The apple doesn't fall far

I received an email from the company we used to store Madison's college dorm stuff last year. The email was letting me know that it wasn't too early to reserve a spot for this upcoming summer, and if I acted now I could save 20%, THE LOWEST PRICE EVER. Madison and I started discussing the whens, wheres, and whys of storing her belongings again, and her father happened to enter the room.

Tom: "What are you talking about? What storage? How much?"

That started him off on various other ways we could save money, one of which was "he knew so many people in North Carolina, it was ridiculous." First of all, the man went to school in that state over 30 years ago. To the best of my knowledge, he knows no one still residing in that state. Secondly, if he did know people who still lived in North Carolina he hasn't spoken to them or communicated with them in any way where it would be fine to call them up and ask them to store our daughter's stuff. Lastly, none of the above solves our problem.

Madison and I looked at each other, rolled our eyes, ignored him and continued our conversation. Tom, of course, went online and looked for various other ways to save money, including renting a storage unit himself. That led to how much stuff she had, and an argument eschewed. Madison remembered "three, maybe four" boxes. Tom remembered stuff that might have fit into one suitcase despite having driven twelve hours to North Carolina a year ago with a van full of said stuff. I did what I always do when dealing with stuff our family has done, gone through, said, etc. I went to my blog.

The good thing about writing a blog about your life is that you have it right there at your fingertips. Can't remember how many boxes you filled with your daughter's stuff? Boom. It's there on the blog. I even had pictures of the FIVE boxes and one trunk. I let the family know the correct number of boxes, and then, because I had already read all three entries in regards to the moving home of the college kid, I read them all out loud. To refresh everyone's memory. There are here, here, and here if you need to refresh that time of our lives too. There were very detailed, as is my specialty, and remembering the purple blouse that kept coming unbuttoned had me crying with laughter.

Tom: "That was....very wordy. I got the whole picture."

The door opened then at that moment, and in came daughter number two from school. She blew in with dinner in hand, threw herself down on the couch, and started talking.

Darcy: "So we decided that we would all like to go to an escape room tonight, and so Sarina and I were online searching for Groupons. We found one that allowed us to have six people, and while Sarina thought we should have eight, I talked her out of that because it was too expensive. I bought the Groupon for six, and while it went into my cart, it wouldn't let me pick a room, and it said if I was having trouble to call the escape room company. So I hit the little phone icon."

Tom: "I was just saying, how your mother is very detailed on telling stories."

Darcy: "Dad! I'm talking. So this machine picked up and this voice identified himself as Xavier Christopher, and he spouted out some information, and then told me if I wanted to speak to him to punch in 1. I was on Sarina's phone because my phone had the Groupon app with the stuff in my cart. I punched in 1 and Xavier Christopher, at least I think it was him because it was the same dull, monotone voice, came on and asked if he could help me."

She immediately made a phone simulation with her pinkie extended toward her ear and her thumb extended toward her mouth

Darcy: "Hello, I'm trying to make an appointment online today for 4. I bought a Groupon online, but it isn't allowing me to make decisions on rooms and it told me to call. So I'm calling...."
Xavier Christopher: "Okay, what day?"
Darcy: "Today"
XC: "What time?"
Darcy: "4;00 pm."
XC: "Uh, actually we have an appointment booked today for that time."
Darcy: "Yeah, that's me. I have it in my cart. I just can't get you the information you need."
XC: "Oh, no, I'm sorry, my tablets down. It's charging."
Darcy: "Uh....?" She looked at us. "I mean, really? It's charging? What kind of business is this place? I wanted to say, well get down on the floor where it is plugged in, and take this stuff down because you can still use a tablet when it is plugged in. But I didn't say that. I just stayed on the phone and said nothing."
XC: "Well, we can take you at 1:00 pm."
Darcy: "No, that won't work."
XC: "Two?"
Darcy: "No."
XC: "Three?"
Darcy: "No."
XC: "How about four?"
Darcy: "That's perfect." She turned back to us. "Really? This is the truth. He then started asking all of my information. Clearly his tablet not working didn't have anything to do with anything because he obviously had a computer. Just terrible customer service."

Tom: "So....you're going to the escape room?"

Darcy: "Yes, but that wasn't the end of it. When I got the confirmation email it said it was for four people, not six. So I had to call Xavier Christopher back again. Again."

Me: "And, tell me. Where were you doing all of this business?"

Darcy: "In six period at school. Study Hall. And this time I used my phone and pretended I was Sarina. I was hoping Xavier Christopher, or whatever his name was, had gone to lunch, but NO. He answered, and so I told him that my friend had called to book the room, and that the confirmation email had the wrong amount of people."
XC: "Okay."
Darcy: "Okay, what? Our Groupon says for six people."
XC: "Okay, I can fix that."

She had her thumb and pinkie in the phone simulator again, and she sat there in silence. We waited. She looked at us. Silence.

Tom: "And?"
Me: "I think that was it. He didn't respond."
Darcy: "EXACTLY. I just sat there. Finally I just said, "Uh...okay...thanks," and he still didn't say anything, and so I said thanks again and hung up. Terrible customer service."

Tom: "So...you're going to the escape room?"
Darcy: "And then I got another email confirmation that said six people. Terrible customer service, but thank god Xavier Christopher clearly knows how to do his job in other ways."
Tom: "So you're going?"
Darcy: "DAD! Have you listened to a word of what I just said? What part of that story did you not get that we are going to the escape room?"
Tom: "None of it. It was very detailed. Just like your mother's blog."
Me: "It was great. And funny. In fact, I'm going to put it on my blog. Can you go over it all again while I type?"
Tom: "That's it! I'm out of here."
Darcy: "Me too. I don't have time to go over it again. I have to go."
Tom: "Where?"
Maddy: "This family should definitely be a sitcom."