Happy Birthday...I Hope

Two of the emptiest words most folks ever utter are "I'm sorry".

Those words fell upon my ears MULTIPLE times this evening and they meant ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Here's the deal:

My birthday was last Tuesday. At my job, the person whose birthday came before yours does the decorating and brings the treats for YOUR birthday. So my desk was festively decorated and my co-work MADE hand-dipped chocolate strawberries. Even dipped some in blue with a brown swirl going around to match my FAVORITE colors. I found that to be sooo thoughtful. As a result, I wanted the person who I am responsible for to feel just as special.

My person's birthday is actually today, but she took the day off, so I had an extra day to prepare. Now her special request was, PIE...specifically RHUBARB, Lemon Cream and Apple. I decided I would go with RHUBARB and apple. So on SUNDAY, I called my local Marie Callender's and ordered a RHUBARB pie and an apple. "No problem", said Nate who took my order. "We will have those ready for you Tuesday evening. Just come on in."

So here it is, Tuesday evening and I take my happy arse over to get my pies. I tell the man at the register what I am there to pick up and I could tell by the look on his face that things were about to go South...REAL FAST.

He looks in the case where the pies are. NO RHUBARB.
He looks on the rack where the RHUBARB pies are kept. NO RHUBARB.
He goes to the back as if a RHUBARB pie is going to magically appear. He knew good and well when he went back there that there was NO RHUBARB pie.


Finally, he says, "I'm sorry. We don't have any RHUBARB pies."

"Well I called on SUNDAY and was assured that one would be ready for pickup. I need to take this pie to work tomorrow morning and that's why I called ahead so that it would be ready TODAY"

"I'm sorry. When I came in there weren't any RHUBARB pies."

"So what was the point of my calling on Sunday if the pie wasn't going to be here today?"

"I'm sorry. You can choose another pie and I can give it to you at the sale price."

"I don't want ANOTHER pie. I called ahead for RHUBARB because that is what the recipient SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR. SPECIFICALLY."

"I'm sorry."

All the "sorrys" in the world were not going to make that pie appear!

My thought is this, the words "I'm sorry" don't mean much if the issue is still present. That dude could STILL be standing there apologizing and I STILL would not have the RHUBARB pie that I need to take to work tomorrow.

Why can't folks just do what they SAY they're gonna do?!?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: I've never had RHUBARB pie. Have you? If so, what does it taste like?

Talk to me!

Til next time...