I want to post about my accident but it takes too long to type. So here are the facts - short and sweet.
Two days before Christmas.
Walmart Toy Department
Helping three customers at once.
A ladder to get the two baby dolls from the top shelf.
Coming down the ladder answering questions as I go down.
Where did that bottom step go??????
OWWWWWWWW!!
One ER visit, x-rays, bad sprain and bone contusion, blue brace
Days of light-duty work, meaning no use of right hand
Continued pain
Visit to "Walmart doctor" with new diagnosis
Probable break of small bones in thumb area of the wrist.
New brace that immobilizes the thumb.
Much less pain.
On that note: I am sooooo happy to have Lisa and crew in the house. Willow is too.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Technical Difficulty
To those of you that I told to watch my blog for pictures of Miss Ashley Kiera . . . I've tried!!
I even emailed Kodak to see if they could help. (Got an email back that was in geekese but figured out what he was saying) It didn't help.
For some reason the SD Card that works fine in my camera and fine in the photo kiosk at Walmart isn't working in my computer. It keeps giving me a message that the disk isn't formatted and would I like for it to be formatted. Yes gives me a message saying it can not be formatted and No does nothing. So, once I figure this thing out, I'll post them. In the meantime, you could harass the father and tell him pictures are wanted. You do know he has a computer too. And access to the child and her brother and her mother. Gee, maybe even a family picture . . .
I even emailed Kodak to see if they could help. (Got an email back that was in geekese but figured out what he was saying) It didn't help.
For some reason the SD Card that works fine in my camera and fine in the photo kiosk at Walmart isn't working in my computer. It keeps giving me a message that the disk isn't formatted and would I like for it to be formatted. Yes gives me a message saying it can not be formatted and No does nothing. So, once I figure this thing out, I'll post them. In the meantime, you could harass the father and tell him pictures are wanted. You do know he has a computer too. And access to the child and her brother and her mother. Gee, maybe even a family picture . . .
Monday, December 8, 2008
Northern High School - Class of 1974
Fill this out about your high school! The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be!! Re-post with the name of high school and graduating year.
1.Did you marry someone from your high school? Yeah, right.
2.Did you car pool to school? I rode the bus unlike my spoiled children who drove themselves and didn't have to ride the bus but complained because it wasn't nice enough AND still complain. HUMPH
3.What kind of car did you have? Ok, you obviously weren't reading what I just wrote.
4.What kind of car do your drive now? Pontiac Vibe named Miss Daisy.
5.It's Friday night...where are YOU (then)? at home
6.It's Friday night..where are you (now)? At work
7.What kind of job did you have in high school? I wasn't allowed to work other than occasional babysitting
8.What do you do now? Wal-Mart associate
9.Were you a party animal? HAHAHAHAHAHA
10.Were you considered a flirt? No one knew I existed. Talking to guys made my head spin so I didn't do it.
11.Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? nope, I didn't have a ride home other than the bus so no extracurricular activites
12. Did you get suspended/expelled? That would have drawn too much attention to me.
13. Can you sing the fight song? We had one but I can't remember it.
14.Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)? Mrs. DeMaere, 11th grade American History
15. Where did you sit during lunch? I hid from the world anyplace I could.
16. What was your school's full name? Northern High School
17. What was your school mascot? Knights
18.If you could go back and do it again, would you? Not on your life. The best punishment for me would be to send me back. BRRRRRR
19. What do you remember most about graduation? HOT! In the middle of the football field with bulldozers waiting to rip up the stadium to start a building to replace it.
20.Who did you take to prom Senior year? OK, you have not been listening. I did not exist. No dances, no parties, no Prom
21. Did you have fun at Prom? Pay attention!
22.Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? SIGH
23.Are you planning on going to your 20 year reunion? Nope, skipped it.
24.Do you still talk to people from school? Amazingly, a few. For some reason over the years the snobs and those who tortured me became human and as I'd see them in other settings we would connect.
Now your turn. What do you remember?
1.Did you marry someone from your high school? Yeah, right.
2.Did you car pool to school? I rode the bus unlike my spoiled children who drove themselves and didn't have to ride the bus but complained because it wasn't nice enough AND still complain. HUMPH
3.What kind of car did you have? Ok, you obviously weren't reading what I just wrote.
