Rain rain go away
Come again another day
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Self Service
Self Service sucks!
Too many places are going self service, they must think this is a luxury to people. Maybe to some people it is, for whatever reason. Maybe they don't like having to talk to another human being. Maybe they have control issues. Maybe they like the shorter lines in the self serve aisles. Maybe they like the challenge of keeping 2 kids out of the paths of oncoming carts while trying to balance all of your already scanned items on the tiny little platform they provide while scanning and rescanning fast enough so the machine doesn't keep beeping at you while rummaging through the already scanned items to try to figure out what your 2 year old just threw in there and not being able to find it hoping that the alarms don't go off and that God or the local police wont hold you accountable for clepting that mysterious item then loading all of the bags into the shopping cart then suddenly realizing neither of the 2 children which were previously in tow are no longer within sight because Ive been so preoccupied with checking myself out that I have now completely lost them. Maybe some people like this.
My fatherinlaw also hates self service. He is almost 80 years old and ever time he goes to Home Depot an employee there reminds him of the self service checkout. One time the line was so long, they asked him to go to the self service checkout, he told them no thank you as politely as an 80 year grumpy Spaniard can. They then practically insisted he go there, they would show him how to use it. I'm not sure exactly what conversation transpired that day, I'm sure it involved some bulging neck veins, maybe some 4 letter words (English or Spanish) and that young man may or may not still have his job (or life).
I cant stand that I have to pump my own gas. I cant tell you the last time I filled up my car completely with gas. Usually I get about 3/4 of the way there and get bored, cold or irritated by how slow its filling and abort the whole process.
Today I stopped by Lakeshore Learning. I heard their laminating runs $0.29 a foot, great price right? I stop by there quickly with the intention of dropping it off. No can do!!! They offer self laminating. I turn right around and get back in my car. I will tomorrow go to Office Max and pay 5 times that amount and I don't have to do anything myself. For me personally my time is way more valuable than that.
I don't want to print my own pictures at Walgreens, I don't want to check myself out at the grocery store or Walmart or Costco or Home Depot, I don't want to wash my own car, I don't want to Laminate things myself, I don't want to pump my own gas, I don't want to check out my own library books (I do this because Cailin loves to do it, but I don't like it), I don't want to print my own postage for my packages or measure my packages or figure out if the label will fit, I don't want to print out my own boarding passes at the airport and I absolutely loathe buffets.
Am I the only out there that is fine paying higher prices for service, that loves just standing there doing nothing while an employee does their job and checks me out, that loves a waiter to bring my food to me instead of wandering around like an idiot while my kids say no to all the waxy looking bacteria ridden community shared vats of slightly consumable items?
I don't know, call me lazy, called me old fashioned, call me a completely reasonable consumer. But whatever I am, fed up with all this bull!*#@ is definitely what I am!!!!!! and AMEN
Too many places are going self service, they must think this is a luxury to people. Maybe to some people it is, for whatever reason. Maybe they don't like having to talk to another human being. Maybe they have control issues. Maybe they like the shorter lines in the self serve aisles. Maybe they like the challenge of keeping 2 kids out of the paths of oncoming carts while trying to balance all of your already scanned items on the tiny little platform they provide while scanning and rescanning fast enough so the machine doesn't keep beeping at you while rummaging through the already scanned items to try to figure out what your 2 year old just threw in there and not being able to find it hoping that the alarms don't go off and that God or the local police wont hold you accountable for clepting that mysterious item then loading all of the bags into the shopping cart then suddenly realizing neither of the 2 children which were previously in tow are no longer within sight because Ive been so preoccupied with checking myself out that I have now completely lost them. Maybe some people like this.
My fatherinlaw also hates self service. He is almost 80 years old and ever time he goes to Home Depot an employee there reminds him of the self service checkout. One time the line was so long, they asked him to go to the self service checkout, he told them no thank you as politely as an 80 year grumpy Spaniard can. They then practically insisted he go there, they would show him how to use it. I'm not sure exactly what conversation transpired that day, I'm sure it involved some bulging neck veins, maybe some 4 letter words (English or Spanish) and that young man may or may not still have his job (or life).
I cant stand that I have to pump my own gas. I cant tell you the last time I filled up my car completely with gas. Usually I get about 3/4 of the way there and get bored, cold or irritated by how slow its filling and abort the whole process.
Today I stopped by Lakeshore Learning. I heard their laminating runs $0.29 a foot, great price right? I stop by there quickly with the intention of dropping it off. No can do!!! They offer self laminating. I turn right around and get back in my car. I will tomorrow go to Office Max and pay 5 times that amount and I don't have to do anything myself. For me personally my time is way more valuable than that.
