Babysitter search fail: My House Slipped Into Another Dimension

So my most recent adventure is in trying to find a babysitter. I REALLY NEED ONE! Or, at least I’d really like to have one available. When Mr.SemperFi is home, we need to be able to have date nights (which we’ve only had 1 since moving here in December), and when he’s away I need to be able to have a little me time. I would love to meet some friends for coffee and just have some girly chat time.

And, about 11 days ago that is exactly what I was counting on.

It all started the week prior today when I found a post for an available sitter on Camp Pendleton yardsales. (it’s like craigslist but geared for just this area) So I responded, we emailed back and forth, exchanged numbers, text back and forth, and set a date and time when we would meet and my kids to be introduced.

Well, that day and time finally came. Ten minutes before show time I gave her a text and let her know that there is a massive truck in the driveway that you can’t miss. Ready for this? (this is the conversation via text)
Her: who is this?
Me: This is Laura, the person you are supposed to meet in 8 minutes.
Her: Oh! I’m sorry I’m having problems with my phone and lost my contacts

Time out. Why is this my problem? But in my effort to not be a complete bitch I took a deep breath and decided to give this another chance.

Me: Would another time work better for you?
Her: Yes
Me: How does 5pm sound?
Her: Great! See you then.

So that was it. I continued my day and waited for 5 o’clock to roll around. As the time grew nearer I decided I was not going to send another reminder text. In my opinion, a job is a job is a job. You show up early. You look your best. It is UP TO YOU to remember the details of the where/when. It is YOUR responsibility to prove you are responsible. First impressions mean a lot.
But I find that these days people don’t take baby sitting jobs as seriously as I did when I was a sitter. As it was a sitters job I didn’t dress as I would a job interview where I’m expected to wear heals everyday, but I did have my hair done, makeup on, and wore very presentable clothes. When I was hired and sitting, I made sure the house was cleaned up. I was usually sitting in the evening, giving the parents a date night, or, if it was just a mom because her husband was deployed, a night off. Why would they want to come home to a mess? Even if some of that mess was theirs, I took care of it to ensure they truly did have a night off. Dishes were washed, dried and put away. Toys, and another other random belongings picked up and put in their place. I did any chore that I noticed needed to be done. I mean, after you put the kids to bed what else do you have to do? Watch t.v.? The way I saw it I could either be paid the minimum amount for sitting there and watching a show, or I could be paid a much greater amount for doing a much greater service. To most moms, which I can seriously relate to now, a real night off is worth a great deal. The proof of that was in my hands every evening when the parent(s) of the children I was sitting came home. Were I to find a sitter who is like the sitter that I was, I would also make sure they were well compensated.

This girl, obviously not that sitter. So let us continue with this day.

4:50pm ~ I go outside, down my driveway and look both up and down the street. No one is there. I’m doing this because she says she’ll be walking to my house.
5:00 ~ the street is still empty of walkers, and I see no unfamiliar cards
5:03 ~ the same. My son has been playing outside since 4:45, so had anyone come anywhere near our house he would have alerted me.
5:07 ~ I’m probably checking way too often, but I want to make sure that I don’t miss her. My son is still playing outside as well.
5:15 ~ nothing
5:17 ~ I go to check the mail. Still no new bodies in view, no cars I haven’t seen before. My watchful eye is still playing in the yard and has nothing to report.
5:20 ~ situation still the same
Now I come inside for a second to get my girls in their high chairs and dinner ready to serve.
5:30 ~ DevilPup still has nothing to report. I search the neighborhood and find the same scene I always see.
Is it possible I missed her? According to her I did. I text her:
Me: Well, I think I’m just going to go ahead and go with another applicant. Thanks anyway!
(mind you there really is no other applicant at this time, but, since I was really peeved at the moment, that was the nicest way I could think to tell her SCREW YOU!)
Her: OH! Well OK THEN! If that’s what you want then good luck with that! I came to your house and you never answered the door and I text you and you never replied.

Huh. My door was open the whole time, so the tiny moments I was in my house I would have seen or heard her. My watchful son would not have let her get even halfway up the driveway without running to the door and giving me the warning that someone he didn’t know was infiltrating our premises. But…. she said she was here. So I’m trying to figure out what might have happened. She is super stealthy and has lightning speed? But why didn’t I get her text? I’ve received every text sent before and after her arrival at my house. Why not that one that she said she sent that I never replied to?
I decided that the only logical answer to all of this is that my house mysteriously slipped into another dimension. Or, my and my family slipped into another house looking just like my house in another dimension, leaving my house in this dimension empty so that when this possible sitter to be came to my house no one would have answered the door. I’m also guessing that since there are no satellites linking to one another in the various dimensions this would explain why I had no cell service and didn’t receive her text.