Apparently Better World Books did not receive it's name based on the service it provides to it's customers. I rather think that the name comes from the fact that the books are being shipped from another world away.
I found this establishment when looking for a book on Abebooks.com. While the price was right, the book apparently could arrive whenever it feels like it. It was a blustery December day when I decided to order Las Vegas for Dummies. I was so pleased on December 9 to see that my book had already been shipped out, despite being less than 12 hours from the time I had placed the order. As of this typing on December 28, I am the Dummie and who knows where my order is. I paid about $4, but honestly, if I had known it was going to take 3 weeks to arrive I would have just spend the extra $10 bucks and bought it from my local Barnes and Noble.
The best part of this story is that when I contacted Better World Books, they cared enough to simply resend the generic message that was sent to me on the 9th saying that my book was sent USPS on December 9 and could take 4-14 business days to arrive, but depending on the timeliness of the post office could take longer.
How sweet of them! Just forwarding that thoughtless message tells me what a special place I have in their heart. It's progressive thinking like this that has continued to move the needle at this fine establishment.
Seriously? Are they kidding me with that? I don't understand customer service these days. Whatever happened to the days where a company tried to exceed their customers' expectations. Apparently Better World Books prefers the "Underpromise and Underdeliver" philosophy. I could almost get on my bike and ride to Vegas and conduct my own research in the time it's taking for this book to arrive. I am certain that I could drive it in less time. Come to think of it, our vendors ship a lot of their goods via Port of Entry at Long Beach, CA. Somehow, by the grace of God, they are able to get the goods to our DC in South Carolina in 5 business days. How is it that freight, and any other letter can go 3000+ miles in less than a week, but Better World Books cannot ship a single book in less than 19 days (and counting).
Let's just say that the best thing you can do is to skip over Better World Books and go somewhere that will deliver before the material becomes obselete. This establishment receives two enthusiastic thumbs down in the Leardini household.
Better World Books, congratulations on a job almost done.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Aunt Pat
My Aunt Pat is the most beautiful person I know. She is kind, caring, compassionate and funny.
This evening, Jill and I got to go up and spend a wonderful evening with her. We talked, had a great dinner, and played one of my favorite card games - GOLF.
Despite all that is going on in Aunt Pat's life, she still asks about how I'm doing and she thinks of the smallest details in my life to ask about them.
I cannot think of a more selfless, wonderful person than my Aunt Pat. I remember how she was so welcoming to me when I joined the family by inviting me up to her home for dinner and taking the time to learn all about me, while telling me the funniest stories about the family. I was nervous about how I'd fit in and how to act around all these new people, but she put me at ease immediatly. She cared about everything that I had to say about my life. I couldn't believe it because I was barely interested in the things I was telling her, but she took such an active interest.
A few years back, I was fortunate enough to be inducted into an honor society when I was going through Grad School. Aunt Pat was there to share this special moment with me (as were several members of Jill's family). She was as proud of me as if I had known her my whole life. My parents lived too far away to attend, so Aunt Pat and Uncle Gus came and looked after me like any parent would. They made the night really special for me.
I love you, Aunt Pat! I think you're GREAT!
This evening, Jill and I got to go up and spend a wonderful evening with her. We talked, had a great dinner, and played one of my favorite card games - GOLF.
Despite all that is going on in Aunt Pat's life, she still asks about how I'm doing and she thinks of the smallest details in my life to ask about them.
I cannot think of a more selfless, wonderful person than my Aunt Pat. I remember how she was so welcoming to me when I joined the family by inviting me up to her home for dinner and taking the time to learn all about me, while telling me the funniest stories about the family. I was nervous about how I'd fit in and how to act around all these new people, but she put me at ease immediatly. She cared about everything that I had to say about my life. I couldn't believe it because I was barely interested in the things I was telling her, but she took such an active interest.
A few years back, I was fortunate enough to be inducted into an honor society when I was going through Grad School. Aunt Pat was there to share this special moment with me (as were several members of Jill's family). She was as proud of me as if I had known her my whole life. My parents lived too far away to attend, so Aunt Pat and Uncle Gus came and looked after me like any parent would. They made the night really special for me.
I love you, Aunt Pat! I think you're GREAT!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Yeah? Well People in Hell Want Water....
Ever try to find a flight that works into your schedule and is within your budget? It's like finding the one piece that is missing from the puzzle you're putting together in a sea of pieces that don't fit.
I'm trying to find a flight to Vegas for a vacation. Really, just a long weekend. Unless I decide to leave my wife at home, it's going to cost a pretty penny.
Alright, I guess that I don't have anything more to say about that for right now. Wow, talk about random.
While all this is happening, the farm system is producing 2 highly regarded prospects. Jesus Montero is the catcher of the future with shaky defense, but the ability to hit like it's no tomorrow. Ed Nunez is the shortstop of the future. This begs the question. If both of these players are ready to take over, does it make sense to have Posada and Jeter in their respective positions when they are in decline?
To be fair, Posada is still playing at a high level. The problem is that injuries limited him to 80 some odd games this past year and Joe Girardi is saying that he can't catch any more than 3 out of 4 games.
We will see how this plays out, but while it's tough to replace a legend, it's even tougher when the legend isn't playing like one any longer.
I'm trying to find a flight to Vegas for a vacation. Really, just a long weekend. Unless I decide to leave my wife at home, it's going to cost a pretty penny.
Alright, I guess that I don't have anything more to say about that for right now. Wow, talk about random.
The first shoe falls
The Yankees fire their pitching coach and are considering how to handle Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte. Each of whom has a contract expiring at the end of this year. Re-signing each means that we are closer to being called Team Geezer than a team of destiny. What is this infatuation with over the hill former stars? Rivera is still at the top of his game, despite approaching 41. Pettitte was 11-2 before injuries shelved him for the better part of August and September. Jeter had one of his worst seasons ever, but showed signs of promise in the last couple of weeks in the season. Word on the street is that Jeter wants a 4 year contract, which would put him at 40 when the contract expires. Pettitte will consider retiring, but will likely re-sign for a one year deal. Rivera will likely be back for a one or two year deal.While all this is happening, the farm system is producing 2 highly regarded prospects. Jesus Montero is the catcher of the future with shaky defense, but the ability to hit like it's no tomorrow. Ed Nunez is the shortstop of the future. This begs the question. If both of these players are ready to take over, does it make sense to have Posada and Jeter in their respective positions when they are in decline?
To be fair, Posada is still playing at a high level. The problem is that injuries limited him to 80 some odd games this past year and Joe Girardi is saying that he can't catch any more than 3 out of 4 games.
We will see how this plays out, but while it's tough to replace a legend, it's even tougher when the legend isn't playing like one any longer.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Hard to Remember
Last week, there was a lot of controversy regarding helmet to helmet hits in the NFL. Many opinions were heard that sided with the opinion that the league needed to step in to protect these players from themselves. There were a few personalities or players who thought that this was much to-do over nothing.
One person was Mark Packer. He hosts a show in Charlotte called "Primetime with the Packman". I would characterize the popularity of the program because of one philosophy the producers of the show seem to have. Anyone can call in with an opinion and Packer will give them their air time without cutting them short. The comments can be intelligent and well thought out, or they don't have to be. Packer gives the audience the forum to comment. He has many issues that he will absolutely not listen to the opposite side on. One, in particular, seems to be the NFL protecting it's players. Packer was heard several times over this week referencing the sissification of the league because of the rules.
It's hard to remember, but there was a time when one of the best defensive linemen in the league was Dennis Byrd. He was so quick and instinctive that it was deadly. He was supposed to be the next Lawrence Taylor. It didn't turn out that way. His life changed when he put his head down and tried to sack David Krieg of the Kansas City Chiefs. His good friend, Scott Mersereau was coming from the opposite side and hit Byrd on a helmet to chest hit. Byrd's spinal cord was damaged in the hit and it would take a miracle for him to regain the ability to walk again.
There was a young up and coming tight end for the Buffalo Bills, named Kevin Everett. It's hard to remember that kickoff when he was in on the tackle against the Denver Broncos. Kevin crumpled to the ground while trying to make a hit on the kick returner and it took a miracle for him to walk again.
I suppose Mr. Packer isn't considering these instances when he thinks of how the NFL is losing the toughness from the past. It's unfortunate that traumatic injuries are necessary for people to see that the good old way, is not necessarily the best way.
If Dale Sr. had decided that the HANS device wasn't too restrictive, then he would still be alive today. I suppose Mr. Packer thinks that this was sissifying NASCAR.
Head injuries ended the terrific careers of Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Al Toon, and countless others. Mr. Packer is fortunate that he will never have to suffer the pain that these individuals may have to endure for the rest of their lives.
One person was Mark Packer. He hosts a show in Charlotte called "Primetime with the Packman". I would characterize the popularity of the program because of one philosophy the producers of the show seem to have. Anyone can call in with an opinion and Packer will give them their air time without cutting them short. The comments can be intelligent and well thought out, or they don't have to be. Packer gives the audience the forum to comment. He has many issues that he will absolutely not listen to the opposite side on. One, in particular, seems to be the NFL protecting it's players. Packer was heard several times over this week referencing the sissification of the league because of the rules.
It's hard to remember, but there was a time when one of the best defensive linemen in the league was Dennis Byrd. He was so quick and instinctive that it was deadly. He was supposed to be the next Lawrence Taylor. It didn't turn out that way. His life changed when he put his head down and tried to sack David Krieg of the Kansas City Chiefs. His good friend, Scott Mersereau was coming from the opposite side and hit Byrd on a helmet to chest hit. Byrd's spinal cord was damaged in the hit and it would take a miracle for him to regain the ability to walk again.
There was a young up and coming tight end for the Buffalo Bills, named Kevin Everett. It's hard to remember that kickoff when he was in on the tackle against the Denver Broncos. Kevin crumpled to the ground while trying to make a hit on the kick returner and it took a miracle for him to walk again.
I suppose Mr. Packer isn't considering these instances when he thinks of how the NFL is losing the toughness from the past. It's unfortunate that traumatic injuries are necessary for people to see that the good old way, is not necessarily the best way.
If Dale Sr. had decided that the HANS device wasn't too restrictive, then he would still be alive today. I suppose Mr. Packer thinks that this was sissifying NASCAR.
Head injuries ended the terrific careers of Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Al Toon, and countless others. Mr. Packer is fortunate that he will never have to suffer the pain that these individuals may have to endure for the rest of their lives.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
H.A.G.S. and all that other stuff no one ever means...
Real Comments from my Junior High/High School yearbooks. And really, could you make any of this up? My comments appear in red.
Jeff,
We've been good friends and I hope we stay that way. We have suffered some arguements. Good luck with the girls.
Love, Brandon
Jeffy,
Good luck in 8th grade and I'll see you over the summer. See ya!
Your Friend, Jim
P.S. Are you gay (With a line pointed at Brandon's comment)
Jeff,
To a cool friend, Sometimes. Good luck in 8th grade.
Jim
Well, at least I was cool some of the time...
To a Doll of a little guy, Good luck always
Mrs. Robinson
Now isn't that how every 13 year old boy wants to be known as? A Doll...nice job Mrs. R.
To a Cool, Skinny Dude
John
Jeff,
Good luck in the 9th grape.
Well, the 8th grape was delicious, so I don't see any reason why the 9th would be any different...
Hi Jeff
See you in hell
Brian
A.K.A. the Grim Reaper
Jeff,
Nice knowing you...
I saw this a lot in my yearbooks. Did people think that my life was in jeopardy and just didn't tell me?
Jeff,
Your nothing more than a stupid freshman this year but your moving up quick. Remember all the good times in Gilson's math class (who could forget that nightmare). Good luck with all the girls even thought you'll never have a girlfriend but you never can tell.
See you next year, hopefully.
Matt S.
I don't really see the need to be such an over the top ray of sunshine in yearbooks either....
Jeff,
Stay cool! Stop lifting weights and eating steriods your getting too big...
Derek
That must be how I strived to my .073 batting average in little league....
Jeff,
to one of my weirdest friends. I hope you get a hit during baseball season.
Tony
This one seems to ring true even today....
Jeff,
Did we save Alf this year? Don't get grounded and don't order from anymore children's menus. Have a good summer.
Andy
But the Grilled Cheese with Batman shaped french fries were so good! And who could forget Alf!
Hefe -
Well Big guy! Another year gone by! Have a great summer - see you next year!
Your Father -
Ron B.
Nice to know that my dad was in the 10th grade with me.
Jeff,
Even though I don't like you that much you are a Yankee fan so you are not that bad. Have a good summer.
Dave
Thank goodness for being a Yankee fan...
Jeff,
Stop sitting in my seat
Justin
I don't see your name on it.....
Jeff,
Why do you have to be so damn annoying
Love, Kelly
Because Justin keeps accusing me of sitting in his seat.....
Jeff,
I'm glad we've stayed frieds for another year. Good luck as a Jenior and with the girls. See ya af tennis.
Kevin
P.S. Sorry so sloppy
There's always one perfectionist in every yearbook.
Jeff,
What up? When I came to this school I never thought I'd meet a real movie star.
Your friend, Rob Z.
Well Thank you, Mr. Zombie. I'm disappointed that I got passed over for the role of Michael Myers as a little boy. As Mrs. Robinson clearly stated, I'm a doll of a little guy....
Jeff,
You are my hero. I hope I grow up to be just like you. I love you Jeff
Later, Duane
It amazes me in todays homophobic society how many guys freely admitted their love for other guys.....
Jeff,
Every time I think of English, I will think of the English GOD JEFF!...as you can tell, I don't get out too often but who cares, carry on, keepin on and don't get hit by a minivan.
Dennis
The good news is that the minivan missed me. The bad news is that the motorcycle didn't....
