I got to shop at Albertson's today and I must say, it was delightful. You see, I almost always shop at Walmart because it is really close to my house and it is much more cost efficient than most other places. But I needed to pick up some groceries today, and since I was in that area of town, I decided to treat myself to Albertson's. The beautiful thing about Albertson's is I can go in, get what I need, spend as much or as little time as I want to (unlike at Walmart, where the time I spend there is dictated by other shoppers blocking isles and purchasing 50 items in the express lane), and I can leave the store without getting mad. Ever. Not once. The difference in the shopping experience is unbelievable...but so is the price. I think my $50 Albertson's purchase would have been less than $40 at Walmart. I guess that's why I go back to Walmart. Someday though, when I hit the big time, I too, will be a happy, friendly, patient Albertson's shopper.
August 14: Massive power failure in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. August 17: Lights out in the greater Monroe metroplex. August 28: Power outages in London.
Do you think this is a coincidence? I mean, seriously...New York, Toronto, London, AND Monroe? Something's going on.
It's Survivor time. If you're into that sort of thing, check out the new castaways here.
::Disclaimer - I really do like my job, but as in any industry, there are simple rules that we assume people know, but more often than not, we find out that people don't understand the basics. Now that I'm not a teller anymore, I feel a little more liberty to state my feelings. Since I can't educate the world on this, I can at least spread the word to blogdom. Read on and learn.::
*First (and most important) definition - check register - a log used to record all transactions (deposits and each withdrawal) associated with your deposit account for the purpose of keeping a running balance on said account. Helpful hint - do not write your deposits down twice. Do, however, write down your debit card purchases and ATM withdrawals.
*If you intend to deposit an item, we have these things called "deposit slips" which you include with your checks. Please sign for cash back.
*We do not memorize your account number. That's your job.
*If you intend to cash a check, don't mix it in with the checks you intend to deposit. We are not mind readers.
*Never back in to a parking space at the bank. We might suspect you are going to rob us. We don't think robbery jokes are funny. It's like talking about bombs at the airport.
*Don't be insulted if we ask for your driver's license. Just because I cashed your check a month ago, doesn't mean I know you. I'll try to remember you, but I cash a lot of checks...not just yours. Don't have a driver's license? Then why are you in the drive-thru?!
*We live in the age of computers. Checks clear really fast. If you don't have the money, please, don't write the check. "Close" doesn't count in banking. You don't think we'll charge an overdraft fee for you being $1.00 short? Believe it. When you're about to write a $3.00 hot check, ask yourself if the $3.00 item is really worth $28.00.
*The bank did not change your PIN number on your ATM card. You forgot it.
When people make up rules, they are usually made for a good reason. I realize sometimes they seem arbitrary, and I don't think of myself as a legalist, but as a rule, (ha!) rules should be followed.
Certain people seem to think that the rules are there for everyone but themselves. We see you. We know who you are. We know you think you are above them, but the rules apply to you too. You think you're the only one who doesn't need to shower before you get in the pool at the gym. Who are you kidding? You've got funk just like everyone else. Take a shower! If you had ever seen the film over the public pool in Texarkana, you would appreciate this rule.
You think you can litter because it's just a little piece of trash and it won't make a difference. When everyone thinks this way, there are thousands of pieces of litter on the side of the road. You're not the only one who thinks they're immune.
How about the dress code? Believe it or not, the way you dress has a lot to do with the way you feel, and therefore the way you act. A lot of places don't have dress codes (a lot of places don't need dress codes), but if your place of business has one, you should follow it. It sets the tone. Oh yeah, and dress up for church.
Many rules are made for the safety of the entire public (like traffic rules). Other rules are made as a courtesy to others (like the rules of ettiquette). There are other rules which are seemingly arbitrary (like no white shoes after labor day or before Easter). I guess that's just a cultural thing. (I don't insist that you follow that one, but I'll laugh at you if you don't.)
I've heard it said that you should learn the rules and then learn to break them gracefully. I think that's true of a lot of things. But before you break them, make sure you really know what you're doing and that you really know who (or what) you're affecting.
**I realized after I wrote this, that I'm not the only one with rules on the mind.**
I know it's Tuesday, but my case of the Mondays has carried over to today.
I need a hug.
By the way, is MT going slow for everyone, or is it just me?
