Thrice-Confused Monday
Today was bright and sunny and warm (for early March, that is), and I was feeling fairly bouncy as I walked into the post office to buy some--
"We don't have any."
"You. Don't... what??"
"We don't have any."
Now, based on the typical customer service person's reactions to me, I am normally quite pleasant to deal with, at least compared with the rudeness of other customers around me. And I was trying to be pleasant and polite today, but the employee of the US Postal Service seemed to find me rather troublesome anyway. Then again, when I go to the post office, I don't normally find myself in the position of saying, "You don't have any postage stamps?"
"No, we don't have any postage stamps."
"Well, do you know when you will have postage stamps?"
"No idea. They're on order."
Terribly confused at this point. "You don't know if you'll have any postage stamps tomorrow?" No, she didn't. And so eventually I gave up and wandered off in a haze of confusion and defeat. Fortunately, I did manage to buy plenty of postage stamps later--at the grocery store.
~~~~~
In the evening, I walked out of the house again to enjoy the weather some more, and also to console myself for the day's earlier misfortunes by buying some weirdly artifically flavored Easter candy. (As a side note, I believe that the modern American celebration of the spring holiday may best be summed up by the motto printed on the Easter chocolate money for sale: IN BUNNIES WE TRUST. The more you ponder it, the more you are enlightened.) Anyway, as I was choosing between the artifical maple-flavored egg and the artifical raspberry-flavored one, a woman came up to me holding a bright green thing and asking, "Do you think this would make me look too childish? If I wear it in my hair, I mean?" I looked at it, looked at her, and said it depended on when & where she wanted to wear it. So she said she was thinking of buying it to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, she's in her 40s and was concerned that it might make her look childish.
I have to admit to being a bit boggled by the question at this point, which was reflected in my own question for her, which was something along the lines of: "If you're celebrating St. Patrick's Day, why do you care if you look childish when you're celebrating?" Here in the US, St. Patrick's Day celebrations are not generally known for maturity, dignity, or sobriety in any sense. She may have seen my point, because she decided she'd make her purchasing decision based on how much the thing cost rather than how silly it might make her look. (For the record: It was something I might wear, but I have a weakness for tacky.)
~~~~~
For some reason, I keep thinking today is Tuesday.
"We don't have any."
"You. Don't... what??"
"We don't have any."
Now, based on the typical customer service person's reactions to me, I am normally quite pleasant to deal with, at least compared with the rudeness of other customers around me. And I was trying to be pleasant and polite today, but the employee of the US Postal Service seemed to find me rather troublesome anyway. Then again, when I go to the post office, I don't normally find myself in the position of saying, "You don't have any postage stamps?"
"No, we don't have any postage stamps."
"Well, do you know when you will have postage stamps?"
"No idea. They're on order."
Terribly confused at this point. "You don't know if you'll have any postage stamps tomorrow?" No, she didn't. And so eventually I gave up and wandered off in a haze of confusion and defeat. Fortunately, I did manage to buy plenty of postage stamps later--at the grocery store.
~~~~~
In the evening, I walked out of the house again to enjoy the weather some more, and also to console myself for the day's earlier misfortunes by buying some weirdly artifically flavored Easter candy. (As a side note, I believe that the modern American celebration of the spring holiday may best be summed up by the motto printed on the Easter chocolate money for sale: IN BUNNIES WE TRUST. The more you ponder it, the more you are enlightened.) Anyway, as I was choosing between the artifical maple-flavored egg and the artifical raspberry-flavored one, a woman came up to me holding a bright green thing and asking, "Do you think this would make me look too childish? If I wear it in my hair, I mean?" I looked at it, looked at her, and said it depended on when & where she wanted to wear it. So she said she was thinking of buying it to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, she's in her 40s and was concerned that it might make her look childish.
I have to admit to being a bit boggled by the question at this point, which was reflected in my own question for her, which was something along the lines of: "If you're celebrating St. Patrick's Day, why do you care if you look childish when you're celebrating?" Here in the US, St. Patrick's Day celebrations are not generally known for maturity, dignity, or sobriety in any sense. She may have seen my point, because she decided she'd make her purchasing decision based on how much the thing cost rather than how silly it might make her look. (For the record: It was something I might wear, but I have a weakness for tacky.)
~~~~~
For some reason, I keep thinking today is Tuesday.