I hate shopping

Mr. Gaia is impossible to shop for.

We were talking about possible gifts for him. I mentioned an enameled cast iron dutch oven but said La Creuset would be too expensive. He said "the no name brands would be fine". I made a face and he insisted they were fine.

So yesterday Oceanus and I went to Target. To shop for him. He knew I was going to Target. He knew one of the things on my list for him was an enameled cast iron dutch oven. Did he say "but not the Target brand"? Of course not.

So Oceanus and I shop and I find a dutch oven that looks very nice. I checked it over carefully to make sure it was cast iron and not enameled stoneware (apparently this is common with the knockoffs). It was a decent price so I bought it.

I get home and he says "oh, BTW, the enameled cast iron at Target is NOT acceptable".

So, I have to go back and return the damn thing. I am so pissed. And so hurt. He told me the knockoffs were fine. And all that time wasted.

And I'm embarrassed - for not knowing it wouldn't be acceptable. So I feel the need to do this in secret. With, oh, 30 minutes of free time in a day. I have 30 minutes from the time I get off work to when I have to pick up the kids. Somehow I don't think I can drive to Target, get into the store, return the pot, and drive home (or to the school) within 30 minutes.

So, I'm pissed but I can't tell him why I'm pissed. So he's pissy that I'm pissy.

That was yesterday.

Today, I get to work to find out that they had apparently fired one of my coworkers. The one that has been most accepting of me and nicest to me. I don't know why they fired her and I'm not about to ask (I suspect it has to do with missing too many days for illnesses - hers and her son's).

She was the only one else in the office that knew how to set up corporations and write wills. So there's now no one else to help me with that.

So, to recap - 1 going on maternity leave at xmas, one having a hysterectomy 1/10 and now one fired. Leaving ... 2 real estate ladies, me, a receptionist and our bookkeeper.

I still haven't heard an official no about the parks job, so that's up in the air. If I do get offered the job I'm going to feel like a real shit but god help me, I'm going to jump on it.

They haven't asked, but I get the feeling I need to line up after school care for the boys so that I can start working full time. I'm not doing it without a raise. I work for much less than I'm worth so that I could get the hours I need.