I've been working on moving my archives over from my old blog and man, I have to say, I've spent a lot of time in the past 6 months blogging. I wonder how long I'll last. Every now and then I run across a dedicated blogger who has been in it for 2 or 3 years and I have to wonder how they do it. I don't intend to quit any time in the forseeable future, but I can certainly understand why people have to quit after a while. It's hard to be interesting for that long. I guess it's because blogs are, by their nature, somewhat superficial.
I guess part of my problem is that I don't really like to argue or to be controversial (it's the "middle child" instinct). A lot of bloggers seem to keep things going by getting people all stirred up about one thing or another. There are plenty of things I have strong opinions on, but I don't see the internet as being the proper outlet for some issues. I don't necessarily have a problem with other bloggers who do this. In fact, when done wisely, I think it can be helpful to discuss pressing issues in a blog setting.
Other people keep their blogs going by their uncanny ability to find interesting sights and articles to link to. While I appreciate this and find many of the links interesting, I just don't have it in me to look for cool links.
Every now and then, I'll write what I call a "Dear Diary" post: something that I'm sensitive about or makes me sad or is somewhat personal. I like doing that from time to time, but frankly, I find that writing about sensitive issues leads quickly to complaining, and I don't want to be yet another "complaining blog."
I realize a lot of the stuff I post is insignificant (in the grand scheme of things), but I'm having fun. As it's been said, real life is unbloggable. While that's pretty much true, it's still interesting to see what everyone else has on their minds. While I don't always have something new everyday, I really enjoy keeping up with old friends and seeing what other people in other circles have going on. I'm in for the long haul. I hope the rest of you are too.
"Well done, Professor.
You could teach a class in this, but you might still want to learn more about United States Culture. You got 11/12 correct."
I promise I didn't cheat! See how knowledgable you are by taking the state flag quiz here.
What kind of milk is the best? Skim? 2%? Whole? Soy? Other?
I usually drink skim, but I drink 2% if I want to feel prosperous.
Every now and then, marketing geniuses will come up with an idea that will take their product to the top. The best ideas don't usually involve an improvement to the product, rather they convince people they need to use more of the product or even better, they pull a "New Coke" (as Shannon pointed out here) and make people realize what they already have. I guess Crystal Pepsi would fall in this category, only with lesser success.
How about "Shampoo, rinse, repeat." Unless someone uses a lot of hairspray, there's no need to repeat. If your shampoo is so weak that you need to wash twice, you'd be better off buying a different shampoo. Come on. Just shell out a few extra bucks and buy a better shampoo instead of using twice as much of the cheap stuff.
Another favorite of mine is the baking soda phenomenon. It's not enough for Arm & Hammer that we keep a box in the fridge and/or in the freezer for freshening, plus a box in the pantry for baking purposes, plus you can use it as an antacid, a tooth cleaner...the uses are endless, yet the clever people at Arm & Hammer recommend we dump it down the drain! I can hear the marketing meeting: "How can we possibly get people to use more baking soda? They're already using it for everything, but that's not good enough...I know! We should get them to just dump it out! We can tell them that it will 'freshen their drain,' but really, they'll just be pouring it out, so they'll have to buy more!"
That's the best marketing ploy since the pet rock.
If I had to name a super-power that I already have, I would say it's either my super-human capacity for wearing more than 20 pairs of shoes in one week or my abnormal ability to win paper/rock/scissors two out of three times, but if I could choose any super-power that I wanted, I might consider "Teleportation," but in the end, I'd have to go with "Super Bendy Thumbs", 'cause, man: think of the possibilities.
originally posted by Christin 3/27/2003 08:11:55 PM
Annie's moving toTexas today! Yeehah!
DO NOT see Dreamcatcher. Thomas, Emily and I seem to be on a streak of picking out bad movies. Prior to Dreamcatcher, we had watched The Life of David Gale, which is another waste of time. We, unfortunately, tried to wash our heads clear of Dreamcatcher by watching Head of State. I'm sorry.
Last night, I dreamed in deja vu. I actually dreamed of an event that happened several years ago as if it were about to happen. It was very odd.
I have had a major desire to buy a new car. I think the fact that no fewer than five people I know have gotten or are about to get new cars has something to do with it. Don't you think I would look fabulous in one of these?