Jeff,
It was great meeting a fellow Dolphins fan. We had fun in Sr's and hopefully you'll have fun this summer. The Dolphins will beat the Jets and win the AFC east. Have a ball at work.
Kevin
Not even sure how to respond to this propaganda...
Jeff,
the years have gone by very fast. Always enjoy and remember the times we spent together like playing catch in your backyard to NYC. Enjoy life's best!
Your Friend,
Derek F.
I thought this was a nice sentiment to end the blog on "Enjoy life's best!" Nice touch, Derek!
Jeff,
We've been good friends and I hope we stay that way. We have suffered some arguements. Good luck with the girls.
Love, Brandon
Jeffy,
Good luck in 8th grade and I'll see you over the summer. See ya!
Your Friend, Jim
P.S. Are you gay (With a line pointed at Brandon's comment)
Jeff,
To a cool friend, Sometimes. Good luck in 8th grade.
Jim
Well, at least I was cool some of the time...
To a Doll of a little guy, Good luck always
Mrs. Robinson
Now isn't that how every 13 year old boy wants to be known as? A Doll...nice job Mrs. R.
To a Cool, Skinny Dude
John
Jeff,
Good luck in the 9th grape.
Well, the 8th grape was delicious, so I don't see any reason why the 9th would be any different...
Hi Jeff
See you in hell
Brian
A.K.A. the Grim Reaper
Jeff,
Nice knowing you...
I saw this a lot in my yearbooks. Did people think that my life was in jeopardy and just didn't tell me?
Jeff,
Your nothing more than a stupid freshman this year but your moving up quick. Remember all the good times in Gilson's math class (who could forget that nightmare). Good luck with all the girls even thought you'll never have a girlfriend but you never can tell.
See you next year, hopefully.
Matt S.
I don't really see the need to be such an over the top ray of sunshine in yearbooks either....
Jeff,
Stay cool! Stop lifting weights and eating steriods your getting too big...
Derek
That must be how I strived to my .073 batting average in little league....
Jeff,
to one of my weirdest friends. I hope you get a hit during baseball season.
Tony
This one seems to ring true even today....
Jeff,
Did we save Alf this year? Don't get grounded and don't order from anymore children's menus. Have a good summer.
Andy
But the Grilled Cheese with Batman shaped french fries were so good! And who could forget Alf!
Hefe -
Well Big guy! Another year gone by! Have a great summer - see you next year!
Your Father -
Ron B.
Nice to know that my dad was in the 10th grade with me.
Jeff,
Even though I don't like you that much you are a Yankee fan so you are not that bad. Have a good summer.
Dave
Thank goodness for being a Yankee fan...
Jeff,
Stop sitting in my seat
Justin
I don't see your name on it.....
Jeff,
Why do you have to be so damn annoying
Love, Kelly
Because Justin keeps accusing me of sitting in his seat.....
Jeff,
I'm glad we've stayed frieds for another year. Good luck as a Jenior and with the girls. See ya af tennis.
Kevin
P.S. Sorry so sloppy
There's always one perfectionist in every yearbook.
Jeff,
What up? When I came to this school I never thought I'd meet a real movie star.
Your friend, Rob Z.
Well Thank you, Mr. Zombie. I'm disappointed that I got passed over for the role of Michael Myers as a little boy. As Mrs. Robinson clearly stated, I'm a doll of a little guy....
Jeff,
You are my hero. I hope I grow up to be just like you. I love you Jeff
Later, Duane
It amazes me in todays homophobic society how many guys freely admitted their love for other guys.....
Jeff,
Every time I think of English, I will think of the English GOD JEFF!...as you can tell, I don't get out too often but who cares, carry on, keepin on and don't get hit by a minivan.
Dennis
The good news is that the minivan missed me. The bad news is that the motorcycle didn't....
Jeff,
It was great meeting a fellow Dolphins fan. We had fun in Sr's and hopefully you'll have fun this summer. The Dolphins will beat the Jets and win the AFC east. Have a ball at work.
Kevin
Not even sure how to respond to this propaganda...
Jeff,
the years have gone by very fast. Always enjoy and remember the times we spent together like playing catch in your backyard to NYC. Enjoy life's best!
Your Friend,
Derek F.
I thought this was a nice sentiment to end the blog on "Enjoy life's best!" Nice touch, Derek!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
If I tell you a rooster can pull a freight train, you'd better hook his ass up
Nothing too exciting happening around here lately. We just got back from going to see Jill's mom and grandfather in Florida. Funniest thing, Jill's grandfather, who we refer to as Bop, woke up the morning we were driving down there, decided he was bored and went out and bought a car. He decided that his 2009 Honda Pilot wasn't cutting nothing but the cheese, so he traded it in for a Lincoln MKS.
Crazy!
That tells me that I'm not towing the line anymore with my 2002 Pontiac. Oh well, my car needs can wait for awhile. I'm not even sure what I'd want to get, but I think it would be neat for my car to hit the 10 year mark or something even further.
So, my neighbor, Nick, has these roommates who are positively awful. Seriously, they are the worst roommates I've ever seen. They leave oil stains in his driveway, holes in his bathroom door, and worst of all, they don't pay their rent on time. What a bunch of freeloaders. He finally decided that their nine lives were exhausted because he kicked them out this week. My guess is that he won't soon have a worse roommate scenario. I just don't get it. How could people be that oblivious?
We are in the planning process towards building a bar in our basement. I am trying to decide how I want the top to look, but the body of the bar should be a piece of cake to complete this weekend. Famous last words, right? We'll see how that goes.
Crazy!
That tells me that I'm not towing the line anymore with my 2002 Pontiac. Oh well, my car needs can wait for awhile. I'm not even sure what I'd want to get, but I think it would be neat for my car to hit the 10 year mark or something even further.
So, my neighbor, Nick, has these roommates who are positively awful. Seriously, they are the worst roommates I've ever seen. They leave oil stains in his driveway, holes in his bathroom door, and worst of all, they don't pay their rent on time. What a bunch of freeloaders. He finally decided that their nine lives were exhausted because he kicked them out this week. My guess is that he won't soon have a worse roommate scenario. I just don't get it. How could people be that oblivious?
We are in the planning process towards building a bar in our basement. I am trying to decide how I want the top to look, but the body of the bar should be a piece of cake to complete this weekend. Famous last words, right? We'll see how that goes.
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Vacuum Cleaner isn't the only thing that sucks
One of the charities at St. Bonaventure was MCMM, which stood for Merry Christmas Meloday Marathon or something to that effect. During this time, the students on campus would do various things in order to raise money for the kids in the local town. To my knowledge, this was only in effect during my freshman year. Of the things that you could do is kidnap someone and bring them to the ransom room, where they would have to call friends of theirs to try to raise bail money.
So, one day during this time, I have a final exam during the evening hours for my Biology class. After returning back to my dorm room following this test, I began talking to my roommate about going to dinner at the dining hall. A few of my friends showed up and they wanted to go as well. We talked for a few minutes when I realized that they were all crowding in a circle around me. Instantly, I ran out of the room and down the hall to the back stairwell.
Upon reaching the stairwell, I could hear all of my friends yelling about bringing me to the ransom room. I ran faster than I knew how. Upon arriving at the stairwell, I jumped down to each landing, easily clearing 6-7 steps in a single bound. I did this for 6 flights of stairs and then thrusted out the back door. My roommates were mostly large fellows who spent more time eating and drinking than anything else, so they were significantly out of shape and could not keep up with me. Even still, I ran as quickly as I could and did not turn around to see how close they were. Knowing that I could not keep this pace up for long, I ducked into the dorm room near the infirmary, where I was a regular visitor during my freshman year. The nurse ran out and saw me panicked and nearly out of breath. I told her that my friends were chasing me and that I had to get away from them. At first she paused, looking at me as if there was no way she would help me. Then she calmly asked where I was going. I pointed to a building (Dev Hall) that was back in the direction I just came from. She pointed to a hallway and instructed me to go hide. Just then I heard the sound of a herd of thundering elephants. Wow! I couldn't believe that they were still on my tail. The nurse asked "Are you guys looking for that MCMM boy?" They yelled "Yeah!", as if they were just in time for the free ice cream at school. "I just sent him down to Francis. Go through that door! Go get that MCMM boy! Go Get'm!", she yelled. A raucous laughter ensued as I heard my friends barrel out of the sick bay and into the night in the complete opposite direction of where I was headed. I thanked the nurse and headed back towards Dev.
My cousin was also a student there at the time, so I walked down to his room, where the door was cracked open. I poked my head through the crack, but the room was completely empty. Not wanting to invade the privacy of my cousin and his roommates, at least any more so than I already had, I turned and walked away. There was no way they'd find me up on the 4th floor of Dev. I'm pretty sure they didn't even know that I was friends with anyone in this dorm. So, I walked down the hall and sat in the 4th floor lounge. There were several couches and the room was empty. I sat down and tried to sleep on one of the couches, but they were more like loveseats and the ends were wooden with no pillows. Needless to say, they weren't very comfortable. As I sat on the couch, I listened carefully for my friends. Any time I heard a noise I worried that they might have found me. I knew that I had bought myself some time because the walk to Francis was really long and I'd imagine that the walk back was even longer. Eventually, I'd have to go back to my dorm, but maybe if I spent the night here, then I could go back in the morning and all would be forgotten and laughed off.
After spending a couple of uncomfortable, paranoid hours in the lounge, I decided to go over to Fal Hall, where my friend, Mike, lived. As soon as I got there, he warned me that my friends had already been there to look for me. I didn't think they would come back so I asked him if I could stay and sleep on the floor. He agreed and I fell asleep right away. After about an hour there was a knock at the door. I whispered to Mike not to answer, but he did and it was my friends. They plowed through the door like a Bull through the red cape. They grabbed me and duct taped my wrists, ankles, and mouth. Before long, I found myself being lifted in the air and carried to the ransom room. It was a crazy night, but at least once this was finished I could fall asleep in my own bed.
So, one day during this time, I have a final exam during the evening hours for my Biology class. After returning back to my dorm room following this test, I began talking to my roommate about going to dinner at the dining hall. A few of my friends showed up and they wanted to go as well. We talked for a few minutes when I realized that they were all crowding in a circle around me. Instantly, I ran out of the room and down the hall to the back stairwell.
Upon reaching the stairwell, I could hear all of my friends yelling about bringing me to the ransom room. I ran faster than I knew how. Upon arriving at the stairwell, I jumped down to each landing, easily clearing 6-7 steps in a single bound. I did this for 6 flights of stairs and then thrusted out the back door. My roommates were mostly large fellows who spent more time eating and drinking than anything else, so they were significantly out of shape and could not keep up with me. Even still, I ran as quickly as I could and did not turn around to see how close they were. Knowing that I could not keep this pace up for long, I ducked into the dorm room near the infirmary, where I was a regular visitor during my freshman year. The nurse ran out and saw me panicked and nearly out of breath. I told her that my friends were chasing me and that I had to get away from them. At first she paused, looking at me as if there was no way she would help me. Then she calmly asked where I was going. I pointed to a building (Dev Hall) that was back in the direction I just came from. She pointed to a hallway and instructed me to go hide. Just then I heard the sound of a herd of thundering elephants. Wow! I couldn't believe that they were still on my tail. The nurse asked "Are you guys looking for that MCMM boy?" They yelled "Yeah!", as if they were just in time for the free ice cream at school. "I just sent him down to Francis. Go through that door! Go get that MCMM boy! Go Get'm!", she yelled. A raucous laughter ensued as I heard my friends barrel out of the sick bay and into the night in the complete opposite direction of where I was headed. I thanked the nurse and headed back towards Dev.
My cousin was also a student there at the time, so I walked down to his room, where the door was cracked open. I poked my head through the crack, but the room was completely empty. Not wanting to invade the privacy of my cousin and his roommates, at least any more so than I already had, I turned and walked away. There was no way they'd find me up on the 4th floor of Dev. I'm pretty sure they didn't even know that I was friends with anyone in this dorm. So, I walked down the hall and sat in the 4th floor lounge. There were several couches and the room was empty. I sat down and tried to sleep on one of the couches, but they were more like loveseats and the ends were wooden with no pillows. Needless to say, they weren't very comfortable. As I sat on the couch, I listened carefully for my friends. Any time I heard a noise I worried that they might have found me. I knew that I had bought myself some time because the walk to Francis was really long and I'd imagine that the walk back was even longer. Eventually, I'd have to go back to my dorm, but maybe if I spent the night here, then I could go back in the morning and all would be forgotten and laughed off.
After spending a couple of uncomfortable, paranoid hours in the lounge, I decided to go over to Fal Hall, where my friend, Mike, lived. As soon as I got there, he warned me that my friends had already been there to look for me. I didn't think they would come back so I asked him if I could stay and sleep on the floor. He agreed and I fell asleep right away. After about an hour there was a knock at the door. I whispered to Mike not to answer, but he did and it was my friends. They plowed through the door like a Bull through the red cape. They grabbed me and duct taped my wrists, ankles, and mouth. Before long, I found myself being lifted in the air and carried to the ransom room. It was a crazy night, but at least once this was finished I could fall asleep in my own bed.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Cancer is no joke!
A couple of weeks ago I was at the Dodger game, while in LA. I had heard that the crowd was somewhat apathetic, but I found out exactly what they meant while visiting. I was sitting next to a girl, who was approximately in her middle teens and during the game she was reading a Harry Potter book, which was written in Mandarin. That takes Potter to a whole new level.
