I wrote this last year and though it was meant as a little jab at what has become a very strange day (in my opinion) it really holds a lot of truth. I can't decided if I shared it with my bosses at Walmart if they would see the humor or just be annoyed with me.
Black Friday
The day after Thanksgiving and all through the house,
EVERYONE's stirring, even that mouse.
What's so exciting? all the children say,
Why are we leaving our house on this day?
School's out! Why can't we have fun?
I wanna play and get out in the sun.
I don't understand why we can't play.
What so darn special about BLACK FRIDAY?
We still have food from yesterday's meal
To heat up and eat up so what's the big deal?
It's stupid to get up before the sun
I just went to bed, my sleepin's not done.
To get in the car and go to the store
To wait in a line - they haven't opened the door!
A special? A SPECIAL? A SPECIAL, you say?
There's nothing special about this dumb BLACK FRIDAY!
I'm just a kid and I see what they did.
Those advertisers fooled you, their intentions they hid.
They're after your money, hide your wallet - you dolt!
OH NOOOOOO! They got you before you could bolt!
The computer you wanted - it was a steal!
But look at this one! It's more but, hey, what a deal.
Oh, they only had fifty, we're fifty-one, you say?
We're not having much luck on this BLACK FRIDAY.
Wait, what do you mean? That one's been sold?
There aren't any more is what we are told.
But for 800 more than we wanted to pay
We can get a karaoke machine, hey, whadda ya say?
Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?
You wanted a computer and what did ya find?
An expensive machine that we don't need,
But what a great buy, hunh? ARE YOU ON WEED?
They are out to get you, don't you know?
They take your money, your budget you blow!
BLACK FRIDAY is a myth, it isn't true.
An advertising ploy against me and against you.
Next year remember, Thanksgiving plus one day,
Hide your keys, hide your wallet, in your home you must STAY!
Don't let them entice you to their stores on that day
Then maybe, just maybe you'll survive BLACK FRIDAY.
written by Gramama on BLACK FRIDAY 2007
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Mail Call
For more years than I like to think about, I have paid the US Post Office for the honor of having a tiny box in their building where they can deliver my mail. I give this address to folks that I want to send me mail - and here's the kicker - and that I WANT to receive. Of course I have to drive to that building, normally making a special trip, to pick it up. For this honor of getting my mail I pay them a fee.
Before I continue you might want to read this article - http://www.slate.com/id/2204823/?y=1
I got this PO Box because I wasn't getting all my mail. I decided (undocumented, of course) that I had a 50 - 50 chance of getting mail I wanted and a 200% chance of getting junk. Likewise, at least once a week someone else's mail was placed in my mailbox. My favorite extra mail is for a household with the same number yet on a nearby street. I used to take their misdelivered mail to them and give it to them. This older couple acted like I was stealing their mail so I started writing "delivered to the wrong address" across it and placed it back in my mailbox with the flag up. A few days later it would be delivered back to me. I took it to the post office closest to me but they were always so quick to let me know that their station wasn't responsible. I live a few houses away from another zip code covered by the closest post office. MY post office is way out of my way to anything.
So I pay for the privilege of getting my mail delivered to a box - a very small box. Now I'm getting more and more junk mail in the PO Box. Now here is the rest of the story - as Paul Harvey says.
A few months ago I changed banks. I signed up for a box of checks although I wasn't planning on using checks very often. I had them sent to my PO Box. A week or so later I picked up my checks from my PO Box, took it home and tossed it into a drawer set aside for the banking stuff. Went on with life and all was well. HA!
A few weeks ago I needed a check for something and got out my checks. HMMMMM? This box has the wrong bank printed on it. What the heck? You have GOT to be kidding me! These are not MY checks!!! A man in New Jersey who has a PO Box in North Carolina with numbers NOWHERE NEAR my numbers was getting checks delivered at the same time and I got HIS checks. For THIS I pay extra??????
Lessons learned:
1 - The Post Office is run by human beings and can and will make mistakes.
2 - When getting stuff that is important delivered to a mailbox OR a PO Box - always check it to make sure it is correct. Immediately. Not later. Immediately.
