Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Can I get a Do Over?

Today is what I like to call a do-over day….and its only 9:36am

Lucy woke up in a seemingly good mood – a trite early but in a good mood.
 Me? I just woke up – not a good mood, not a bad mood, I just woke up.

Did my half hour walk…but had to fight with myself to get out the door – I really would have loved another 30 minutes of sleep and solitude.
 Sean set the breakfast table while I showered and by 6:20, we were all sitting down for the most important meal of the day.

Sean was having granola, Lucy was having Loop Loops (Fruit Loops) and I too was having Loop Loops courtesy of Lucy.

Lucy helped me pour the milk into her cereal, then mine, and then we had to do Daddy’s…..that was when she noticed he had raisins in his cereal and she did not. She demanded raisins; we were out of them so we substituted dried cranberries which she also loves….and breakfast continued…
Lucy practiced her macaroni and cheese smile (its picture day at school and when Lucy has her picture taken, she does not just bust out with cheese, she gives you MACARONI AND CHEEEEESSSSEEEE!!!!) and we chatted about what she was going to do at school today (read books, play, pump on the swings). Though she refused her Loop Loops, she ate handfuls of cranberries and she has a second breakfast at school so we weren’t bothered….nor was she….until it was time to go upstairs and get dressed.

Next thing we know, we have a full blown melt down on our hands……like The Hurt Locker incident.
It started because Lucy wanted to read a book, I vetoed the book and said after you brush your teeth and get dressed, you and Daddy can read books…but right now, upstairs to brush teeth and get dressed.
Wailing, crying and body flinging ensued. I lost my patience as I needed to get out the door for work but when I made a move for the door, the screaming intensified….

Sure, I could have left, there is no doubt in my mind that Sean could have handled it. But I did not leave….for two reasons: as pissed off as I was that she was having a meltdown for no reason, I could not leave her in such a state. I would have left feeling guilty and angry that I left Lucy behind so upset. And leave with no good bye kiss? No way Jose. Secondly, I did not feel like it was fair to leave Sean on his own with a stark raving mad lunatic. Again, I’m sure he could have handled it but I would have felt guilty leaving him there on his own.
Somehow, I got her upstairs….and somehow, through clenched teeth, a raised voice and one forceful push on her legs to stop the kicking, I got her diaper changed and clothes on. At this point, I could have cared less if we brushed her teeth but she picked up her teeth brush as I convinced her to catch a sugar bug or two and scare Daddy with them….she loves catching sugar bugs and was immediately keen on the idea.  

And now, when we catch them, we hold up the toothbrush to look at them and they sometimes ”scare us” (which is Mummy really making a boo like sound while making the toothbrush jump)…which is what we were going to do to Daddy because he gets scared the best jumping a mile high and pulling a fantastically funny frightened face and Lucy collapses in piles of giggles every time he does it…..

Well, I apparently was a bit to overzealous with my sugar bug boo….upon scaring Daddy, I triggered Lucy and more crying and wailing ensued. I scooped her up and carried her downstairs to get her shoes on and she was wailing about how the sugar bugs scared her…so I cuddled her and snuggled her and told her the bugs and Mummy were terribly sorry…..by now, I’m 10 minutes late leaving.
 We get out the door

I kiss my family, get in the car, and start to pull away when Lucy decides she needs more kisses....and then falls on her ass in the wet (and muddy) grass.
I thought poor Sean was going to lose it
It looks more wet than dirty to me, I say. Besides, who cares, pictures are from the waist up….
But I think he was more worried about her being wet. Well, take an extra pair of pants and have them change her at school….that's all I got as now, we're all late leaving.....
Commute in: I was late. I got stuck behind the buses (I pass 4 schools on my way to work – I thought it was only 3 but I counted this morning…I had time…) I got stuck behind a Volvo going 12 miles per hour…because he was shaving. I pass the Volvo and then get stuck behind a big old dump truck which at one point, with minimal warning, stopped and started to back up….fast....then went back into drive and only to stop short again.

I arrive at work – late – though technically not late because really, I don’t start until 8…..but I’ve been trying to get in early as I want to switch my hours and need to prove I can consistently make it in early….plus, as I’ve said before, I don’t want anyone to figure out that I’m still struggling to balance work and home.
My work day started with my answering emails.