I'm looking around at our walls while I type this and they are just disgusting. There are marks and splotches everywhere. Ugh. I hate painting, but I think it's going to become necessary before too much longer. I remember when I moved to my first apartment I decided to paint the bathroom "Jets Green". It turned out pretty good, but for years after that I found paint everywhere. On one occasion, I remember talking to a friend on the phone while painting and when I was finished with my call, the cord being green and white speckled.
I wonder if Broccoli really kills cancer. If that's true, why doesn't everyone eat broccoli like it's going out of style? I just saw a story on the news about the weather person having a noncancerous tumor on her brain. She's probably a few years younger than I am, so obviously that's pretty scary. Maybe she doesn't care for broccoli. Interestingly enough, scientists are coming up with a cure for cancer and I believe it's only a few years away. I hear that the cure doesn't have anything to do with broccoli or any other vegetable for that matter, so maybe I should forward this blog onto them and see if they can get patients on a broccoli I.V.
I'm looking around at our walls while I type this and they are just disgusting. There are marks and splotches everywhere. Ugh. I hate painting, but I think it's going to become necessary before too much longer. I remember when I moved to my first apartment I decided to paint the bathroom "Jets Green". It turned out pretty good, but for years after that I found paint everywhere. On one occasion, I remember talking to a friend on the phone while painting and when I was finished with my call, the cord being green and white speckled.
I wonder if Broccoli really kills cancer. If that's true, why doesn't everyone eat broccoli like it's going out of style? I just saw a story on the news about the weather person having a noncancerous tumor on her brain. She's probably a few years younger than I am, so obviously that's pretty scary. Maybe she doesn't care for broccoli. Interestingly enough, scientists are coming up with a cure for cancer and I believe it's only a few years away. I hear that the cure doesn't have anything to do with broccoli or any other vegetable for that matter, so maybe I should forward this blog onto them and see if they can get patients on a broccoli I.V.
Monday, July 19, 2010
So you want to have a fantasy football team
Don't we all. Here are some tips to create the team that will bring home the cash, or bragging rights, depending on how you're playing.
Step 1 - Create a cool name
Simply put, this takes creativity and talent. I'm sorry, but something you read off an internet website is lame. You might have thought it was funny, but really? Is that the best that you can do? Think about player names, or team names, and combine them with something else to create a funny name. For example, as a Jets fan my default name is Gang Green. Not too creative, but with a couple of tweaks, it could be Gang Green Eggs and Ham, Gang Green Acres, Gaggle of Green Maggots, etc. Fan of the Raiders? Da Rai-Durs, We almost have a normal IQ, CSI Dumb and Dumber Unit, Alcatraz Raiders, etc.
Step 2 - Create a cool logo
This is an interesting one, because fans complain all the time about the logo or jersey of teams. You would think that team owners would pay a lot or attention to this, but they don't. A fantasy team is only as strong as it's logo, so if you choose something weak, or use the default logo, then you are letting the fan base down.
Step 3 - Decide on a draft strategy
The people who go into a draft thinking that they will just follow the top 200 list or some other top player listing are doomed for failure. Those lists are created very generally without consideration towards individual league scoring systems or any natural biases that may occur. For example, over the previous few seasons one of the better performers may have loaded up against poor teams, while struggling against good teams. I would avoid drafting this player in favor of someone more reliable.
One idea is to look for a player who has a considerable advantage over other players at his position. Most people will start off selecting the best runningback, but if there is a difference making Quarterback who is 5 points better than any other at his position, then it might be better to spend a pick there. Runningbacks almost never last an entire season, so there is always an opportunity to pick up a back up. QB's are tougher positions. With all of the rules to protect a QB, they aren't getting injured as often. Last year, I was having problems logging into a league draft and by the time I was able to get through the filters my QB was already drafted on Autopick. I ended up with Matt Cassel. Ugh! I spent the remainder of the season mixing and matching to try and get a decent QB and it wasn't until the second half of the season when Vince Young took over for Kerry Collins that I was able to get a desirable replacement. On the other hand, the year before I had Tony Romo as my QB who delivered consistent numbers and was able to pick up Steve Slaton, Mewelde Moore and a host of others who delivered for a week here and there. I ended up winning the championship that year.
Step 1 - Create a cool name
Simply put, this takes creativity and talent. I'm sorry, but something you read off an internet website is lame. You might have thought it was funny, but really? Is that the best that you can do? Think about player names, or team names, and combine them with something else to create a funny name. For example, as a Jets fan my default name is Gang Green. Not too creative, but with a couple of tweaks, it could be Gang Green Eggs and Ham, Gang Green Acres, Gaggle of Green Maggots, etc. Fan of the Raiders? Da Rai-Durs, We almost have a normal IQ, CSI Dumb and Dumber Unit, Alcatraz Raiders, etc.
Step 2 - Create a cool logo
This is an interesting one, because fans complain all the time about the logo or jersey of teams. You would think that team owners would pay a lot or attention to this, but they don't. A fantasy team is only as strong as it's logo, so if you choose something weak, or use the default logo, then you are letting the fan base down.
Step 3 - Decide on a draft strategy
The people who go into a draft thinking that they will just follow the top 200 list or some other top player listing are doomed for failure. Those lists are created very generally without consideration towards individual league scoring systems or any natural biases that may occur. For example, over the previous few seasons one of the better performers may have loaded up against poor teams, while struggling against good teams. I would avoid drafting this player in favor of someone more reliable.
One idea is to look for a player who has a considerable advantage over other players at his position. Most people will start off selecting the best runningback, but if there is a difference making Quarterback who is 5 points better than any other at his position, then it might be better to spend a pick there. Runningbacks almost never last an entire season, so there is always an opportunity to pick up a back up. QB's are tougher positions. With all of the rules to protect a QB, they aren't getting injured as often. Last year, I was having problems logging into a league draft and by the time I was able to get through the filters my QB was already drafted on Autopick. I ended up with Matt Cassel. Ugh! I spent the remainder of the season mixing and matching to try and get a decent QB and it wasn't until the second half of the season when Vince Young took over for Kerry Collins that I was able to get a desirable replacement. On the other hand, the year before I had Tony Romo as my QB who delivered consistent numbers and was able to pick up Steve Slaton, Mewelde Moore and a host of others who delivered for a week here and there. I ended up winning the championship that year.
Monday, June 21, 2010
It's Not Hard to Be Great, Unless You're Not...
I remember when I was 10 or 11. I played Little League Baseball for the Cubs in LaSalle. I had broken my arm during my first year and then my next year I got to play 3rd base. Actually, I cannot remember if it was next year or the year after. I was a pretty good 3rd baseman. My coach had me batting leadoff. I have no idea what my batting average was, but I always seemed to get my name in the paper and let's be honest, that's what it was all about.
I really thought that I could be a great baseball player. Then one day, it all stopped. I couldn't hit or field. I became indecisive and then it happened. I became that kid. The one who played right field for 2 innings and got one at bat. The one whose parents sometimes dropped him off and came back to pick him up. The one who the team hoped they never had to depend on.
What was it? How could someone go from borderline allstar to worst player on the team? I couldn't see. In one summer, between 5th and 6th grade my eyesight went from perfect to perfectly awful. My parents did what any good parents would do and bought me glasses to correct the problem. Well, these glasses were the worst I had seen. They had a brown tint to them, which now reminds me of the smoker's lounge or something similiar. Even though no one said anything to me, I was sure that they looked at me like I was a dork. So, I had no choice. I would rather not see anything than to see perfectly and risk getting picked on.
That's the funny thing about being young and impressionable. I wanted to do anything to fit in and not get picked on. It seemed like these glasses took away everything I liked about myself. That year in Little League, when I could hit anything in sight was probably the last time I was good at anything in competitive sports. After that, I was the kid who was picked last, made fun of and avoided. Junior High was the worst for me. A lot of the people I went to school with I wouldn't even want to talk to now. High School got a little better. But, when you're insecure things tend to represent worst case scenarios. By the time I went to college, I started to come out of my shell a little and the rest is history.
I really thought that I could be a great baseball player. Then one day, it all stopped. I couldn't hit or field. I became indecisive and then it happened. I became that kid. The one who played right field for 2 innings and got one at bat. The one whose parents sometimes dropped him off and came back to pick him up. The one who the team hoped they never had to depend on.
What was it? How could someone go from borderline allstar to worst player on the team? I couldn't see. In one summer, between 5th and 6th grade my eyesight went from perfect to perfectly awful. My parents did what any good parents would do and bought me glasses to correct the problem. Well, these glasses were the worst I had seen. They had a brown tint to them, which now reminds me of the smoker's lounge or something similiar. Even though no one said anything to me, I was sure that they looked at me like I was a dork. So, I had no choice. I would rather not see anything than to see perfectly and risk getting picked on.
That's the funny thing about being young and impressionable. I wanted to do anything to fit in and not get picked on. It seemed like these glasses took away everything I liked about myself. That year in Little League, when I could hit anything in sight was probably the last time I was good at anything in competitive sports. After that, I was the kid who was picked last, made fun of and avoided. Junior High was the worst for me. A lot of the people I went to school with I wouldn't even want to talk to now. High School got a little better. But, when you're insecure things tend to represent worst case scenarios. By the time I went to college, I started to come out of my shell a little and the rest is history.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Why St. Bonaventure is the best place to go to school!
When I first started my education at St. Bonaventure, I thought to myself that this was not the place for me. It was tucked in between the mountains in the Southern Tier of Western New York. I was used to living in a neighborhood, where my friends were across the street, and everything that I wanted to do was within a short walk or bike ride. I could listen to my favorite radio station and let's be honest, it doesn't hurt being able to mooch off your parents before you have to enter the real world.
Once I made it to Bonas, there were rocky moments, like the time I was in line at the dining hall unknowingly in front of some prospective students and parents, all the while laughing about how my roommate came home trashed the night before. Then there was the night of the first snowfall where the seniors pulled the fire alarm in the freshman dorm and then killed us with snowballs as we came outside.
As time went on, I found Bonas to be the best place on earth. There wasn't a single person on campus who I didn't know by either name or face. In addition, there was always so much fun to be had. Since we were tucked in a valley in between the mountains, our community was tight knit and everyone helped one another. The professors were friendly and kind, and some of the Friars actually lived in the dorms with you. There were a few occasions where i just walked into their room and sat down to watch tv with them. Looking back on this, I'm not sure they were too thrilled with that, but it was a great experience for me.
My senior year was incredible! Everyone came over my room on Wednesdays for movie night. There were several nights where everyone would sit outside their room in the hallway and play games and chat. We all had characters. There was the crazy guy who walked around yelling "Hey, hey, hey, yo, yo!". There was a guy on the floor who created Radovision, which was basically cable that he bought and then wired to just about every room on the floor for $5. There was Steve who caught a fish in the river and tried to keep it in the dorm bathtub. Of course, that was also when I met Melanie and Veronica who had the craziest lifestyle. I still remember this fish that they had with puffy paint all over the fish tank. All these funny things happened under the shadow of the Ricky Lake and Jenny Jones show that was on in the middle of the night.
I can't possibly tell you everything that I loved about Bonas in one entry, so let's call this part 1!
These were the best 4 years of my life!
Once I made it to Bonas, there were rocky moments, like the time I was in line at the dining hall unknowingly in front of some prospective students and parents, all the while laughing about how my roommate came home trashed the night before. Then there was the night of the first snowfall where the seniors pulled the fire alarm in the freshman dorm and then killed us with snowballs as we came outside.
As time went on, I found Bonas to be the best place on earth. There wasn't a single person on campus who I didn't know by either name or face. In addition, there was always so much fun to be had. Since we were tucked in a valley in between the mountains, our community was tight knit and everyone helped one another. The professors were friendly and kind, and some of the Friars actually lived in the dorms with you. There were a few occasions where i just walked into their room and sat down to watch tv with them. Looking back on this, I'm not sure they were too thrilled with that, but it was a great experience for me.
My senior year was incredible! Everyone came over my room on Wednesdays for movie night. There were several nights where everyone would sit outside their room in the hallway and play games and chat. We all had characters. There was the crazy guy who walked around yelling "Hey, hey, hey, yo, yo!". There was a guy on the floor who created Radovision, which was basically cable that he bought and then wired to just about every room on the floor for $5. There was Steve who caught a fish in the river and tried to keep it in the dorm bathtub. Of course, that was also when I met Melanie and Veronica who had the craziest lifestyle. I still remember this fish that they had with puffy paint all over the fish tank. All these funny things happened under the shadow of the Ricky Lake and Jenny Jones show that was on in the middle of the night.
I can't possibly tell you everything that I loved about Bonas in one entry, so let's call this part 1!
These were the best 4 years of my life!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Guest Blogger: The Dog Barker
Hello!
I'm guest blogging for Daddy today! I've had so much fun the past few days that I just can't help but tell you all about it.
First of all, Mommy and Daddy have decided that I'm such a good girl that I don't have to stay in my crate at all anymore. Every now and again, I'll sniff around in there to get my best friends, Purple Bear, BaBa, or Duckie, but other than that, I can sleep on the couches, or just on the rug. Plus, it's so nice to stretch out. I haven't had any accidents, either. I've learned my lesson about ripping the comforters and pillows to shreds. Apparently, if you do that it isn't as much fun for the adults as it is for the Doggies.
Well, on Tuesday I got to go one of my favorite places in the whole world, THE GREENWAY!!!! My favorite part is at the very end when I get to jump in the stream. Daddy keeps me on the leash so when I jump in I make sure to splash him in hopes that he'll let go of the leash so that I can run and jump all the way down the stream bed. Oh well. A dog can dream, can't she?
We got back home and I had to take my medicine. I've learned that if I stay really still Mommy will give me treats while Daddy puts the medicine on my skin. Thank goodness it's only once a month, because I'm always so excited that I can barely sit still.