I don't want to print my own pictures at Walgreens, I don't want to check myself out at the grocery store or Walmart or Costco or Home Depot, I don't want to wash my own car, I don't want to Laminate things myself, I don't want to pump my own gas, I don't want to check out my own library books (I do this because Cailin loves to do it, but I don't like it), I don't want to print my own postage for my packages or measure my packages or figure out if the label will fit, I don't want to print out my own boarding passes at the airport and I absolutely loathe buffets.
Am I the only out there that is fine paying higher prices for service, that loves just standing there doing nothing while an employee does their job and checks me out, that loves a waiter to bring my food to me instead of wandering around like an idiot while my kids say no to all the waxy looking bacteria ridden community shared vats of slightly consumable items?
I don't know, call me lazy, called me old fashioned, call me a completely reasonable consumer. But whatever I am, fed up with all this bull!*#@ is definitely what I am!!!!!! and AMEN
Friday, October 26, 2007
Wendys late night
I was sitting in the Wendys parking lot this evening...okay it was probably actually considered night...7:30pm. I was getting ready to go inside and get some last minute dinner for my family, but I had to make a quick phone call to my sister to tell her a story, and then my husband called. But during those phone conversations, probably a total of 10 minutes, I had 3 separate Wendys employees come up to my car window and try to give me a bag of food. What was going on in there? Strangeness!!!
Monday, October 15, 2007
And you are an idiot because????.......
It seems lately that my posts have been filled with conversations. But I just seemed to be involved in really idiotic dialogue lately. Here is one from this morning...
First of all I need to say, I called much earlier than 9am, but the message said that appointments could not be cancelled over the phone (I think they meant via message) and to call back during business hours, which begin at 9am, my appt is at 9am today (Monday). Now that you have the background.
Dentist: Kirkland Dental
Me: I need to cancel my appointment for today.
Dentist: When is your appointment?
Me: Right now, 9 o'clock, my daughter woke up very sick this morning, and she is staying home from school and I cant very well send her to a babysitter sick.
Dentist: Would you like to come in today at 2pm?
Me: Like I said before, my kids are sick, and there still is the babysitting issue.
Dentist: How about tomorrow morning?
Me: Actually, my future prediction skills are a little off today, I'm not sure if my daughter will actually be better by tomorrow morning.
Dentist: Would you like to make an appointment for tomorrow at 3:00?
Me: The actual issue is that my husband has a job that he works at during the daytime, and my kids are sick, and I don't really feel comfortable leaving them at a babysitter sick.
Dentist: (with a slight irritation to her voice) Then would you just like to call me to make a new appointment?
Me: Yes, that would probably be the best plan
Dentist: In the future we would prefer your appointments to be cancelled no less than 48 hours in advance
Me: I understand that, but to be completely honest, that policy doesn't really seem to work on a Monday morning with unexpected sick children thrown into the equation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are closed on Saturday?
Dentist: Yes ma'am
Me: And you are closed on Sunday?
Dentist: Yes ma'am
Me: You see my issue here? If only my 5 year old could have had the courtesy to let me know on Friday afternoon that she planned on being horribly sick on Monday morning, the nerve of her. You don't worry, the punishment will be harsh and unforgiving. To mess with the inner schedulings of a Dentist office. What was she thinking??
Dentist: I understand...(slight hesitation), 48 hours is our policy. Thank you ma'am.
click, dial tone.........
Okay, is it just me??
First of all I need to say, I called much earlier than 9am, but the message said that appointments could not be cancelled over the phone (I think they meant via message) and to call back during business hours, which begin at 9am, my appt is at 9am today (Monday). Now that you have the background.
Dentist: Kirkland Dental
Me: I need to cancel my appointment for today.
Dentist: When is your appointment?
Me: Right now, 9 o'clock, my daughter woke up very sick this morning, and she is staying home from school and I cant very well send her to a babysitter sick.
Dentist: Would you like to come in today at 2pm?
Me: Like I said before, my kids are sick, and there still is the babysitting issue.
Dentist: How about tomorrow morning?
Me: Actually, my future prediction skills are a little off today, I'm not sure if my daughter will actually be better by tomorrow morning.
Dentist: Would you like to make an appointment for tomorrow at 3:00?
Me: The actual issue is that my husband has a job that he works at during the daytime, and my kids are sick, and I don't really feel comfortable leaving them at a babysitter sick.
Dentist: (with a slight irritation to her voice) Then would you just like to call me to make a new appointment?
Me: Yes, that would probably be the best plan
Dentist: In the future we would prefer your appointments to be cancelled no less than 48 hours in advance
Me: I understand that, but to be completely honest, that policy doesn't really seem to work on a Monday morning with unexpected sick children thrown into the equation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are closed on Saturday?
Dentist: Yes ma'am
Me: And you are closed on Sunday?
