New Day

Well, still have the headache. Did get some stuff done today, anyway.

I asked mom to help me paint a mural at church. It's a small wall outside the preschool classroom, about 8 feet tall and 11 or 12 feet long. I had to first get the paint, so I went to the Home Depot on our side of the river. Picked out about eight different colors and went to the paint counter. It was already hot and the store was very busy. To my dismay, it looked like the paint guy was alone and there were three people in front of me. So I waited until my turn, dreading giving this guy all these colors to mix. At 10:45 I presented him with the swatch cards. He said apologetically that it would take awhile. Eyeing a pregnant woman in line, I told him to feel free to slip in some others' paint inbetween mine. I stepped to the far end of the counter and leaned for a moment. The preggo woman and her husband give Jeff the employee their color swatch, then walked away, coming towards me. As they passed behind me, she sez "it's going to take awhile, he's got like 80 gallons to do." I said quietly to myself "no, only 2 gallons and 6 quarts."

Geeez. Don't get started on me, sister. Sorry that your pregnancy ain't sittin' well with you, but I delivered 12 1/2 pounds of babies and we changed over 200 diapers a week for over three months (we had a diaper service, so I know the number!!). If you can't stand the line at the counter then stay at home.

So I decided to go off to gather brushes and the rest of the stuff.

I wander around, checking back now and then. Others were getting their paints. Saw one man get three. Two guys got two five gallon buckets of stains done. Saw another get a group of three gallons. And so forth. I wander around the who paint island and see my swatches and the computer print-out stickers sitting back there. Checking my watch (well, the clock on my cell phone), I see that it's getting close to being an hour since I gave him those colors to do. I return to the counter and when he gets there I ask him how many more of mine are still to be done (suspecting, mind you, that he hadn't started yet). He admits that he hadn't gotten to them because of all of the other customers. I let him know that he had done more gallons for others than I had given to him in total, and some of those were groups of threes and one of a group of four. He apologized and said he would get on it soon. (soon?!)

Now I'm steaming. I went to the Customer Service counter and told them my story. The woman there told me that I needed to speak to the manager, Chris. I said that I just thought that Jeff, the paint guy, needed someone to get over there and help. Turns out that they had asked other employees in the building, but no one else could do it. The woman practically begged me to complain to the manager, because under-scheduling was a chronic problem.

So now I'm off to look for Manager Chris. Found a tall employee named Jim. Asked where Chris was. He offered to find Chris for me and asked for the specifics of the problem. He returns, saying that Chris was handing another problem and Jim was now empowered to help me out ... and he said that there would be NO CHARGE for the paint.

WHAT? I truthfully was flabbergasted. Never expected that (but inside I was as tickled as could be). Told Jim that I didn't expect that, just for Jeff to get some help. It still took awhile for the paint to be done because Jeff was still alone.

When I finally got the last of the paint, a woman who had been at the counter for a while said "it's MY turn now, I've been here a long time!" in a rather nasty voice.

I turned my head toward her and said quietly, "I've been here for an hour and a half."

"You had a lot done," she said without sympathy and a bit of a sneer.

Looking at her and wondering if that plush belly was holding a baby or just fat, I said, "He didn't even start my stuff for an hour after I had given him my colors."

She just made an impatient nose and turned away, clearly dismissing me.

Meanwhile, mom had been waiting for me at church. We didn't get a start on the mural until after 1 pm and I had planned on getting there before noon. But we're a good team and got alot accomplished. Naturally, neither of us thought to bring a camera, but we'll try to remember next time (mom, keeping notes?).