Today I arrived home from work and there was a note on my counter.

Let me back up... when I left for work this morning, my housekeeper was tediously dusting away Perry's trophy shelves. It's the first thing she does when she walks into my house, and the only thing that I know she does because by the time I've talked to her for a few minutes while she's dusting the trophy shelf, we are ready to walk out the door.

When I return from work, my house is clean.

The three toilets bathrooms that I have her scrub are shining.

The four bedrooms are dusted and swept.

The carpets in all rooms are vacuumed with the stripes only going one way. I still can't figure out how she gets them vertically striped.

And my hardwood floors are glowing.

After a price increase just a year ago (after no increase for a couple years), I now pay $95 for this royalty treatment every two weeks.

Walking into a clean home after a long day at work makes me an extremely happy girl. And you know the saying.... if momma's happy, everybody's happy.

But let me get back to the note that was left on my counter. This is what it said...

Hey Lori,
It took me quite a bit longer today. Do you have a problem paying me for the extra time. I guess with it being a month and all, the work you had done made it extra dirty. If you want, just put an extra 20.00 on my next check. Hope that's okay. :) Thanks, Kim

Yep, that's exactly what the note said.

Now, granted I didn't have her come two weeks ago because if you'll remember, we were in design intervention. But let me explain something. I did not neglect my home. I knew she was not going to be cleaning. I did scrub the toilets bathrooms - I gagged my way through them - but I did it. And I vacuumed constantly. With all the work that had been taking place in our home, we had to. The dust was flying everywhere. And when the kitchen was put back together this past weekend, I scrubbed my hardwood floors - they were in desperate need.

In my defense, our house was not that dirty. I think that she had it in her head that it was going to be a filthy pig sty after one month, and that it was going to take her longer. It may have taken her an extra few minues, but I can't imagine that it took her $20 longer.

So I'm posing this question to all my friends out there... including my family lurkers.

Let me know in the comments what you think we should do?

Phil and I are leaving this up to you.

He says just give it to her and let it go.

I'm not one to part with $20 bucks so fast.

What do you think?

Labels: home, weird things

Labels: weird things

I know what you're thinking... "Part Two? Where's Part One?"

Well, let me fill you in...

Cashier Comments - Part One happened about a month ago and it side-swiped me so hard and so fast that I couldn't even sit down to write about it. I told Phil what happened as soon as I left the store and he couldn't believe it was said to me either. I couldn't either. And like I said it hit me so hard that I wasn't sure what to do with this statement, so I ignored it. And it went away.

And then it happened. Again. Today.

And I am just blind-sided again.

What makes cashiers want to talk to me? Do I have a look on my face that says "please speak to me and say something that I am not going to appreciate"?

Let me first start with Cashier Number One. A rather tired woman of mid-50's who was beginning to start ringing up my very few groceries as I was tossing them on the belt when she asked all matter of fact like if "I was in their Hyvee 50's Club." I slowly look up from my cart and with a dejected look told her "NO - DO I LOOK LIKE I AM?" To which she answered, no... but then said "but you never know anymore. Most people in their 50's do not look like they are 50 anymore." Yes, that's exactly what she said to me. And to let you in on a big secret - I am not even close to 50! I am 43 and I think look every bit of my 43, if not younger. (Humor me - let me say it - even if you don't believe me.)

And then just yesterday I was shopping at my favorite big red dot store and got in the check-out line. I gave Cashier Number Two all my purchases, but forgot one that was sitting in the cart portion underneath where my purse was sitting. As I was pushing the cart out of the aisle, she asks me if I was going to pay for my shoes. Oh my! I totally forgot about my sandals that I had placed in the cart and apologized over and over that I was planning on paying for them and would not have walked out with them. So she rings up the sandals, and then hands me a coupon at the end of the sale that came out of the cash register - $1 off a bag of Hershey's Kisses. I then give her a smile and say "Oh, I don't think I need any chocolate - I'm already scatter-brained enough as it is."

And then she replied...

Wait for it, wait for it...

"Want to know what helped me with my weight-loss efforts?"

I looked at her. Speechless. Remember, I said scatter-brained.

I don't remember asking her for weight-loss efforts, much less saying anything about trying to lose weight. (By the way, the weight loss efforts weren't helping her at all.)

So I stood there with a blank stare and listened to her tell me about her 53 weeks without soda, blah, blah, blah....

And then I just walked out to my car and dialed up Phil... again. Who again had to endure another one of my cashier dilemmas.

Does anyone know where I can buy a t-shirt that states "Don't Talk to Me" that I can wear when I go shopping? I'm willing to pay big bucks for it right now.

Have you ever had any unbelievable comments by cashiers you don't know? If so, indulge me. Let me know about them. I can't be the only one this happens to!

Labels: weird things