Yesterday I went into the local pool store to get my water tested (I have a waterfall, and I always need to keep on top of my alkalinity and pH). I am a stay-at-home mom, and I usually get my water tested during the week when the manager is running the store. Unfortunately, on Saturday, the store is staffed by seventeen year olds.

The store always asks about one's method of sanitization, and I always, of course, reply "bleach". Well, the seventeen year old looked at me like I had 2 heads. Usually when a pool store employee gives me a hard time about the BBB method, I politely reply that I am a chemist (I was an analytical chemist until I quit to be home with my young children, and I spent a few years doing water analysis as well). Generally, employees keep quiet after that, because they assume that I probably know what I am doing.

To my misfortune, both seventeen year olds proceeded to argue with me, and to make a long story short, refused to test my water because the chlorine level (I had just shocked the pool the night before) bleached out the O-tolidine reagent in the chlorine test.

Unfortunately, this store is now the only game in towm, so I may be getting a Taylor reagent kit. Boy, do I WISH I had access to my lab again!! And thanks for listening to my vent.