Sunday, September 30, 2012

Project Street Festival

Street festivals...
One of many things you do with children in an effort to prove to yourself that you can still live a normal life.
Welcome to the NEW normal...
Last Saturday the Rohrbeck clan ventured a county over (!) to a community event that was advertised as "kid friendly". What an oxymoron.
Not that I believe kids to be unfriendly. I just don't see any fun in toting a toddler and an infant to a crowded street fair in 80 degree weather during lunch and nap time.
The parking!
The lines!
The traffic!
We were doomed.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Dear Major Grocery Store Chain,

Thank you for being there today...
When I needed to do a quick run after Mackenzie's gym class and before lunchtime and nap time.
The produce department at your Springfield, VA location rivals that of any other supermarket in my immediate area.
Unfortunately my "quick" trip turned into an epic event I'd like to forget as soon as this blog post is published.
For one thing, please add some cart returns to your massive parking lot so I don't have to leave two screaming children in my car while I sprint back to the store so as not to be a royal a-hole to other customers. (No, I won't just leave my cart in the lot. Not so much for the sake of principle. It's more a matter of fear... Fear that someone I know will catch me and discover that I am, in fact, an a-hole).
Next...
If you're capable of having 15 checkout lanes please have some common courtesy and open more than one of those lanes to paying customers. And no, self-checkout lanes don't count.
While we're at it... How about a little time management training for your various employees who - instead of manning the vacant registers - pretend to be doing some sort of work as they aimlessly peruse each aisle.
I must have had six different people ask if I was finding everything OK, when all I really needed was someone to get my groceries rung up in less than five minutes.
Newsflash - this wasn't my first time in a grocery store. I think I can figure out where the milk is, thanks.
I can go on and on with my complaints but I'm a lady and won't crap all over your store because the truth is I will continue to shop there.
But how about a little bedside manner for those roving employees who were all too concerned with my five-month-old screaming bloody murder.
No, he was not sick. He was hungry and tired.
Yes, I do know that there's no milk coming out of his thumb when he sucks it.
Yes, I do realize that my toddler has thrown her empty squeezable fruit pouch on the floor. Twice.
No, I'm not having a great day.
Yes, I do have my hands full. Thank you, Captain Obvious.
Signed,
Disgruntled Customer and Mom of Two