All Rileyed Up

Last weekend, I had a babysitter lined up for my birthday party. I made arrangements with her THREE WEEKS BEFOREHAND (which is much sooner than my usual 36 hours). When I called her to confirm, two days before hand, she told me she forgot.

She FORGOT. And that was it.

I must emphasize– SHE FORGOT AND THAT WAS IT.

Okay. Nevermind that she should have technically called the other people and told *them* she forgot, but whatever. It sucked and I was on the suck end of the situation. I still had two days, and assumed I could probably find someone. (Don’t you hate it when people say ASSUME Makes an ASS of U and ME? Don’t you hate it even more when they prove to be right?)

Fourteen phone calls, ahem, rejections, later…

I called my sister in law and asked if my niece could babysit. I felt bad asking her to do it because I wanted her to attend my party. Sis in law said, “Don’t feel bad, I’m not even going to ask her. I’ll just tell her she’s doing it.” Well, naturally, I was glad because it meant I had a sitter but I was guilt-ridden because I didn’t want to be the person who made her mother tell her she *must* do anything because you know how it is when you’re 13.

But back to my original dilemma — WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SITTER TELLS YOU SHE FORGOT??????????????????

I’d like to say I’ll never call her again, but she’s a good sitter (when she remembers). She’s older, has a car, has CPR certification, blah blah blah. So yeah, I’ll call her again, even though I’m pissed. Because it’s hard finding a sitter. And while I’m at it, at what point in time did babysitting become so damn expensive? When I was younger, it was a good night when I got twenty bucks and pizza out of the deal.

Did you guys ever read the The Babysitters Club book series? I wish there was a group of girls out here I could call for a sitter. Then again, the adventures of a Babysitters Club in The OC might be slightly more sordid that the original Babysitters Club–

Book #1 — Four friends think up a club to offer babysitting! Great idea, Kristy!
OC Style: Four friends think up a club to offer babysitting. Someone has sex with a father or big brother. Someone else gets beaten up.

Book #2 — Someone is prank calling houses and robbing the ones that don’t answer.
OC Style: Prank calls are made. Then people have sex. And someone else gets beaten up.

Book #3 – One of the babysitters has diabetes. But it’s okay.
OC Style: Someone thinks she’s pregnant. But she’s not. And someone else gets in a car accident.

Book #4: The good girl is frustrated by her strict dad.
OC Style: The good girl is frustrated with her strict dad, and DOES NOT have sex. Her father realizes he can trust her and loosens up. No one gets beaten up. (This was one of those VERY SPECIAL EPISODES.)

Hmm. On second thought, I guess I don’t need a babysitter that badly.