It is indescribably hot today.
I'm ready for fall TV to start. I need to stop wasting my time watching movies and start wasting time by watching a little TV.
Finally, I've started on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The nice thing about waiting so long to start reading any of the H.P. books is that as soon as I finish reading one, I have the next one waiting for me. After I read this one, I'll have to actually wait for the next installment, just like everyone else. It's a rough life I lead, isn't it?
The Perfect Way to Kick Off the Weekend
1. A promotion
2. A raise
3. Going out for drinks
Makes the fact that I have to work tomorrow morning not seem so bad.
You might find this hard to believe, but the votes are in and the worst rock group ever is....
I say whoever is responsible for that song they play at Halloween, "She Blinded Me With Science," should at least get honorable mention.
Is anyone else watching the news right now? Massive power outages in NYC, Toronto, Detroit, Ottowa. They're saying it was an overloaded power grid and not at all terror-related. Our computers at the bank were down almost all of last week and I thought that was a nightmare. Imagine all those cities without power...sheesh...yet another reason I'm glad I don't live in NYC.
Booth is the 590th most popular surname in the US! It's no Smith or Jones, but it's still fairly common. You would think people have heard it enough that hostesses would not get confused at a restaurant when you say your name is "Booth" and they wonder if a table will be okay or if you insist on a booth.
You know, Canadians aren't that different from Americans, but there are a few little differences that really crack me up. Yesterday, I was spending the day with Holly (who lives in Toronto) and as she was driving down a road with a 45 MPH speed limit, I glanced over at the speedometer and she was going 70! It took me a second to realize that her car has KPM as the larger numbers and MPH as the smaller numbers. Makes sense, of course, I had just never really thought about it and for a moment there, I thought Holly was living on the edge.
Then today, I had a Canadian family come in the bank. The man was telling me where he worked and the name of the company was something with the name "Fraser" in it. I spelled it "Frazier", and he corrected me by saying, "some people spell it with a zed, but there's no zed." Come again?
Also, the canadian lady asked me a question and, being the nice southern girl I am, I responded with a "yes, ma'am." Her daughter (who was about 7) looked at me and said, "it's not Ma'am. It's Mom." I stand corrected.
I don't know that it is with me and telephones: if someone calls me, I will talk and talk (and enjoy it), but if I need to call someone, you can forget about it. I doesn't matter if it's to RSVP for a party, make an appointment, catch up with an old friend I haven't talked to in years or ask a quick question of someone I see everyday, I hate making phone calls.
I used to claim to be unable to use a phone. Since I didn't talk on the phone often, I didn't know how to make my conversation go smoothly. I've tried to make myself practice over the years so I'm not as bad as I once was: once I get through the initial, "this is Christin, is so-and-so there" bit, it's not so bad, but the first part is the killer. I'm not very good at small talk, so if a person other than the one I need to speak with answers the phone and I have to small talk twice, it throws off my groove.
Now that I have to make a lot of phone calls for work, my phone skills are improving...in fact, to the unknowing recipient of my phonecall, I probably seem like any one else: perfectly capable of using a phone. I really like it when other people call me and sometimes, I even get the urge to call a friend. But if I have to make a call, I want it to be on my terms: I don't like the pressure of calling someone out of a sense of duty.
All that being said, I talked to a couple of old college friends last night: one that I talk to regularly and the other that I haven't talked to in a long time, and it was so nice to catch up with them both. I don't want to loose contact with all those people I used to be really close to, but I am so bad at intending to call people and never quite getting around to it. There are a couple of particular friends who have the same phonecall-procrastination problem I have, so I just go for months or years without talking to them. I need to put some kind of system in place that will motivate me to use my phone...but of course, I'm not accountable to anyone except the people who I need to call and they're obviously not calling me either. I guess I just need to be a better person and stop procrastinating so much and just do it...that would solve a lot of problems.
This weekend, Patrick introduced me to a new games he invented called "Juxtapose." It's similar to Triangulate (the game that's sweeping the nation), but it requires only 2 identifying factors instead of three. Patrick says the vision for the game came from a song that referred to a particular woman as "whiskey in a tea cup." Patrick himself claims to be "Chili with a Martini."
I myself am a Mercedes on a dirt road.
