When I was first starting this blog last winter, I posted a blurb about my love of Target ... yup, that's right - as in, the store ... I mean, what's not to love?! If you look back at that earlier post, you'll be happy to know that I was indeed able to score one of those Liberty bicycles for myself ... they sold out company-wide in 3 days, so that counts as one of my finest Target conquests, yay! Fortunately, the love works both ways - my Target Visa earns money for the little bugs' school ($1151 so far!) and it also earns me 10% discounts once/month ... that's when I return the love by shopping for everything from clothes and home accessories to shampoo and dish soap at Target. So I am, in short, a longtime loyal regular at our local Target - like for years.
As such, I've formed somewhat of a friendship with their employee in charge at the customer service desk each weekday - at this point, we've known one another since the girls were in pre-school. Libby is her name and she's as salty as they come ... crass and no-nonsense, you don't want to be on her bad side. Maybe it was my adorable young ladybugs doing the early footwork for me, but fortunately she really took a shine to me early on ... I knew we were on her good side when she once told me that we were like a breath of fresh air after she deals with "all the stupid people". She's a character right out of central casting ... her tough-cookie attitude, her gritty Boston accent (dark=dahk, car=cah, 'that pahty was wicked fun', etc), Libby always tells it like it is in a raspy voice that probably reflects a lifetime of smoking ...
At Halloween time, Libby often replaces her Target nametag with one that reads 'Strega' and it's one of my favorite things about her because, love her or hate her, she doesn't take crap from anyone so it suits her perfectly. She's the type who you'd think would live to be a hundred, still laughing herself into that familiar smoker's cough like she does when I share stories about the girls ... stories she asks for each and every time I see her without fail.
Well, when we returned from our trip to West Virginia last week, we did our back-to-school provisioning at Target and Libby wasn't at her usual post by the entrance in her customer service nook. Maybe a lunch break? I knew she'd want to see the girls since she always asks, so we circled back after we had finished up ... that's when I noticed the vase of roses at the side of the desk with her nametag (the real one - Libby) clipped to a stick that poked out with the roses. The only person there was a young employee so I asked if it was Libby's birthday, hoping she was getting a well deserved day off from all the stupid people. The girl looked horrified and said the words I never thought I'd hear ... "Libby died last week". My heart sunk right then and there, and even though it's been several days, I still can't believe it. The day after we left for West Virginia, Libby died (at home) from a massive stroke - alive and well one minute, then gone the next. Not at all the way I thought her story would end. It's got me freaked out all over again ... and sad, too ... it's colorful people like Libby who make the world an interesting place.
(photo courtesy of The Salem News)
RIP, Libby ... I'll miss you. Here's to hoping you're in a wonderful place with no more stupid people to drive you nuts ...
5 comments:
Hopefully, you can take some solace in knowing you and the ladybugs brought Ruby some sunshine every time you darkened the door of Target.
And with $1151 earned for your school, it sounds like you darkened the door A LOT!!
:-)
So sorry to hear your sad news.
swooper, i miss you! we need to get together, the school year has arrived and daytime freedom abounds - yay!
ok, you crack me up - I didn't single handedly earn the $1151 ... that's Tower's collective total from all card-carrying TSPA moms ;-)
surely you knew libby too?? you can't tell me it's all market basket and no target when you're out that way ;-)
Oh man, that sucks! How sad! I love that they put her nametag on the roses at the counter, though. Sounds like she meant a lot to many.
So sorry to hear about your Target friend Libby. Isn't it funny how much we start to know the people we see at Target SEVERAL times a week!!
And I must say I thought you spent $1151 there on your own too!! Wow...that tops me!
Enjoy the night
Oh Sloan, I'm so sorry for your loss. She sounds like a really cool woman that knew good people when she saw them. :) I'm sure you brought her so much joy! How are your little ladybugs taking it? (((HUGS)))
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