$88.00.....

Happy Mother's Day. I say that sarcastically. It is now 9:30 am. I don't open until 10:00 on Sundays. I know this because the big sign on the front of my store says so. In the camping world, this would be considered a big weekend as families gather together at a campground to honor Mom by cooking all the food outside......... and leaving the children run amok, simply dropping their soda cans and whatever other debris on the ground. But, I digress. Of course, love of my life is working. No matter that Sundays are times when folks would need to fill LP tanks as they are leaving and this would afford an opportunity to increase our revenue. All these things were discussed with the manager at the station when he was hired. He told her the nature of our business and offered to work every Sunday EVENING, but would need every Friday off. She apparently has problems with comprehension, because he has worked every Friday evening this spring. He will look at me like I am rabid when I tell him to tell her, "We discussed this when you hired me and we agreed that I would have every Friday off; I see that you have once again scheduled me for this Friday and I am sorry, but I will not be available to work and you will need to find some one who can." He says that we have to have this job so that we can have health insurance.......as if I am simple and don't already know this. Having been in the position of management before, I know that she will not fire him for this. He, however, thinks she will.

Just one of my surly thoughts of the day. I had a gentleman staying here for a month. I was in the office after having worked in the park all day a couple of weeks ago. The man came as I was still trying to adjust my eyes to the inside light and drink a gallon of water to rehydrate. He said, "I owe you some money, because I will be here for another week." Okay. I offered to look up his registration to be sure, as I didn't think he owed me anything---he hadn't been here that long. He was sure that he had come in on the 4th of the month and insisted on paying me. My weekly rate is $100, but I offered to prorate it on the monthly rate and charged him $88. Went on about my business and two hours later the man came back, receipt in hand. I was right and he didn't owe me anything. No problem, since I hadn't run any credit cards since his transaction I simply voided it and even gave him a receipt showing that it had been voided. Fridays evenings are always my busiest time, so, of course that is when the man appears again to tell me that his wife had gotten the credit card statement and it showed that I had charged them the $88. I was trying to register some campers and told the man I would be with him in a moment. I wanted to explain to him that I was sure it did show...twice. But before I could do this love of my life stepped in to "help" me. He took the man's card and gave him a refund!!!!! Since the store was busy I couldn't get to him to stop him without creating a scene. After I closed (he left after "helping" me) and we were in for the night I patiently explained to him that he had given away $88. I never thought (and still don't) that the man was trying to scam us. His wife saw the charge on the statement and called him to have him take care of what she honestly thought was an error. I am quite certain that had she looked further on her statement that she would have seen the debit back to her account. Nothing is more frustrating than to know that you are speaking clearly and that the person you are speaking to is not comprehending what you are saying. Finally he gets what I have been trying to tell him and says he will talk to the man before he pulls out.

Yes, but no. On Saturday, he does indeed encounter the man as he is leaving. "Did you get it all straightened out?" I ask. "Kathy, the man has the receipt that shows you charged him, so I took care of it when I refunded him last night." he replies to his dimwit wife. I want to go bang my head against the wall. Instead I try once again to explain to him that the man also has a receipt showing that I VOIDED the transaction and now has an additional receipt showing that my husband, in his infinite wisdom has also REFUNDED the man for the same transaction. I swear to you I actually saw the light of understanding go on in his eyes. The man is gone now with his gift of $88 from Kan-Do Kampground. I will admit that I did lose my patience this second time of explaining how the world of credit cards work and he looked at me and said, "I knew this would end up being my fault." No kidding, he said that to me from where he lay on the couch resting while I was still working-----and it is Mother's Day weekend. I said some very not nice, not repeatable things to him, told him he was "in charge" and that I would be out in the park visiting with the campers.

I left and went to see if Nan liked her garden, which she did and proceeded to visit with Martha and Tom. I went inside with Martha and we spent 20 minutes or so man bashing. After about 30 minutes of being away from the store I started to feel guilty, but went on visiting any how. After being gone for about an hour I came back. I came into the store...just to see what the response time would be. I could tell I woke him up. I was in a better mood and told him I was glad he had gotten a nap before he went back out to work on the new sites. I have to admit that the only guilt I felt was that our friends, Bob, the undertaker and Pat, the methodical minded genius, were working their butts off while I had a small fit and made my husband tend the store. Negate the fact that he could have locked up and stuck a sign in the door like I do when I have to handle the whole entire park all by myself....................

I am done now with my pity party. I may be out $88, but it is Mother's Day and I intend to enjoy the rest of the day. My son sent me a hanging basket from a local florist in response to my post about losing my wandering jew to the frost. My baby girl called to wish me a happy day and her son sang to me ( I love rock and roll........) and told me how bad the spagitoes (mosquitoes). Like his mother he has a unique way with words. Just hearing his sweet little voice made everything right in my world. When I called my boy to thank him, he wanted to make sure I didn't tip the delivery guy because he had already taken care of that as well. This is my child....we are thrifty to a fault! The day is young and I will still get to talk to my Jill. Happy Mother's Day to all my bloggy moms out there!