Zoo Drama

Legal disclaimer:  This statement is a recap of an unfortunate even that occurred at the Detroit Zoo.  The purpose of this statement is not to slander or take business away from said establishment.  It is simply to share information.  I find it very useful to share experiences, both good and bad, with other young families to inform and allow them to make their own decisions.

I'd signed Beanie (girl, 5.6) up for a few one-day Summer Safari Camp sessions at the Detroit Zoo.  The first one was in early July.  The office had failed to send me the confirmation paperwork and parking pass, so the first class was kind of a mess.  In addition, power was out for 2/3 of the zoo.  After unloading kids and stroller once, I was forced to move my car 30 ft due to lack of the stupid parking pass. Then I was told that the member gate (which was pickup/drop-off point for camp) was closed, so I'd have to go to the main gate after dropping her off.  I basically told them that I have been having foot problems (heel spurs- currently trying to put off surgery) and could not walk more than necessary, and we'd be going home if they couldn't let us in.  The director came out and said she'd call up front and get us signed in, no problem.

The second class was 4 weeks ago (or so I thought).  I got there, and was informed that Beanie was not on the list.  Since they were so incompetent the first time, I incorrectly assumed that they had screwed up again.  I kind of let them have it.  Then the director called the office and verified that I actually had the wrong date and that Beanie had actually been signed up for the week before. We argued about it for a bit and then she agreed to let Beanie in the class for the day since we were already out there.  I apologized for the unpleasantries and the mistake, and she said it was ok and have a great day.

On the way out, the COO, flanked by two security guards, stops me and tells me that my membership has been revoked because I took a swing at one of his employees (the director apparently).  I told him that was absolutely not true.  He said that it was and that he watched the whole thing on tape and already contacted R.O. Police and filed a complaint and that they were pressing charges against me.  I told them that this was a mistake.  He pretty much said tough and that there was nothing I could do.  I was upset, but didn't lose it until Beanie started crying saying that she wanted to go back to camp.  He told me then that if I set foot on Zoo property again, I'd be arrested.  They refunded the remaining two classes in which Beanie had been enrolled, in addition to my entire membership fee.

I requested the advice of an old cohort-turned-attorney, who said the first thing to do is to contact the ROPD and find out if they were pressing charges.  I waited two weeks so I wouldn't cry on the phone to the desk aide, and then contacted them.  *gulp*  This was not even an official "report" since no officer was dispatched.  It was a legal documentation so that the Zoo would have grounds to revoke my membership.  Legally, they can't just revoke memberships for fun.  Now that they have on record an incident wherein video footage is "inconclusive;" I could have been reaching for a runaway Bunky (boy, 3.6) or trying to swing at aforementioned employee.  The record does note that I had Nacho (boy, 1.85) in my arms.  Now, I don't know about you, but I think every parent should get in a good old-fashioned cat fight with a toddler in arms.

So basically, this came down to they didn't want to deal with any squeaky wheels so they made something up that could be moderately plausible on video and documented. I was pretty upset and embarassed initially; having to tell my family and friends that we couldn't go to the Zoo.  In actuallity, I am not allowed to own a pass nor can my children attend camp.  If I wanted to pay full price, I could do so.  

I thought about trying to pursue things further, or pulling the COO's valve stems, but I decided I'd just pray for the bozo instead.  Clearly the Institution does not understand the concept of customer service.  We have taken our money and joined the Toledo Zoo, so I've officially lost nothing.  We are much happier at Toledo.  They have excellent customer service and are much more family and child oriented.  So, lesson learned.  God knows what's up, anyway.

-rk

Planning is Such a Losing Battle

I am truly convinced that, after evicting Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, God realized that men (1) were easily led astray and (2) don't come up with a plan unless they are faced with catastrophe.  It is no wonder that, after this mistake, He gave women the ability to plan and to anticipate. I am grateful for this. It is the reason we can put food on the table while I stay home with our kids.

Sometimes, though, said "ability" can become a curse. The need to have a plan. The feeling of failure as a wife, mother, and human being if I don't.  The sheer panic of not knowing what to do. It's like the fish in the asthma commercial flopping around on the table.

Wednesday night, Husband was late leaving work. I am fairly accustomed to this having an IT background myself.  The issue that is that I require adequate notification to process and plan. The dinner I'd planned required use of the grill. Since he tends to Hercules-tighten everything, I was unable to use the grill and had to bake the dinner in the house on a 90 degree day. He notified me 20 minutes before our normal dinner time that he was still at work (40 minutes later than usual).

He told me he sent a text message 20 minutes prior stating that he was stuck on an issue, which i did not realize, since i was making dinner.

Result: we argued through dinner and ate 50 minutes late. Oddly, the kids were pretty resilient. No meltdowns and everyone ate and went to bed on time.

Lesson learned: ALWAYS have a backup plan when depending on someone else, even if it's grilled cheese and frozen green beans.

-rk

Introduction

I am a stay-at-home mother of three children. I work 6-8 hours a week outside the home. I've received many comments from others marveling at my patience, creativity, and willingness to stay home in the first place.  These people do not have the misfortune of seeing me do any of the following: throw my phone across the room out of anger toward the person on the other end, lock myself in the bathroom and breathe for 5 minutes, or cry myself to sleep out of frustration over my children's behavior.

My diagnosis at age...16? was "severe depression with explosive disorder." No kidding! Within the past year, I've also received an official "anxiety" diagnosis.

The purpose of this blog is as follows: (1) self-therapy. Venting is critical for me. This is an excellent forum for said activity wherein no one actually has to listen to me. (2) help others. Most of us (women in particular) tend to compare themselves to others and (sometimes not so) secretly resent any person that is "better." What we don't see are the broken marriages, unpaid bills, shouting matches, and packed suitcase hidden away. (3) tips. I am the oldest of four children, and I was eleven when the baby was born. I have a lot of experience to pass along.

Thanks for reading. Hope it doesn't suck.
-rk