Customer "Service"

I've expressed my disapproval in the past about customers talking on their cell phones while going through the checkout line, but how about cashiers who talk on the phone while checking people out? I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of that, either.

(I'm not talking about cashier's talking on their cell phones, because seriously, that should be grounds for disciplinary action.)

If I'm in the process of purchasing something and the cashier feels the need to answer the phone, I think the customer should be placed on hold until our business is concluded. I think talking to anyone on the phone while simultaneously taking my money is rude. (If it's some kind of emergency, politely excuse yourself, I don't mind waiting.) And, hey, Sur La Table girl, don't shoot me a dirty look (while you're on the phone) because I dared to ask you for a bigger bag for the fancy knife I just bought for Father's Day. At that price point, I don't think it's too much to ask for a bag large enough so the item doesn't extend beyond the handles. I wish I'd just waited for Bev, the rockin' salesperson who helped me picked out my knife.

Overheard Today

As I left my allergist's office today, I stopped by the ladies room and overheard the funniest coversation:

Little voice: "Mommy, are you peeing?"

Grown up: "No, honey."

LV: "Then who is peeing."

GU: "Shhhhh"

LV: "Mommy, are you pooping?"

GU: No Comment

LV: "It smells bad."

GU: Embarrassed giggle, followed by "I'm sorry, sweetie."

You just never know what those little voices are going to say.

Wolverine

I am a fan of the big summer blockbuster. (This summer has me salivating, X-Men, Star Trek, Terminator, Transformers....it's going to be a great summer at the movies.) So, maybe it's no surprise that I LOVED X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I'm not a comic book afficiando, I've actually never read a comic book (or a graphic novel), so I claim no expertise from that perspective.

I have seen all three X-Men movies and enjoyed them all, in varying degrees. Wolverine, however, was different. It was GREAT. It's not just that Hugh Jackman looks amazing! (That does help). Even if you've never seen any of the X-Men movies, it stands alone, very well. Great action, great characters, great story, it has all the makings of a fun night at the movies. It also explains a lot about Wolverine, not everything, but a lot. I still have questions; something I'm sure was deliberate since they're planning two more Wolverine-centered movies. I don't want to give anything away, so that's all I've got to say, except, go see the movie.

Nonsense Tip of the.....Week?

Be careful when publicly committing to doing something frequently, like say, once a week.

Me Do It Myself!

The other night I was doing laundry and when I pulled the dog bed out of the dryer I discovered it had a hole in it allowing cedar chips to escape. Somehow wood chips and extreme heat did not sound like a good combination. Most normal people probably would have called a repairman. But not me. It seemed like a pretty easy task; get the vacuum and use the hose to suck the cedar chips out. Unfortunately, I discovered that the opening to the lint trap was too narrow to effectively maneuver the vacuum hose, then I heard a little pop followed by a clank. Great. Now instead of just wood chips in my dryer I've added a piece of the vacuum.

(I know it's a little hard to see, but that's the attachment at the bottom and wood chips all down the side)



It looked like it would be pretty easy to remove the lint screen guard, giving me lots of room, so I removed one screw, only that didn't do anything. (At this point, any sane human being would have called a repair man) But, I wasn't ready to give up. I knew all I needed to do was remove "this" screw.... So, I removed that one and then another and another.... By the time I was able to squeeze my hand in to retrieve the attachment and get at the chips the dryer looked like this.

Fortunately, after a few false starts and some assistance from my brother, the dryer was wood chip free and .... TA DA! Back together. Even used all the parts.

Why didn't I just wait till morning and call a repair man. Well, I might have a tiny problem with patience (or lack there of). I wanted to finish my laundry.

Human Behavior Research Project

I would love to conduct a research project to find out what people are thinking when they flagrantly disregard social mores. I wish I could just ask people, "hey, why did you (park in the handicapped spot/take a phone call in a movie/whatever)?

Let's face it, everybody, at least on occasion, makes the decision to so something they know isn't really cool. Usually, there's a thought process, even if it's fast. I'd love to get some insight into people's thought processes at these times. (I know, I'm easily entertained.) I don't want to give them a hard time, I'm just curious about the reasoning.

Like the group of middle aged adults who chose to have a conference call using the speaker feature on their cell phone in the middle of a busy store. Did it never occur to them that it might be a bit annoying to the people around them to have to listen to all that racket?

Or, what exactly was this person thinking when they parked their giant SUV on top of a big red NO PARKING sign?

There is no way they missed the sign. This was a movie theater, not an airport. So you miss a few minutes of the movie going up a level to find an actual parking space, does it really justify this? Did they realize they were impeding the flow of traffic creating a frustrating and potentially dangerous situation? Maybe they didn't realize they had just turned a two way traffic flow in to a one-way traffic flow and created a huge blind spot. Maybe they didn't care. I don't know, but I'd like to find out. I’m guessing they did realize they wouldn’t be towed. Way too much hassle to tow a car let alone an SUV out of a parking garage, especially one with such low clearance. Oh well, one of the eternal mysteries of life, I guess.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

I saw Ghosts of Girlfriends Past over the weekend and really enjoyed it. Strangely, though, I’m found it difficult to come up with much to say about it. It was fun, entertaining and I didn’t look at my watch once. (Usually signs of a good movie.) Matthew McConaughey is hot (most of the movie anyway, in one of the flashbacks he’s rocking a BAD ‘do), I always like Jennifer Garner and Michael Douglas is a tons of fun as the party boy uncle. (More pluses). And, I disagree with the reviewer from Entertainment Weekly who described Lacey Chabert’s performance as shrill. I thought Lacey was great. (You might remember her as Claudia in Party of Five). Her character was annoying and ridiculous as the neurotic bride, but I think that was the point. Overally, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. However, when all is said and done, the movie was kind of like cotton candy; fun while it lasted but lacking substance. Still, it’s worth seeing.

My TV Critic

The first time, I wasn't sure what was happening. I was on the computer with my back to the television and all of a sudden Samantha was racing across the room barking her head off. The culprit, the ridiculously cute puppy on the Advantix commercial. The next time it was kittens; this morning, the rooster on the Ambien CR commercial.

It's very hard to discipline the dog when you can't stop laughing. I had a dog that barked every time the doorbell rang on the Dominio's commercial, but I've never had a dog who felt the need not only to announce, but to try to make contact with EVERY animal on television. It doesn't matter if they make noise or not, just seeing the animal has Samantha convinced there's a new friend she needs to meet RIGHT THIS MINUTE.

I had no idea how many companies were using animals to shill for them.