Staying together...

I'm happy to report that we've decided to stay together after all. I'm glad because we've been together for almost a decade.

Being a bachelor, I don't do ironing. My work shirts get laundered by a dry cleaners down the street while I merely shake out and fold the rest of my clothes after washing them, once they dry on the clothesline in my basement.

Recently I paid $6.25 to pick up my shirts, which seemed to be too much because I didn't remember dropping off five shirts. I dimly recalled bringing in only three shirts.

I could immediately tell the shirts I received weren't mine because they were of a color other than merely white or oxford blue. But each time I handed the bundled shirts back to the clerk, whom I have known for years, she showed me that the work order stapled to the completed job bore my telephone number and that each shirt had a ticket that matched the work order fastened to a buttonhole.

We definitely had a translation problem going and finally I just shrugged, left the five laundered shirts behind and departed. I was most puzzled that I couldn't get a refund but neither the money nor the missing shirts were worth a big hassle.

I despaired that my sense of loyalty was being sorely tested though. How come the laundress just didn't immediately act like I was right, being a long-standing customer?

This happened on the very same day that I had an overcharging dispute with my favorite coffee shop near work (see my last post, Breaking Up). I was thinking that I'd have to locate a new shirt laundry as well as a new morning place, in addition to changing my typically understated and quiet interaction with service personnel.

You know, start raising a little hell. Changes.

But me 'n my shirt laundry are back on. I went in one last time to ask about my shirts, and they had found them.

Smiling profusely and expressing apologies, the clerk handed over my shirts, all washed and ironed. We even got the money issue straightened out without any trouble.

Making up is something that's better than breaking up.