so much

Seems I was the victim of juxtaposition in the last post... so I'll clarify. The plane tickets for a jaunt to NYC for Gypsy are over $250. It's not happening. It was most a wistful 'damn, wish I could' intent than anything else. Jerry Springer the Opera has been held over in Chicago through August, though, so that could still happen. We'll see. On top of that, locally, there's Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls next month and Kathy Griffin is popping into the Fox in mid-August... so even if I don't get to travel much, I'm set for some fun.

Next weekend is Pride, and I managed to wrangle a three day weekend for the festivities -- by working last night for the gal who's working for me next Sunday. Turns out, it was a mistake. Most of the night was quite pleasant, albeit very, very dull. About 45 minutes from closing time, a woman walked in, clearly very irate. This doesn't phase me, I'm very good at being able to wrangle angry customers in and make them feel like sunshine and lollipops by the time they leave.

She'd lost her debit card a few months back, and our billing department had given her a call to let her know her card was no longer debiting and her account was now delinquent. She gave them the new card information to bring her account current again. The card was then used for her monthly dues. THREE MONTHS LATER, she decides that she didn't authorize the transactions and starts making a fuss (incidentally, she was only five months into an 11 month contract), demanding refunds and to be let out of the contract. I explained the policies regarding auto-debits, cancellation clauses, what we'd need from her to clear her account fully -- but she was having none of it. The calmer I was, the louder she got, until...

"JUST GIVE ME THE GOD DAMN FORM, FAGGOT."

You know, I've been gay for 27 years now. Only once did anyone call me a faggot -- I was 13 and some highschoolers yelled it at me from a car. I wasn't really certain of being gay at that point I didn't really know what it meant. This time, I knew. I've always been a person to brush off words as just words -- no big deal -- but you never really fully grasp the implications of something like that until it's thrown in your face, dripping with venom.

It took everything I had not to throw the stapler in my hand at her head.

Instead, I crumpled up the form and refused to help her any further. I said I wasn't about to put up with insulting or abusive language, and that it was time for her to leave. She refused, and then started shoving her camera phone in my face "so I can prove I was here and
you were HARASSING ME." I ducked, weaved, and then handed a blank form to her to distract her from trying to take my picture. She started scribbling furiously, and I called the police to have her escorted out of the building.

She left before the police arrived. I called them back and let them know it was no longer necessary for them to come. One member who witnessed the whole thing told me to report her for harassment, but I chose not to. I'd rather her play by the rules of her contract and be stuck than to kick her out.

I need a vacation.