Not Really About Ellie

If you read this blog just for the Ellie updates, you may want to stop reading now because this post is mainly going to be a rant and has very little to do with Little One.

So today Ellie and I went to get the Subaru washed. It was about thirty minutes until Ellie's naptime, but I figured that would be plenty of time to hit the gas station and car wash a mile from our house. We get to the gas station and top off the tank so that we get the car wash discount. I buy the wash, get in the car, and noticed that the car wash isn't working. I have to have the car washed today (more on that later) and go inside to get my money back.

We drive to the next gas station car wash, which has a huge line. The car has to be washed today, so we get in the line. I didn't have a prepaid "wash code" because I didn't get gas there, but I figure I'll pay with a credit card when I get to the front of the line. We wait for TWENTY-FIVE minutes only to realize that they don't take credit cards. Okay, I'll pay with a twenty then. Nope, they only take $1, $5, and $10 bills. Uh-oh...

I get out of the car (Ellie by now is out of her car seat and crawling around on the floor) and practically beg the woman in the car behind me for change. Miraculously she has exactly enough spare bills to make the trade. Whew!

Back to the car, feed the bills into the machine... and it spits them back out. Try another, same result. I hit the "help" button. Nothing. Push it again, harder. Nothing. Eventually it becomes painfully obvious that I am simply holding up the line. Since I haven't actually purchased a car wash (despite my best efforts) I can't go into the car wash. That means that everyone behind me has to back up so that I can get out of line. I would have been embarrassed if it weren't for the toddler in my lap (I know... not a safe choice) and my seething anger.

I pull in front of the gas station and go in to buy a "wash code." I have the following exchange with the barely English speaking fellow behind the counter:

Me: Do you know that your bill acceptor doesn't work on the car wash?
Him: Yeah, it only takes quarters.
Me: It would have been nice to know that before I sat in line for twenty five minutes (with this now-screaming-toddler).
Him: We have a sign.
Me: Where? I didn't see a sign.
Him: It is on the bill acceptor machine.
Me: How am I supposed to see that when I am seven cars back in line?
Him: I don't know. Well, actually I think someone took the sign.
Me: None of this is helping me. Why don't you respect your customers' time by either fixing it or putting up a large sign...
Him: I'm sorry? (I guess...?)

And then I took my code, got back in line, tortured the baby by taking her through the car wash, which is apparently the scariest thing ever if you are one year old, and got home and put her down for nap 45 minutes late.

There, I feel at least a little better now.