The first three I had to read twice because I could not believe I was being asked such asinine questions. Questions that if the person had been standing in front of me I probably would have asked him if he was being serious or puling my leg....but I know he was serious because as I was reading said emails, he called to make sure I was reading his emails and could answer his questiosn.

The forurth email was a request to do something that did not make sense to me. So I called the requestor to see if what he was asking me to do was really what he wanted me to do (it wasn’t) Then, I spent the next ten minutes trying to figure out what it was in fact he needed me to do (I guess I'm not sure) So then I had to figure out what it was he was supposed to do by reading the communications he had with the firm requesting the information and action.

Meanwhile, someone walks into my office telling me the same person I was just speaking with asked yesterday for the same information he asked me for…so I needed to turn it over.

I said it’s not what he needs, he actually needs...but I was interrupted and countered with well its what he asked me for…I understand that I say, but it’s not what he needs. I’ve already spoken to him and I’ll take care of it.

But he told me to do it!

Ok, I get that but you're taking care of it is coming to me for the information and I'm telling you that based on my conversation with him and the requesting firm, what he asked us for yesterday is not what he needs...…….to which I get attitude, an eye roll and a stomp out of my office....

Then I get a phone call from the owner who is at the car dealership trying to get his car straightened out. The dealer was supposed to email me something yesterday and I kept telling my boss (yesterday) I did not get it. I knew he needed it for this morning but he was not overly concerned….I should have known better but I let it go.
So he calls from the dealer this morning and says in a clipped tone the dealer says he emailed the paperwork to you yesterday and you did not return it.
Well, I did not get it I say……

He says he emailed it

I understand that but I’m afraid I did not get it. Can you confirm the address he used?

I’m put on speaker phone and I ask the dealer to confirm the address he used.

I used the one I was given he says
Can you tell me what that was?
Yours
Ok, I say..Clearly I need to be more specific.

Can you tell me how you spelled my name?
Like it sounds

Seriously?!? I totally want to reach through the phone and punch this guy
 Did you use .net or .com (we are .net and people always use .com)

I used .net, like I was told! I know how to send an email!

Ok, I was just checking, sometimes people accidentally use .com out of habit
You think I’ve never seen .net before?

I can’t believe this guy makes a living selling cars…dealing with people….charming people…
How did you spell refrigeration?

You think I can’t spell.
No Mr Dealer but, I think that when people try to email us, they make two common mistakes: they use .com instead of .net and they spell refrigeration with a D and there is no D in refrigeration

Well, I know how to spell.
Ok, can you tell me how you spelled refrigeration?

Correctly he says
Then I hear my boss say, No you didn’t! She’s right! You spelled it with a D. RESEND IT!

So he resends it…with no attachment
So I email him back, I try to call him (cell and desk) no answer, no response.

So I call my boss – there’s no attachment I say
Are you kidding me? he says

No, I say, today is not a kidding around kind of day….I am not kidding. Can you ask him to re-send?
I might punch him my boss says

I’ll bail you out I say
So I finally get the form, fill it out and have it back in their hands within ten minutes

The majority of people in the office are grumpy as are the people on the other end of the phone I’ve dealt with today. I may stop answering the phone. I also had a salesperson, just minutes before 8am, walk in off the street only to be highly offended when I rebuked his sales push....so he told me I was mean……
I did not think I was mean, I just told him I appreciated his stopping by but did not have the time to sit with him and if he wanted to leave some information, if I was interested, I could call him and make an appointment for him to come back…
He kept telling me I did not need to be so rude……so I pointed out I would not have to be so rude and or mean if he could read as there is a big NO SOLICITATION sign on the front door…he said he did not think it pertained to him…I’m not sure why he did not think it pertained to him but I wish I had the confidence he has to decided what does and does not pertain to me……and to tell people so
All this and its only 9:36am…
To boot, I spilled coffee on my shoulder (not sure how I did that but there was coffee on my left shoulder and it was hot…and wet), my new computer has crashed twice (once while I was in the middle of a report that I started putting together yesterday and finished this morning when a stroke of genius hit me), my shoes are squeaking and though I know I should be grateful for this, my shirt is now too big and I look like a big unkempt blueberry (my shirt is blue, like blueberry blue)
So...can I get a Do Over? Or a drink?

Maybe I'll move to Australia........

Maria the Mum

1 comment:

  1. I'd be impressed if the Volvo driver was having a wet-shave.

    ReplyDelete

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