The Errand From Hell
Two of my favorite things: Chuck Taylors and my camera strap
You wake up early one morning because you need to wash a few dishes and trade out laundry before work. This means you’re up before 4:30am instead of before 5am. You plan your day in your head while you’re drinking your coffee and remember you need to run an errand after work. After work because – since you leave the house at 6:20am – the place is not open before work. You get the kids ready for school and head out the door.
You end up working a little later than usual so this errand is now really cramping into your evening. You try to decide – run the errand before you get the kids or after. Since after may be cutting it too close to the Closing Time at your daycare, you opt to get all the kids first. Including the teenager who you decide can sit in the car with the small kids while you run this errand. Game Plan established. Time to execute.
You get to the store to complete the task. You stand in line while your teenager entertains your kids out in the van. You wait. You wait some more. You wait some more. You start glaring at employees who don’t even seem to acknowledge you are there. Yes, they are helping other customers, but could someone at least say, “We’ll be with you in a minute ma’am?” Do they even SEE you? HELLO!!!! OVER HERE!!!! Finally someone sees you (and acts surprised!) and pages someone to come help you. After you’ve been waiting now for TWENTY MINUTES, someone finally offers to assist you. When you tell them what you need, they say they probably can’t get it done as quick as you’d like. “But – there’s a place right down the road who can.”
This confuses you because you’ve never seen that place before. You request clarification to be sure. They are very specific. “Yes. It is right between Restaurant A and Cookie Shop B. They will take your order until 7pm.” You look at your watch. 6:15pm. It’s close enough that this won’t be a problem. You go out to the car and tell the kids we have to try somewhere else. Everyone is hungry and grumpy. Including you. So, you call your husband to talk dinner and decide that you will pick up dinner on the way home. After this DAMN ERRAND.
You drive to the shopping complex where Restaurant A and Cookie Shop B are located. Between them? NOTHING. This place that accepts orders until 7pm? DOES NOT EXIST. You curse and rage in your mind for a few seconds. You call information. You find out it does exist, but on the OTHER SIDE OF TOWN. No way you can make it by 7pm. You plot how to torture the employee who told you the WRONG INFORMATION. You call the store to yell at him. Instead you simply say, “You should make sure all of your employees know this place does not exist. Thank you.” Because deep down inside, underneath all of that anxiety, you are still a softy.
You turn up Jason Mraz and dance a little bit to try to alleviate your stress. Your teenager opts to join you instead of mock you. Good call on his part. You pick up dinner on the way home for the whole family but when you get home you remember: SHIT. It’s Bath Night. And also? You’re out of coffee and milk. You and your spouse play Paper/Rock/Scissors and decide he gets to give the baths while you have to go get milk and coffee. MORE ERRANDS. When you finally get home, the kids are clean and it’s time for them to go to bed. You’ve spent all of 6 quality minutes with them so far for the day. And it’s already bed time. You read a few extra silly poems (You’re in the middle of a Shel Silverstein book, of course) before tucking in your child and kissing them goodnight. You rock the baby. You gossip with the teenager. You put on your pajamas and drink half a beer before you realize you’re so exhausted you can’t stay awake another minute. You fall asleep before 9:30pm.
********************
That was my day yesterday. It is not really that unusual. I am often very hard on myself, feeling like I’m just not doing as much as I should be for myself and my family. But you know what? When I actually put my day into words? I step back and realize…DAMN. I’m kinda awesome, you know? That’s a damn tough day right there. Not the toughest, by any means, but it’s pretty busy. The kind of day that would have – in the past – driven me to tears and a freakout breakdown. But yesterday? I just drank half a beer. I didn’t even cry…not even once! I should quit giving myself such a hard time, you know? So today – I’m going to pat myself on the back. I could have totally lost my mind yesterday, but I didn’t. I stayed (relatively) composed through all of the chaos and I didn’t even lose my patience with my kids. Not even once. I did a lot of deep breathing, of course, but for the most part? I kept my cool. Go, me! I may not be making the huge strides I want to, but I’m doing better. I’m handling my anxiety better (Jason Mraz helps a lot) and I’m coping with stress better.
I mean – it’s all about the baby steps, right?
Of course, this guy’s new funny faces kinda help too.
That sounds like a crazy day. I hate when employees don’t know what the hell is going on. I guess I’ve kind of gotten used to being ignored by them, though.
Shel Silverstein is the bomb.
I know it’s wrong but after reading all that the thing that keeps sticking with me is “Where did she get that camera strap?!?” Love It.
I hate days like that. Seriously though- Jason Mraz is like the cure for everything! I’ve been listening to his new album almost non-stop since before christmas!
When I first looked at your pic, I thought it was the hem of a very awesome shirt or dress you were wearing over jeans. I also love it as a camera strap.
Leaving the house by 6:20 a.m. every morning is a feat in itself. Applauding here and now your tendency to be full of teh awesum.
Also, it’s not even 10 a.m. and I’ve already cried. But I blame Linda @ All and Sundry for that one!
Absolutely – you’ve got to cut yourself some slack. It boggles me that you get up as early as you do – you’re amazing, for that fact alone! And it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who will leave the house JUST to get coffee and milk (or in my case, creamer).
I’m all for Southern politeness, but when I’ve the Kid in tow and I’m trying to get an errand done, my max wait time is five minutes. If employees are ignoring me, I start saying “Excuse me” and “Hello” and “Could you help me with something?” at increasing volume until someone pays attention.
Kudos for staying polite through all of that. I assure you I would not have been.
But then again – they didn’t deserve your politeness.
ugh sounds like a frustrating day, and you handled it well. I would have gone off on the employee….especially if it was TTOM. So yes you did very very good and should be happy!!
That face is AWESOME!!
I will not play at tug o’ war.
I’d rather play at hug o’ war.
Where everyone hugs,
instead of tugs,
and everyone giggles
and rolls on the rug
and everyone kisses
and everyone grins
and everyone cuddles
and everyone wins.
Gah! This is the WORST kind of pain in the tail. Oh, the rage! Hope today is better
I want to cry just reading about your day. You’re a superhero and I must know where you got that camera strap!
Go, you!
I find that the right soundtrack can sometimes make all things possible.
And my goodness, he’s cute.
The idea of getting up at 4:30 in the morning makes me want to die.
You are amazing!
I bought the camera strap here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5159339
I love that tounge.
Maybe I should blog about my day so I can feel more accomplished, lol. I also feel like I can always be doing more but the day goes by so quickly, even though I work part time from home.
WOW! You got me all exhausted!
Yes, you go girl and jam w/Mr. Mraz all you want…I should try that sometime when I’m about to lose my cool.
And yes, such a cutie pie!
Ok you so do not need to be hard yourself!! It is a trap we as women tend to fall into. It sounds as if you just kept on trucking!!!
I’m exhausted READING about your day. I really think you’re supermom/woman/human!
WE have my 6 month old grandaughter now and last month she started with the tongue , just like that , its so funny !
Oh my gosh! I LOVE that photograph and your camera strap ROCKS!!
First, love the camera straps.
Second, you’re pretty awesome. Some days are just like that, ya know?
You just simply rock. My one child and all the everyday things I need to get done almost do me in. That you do all of this AND write about it so entertainingly is amazing to me.
You’re definitely AWESOME!
I love your camera strap. I bought mine at http://www.myfunkycamera.com. I think I will treat myself to another one.
P.S. I just love AndyZ’s expressions. Great capture.
P.P.S. OMG! You’ve created a monster. I’ve been surfing Etsy for camera straps. I can’t decide which one to buy.