Thursday, December 15, 2005

Being attacked by older women

I had to go to Aaron Brothers tonight to see if I could get something framed before xmas. I missed the last day by one day, and so I now have to cut my own mat and doing the framing myself. No biggy. I've done it before. It just may look a little wonky, but I'm a little wonky.

So I wandered around the store for a bit, looking for a frame for my cute picture of my very handsome nephews and looking at pre-cut mats. When I was done, I wandered to the front of the store, where the registers were. I passed a couple older ladies looking at the holiday gift idea displays on my way up.

When I put my stuff down (one very large mat board, 8X10 frame and boxed 4X6 frame, plus my work bag, which is no small sac), I paused a bit before ringing the "ring this bell for service" bell because I just really didn't feel like ringing it. Even though I worked in a store that relied on such type of bell...it's still one of those things I don't like to do as a customer.

All of a sudden, one of the older ladies came walking up to the counter, talking as she was walking up. She was asking a question, so I thought the store clerk was right behind me.

So I just kinda stared at her, but not so much listening. Then I realized she was talking to me.

"Uh...Oh. I don't work here," I told her.

"Oh! You don't?" She walked closer towards the registers. "You're right behind the counter!"

I looked down. "No, I'm right in front of the counter?"

"Oh! I'm short! I can't see. I'm sorry. You should get a job here!" she told me.

What?

It was right then that I decided to suck it up and ring the damn "ring for service" bell. Get me out of here! And it was right then that another older lady walked up and took the other lady's place.

"Excuse me, but do these mini frames...," she started to ask. The other lady started cackling as she walked away.

"I don't work here," I told her quickly and then slammed that bell like it was a punching bag.

"Oh, you were talking to her," she said in a snotty tone. Like because she decided I worked there, I should work there and what the heck was wrong with me? Don't I know I should work there?

"We were having the same conversation about how I don't work here," I said.

The store clerk was walking up at that moment, and the first lady tried to get to her before she could make it to the registers. The store clerk told her to wait because she was the only person there. Then the second lady asked her mini frame question before the clerk could get to me.

What the hey! This is my fate in life for looking like I'm 12. And the whole time I'm thinking, work at Aaron Brothers? And then I'd think of my current job...and yeah, I just don't see myself working at Aaron Brothers anytime soon.

So then I headed over to Joann Fabrics to look for critter making supplies. I walked around the store many, many times because it's basically a craft junk store and I couldn't find anything. During my many trips around the store, I was getting eyeballed by old ladies who didn't think I belonged there for some reason.

When I was in line to buy my critter making stuff (watch out kids -- critters are coming!), a lady walked in and was all smiles. The only thing odd about that was that all the other older ladies in the store weren't all smiles. They were all grumbles and mean faces.

When the clerk was ringing me up, I heard someone say behind me, "are you waving to me?"

I looked up then.

The person who waved was smiles. She said, "No, I was waving to her."

I was looking up at this point, and I realized she was talking to me.

"Me?" I asked.

"Yes, I had a class with you. Your name is Janine?"

"Uh, yeah....I'm sorry, I don't remember you, though."

"We had a class at Ohlone. That was so long ago, though."

Then at the same time, we both said that she had a good memory.

Okay, it's all fine and dandy that someone would remember me, yet it makes me wonder what I did to make her remember me in the first place, but to remember my name? That's a bit too much.

Then I thought...what if she ran some business who needed a writer, jewelry maker or critter creator? Damn.

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