Rude Cashiers

There's nothing worse about going to the grocery store and not being able to use all the coupons you planned on and a rude cashier to top it off. Those coupons Kroger gives you where you get $3.00 off your next grocery bill, your only allowed to use one at a time even though it doesn't say so on the coupon. I had four on Saturday, one was for $3.00 off $15.00 in frozen food items and three were for $3.00 of your next shopping order. I was so proud of myself, I had a stack of coupons totalling around $30.00. Including one .50 cent coupon for the Colgate toothpaste that was on sale for .98 cents, when the coupon is doubled, the toothpaste was free. 

I hand the cashier the coupons and she begins inspecting the printable coupon and gives me a dirty look like I was handing her a fraudulent coupon. She begins scanning all the groceries looking annoyed there were so many groceries. When she is finished, she scans the coupons and hands me back the two coupons extra $3.00 coupons and says "you can't use all of these together. Only one coupon per shopping order." Okay, fine. Just change your tone is what I wanted to tell her. I just told her sorry, the coupon doesn't say you only use one.  So she says, Well, the computer is telling me you can't use them together. There was no bagger, so my husband and I were bagging our own groceries. Which I don't have a problem doing, just don't be rude when I am bagging my own groceries. We could have been one of those customers who just stands there and lets the cashier ring the order up and then bag it by herself. She didn't even help when she finished with the order or even say thank you for bagging the groceries. No have a nice day or nothing.

She acted like it was an annoyance we were there. After spending all that money on groceries, feeling like your a burden to checking out in her lane is the last thing you want to deal with in the grocery store. I understand they don't get paid very much to work there. But, that is the job they chose and I was trying to be polite and helpful. Be polite back. After all, I am the customer and without the customers they don't have a job.

It Is Too Damn Cold Outside!

I don't know what's going on lately. I dragged myself out of bed feeling so sleepy and I am using the excuse not to go to the gym today because I need a day of bumming around. It's is just too cold to go outside and I hate messing with the garage door on cold days, it never wants to open when it's cold out and I have to push the button like 10 times because it gets stuck. Excuse the language, but it is colder than a witches tit in Nebraska today. It is a chilly -1 outside. Talk about crisp, it is definitely crisp outside. Even the dog wanted back in quickly this morning. It probably froze before it the ground when he took a pee. He was only out there about two minutes before he started barking to come back in. I'm surprised they didn't cancel school today. All those poor kids standing at the bus stop waiting for the bus or God help the ones who have to walk to school. I think I am going to hibernate in the house today. I don't want to go out there in this crap. They say there is a warm up in the forecast coming Saturday, let's hope it's true.

Lawmakers On A Snow Break???

Is it my imagination or does the Lawmakers get too much damn time off? A snow week for Lawmakers! Lawmakers is off on a snow break until Tuesday. If a 5 year old can get up and go to school in the snow, then Lawmakers can get their asses out of bed and go to work! One day is okay, but if my kids have to get up and go to school in this snowy weather, then so can Lawmakers. They need to stop being babies about everything. They get paid too much money for what they do and they just take too much time off. It seems like every time you turn on the news, Lawmakers is on break. Do they ever work or do they live on vacation. They only have a four day work week as it is. I am sure they pay someone to shovel their snow anyway. So, they need to get their butts out of their cozy homes and get to work. They should be like the rest of us, get off holidays and two weeks vacation. It is time for the Lawmakers to get off their butts and go to work everyday like everyone else. So, I say "Lawmakers, stop wasting our tax dollars and get off your ass and go to work!"

Overseas Customer Service Centers

If you have read any of my previous posts you are aware of my problem with companies sending our customer service call centers overseas. Well, today my mortgage company called and proceeded to tell me, this conversation is recorded and so on.... So, I told them good, tell IndyMac Bank to bring their customer service center back to the United States and I don't appreciate my money being used to employ people in India. I would prefer my mortgage money went to paying the salaries of United States Citizens and please play back this call for IndyMac bank, because I want them to know how I feel about them sending their customer service center overseas. As the man proceeds to read me back an incorrect email address as he is verifying information, I told him to call IndyMac Bank and get the right email address from them since they already have it because, I already receive account notifications to the correct email address. The man was seriously offended and wanted to know why I feel that way. Why do I feel that way? Millions of Americans are out of work and what is the major contributing source to Americans being unemployed? Corporations opening up companies and call centers overseas. He continued to argue with me. I asked him, "Why are you arguing with me? That's what you call customer service."  I am on a mission, every customer service center that calls me or I call them, I am going to ask them where their call center is located and proceed to tell them exactly how I feel about their customer service center being located overseas. I'm going to keep an ongoing list. If you know any call centers overseas, please let me know and please feel free to leave your opinion. I eventually plan on contacting the companies, here in the United States and let them know exactly how I feel. My thought is, if enough people object may be they will start bringing jobs back to the United States and stop sending our money overseas to pay people overseas to do what can be done here.  Think about it, someone overseas is sitting there in front of a computer with all your personal information in their computer. That is something, I am not to pleased with. How do I know I can trust them with all my personal information. Such as, my address with my date of birth and social security number. Someone can sit there and write it all down as the screens pop up. In the United States they constantly walk behind everyone watching what they do. I know that, because I worked for a call center before. How do I know they are doing the same overseas? After all, they are getting paid less to do the same job that was done here. A little food for thought.

