Dry Cleaning and Other Cheap and Friendly Things

In the realm of the things MO has to offer, please consider the cost of dry cleaning, and the friendliness of the people at stores here.

Cases in point:

1. I took one suit, one blouse, four pair of pants, two skirts, and a blazer for dry cleaning yesterday. Not only was my bill less than $40.00, the woman at the counter was exceedingly friendly.

Melissa: Thanks, I'll see you on Monday evening!

Lady: Thank you! We'll see you on Monday! Have a great day! Thank you!

Melissa: Thanks, take care.

Lady: Thank you! We'll see you soon. Take care now! Thanks!!

So the dry cleaning lady either doesn't usually get business from someone with that much dry cleaning, or she's just really, really friendly. 

Judging by the kittens playing with a ball of yarn depicted on her sweatshirt, I think she's probably a very nice lady. What one's sweatshirt depicts tells a lot about one's character, don't you think?

2. I took my cowboy boots (see blog titled "I Like Your Boots") for repair. After a long sigh and a sincerely sad and empathetic look, the woman at the counter informed me that it was possible that my boots were beyond repair. 

The woman in the boot shop was nearly as friendly as the woman at the dry cleaner, but she was wearing a plaid shirt on which no kittens were depicted. Unsure of whether I could trust her with my beloved boots (can you trust anyone without kitten pictures on their clothes with a pair of boots as unique and lovely as mine?), I realized that I had no other choice. 

Despite her racist comment (racist is not okay) about the manufacturer of said lovely red and black boots, and despite her plaid, sans-kittens shirt, this is the only cobbler in town. It seemed I had no choice, if I actually wanted to wear the awesome boots again someday. 

Expecting a hefty bill for the cost of repairing four holes in the boots, I braced myself. When she announced hesitantly that the repairwork would cost $24.00 (I guess this is an expensive boot repair job by local standards?) I was gleeful. 

The cost of living here makes me feel like I felt when I was traveling in Asia - my dollar goes 30% further in MO than in NY, and much like so many of the Asian colleagues and friends I met along the way, people here are overwhelmingly friendly and helpful.

Today's battle of NY vs. MO:

Friendliness MO = 1; NY = 0

Racism MO = -1; NY = 1

COL MO = 1; NY = 0

TOTAL MO = 1; NY =1

Note to Missouri: I'm trying damned hard to make you look good here, and you're so close. Stay away from the racist side-comments, and you'll fare much better moving forward.