Payback

So, my mom began her week of payback today by asking me to take her car in for an oil change. I was thinking around 30-60 minutes, no problem. When I arrived, they informed me that there was a recall on this brand new Ford Freestyle so they would just do that, too. No problem. Two hours later!!!!! I was finally heading home. It was the typical CT crowd in the "customer lounge." There was a man there in his "grundgy" clothes - a torn and tattered denim polo shirt (you know, the Ralph Lauren kind - might have even been brand new!), work boots, sweats and his three year old son, who was extremely well behaved! That's actually kind of unusual around here, or anywhere for that matter. The well overdressed woman reading the New Yorker even commented on his wonderfully patient behavior. That's a bit usual, too, and nice departure from the typical disdain shown for preschoolers. Our last lounge attendant was a well dressed African man who seemed to be fully engrossed in a pile of notes. I'm not sure if he was studying for an exam or trying to get some work done. Whatever the case, he looked up from his work only twice in the two hours that we all waited there.

I knew after watching the same news stories for the third time on the Connecticut News cable station that I'd been there quite sometime. I did at one point pick up the only magazine that grabbed my eye on the table, called "fairfield." That was the only word on the entire cover, along with a picture of a large snowglobe that looked like Lennox with a Christmas tree in it. Oh, how I miss being in a state where Christmas is still celebrated openly!!! It's not that I believe Christmas needs to dominate all other holiday celebrations, it's just that I'm so sick of not being "allowed" to even utter the word Christmas in Maryland - I think it's becoming a bit oppressive. Anyway, the funny thing about the cover of that magazine, other than it containing only the word "fairfield" was that the content had very little to do with Christmas. Hmmm... maybe I'm wrong about that whole Christmas thing afterall??

I read an article, somewhat half-heartedly, about the history of Pepperidge Farm. It was interesting because the company was started by a woman, Margaret Rudkin, who lived in Fairfield. I knew the headquarters were in Norwalk, but I never knew the whole history of the company. It was a very interesting story, and a true testament to the woman and her family who began that company out of a need for hypoallergenic bread (her son was allergic to bleached flour) and a desire to share in a newfound hobby of cooking and her serious research. I can't find the article online but here is a short bio and her stuffing recipe.

I have always loved Pepperidge Farm, but now I have a newfound appreciation for the company, it's founder and it's food! I'm going to have a take a short drive down Sturges Road to see if I can find Ridge Farm, or at least get a feel for where this company actually was born. I love stories about small companies employing neighbors, friends, and growing into something fantastic. It was a fun read - but it didn't take up all my two hours!

For the last 30 minutes or so I just waited... and waited... and waited... I watched the story about some truck driver heading all the way to Ansonia to spend Thanksgiving with his folks. Wow - what a trip! All of 30 minutes or so!! Then the story about a police officer who was shot by her boyfriend, a state trooper, who then shot himself. That was really getting depressing after the third time around. Then there was the story about all the "dangerous" toys out there this year, top of the list some water yo-yo that can get caught around a child's neck and choke them. They actually show some kid twirling it around his head, stopping about neck height and letting the string twist around and around his neck. He seems to be enjoying this - what a great image to show on a news clip about dangerous toys. Don't give them any ideas or anything!! Of course, this story found little interest in me once they included that balloons with strings were not appropriate for children under the age of 9. What? I'm not even going to go there!

While I wasn't that interested in the stories I saw today, it was a stark reminder to me that not all news is national. I find that national news, political news and the like dominate all news in the DC area. Before I moved there, I knew only what I had learned in school about politics, and that was very little. Now, I know much more than I really want to know. In fact, I'd welcome more news stories about bad toys and local truck drivers (not the shooting - we've got plenty of that!). I miss the feeling that I had growing up, that CT was a world unto itself, a small fortress in some larger land mass some call a country.

Finally, this guy comes in to tell me the car is ready, BUT he noticed something suspicious and needed to "check it out" before releasing the car to me. OK - #1. why bother coming in to tell me that? Just take the car for the little joy ride and I'll agree to not watch!! #2. Like I was born yesterday or something?? A brand new car that most people have never heard of, and you think I don't know that you just HAVE to drive the thing? Fifteen minutes later he peeks in, claiming everything was just fine, I can pick up my keys and then he vanished. Off to take another car of a quick 2 mile joy ride!! I didn't care - I just wanted to go home!!

This did remind me, though, of another trip to CT when we had just bought our Toyota Sienna. It was under warranty, so when it started acting funny I had to take it to a dealership in Westport to get a part changed. I've never before been more disgusted with a service department than I was with them. They also took forever, and after I had waited for hours, they finally brought my car to me, blaring some hip-hop junk, both front seats fully reclined!, two almost finished drinks, empty bags of chips and it was, say, two degrees inside that car in July!!! I can't even put into words what these kinds of experiences say to me about CT, but I can say I know it can happen anywhere. It just ALWAYS happens here! Not sometimes, all the time!

I'm home now, and tomorrow is Turkey Day! Can you say Nor-easter? That's what my mom said to us anyway when we arrived here Monday evening. It was very stormy and tomorrow is supposed to be the same. We'll be holed up in this warm house, enjoying turkey, Pepperidge farm stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoe casserole, pecan pie, apple pie, brownies, you name it! Tony is heading over to have Thanksgiving with some friends at a halfway house in Bridgeport. He's thinking about taking Katie, but we'll see. Ordinarily I'd join him, but I can't see leaving my mom alone to cook and watch our girls! I'm looking forward to some time with no phones ringing for us, no obligations to fulfill and time with my family. While I would love to say that's a perfect Thanksgiving, there's never one where I don't think of the thousands of people who have no family, no food, no home, and that's just not perfect. I am thankful, though, that we have all those things and some to share.

Happy Thanksgiving!!