I don't want to upset Mommy, but I wish that she wouldn't take up so much room on the bed at night. Sometimes I think that if I just keep moving over, she'll sleep on that flat pancake she calls a bed that sits on the floor next to the big bed. She's so much nicer than Daddy though. If I try to move over by him, he pushes me back and I end up having to jump off the bed in protest. I sure do show him!
After my walk today, Mommy and Daddy gave me a bath. My shampoo smells so GOOD! I'll bet that they picked out the most expensive shampoo in the world, because boy does it make me feel like a whole new girl! I hate when the water gets in my ears though. At one point, Mommy turned her back and I shook some of the water off of my fur. Ha Ha Ha! You should have seen Daddy! He looked like he had the measles with all of the wet spots on his T-Shirt. Mommy was like, "What happened?" Then Daddy showed her the wall where all the water was that I shook off. I almost thought that someone painted a mural on the wall because as the water ran down, it created the coolest designs. The best part about my bath is that Mommy always gives me treats if I sit still and don't squirm. Especially on days like today when I'm sweating, it feels so good to take a bath. Taking a bath reminds me of when Daddy pulls out the big Whale pool in the backyard. When he's trying to fill the pool with water, I like jumping in and splashing everything in site! Ahhhhhh! What a life!
Well, it's almost time for my nightly snack! (Psss: I CANNOT WAIT!!!!!) Thank you, Daddy for letting me guest blog! Good night!
Sammie
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Walmart is the worst store EVER! DO NOT SHOP THERE!
Why does anyone shop there? I can't understand it. The whole place is ghetto and trashy and the whole corporate philosophy is destroying America as we know it.
They start by charging low prices for things. How can they do this? They pay next to nothing for their employees. So, while other establishments hire and train individuals to suceed in multiple situations, Walmart hires largely unskilled labor, and they train these individuals by forcing them to watch computer videos for "x" number of hours. The videos are so boring that they make watching paint dry exciting. I can think of no better way to learn, than to sit in an isolated room with sketcho lighting watching a video. Contrast that with other companies who put their new hires on the floor and expose them to a variety of situations and have them learn by doing. Walmart will never be able to do this, because the people in leadership roles don't know how to run a retail establishment, much less teach another.
Case in point. We go for some odds and ends this weekend and have a coupon for "Any 2" of Right Guard Deordorant. In the aisle, there was a 2 pack that was priced slightly less than 2 individuals. I picked up the 2 pack. I can see this either way, that the 2 pack was 1 Right Guard Product, or that the 2 pack consisted of 2 products because it wasn't like you were getting one for free, they were just packaged together. That's not my beef. Cutting to the chase the coupon was refused, of course, and then the blonde haired Customer Service Manager, with the attractive Tatoo on her forearm, (Why didn't I get one of those? It could have read "Mother". Darn!) told me that it was Walmart's policy that they had to be individual purchases. I was like, where is the policy stated? She digs through a file cabinet for a few seconds and then comes back (Mind you, for some obscene reason I've been waiting for 5 minutes while the cashier is laughing and carrying on with her friend instead of getting the Tatooed Service Manager) and takes the coupon and scans it to illicit the error message. "See, it doesn't scan," she retorts "intelligently". Has she ever in her life heard of an override? I ask to speak to a store manager. She tells me that he's out getting a tatoo as well and won't be back until Monday. Like, she's the head of the operation at the moment. Seriously? But for my consolation prize, I can call back on Monday and speak to him. I leave all of my belongings there and go home and call the Manager. Guess who's back already? It wasn't even Sunday yet, let alone Monday. Must be the ink shop is right around the corner from Walmart. As for the Jesse James hooker wanna be, you're a liar, you can't count to 2, that's why the coupon didn't make sense to you, and you smell.
So, I'm not pissed about Mrs. Alice Cooper not taking the coupon.
What is the 1st rule that you learn in retail?
THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!!
Apparently you don't learn that behind the computer training program at Walmart.
I wasn't yelling, screaming, or being irrational. I had 2 sticks of deodorant and the coupon called for 2. What was the problem? Right Guard wasn't going to give a crap as long as the coupon wasn't expired. Just key in the stupid coupon, tell me I can't do it again and let's all be on our merry little way. Instead, I will never shop at TattoovilleWalmart again and I left my entire purchase at the register that day to show them that I wouldn't stand for their tatoo lingo crap.
I HATE WALMART AKA THE TATOO PARLOR!!
This makes 2 places on my do not shop list.
Target - As you'll remember, their holiday prices are ridiculous. I'm pretty sure there was an 80% markup on most of their candy, so that they can sell it at 75% the day after the holiday and still make money. Those crooks
Walmart - For just plain sucking, and making sure that the face of their business is a living memorial to Popeye with the forarm tatoo.
They start by charging low prices for things. How can they do this? They pay next to nothing for their employees. So, while other establishments hire and train individuals to suceed in multiple situations, Walmart hires largely unskilled labor, and they train these individuals by forcing them to watch computer videos for "x" number of hours. The videos are so boring that they make watching paint dry exciting. I can think of no better way to learn, than to sit in an isolated room with sketcho lighting watching a video. Contrast that with other companies who put their new hires on the floor and expose them to a variety of situations and have them learn by doing. Walmart will never be able to do this, because the people in leadership roles don't know how to run a retail establishment, much less teach another.
Case in point. We go for some odds and ends this weekend and have a coupon for "Any 2" of Right Guard Deordorant. In the aisle, there was a 2 pack that was priced slightly less than 2 individuals. I picked up the 2 pack. I can see this either way, that the 2 pack was 1 Right Guard Product, or that the 2 pack consisted of 2 products because it wasn't like you were getting one for free, they were just packaged together. That's not my beef. Cutting to the chase the coupon was refused, of course, and then the blonde haired Customer Service Manager, with the attractive Tatoo on her forearm, (Why didn't I get one of those? It could have read "Mother". Darn!) told me that it was Walmart's policy that they had to be individual purchases. I was like, where is the policy stated? She digs through a file cabinet for a few seconds and then comes back (Mind you, for some obscene reason I've been waiting for 5 minutes while the cashier is laughing and carrying on with her friend instead of getting the Tatooed Service Manager) and takes the coupon and scans it to illicit the error message. "See, it doesn't scan," she retorts "intelligently". Has she ever in her life heard of an override? I ask to speak to a store manager. She tells me that he's out getting a tatoo as well and won't be back until Monday. Like, she's the head of the operation at the moment. Seriously? But for my consolation prize, I can call back on Monday and speak to him. I leave all of my belongings there and go home and call the Manager. Guess who's back already? It wasn't even Sunday yet, let alone Monday. Must be the ink shop is right around the corner from Walmart. As for the Jesse James hooker wanna be, you're a liar, you can't count to 2, that's why the coupon didn't make sense to you, and you smell.
So, I'm not pissed about Mrs. Alice Cooper not taking the coupon.
What is the 1st rule that you learn in retail?
THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!!
Apparently you don't learn that behind the computer training program at Walmart.
I wasn't yelling, screaming, or being irrational. I had 2 sticks of deodorant and the coupon called for 2. What was the problem? Right Guard wasn't going to give a crap as long as the coupon wasn't expired. Just key in the stupid coupon, tell me I can't do it again and let's all be on our merry little way. Instead, I will never shop at TattoovilleWalmart again and I left my entire purchase at the register that day to show them that I wouldn't stand for their tatoo lingo crap.
I HATE WALMART AKA THE TATOO PARLOR!!
This makes 2 places on my do not shop list.
Target - As you'll remember, their holiday prices are ridiculous. I'm pretty sure there was an 80% markup on most of their candy, so that they can sell it at 75% the day after the holiday and still make money. Those crooks
Walmart - For just plain sucking, and making sure that the face of their business is a living memorial to Popeye with the forarm tatoo.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The 4 Pizzas!
Sometimes life just tosses you a bone. I had a GRRRRRR8 dinner this past Sunday. Jill and I went to go eat over Meghan and Frank's house. We were treated to 4 pizzas and I'm not talking Domi-hoe's. These were homemade pizzas on the grill and my favorite was all of them. Let me try to remember all 4. We had Pesto (I think), BBQ chicken, pepperoni. The first pizza was gone so quickly that I cannot for the life of me remember what it was. We absolutely devoured it.
Kevin and Kristen made a really great dessert as well. It was like Strawberry Shortcake with Ice Cream! Yum!
That reminds me of the infamous Chili incident.
When I was about 8 or 9, we used to go over my grandma's house every day after school. She would watch us while my mom worked. One day, grandma told us that we would be having Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. My favorite at the time!!!! The only reason it isn't now, is because every sweet is tied for first. It's amazing I'm not 500 pounds.
Anyway, for every pot of gold, there is a trap door. The meal for the day was Chili, which up until that point I had no opinion on.
Grandma sat down my sister and I and we both tried the Chili and hated it. It was the worst food to touch my taste buds. I think I threw up in my mouth on multiple occasions.
We protested to Grandma that the Chili was awful, risking having our mouth washed out with soap. I'm not sure that she would have, but it seems to add good drama to the story.
Grandma was having none of it. She said that if we wanted Strawberry Shortcake, then we would have to eat all of the Chili. My sister was like, no problem, pushed the bowl away and went to play. I LOOOOOVED Strawberry Shortcake, so I suffered through the Chili, bite after miserable bite. It must have taken me over an hour to eat that one bowl. My mouth was burning, my eyes watering and my taste buds were disgusted.
I got my Strawberry Shortcake, which tasted like heaven after eating the worst Chili ever.
Epilogue -
Years later, Grandma told me that she tried the Chili while I was eating and thought it was the worst thing she ever tried also. I was like, "Grandma, if the Chili was so bad why did you make me eat the entire thing?" Grandma's reasoning was that if I was willing to eat the entire dish to get dessert, then she didn't want to reward my sister who had not slaved through this madness with dessert.
First of all, let me define willing. I was not willing. I only kept at it because I wanted that darn dessert.
Second of all, I didn't give a rip whether or not my sister had suffered.
Third of all, I will never touch a bowl of chili ever again. Years ago, we had a Chili-Off at work, where everyone made a pot of chili and we tried them all to see whose was the best. I skipped the whole ordeal and went out for McDonald's. I was the only individual to do so. Now that's some sweet action.
Kevin and Kristen made a really great dessert as well. It was like Strawberry Shortcake with Ice Cream! Yum!
That reminds me of the infamous Chili incident.
When I was about 8 or 9, we used to go over my grandma's house every day after school. She would watch us while my mom worked. One day, grandma told us that we would be having Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. My favorite at the time!!!! The only reason it isn't now, is because every sweet is tied for first. It's amazing I'm not 500 pounds.
Anyway, for every pot of gold, there is a trap door. The meal for the day was Chili, which up until that point I had no opinion on.
Grandma sat down my sister and I and we both tried the Chili and hated it. It was the worst food to touch my taste buds. I think I threw up in my mouth on multiple occasions.
We protested to Grandma that the Chili was awful, risking having our mouth washed out with soap. I'm not sure that she would have, but it seems to add good drama to the story.
Grandma was having none of it. She said that if we wanted Strawberry Shortcake, then we would have to eat all of the Chili. My sister was like, no problem, pushed the bowl away and went to play. I LOOOOOVED Strawberry Shortcake, so I suffered through the Chili, bite after miserable bite. It must have taken me over an hour to eat that one bowl. My mouth was burning, my eyes watering and my taste buds were disgusted.
I got my Strawberry Shortcake, which tasted like heaven after eating the worst Chili ever.
Epilogue -
Years later, Grandma told me that she tried the Chili while I was eating and thought it was the worst thing she ever tried also. I was like, "Grandma, if the Chili was so bad why did you make me eat the entire thing?" Grandma's reasoning was that if I was willing to eat the entire dish to get dessert, then she didn't want to reward my sister who had not slaved through this madness with dessert.
First of all, let me define willing. I was not willing. I only kept at it because I wanted that darn dessert.
Second of all, I didn't give a rip whether or not my sister had suffered.
Third of all, I will never touch a bowl of chili ever again. Years ago, we had a Chili-Off at work, where everyone made a pot of chili and we tried them all to see whose was the best. I skipped the whole ordeal and went out for McDonald's. I was the only individual to do so. Now that's some sweet action.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Building Savings
Because of some lifestyle changes, we have been forced to rethink the way we spend money. Here are some things that we have done that have paid off. We've become pretty fanatical about saving money.
1. We changed out all of our incandescent light bulbs in the house to florescent bulbs. Apparently, the savings is supposed to be dramatic. The main reason I wanted to make the change is because they say you'll be able to rely on the bulb for about 8-10 years before you have to change them out. That alone is great!
2. We recently read a book by "America's Cheapest Family", in which they suggested that you set a montly grocery budget and go shopping once a month. This has saved us so much money. We start off by planning our meals for the month, and then we buy everything in one trip. If we find something that is a terrific deal, then we try to load up on it so that we're not forced to buy something at regular price because we're out. This requires a lot of planning, but it saves us so much money in the long run!
3. Patience! Over the past year, we've gotten so many things for free, or deeply discounted, simply because we don't buy at the first impulse. Earlier in life, that was the thing that got us into trouble. Over the past year, we had earmarked several things that we wanted and by being patient, we got them for free. For example, we wanted to get lounge chairs for our new patio in the backyard. In looking for these, we noticed that even the cheapest ones were about $40-50 per chair. Well, we were not about to spend $80-100 on a set of chairs, so we waited to see how much they would go on sale at the end of the season. The answer was that they didn't go on sale very much. I believe the discount was about 10-25%, which was not significant enough for us to make the purchase. So we didn't buy them. A few months later, my parents, who knew that we were looking told me that they had gone to a garage sale across the street and in searching for various items, were told that they could have 2 lounge chairs and an umbrella as a throw in. My dad asked if I wanted the chairs, which were brand new, with the tags still on them, and I accepted.
