For Rock Chicks Everywhere...

So, I guess I’m one tough chick. I almost got into a fight at Tim Horton’s (how embarrassing) this morning.

Since I got back to work in June, I have developed a lovely morning ritual. Eric and I drive into work together, he parks at his office, which is about a 10 minute walk from mine. As I walk to my office, I stop at the new Tim Horton’s down the street and brave the insane morning line-up, wait the obligatory 15 minutes to get to the front before I recite “Large Steeped Tea with milk. Toasted 12 grain bagel with cream cheese” and hand over my $3.24. (Before anyone from the peanut gallery says anything about bagels equaling 4 pieces of bread, just shut it. I’m 4 months pregnant and baby wants a bagel, OK?)

Anyhoo, so I get in the lineup this morning and, as usual, we are backed to the door. About 30 seconds later a tall blond woman wearing a business suit, short skirt and tall boots comes inside and doesn’t get into the line, which has curved so that we are standing parallel to the door. Rather, she sort of stands there at the side, beside the man in front of me, disregarding the line, which continues to form obediently behind me. The man in front of me moves ahead and she immediately steps in. I’m a bit shocked and, before I can stop myself, mutter: “By all means, go ahead”. She WHIRLS around and stares at me in fury.

“EXCUSE me?” (belligerently)

“Uh, I was here before you.” Because she was so clearly in the wrong, I honestly wasn’t expecting her to react, but I’m in it now.

“No, you WEREN’T.” She’s pissed, which oddly I find amusing.

“Yes I was, but that’s OK, go ahead.”

“Well, I was here first, but if its SOOOO important to you, YOU go.” Her tone implying she is simply above this sort of petty interaction.

The friggin’ liar stares me down, and admittedly, she’s a tad frightening. Clearly, she thinks she’s good looking. But her face is seriously unattractive and her eyes are heavily outlined in black. Sort of like a rocker chick with a good job. And now, people are looking.

Still, I know I’m right, but I wave her off and she says: “Well, if you were here first, I didn’t mean to get in front of anyone….I didn’t do it VICIOUSLY.”

Viciously? No lady, you were either ridiculously oblivious or a total bitch. I’m leaning toward the latter. She turns around and stands there with her back to me and it’s sort of awkward for the rest of the wait. Later, as we near the front, she leans forward and says something to guy in front of her and he laughs, turns around gives her an nauseatingly obvious once over. Appreciatively. Guys are soooooo easy. And he talks to her a bit more and she laughs some more. I’m feeling ill, and for once, it’s not the baby. How can he possibly take her side?!

But, still what is up with people these days? I was just saying yesterday, after what can only be described as a harrowing trip to the grocery store where I almost ran into a old woman with my cart and then later, totally bashed another woman’s almost empty cart while in the checkout, that people are all too cranky. Both incidents were my fault and I apologized PROFUSELY to both people involved, but neither was nice about it in the slightest. OK maybe the old woman had a point (although I didn’t actually touch her- probably because she squealed in warning first.) But the one in checkout? What’s the big deal? Your cart was almost empty! Yet, she glared at me as though it was made of Grandma’s irreplaceable bone china. I think that is why I spoke up this morning in Tim Horton’s. Last Friday, I may well have just rolled my eyes at the woman as she stepped in front of me and said nothing. But not today. Sure, it may have been juvenile to be getting into a scrap prior to 9am over who was before whom in the coffee line, but I’m actually happier that I did.

Be warned business rock chicks everywhere…you may have met your match.