Dentist: Yes ma'am
Me: You see my issue here? If only my 5 year old could have had the courtesy to let me know on Friday afternoon that she planned on being horribly sick on Monday morning, the nerve of her. You don't worry, the punishment will be harsh and unforgiving. To mess with the inner schedulings of a Dentist office. What was she thinking??
Dentist: I understand...(slight hesitation), 48 hours is our policy. Thank you ma'am.
click, dial tone.........
Okay, is it just me??
Friday, October 12, 2007
My quest for ethical perfection
Who knew my ethics would be questioned during a lunch date with my girls at the Olive Garden?
My ethical wielding waiter and I engaged in some twilight zone worthy dialogue the other day. Here is our conversation...
Me: I would like the soup and salad and then I would like to split a kids meal between my girls, shell pasta with Alfredo sauce.
Waiter:I cant split that
Me: Okay, then can you just bring an extra bowl and Ill split it?
Waiter: Well, its just not right.
Me: Whats not right?
Waiter: You cant just split a meal, (again) its just not right.
Me: Sure I can, we come in here often and order the exact same thing. Its not an all you can eat pasta bowl.
Waiter: Of course not.
Me: I'm not sure what exactly is not right
Waiter: Well, you cant have a big group of people come in and order just one meal to split.
Me: Actually, yes you can. I could invite 200 of my closest friends and order one bowl of soup if that's what I want to do.
Waiter: Its just not right (again with that)
Me: Well, what about appetizers, you order 1 appetizer for an entire table of people.
Waiter: But that's an appetizer.
Me: Okay then, I would like 1 kids meal appetizer, shell pasta with Alfredo sauce.
Waiter: Well, Ill do it for you, but I just don't think its right.
Me: I'm still really confused as to what I'm ethically doing wrong.
Waiter: Ill do it for you, Ill let you split it.
Me: Its not a matter of letter me do anything. I could order this pasta and then throw it away if I wanted to. Its my complete choice what I want to actually do with the food I am paying for.
Waiter: Ma am, Ill put your order in.
For a slight millisecond I actually started to second guess myself. Only because it was one of the strangest most wasted effort of breath conversation Ive had with an adult in a long time.
Normally I would have totally asked for the manager and in the end received my meal free and complimentary appetizers for our next visit. But, it was noon, busy, I had my girls with me. I was in a good mood.
But, for the record, I actually do not appreciate being called a thief by less than minimum wage tip seeking waiter freaks. He acted like he was holding the door for me as I ran from a bank robbery with an armful of marked cash. Or looking the other way as I snuck 12 friends into a movie, or helped me steel pennies from the tin cup toting Salvation Army senior citizen during the holidays.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think he might be the only misinformed waiter out there that actually thinks restaurants make their money per person rather than per meal. So, if I had been there with a friend and she wanted a sip of my soup was he going to chase me down and make a citizen arrest?
I have his name, I'm planning on going back this week during slow hours to chat with the manager and receive my complimentary stuffed mushrooms.
The rest of the meal he was overly nice, he realized my irritation and went a little overboard. But I still never got the sensation that he had an aha moment and realized how wrong he really was. Oh well, I'm still going back and I'm still splitting the kids meal. And if I feel the urge, next time I'm inviting 15 of my dearest friends to split bread sticks and marinara sauce. Ahhh, the joys of fine Italian dining.
My ethical wielding waiter and I engaged in some twilight zone worthy dialogue the other day. Here is our conversation...
Me: I would like the soup and salad and then I would like to split a kids meal between my girls, shell pasta with Alfredo sauce.
Waiter:I cant split that
Me: Okay, then can you just bring an extra bowl and Ill split it?
Waiter: Well, its just not right.
Me: Whats not right?
Waiter: You cant just split a meal, (again) its just not right.
Me: Sure I can, we come in here often and order the exact same thing. Its not an all you can eat pasta bowl.
Waiter: Of course not.
Me: I'm not sure what exactly is not right
Waiter: Well, you cant have a big group of people come in and order just one meal to split.
Me: Actually, yes you can. I could invite 200 of my closest friends and order one bowl of soup if that's what I want to do.
Waiter: Its just not right (again with that)
Me: Well, what about appetizers, you order 1 appetizer for an entire table of people.
Waiter: But that's an appetizer.
Me: Okay then, I would like 1 kids meal appetizer, shell pasta with Alfredo sauce.
Waiter: Well, Ill do it for you, but I just don't think its right.
Me: I'm still really confused as to what I'm ethically doing wrong.
Waiter: Ill do it for you, Ill let you split it.
Me: Its not a matter of letter me do anything. I could order this pasta and then throw it away if I wanted to. Its my complete choice what I want to actually do with the food I am paying for.
Waiter: Ma am, Ill put your order in.