Using this philosophy, we each got Blackberry phones for free, a grill for $200 less than normal sale retail, an office chair for free, a comforter set for $35 - This one I'm especially proud of, because when we were looking, everyone was saying that you couldn't find a good set for less than $80. I actually found a nice one that I was interested in for $49 and was about to make the purchase but they were out of stock. In looking for some other items, I found a similar one for $35. I could have bought 2 of them for the price that I was told was the drop dead bottom price. My advice here would be to make a list of things you'd like and then hold out until you can get them for bargin basement prices or even better, for free!
4. I learned this one from reading one of Donald Trump's books. Buy store brands of products instead of name brand products. In most cases, they are exactly the same. The difference is that the store is able to buy their own products at a much lower cost than the store brands, so they can achieve the same markup by retailing the store brand at a much lower price. Some things you don't want to cut corners on, but no matter the brand, asprin is asprin, regardless of who's name is on the bottle.
5. Lastly, you have to pay yourself first. If all you're ever doing is paying down debt, then you will lose your resolve and fall deeper into debt. If you take your pay and allocate a certain amount to yourself everyday, ideally to establish a savings build, then you will be more motivated to get out of debt. I believe that the recommended starting point is to try to pay yourself $10 a day. That turns into $300 a month on average. If you can't do $10, then start with a more modest amount, but whatever you start with, stick to it. You'll be surprised how quickly it can add up. Plus, should you run into an emergency, this money will help you avoid running yourself deeper into debt.
1. We changed out all of our incandescent light bulbs in the house to florescent bulbs. Apparently, the savings is supposed to be dramatic. The main reason I wanted to make the change is because they say you'll be able to rely on the bulb for about 8-10 years before you have to change them out. That alone is great!
2. We recently read a book by "America's Cheapest Family", in which they suggested that you set a montly grocery budget and go shopping once a month. This has saved us so much money. We start off by planning our meals for the month, and then we buy everything in one trip. If we find something that is a terrific deal, then we try to load up on it so that we're not forced to buy something at regular price because we're out. This requires a lot of planning, but it saves us so much money in the long run!
3. Patience! Over the past year, we've gotten so many things for free, or deeply discounted, simply because we don't buy at the first impulse. Earlier in life, that was the thing that got us into trouble. Over the past year, we had earmarked several things that we wanted and by being patient, we got them for free. For example, we wanted to get lounge chairs for our new patio in the backyard. In looking for these, we noticed that even the cheapest ones were about $40-50 per chair. Well, we were not about to spend $80-100 on a set of chairs, so we waited to see how much they would go on sale at the end of the season. The answer was that they didn't go on sale very much. I believe the discount was about 10-25%, which was not significant enough for us to make the purchase. So we didn't buy them. A few months later, my parents, who knew that we were looking told me that they had gone to a garage sale across the street and in searching for various items, were told that they could have 2 lounge chairs and an umbrella as a throw in. My dad asked if I wanted the chairs, which were brand new, with the tags still on them, and I accepted.
Using this philosophy, we each got Blackberry phones for free, a grill for $200 less than normal sale retail, an office chair for free, a comforter set for $35 - This one I'm especially proud of, because when we were looking, everyone was saying that you couldn't find a good set for less than $80. I actually found a nice one that I was interested in for $49 and was about to make the purchase but they were out of stock. In looking for some other items, I found a similar one for $35. I could have bought 2 of them for the price that I was told was the drop dead bottom price. My advice here would be to make a list of things you'd like and then hold out until you can get them for bargin basement prices or even better, for free!
4. I learned this one from reading one of Donald Trump's books. Buy store brands of products instead of name brand products. In most cases, they are exactly the same. The difference is that the store is able to buy their own products at a much lower cost than the store brands, so they can achieve the same markup by retailing the store brand at a much lower price. Some things you don't want to cut corners on, but no matter the brand, asprin is asprin, regardless of who's name is on the bottle.
5. Lastly, you have to pay yourself first. If all you're ever doing is paying down debt, then you will lose your resolve and fall deeper into debt. If you take your pay and allocate a certain amount to yourself everyday, ideally to establish a savings build, then you will be more motivated to get out of debt. I believe that the recommended starting point is to try to pay yourself $10 a day. That turns into $300 a month on average. If you can't do $10, then start with a more modest amount, but whatever you start with, stick to it. You'll be surprised how quickly it can add up. Plus, should you run into an emergency, this money will help you avoid running yourself deeper into debt.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Pizza Pizza
Everyone has a favorite pizza place. Pretty much, if you decide that your favorite is Domino's, Papa Johns, or Pizza Hut, then you haven't tried real pizza.
The best that I ever had was the Jason Ward special at Jaco's. When I was little, we always ordered the party tray, which was kind of odd, because we never had parties. It was so good though! We would eat it for days. The pizza had the best cheese and spices. I miss that ever since I moved, because there are barely any places here that have good pizza. I remember that my sister loved Buzzy's. I never tried that, but heard that it was really good. When I went to Bona's, there was S&G pizza, near campus. We nicknamed them Sloppy and Greasy pizza because their food was probably the most unhealthy you could consume, but who cares when you're in college, right?
The funniest thing from my years in college is my obsession with animal crackers. I used to buy those big bags from Walmart. They were ridiculously inexpensive. Full disclosure, I am one of the biggest germ-a-phobes that I know. When I was in college, for some reason, I was obsessed with the ratio of elephants to cats. The elephants are, by far, the best animal cracker because they are much bigger than any other. The cat by comparison is like half the size. If you look at the cat, you'll notice how obnoxious it is with that stupid curled tail. So I decided that one day I was going to open up a bag and count the disparity between L.E.Phants and Fat Cats. To do this, I opened the bag and dumped them all over the floor and sorted them into carefully separated piles. Once finished, I would eat as many as I could fit into my mouth. The mere thought of this digusts me. In my own home, I would not eat anything off the floor. But off the decades old rug in my dorm room, it was perfectly fine. Ugh! What was I thinking? I suppose what you don't know doesn't hurt you.
The best that I ever had was the Jason Ward special at Jaco's. When I was little, we always ordered the party tray, which was kind of odd, because we never had parties. It was so good though! We would eat it for days. The pizza had the best cheese and spices. I miss that ever since I moved, because there are barely any places here that have good pizza. I remember that my sister loved Buzzy's. I never tried that, but heard that it was really good. When I went to Bona's, there was S&G pizza, near campus. We nicknamed them Sloppy and Greasy pizza because their food was probably the most unhealthy you could consume, but who cares when you're in college, right?
The funniest thing from my years in college is my obsession with animal crackers. I used to buy those big bags from Walmart. They were ridiculously inexpensive. Full disclosure, I am one of the biggest germ-a-phobes that I know. When I was in college, for some reason, I was obsessed with the ratio of elephants to cats. The elephants are, by far, the best animal cracker because they are much bigger than any other. The cat by comparison is like half the size. If you look at the cat, you'll notice how obnoxious it is with that stupid curled tail. So I decided that one day I was going to open up a bag and count the disparity between L.E.Phants and Fat Cats. To do this, I opened the bag and dumped them all over the floor and sorted them into carefully separated piles. Once finished, I would eat as many as I could fit into my mouth. The mere thought of this digusts me. In my own home, I would not eat anything off the floor. But off the decades old rug in my dorm room, it was perfectly fine. Ugh! What was I thinking? I suppose what you don't know doesn't hurt you.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Car Accident
Today, I was driving home and I saw a teenager, probably 16 or 17 run into the back of a middle aged guy's SUV. The teen's hood looked like an accordian and the Guy was letting the Explitives fly! It didn't look like there was too much damage to the Guy's car. To make matter's worse, as the guy was screaming for the kid's insurance information, I heard a meek voice say that it was his dad's car. Uh boy!
Well, the insurance companies will sort all of this out and then they'll be good to go.
Several years ago, I was driving to St. Bonaventure and got into a car accident and I wasn't as fortunate. I was dating a girl who was pretty needy and I decided to drive down after work one night to go see her. The drive was about 2 hours. I left work at about 10:30. I was about 30 minutes outside of campus, when the snow started to pick up. I came around a bend in the road and my car fishtailed and then rolled backward into a ditch. I was wedged in and could not get out. The worst part about the accident was that the snow was picking up and there weren't any houses or cars for as far as the eye could see. I was in the middle of nowhere. Blair Witch looked populated compared to where I crashed.
After knocking on a farm house door with no answer, a car happened down the road. In retrospect, it probably was a good thing that no one answered the door at the farm house, because I'm pretty sure they were backwoods kind of people and were not going to take kindly to someone knocking on their door after midnight.
The car drove past me. At this point, I'm thinking that I could be on this road for a long time. It's important to note that this was before the time of cell phones. Suddenly, another car was coming towards me, slowly. This car stopped and offerred me a ride. Funny thing was that it was the same car that passed me earlier, but they saw my car in the ditch and realized that I wasn't a weirdo. They gave me a ride to campus, but as we pulled in to the parking lot, they revealed that they were both drunk. Which is worse? On one hand, I could be stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no help apparent, or I could be in a car, on snowy roads, with 2 drunks. Thankfully, I made it to campus safe and sound. I ended up living in my girl friend's dorm room for the next week while my car was being worked on. I basically had no money at this point, so it was basically a patch job. My radiator was cracked and the car was completely undrivable. Eventually, the car was fixed and I was able to drive back home, but it was a harrowing experience.
As a funny epilogue, I lost my front license plate in the shuffle and couldn't find it. Months later, after the snow had melted, I was driving down the same road and saw my license plate sitting on top of the ditch on the side of the road.
Well, the insurance companies will sort all of this out and then they'll be good to go.
Several years ago, I was driving to St. Bonaventure and got into a car accident and I wasn't as fortunate. I was dating a girl who was pretty needy and I decided to drive down after work one night to go see her. The drive was about 2 hours. I left work at about 10:30. I was about 30 minutes outside of campus, when the snow started to pick up. I came around a bend in the road and my car fishtailed and then rolled backward into a ditch. I was wedged in and could not get out. The worst part about the accident was that the snow was picking up and there weren't any houses or cars for as far as the eye could see. I was in the middle of nowhere. Blair Witch looked populated compared to where I crashed.
After knocking on a farm house door with no answer, a car happened down the road. In retrospect, it probably was a good thing that no one answered the door at the farm house, because I'm pretty sure they were backwoods kind of people and were not going to take kindly to someone knocking on their door after midnight.
The car drove past me. At this point, I'm thinking that I could be on this road for a long time. It's important to note that this was before the time of cell phones. Suddenly, another car was coming towards me, slowly. This car stopped and offerred me a ride. Funny thing was that it was the same car that passed me earlier, but they saw my car in the ditch and realized that I wasn't a weirdo. They gave me a ride to campus, but as we pulled in to the parking lot, they revealed that they were both drunk. Which is worse? On one hand, I could be stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no help apparent, or I could be in a car, on snowy roads, with 2 drunks. Thankfully, I made it to campus safe and sound. I ended up living in my girl friend's dorm room for the next week while my car was being worked on. I basically had no money at this point, so it was basically a patch job. My radiator was cracked and the car was completely undrivable. Eventually, the car was fixed and I was able to drive back home, but it was a harrowing experience.
As a funny epilogue, I lost my front license plate in the shuffle and couldn't find it. Months later, after the snow had melted, I was driving down the same road and saw my license plate sitting on top of the ditch on the side of the road.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wasting Time
There have been so many changes to technology in recent years. Often times, I talk about when I was a senior at St. Bonaventure and we used something called "telenetting" to chat with people. It was the precursor to Instant Messenging as we know it today.
It appeared on a screen that looked like DOS. Once you got into a chat room, there was a list of 20-25 people with their screen name, location, server, and your "doing". Your doing was a sentence that would tell others what you were doing. Not too complicated by any stretch of the imagination. Every chat room had a sysop that you could chat with or could monitor users. Often times, their "doing" read "working....may not answer". One day, a friend that I used to chat with created a doing that read "answering....may not work". Without graphics or images, you had to work to be clever. My name was Bedrocks after the old club in WNY named the Bedrocks Cafe. I never went, but adopted the name because so many of my friends went and I was living vicariously through them. I know, I know, that's one of the lamest reasons to create a name ever. I lived a sheltered life growing up, what can I say. Come to find out years later that it really was a dive. The name lives on though. Most people try to conjure up some joke about me and the Flintstones, as if I haven't heard them all.
Now onto the point of why I'm really writing today. I joined facebook about a year or two ago, not understanding how to navigate it at all. My goal was to get more legit friends than Jill. This isn't like those people who become friends with everyone regardless of if they even know the person.
Ok, time for another lame story.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I thought that it would be really cool to get 100 people to sign my yearbook. I did, but now looking back on that, many people I barely knew and I wonder why this was so important to me. The high school I went to was really cool. I thought it was the best in the area. Unfortunately, a few years after I graduated, the school board decided that it couldn't maintain 2 high schools in the same city, so they tore mine down. That was really disappointing to me. I really couldn't believe it. This was the school where my classmates marched in the middle of the street to city hall to get a traffic light in front of our school after Michelle Thurman was hit by a car. Funny thing, the light is still there, even though the school isn't. I hope that light stands forever so that Michelle didn't die in vain. This was the school with an auto shop, horticulture department and the coolest courtyard in the city. I still don't understand why students were barely ever allowed out there. I won't drive by the site if I'm back in the city. I can't bare to look at what they did to the place where I spent 4 of the most important years of my life. I believe that there is a Walmart there now. I guess it's true when they say Walmart is taking over the world. They took a great school, great teachers, and a great community. I suppose it was going to happen eventually, but the fact that it was torn down so shortly after I left makes me wonder about the students who attended the new school and thought it was shiny, new, and great. Maybe, but it wasn't anything close to my school.