I'm sorry I haven't been much of a blogger this week. I've had an unbelievably hellish week at work combined with a lot of other business to take care of, so even when I have had the time to write, my brain isn't up to full speed.
Road Rage Prevention
I think I'm going to start teaching some classes on driving.
Here are the courses I have so far:
Mall Parking Lot 101
Fastlane/Slowlane
Introduction to Blinker Usage
originally posted by Christin 2/20/2003 01:55:09 PM
*Disclaimer: Honestly, I haven't had anyone make a snide comment about my singleness in several months, so I'm taking this oportunity to mention it while I'm not irritated about it.*
I'm not usually one to talk about being single (other than my reference to it on my blog intro, which I often consider removing) but I recently read a piece that Erika wrote on the subject and found it quite good. I especially like the part about the 12 year olds and the bouquet toss: I've been there. I've heard a lot of rude and insensitive comments made to myself and other single girls which I thought were entirely unhelpful and unkind. Single people are not freaks (well, not all of us, anyway). Try not to make us feel like we are.
I get irritated by single people who whine about their singleness just like everyone else does. I believe complaining is a sin (and a very unattractive one at that) for single people just like it is for married people. Contentment is key.
I'm not uncomfortable with myself. I don't usually mind going to parties alone when everyone else is there with their spouse or significant other. I'm happy...really. I'm not saying I want to be single forever. It is possible for me to be content where I am and to desire something else for my future.
I'm usually hesitant to discuss my singleness because I don't want to be thought of as one of those girls who sits around stocking her hope chest and feeling sorry for herself. I try not to appear terribly sensitive about the subject because the last thing I want is people pitying me, but the fact is, I am sensitive about it in some ways. I don't sit around mourning my singleness. I don't think about it every day. I don't mind talking about it with my family or people who actually know me.
Don't feel bad if you've mentioned my singleness to me before. I am single and I am aware of it. I realize that most people who ask about it are generally just trying to make conversation and just don't consider the fact that it's kind of personal. I have been through times though, when I was very sensitive about it and people constantly mentioning it was the last thing I wanted. I'm not saying you should walk on egg-shells around single girls just in case they're ultra-sensitive. Of course, if a girl is overly sensitive, it's her own sin problem: she needs to toughen up, be content with where God has her, and not be so easily upset. But it's sort of like asking an infertile woman when she is going to have a baby...it's probably not her favorite topic for discussion.
I know this post doesn't make me sound like I'm content or happy being single. Believe me when I say that I am. I'm just taking this time to remind people to treat single girls with respect and dignity. Don't pity us and don't walk on egg-shells around us and if you think I or some other single girl you know is too sensitive about it, discuss it with us in private. If you have some constructive criticism that you feel is necessary to make, offer it in kindness. Snide comments are not the best way to deal with your sisters in Christ.
Sadly, my vacation is over. It's not the coming back to work that's sad...I really like my job...I just did not want to get up at 6:45 this morning. But alas, I did it anyway and here I am.
I had a great time in The Big Easy. I learned several things: (1) there's no such thing as too many balconies, (2) it's not just northern Louisiana that has awful roads, (3) there can be true beauty in the midst of filth, and (4) you're never too old or too young to be disgusting.
We stayed at the Royal St. Charles Hotel, located (you guessed it) on the corner of Royal and St. Charles. It was a great place: conveniently located and very comfortable. The towels were so fluffy, I had to get Jill to help me close my suitcase!
Our first night there, we ate at Mr. B's Bistro ("Mr. B" being Mr. Brennan). The food was very delicious, though a little pricey for poor white trash like myself.
Tuesday night, we walked around town a bit, including a stroll down the famous Bourbon Street, which was every bit as disgusting as I had been told. I think the "female impersonators" took the cake as far as "most repulsive" but the people shouting obscenities over microphones came in a close second.
We spent Wednesday at the aquarium, where Jill and I pet a shark! Wow, there are some amazing sea creatures. We then rode the bus (which was an adventure in itself) to the zoo. I haven't been to a zoo in a very long time, so it was especially fun to go. We watched them feed the white alligator, which was interesting, and the white tiger and black panther were beautiful, but I have to admit, I'm partial to monkeys: there just so darn funny.
Wednesday night, we ate at The Gumbo Shop, where I, stupidly, did not get the gumbo. I tried Jill's though and it was really good, though I'm partial to my dad's recipe.
