Well fuck me. As you know, today was the big day, the day of our store launch. Yes, I’d been working on this thing since early November and I had it all ready right. on. time. Today was it, and from the start, I should have known the day was doomed.

First, I had anxiety dreams last night about store glitches. Then I woke up late. The first thing I did after rolling out of bed was double check the store account creation page. I’d asked the web developer to move some fields around, which he did, but then I didn’t test it again. Well, when I tested it this morning, I discovered it was broken. Thank goodness I checked, because every single order would have required the buyer to create an account. So fine, emailed the guy and went on my merry way into work.

By the time I got to my desk, the glitch was fixed. By noon, the updated navbar (with the SHOP button) was in place. At 1:30 (prime time for an email blast), I sent out my HTML email to about 400 volunteers, announcing our new store. The first reply to my message? Some crankster asshole complaining that we were spamming, and he was unsubscribing. Mind you, this was our first email ever having any tone of solicitation. Plus, for years volunteers, staff, and the public have been asking us for an online store. Whatev.

Next, I got a call from one of our field staff: The employment page got hacked. As soon as I viewed it, I called our web hosts. While on hold, I watched the rest of the site completely shut down. WTF? Then, while I was on hold with our hosting fuckers (they really suck… and not just today), I started getting a shitload of calls from people complaining that the store link was broken. Yeah, tell me about it. How badly could this launch have gone? It’s now 11 pm, and I’ve called the web hosts 3 times requesting an ETA or status update. None. I just get the same generic bullshit response: we escalated your ticket to the administrator, and we’ll contact you when he/she responds. Are you fucking kidding me? We pay $700 a year and you won’t let me speak directly with your administrator AND there’s no ETA for the fix? That is the last straw. Time for another host. Of coruse that doesn’t help me for now does it? Goddamnit. I hope this is fixed by morning.

Oh what else? All afternoon there was a helicopter hovering over our office block. There were a bunch of cop cars all over. Some bomb scare or something. On my way to the store, the car in front kept staring at the cop cars and then he rammed right into the truck ahead of him. See what I mean? Today was fucked from the start. Something is up cosmically… the stars are misaligned or whatever. Oh and btw, temps tonight are dipping below freezing.

Ok, enough with my belly aching. Other than the possibility of getting canned (I’m still on probation after all…) for this failed store launch, I’m doing great. This must be punishment for all my recent gloating about the job and life.

Ugh. Time for bed.