3 - Even though this was a huge mistake, the odds on getting my mail correctly are WAY higher with the PO Box than that tin can at the end of my driveway.
One other question. Who in their right mind decided that a tin can at the end of a driveway was a safe way to get anything important delivered to you? Oh, I guess I answered that with the words "in their right mind".
Before I continue you might want to read this article - http://www.slate.com/id/2204823/?y=1
I got this PO Box because I wasn't getting all my mail. I decided (undocumented, of course) that I had a 50 - 50 chance of getting mail I wanted and a 200% chance of getting junk. Likewise, at least once a week someone else's mail was placed in my mailbox. My favorite extra mail is for a household with the same number yet on a nearby street. I used to take their misdelivered mail to them and give it to them. This older couple acted like I was stealing their mail so I started writing "delivered to the wrong address" across it and placed it back in my mailbox with the flag up. A few days later it would be delivered back to me. I took it to the post office closest to me but they were always so quick to let me know that their station wasn't responsible. I live a few houses away from another zip code covered by the closest post office. MY post office is way out of my way to anything.
So I pay for the privilege of getting my mail delivered to a box - a very small box. Now I'm getting more and more junk mail in the PO Box. Now here is the rest of the story - as Paul Harvey says.
A few months ago I changed banks. I signed up for a box of checks although I wasn't planning on using checks very often. I had them sent to my PO Box. A week or so later I picked up my checks from my PO Box, took it home and tossed it into a drawer set aside for the banking stuff. Went on with life and all was well. HA!
A few weeks ago I needed a check for something and got out my checks. HMMMMM? This box has the wrong bank printed on it. What the heck? You have GOT to be kidding me! These are not MY checks!!! A man in New Jersey who has a PO Box in North Carolina with numbers NOWHERE NEAR my numbers was getting checks delivered at the same time and I got HIS checks. For THIS I pay extra??????
Lessons learned:
1 - The Post Office is run by human beings and can and will make mistakes.
2 - When getting stuff that is important delivered to a mailbox OR a PO Box - always check it to make sure it is correct. Immediately. Not later. Immediately.
3 - Even though this was a huge mistake, the odds on getting my mail correctly are WAY higher with the PO Box than that tin can at the end of my driveway.
One other question. Who in their right mind decided that a tin can at the end of a driveway was a safe way to get anything important delivered to you? Oh, I guess I answered that with the words "in their right mind".
Friday, November 21, 2008
OH, What a Night!
If you are squeamish, stop reading now.
After I posted last night, I spent the rest of the night either in the bathroom or in the bed. Chills so severe that I broke a tooth and every muscle in my back is screaming. Of course every now and then I'd balance this out with sweats that drenched my bed. I couldn't drink, not even water. Eating? Not an option. This went on all day. In the afternoon I was so lightheaded and sick I couldn't do anything but lay on the bathroom floor. If my phone had not been in my car I would have called 911 for a ride to the hospital where I should have been. I couldn't move to clean myself much less take care of myself.
It's now almost 5:30 am and I'm tempting fate by drinking fruit juice and I moved to the living room. I'm probably past the crisis (PLEASE?) My abdomen hurts and is making scary noises but I think I'll live.
After I posted last night, I spent the rest of the night either in the bathroom or in the bed. Chills so severe that I broke a tooth and every muscle in my back is screaming. Of course every now and then I'd balance this out with sweats that drenched my bed. I couldn't drink, not even water. Eating? Not an option. This went on all day. In the afternoon I was so lightheaded and sick I couldn't do anything but lay on the bathroom floor. If my phone had not been in my car I would have called 911 for a ride to the hospital where I should have been. I couldn't move to clean myself much less take care of myself.
It's now almost 5:30 am and I'm tempting fate by drinking fruit juice and I moved to the living room. I'm probably past the crisis (PLEASE?) My abdomen hurts and is making scary noises but I think I'll live.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
One of those days
Have you ever had one of those days that after an hour you know you should have stayed in bed? Mine was today.
First I had a hard time going to sleep and then after not quite three hours of sleep I wake up and can't go back to sleep. I continued the ongoing saga of the leaky bathroom tub, without a solution, of course. Finally it was time to go to work and I was ready for sleep. Bad timing.
