Welcome to the end of the week, everybody! I heard something odd this Tuesday that I'd like to discuss with you.
I'd taken HUBS to work and spent the day with him at his job. He needed to get his car looked over, and it was just easier to hang out with him than do a lot of coming and going between his place of business and our house (which is about 20 minutes away).
Near the end of the rather long day, I went to the bathroom. HUBS works at an elementary school, and because there are children everywhere the bathrooms can sometimes be iffy. On this particular jaunt to the lavatory, I found a turd on the floor.
I told HUBS about it when I got back to his office, just so he'd be able to avoid it if he went in later. He decided to tell one of the custodians. After she cleaned the bathroom she stopped by his office. That's when she said this: Yeah, you were right. That's what that was. I also found something NOT SO NICE in the trash can, so I just replaced the whole bag.
HUBS thanked her, and when she walked away I told him what her "Not so nice" item had to have been: my maxi pad, which I'd wrapped up and put in the trash since there was no feminine product disposal unit around.
I'm confused. What's wrong with putting a pad in the trash? Was there some Menstruating Ladies Only restroom I should have used? I've been to HUBS' job many times, and no one has ever told me about it. What does this building filled with women do when they have their periods? Bury the pads and tampons in the field out back? Put them back in their purses? Eat the Goddammed things?
Look, I know the place is covered in kids and no one wants to discuss periods with an eight year old boy, but I was slightly offended. Is this not a natural part of life? More natural than say, finding turds on the floor? Come on, janitor lady, I know you're kinda old, but get with it. What do you think? Would you have been offended by what she said?
On to some internet things!
1) How drunk is your city?
2) Gay people should watch the Superbowl, too!
3) Spiders! Ants! Centipedes! Phantom itching explained!
4) Paste Magazine has a list for your every entertainment occasion.
5) OK, Octavia! I'm glad to have that cleared up, because I was worried for a minute that all you thought about was your weight!
That's all for me friends. Enjoy the Superbowl!
5 comments:
Stumbled across your blog by hitting the next blog button and I had to comment - I happen to be menstruating as well at the moment and my husband came out of our bathroom and said he saw my "surprise" in the bathroom. What? My carefully wrapped up pad in the wastebasket. Why are some people so freaked out by this? It's not nuclear waste for cripes sake! Until the end of your story I thought the janitor was a man and when you said it was a woman I couldn't believe it! Take care, Angela
I know! I realize it's not the most pleasant thing to be faced with, but it's not the most pleasant thing to go through every month for several days between the ages of 12 and 50 either, so...As long as the used pad isn't hanging out face up and open WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Thanks for visiting and commenting, Mama Bear!
Hey there ladies! It just so happens I was temporarily working as custodian at the art school I was attending to help pay for tuition, and I discovered that some people were genuinely upset at the idea I might have to handle female sanitary items when I wnt to do maintenence in the woman's room. I suppose it is unsanitary if you should happen to handle it, but this was also before AIDS had started to spread so much (mid-1980s) and people were generally much more casual about handling biological waste at the time.
I found that Latins and Middle-Easterner males have a strong taboo and a physical revulsion to the idea of being even indirectly in contact with menses-which means since I was under suspicion for handling the stuff, I was treated as Untouchable for the duration.
Circumstances did change, by the way: it was discovered they needed somebody with a license to handle the job. So I was out and the school hired a professional Janitor. Soon after that, I left the school.
Best Wishes, Dale D.
Definitely go ahead and try Postcrossing. It's pretty slow-going at first but so worth it! I love it, of course. Thanks for stopping by my place too!
Ugh. It's no wonder girls have such a hard time growing up. Even adults can't handle a menstruating woman.
I'm not sure why she had to announce that she had to change the bag in the trash can too. Isn't that something that should get done anyway? Come on.
Obnoxious.
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