I really have gotten off the beaten path. Back to my FB story. Once I got more friends than Jill, I realized that all of my friends were similar to me. Every now and again, they posted something interesting on their Wall. Sometimes they posted Farmville, Mafia Wars, or some other gaming update. But other than an isolated conversation, it really was only a window into the lives of people I know in some way. I don't know how many people I'll keep in touch with, but I hope to have deep and meaningful friendships, rather than a glance through a window into their lives where I look in and wish I was cool enough to really hang. Well, I know that I'm cool enough but for most of my friends in order to hang, it would involve a car ride that I can't make in a matter of minutes, but rather hours.
Stay Classy Facebook!
It appeared on a screen that looked like DOS. Once you got into a chat room, there was a list of 20-25 people with their screen name, location, server, and your "doing". Your doing was a sentence that would tell others what you were doing. Not too complicated by any stretch of the imagination. Every chat room had a sysop that you could chat with or could monitor users. Often times, their "doing" read "working....may not answer". One day, a friend that I used to chat with created a doing that read "answering....may not work". Without graphics or images, you had to work to be clever. My name was Bedrocks after the old club in WNY named the Bedrocks Cafe. I never went, but adopted the name because so many of my friends went and I was living vicariously through them. I know, I know, that's one of the lamest reasons to create a name ever. I lived a sheltered life growing up, what can I say. Come to find out years later that it really was a dive. The name lives on though. Most people try to conjure up some joke about me and the Flintstones, as if I haven't heard them all.
Now onto the point of why I'm really writing today. I joined facebook about a year or two ago, not understanding how to navigate it at all. My goal was to get more legit friends than Jill. This isn't like those people who become friends with everyone regardless of if they even know the person.
Ok, time for another lame story.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I thought that it would be really cool to get 100 people to sign my yearbook. I did, but now looking back on that, many people I barely knew and I wonder why this was so important to me. The high school I went to was really cool. I thought it was the best in the area. Unfortunately, a few years after I graduated, the school board decided that it couldn't maintain 2 high schools in the same city, so they tore mine down. That was really disappointing to me. I really couldn't believe it. This was the school where my classmates marched in the middle of the street to city hall to get a traffic light in front of our school after Michelle Thurman was hit by a car. Funny thing, the light is still there, even though the school isn't. I hope that light stands forever so that Michelle didn't die in vain. This was the school with an auto shop, horticulture department and the coolest courtyard in the city. I still don't understand why students were barely ever allowed out there. I won't drive by the site if I'm back in the city. I can't bare to look at what they did to the place where I spent 4 of the most important years of my life. I believe that there is a Walmart there now. I guess it's true when they say Walmart is taking over the world. They took a great school, great teachers, and a great community. I suppose it was going to happen eventually, but the fact that it was torn down so shortly after I left makes me wonder about the students who attended the new school and thought it was shiny, new, and great. Maybe, but it wasn't anything close to my school.
I really have gotten off the beaten path. Back to my FB story. Once I got more friends than Jill, I realized that all of my friends were similar to me. Every now and again, they posted something interesting on their Wall. Sometimes they posted Farmville, Mafia Wars, or some other gaming update. But other than an isolated conversation, it really was only a window into the lives of people I know in some way. I don't know how many people I'll keep in touch with, but I hope to have deep and meaningful friendships, rather than a glance through a window into their lives where I look in and wish I was cool enough to really hang. Well, I know that I'm cool enough but for most of my friends in order to hang, it would involve a car ride that I can't make in a matter of minutes, but rather hours.
Stay Classy Facebook!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Microwave Popcorn
Have you ever looked at the inside of a bag of Microwave Popcorn before it's been popped? Do yourself a favor and open one up. My guess is that this will be the last bag you ever purchase. The mixture is just disgusting and knowing that this will eventually end up inside your body is downright repugnant.
Fortunately, there is an answer for you.
1. Presto Pop Lite Hot Air Popcorn Popper
This allows you to purchase additive free kernals and pop them using only hot air. The best thing about the Hot Air Popper from Presto is that it pops almost every kernal without burning anything that was previously popped, and you can add whatever toppings you'd like to. All of this for about $15-$16, plus the cost of kernals, which is minimal. We bought this style, and there was a coupon in the package for Orville Redenbacher kernals, which when doubled made the purchase a no-brainer!
2. Presto Orville Redenbacher Hot Air Popcorn Popper
Similar to the Pop Lite, this has been branded by Orville Redenbacher and it gives you a few advanced features. Either product will leave you happy for some time. Go to Belk.com and pick up yours today! This is for around $20-$25 and for the price is a complete steal! No word on whether or not there is a coupon in this package, but my guess is yes!
The Presto guys will take care of you if anything should ever disappoint you about the product. One thing that impressed me about this company was the time and money they put into product development to ensure that their products are the very best!
All in all, no matter which product you go with, you're going to thank yourself! Now, do yourself a favor and go throw out all that microwave popcorn and it's gross additives!
Fortunately, there is an answer for you.
1. Presto Pop Lite Hot Air Popcorn Popper
This allows you to purchase additive free kernals and pop them using only hot air. The best thing about the Hot Air Popper from Presto is that it pops almost every kernal without burning anything that was previously popped, and you can add whatever toppings you'd like to. All of this for about $15-$16, plus the cost of kernals, which is minimal. We bought this style, and there was a coupon in the package for Orville Redenbacher kernals, which when doubled made the purchase a no-brainer!
2. Presto Orville Redenbacher Hot Air Popcorn Popper
Similar to the Pop Lite, this has been branded by Orville Redenbacher and it gives you a few advanced features. Either product will leave you happy for some time. Go to Belk.com and pick up yours today! This is for around $20-$25 and for the price is a complete steal! No word on whether or not there is a coupon in this package, but my guess is yes!
The Presto guys will take care of you if anything should ever disappoint you about the product. One thing that impressed me about this company was the time and money they put into product development to ensure that their products are the very best!
All in all, no matter which product you go with, you're going to thank yourself! Now, do yourself a favor and go throw out all that microwave popcorn and it's gross additives!
Easter
Most people who celebrate Easter love this holiday because it falls in line with the beginning of Spring. The weather is usually pleasant, and after being forced inside to seek refuge from the snow and cold all winter, it's literally a breath of fresh air.
With all holidays these days, the emphasis has shifted from religious celebrations, to the main focus being secular celebrations.
Well, having said that, what I saw at Target this week would make Peter Cottontail cry. The markups on their Easter supplies (candy, baskets, decorations, etc.) have gone through the roof. Items that are normally a dollar or two are now going for 3 or 4. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
More and more I'm seeing that the average joe is being priced out of anything. Look at sporting events, for example. You can't go to a pro game unless you're willing to spend at least a couple hundred dollars, between tickets, parking, food, etc. Prices for everything are going up at a much higher rate than normal inflation and in the same time, people are losing their jobs or having to take pay cuts. Most people consider themselves lucky to have their pay remain stagnant.
Well, all was not lost. I can proclaim that Walgreens has saved the day! They have several reasonable alternatives. Being on the buying side, I can see how these companies are putting the squeeze on retailers to increase prices, but Walgreens has sidestepped this issue by carrying off brands of staple Easter items that can retail at several dollars lower than their name brand equivalents. Target, for some reason, has not bought into this philosophy.
I can't help but think that this wouldn't be necessary except for the buyer at Target must not be very good at analyzing their business. Every holiday there is so much stock left over that you are forced to deeply mark down the stock at a loss just to clear the way for the inventory that you have to bring in for the next holiday. If they would just cut their buy in half, then they would be able to sell almost all of their inventory before it had to get to the mark down phase and they could charge a more reasonable rate from the get go. At some point, the Target seasonal buyer has a margin to protect. My guess is that since they are taking such a blood bath with all of the inventory that they have to mark down to 75% off, that they have to take an increased markup initially in order to make any money at all. The little guy ends up paying for these increases, which is just disappointing. The consumer has to make up for companies that are telling buyers that they have the greatest thing this side of Mason-Dixon and buyers who don't analyze their business deeply enough to realize that they are marking down at least half of their inventory.
Unfortunately, the only reasonable solution is to take a stand and celebrate holidays a couple of days after the actual holiday. That way you can buy your Easter candy on Easter Monday at 75% off, and the consumer is finally a winner! Somewhere, Clark Griswald is nodding his smile of approval!
With all holidays these days, the emphasis has shifted from religious celebrations, to the main focus being secular celebrations.
Well, having said that, what I saw at Target this week would make Peter Cottontail cry. The markups on their Easter supplies (candy, baskets, decorations, etc.) have gone through the roof. Items that are normally a dollar or two are now going for 3 or 4. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
More and more I'm seeing that the average joe is being priced out of anything. Look at sporting events, for example. You can't go to a pro game unless you're willing to spend at least a couple hundred dollars, between tickets, parking, food, etc. Prices for everything are going up at a much higher rate than normal inflation and in the same time, people are losing their jobs or having to take pay cuts. Most people consider themselves lucky to have their pay remain stagnant.
Well, all was not lost. I can proclaim that Walgreens has saved the day! They have several reasonable alternatives. Being on the buying side, I can see how these companies are putting the squeeze on retailers to increase prices, but Walgreens has sidestepped this issue by carrying off brands of staple Easter items that can retail at several dollars lower than their name brand equivalents. Target, for some reason, has not bought into this philosophy.
I can't help but think that this wouldn't be necessary except for the buyer at Target must not be very good at analyzing their business. Every holiday there is so much stock left over that you are forced to deeply mark down the stock at a loss just to clear the way for the inventory that you have to bring in for the next holiday. If they would just cut their buy in half, then they would be able to sell almost all of their inventory before it had to get to the mark down phase and they could charge a more reasonable rate from the get go. At some point, the Target seasonal buyer has a margin to protect. My guess is that since they are taking such a blood bath with all of the inventory that they have to mark down to 75% off, that they have to take an increased markup initially in order to make any money at all. The little guy ends up paying for these increases, which is just disappointing. The consumer has to make up for companies that are telling buyers that they have the greatest thing this side of Mason-Dixon and buyers who don't analyze their business deeply enough to realize that they are marking down at least half of their inventory.
Unfortunately, the only reasonable solution is to take a stand and celebrate holidays a couple of days after the actual holiday. That way you can buy your Easter candy on Easter Monday at 75% off, and the consumer is finally a winner! Somewhere, Clark Griswald is nodding his smile of approval!
Monday, March 22, 2010
What's the cost of 3 hours?
There are so many people who charge an hourly rate. Mechanics, Doctors, Plumbers, Clowns, Tutors, probably even politicians.
I've wondered if I charged an hourly rate how much my time would be worth. I got to thinking that one cold afternoon as my car wouldn't start. Funny thing about my car. It has a security device in it. I'm thankful that my car is extra secure, but it's worth almost nothing, so why would I be concerned about someone trying to steal it? Well, the security device has a propensity to short out. When that happens, the car will not start and there is nothing you can do about it.
Thank goodness I have AAA right? So, I call the trusty 800 number on the back and they tell me that it will be 45 minutes (which I'm pretty sure is their standard response) before someone is going to come out and help me. They ask me if I want my car towed. Well, I'd like to see if the battery is dead and if it isn't then I'd like the car towed. AAA guy #1 arrives about an hour and a half after I make the call. Let me remind everyone that it is very cold out. Below freezing would be a conservative estimate. This guy arrives, hooks my car up to his battery jumper. Nothing. Ok, tow me away. He can't do that, because his car can only check your battery, it can't tow you. So, now I've got to wait 45 minutes for another agent with a towing device to tow me. Let me add at this point that 45 minutes becomes another hour and a half, and would have been longer had I not gotten on the phone and let the fur fly. Why does it come to me having to release the fury? By this point, everywhere that my car could possibly get towed is closed. My dealership has agreed to take my car as long as it gets in before 9pm. This problem all began at 5. At the time of the problem, I could have gotten towed right down the street and been in good shape. At 9pm, there aren't many places that you can get towed.
Here's a fun fact for everyone. Basic AAA will get you towed 3 miles for free. Plus will get you towed for 100 miles for free. So basically, if you have basic AAA, enjoy the free maps, because that's about all you'll be getting for you $42 a year. The Plus is $75ish a year. So basically, you get maps and when your car breaks down you get towed a little further. You know how much I had to pay to get towed? $42.
So, this is where my membership will be going this year. I will NEVER sign up for AAA again. The cost to get towed on that delightful freezing cold evening is only slightly higher than a whole year's membership.
Dear AAA,
Thanks for nothing. I also really appreciated being on hold for 10 minutes as well. The battery from my cell phone kept my otherwise frostbitten head warm. YOU HAVE AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE. YOU HAVE POOR RESPONSE TIMES. YOUR SERVICE IS A RIPOFF. YOUR MAPS AREN'T THAT GREAT EITHER! I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO MAPQUEST? IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING. HAVE FUN RIPPING OFF SOMEONE ELSE! I HOPE EVERY AAA MEMBER READS THIS AND CANCELS YOUR RIP OFF SERVICE!!!!@!!!!
love always,
Jeff
I've wondered if I charged an hourly rate how much my time would be worth. I got to thinking that one cold afternoon as my car wouldn't start. Funny thing about my car. It has a security device in it. I'm thankful that my car is extra secure, but it's worth almost nothing, so why would I be concerned about someone trying to steal it? Well, the security device has a propensity to short out. When that happens, the car will not start and there is nothing you can do about it.
