Should Have Stayed in Bed

Some trips are just doomed from the beginning. So was our weekend at Mom's. It started out fine--good food, lots of laughs. Basically what you'd expect at Mom's. Then the "incidents" started occurring. There was the Miriam gnawing a hole in one of Mom's mittens incident. (That doesn't sound bad unless you know my mom--they were little Lindsay's mittens back when she was a little girl. Little Lindsay is 20. My mom doesn't lose or throw away anything and she keeps everything in mint condition forever.)

Then there was the Emeline knocking over the lamp and burning a hole in the lampshade and breaking the lamp incident. Fortunately, I smelled the burn smell before the carpet was burned and/or the house. Good thing I smelled it when I did because we were all about to leave for church. (It reminded me of when I burned a hole in the carpet under my bed because I was up past my bedtime reading a book and wanted to diffuse the light.)

Then there was the Cowen and Timothy playing "put the children in the pot and eat them up while they're still hot" (wrestling on the floor) and Cowen getting a bloody nose and getting blood all over the carpet incident. Timothy made up the game.

Then there were the two poo diapers that leaked all over the place and the child wearing the diaper (both times) walked around the house with leakage spilling incidents. For those of you who know my mom--you understand my agony at hearing about those ones. Yes, I heard about them later as I was asleep. I then heard the "you have to get up with your kids because it isn't worth it to clean up your house later" story/lecture . . . twice. Although one of the mornings mom blamed dad instead of me since dad had "kept me up" regaling me with information about the Arabian horse breeding hobby. Did you know you could play "fantasy pedigree"? Dad showed me. It was fun, actually.

Then there was the get stuck in the mud on the way to church and have to have Ethan come pull you out with dad's truck incident. That one was too bad as we were on time and everything. Timothy missed the turn (we've only been to the new ward building once) and went to turn around and the dirt that seemed a little wet in places turned out to be quicksand. Sigh. It turned out rather well though because Cowen said, "God can help us," so we said a prayer and a few minutes later Ethan showed up. He drove with Dad, who left later than us, and noticed our van. Being Ethan he didn't bother to tell dad, he just waited in the chapel to see if we showed up and eventually, when we didn't, he came and got us. We then had the opportunity to explain to the kids that Heavenly Father often answers our prayers through other people. It was a good thing we had a little spiritual teaching then because all four of my children (and my hubby) slept through Sacrament meeting. That's a first.

The worst incident, though, shouldn't have happened. Timothy and I drove to town to get Cowen a last-minute birthday present. We stopped at Needham's Jewelers on the way to get my ring cleaned. That is where Timothy and I designed and bought my ring seven years ago and where I love to get it cleaned because they do such a great job and it sparkles and glows after. I love my ring.

On top of that--they have a chocolate fountain.

When Timothy and I got in the car I buckled up and then started looking at my ring, expecting that glowy/giddy "my ring is so beautiful" feeling that I usually enjoy after getting my ring cleaned. This time, however, my heart about stopped. My ring was silver. I screeched, told Timothy to turn around, and then went back in the store to find out what the lady had done to my beautiful ring. Which is NOT silver. And NOT white gold. It was made with a different alloy than they normally use so it is a really soft yellow. If you want to see a picture, go here.

The lady at the counter was rude--something you just don't expect at Needham's since it is a very classy place. And it has a chocolate fountain.

I asked her, very politely, why my ring was silver and she started hemming and hawing as though I was yelling or something. I even talked in a nice voice. She said that she had never seen a ring my color, thought it was "dingy" and put on a radion (sp) coating without asking. I guess that's what they put on white gold to keep it "white."

Allow me to reiterate. She said she had never seen a ring my color in the fourteen years she worked at a jewelry store, she thought my ring was "dingy" and assumed that it was the wrong color and WITHOUT ASKING ME turned my ring silver. I'm still hung up on the dingy comment. Am I the only one who thinks bad-mouthing a woman's wedding ring to her face is a mortal insult?? Doesn't she understand how emotionally attached I am to the thing?? And this wasn't just a few sentences--she went on and on as though she could convince me that it was somehow my fault that my ring turned from yellow to silver.

I was upset. Fortunately, the whatever coating comes off but she didn't know how to do it, so I had to leave my ring at the store and pick it up the next day. I asked them to call Mom's number when it was done and have it done by noon so that I could get back to Ogden. They never called. I finally called them at 2:00. The guy on the phone said, "It might be done but this is such a weird color I'm not sure. You'll have to come in and look at it."

Thanks a lot.

I did go and get it and it was back to its original brilliance and beauty. I was still feeling a little (lot) hurt by the woman's comments about it though (most jewelers tell me how much they like it because it is unique but classy--whether that's really what they think or not I don't care, it is the proper thing to say to a woman about her wedding ring) and when the young man who gave me back the ring gave me another lengthy lecture about how the whole incident was my fault because my ring is an unusual color--I was pretty much mad.

Whatever happened to: "I'm sorry. I'll get this taken care of immediately. We appreciate your patience and your business."

They gave me a heart attack, after all. Good thing they have a chocolate fountain.