Next I decide to stop at Bojangles for a sausage biscuit on the way to work. As I drive away I discovered they neglected to give me a straw for my soda. Trying to drive is tricky enough without having to maneuver a paper cup without a top. So what happens? You guessed it. The soda spilled into my lap. Besides being uncomfortable it looked like I wet my pants. Once it dried the stain looked like I had had an accident.
Work was a little weird because we had to read each label to separate merchandise earmarked for Black Friday. It was a good thing the truck was about half the size of normal.
Two people made comments on how bad I looked because of being tired. I didn't think I looked THAT bad but I guess I was wrong,
On my break I was working on Christmas gifts and my glue ran out almost immediately. Are you seeing the pattern?
My stomach started cramping about an hour before the end of work. I decided I needed to go home early when the diarrhea started. The sausage biscuit wasn't a good idea after all. So I get my stuff together. clock out and go to my car. How can we top this wonderful day? You've got it! I couldn't find my key. SIGH
I had to go back in and unload both my pocketbook but my tool bag. No key. I start backtracking to see where I left it. It's been four hours since I had the key so I wandered all over the store looking for my key. I had one place left to look and behold - the key sitting on the table in the break room, just where I left it
Now I'm home and too keyed up to go to sleep. Nifty day, hunh?
First I had a hard time going to sleep and then after not quite three hours of sleep I wake up and can't go back to sleep. I continued the ongoing saga of the leaky bathroom tub, without a solution, of course. Finally it was time to go to work and I was ready for sleep. Bad timing.
Next I decide to stop at Bojangles for a sausage biscuit on the way to work. As I drive away I discovered they neglected to give me a straw for my soda. Trying to drive is tricky enough without having to maneuver a paper cup without a top. So what happens? You guessed it. The soda spilled into my lap. Besides being uncomfortable it looked like I wet my pants. Once it dried the stain looked like I had had an accident.
Work was a little weird because we had to read each label to separate merchandise earmarked for Black Friday. It was a good thing the truck was about half the size of normal.
Two people made comments on how bad I looked because of being tired. I didn't think I looked THAT bad but I guess I was wrong,
On my break I was working on Christmas gifts and my glue ran out almost immediately. Are you seeing the pattern?
My stomach started cramping about an hour before the end of work. I decided I needed to go home early when the diarrhea started. The sausage biscuit wasn't a good idea after all. So I get my stuff together. clock out and go to my car. How can we top this wonderful day? You've got it! I couldn't find my key. SIGH
I had to go back in and unload both my pocketbook but my tool bag. No key. I start backtracking to see where I left it. It's been four hours since I had the key so I wandered all over the store looking for my key. I had one place left to look and behold - the key sitting on the table in the break room, just where I left it
Now I'm home and too keyed up to go to sleep. Nifty day, hunh?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Thriller - 25 Years Old
I just went to a site and there was a little side video on Thriller. It was great! Quincey Jones is interviewed and he talks about some of the individual songs like Beat It, Billie Jean and Thriller. Wow, how time flies. They showed parts of the videos of the songs and some footage with MJ performing and dancing. It brought back so many memories. I remember Paul wanted the record and how often he played it. It kind of annoyed him that his old parents liked the same music that he liked.
Monday, November 3, 2008
HMMMMMMMM
Lots of times I wonder if anyone reads any of my blogs. There aren't any comments that indicate it was read so I have no way of knowing. (If you know of a way that I haven't figured out PLEASE comment so I can learn.)
So why do I ponder on this dilemma? No names will be mentioned but recently more than one person left me a message asking if I had looked at their blog, that I didn't comment so they didn't know if I had and to please let them know when I do. Hmmmmmm, sounds familiar . . . I wonder where I've heard that before?
Maybe if we leave a short comment now and again?????
So why do I ponder on this dilemma? No names will be mentioned but recently more than one person left me a message asking if I had looked at their blog, that I didn't comment so they didn't know if I had and to please let them know when I do. Hmmmmmm, sounds familiar . . . I wonder where I've heard that before?
Maybe if we leave a short comment now and again?????
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