Thank goodness I have AAA right? So, I call the trusty 800 number on the back and they tell me that it will be 45 minutes (which I'm pretty sure is their standard response) before someone is going to come out and help me. They ask me if I want my car towed. Well, I'd like to see if the battery is dead and if it isn't then I'd like the car towed. AAA guy #1 arrives about an hour and a half after I make the call. Let me remind everyone that it is very cold out. Below freezing would be a conservative estimate. This guy arrives, hooks my car up to his battery jumper. Nothing. Ok, tow me away. He can't do that, because his car can only check your battery, it can't tow you. So, now I've got to wait 45 minutes for another agent with a towing device to tow me. Let me add at this point that 45 minutes becomes another hour and a half, and would have been longer had I not gotten on the phone and let the fur fly. Why does it come to me having to release the fury? By this point, everywhere that my car could possibly get towed is closed. My dealership has agreed to take my car as long as it gets in before 9pm. This problem all began at 5. At the time of the problem, I could have gotten towed right down the street and been in good shape. At 9pm, there aren't many places that you can get towed.
Here's a fun fact for everyone. Basic AAA will get you towed 3 miles for free. Plus will get you towed for 100 miles for free. So basically, if you have basic AAA, enjoy the free maps, because that's about all you'll be getting for you $42 a year. The Plus is $75ish a year. So basically, you get maps and when your car breaks down you get towed a little further. You know how much I had to pay to get towed? $42.
So, this is where my membership will be going this year. I will NEVER sign up for AAA again. The cost to get towed on that delightful freezing cold evening is only slightly higher than a whole year's membership.
Dear AAA,
Thanks for nothing. I also really appreciated being on hold for 10 minutes as well. The battery from my cell phone kept my otherwise frostbitten head warm. YOU HAVE AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE. YOU HAVE POOR RESPONSE TIMES. YOUR SERVICE IS A RIPOFF. YOUR MAPS AREN'T THAT GREAT EITHER! I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO MAPQUEST? IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING. HAVE FUN RIPPING OFF SOMEONE ELSE! I HOPE EVERY AAA MEMBER READS THIS AND CANCELS YOUR RIP OFF SERVICE!!!!@!!!!
love always,
Jeff
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
How I met Jill
I was getting ready to begin my National Writing Project class at UNC-Charlotte. As usual, I was running late. At the time, I remember thinking that it should take no more than 30 minutes to get to campus, although for some reason on this day, with all of my dilly-dallying it took more than 45 minutes.
I walked into the building thinking that almost none of my classes as an undergrad started on time, so I was probably good.
As crickets could be heard chirping, I stumbled into the classroom. Honestly, it was probably a lot louder than that. I had sneakers that didn't fit me properly, so I was clumping all the way down the hallway. As I walked in, everyone was already seated in a huge circle and the only chair available was all the way across the room.
I scanned the room and looked over everyone as they looked at what a dishevled mess I was. We went around and introduced ourselves. I didn't remember what anyone was saying though because I was so focused on what I was going to say. Unfortunately, at this stage in my life this is how most intros went: "Hi, I'm Jeff!" As I extend my hand to shake all I hear is "Blah, Blah, Blah..." I was so bad at names, it was incredible. So, invariably, if I was interested in someone's friendship I had to go through the whole, "What was your name again?" type of discussion. I'm sure this grated on people who knew me. So, I explain who I am, where I was from, where I did my undergrad, etc. and then I basically fell asleep while everyone else introduced themselves. I always prided myself on being the considerate type. I made sure not to snore over the people introducing themselves.
The class lasted about an hour or 2 and was mostly involving ice breaker type activities which I hate. I would much rather sit back and be lectured to, while I fall asleep with my eyes open, especially at this early hour. Ice breakers invariably involve getting up, moving around and talking to people you don't know. This was not scoring points with me, for the point I've already raised. When the class was over, some people came up to me and asked me questions about my background. I'm sure my enthusiasm and alertness was contagious. One of them was Jill. She went to school near mine and recognized the name. We talked and she walked with me to the campus book store. My plan was to screw them over by getting the titles and authors of the books for my classes and then buying them on http://www.addall.com/. You can get any book there for a fraction of the cost of the ripoff book store. So, Jill and I walked there and then on my way back to the car we exchanged digits. You could definitely see all of my endearing qualities were on display that day.
Days later, we met for a concert before a NASCAR race. On the way up there, I announced that I was going to puke at any moment. I never puked, but you could see that I was on the path to charming my way into marriage.
So, to summarize, if you want to get married, fall asleep in an important class or meeting that someone else is paying for, then ignore people who introduce themselves to you, after this, try to show how deceptive, sneaky, and vindictive you can be. Then involve discussion of bodily fluids on your first date. You're sure to land the girl of your dreams!
I walked into the building thinking that almost none of my classes as an undergrad started on time, so I was probably good.
As crickets could be heard chirping, I stumbled into the classroom. Honestly, it was probably a lot louder than that. I had sneakers that didn't fit me properly, so I was clumping all the way down the hallway. As I walked in, everyone was already seated in a huge circle and the only chair available was all the way across the room.
I scanned the room and looked over everyone as they looked at what a dishevled mess I was. We went around and introduced ourselves. I didn't remember what anyone was saying though because I was so focused on what I was going to say. Unfortunately, at this stage in my life this is how most intros went: "Hi, I'm Jeff!" As I extend my hand to shake all I hear is "Blah, Blah, Blah..." I was so bad at names, it was incredible. So, invariably, if I was interested in someone's friendship I had to go through the whole, "What was your name again?" type of discussion. I'm sure this grated on people who knew me. So, I explain who I am, where I was from, where I did my undergrad, etc. and then I basically fell asleep while everyone else introduced themselves. I always prided myself on being the considerate type. I made sure not to snore over the people introducing themselves.
The class lasted about an hour or 2 and was mostly involving ice breaker type activities which I hate. I would much rather sit back and be lectured to, while I fall asleep with my eyes open, especially at this early hour. Ice breakers invariably involve getting up, moving around and talking to people you don't know. This was not scoring points with me, for the point I've already raised. When the class was over, some people came up to me and asked me questions about my background. I'm sure my enthusiasm and alertness was contagious. One of them was Jill. She went to school near mine and recognized the name. We talked and she walked with me to the campus book store. My plan was to screw them over by getting the titles and authors of the books for my classes and then buying them on http://www.addall.com/. You can get any book there for a fraction of the cost of the ripoff book store. So, Jill and I walked there and then on my way back to the car we exchanged digits. You could definitely see all of my endearing qualities were on display that day.
Days later, we met for a concert before a NASCAR race. On the way up there, I announced that I was going to puke at any moment. I never puked, but you could see that I was on the path to charming my way into marriage.
So, to summarize, if you want to get married, fall asleep in an important class or meeting that someone else is paying for, then ignore people who introduce themselves to you, after this, try to show how deceptive, sneaky, and vindictive you can be. Then involve discussion of bodily fluids on your first date. You're sure to land the girl of your dreams!
Monday, March 15, 2010
New Girl Squared
So, last week, you may recall, we had a new girl start in our office. Well, I found out that I am moving into a new office and another new girl is going to be working in my old position. Since neither has been trained on vital systems, I am training both of them, while trying to accomplish everything on my to-do list. YIKES!
The words are not exactly free flowing to explain how I feel about training 2 people, while doing my usual tasks and the tasks of the new office that I am going to be working in.
Well, I'm sure that there is a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, but in the meantime, I seem to be stepping in skittle infested potholes. It's hard to imagine how one person can do this much and not get the white coat slapped on them.
On a positive note, New Girl #2 is really good. She asks good questions and wants to learn, as opposed to one girl that was hired who is trying to become the 10th caller on the local country station while working. Seriously? Who does that?
I'm just hoping that my boss doesn't have a nervous breakdown having to be in the office with 2 brand new people and no one with experience to rely on. Although there is something to be said for people who give the department a fresh look. This should go over like a Screen Door on a Submarine
On another note, I'm watching Along Came Polly (If I've already blogged about this, humor me) and the following line was uttered "I sharted dude". It never occurred to me to put together the acts of passing gas and defecating into a term that is coinable. This isn't even an SNL bit.
The words are not exactly free flowing to explain how I feel about training 2 people, while doing my usual tasks and the tasks of the new office that I am going to be working in.
Well, I'm sure that there is a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, but in the meantime, I seem to be stepping in skittle infested potholes. It's hard to imagine how one person can do this much and not get the white coat slapped on them.
On a positive note, New Girl #2 is really good. She asks good questions and wants to learn, as opposed to one girl that was hired who is trying to become the 10th caller on the local country station while working. Seriously? Who does that?
I'm just hoping that my boss doesn't have a nervous breakdown having to be in the office with 2 brand new people and no one with experience to rely on. Although there is something to be said for people who give the department a fresh look. This should go over like a Screen Door on a Submarine
On another note, I'm watching Along Came Polly (If I've already blogged about this, humor me) and the following line was uttered "I sharted dude". It never occurred to me to put together the acts of passing gas and defecating into a term that is coinable. This isn't even an SNL bit.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Living on the Edge
You know that you've become slightly domesticated when your wife says to you in the most excited voice ever, "Honey, Country Crock is buy one get one free AND we have a coupon!!!"
I am really glad that we're about to have 2 gigantic tubs of butter/lard in our refrigerator. Who am I kidding. I got excited about paying only $2.47 for a gallon of milk.
I've decided that the USA Today is trying to rip me off. They want to charge me $190 for a year's subscription. Seriously? This is why all of our newspapers are going under. Who in their right mind would pay this? They have to get creative or something, because no one says that it's all about the Benjamins when it comes to paying for the news. Worst off, most days I end up reading the newspaper in bed before I go to sleep. I really like the paper, but it is way too expensive.
Nothing like hearing Martin Bashir say the name of the band Insane Clown Posse. That reminds me of this one day at Fila. This guy came in and asked if they carried Gangsta Wear. Kelly, the store manager, replied "Oh yes, we have gangster wear". There wasn't a more caucasian phrase ever uttered in the history of the world. As a follow up to the Martin Bashir story, he is interviewing Insane Clown Posse and wants to know what "....from Pluto to your anus" is supposed to mean to youngsters. ICP (I stole that acronym from Martin) asked Martin if he was a grown retard. Who decided to put this combination on television? It's painfully awkward to watch.
I am really glad that we're about to have 2 gigantic tubs of butter/lard in our refrigerator. Who am I kidding. I got excited about paying only $2.47 for a gallon of milk.
I've decided that the USA Today is trying to rip me off. They want to charge me $190 for a year's subscription. Seriously? This is why all of our newspapers are going under. Who in their right mind would pay this? They have to get creative or something, because no one says that it's all about the Benjamins when it comes to paying for the news. Worst off, most days I end up reading the newspaper in bed before I go to sleep. I really like the paper, but it is way too expensive.
Nothing like hearing Martin Bashir say the name of the band Insane Clown Posse. That reminds me of this one day at Fila. This guy came in and asked if they carried Gangsta Wear. Kelly, the store manager, replied "Oh yes, we have gangster wear". There wasn't a more caucasian phrase ever uttered in the history of the world. As a follow up to the Martin Bashir story, he is interviewing Insane Clown Posse and wants to know what "....from Pluto to your anus" is supposed to mean to youngsters. ICP (I stole that acronym from Martin) asked Martin if he was a grown retard. Who decided to put this combination on television? It's painfully awkward to watch.
Monday, March 8, 2010
New Girl
So, today I met New Girl. She's the new assistant in our office at work and pretty cool. We went to Panera for lunch and she is just so excited about our office. I'm really glad to see that because a lot times, people come into a new situation and are so indifferent.
Best thing about New Girl is that she loves to play Disc Golf! That's wonderful! She is the first girl that I've ever met that enjoys playing Disc Golf. Perhaps one day, she'll come out and play with us.
Speaking of Disc Golf, I convinced a guy at work to play with us. He eventually backed out because he was nervous about coming out and sucking. I explained to him that at least once per outing there is one person in our group who throws the disc directly into the tree that is in front of them, only to have the disc bounce back in their face. Our skill level is probably zero, none, sucks. Basically, whatever the scale is, we're at the bottom. We found it very humorous that someone was worried about not being good enough to play with us. That would probably be about the same as an able-bodied person saying that he is not skilled enough to play basketball against parapalegics.
When I used to live in NY, I remember my friend Chris coming over every night when I lived in my apartment. We would hang out and watch the NBA playoffs or whatever was on. It was really cool to have a friend that I could hang out with and have a good time. Chris and I used to play basketball, or backyard football. He was the most real friend I can ever remember having. I wish he lived near me more than anything so that we could hang out like we used to.
Best thing about New Girl is that she loves to play Disc Golf! That's wonderful! She is the first girl that I've ever met that enjoys playing Disc Golf. Perhaps one day, she'll come out and play with us.
Speaking of Disc Golf, I convinced a guy at work to play with us. He eventually backed out because he was nervous about coming out and sucking. I explained to him that at least once per outing there is one person in our group who throws the disc directly into the tree that is in front of them, only to have the disc bounce back in their face. Our skill level is probably zero, none, sucks. Basically, whatever the scale is, we're at the bottom. We found it very humorous that someone was worried about not being good enough to play with us. That would probably be about the same as an able-bodied person saying that he is not skilled enough to play basketball against parapalegics.
When I used to live in NY, I remember my friend Chris coming over every night when I lived in my apartment. We would hang out and watch the NBA playoffs or whatever was on. It was really cool to have a friend that I could hang out with and have a good time. Chris and I used to play basketball, or backyard football. He was the most real friend I can ever remember having. I wish he lived near me more than anything so that we could hang out like we used to.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Disc Golf
One sport that is up and coming is Disc Golf, which is played with miniature frisbees, baskets and courses of different terrain.