Of course, we had to go toCafe du Monde, so we had beignets Thursday morning for breakast before heading out to Six Flags. I thought I might be getting a little too old to enjoy rollercoasters, but that wasn't the case at all. Though the Six Flags in N.O. pales in comparison to the original in Dallas, I had a great time. Batman The Ride was by far my favorite, though I was determined to hate it. Free-falling from the Sonic-Slam was great too: I'm not ususally a screamer, but I screamed like a girl on that one.
After Six Flags, we headed back to Monroe, where we had a leisurely Friday. Jill and Jackie left Saturday morning, and I spent my day being completely worthless...but that's what vacation is for, right?
I should have never learned how to change my style sheet. Now I can't stop. *It's just a habit, it's cool, I feel alive. If you don't have it, you're on the other side. I'm not an addict, baby...* I'll leave it like this for a while, but I have another picture (an original that I took for a photography class) just waiting to appear in the top right corner. The picture that's up now is a snapshot (if a professional photogapher ever really takes snapshots) taken by Mark LaMoreaux outside on a very sunny day...which you can't tell by the black background: behold, the mysteries of photography. It always reminds me of that Far Side cartoon with the floating head of death...but I like it nonetheless.
Man, I liked those sunglasses. I don't know what ever happened to them.
**Now that I've seen my new layout on several different computers, I see that the picture is a bit too dark on some screens. I'll try to fix it soon.**
I sat down to write about my trip to New Orleans, but I can't possibly do that without first writing about my travel companions.
Jill was my roommate during my junior year at New St. Andrews. She was a freshman at U of I and though we hardly new each other, Elizabeth, who was supposed to live with us too, knew us both, so that's how we ended up together. Jill, Liz and I lived together for about a month before Liz moved out to live with her brother. That turned out to be a good thing because I think if the 3 of us had lived together all year, at least one of us would have gone crazy.
Well, Jill and I weren't really friends while we lived together. We got along okay, but we didn't really hang out together. She had her friends and I had mine and we kept it that way. Actually, it was through some rather unpleasant circumstances that we became good friends and we have been ever since. It's amazing how mutual sadness can bring people together.
Though we didn't live together my senior year, we became even better friends, seeing each other several times a week: Monday night dinners, playing cards until the wee hours and weekly (or more) visits to the Daily Grind...those were the days.
Jill is one of the few college friends that I stay in constant contact with. She is more fun than a barrell of monkeys (even live monkeys) and I wish I could be more like her. She exudes self-confidence...not in a snobby way at all. She knows what she wants and she goes for it. Whenever I have to be braver than I want to be, especially if I have to speak in public or something like that where I would rather be shy, I just act like I'm Jill. It sounds weird, I know, but it works. For Jill, the world is a stage. Everyone's watching? No worries.
After she finished her internship with Senator Craig last year, she was asked to join the Senator's staff. Though I still wish she was living here, I know she's loving life in D.C. and I'm sure she's making an impression on the nation's capitol. Hopefully, she will eventually move down here and go to grad school, but in the mean time, I hope she'll just keep visiting. Karaoke is so much more fun when Jill's here.
Jill and I were joined on our vacation by Jacqueline, Jill's sister. Jackie and I don't have the history that I have with Jill, but she's an amazing person too, and a fantastic travel companion. The greatest thing about Jackie is that she tells it like it is...not in a mean way, but she's not going to let you live in a dream-world without giving you a dose of reality. For example, when I say things like, "I think I would make a good doctor's wife," other people take me seriously, but Jackie just laughs at me, like I should be laughed at. I'll admit, her propensity to say what she thinks used to intimidate me, but once I got to know her better, I found it refreshing. She helped make our trip so much fun. She and I have very similar taste in music (a little bit of everything...if it's music, there's a chance we'll like it) which made for great travel music. She also has a great sense of humor. I never realized just how funny she is, but she kept me cracking up all week. She's smart and perceptive, as well as a great driver: despite what the state troopers might say, she never made me nervous while we were driving in the city...and that's impressive. I'm so glad she used part of her vacation time to join us on our New Orleans excursion. It wouldn't have been nearly as fun without her...because "Jackie only laughs when it's funny."
Next year: Vegas, baby!