All around our neighboring communities I see businesses that have been serving our area for decades, closing their doors. My goodness, the Cadillac dealership in Gainesville closed right about the time I was thinking about buying a new caddie. (Just kidding) Then there are the restaurants that have bitten the dust. What about our Waffle Houses? Even one of our own local restaurants is shutting down.
I see the economic woes everywhere and I want to say, "Don't close your doors. Things will get better." But then again, I'm not carrying their debts, and after watching the nightly news with Peter Gibson tonight, things are going to get worse.
So how does the poor economy affect me? Right at the seat of my pants, starting with our dry cleaners in High Springs.
It's not a BIG thing, but my trusty dry cleaners stopped cleaning clothes on Monday; therefore, on Tuesdays I can no longer pick up my cleaning. "But why?" I asked. "They're just cutting back hours," one employee told me. Every Tuesday afternoon I go to the dry cleaners to pick up or drop off clothes. Every Tuesday for the past 4 years, and now, all of a sudden management has decided that I can no longer get my clothes on Tuesday because they don't work on Monday anymore. Phooey!
Oh, I whined a lot to the new employee. "That means I have to drive twenty miles back to High Springs another day when I already come to High Springs EVERY TUESDAY!" The poor girl threw up her hands and said, "I'll speak with management." HA!
I've also noticed that the turnover in the dry cleaner's employees is constantly fluctuating. A new person every several weeks. I want to scream when they ask me my name, so since I'm relatively pissed off because of my inconvenience of an additional trip to the dry cleaners, I make the new employee scratch out "Mary" and put my correct name "Merry." I know that's being hateful, so I apologize right now. Sorry.
Here's a photo of the inside of our dry cleaners with its antiquated ironing boards and steamers. I asked the new employee, "Well, can I at least take a photograph of your place? Boy, did she stammer, "Uh, I'd have to call management about that." Good grief! For four years, they knew my car, my name, my clothes, where I'd be going to eat that night with my mom...everything. But now they know nothing! Phooey!
Well, last Thursday was my lucky day. A NEW young employee with cute little dog ears and hat waited on me. After teaching her how to spell my name correctly and while she was searching for my clothes, I asked, "Do you mind if I take a photograph in here?"
"Sure. Why not," she answered. Quickly I took photos of the inside of the dry cleaners. I even got a fuzzy shot of her snake ring. The poor young thing was flattered.
Shhh! Don't tell management. I think the dry cleaners should be happy they still have customers.
So funny that you made her spell your name correctly!!
Posted by: Belinda | November 13, 2008 at 11:23 AM
So funny that you would take a picture of a "snake" ring.
Posted by: Sherry | November 13, 2008 at 01:19 PM