Old stereotypes do die hard.

When I was younger - it would often piss me off when I was basically ignored in an electronics store. Yet my boyfriend of the moment would get help immediately.

This was before chicks were into electronics. And no - not before the beginning of time. Like 10 years ago. I knew it was because I was a girl. And girls wouldn't buy that kind of stuff - so it didn't occur to the guys working those departments to ask if I needed help.

So today - I went into OSH to get some obscure screw. The only person working that section was an older woman. I'd guess her to be in her 60's. Immediately I went "aw fuck". I was sure I was going to get the old "I don't know". But I asked my question anyway - because my OSH has a woman working the electrical department who rocks. I worship the ground she walks on. No matter what obscure electrical problem I'm having - this woman knows how to fix it. I'm sure she's worked in the electrical field, because she is that good.

Anyway, back to today. I ask this older woman the question about my particular need for a stainless steel possibly metric screw. I tell her my contractor wanted it screwed into "some thing" to test it. Oh yes. I did say something so vague. I'm a wingin' it type of gal. I'm very good at eyeballing stuff. So, I don't know exactly what kind of contraption tests these things. But the older woman at OSH did. And - she found my obscure screw.

Which made me really laugh inside - because I had totally stereotyped her in my mind. Just like those guys in the electronics stores used to. It wasn't that she was a woman - it was because she was so old. She looked better suited for a quilting store. I was sure she was going to send me to the pink hammer section of the store. But she didn't.

I gushed to her about how helpful she was, and how I thought it rocked so hard a chick was working the screw department. There's gotta be a joke there somewhere.But it escapes me because I'm still working that damn floor at the crapshack. Next house. Carpet. You people make sure I remember. Okay?