mean people with scissors...

I have to rant further about the fabric store Nazis. I have the same kind of experience at MOST fabric stores I frequent. I don't know if there's a such a dearth of social skills that these people merely appear rude or if they are such seamstress snobs that they can't stand to deal with the riff-raff.

During the same trip to said fabric store I posted about yesterday, I also enjoyed having my fabric cut for me. I use upholstery fabric for parts of my fabric figures because it's sturdier and I like the way it looks, so I picked about about four or five fabrics from the remnants heap and took them to the cutting table. I stood there and waited for someone and one of the employees, who has cut my fabric before, came to help me. I told her I'd like 1/2 yard of each fabric.

She says, "What in the world are you going to do with 1/2 yard pieces?"

"I make dolls."

Silence.

I looked at her and she continued with what she was doing. No "oh" or "hmm" or "really?" or anything. I just stood there feeling awkward and she stood there being awkward. It was awkward. I am terrible at small talk myself, but I usually recognize that someone has said something to me. I usually TRY. It wasn't a really big deal, but 90 percent of the interactions at most fabric stores are like that. It's like they're drugged sullen automatons. Does excessive sewing cause retardation of social skills? Did they have to sew their own clothes as kids? I don't know what it is, but it's annoying. Maybe I just expect too much from people.

On another note. I am exhausted. I left work a little early yesterday to finish my readings for my online test which I finished about 9 p.m. last night. It seems like I've been doing nothing but staring at computer screens and burying my nose in books. The classes I'm taking right now have tremendous reading requirements. I'm going to have to dig out my reading glasses because I can hardly focus my eyes. And to make things really fun, I woke up at 4 a.m. this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. Bleh on that. Thankfully I only have to go to one class tonight and will be home by 7 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. Tonight is scheduled ME time.