The time had come to go visit my first corporate client in Quebec City. I was very very nervous because it was my first meeting with a client and I had heard they were not satisfied with our services. I was also worried that they wanted me to help them with a reservation program that I was not yet familiar with myself. I was also concerned that they had been very annoyed when I had not been able to go when they had first asked to see me. I had just put one of my daughters on a plane to South America and driven three hours in the dark to get here the night before to make sure I would not be late.
I had set my alarm and asked the front desk to wake me in plenty of time. Everything went according to plan. I got up on time, washed and dried my hair, put on my make up and…realized I had forgotten my deodorant.
I was already sweating! There was no shop in the hotel I was staying in. The only store I knew of was a service station about a mile away. So I decided to drive by it on my way to the office. It was a frigid morning. Luckily the service station had a small sundries section and I found a dusty package of men’s deodorant. I grabbed it (along with a container of window washing fluid to look less conspicuous) paid and retired to my car where I proceeded to rip off the packaging and then discretely weave my way through layers of scarf, coat, jacket, sweater, shirt,,. to rub the cold stiff stinky stuff as best I could…. hoping no one would notice my unusual activities.
Last minute update: it worked!…but I forgot it in the glove compartment…so tomorrow morning will be a repeat performance (there is a snow storm raging I am NOT going back out there tonight!)