4.What kind of car do your drive now? Pontiac Vibe named Miss Daisy.
5.It's Friday night...where are YOU (then)? at home
6.It's Friday night..where are you (now)? At work
7.What kind of job did you have in high school? I wasn't allowed to work other than occasional babysitting
8.What do you do now? Wal-Mart associate
9.Were you a party animal? HAHAHAHAHAHA
10.Were you considered a flirt? No one knew I existed. Talking to guys made my head spin so I didn't do it.
11.Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? nope, I didn't have a ride home other than the bus so no extracurricular activites
12. Did you get suspended/expelled? That would have drawn too much attention to me.
13. Can you sing the fight song? We had one but I can't remember it.
14.Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)? Mrs. DeMaere, 11th grade American History
15. Where did you sit during lunch? I hid from the world anyplace I could.
16. What was your school's full name? Northern High School
17. What was your school mascot? Knights
18.If you could go back and do it again, would you? Not on your life. The best punishment for me would be to send me back. BRRRRRR
19. What do you remember most about graduation? HOT! In the middle of the football field with bulldozers waiting to rip up the stadium to start a building to replace it.
20.Who did you take to prom Senior year? OK, you have not been listening. I did not exist. No dances, no parties, no Prom
21. Did you have fun at Prom? Pay attention!
22.Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? SIGH
23.Are you planning on going to your 20 year reunion? Nope, skipped it.
24.Do you still talk to people from school? Amazingly, a few. For some reason over the years the snobs and those who tortured me became human and as I'd see them in other settings we would connect.
Now your turn. What do you remember?
Friday, December 5, 2008
Black Friday Comments
Today I saw a video clip from the news. It seems Walmart is being sued by the family of the young man who was trampled to death at a Walmart in New York. Of course I don't know every little detail so I may make an assumption that isn't correct. I hope I don't.
It seems to me that to hold one company responsible for the idiots who line up so they can save a couple of dollars while fighting with everyone else for the same product is ridiculous. How can Walmart be to blame for the actions of a crowd of people? This practice has been going on for years. Even before it was named Black Friday by the police in Philadelphia in the mid sixties (look up "origin of black friday"), it was considered a great day to go Christmas shopping.
So, #1 - All stores participating in sales on Black Friday shouldn't be held to blame for the actions of individuals. #2 - For years I've heard people talk about their experience with other shoppers on that stupid day. Most act like it's an accomplishment to get up, stand in line, have other customers and the cashiers be rude, crude and downright atrocious to them. They need to wear a t-shirt that says "I survived Black Friday 2008" so they can show off how stupid they are. And yes, I have actually seen t-shirts to that effect. The news plays up Black Friday for days before the actual day and show how awful people can be. Now why would you CHOOSE to go into a mob environment and then say that you were carried through in the crowd and couldn't help it. BULL! If someone chooses to ride an angry bull and gets hurt do you sue the owner of the bull? I hope not. So in MY opinion every one of those people in that crowd were responsible for the young man's death. I know they didn't go there with that intent. It's the way I feel about people who say they were drunk and their judgement was impaired so therefore anything they may have done while drunk wasn't their fault. "I know, let's blame the bar that served them the drinks. It must be their fault." BULL, once again. At some point they were sober and chose to put something in their body that would impair their judgment. Same for the shoppers. They knew what they were getting into - you couldn't miss it in the media. Which brings me to #3. Why not blame the newspapers for running the ads for the sales that "caused" these people to be idiots. The TV commercials were aired so the stations must be responsible too. How about the news stories about folks gearing up for the big day? I blame the MEDIA for helping to present the whole mob mentality for Black Friday.
So here's my take on the death of the young man. It was a horrible ACCIDENT. No one had any intentions of it happening. However, the media "aided and abetted" and made the whole situation possible. Was Walmart or any other store responsible? It would be financial suicide to NOT have sales on a day that brings out droves of people. If Walmart's items on sale were such a great deal over other stores then they win the game, not lose it. (I read an article on Yahoo that was analysing the "10 Best Deals for Black Friday" and Walmart was not on the list.) Is there a way to stop this insanity? Not having any items on sale would stop the flood of people and be a stupid move for any company. Force the idiots to take a number and stand in line with an army standing there with guns to make them comply? Yeah, that'll work. Imagine that chaos. The companies need to make a plan of some sort before next year but that does not make them to blame.
