Oh, the Holiday Spirit

I'd love to be posting more positively, but first I must share a small window of my day; the portion in which I encountered those in the field of service.

1. Window men: They arrive at 9am and proceed to tear through the house in a whirlwind of taking out windows, inserting certain components, and putting back the windows. This means the furnace is on for a constant 3 hours after they leave and though I would have preferred the landlady have this done when it's 80 degrees and I can take my son outside to play while it's being done, I grin and bear it. After they leave, I discover that the house has been semi-destroyed despite the fact they said they would be doing "clean-up." My window trinkets are scattered about the kitchen counter (they weren't even supposed to do the kitchen window) , Clayton's room has been rearranged--by them, not him, as I moved things so they could have access to the window, the sofa is relocated, the blinds are left up in our bedroom (minor), and in my office, things have been moved as well. They were here for a full 1 hour; however, I snuck a peek at the invoice and it seems that they charged the landlady $300 for labor alone--$460 total.

2. Dental visit: I'm not one of those folks who dreads going to the dentist because of the procedures, but I do loathe the office folks and the dentist himself. Last year my dentist of 20 years performed a root canal on the wrong tooth and inserted a metal rod in one tooth that I found out later was an outdated method of dentistry. After demanding my money back and insisting that he pay for it to be done correctly at a specialist's, I decided to switch to my in-laws' dentist. This guy is as arrogant and condescending as they come, so I tend to hesitate making appointments. I went in today so I could utilize a portion of our dental benefits before the end of the year, though I have cancelled a couple appointments with him earlier in the year because I couldn't stand the thought of going in. Well, today wasn't much better.

The tech: The lady who cleans my teeth is pleasant and for a minute or two I feel great relief in her care. I should have known it was too good to be true when I go to spit my gum out and she snaps, "Now that is sugar-free gum, isn't it?" Then she reveals that she "just learned how yesterday" to perform x-rays and is merely a fill-in for the next couple of days. But that's okay, because I'm all about giving the benefit of the doubt. She's making small talk, asking me what I'm going to do when I graduate and such. Somehow it comes up that I was a teacher and she tells me her daughter started teaching junior high, as well. She emphasizes that her daughter is petite and was getting hit on by students all the time so she switched to 2nd grade. Okay, whatever. But then as she's got her hands crammed in my mouth, she's talking endlessly about her family. I totally love conversation, but the way this woman was going on about the success of her children, I got the feeling she was just being way too pretentious. But again, whatever. I appreciate the chatter.

Oh, but then she starts telling me about a story she submitted to Reader's Digest (you know, the humorous stories where you can win $) and I am totally appalled when she starts with the sentence, "We saw these people's cat get hit but they drove off..." (Seeing how I just lost my own cat in a hit-and-run, this is a wee-bit sensitive topic with me.) But she continues on about how they stopped to put it in a Kohl's sack--rather than find the rightful owner--and go out to Applebee's for lunch with the dead cat in the trunk. Furthermore, they don't want to leave the cat in the trunk for fear it might "stink up" the car, so they set it out by the side of the car. Another lady comes along, thinking she's getting something good because it's a hefty sack, and takes the bag into Applebee's with her! Next thing they knew, the lady opened the sack and passed out right there in Applebee's. An ambulance came for the woman and they put the sack between her legs as they drove off. She continues to mention that she's often stopped at other times to pick up hit cats and, again, instead of trying to find the rightful owner, she takes them to the vet to be put down.

And she expects me to laugh at this?

Later, as she's scraping my teeth, she's getting crappy about my poor flossing habits. Hey, I was honest with her that I don't floss, so was it necessary to provide a hateful tirade afterwards? I mean, it's bad enough I've heard it from dentist man the last few times. Plus, it would be different if it wasn't in such a hateful manner. i.e.-"Yeah, you're really going to have to start flossing, especially right HERE (jab in the tooth) because you don't want to have to replace that crown now, DO YOU?"

I wanted to choke this woman before it was over with.

The dentist: I brace myself when I hear him. around the corner, say, "So we're just waiting on her, aren't we?" in a manner that clearly states, "I have other things to do, let's get 'er done." He comes in, cuts me off any time I respond to his questions, and tells me everything is fine, Have a Merry Christmas, buh-bye...and he's out the door to lunch. Anxious to get the helloutta Dodge after the horrid cat story, I don't protest. At the desk, I hand the lady my insurance card and tell her they cover it, even though they insist at this office that you pay and then they'll have insurance reimburse you. I don't play that game.

So then I go to pick up Clayton at his great grandparents and discover what a prick this dentist has been to them. Not only did he once give a false prognosis of gum disease to my great-grandfather-in-law, but he also made the comment, "Well if you want your teeth to all fall out then that's fine with me." AND he also told him once that he needed to learn how to balance his budget.

Ain't that some crap?

I'm definitely looking for a new dentist.

The gas station/pizza store: I decided to stop at a Red Barn close to my great-grandparent in-laws to get some gas and a couple little pizzas for Clayton's lunch. I notice that the woman checking me out, who happens to be the manager, has rung up my pizza for more money than what it is marked. I point this out, politely, and she mumbles something about pushing the wrong key. It was an honest mistake, I can understand, but then she seems to take her error out on me, yanking my check out of my hands and getting all hasty.


Geesh, people. Where's your holiday spirit?