and now, here's mine.
So, I was in line at Walmart, minding my own business. Okay, no I wasn't. I'm a Jewish woman. I don't physically know how to mind my own business. Quite honestly, I am completely out of my element when I am minding my own business. I am much better at minding other peoples. But, for shits and giggles, let's pretend that I was minding my own business.
Now, naturally, the first question that my regular readers will have is "CP, you hate Walmart. You hate Walmart with a passion. You said you would rather light your nipples on fire than shop at Walmart! What were you doing there?"
This is, of course, a wonderful and insightful question. One that I will answer, once I get the kerosene off my nipples and cover them in aloe. Basically, I had no choice. Macy's does not sell kitty litter after midnight. If they did, I would have been shopping there. However, the only place on the planet that I know of where kitty litter can be purchased at 12:07 am on a Tuesday night, is alas, Walmart.
So, off I went. Dreading. Nauseated at the vile blue building that stood before me like a mecca for bargain basement human scum to gather at, in search of the perfect Futon. Mind you, this is not the situation during the DAY at Walmart. But at night, the freakiest people opt to buy flip flops and fungal creams at Walmart.
Anyway, I am on the line. There is an affable cashier named Lynn manning the register. In front of me on said line, a heifer. This has nothing to do with weight or girth. This is simply what I call dirty looking women. Heifers. Some qualify as sows. This particular species was all heifer. Heifer is trying to buy a pack of cigarettes. Um, hello? Do you not have a trailer located next to a Quik-E-Mart somewhere? Is there not another place you can do your one stop shopping? Whatever. My kitty litter is getting heavy and Heifer is having a hard time deciding what she would like to smoke that evening. If she doesn't hurry, she will be smoking my bag of kitty litter, because I am ready to light it on fire and shove it down her throat.
Heifer finally opts for the generic version of Newports. Shocker. This is when affable cashier, Lynn says:
"May I see your ID, please?"
A fine question. It is nice to see someone enforcing the laws of 21 and over to purchase cigarettes. Personally, if I smoked, I would be flattered to have Lynn ask me for my ID. Hell, I'd be flattered if anyone asked for my ID. Since Heifer looked like she was at least 30 with 300,000 miles on her, I assumed she would be as flattered as I would be.
Wrong-o.
Apparently, Heifer travels light. She doesn't bring anything more than what she needs to bring for her nightly excursion to Walmart. Apparently, shoes don't qualify as a necessity either. Ugh.
"I don't have my ID with me," she says.
"Did you drive here?" asks Lynn.
"'Course I DROVE here. How the hell do you think I got here?"
*On your broom, I muttered under my breath.*"Well," says Lynn, still with a radiant smile on her 19 year old face, "if you drove here, you should have your license with you. You can get into trouble for driving without your license."
"Did I ASK you to be my lawyer," screeches Heifer! "Just give me my damn cigarettes."
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I can't do that."
"Why the fuck not?"
And this, ladies and gents, is where CP loses control of her tongue once more.
"I think," I began, "that she made that clear. You cannot buy cigarettes without ID. Seems pretty cut and dry to me, Miss."
"Who the fuck are you," she brays, sounding like a donkey in heat. In my peripheral vision, I can see Lynn release a sigh of relief that someone, anyone, is helping her battle the beast.
"Who the fuck am I? No one really, except the next person on line and I am kind of tired of waiting on your ass. Soooooo, if you would be kind enough to run home, get your license or get your cigarettes somewhere else, I sure would appreciate it!"
"Yeah, well...fuck you, Cunt."
Oh no.
Oh no she di'in't.
She did NOT just hurl the "C" word at me. I don't know about the rest of you, but the "C" word sends me into FLAMES. It's just an ugly word. It's like "pus". If someone called me "pus", I would be equally as disgusted. But the "C" word has all sorts of other negative connotations for women. So, to be called a "C", by a woman? Oh no no no. WE ain't havin' none o' that.
However, there is a set of impressionable young eyes watching me. Lynn. Can't be a day older than my daughter. I feel a strong sense of responsibility to show Lynn how to conduct yourself when facing a Heifer with a hard on. I take a deep breath and compose myself. This is where the other side of CP takes over. She is rational. She is cool. She is calm. She uses her intellect to take over instead of brown baggin' the bitch in the parking lot. Breathe, stupid, breathe. Okay. I'm good. Let's get on this Heifer ass. Let's DO this.
"Ma'am," I say to the Heifer, in low, dulcet tones, so not to further awaken the beast, "may I ask what you do for a living?"
"Excuse me," replies the Heifer.
