How’s this for a bad day?
Started off in the morning with my mechanic not leaving me voice mail to let me know my car was repaired. He actually said the car would be done the night before, so I waited all night for that call, which never came. (1st pet peeve: I hate when people call & don’t leave a message when they have a message to give… grrrrr, how do you expect that person to know you’ve called? This is especially bad when it’s business!!
Next, I had a ridiculous conversation with a cust svcs rep from Yves Rocher, a cosmetic company I’ve ordered products from for years now. It’s certainly not the first time they’ve been frustrating on the phone, so I normally head that off at the pass by placing my orders online instead, but the site wasn’t working, so I had to resort to calling. So I gave him the product number, he repeated it back to me, good, but he kept asking what I was ordering, I repeated it again & again, which resulted in him saying “well, why didn’t you just say so?” & me replying “um, I did, a few times”. Man, his elevator didn’t go all the way to the top. It got worse, the item I was ordering was on for a 2 4 1 special, but he was insisting he could only give me 1 (!??!), and they didn’t have the free item with any order in stock, & he wouldn’t offer a replacement. So I cancelled the order, said goodbye & hung up. 
Then I get a voice message from Helen at a spa I went to once. She called me Karen, saying a Karen called, so it must have been me (nope, not me). Then Helen called me back asking the same thing! (another pet peeve: WHY do people call again after they’ve just left a voice message??) I told her no, I didn’t call. I had to cancel the electrolysis appointment I had scheduled with her, she asked why, how was everything, so I told her the truth, because the hair came back the next week, so I got into how I was not satisfied with the service. Not only did the friggin hair come back in the next week, but she was rather slow, took her time digging into my skin, which left some scarring for a few days!!!! (I decided to try this spa, because the one I go to is a bit too far, & this new place is much closer.) My hair usually takes several weeks to grow back in, certainly not 1 week, & the lady at the spa I go to is very quick, never digs & so never leaves scars!!! Well, Helen got quite defensive, as you’d expect, explaining herself & her work, which I understand, but she accused me of not getting how electrolysis works, were talking my own frigging hair which I’ve had zapped out for a few months now (she said “it was probably different hair!” {that grew back in} Um, n o, I think I know my own hair!!) And a little too late, she said she should have told me what to do after the treatment, use alcohol (!!!) bc there’s always scarring. Um, yeah, when you dig! Which she insisted many times she didn’t do. Huh? Why would there be scarring then? A+B=C!! Then she accused my original spa of not doing the electrolysis right… y e a h, she’s quick, doesn’t dig, my hair is gone for weeks, yet, she doesn’t know what she’s doing?!? Pretty wonky how she came to that conclusion! She repeated herself a lot & said she’d need to see the hair, but no way was I returning, so I had to tell her you did dig, I did have scarring, & the hair did some back the next week, so I’m not returning to your salon, goodbye & I hung up. 
Next up, I get a voice message from a doctor returning my call calling me Clara. Sigh.
Then I’m coming out of a grocery store which didn’t have any brownies (how can there be none??! It was the only thing I went in for) & a preteen boy on inline skates is coming at me in the very narrow space in front of my car, & he doesn’t stop or move aside, he sneers “well, move”. Um, what??? I say “you excuse yourself” Naturally in these situations, the offender never stays & has it out with you, instead, the wimpy response is to yell from a distance, so as he’s entering the store, he shouts ”you had to move!” (forget that inline skates aren’t allowed in stores) Next pet peeve: children with disgraceful manners. 
Let’s see, oh yes, class that night was rather miserable because when we reviewed our passive homework, I was off on many. Fun. 
On the way home, I sooo need some brownies, so I stop off at another grocery store, a rather pricey one, but the only one open. The only brownies they had were $6, & being an unemployed student (= cheap), I was pissed, but I thought, hey, I can buy a mix & make ‘em! So I’m heading towards the checkout with my 99¢ brownies mix & I decide to give the “express” self check out another go. (Used it a few times before, & there’s always a problem, the cashier who is standing by always has to come over & reset everyone’s register.) I thought the woman ahead of me was finished because the register said “thank you for shopping at superstore” & she was taking her bags. So, I touch the screen to begin, & scan my brownie mix & put it in a bag, but the woman is taking her bags & barks “you aren’t gonna let me finish?” Um, huh? I thought she was done, the freakin register said she was, & I wouldn’t be allowed to scan if she wasn’t done! So, she takes her time gathering her bags, spins the carousel around a few times for good measure, which takes my brownie mix away from me. My total won’t come up, of course, & the screen freezes & all there is to do is wait for the cashier who is busy helping someone else to come & fix it. Express my ass.
I just had to vent about this crap day because soon I won’t be allowed to complain. I ordered some “complaint” bracelets after seeing them on Oprah. That’ll be the ultimate test, huh?, not complaining. Do you think you could do it? http://acomplaintfreeworld.org/
Not only did I not traumatize myself, but no students ran from the class crying either! It was actually enjoyable, especially the last day when my afternoon lesson was a snakes & ladders game I personalized for them. They practiced everything they learned that week and showed progress, which I was so proud to see. The class was a level 1, so beginners, which worried me at first (everyone is afraid of 1’s, even teachers), but after observing them before hand, I realized they were a fun group. The students were from Iran, China, Afghanistan, and Korea - a very fascinating bunch that I learned a lot from.
(the last level)
Not too bad for a phone camera, huh?
lemme at her!!
T
It’s perfect timing, since spring is here, the days are sunnier & getting warmer, which all means of course, it’s Caribana soon! 
