Because of Daylight Savings, I woke up early, early this morning. I wandered into the kitchen and decided to make banana bread. Once I started combining ingredients, I realized I had hardly any of the required items. I substituted sour cream for butter, oil for eggs and yogurt for buttermilk. And it worked! The kids gobbled up a whole loaf and packed the other one for their lunch. I got the banana-bread-stuffed kids to school on time and happy, their practicing done, Golda's ortho appointment was short and on schedule, Xanthe was adorably prepared for ballet. I was flying high! After dropping Xanthe off at dance, I made it in perfect time for Freestone's SEP. He spoke French beautifully with his teacher and got a great report. My morning was clicking into place with ease and I felt energized! As I pulled over to the side of the alley to wait for Xanthe to emerge from ballet, the first snowfall of the season started to dust the vibrant leaves. Exciting! Ptolemy was dozing, I was snuggled up in the driver's seat listening to NPR. Life was grand. Then I got an angry knock on my window. Rolling it down, I was accosted by shouting. "YOU CAN'T PARK HERE! MY EMPLOYEE IS COMING! CAN'T YOU SEE THE NO PARKING SIGNS? NOW GIT OUTTA HERE!!" She spat the words out like I was a particularly ugly stray dog. I half-expected her to kick me in the ribs.
I wasn't exactly parked, but I moved my car. Naive little optimist that I am, I thought I could fix the confrontation. I walked up to the woman who was now opening the door to her business and said sweetly, "Now what was your name?" It was Connie, she barked, the owner of a certain travel agency on Main Street. Ignoring my smile, she laid into me with a tirade of things she was "sick and tired of" that, if we're being reasonable, had nothing to do with me. I replied calmly, "I know. It must be frustrating. I'm sorry." The door slammed in my face.
And with that, my perfect morning crumbled like a week-old cupcake. I felt a lot smaller and the snow started to look like a wet, inconvenient intrusion rather than a festive celebration. Now I feel like I've been thrown up on again, only this type of vomit is a lot harder to clean off than the literal kind. It'll take me all day and probably into the night to feel clean again. Thanks, Connie. What a travel agent. You just slapped me with a one-way ticket to Uglytown.
7 comments:
Oh man! You'll have to tell me where you parked so I don't run into "Connie" tomorrow at dance. Plus... doesn't she know you are the bomb.com when it comes to blogging and that if she knew what was good for her and her business, she would have swooned when she saw you and offered you a free trip.
Instead of blogging about her friendly demeanor and fab travel skillz, we now know who NOT to frequent when we need travel assistance. :) Said in my best Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman, shopping on Rodeo drive, scene (I know Scott hates it when I quote) Big Mistake! Big! Huge! (Of course that is from the TNT edited version!) :)
I've absorbed a motto, printed on the balloon I bought to cheer up a friend after our high school AP chemistry teacher yelled at her: Don't let the turkeys get you down.
I know this is hard, especially when someone as truly good as you has been treated so rudely. Only for a moment do yo have a one-way ticket to Uglytown. You'll work your way out of there the next time you do something kind for someone else (which, by my calculations, has probably happened 20 times over by now). I'm so sorry you got a short sight-seeing trip to Uglytown. But Connie? She LIVES there. I only go on vacations in my dreams, but I'm already boycotting her business in my head!
I think you never went to ugly town by the way you kept your cool. I know I would have opened my big mouth with something ugly right back. I just hate it when some random thing sours a mood.
Take some chocolate and a nap and everything should look rosey again!
Ooooh, I can feel your pain. That alley can be an ugly place when it comes to parking issues. I've been on both sides of it... Stuck behind cars that think the alley is a parking lot, and have no problem backing up all the cars behind them while they disappear into the studio for 5 minutes. However I have also seen a few ugly tantrums in that alley, from people whose garages back into the alley... I get their frustration with the ballet traffic, but wonder if any of it merits that kind of anger, and trust that it does not. I'm sure Jason has honked his home more than a few times, trying to back out of his parking spot in the alley, and I've heard him vent more than a time or two about it all...
That said, I am sorry you got crapped on. I was smiling at your lyrical description of your lovely morning, and I'm sad it came to such an ugly end. :(
It's amazing how quickly negativity can poison everything in it's path. It is especially scary to think that as a Mother. At least you tried to cheer Connie up, your intentions were good.
Your morning sounds incredible. Banana bread, practice and ortho appt. before school! So sorry about Connie and her rage. I also think she must live a very unhappy life to escalate her rage over a very little thing. I admire the way you tried to be friendly to her anyway!
I hate it when people act like that. Seriously, every time it happens to me, I too end up in a bad mood.
I work really hard not to be like that. I hope I haven't done the same thing to others.
I am pretty impressed that you tried to work it out with her! Wow. Very Christ like. You are amazing. I would have been shaking in my boots. I don't think I could have approached her. You are an amazing, bread making, kid raising woman.
Post a Comment