The discs are similar to golf clubs in that they are specially made for all different circumstances. Some are made for people who slice to the left/right. Some are made for distance, while others focus on accuracy. Each throwing style has discs that are unique to that throwing style.
I enjoy using the Tomahawk throwing technique. This involves throwing the disc like you would throw a tomahawk, or like a baseball pitcher throws a pitch.
Playing disc golf is very relaxing and a lot of fun. Each week my best friends and I get together at a different course. We've played just about every course in the area. I never knew that there were so many different parks that housed disc golf courses.
The BEST part about playing is that there is virtually no additional cost, other than the purchase of discs. You can get a starter set from Sports Authority or Dicks for around $20. After that, the only time you have to buy new discs is if you lose one, which is fairly common due to the courses being heavily wooded in some areas. Many experienced players own better than 10 discs though and have one for any occasion. You have to be prepared to throw in tight spaces, to curve to the left or right, go for distance, or a combination of these things.
Many people even bring their dogs to walk the course with them. The dogs we see are so well trained and behaved. I would like to bring my dog, but she's too young and would probably run all over the place and try to chase the discs.
The discs are similar to golf clubs in that they are specially made for all different circumstances. Some are made for people who slice to the left/right. Some are made for distance, while others focus on accuracy. Each throwing style has discs that are unique to that throwing style.
I enjoy using the Tomahawk throwing technique. This involves throwing the disc like you would throw a tomahawk, or like a baseball pitcher throws a pitch.
Playing disc golf is very relaxing and a lot of fun. Each week my best friends and I get together at a different course. We've played just about every course in the area. I never knew that there were so many different parks that housed disc golf courses.
The BEST part about playing is that there is virtually no additional cost, other than the purchase of discs. You can get a starter set from Sports Authority or Dicks for around $20. After that, the only time you have to buy new discs is if you lose one, which is fairly common due to the courses being heavily wooded in some areas. Many experienced players own better than 10 discs though and have one for any occasion. You have to be prepared to throw in tight spaces, to curve to the left or right, go for distance, or a combination of these things.
Many people even bring their dogs to walk the course with them. The dogs we see are so well trained and behaved. I would like to bring my dog, but she's too young and would probably run all over the place and try to chase the discs.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Dynamo
Ok, this is my product review of Dynamo, which is about as available as typhoid fever in these parts. Why is it that whenever there is a decent product on the market, they take it off as soon as I get hooked.
To be fair, I've been using Dynamo ever since I moved out of my parents house, back in the mid 90s. It's in a green jug and smells good. Not one of those gross overpowering smells. It's perfect. So, throughout the years, I've found it harder and harder to find Dynamo. It was at BJ's, then they took it away. I don't even remember where I got it after that. Eckerd carried it for awhile, then they dropped it. KMart was the last to carry it, and now they have dropped it. I'm begging for someone to tell me where I can buy some Dynamo.
The best part about Dynamo was that it was very inexpensive. As I went up and down the aisle, Dynamo was always the most affordable, other than the store brands. They never advertised on television and there were rarely ads in the newspaper selling it. I'm pretty sure that's why none of the stores carry it anymore. One thing I've noticed about laundry detergent is that it's a very personal decision. You decide on a brand and then you're hooked. In a way, that brand identifies you and vice versa. Now, here I am. I have 2 jugs left and I'm about ready to have to go through a big decision. My laundry detergent is divorcing me and I've got to put myself back out on the laundry detergent market.
Sure, it seems easy. You go to the aisle. There are all those brightly colored jugs calling you. But, you know on the shelf where the All now sits, there used to be Dynamo at one point. Then there's the inevitable. One day you know I'm going to find some Dynamo after I've made the switch. So, do I cheat on my new detergent at that point and have a fling with Dynamo? You know it's only going to be a fling because once the detergent makes itself scarce in stores, the end is near.
Dynamo, it was nice knowing you. How's that for a product review?
To be fair, I've been using Dynamo ever since I moved out of my parents house, back in the mid 90s. It's in a green jug and smells good. Not one of those gross overpowering smells. It's perfect. So, throughout the years, I've found it harder and harder to find Dynamo. It was at BJ's, then they took it away. I don't even remember where I got it after that. Eckerd carried it for awhile, then they dropped it. KMart was the last to carry it, and now they have dropped it. I'm begging for someone to tell me where I can buy some Dynamo.
The best part about Dynamo was that it was very inexpensive. As I went up and down the aisle, Dynamo was always the most affordable, other than the store brands. They never advertised on television and there were rarely ads in the newspaper selling it. I'm pretty sure that's why none of the stores carry it anymore. One thing I've noticed about laundry detergent is that it's a very personal decision. You decide on a brand and then you're hooked. In a way, that brand identifies you and vice versa. Now, here I am. I have 2 jugs left and I'm about ready to have to go through a big decision. My laundry detergent is divorcing me and I've got to put myself back out on the laundry detergent market.
Sure, it seems easy. You go to the aisle. There are all those brightly colored jugs calling you. But, you know on the shelf where the All now sits, there used to be Dynamo at one point. Then there's the inevitable. One day you know I'm going to find some Dynamo after I've made the switch. So, do I cheat on my new detergent at that point and have a fling with Dynamo? You know it's only going to be a fling because once the detergent makes itself scarce in stores, the end is near.
Dynamo, it was nice knowing you. How's that for a product review?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
The week in Review
Ok, so apparently I don't have as many entertaining stories about myself as I thought I had. The last 2 will have to do for now.
Here's my week in review for the last week in January -
Sunday, January 24 - This was one of only 3 times in my life as a Jets fan that I woke up thinking that if they won a game, they would be in the Super Bowl. Of course it didn't happen, but there is a lot to be optimistic about. They have a great defense that got torched by one of the best QB's of all time. There's no shame in that. One thing I'd like to see is how well the Jets rebound from this. There have been 2 occasions in the past decade where the Jets have had increased expectations and those seasons have been largely forgettable.
See 2002, where Chad Pennington rallies the team from a 1-4 start to a division championship and a first round blow out of the Colts. The next year, we were pathetic and finished 6-10 after Chad got injured in the preseason against the Giants.
See 2004, where they were a Doug Brien field goal away from playing the Patriots in the AFC Championship game. The next year, Chad and Jay Fiedler both get hurt in a span of 7 plays and the season goes up in flames at 4-12, thus ending the Herman Edwards era.
Monday, January 25 - At this point, I know what you're thinking. "Does he really have enough happening in his life that he could fill an entire week with stuff going day-by-day?" At this point, I'm not sure, but let's see where the journey takes us.
Have you ever seen the Dr. Phil family? They've been around for about 6-7 years now. They have been highly disfunctional. I wonder how this happens? A seemingly normal family goes up in flames before our very eyes. Mom and Dad are cheating on each other and arguing perpetually. Older sister is pregnant at 15. By 18, she will have 2 kids. Younger sister hates older sister for getting all of the attention and now she is doing drugs and involved with alcohol. She is now 18 or 19 I believe. This drama unfolds every Monday if you care to see a real life train wreck unfolding.
Tuesday, January 26 - The low sodium menu we're having is going well. Sodium is a cause for high blood pressure and overall bad health, so we're trying to take our intake levels to a more reasonable number. We eat packaged meals all the time and I'm pretty sure the sodium in those things will kill any reasonable person if not curbed. So, we're going to begin to make our own items from scratch and see how that goes. Today we finished our fresh green beans, so we'll have to go back to eating them out of the can until we can go back to the grocery store. Wow! What a difference. I never noticed how much sodium was in a can of vegetables.
Wednesday, January 27 - So I'm using my tutoring money to save for our vacation in July. We've decided to save $300 each for miscellaneous meals. So far, I'm up to $150. Well, I thought I was up to $150, but there was a bill that I paid, so I'm actually at $130. My hope is to have enough by the end of March so that I can build up a little extra if I need to. I was having to pay for my XMradio out of tutoring money, but I'm going to cancel, so they asked me to stay on for another 3 months for free to make sure that's the decision I want to make. It is, but at least I don't have to pay anything else. Then in May, I can cancel.
Thursday, January 28 - You would never believe how warm it was today. I'm pretty sure it got up to the high 50s or low 60s. I went out for a walk at lunch and I'm pretty sure I was sweating by the end of it. This will most likely start a trend of days where I focus on the weather in some way shape or form. This is the only place I've seen where you could be in the 60s one day, and then have a wintery mix the next.
Friday, January 29 - So I left work today to snow. It was crazy. Even crazier was the fact that I got home and there wasn't a drop of anything on the ground. That's good news for me because I hate snow. We went to the mall and walked around for a little bit and Jill got a new spring coat. I'm glad because she always wears this awful looking fleece, or the sweater that goes down to her knees. It's great, let me tell ya.
Saturday, January 30 - We woke up this morning to snow. Actually, it was ice with a tiny layer of snow over it. That's the problem with a wintery mix in the Carolinas. There isn't actually snow, it's more like ice. Then everyone drives like they have SuperPowers behind the wheel. Next thing you know, the news is full of every fool who has run off of the road. We went to church and came home. On the way, I bought the Grammy CD. It's not too bad. For the record, I believe that I'm probably the only person left who is buying CDs. Then we get home to find that the furnace is not working in the basement. After much deliberation, it appears that the Condensate pump that is attached to the furnace is not working correctly and that is forcing the furnace to trigger the safety feature and shut off. I'm thinking that the tube sending the condensation out of the house has frozen at some point and will be fine once the weather warms up, which should be Monday or Tuesday.
Here's my week in review for the last week in January -
Sunday, January 24 - This was one of only 3 times in my life as a Jets fan that I woke up thinking that if they won a game, they would be in the Super Bowl. Of course it didn't happen, but there is a lot to be optimistic about. They have a great defense that got torched by one of the best QB's of all time. There's no shame in that. One thing I'd like to see is how well the Jets rebound from this. There have been 2 occasions in the past decade where the Jets have had increased expectations and those seasons have been largely forgettable.
See 2002, where Chad Pennington rallies the team from a 1-4 start to a division championship and a first round blow out of the Colts. The next year, we were pathetic and finished 6-10 after Chad got injured in the preseason against the Giants.
See 2004, where they were a Doug Brien field goal away from playing the Patriots in the AFC Championship game. The next year, Chad and Jay Fiedler both get hurt in a span of 7 plays and the season goes up in flames at 4-12, thus ending the Herman Edwards era.
Monday, January 25 - At this point, I know what you're thinking. "Does he really have enough happening in his life that he could fill an entire week with stuff going day-by-day?" At this point, I'm not sure, but let's see where the journey takes us.
Have you ever seen the Dr. Phil family? They've been around for about 6-7 years now. They have been highly disfunctional. I wonder how this happens? A seemingly normal family goes up in flames before our very eyes. Mom and Dad are cheating on each other and arguing perpetually. Older sister is pregnant at 15. By 18, she will have 2 kids. Younger sister hates older sister for getting all of the attention and now she is doing drugs and involved with alcohol. She is now 18 or 19 I believe. This drama unfolds every Monday if you care to see a real life train wreck unfolding.
Tuesday, January 26 - The low sodium menu we're having is going well. Sodium is a cause for high blood pressure and overall bad health, so we're trying to take our intake levels to a more reasonable number. We eat packaged meals all the time and I'm pretty sure the sodium in those things will kill any reasonable person if not curbed. So, we're going to begin to make our own items from scratch and see how that goes. Today we finished our fresh green beans, so we'll have to go back to eating them out of the can until we can go back to the grocery store. Wow! What a difference. I never noticed how much sodium was in a can of vegetables.
Wednesday, January 27 - So I'm using my tutoring money to save for our vacation in July. We've decided to save $300 each for miscellaneous meals. So far, I'm up to $150. Well, I thought I was up to $150, but there was a bill that I paid, so I'm actually at $130. My hope is to have enough by the end of March so that I can build up a little extra if I need to. I was having to pay for my XMradio out of tutoring money, but I'm going to cancel, so they asked me to stay on for another 3 months for free to make sure that's the decision I want to make. It is, but at least I don't have to pay anything else. Then in May, I can cancel.
Thursday, January 28 - You would never believe how warm it was today. I'm pretty sure it got up to the high 50s or low 60s. I went out for a walk at lunch and I'm pretty sure I was sweating by the end of it. This will most likely start a trend of days where I focus on the weather in some way shape or form. This is the only place I've seen where you could be in the 60s one day, and then have a wintery mix the next.
Friday, January 29 - So I left work today to snow. It was crazy. Even crazier was the fact that I got home and there wasn't a drop of anything on the ground. That's good news for me because I hate snow. We went to the mall and walked around for a little bit and Jill got a new spring coat. I'm glad because she always wears this awful looking fleece, or the sweater that goes down to her knees. It's great, let me tell ya.
Saturday, January 30 - We woke up this morning to snow. Actually, it was ice with a tiny layer of snow over it. That's the problem with a wintery mix in the Carolinas. There isn't actually snow, it's more like ice. Then everyone drives like they have SuperPowers behind the wheel. Next thing you know, the news is full of every fool who has run off of the road. We went to church and came home. On the way, I bought the Grammy CD. It's not too bad. For the record, I believe that I'm probably the only person left who is buying CDs. Then we get home to find that the furnace is not working in the basement. After much deliberation, it appears that the Condensate pump that is attached to the furnace is not working correctly and that is forcing the furnace to trigger the safety feature and shut off. I'm thinking that the tube sending the condensation out of the house has frozen at some point and will be fine once the weather warms up, which should be Monday or Tuesday.
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