Would You Like Some Free Clothing? at 7:01 PM

I’m at work, and it’s so freaking hot in here today that I’m pretty sure my face is going to melt off of my skull.  It sure would have been nice if the contractors had installed the air conditioner correctly two years ago when we opened.  I know it’s March and all, and it’s not really warm out, but it’s raining like a mother.  When it gets humid like that, the heat inside the building is ridiculous.  Oh well.

Zimm got some Pearl Jam tickets for a show in Chicago on May 16th, and I’m going with him.  So we’re pretty excited about that.  Of course, he’s a certifiable maniac when it comes to Pearl Jam, so he’s soiling himself with excitement about all three of the shows he’s going to.  I don’t even know that I have one favorite band anymore.  It used to be Aerosmith, and I still really enjoy them, but there’s no one in particular that I like that much more than everyone else.  Also, I listen to so many different bands and acts that I don’t have the inclination to listen to one particular so much more.  Anyway, enough of that.  I’m beginning to wax boring here.

Let me set a scene for you.  You donate plasma, okay?  There’s a promotion going on where if you donate a certain amount of times in a given period, you get a sweatshirt, and if you donate a little bit less than that, you get a t-shirt.  On the announcement for said promotion, it reads that the plasma donation center only has a limited supply of sweatshirts, so even if you qualify for one, make sure you get in early after the promotion ends to ensure that you get it if it’s really important to you.

Now given that information, see if you find the following exchange rational:

Irrational Person:  My wife and I qualified for sweatshirts, but we didn’t get any.
Me:  Sorry to hear that.  We only had a limited supply of those, and we’ve run out.
IP:  My wife was here yesterday and they offered her a t-shirt instead, and she took it but she was very unhappy with it.
Me: …
IP:  I think we should get sweatshirts, because we’re entitled to them.  When are you getting more in?
Me:  Actually, I have no idea.  We haven’t ordered any.  That’s why we said on the announcement that we only had a limited supply.
IP:  I just don’t think that’s fair.  Can I be put on a list to get a sweatshirt whenever you get them in?
Me:  So let me get this straight.  You and your wife have donated eight times in the last four weeks and gotten $200 each over that time.  We offered sweatshirts if you hit that threshold, though we had no obligation to do so, and we told you that we didn’t have a ton of sweatshirts, and if you wanted one you should come in early…like Monday, when we started giving them out.  Your wife came in on Wednesday, and here you are on Thursday, and somehow it isn’t fair that we’ve run out and you don’t get one?  Are we really having this conversation right now about free sweatshirts after we’ve already given you $400?  And did you really use the word entitled?  Am I in the Twilight Zone?  Where are the cameras right now?
Me (What I really said):  Sure.

Sometimes I really wish I could say what pops into my head when these conversations happen.  But since I can’t, it sure is nice to have a blog.  

In the comments section, since we’re talking about weird conversations, I’d like to have a roundtable discussion about how one goes about telling someone that they can’t donate plasma because they stink too bad, and it’s distracting to other donors and employees.  Then in my next post I will favor you with one such situation I encountered not too long ago.  You may begin.

Song of the Day: “Close Edge”, by Mos Def.  If you ever saw that segment on “Chappelle’s Show” where Dave’s driving around and Mos Def is in the passenger seat, this is the song he did.  Sometimes I just need some rap that’s no frills…simple beat and solid flow.