One last thought: there used to be some store that had numerous commercials with the crazy mob outside the locked doors waiting for the sale to start and the store employees getting padded up or making the newest employee be the one to open the door. Supposedly this was funny. It's not funny. The media each year works up the frenzy and stores have to compete with other stores for the dollars that will be spent that day. What's wrong with looking to the real source of fault. US, the shopper who participates with the mob. Stay home, the sales aren't that good, anyway.
Trivia Note: The actual busiest shopping day of the year is either two days before Christmas if Christmas is later in the week or the Saturday before Christmas if it's early in the week. Black Friday normal comes in at 7th or 8th for sales. There may be more people traffic on Black Friday but not as much buying as you would expect.
It seems to me that to hold one company responsible for the idiots who line up so they can save a couple of dollars while fighting with everyone else for the same product is ridiculous. How can Walmart be to blame for the actions of a crowd of people? This practice has been going on for years. Even before it was named Black Friday by the police in Philadelphia in the mid sixties (look up "origin of black friday"), it was considered a great day to go Christmas shopping.
So, #1 - All stores participating in sales on Black Friday shouldn't be held to blame for the actions of individuals. #2 - For years I've heard people talk about their experience with other shoppers on that stupid day. Most act like it's an accomplishment to get up, stand in line, have other customers and the cashiers be rude, crude and downright atrocious to them. They need to wear a t-shirt that says "I survived Black Friday 2008" so they can show off how stupid they are. And yes, I have actually seen t-shirts to that effect. The news plays up Black Friday for days before the actual day and show how awful people can be. Now why would you CHOOSE to go into a mob environment and then say that you were carried through in the crowd and couldn't help it. BULL! If someone chooses to ride an angry bull and gets hurt do you sue the owner of the bull? I hope not. So in MY opinion every one of those people in that crowd were responsible for the young man's death. I know they didn't go there with that intent. It's the way I feel about people who say they were drunk and their judgement was impaired so therefore anything they may have done while drunk wasn't their fault. "I know, let's blame the bar that served them the drinks. It must be their fault." BULL, once again. At some point they were sober and chose to put something in their body that would impair their judgment. Same for the shoppers. They knew what they were getting into - you couldn't miss it in the media. Which brings me to #3. Why not blame the newspapers for running the ads for the sales that "caused" these people to be idiots. The TV commercials were aired so the stations must be responsible too. How about the news stories about folks gearing up for the big day? I blame the MEDIA for helping to present the whole mob mentality for Black Friday.
So here's my take on the death of the young man. It was a horrible ACCIDENT. No one had any intentions of it happening. However, the media "aided and abetted" and made the whole situation possible. Was Walmart or any other store responsible? It would be financial suicide to NOT have sales on a day that brings out droves of people. If Walmart's items on sale were such a great deal over other stores then they win the game, not lose it. (I read an article on Yahoo that was analysing the "10 Best Deals for Black Friday" and Walmart was not on the list.) Is there a way to stop this insanity? Not having any items on sale would stop the flood of people and be a stupid move for any company. Force the idiots to take a number and stand in line with an army standing there with guns to make them comply? Yeah, that'll work. Imagine that chaos. The companies need to make a plan of some sort before next year but that does not make them to blame.
One last thought: there used to be some store that had numerous commercials with the crazy mob outside the locked doors waiting for the sale to start and the store employees getting padded up or making the newest employee be the one to open the door. Supposedly this was funny. It's not funny. The media each year works up the frenzy and stores have to compete with other stores for the dollars that will be spent that day. What's wrong with looking to the real source of fault. US, the shopper who participates with the mob. Stay home, the sales aren't that good, anyway.
Trivia Note: The actual busiest shopping day of the year is either two days before Christmas if Christmas is later in the week or the Saturday before Christmas if it's early in the week. Black Friday normal comes in at 7th or 8th for sales. There may be more people traffic on Black Friday but not as much buying as you would expect.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Revisiting a Poem I Wrote
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
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
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.
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