"I said, may I ask what you do for a living?"
"I'm a NURSE," says the Heifer.
Oh, this is gonna be good. So good. Mm. Mm. Mm.
"Really, what kind of nurse are you?" I reply, acting truly interested.
"I'm a medical assistant."
"Ohhhhhhhhh, okay," I say, nodding my head, "of course, that doesn't mean you are a NURSE. 'I' am a nurse, honey. A nurse is a licensed medical professional. But, be that as it may, you are still in the medical field, so you do some nursing care, correct?"
"Yeah, so," says Heifer.
"Well, as a quasi-professional, would you ever allow a doctor to perform surgery on a minor if the parent is not with the child."
"NO, that would be pretty fuckin' stupid," Heifer bellows.
"Absolutely correct! Then please understand that this woman is only doing HER job. She is not allowed to sell cigarettes to anyone who cannot produce ID, just as you would not allow a child to be operated on under your care, without a parent available. She could lose her job, just as you would lose yours."
I am now met with...
"Mind your business, Bitch."
*blink*
*blink again*
*BLINK*
"Oh, no. No no no no. You did not just call me a bitch. See, that would be rude, and uncalled for, and as a quasi professional, you would know that we do not treat the general public in that fashion, as it could only lead to violence and someone getting hurt..."
(Or brown-bagged in the parking lot)
Heifer gets quiet. She looks at me with a certain stink eye. You know, the kind where a person squints, their eyebrow twitches and you swear that any second, they are gonna go postal on your ass?
We stare each other down. Hard. Beauty and the Beast. If you have to ask who is who, clearly you are not paying attention to my story.
Now, Heifer turns away from me, (woo hoo! i win!) and goes back to harassing the cashier. I've had just about enough...so I step around the fucking froot loop and put my cat litter on the counter. Cashier follows my lead and proceeds to ignore Heifer as well, and rings up my purchase.
"You redneck bitch," Heifer calls me.
Is she joking? I have HANDBAGS that are more expensive than the car she probably drives.
"Redneck bitch? MY," I respond, "that IS disrespectful...and racist as well! I could have your nursing license for that. Oh...wait. You're not a nurse. I forgot. You do realize though, as your superior in obviously (look her up and down) every way, I can motion to the Board of Nursing to have your certification revoked. You ARE certified, aren't you?"
Cashier is now laughing. CP is now laughing. Heifer is SO not laughing.
"Fuck you, bitch! Fuck you, rag! Fuck you, cunt!"
*shudders* Oh, again with the "C" word. Breathe, CP. Breathe.
"Oooohie," says CP, "you should be a dental hygienist with that mouth. You could use a good cleaning."
Now she stomps out of Wal-Mart, screaming the whole freaking way. I'm laughing, cashier is laughing. Young guy saunters up next to me, obviously stoned, but completely non-menacing.
"Dude," he says (despite my obviously NOT being a dude) "that was the best shit ever! You rock!"
"UM, okay, thanks!"
"Carolyn's a fuckin' bitch, man. You told her!" He proceeds to giggle uncontrolably, his posse in tow. They are all giggling the stoner giggle as well.
"You know her????"
"Dude," in that Fast Times At Ridgemont High/Jeff Spicoli sort of way, "that's my fucking GIRLFRIEND. She's a dick, dude."
Okay. I am now in the throes of hysteria. He just dogged his own girlfriend. Where the hell is my digital camera. WHY do I not have a mini-camcorder at this moment? Where is the crew from Punk'd? This HAS to be a stunt. HAS TO BE!
To add insult to injury, as I am leaving with my kitty litter...I run into the Heifer in front of Walmart. Heifer is stomping and snorting and pacing outside of Wal-mart. (Bet she wishes she had a cigarette. Heh.) "Honey, is your name Carolyn?" She looks at me, absolutely appalled. Says nothing.
"Cause if it IS," I said, "your boyfriend just told me what a bitch you are, and how happy he was I put you in your place. Just thought you might wanna know that...have a great night!"
And, as I drove off...I heard the sweet sounds of Carolyn (aka Heifer) shrieking her fool head off at her boyfriend. He, however, was laughing his ass off, as was his posse of stoners, and waving goodbye to me.
I may not be all that. Hell, I may not even be some of that. But, I am a Walmart Super Hero, stopping the spread of the epidemic imbecile virus. I will fight the good fight until Walmarts are rid of Beasts and Heifers who swarm and prey in the midnight hour. Watch for me! I'll be coming soon, to a Walmart near you.
You'll recognize me immediately. I'll be the only one with shoes on.