It's Getting HOT In Here...

Even though the temperature here in the good old Northeast has taken a bit of a dive (it was 27 degrees when my son left for school this morning), the political scene has certainly heated things up. Whether you are an Obama-kin or McCain's your guy, it's hard not to turn on the television without seeing an ad for either of the presidential candidates or commentary from the bevy of news shows on the latest rally, press conference or interview by one of the candidates or their running mates. And the election is still two weeks away.

Whomever is elected will have a hell of a long row to hoe. With the sliding economy, the horrible housing market, the growing deficit, raising unemployment, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, my question is who the heck would want such an incredibly difficult job? Sure "Leader of the Free World" is an exciting job title, but the benefits seem to pale in comparison to the crap that has to be dealt with.

As times get tougher, I'm more than thankful to have a job. But as the presidential election gets closer, I'm also thankful I don't have that one.

My "Cloak of Invisibility"

Although gas prices are starting to come down, $3.40 is only CHEAPER - not CHEAP - especially in a tough economy. To save a little more of my hard-earned bucks, I've decided to buy a motorcycle. Having done my research on engine size and the like, I headed out to see a man about a bike.

I popped into the Kawasaki dealer on Rte. 32 in New Windsor one afternoon. I saw rows of beautiful, big bikes, but although I heard people milling about SOMEWHERE in the store, I saw no one. Suddenly, a head popped up from behind a desk on an upstairs platform. I got a gruff "Can I help you?" from a guy who acted like he didn't even want to be bothered with coming down the five stairs to personally greet me. I yelled up to him that I was interested in buying a bike and was looking for a model called the Eliminator. "Even if I could get one I wouldn't carry it HERE," he said. I guess he meant only manly man 750cc and above bikes dwelled within those four walls, not the dainty little 250cc ride I was searching for.

"Well, do you have any smaller engines at all?" I asked, my neck getting tired from talking to this man from so far away.

"Over there," he pointed. "I'll be down in a few - I'm putting the paper in the printer," he added.

I waited for 10 whole minutes for this fella to finish fooling with his printer. Must have had to mill the paper first, I guess. I'm not an impatient person by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm not into being ignored either. So I did what any woman in her right mind would do - I decided to search elsewhere for the bike of my dreams and left.

Is customer service really THAT jacked up that the owner (or salesman or whatever he was) couldn't come down to the sales floor to look me in the eye? Was the assumption that a woman in business attire sans motorhead fella at her side not really be interested in buying a motorcycle? Should I wear leather riding chaps and a skull cap to the next bike shop I visit?

Do guys have to think about crap like this?