A trifecta of inconveniences
I try so hard, really I do, not to complain.
You, over there, in the corner, with the blue shirt on? You are SO grounded for laughing at me.
Ahem. Well, yesterday, I went to the cleaners to pick up The Hubster's shirts. When I dropped them off, I (nicely and sweetly, with not too much saccharine) called attention to the fact that almost all of the cuff buttons were cracked or missing. A heartfelt apology was issued, with pinky swear promises to avoid it in the future. CERTAINLY, the buttons would be replaced. At no cost, of course. I showed the clerk with the three feet of hair sticking up from her forehead and the five inch long nails that each shirt had extra buttons on the tail. When I went to get the shirts, they were no where to be found. Finally, it was determined that they were in the area for repair, being repaired that very second. Ok, fine. Except that they were supposed to be fixed BEFORE they were pressed, and the three ladies sewing were also SMOKING. AT THE SAME TIME.
Alrighty, then. I agreed to come back in an hour. Which I did, to find that his shirts were ready. I thought, "Maybe I'll just check them out", and apologized in advance to the cashier for my need to double check their work. I blamed The Hubster for it - "He's just so picky, and I know he'll be upset if I say I didn't check." I was all Southern Belle on them.
It's good that I checked, since they sewed WHITE buttons on some of them, where there was already a clear button, making one white and one clear, with gray thread.
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Today my dryer repair man came. Despite making the appt for Friday, and having a confirmation, Sears told me that I made the appt for Saturday. $181 later, my dryer works. The thermostat shorted out, which messed up something or another. Fine, whatever. Except for the fact that $129 was labor fees - for 15 minutes.
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Today was also the day that I took Allegra to the on call pediatrician. Hold your breath - are you ready for her diagnosis?
STREP.
This makes FOUR times. I still have a cold, so he told me to get a throat swab on Monday if I wasn't better by then. He also suggested burning down the house. But make sure to get the kids out first.
Oh MAN! The shirt thing would have put me through the roof. Time to find a new cleaner.
Posted by: Liz | February 25, 2006 at 01:53 PM
I think we go to the same dry cleaners! Doesn't that just burn you when they do that? Or put the cheap white buttons on a shirt with fancy buttons.
grrrr...
Posted by: noelle | February 25, 2006 at 02:14 PM
Do you remember those commercials for Calgon. Michele sent me.
Posted by: The Gnat's Trumpet | February 25, 2006 at 02:27 PM
Hi, here from Michele's and its my first visit...great blog!
You were way too southern belle at the cleaners!
Why do they think it OK to do crap like that???
Posted by: Ash | February 25, 2006 at 02:44 PM
Yeah, that shirt thing is a pain in the you-know-what. I finally asked our cleaners to try light starch thinking that maybe they wouldn't destroy the buttons as often. Not sure if it's working.....
Sounds like you're having a rough day. Hang in there!
Michele sent me!
Posted by: Karen | February 25, 2006 at 02:51 PM
Thanks for visiting. That strep is a hard one. With four strep throat infections in a year it is time for the tonsils to come out. My girl had this problem when she was severn. I cultured, treated, recultured, then two months later another one. And hers were huge as well. So out they came. Now she is nineteen and I can count on one hand the number of times she has had fever in the last 12 years. I told her the Bill Cosby line: Not only were her tonsils no longer protecting her, they had gone so far as to join the other side and now were the enemy. Good luck.
Posted by: srp | February 25, 2006 at 02:56 PM
Last spring we had one child have Strep for 3 months.. She would take all the meds and 2 days after they were gone... we had it again.. she shared it with her brothers each of them had it once. FINALLY we determined she was what they call a carrier of the strep virus, she had to be treated with different medication to rid the virus from her body... Could your daughter be a carrier? Has she been tested for this?
It might be worth it.
Posted by: Michelle | February 25, 2006 at 03:10 PM
I'm hoping my washer will be fixed by the end of today. Too cheap to call the repair guy just yet, I forced the husband to rip it apart and found the offending part (same as the last time the damn machine broke). He's picking up a replacement part on his way home today. YAY! for working appliances.
Posted by: MoMMY | February 25, 2006 at 03:27 PM
Sounds like the cleaners won't be around for too much longer if they continue to set new lows for customer service.
Are there other cleaners nearby? What ever happened to conscientious service?
Posted by: Carmi | February 25, 2006 at 04:12 PM
What a day! I hope the rest of your weekend improves from here!
Michele sent me. :)
Posted by: Curiosity_Kitten | February 25, 2006 at 04:46 PM
Here from Michele today...
Oh My Lordy...the cleaners could drive you mad, couldn't they?
That strep thing is a real drag...I hope you get your throat checked and that all of you get well very soon...!
Posted by: OldOldLady Of The Hills | February 25, 2006 at 04:58 PM
Have you gotten all new toothbrushes for everyone? Might be cheaper than burning down the house. Hope things clear up soon, poor thing!
Posted by: Mary Poppins NOT (Renee) | February 25, 2006 at 07:25 PM
Argh. Yucko day! Strep is such a nasty monster. Throw out ALL the toothbrushes and disinfect (heavily) the cups and silverware.
Maybe A is a carrier? That can make a difference when it comes to treatment.
Hugs.
Posted by: Kim | February 25, 2006 at 08:36 PM
Don't those labor fees just frost you??? Hope your kids get better soon!!
Mary
Posted by: Owlhaven | February 26, 2006 at 12:50 AM
Ugh, I am SO sorry - for the strep and the stupid cleaners! Customer service is really becoming a thing of the past...
BTW - who is Michele? ;-)
Posted by: Elizabeth | February 26, 2006 at 01:25 PM
What good would it do to burn down the house if you take the germy kids with you? Much better for you to just move out ;-)
Posted by: chris | February 26, 2006 at 08:38 PM
The last repairman that was here said if an appliance was over 2 yrs that it is time to replace:( Not that I can afford that but it was $189 for service w/no parts.
Had the same thing as your strep but mine was scabies (foster kids brought them) and I like to never got rid of the "circle of life"!
Posted by: Amah | February 27, 2006 at 07:52 AM
I give you credit for pursuing the buttons. I would have hoped no one had noticed the colors. I'm lazy that way.
Posted by: Anne Glamore | February 27, 2006 at 10:07 AM
Strep seems to be going around lately. Please, PLEASE don't let it makes its way into our home...
Hope you all feel better soon!
Posted by: Wicked Stepmom | February 27, 2006 at 11:57 AM
How about a routine physical that took 20 minutes at the doctor that cost $167?
And I had to drive my kid THERE!
Think about it..the doctors have people waiting to come in to them....the repairman has to go out to each house (and some of the houses are AWFUL)
***says the wife of an HVAC/Plumber company owner
Posted by: Mary | February 27, 2006 at 02:30 PM