Frustration Day

I wish to you all a Happy Frustration Day!

Today, it seems to be frustration day. Nothing like Indignado, Arabian Spring, Anti-nuclear transport, etc, but just plain frustration.  

I tried the whole day to concentrate on the topics for my exams of next week. Without any success. I did like a couple of tests to see where I am, but withstanding the positive results, it frustrates me only more. Let me try and briefly explain it to you: 

I'm studying to get my Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). Until now I passed all my exams, but now they did an update of the questions and subjects on the exam. They also updated the online system that allows us to study, but because I started my exams in the old exam-system, I have to continue in this system. The fact that they updated the study-system and deleted all old subjects, results in the fact that I'm not able to study the old subjects that I'll get on my exam. And that I have to study the new subjects which I won't get on the exam.

Nevertheless I stayed at the library the entire day. Trying all the tricks I know - after all, I am a psychologist - I was hoping to get the rush going, the concentration flowing, but all in vane. Then, my dear comes back from her second appointment. Merely sitting down she asks me if I called the lady of the consulting company? I keep calm and say: No, but I'll do it tomorrow; thinking that tomorrow my headache will have disappeared, my patience will be recharged and my energy levels in general might be just a tad higher than tonight at the end of this marvelous gray day at the library. Unfortunately, she doesn't know that today is Frustration Day, nor is she aware of my train of thought (better that she can't read my mind, right?). Equally unfortunate, however, is that she keeps pushing to call today. So, what can I do: I gently promise her to call tomorrow, but that's it. She then want me to say "tomorrow morning" - you know, as a binding promise, but I refuse. After all, I'm a responsible guy and it is already five to five pm, so "tomorrow" should suffice. If you're single you think at this point that it is solved - to be honest, you probably thought it a couple of times before - but regretfully I can inform you that in married life things are ever so slightly different: Now, the real bargaining starts: "afternoon" I say; "morning" she says; "early afternoon" I say; ... slowly we dig a hole looking for the more profound levels of the ridiculous stage, until we arrive at rock bottom: "between 12 and 13" I say. She replies: " Yeah, of course, that's when everyone is to lunch" and she goes back to tomorrow morning. And with that we reached rock-bottom of my patience: " Ok, that's it, I won't call her". That puts things back in perspective, because after all, all she wanted for me is to make the call. So, now I go back to work, and if I call tomorrow, everything will be fine...

And that my friends is called: negotiation on Frustration Day.

Let's bring this day to a peaceful rest...

iNR