Unlucky?

Remember last Friday--Friday the 13th--I asked whether you thought Friday the 13th was lucky or unlucky and if you had any stories to tell? I had a day that wasn't unlucky, exactly, but it certainly WAS frustrating.

Here in Sacramento it was rainy and not too great outside part of the day. I made a lunch hour run to Target for a couple things I needed and that turned out okay. But back at work for the afternoon, it seemed like everything I touched turned into a project that took six times as long as it should have. First of all, I was offered the assistance of a new secretary to help me catch up on some dictation. I guess because she wasn't familiar with my files and I was looking a little closer at her work than I would have my own, I found that there were several things wrong with the information in my files--nothing major but all little things that needed to be corrected. I guess you could call it "housekeeping." Still, on this occasion, when I had help to get caught up, everything seemed to conspire against me to make it take much longer than it should. But then there are just days like that, right?

Because I was trying to get all these little things straightened away before the weekend, I ended up staying late at work. I had told our Saturday stitchery hostess that I would bring chicken wings to share and I'd told Hubby I'd pick up wings and "fixins" for dinner on my way home from work since I planned to stop for wings anyway. Yum!

When I was finally ready to leave the office at 7:30, I decided to check the restaurant's website before I left so I could plan my order. Lucky for me, I saw that they took online orders--if I ordered online, my order would be ready in about 25 minutes. Since it was a 20 minute drive to the restaurant, that seemed just perfect. I placed my order, waited for confirmation, printed it out, and grabbed the order off the printer on my way out of the office.

Outside it was dark and rainy. Traffic was heavy and drivers were crazy. I made it to the restaurant just a couple minutes before my 8 p.m. pick up time.

Inside, I waited in line until it was my turn. I stepped up to the counter and presented my order confirmation to the cashier. She looked at it blankly and turned without a word to go to the kitchen. I could see her there checking the computer and talking to the cook; they both turned to look at me. I kind of had a clue something was wrong.

The cashier returned to the counter and told me they hadn't received my order because their machine "wasn't working earlier in the day." Still, she told me in a way that let me know I should feel lucky and grateful, I could place my order then. In fact, it would be easy for me because she could just copy it down from my printout.

Yes, she said when I asked, I would need to wait another 25 minutes. As I saw it then, my only other option was to stop at the grocery store and then go home and make my own chicken wings for the Saturday gathering. And I figured that would take longer anyway. So I waited.

I understand mistakes can happen, but at no time was I offered a discount, a coupon to use on a later order, or even a free soft drink while I waited for them to make up my order. As a matter of fact, as far as I can remember, I never even heard the word "sorry" pass the cashier's lips.

No, I won't go back. This particular restaurant is a franchise chain and there are other branches I can go to next time I'm craving wings.

That wasn't quite the end of my Friday the 13th customer service woes, though. The previous weekend I'd ordered some tins from an eBay seller, and I paid for Priority Mail postage. The seller emailed me to say she was mailing my package out from Tennessee on Monday. Since the tins were meant as little gifts for my stitchery friends to keep their needles, embroidery floss, thread, and pins in, I figured that would work out perfectly--I'd have the package by Wednesday; Thursday at the latest.

Did I get the package on Wednesday or Thursday? No. After eating a late chicken wing dinner on Friday, I walked down to the mailbox (at least the rain had let up by then) to see if my package had arrived. Nope. No package. It wasn't a disaster because I had already purchased some other tins before I saw these; the package I was waiting for would just give me a better variety to mix and match. The package finally arrived today--Monday. A week after it was supposed to have been mailed, Priority Mail.

I'm not really superstitious, but I think it's just as well that Friday the 13th is over for the time being. And if I'm wrong and there really is anything to the concept of luck, then I think mine is turning. My fortune cookie from tonight's dinner says "There is a prospect of a thrilling time ahead for you." Maybe I'll acquire a successful chicken wing franchise. Maybe my late-arriving tins will become collector's items and skyrocket in value. Maybe I'll achieve fame and fortune writing about nothing much--like chicken wings and tins. Whatever that thrilling thing is, at least you know I'll keep you posted.