burrs in my saddle

Is it just me, or are a lot of people completely irritating?  It is probably just me.  Me, the belly, and the temperature.  Would you like to hear some examples from the past few days? (Why, yes, please!)


At swimming lessons I was told by the director that my kids could use kickboards and other toys in the baby pool, as she pointed out where they were located.  So, every time we go we grab a couple of things to use and then put them back when we're finished.  Last week we made our usual trip to the absolute opposite side of the pool (very arduous for me, keep in mind, since it is very far and extremely hot in there since it is indoor and we're baking under the skylights) to get some things and I hear someone yelling at me.  I turn around in confusion and see an older lady instructor, in the middle of teaching a lesson, screaming at me that I can't use the kickboards.  I kind of shout back that we're just taking it back to the baby pool to be a boat. She says, "No can do, they're dangerous if you don't use them right -- they're only for swimming laps."  I look down and see that I am in my swimming suit and will be right next to Phin in the pool, if she is really worried about his safety, she doesn't need to be.  I decide not to push it and move on and ask him if he'd like to choose a noodle.  Then I hear someone yelling at me again.  Really?  I turn around and she screams, "Those are only for kids taking lessons.  You can't use those at all."  I get up some gumption and tell her that the director told me herself that I could use those things, but she just yelled back so I simply grabbed Phin's hand and stalked off.  I can't compete with such obnoxiousness.  I don't know her, I don't want to talk to her, her students are probably drowning while she's worried about what I'm doing, I'm nine months pregnant...  Easily cowed is what I am.


Next.  We need a car with eight seats so we have spent the last few months trying to locate a good deal on a used minivan -- to no avail!  There are no good deals out there at all, so we have come to the conclusion that it would probably be the best idea to just buy new since they're not losing their value.  This is a new path for us so we were a little giddy as we traipsed down to the Toyota dealership, armed with information, to ask some questions and maybe go for a test drive.  We walk in and there's a guy behind a desk.  We wait for him to look up.  Wait, wait.  Finally he asks what we're interested in.  A minivan. "You and everyone else," he replies charmingly.  "Well, you can go out to the lot, I think there's one unlocked."  Gee, thanks.  So we go out and look around, there isn't one unlocked, no one comes out to talk to us, we decide to leave.  The guy never got up from behind his desk!  Hello, we'd like to spend $30,000, do you mind?  This town is crazy when it comes to customer service.


Third.  I was at the pool.  We like to go in the late afternoon, early evening, because it isn't as crowded or as hot.  It was about 5:15 and I look over and see a mom say to her little boy, "Close your eyes" and then proceed to spray his face with sunscreen.  He was screaming!  And she was just going for it.  And I was shaking my head.  1. Can't you put some into your hand and gently put some on his face, carefully avoiding his eye area?  2. It is quite late in the day, do you realize how slim his chances are for being sunburned at this time?  3.  Would you rather be slightly tan or BLIND?


Five minutes later I was playing in the pool and see a cute little family consisting of parents and 18 month old, or so, twin girls.  Then I hear them yell out their girls' names:  "Ila, don't go too far!"  Oh, that's pretty.  "Grayson, stay over here!"  What?  Is that not a boys name, meaning son of Gray or something?  And I as observe more closely I see that favored, little Ila has blonde curly hair, and poor misused Grayson has straight, nondescript brown. Were we thinking?  It is like a complex waiting to happen!  It's probably spelled Graysyn.  Blech!


I think I need to have this baby.