Direct TV- Your calling the Philippines when you call them! Ask & you will see.
IndyMac Bank- When they call you, they are calling from India!

The Winter Blues

I woke up this morning to see we got more snow over night. I am so ready for this white fluffy stuff to go away and open the door for spring. Winter is a little harder for me this year because I can't escape to the tanning beds this year and pretend for 20 minutes that I am laying on the beach somewhere, because it's not in the budget. I am not a fan of winter. When I was younger, I used to enjoy the snow. Who didn’t when you’re a kid?  I used to love skiing, sledding, playing in the snow and yes those occasional snow days of being buried in snow. But, I am a grown up now and I don’t appreciate all the snow like I did when I was a child. I hate bundling up in coats and gloves. I hate having to wear a coat period. I have to drive in it and you can no longer throw on your shoes and walk out the door. You have to start your car and let it warm up. After December, Mother Nature can keep the snow. I don’t want it. My daughter always says, "Ahhh... it's so pretty outside." I say "No, it's not. All the flowers and trees are dead. It's ugly outside." I would much rather look at the window and see the green trees and pretty flowers. Not piles of white fluffy stuff and dead treas.

The Republicans Are Holding The Americans On Unemployment Hostage

I think it's bullcrap the Republicans are holding the Americans on Unemployment hostage to get tax cuts for the wealthy. I understand compromising is how Bills get passed, but that is totally wrong to hold the Unemployment hostage to get what they want. People depend on their unemployment for survival. If they cut unemployment then how will people feed their families or pay their rent and mortgage? They will be out on the street with no way to support their families. However, no longer giving the wealthy tax cuts isn't going to put anyone out on the street. So, how can they compare the two? They talk about the government not having enough money to pay unemployment, then how then they afford to give tax cuts to the wealthy. It sounds a little hypocritical to me. Wouldn't no longer giving tax cuts to the wealthy generate more money for the US government? If they were hiring people and generating jobs for Americans with those tax cuts then this country wouldn't be in this mess and people would still be working. Obviously, they are sticking the extra money in their pockets and generating jobs for people in Mexico, China, India and etc. Creating jobs is the last thing they are doing with the money they are getting from tax breaks from the US government. Americans can starve to death and live on the streets, but God forbid cut into the pockets of the wealthy and that is a sin.

The "N" Word

Why do so many young people drop the "N" word every time your turn around like it's nothing? I hate that word, it drives me absolutely insane. Why did that word have to become such a popular word any how? Want to be white people use that word more than black people. Everyone is a "N" according to them.  Black or white, no matter what you may be, I think that word should be left alone. Its "N" this and "N" that. I just want to tell them to shut the hell up and go back to school and learn proper English. I am no angel, but that is a word I just don't get. Why would you want to call someone a derogatory name and think it's cool? What about black people calling each other that word? What are they thinking? Thank God my husband doesn't use that word, because I probably wouldn't have given him the chance to get to know him well enough to fall in love with him. That word was used during slavery and segregation.  African Americans fought for their freedom and to be treated fairly. So, why would they call each other that name? STOP USING THAT WORD! (Yes, I'm Shouting)

Scammers

I am so tired of applying for jobs and sending them my personal information such as; my email address, my home address, my education and work history and my cell phone number.  Then the jobs turn out to be scams asking you to do things that sound just a tad bit fishy.  All those scammers out there have my personal information. How scary is that? Millions of people being out of work has opened up a whole new can of worms. Millions of people out there are scrounging around looking for legit jobs and sending there personal information out there over the net just to find a job and there are plenty of people out there sitting there thinking up schemes to get people to do illegal things and try and scam people into filling out false credit checks to apply for fake jobs just to steel their personal information. It is literally a shame what this country has come to.

Congress Got Richer In 2008 While We Got Poorer

I had thought about doing a blog on how the personal wealth of congressional members grew by 16% between 2008 and 2009. In 2007, congressional members personal wealth increased by 13%. Do you see a trend yet? I do. They got richer while the country was in one of the worst economic times. I decided against writing a blog on all the details, because I would spend the entire blog cussing out Congress.

 Compare the two & think about it.



Remember this pic? Michigans
in 2008 Standing in the line
at the Unemployment office.



What the hell does he have to look so grim about? He

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) tops the list with holdings exceeding $303.5 million.

