It was next to impossible to get out bed today. Besides feeling sleep deprived, I awoke with a serious homework hang over - you know, the throbbing headache, sore eyes, and back ache associated with studying for prolonged periods of time. After forcing myself up, and into the frigid temperatures of the outside world, I began my errands.
Work - meeting, emails, meeting, signatures.
Bank - withdrawl, cheque, deposit.
7/11 - full tank of gas
And then I arrived at my final destination: the postage office.
It's around noon, and I am feeling feeling fairly jolly/optimistic at this point, because I am pleasantly surprised and impressed with my productivity thus far (especially considering I am feeling tired, homework hung-over and hungry... no time for breakfast). All I have to do before I can get started on my next paper (one of four 15 page papers due this week) is fed-ex my last minute scholarship application...
"Hello" I smile sweetly at the small, elderly lady behind the counter, "I am hoping to fed-ex this package."
The little lady stares at me blankly... silence, silence, silence....
"We don't do fed-exing."
"Oh... okay, well, do you know where I can go to get a package fed-exed?" I respond politely.
"No" ... Not quite the answer I was looking for.
"Well, I have to get this package mailed soon..." I feel myself becoming increasingly desperate.
"Sorry."
I gaze around the office, searching for...
"It says you have express post?" I see a poster hung in the back, "Is that better than fed-exing?"
"I don't know. We don't fed-ex."
"Of course, but umm... well, how long does express posting take?"
"One day."
Silence. I bite my lip (this is my chronic response when I feel myself becoming emotionally charged). Seriously lady, could you not have volunteered this entirely germane, and useful information before now?
She is still staring blankly at me. I inhale deeply.. "Okay, I'd like to express post this then..."
She takes my package, gives it a look over, and manipulates it in her hands. I'm pretty sure she'd strip search it if she could. I suppose it was pretty suspicious looking... I mean, we all know that mailing a scholarship application package through express mail is the newest way to send anthrax.
I remained silent. My lip increasingly sore.
"Okay... (it'll do?) but you forgot to put a return address on it."
"I thought that would be on the express envelope..." I take my package, and start searching for a pen in my cluttered purse. She taps her foot...
I look behind me... yes, exactly what I thought. I am her only customer.
As I flip the package over and start writing, she interjects:
"It's suppose to be on the front!!!"
Wow, easy there turbo....
"Evidentally... I don't know much about mail" I try to kid.
Silence, silence, silence... not even a smile!!
"Is there any way I can obtain proof of my purchase/date sent?" Why I kept asking questions, I do not know. Clearly this woman was not in the buisness of helping others.
"You'll have to check the website."
"Oh right, of course." I'll put that first thing on my list of things to do today.
She takes my package, and I pay my $8. Jesus, mail is expensive these days. Or perhaps, procrastination and last minute mailing is expensive these days.
"Have a good day," I say as I collect my things. I swear, my voice held no contempt.
"You forgot your pen."
Seriously people... where is the love?
I am stressed, burnt-out, overworked, and floundering like a fish.
I have more work than I do time, and I am exhausted.
And yet... I can still muster up just enough strength, to put on a smile, and be pleasant to a stranger. You think she could of at least tried to return the favour!
As I left the store, I thought to myself, now here is someone who needs to spend just a little more time in her jamies...
Perhaps if Santa is not too busy stuffing her stocking with coal... he could throw in some Christmas flannels. Scratch that - maybe he can throw in a FEW flannels. and some fuzzy socks. and some slippers.
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2 comments:
aw team! that sounds rough. sounds like if you came shopping at a&p at any point over the 4 years that I worked there, you prolly would have found a solid candidate for jamies. I hope your days go better as you hand in more and more essays, and we should chat soon. I love your blog too. horray for bloggin.
You should fed-ex her some pjs.
Seriously though, I once spent a horrible hour at the pharmacist's dealing with a woman whose didn't speak english very well, didn't know how to make a long-distance call to London to check my prescription (you have to dial 1 first, idiot), and then told me that the London pharmacist had no record of me. I asked her to spell out the last name she'd given them, and she spelled "wimminger." I'd spelled it out for her, but she'd cut me off and hadn't listened. That was about a year ago, during a really busy time, and I remembered exactly how much it stressed me out.
At least you got your other stuff done though! Good luck with all those papers.
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