TGIF!

Usually it's the start of the week that is the nightmare. For me, my nightmare began on Wednesday when I walked into the office and our entire network was down. I would elaborate, but it would be more fun to let you read what I wrote to Panera Bread Company's "Contact Us" page which invites you to participate with the following:

We'd love to have your feedback. Drop us a line. Fill us in. Tell us about your latest visit to your neighborhood Panera Bread bakery-cafe. Or maybe you have a question for us. Whatever the reason, use this form to let us know what's on your mind.

They may have wanted to be less inviting...


From: sarah.rath@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 9:54 AM
To: ContactUs
Subject: Contact Us [Topic: My experience at Panera Bread]
Topic: My experience at Panera Bread

This morning, as I drove into work after dropping my 9 mo old and 2 year old boys at daycare I thought, what could be better than treating myself to a few bagels to share with the office and a nice latte at Panera. It's not right on my route, but heck after the long sleepless night I'd had, I'd make the exception and drive the extra few miles out of my way for that treat.

After all, my husband and father of the two children I'd given birth to in under two years, just left yesterday for another week long business trip in Texas. I had a very long day at the office after walking in to be faced with our entire network down and so spent the first 6 hours with a co-worker trying to find the reason and a solution. By the time I was able to get back to my normal workload, I had only a bit of time before it was time to dash back out, pick up the kids, drive home, rush dinner, get both kids bathed and to bed, get the house in order, pay some bills, write some correspondence, do a little blogging, watch a little Leno and hopefully fall gently asleep and be refreshed in the morning.

Unfortunately, that did not seem to be the case, as I awoke 30 minutes later to a strange noise in the house. It turns out a mouse had found its way into my kids bathtub...which I discovered around midnight when I heard something scurrying around and got up and turned on the light in the bathroom and saw a flash of brown fur and a VERY LONG TAIL bouncing up and down in the tub. Not a big fan of mice, I managed to throw a trap in the bathtub from 5 feet away and stuff a towel under the door before diving back into bed and listening for at least another hour to the little critter scamper around before drifting off until 4am when I awoke to hear what sounded like him finding his way into the wall between my bed and the bathroom. When I finally climbed out of bed at 6 and removed the now chewed on towel from below the door, and cleaned the tub with bleach and reset the trap and placed in the cabinet under the sink where I think it made it's escape (for now) and got myself show ered and clothed, the kids up, diapers changed, clothes on, breakfast fed, and in the car and on our way, I thought, yep, after the past 24 hours I'd had...bagels would be just the thing to put a smile on my face.

At 8:30am I walked in, stood in line for 5 minutes picking out the bagels from the bins I would get for my 1/2 dozen and when it was my turn to order I was told..."I'm sorry we aren't taking any more bagel orders today, we already have too many to fill."

Are you kidding me? At 8:30 am on a Thursday, there are no more bagels? How does a bakery/café which can't possibly have been open for more than a couple of hours already be out of bagels for the morning??? Thanks for extending my miserable last 24 hours for another few.

Sincerely,
Sarah Rath

I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Oh, and I still haven't gotten the mouse. He's somewhere in these walls and woe to him if he decides to make another appearance.