I was just a wee bit ticked

For those that don't know me, a little background.  I am over punctual.  I arrive early everywhere.  I sit in the car and read until time for appointments.  Being late is never an option.  And I am offended by people who are always late. I told off my dentist and her hygienists for being constantly late (I had the first appointment of the day usually.) Things happen, traffic or a dead battery, and even I have been late.  But you can see I have a low tolerance for lateness. 

Today I had an appointment for a haircut at 9:30.  The alarm went off, I had a shower, dressed, and took off for the salon. To be there on time I had to skip my hour of pool exercises.  I arrived early of course.  I checked email, gotta love smart phones.  At 9:26 I got out of the car and walked up to the salon.  The door was locked and no lights on inside.  Not a good sign. At 9:40 I called my hairdresser, Maggie, it went to voicemail.  I left a detailed message, got in the car and headed back to Richard's house.

Just as I was nearly to the house, my phone rang.  I pulled over and answered it.  "This is Maggie, someone called me???"  She didn't listen to the voicemail?  Is that any way to run a business?  I explained to her I had an appointment and who I was.  She didn't have a clue what I was talking about.  At this point I am fighting to remain civil.  I asked her when she could take me.  She would work me in at 10:30.  Work me in?  That ticked me.  She should have said I have an opening at  . . .   But I was to be worked in.  Fine, I need my hair cut and I don't want to start over with someone new.

I continued to the house, stomped into the house and told my sorry tale.  Then I went back to get my hair cut.  I lucked out and only had to wait less than 10 minutes to be "worked in". 

Maggie apologized over and over.  She had put me down on the wrong day.  She did a fairly good haircut.  But she had forgotten I only wanted it cut and no blow dry or curling iron.  I planned to get in the pool and do those exercises later.  She started blowing my hair dry, and I stopped her.  Great surprise on her part.  I was not paying more money for something I did not want.  She should have written down last time what I wanted in her book.  I did make an appointment for November. 

But trust me, this did affect her tip.

Let me tell you how the day is going so far. . .

So far the day has been crap!  I had a dentist appointment today at 10:30 for a cleaning and check up.  That makes me probably the second appointment of the day.  Hold that thought.

I got up early, got dressed, did a couple things around the house and went out to the car at 10:00.  It is a 16 minute drive if things work.  I add travel time for the tunnel.  Sometimes it can take 30 minutes to go 2 miles when the tunnel is backed up.  It was backed up today, but it was only a 10 minute backup.  I drive in bumper to bumper traffic at 70 miles an hour, yes any slower I would be run over. I walk into the dentist office at 10:29.  I am checked in on time.

I asked the clerk if they were on time, she will check.  They are running about 5 minutes late.  I have to leave by 11:30, she says no problem.  I can see all the worker bees talking, walking around, nobody comes for me.  After 15 minutes I told them I was out of there.  Oh is something wrong?  Hell yes, for 35 years the hygienists have been late.  Always late.  Not the dentist. Just the worker bees.  I told the clerks ( and the poor man waiting for his appointment) that they are always late, they didn't even have me on the books one time, my time is as value as theirs is.  Oh let me get you a cup of coffee while you wait.  No, I am out of here.  And I walked out.  One regret, I unintentionally slammed the door.  It is a heavy door and went bang.  Did feel good to hear it though.

I posted on facebook while in the office waiting, and then in the parking lot I posted I had walked out.  I called Marty and told him.  Then I sat a little bit to calm down before driving.  I had to go across the street to buy gas.  Oh did I forget to tell you when I left home, the car's reserve fuel yellow light was on. 

The day just gets better and better.  The drive home on a commuter highway was full of 18 wheelers and other big trucks.  We rarely see trucks on this road.  And not in large numbers.  I thought I was on I 5.  For those of you on the other side of the Mississippi, that is equal to I 75.  Major artery with a gazillion trucks.  Now these truck drivers were obviously bored and were playing games:  don't use a turn signal and change lanes, let's drive slowly three abreast, in the tunnel go as fast as you can and scare those little cars, drive in two lanes when cars are coming up beside you.  Really a lovely drive home.

As I was driving my cell rang, a couple of times.  I didn't have my ear piece in, so couldn't answer.  Illegal to talk on a cell while driving unless hands free.  Turns out it was the hygienist apologizing.  She had called home and talked to Marty. ( he told her to call me, he told her they are always late and he understood why I walked out)  Stupid of her, she knows how far I live from the office.  No way I could have been home. 

I am not calling her back.  If she wants to talk to me she can try calling me again .  I am so ready to look for a closer dentist.  We moved away from the town where the dentist is 11 years ago.  But the dentist was good and we didn't want to train someone new.  But I am ready to find someone in Oakland.

So it is lunch time and how will the rest of the day go.  With all that has happened so far either there is no more bad stuff to happen, OR I will set the kitchen on fire cooking supper.