separate Days and a visit to Duke would definitely be two errands anyway because I do so want to see my professor.
Tuesday? Really?
No, he said. I’m kidding. We could have that for you, he said, in about half an hour.
Oh. Ha ha. I see. It was a joke. Just a little joke.
(laughing)
But maybe making jokes is his method for survival, or for helping customers cope. I mean, he probably never has stressed-out, time-pressured people coming to see him on a regular basis. Almost never, anyway.
(phew)
