A Comedy of Errors and I'm a Jackass!!

Today A and I decided to go shopping at Ikea. We've been talking since summer about purchasing some new furniture items for the living room. It's become a Christmas tradition that we both contribute to buy a larger item(s) for the house or plan a vacation then just buy each other a few smaller things to open on Christmas day.

We slept late and A made waffles for breakfast. Then she hurried me to get ready to go; mumbling about the weather and traffic and we had to get things done today. We hopped into the piece of shit truck, A turned the ignition and nothing but a click. The battery was dead. I said, "maybe we should wait and go another day". She insisted the truck did this a couple weeks ago and although the battery needs replaced, after she got it going last time it was fine the rest of the day. It's been sitting in the cold weather for over a week, blah, blah, blah. So I wait patiently while we jump the truck and finally get on the road. We have an uneventful drive and once parked at Ikea I suggest, "maybe we should just keep it running while we go inside". She reaches over and turns off the ignition saying it will be fine, just watch. She turns the key again to show me the piece of shit truck will start and it only clicks. Now I'm pissed! She insists we go get the items we came for and then we will deal with the truck.

We went into that packed store and I was furious! That means that I now have no patience for meandering idiots or unruly children or pain in the ass people in general. We load up two platform trucks with our purchases (with the help of the cutest little gay boys), check out and head to the loading zone. A swears she just knows the truck is going to start. Lucky for me it was a pleasant sunny day because I had to stand on that loading zone for a LONG time! I was right again and the truck would still not start. We had one lucky break when A was just ready to call for a tow truck a nice gentleman from Iowa stopped and offered to give us a jump start.

A pulls up to the loading zone and starts backing up. I'm trying to handle two heavy platform trucks that don't drive worth a damn and look up to see A backing over one of the loading zone signs. I let go of the cart I was driving and started yelling and waving at her to stop. I then directed her forward and to my relief those signs are spring loaded and the damn thing popped back up! I turn around to get my cart and the one I was pulling when A was running over the sign has run off the curb and tipped one of the boxes onto the parking lot. The corner of the box is ripped open and a piece of wood is broken/torn off the product inside. Holy shit!! What else can happen!!!!! A and I load the rest of the boxes and I head back into the store. I had to go wait in the return isle and a nice lady went and got a new box to replace the damaged one. We loaded up and headed home.

Now to share my jackass moment. A and I have been discussing being more open and affectionate in public. She is open to it even though she has said it will take some adjustment for her. We were walking through the store today and she reached over and took my hand. I was so furious at that moment that I pulled my hand away and told her, "I'm so angry at you right now, I don't want to hold your hand!" 10 minutes later I felt like total shit. She took the initiative, stepped out of her comfort zone and I was a complete and total jackass to her.

On the way home I apologized for my bad behavior and she admited she didn't give a shit about running over that sign because she was imagining it to be me. She apologized for not listening when I suggested we leave the truck running. Within a short time we were laughing about all the things that went wrong on our trip and she said the next time I insist we postpone something, she will listen. I can't help but still feel terrible for not holding her hand. So what should my punishment be?