Wednesday, January 10, 2007

I got my feelings hurt today.

I know that sounds really juvenile. Just the other night Jason and I were joking about how our theme music right now is, "waw, waw, waw..."

We got new tires that were very much needed on our car but now the truck is running horrible and we can't get it in to the mechanic until next week, on a very busy, stressful week. Waw, waw, waw.

The mattresses are on sale at Costco right now until the beginning of February. (We've been sleeping on a full since we got married.) Oh, but we can't buy anything right now, so nevermind. Waw, waw, waw.

Amongst a string of things to dampen our spirits lately, today's punch to the stomach had me leaving a salon in tears. This weekend my best friend from high school is getting married, and I am a bridesmaid. I've needed to get my hair done again for a couple of weeks but with January, as usual, being the fiscally crappy month it is, I held off. My sweet friend also wanted to have a spa day which was this Saturday, and with that, on her wedding day she got a stylist to come do our hair and a makeup artist to do our makeup. All that is fabulous, but ridiculously expensive. So I borrowed some money from my kind and generous parents which I can pay them back with my babysitting money - I know, pretty jr. high, but ya gotta do, what ya gotta do. So as wedding day is looming, my color on my hair is fading and I still need a trim. I only have a couple more days left and we have one car that Jason is using for work. But I remembered there is a beauty school really close to my house. Not walking distance, but close enough that it wouldn't be a big deal to fire up the truck. I looked at their prices and I was like, yeah! I could even get a manicure if I wanted to! So Hannah and I took off and when we got there, we were a little early, so we walked around a craft store to kill time. We came back in and this lady asked me what I needed. I told her, and then she looked down at the stroller to see Hannah, and with a frown on her face said, "Is she going to stay in there?" I replied, "Well she usually does." I wasn't about to make any guaruntees regarding my two year old. Then the lady said, "Well, yesterday there was another little girl and she was running around all over the place, and they (she never fully explained who "they" were) had a really tough time with her." I just told her that I always bring my daughter, and that she is not usually a problem, and that's when the lady said, "That's what that mom said too." Well excuse me! What do you want from me, lady, a written contract that states that my toddler won't get out of her stroller or run around with some scissors dumping out canisters of barbicide?

I already felt like I was taking a chance coming to a beauty school and my patience was getting a little thin. I just asked her if she wanted me to leave. She said, no, but just what a hard time they had with the last little girl. Ugh, like I didn' hear her the first time. But she went ahead and rang me up and had me sit down. I was starting to feel a bit ready to ask for my money back. The lady was upstairs and then came back down. She went on to say again, for the third time what a hard time they had with the last little girl. Then I just said, "Well, if you don't want me to be here, just give me my money back and we'll go." She said no, went back upstairs, came back and said, "Do you have anyone to watch her?" I was completely flabberghasted at this point and fought the urge to roll my eyes and then throw a sippy cup at her. I flatly said no and then she said she would go ahead and refund me. Oh, thanks, what a doll. As she figured out what she owed me back, I could feel my chin getting dimpled, lip quivering, and eyes getting warm, ready to release the tears. These days whatever thick skin I once had is now like tissue paper. I took the money back as pleasantly as I could. The lady never said sorry or anything.

When I opened the door Hannah started crying, "No mama, stay and get haircut!" That only heightened the hurt I was feeling. We made it back to the truck and explained that the lady hurt mama's feelings and wouldn't let me get my haircut there. We both cried.

I desperately wanted to call Jason and cry to him on the phone, but he's difficult to reach at work, and doesn't have the kind of job he can take the time to listen to his sobbing wife who was denied a haircut. I realize there are places that are not kid-friendly. But I've always taken my daughter with me to salons, and the people were always sweet and accomadating. Hannah always did really well too. I was just so excited about how inexpensive this was going to be, and really looking forward to it. I just wish the lady would have told me as soon as I walked in, Oh, sorry, ma'am, we don't allow little ones here. I would have been a little irritated, but understanding, and left with out tears.

So that's it. Pretty lame, huh?

I tried to get a cheap hair cut and color at a beauty school. And they wouldn't let me because I had my daughter with me.

Waw, waw, waw.

And now I feel compelled to write something upbeat, so when my mom reads this she won't think I am in a deep, dark, depression, in addition to horrible money troubles. To both of those, I'm not, and we aren't.

We are not poor, we are just a one-income family that doesn't have much extra, and that's OK. It's just limiting at times. And for the most part, I am happy with my life. Jason is the best. We drive each other nuts sometimes, but I can't live without him, and I know he loves me too. And we have our health, and babies, our own house...OK I think I'm starting to feel better now.

*taking a deep breath*

Ahh. Blogging as therapy.

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can't imagine how frustrating that experience was for you. I am sure I would have burst into tears as soon as I walked out the door. People have no idea the stresses that come with having children and then to guilt trip people like that is just horrible. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all get a babysitter for every single errand we need to run, but that isn't reality and that isn't even healthy for our children. I think it is good to bring our children with it- to teach them patience and good manners. Not every child is a maniac who runs around like a chicken with its head cut off.

I am sorry that you had to go through that!

8:17 AM  
Blogger Lauren S. said...

Thanks for the sympathy, you are so encouraging. :)

12:36 PM  
Blogger annie said...

Yuck! They could've handled that so much better. Sorry you didn't get your haircut and were treated so rudely. Sweet Hannah seemed to understand your disappointment.
Your little disclaimer at the end made me laugh. I always have to keep in mind that my mom and mother in law read my blog, too.

4:06 PM  
Blogger Xenia Kathryn said...

Well, beauty school people have no skilz. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you, and I totally feel your pain on the one-income thing... waw waw waw...

11:26 PM  
Blogger Jules said...

Absolutely love your theme...and can completely relate to the sketch comedy sound effects and sitcom laugh tracks that seem to follow me around too! I want to tell you that I know how much effort it takes to get your kids up and ready, let alone out the door for a haircut for yourself. I'm so sad to hear that you came across such a stinker. I really liked the way you described the situation to Hannah, though. She will just suck up that info and be much more sweeter and sensitive herself! (I found your blog through Annie's, by the way, who is godmother to my girls).

2:20 PM  

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