What a day!!!

Warning: This post is going to be incredibly cranky. I'm sorry in advance, it was just a day to make me cranky!

The day actually didn't start off as a cranky day. It started off pretty good as I got up, had my coffee and read a few blogs. Darly & I were scheduled for a field trip to the Phoenix Gold Mine up in Idaho Springs. On our way we had to pick up a friend who was having some body work done on her car...luckily the repair shop was right here by my house.

So we get to the mine and the first thing we notice is that there is already a TON of people there! In fact there are a bunch of cars and TWO Charter Buses there!!! We had to park our cars on the road going past the mine. We find out that the two bus loads are folks from Up With People and they didn't have a scheduled tour but the manager gave them a special deal cuz they do work for charity. (ummm, do they?) But they had to break up their large group into smaller groups and take them threw the mine...BEFORE US!!!! WHAT???

Them with NO RESERVATION get to go before us who have a reserved tour. WE got to wait. Darly of course was bored! Many in our group chose to go ahead and eat their lunch...but we hadn't brough lunch because we were planning to be done with the tour by lunch time and then go to eat in town.

Our tour was supposed to begin at 11am, we didn't get our tour until 12:30. Of course by then none of the kids cared what the poor tour guide had to say about the mine. And frankly I didn't either! Mr Tour guide was full of jokes and "great stories" about the mine...yeah right bud, whatever! Most of the kids were running past nap time and had no patience...and to top everything off, the tour ahead of us (still Up With People folks) were talking so we couldn't hear our tour guide!!!

The good part of the tour is that we saw a real vein of gold! While this mine is non-operational, it does have real gold in it. And the kids were able to fine real gold dust in the creek. Darly has a zip top bag full of gold dust laden mud that we're going to try to dry out and blow the dirt away from the gold...hopefully. I might try a sample first.

After the tour we went to lunch at a very popular pizza place here in Colorado. And of course right as they announce our table is ready two things happen...1) other folks from our homeschool group show up...2) my husband calls! (he never calls, this is important.) So I'm talking to him and the gal that I gave a ride to wants to know if we want to wait and have a bigger table with the other folks. I told her I didn't care, whatever she wanted. I guess she was hungry, cuz she opted to take our table.
DH called to see where we were because his mom's waterheater isn't working. Can I come to her house with my car in case he needs to go buy a new waterheater. Okay.

MIL's about 2 hours later (after lunch, & dropping off friend & her girls.) Waterheater actually started acting up on Sunday, but MIL didn't call us then cuz she knew we were going to the ball game. :where's the eyeroll smiley???: So DH figures that the waterheater is probably okay, but two parts above the waterheater are leaking. DH fixed the one, but needs to find the other. He says that Darly & I can leave.

On the way home I remember that I need to pick up hay for the rabbits. We stop at PetSmart. Upon entering the store we are immediately "Pounced on" by two sales associates. I politely turn down their offers of help as I know what I need and where it is in the store. In fact when the second guy offers to help me, I have the hay I need. But then I decide I should probably pick up rabbit food too as they will run out soon enough. So I go to the rabbit food eisle. The food I buy the rabbits is on sale in the 10lb bags...but there are NO 10lb bags on the shelves. In fact someone has stocked part of the shelf for the 10lb food with 5lb bags...but there is no price tag on the shelf for the 5lb bags. :GROAN!: So I go looking for an associate to help me. And of course the two who pounced on me earlier are now long gone and helping other customers.

So I spy another associate, who is also helping another customer, but they are heading up front and no longer "engaged in conversation" so I ask if the associate could please ask someone to come help me with the rabbit food. I stand over near the rabbit food, but where I can watch the associate I asked to get someone. She finishes helping her customer, clocks out and leaves the store!!! She never sent any help. By this time the associate who pounced on me second has also clocked out and left the store! The manager (I can only assume that he was the manager because he was wearing a different PetSmart shirt) has followed him out to round up shopping carts...which really needed to be done!

Totally frustrated, I walk up front and the cashier asks if she can help. I tell her my story and that this is the second time I've had this happen to me (no really, the last time I was in this store virtually the exact same thing happened...only no one clocked out and left me hanging...he just forgot about me.) The cashier appologizes and calls for an associate to come to us at the register. I look outside to see the manager has come with some carts and has a phone that he's talking into...he heads back out. As I turn the girl from fish has showed up, but she immediately rushes over to help some folks who are looking at lizzards...not even checking to answer the page. :groan: The clerk calls again for an associate and no one shows up.

Finally the manager comes in, still on the phone, but comes close enough to the cashier that she can tell him I need some help. I tell him that I want rabbit food, the 10lb bag is not on the shelf and the 5lb bag has no price. He holds up a finger and then walks over to the grooming salon to help a customer load her dog into her car...all the while still on the phone. He comes back in the store and goes to another closed register and continues his call.

By this time I'm just ticked beyond belief. I leave my cart with the hay in it, get Darly who was looking at the cats up for adoption, and we head for the door. OF COURSE THE manager is finally off the phone and can help me now...but in total disgust I tell him that it is too late, and we leave the store.

I get home, go to the PetSmart website and file a complaint. I've received an email telling them that I need to file a formal complaint...apparently I didn't use proper procedure!!! :groan: I'll be back! But NOT TO that PetSmart!