December 16th, 2009 (07:22 pm)
current mood: okay
current song: Toy Love Song-Toy Love-The Authorised Version
There was a truism in our family when I was a child that my sister was the 'finder', meaning that she seemed to know where stuff was. No doubt she was observant, had a good memory and could recall the location of things. Conversely, I was a loser. I couldn't even keep track of my own possessions, let alone anyone else's.
I think I've grown up with an expectation that other people will know better than I do where things are. I have cringeworthy memories of making a nuisance of myself getting in a flap because I couldn't find things, and crossly demanding that other people tell me where they are. So that's the background...
Last week, I had quite a bloody job finding Kirsch for my Friday night fondue (which was bloody awesome btw - thank you Jeremy for FB fondue burner advice). No one in Morrisons had ever heard of it. The man in Sainsbury's booze section said they'd stopped ordering (WTF?). In vain I tried the Co-op where no one had heard of it. In the end I got it at LIDL on Thursday evening. I already said all this on Facebook, didn't I. Oh well.
Anyway I went to look for the Kirsch on Friday while preparing for the fondue, couldn't find it ANYWHERE, got in a flap, posted on Facebook and other Internet fora, and also stupidly sent an email to L the cleaner thinking maybe she'd seen it around somewhere. As soon as I'd done that I started panicking, wondering if she might imagine I was accusing her of something. As it was, the (people on the) Internet helped me find it (in the car boot, where I'd already looked but not well enough). I'm crossing my fingers L the C will not think I am suspicious/deranged and disappear, because I think my life has improved markedly since she has started.
What I have learnt:
It's okay to make a vague request for help to find something from the Internet. People won't feel obliged, because it's a general request. And actually it seems to work.
Never ever again email to ask the cleaner if she knows where where stuff is, because she's not on call, and it's probably very annoying.