For a slight millisecond I actually started to second guess myself. Only because it was one of the strangest most wasted effort of breath conversation Ive had with an adult in a long time.
Normally I would have totally asked for the manager and in the end received my meal free and complimentary appetizers for our next visit. But, it was noon, busy, I had my girls with me. I was in a good mood.
But, for the record, I actually do not appreciate being called a thief by less than minimum wage tip seeking waiter freaks. He acted like he was holding the door for me as I ran from a bank robbery with an armful of marked cash. Or looking the other way as I snuck 12 friends into a movie, or helped me steel pennies from the tin cup toting Salvation Army senior citizen during the holidays.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think he might be the only misinformed waiter out there that actually thinks restaurants make their money per person rather than per meal. So, if I had been there with a friend and she wanted a sip of my soup was he going to chase me down and make a citizen arrest?
I have his name, I'm planning on going back this week during slow hours to chat with the manager and receive my complimentary stuffed mushrooms.
The rest of the meal he was overly nice, he realized my irritation and went a little overboard. But I still never got the sensation that he had an aha moment and realized how wrong he really was. Oh well, I'm still going back and I'm still splitting the kids meal. And if I feel the urge, next time I'm inviting 15 of my dearest friends to split bread sticks and marinara sauce. Ahhh, the joys of fine Italian dining.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Starbucks Wisdom
The Way I See It #280
You can learn a lot more from
listening than you can from talking.
Find someone with whom you
don't agree in the slightest and ask
them to explain themselves at
length. Then take a seat, shut your
mouth, and don't argue back. It's
physically impossible to listen with
your mouth open.
--John Moe
Radio host and author of
Conservative Me
This is the author's opinion, not necessarily that of Starbucks.
To read more or respond, go to www.starbucks.com/wayiseeit
Friday, September 21, 2007
I miss you
Right now I'm missing my like-minded friends. Friends who believe in the spirit of the law instead of the letter of the law. Friends who I can talk to about the latest Oprah episode about Autism and vaccines and not have to back up my own opinions and thoughts with hard core facts because they have the same opinions and beliefs as me and completely subscribe to the same parenting philosophy as me. I miss my friends who have home births and VBACS and no medical interventions, who view birth as a natural occurrence, one to be loved and enjoyed. I miss sitting around and talking about the amazingness of water birth and listening to similar wonderful birth stories filled with positiveness and no regrets. I miss seeing nursing toddlers, little 2 years olds running around asking for Nani or Nana or Nummies or Mommies or Nursies. I miss it!!
I miss my neurosis of not accepting anything less than perfect for my child's education being completely supported and backed up. I'm tired of having to explain every opinion I have, and when I cant put my thoughts into perfect logical sentences I'm sick of my opinion basically being dismissed instead of attempt at understanding. I'm not one to subscribe to the notion of agreeing to disagree. I still love having dialogue about things. I love the debate. Some people might view that as anger or argument but that's not the case. I cant recall ever arguing with a friend over a difference of opinion. I might be passionate about something but that doesn't necessarily mean I am fighting.
I'm emotionally drained from the past couple weeks. I miss my friends in Arizona. I throw my hands in the air, at least for the time being. I'm done with expressing my opinions (in person, you'll still hear them on my blog). I'm going to try to be that person who sits back and listens and if my opinion is coaxed out of me then I will make it brief. Lets see how long this lasts. I'm voting not too long. But I'm going to try. So, Steve get ready for an earful at the end of the day.
PS. a bit of info about myself, if a blog ever doesn't make sense or there are spelling errors or strange things in it, just know I never re-read my blogs, I type them and then publish. So, what you get is the ramblings from my head, you get what you get.
I miss my neurosis of not accepting anything less than perfect for my child's education being completely supported and backed up. I'm tired of having to explain every opinion I have, and when I cant put my thoughts into perfect logical sentences I'm sick of my opinion basically being dismissed instead of attempt at understanding. I'm not one to subscribe to the notion of agreeing to disagree. I still love having dialogue about things. I love the debate. Some people might view that as anger or argument but that's not the case. I cant recall ever arguing with a friend over a difference of opinion. I might be passionate about something but that doesn't necessarily mean I am fighting.
I'm emotionally drained from the past couple weeks. I miss my friends in Arizona. I throw my hands in the air, at least for the time being. I'm done with expressing my opinions (in person, you'll still hear them on my blog). I'm going to try to be that person who sits back and listens and if my opinion is coaxed out of me then I will make it brief. Lets see how long this lasts. I'm voting not too long. But I'm going to try. So, Steve get ready for an earful at the end of the day.
PS. a bit of info about myself, if a blog ever doesn't make sense or there are spelling errors or strange things in it, just know I never re-read my blogs, I type them and then publish. So, what you get is the ramblings from my head, you get what you get.
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