Broken Heart

Posted by thisnest on September 3, 2010

D’Lo in the kitchen (again), continually climbing up onto the counter. I finally have to give him a good swat to the hiney because I’m growing tired of repeating myself:

Big, brown eyes swelling up with real tears, looking soooooo sad…

Bottom lip turns out and drops…

“Oooooohhhhhhh…Mama…you bwoke my hawt!”

 Update On Baskin Robbins Discrimination

Posted by thisnest on August 31, 2010

Went into a certain Baskin Robbins today, hoping to be able to meet up with this Kara (the manager)…she wasn’t there (again). The face that greeted me was the same one that discriminated against Antone (see post dated 8/23, titled In Walks Reality).

“Is Kara around?” I asked him

“No.” he replied nervously

“Well, I need to speak to her or the owners, do you have their contact information?”

“I’m not allowed to give that out, but I’m the assistant manager, can I…?”

“No” I cut him off, “When will Kara be available?” Starting to wonder now if he’s put two and two together, or if he remembers our strange, first encounter.

“I’m not sure.” he answers

“So, you can’t give me the manager’s or the owner’s contact info? aaaaannd, you can’t tell me when the manager will be here?!”

“No.” was his response again. “She manages another store and I never know when she’ll be here.”

“Well, what other store does she manage?” me

“Jantzen Beach.” him

“Thanks.” me

I got home and called the Jantzen Beach location, said a few words about the issue I have, and was given Kara’s cell number (I thought Andy said he wasn’t allowed to give this out, hmmmmm). So, I gave her a ring…waste of time. After listening to my complaint, she began directly with the excuses:

“I’m sorry if what happened made you unhappy.” she started (unhappy? No, Honey, I’m pissed off) “Andy wouldn’t have meant anything by it (Do they ever?), maybe he was just confused about the process (and then suddenly became unconfused when the Caucasian walked in?), I’ll talk to him tonight.”

“I respect the job you have to do, as a manager, regarding public relations, etc., and I can appreciate your need to protect your employee, but your employee gave two different answers to the same question within the same ten minutes…one to a black man and the other to a white woman…soooooo, either he’s racist or he’s sexist and I’m betting it’s the first (since he’s also a dude). He told my brother to apply online. Now, if he’s a supposed assistant manager, I’m assuming he knows there’s no place online to apply – which means he was giving the black guy the run around”…

“Well, maybe he just thought the girl was cute.” she said

(oh wow, did she really just say that?)

“K, that doesn’t change the fact that he lied to my brother about how to apply for employment with your company. So, as his manager you’ll talk to him or whatever, but do you really think he’s gonna admit to wrong-doing or do you think he’ll just make up stupid excuses (you know, like you’re doing right now)? Do what you’ve got to and I will do the same. Thanks for your time.”

Suggestions anyone??????

 The City

Posted by thisnest on August 27, 2010

It was a beautiful day today. The sun was shining, but not too hot. The light breeze was gently kissing our shoulders as it danced past us. I took the boys up to this amazing, little, city part I found. It’s sort of an oxymoron…this city park sits out about a mile into the country. It’s up on a hill and overlooks the awesome, untouched landscape…just a few homes, farms, and white picket fences.

I was totally in the moment…thanking God for his blessings, without even saying a word…just “feeling” thankful, and I knew He could hear how loudly I was shouting my gratitude – even in my silence. My children, happy and healthy, giggling, climbing, running, being little, carefree children.

Then, like a silly stick cutting right through this serious moment of appreciation…

(D’Lo standing atop the hill, looking down upon the countryside)

“Mom! (not Mommy or Mama) Mom! I can see the whole city!”

 Halleluyah!

Posted by thisnest on August 26, 2010

D’Lo in the kitchen, messin’ around with the cabinet doors (even though I ask him not to…over and over again)…

SLAM!

“Oh man! I swammed my finguh in the cabnet!…Haw-way-you-yah!!”

 In Walks Reality

Posted by thisnest on August 23, 2010

OK, I really wanted to feed you all some really cutsie piece of Sparrow pie today…

but I can’t…

Unfortunately, today I have the disappointing opportunity to share with you a little bit of reality instead:

We have Antone back with us, trying to help him find his grown-up legs and encouraging him to stand on them. I took him out today to gather job applications (one of the many things on our grown up list of “to-do’s”). Now, he’s a nice lookin’ kid…and he’s very polite. It’s all about “Yes, Ma’am” and “Yes, Sir” with him, especially in this moment of asking for job apps…Oh yeah, and he’s also black.

Our third stop was Baskin Robbins (the first two being unsuccessful). He went in ahead of me, as I was gathering my phone, wallet, etc. As I approached the door, I glanced up to see him smile politely and say thank you to the “gentleman” behind the counter (who doesn’t know that Antone is with me). Turns out, yet again, that Antone will need to fill out an application online. “Baskin Robbins dot com?” Antone asks, still smiling…”Yes” responds the employee.

I decided to sit in the air conditioned ice cream shop and eat me a scoop of Pralines and Cream (my favorite of the 31 flavors) while I waited for Antone to hit a few of the other shops in the strip mall. I was all alone in the shop, enjoying my treat, when in walks this little blond (white) woman…

“How do I go about applying for a job here?” she asks

OK…here it comes (and I KNOW he’s about to tell her the same thing he just told Antone…puh-leez be about to tell her the same thing you just told my black brother)…

“You need to bring your resume in and give it to our manager…Her name is Kara.”

Uuuummmmmm…??????? OK, let me finish up this last bite, and as I let it melt over my tongue, please let me remember something I may have missed that will make this situation OK…nope, nada, nothing.

As my urge was to strike out at him with all the force of the storm now brewing inside of me, it took every rational cell in my body to decide how to handle this…I stood up, walked back up to the register, and as he approached me I asked him to repeat to me the name of the manager one should turn their resume into, as well as the spelling of the name. “And what was your name again?” I asked. “Andy” he replied, a curious look upon his racist face. “Thank you” I uttered with all the smile I could muster, and I walked out.

To make things a little more abrasive for you, I just hopped directly onto my computer when I got home…as I typed in the web address that Antone was directed to, my fingers began to shake with the same intensity as the current quake in my heart as I read this…

So, don’t miss out on all the fun. Locate your nearest Baskin Robbins location, stop by and fill out an application.

Here’s at least one location you may want to avoid unless, of course, you, hmmmmmm, how shall I put this…approve of this type of (cough, cough, crap) behavior.