Palin Needs To Keep Her Mouth Shut

I know I may ruffle some feathers, but I really don't care. Sarah Palin needs to keep her mouth shut. No one knew about her before old man McCain picked her as a running mate. I'm no politcal know it all, but that was clearly a ruse if I ever saw one. She was brought on board to try and lock down the women's vote in the 2008 election. Everyone knows if Obama picked Hillary Clinton or if Clinton ran herself she wouldnt've even been thought of as a vice presidential candidate. Now she's pondering a run in 2012 and says that she could be Obama. I think she's delusional. Is her 15 minutes up yet, because I'm tired of being bombarded by her and her family.  

Mr.E

Kroger & Their 10 Participating Items

Is anyone else irritated with Kroger's 10 participating items deal or is it just me? Sometimes it can be a good deal but the whole hassle with counting your items to make sure you get the $5.00 off is really irritating. Because not always do I need all 10 items and I don't like being forced to buy all ten if I want to get the sale price. Add walking through the store counting your sale items is just too damn time consuming and too much of a hassle and why is it you think you have all the items, but you check out and for some reason you don't have enough of them. The last time I checked, I do know how to count to 10. It's crazy, I end up leaving the store forgetting some of the items I went there for because I am too busy counting. Then if you decide to pick up an item that is one of the participating items, you have to decide "Will I have enough of the participating items to get the sale? There has been more than one occasion where I have just opted out of buying the item so I could get the sale because I wouldn't have enough items to get the sale price or just didn't feel like sitting there trying to figure it out. So, Kroger is losing money because I put it back instead of picking it up because it was on sale. I'm sure I am not the only one who has put items back on the shelf because it wasn't neccessiary and you didn't have enough items to get the sale price. Don't make getting sale items a game or try to twist my arm to try and make me pick up 2 or 3 more participating items to get the sales on the ones I do need. Maybe if enough people go to their website kroger.com and complain then maybe they will stop running the 10 participating items and just put the shit on sale!  It's just too much damn work for the grocery store. Maybe it's time to find a new place to do my grocery shopping because I don't want to deal with the irritation of counting my items as I am going through the grocery store. It's a WASTE of my time!

Fences make good neighbors.....

I need 1 of these.

The house next door is a rental and it looks like we are going to have another annoying neighbor.  The owner of the the house is a really nice guy. But, the problem is he thinks everyone seems nice. I'm not totally against renting out houses to people, but for the homeowner next door, you never know who your next neighbor will be. Three of the five renters have been an annoyance in the last 11years I have owned my home. My new neighbors seemed okay until last night when they got drunk and one of their guests thought it would be funny to come and shake my screen door after midnight to make it appear that someone was trying to break in. Well, I don't find that amusing. I am not opposed to throwing parties and having fun. Just KEEP it in your house and in your yard and don't let your guests be an annoyance to your neighbors. I throw plenty of outside parties in the summer to where yes we get loud and play music but, if one of my guests were going to be an annoyance to a neighbor I would step in and tell them to stop because I have to live here. One of my annoying neighbors was a complete lunatic, she would make bon fires in the front yard out of furniture in a residential neighborhood. On several occasions, I was afraid the fire would blow hot ashes over my way and catch something on fire. Fires are supposed to be in a fire pit, not a entertainment center in the front yard doused with gasoline. On another occasion, she was arrested for dancing naked around the fire in the FRONT yard. Well, she was evicted for damaging the house and not paying rent. Then we got the old man who used the f-bomb with every sentence he used and abused his handicapped wife. Believe it or not, I live in a nice neighborhood that is quiet most of the time. This proves that fences make good neighbors, but sometimes it's not enough.

The Schools $$ In Their Eyes

Schools are getting ridiculous. They rip off parents and rip off the students. It is getting so ridiculous, they are taking the fun out things.  My babysitter, who is in high school was over today and she was telling me, the high school charges $30 a couple and $20 a single to go to the Home Coming Dance.  Keep in mind, these kids only get some pretzels and soda in return for their money.  It's held in the high school gym so how much could it really cost them to hold the dance. They make it so some kids just don't want to go to the Home Coming Dance because they say it's not worth the money you pay.  And it it gets worse, she was telling me they charge the students a $1.00 to go the pep rally.  What the hell kind of school spirit is that?  Now what expense could they possible have in holding a school pep rally? Growing up, the pep rallies were free and the Home Coming Dance was only $5.00 a person.
Then my son is sitting at the dinner table and he announces, the middle school charges every student a dollar a day to participate in spirit week.  He says to me "Why would I want to pay them to where my pajamas to school or mixed matched cloths?" It's not like they don't make money as it is off the game alone and concessions, they have to charge the students to have school spirit. The Home Coming game is off the hook around here with all the proud Melvindale parents and alumni. Some of the parents are borderline ridiculous. They have turned school into a money making business.  My son says $2.50 a day isn't enough to buy his school lunch, it only buys him a hamburger and a drink. I have to send $3.00 a day just to buy him lunch. Another crazy thing is the schools don't give change. Yes, you heard me right. With all the those ones and quarters they get a day, they say they can't make change. The one day he goes to school with a $5, they didn't give him change and then the following day, they told him he had no money on his lunch account when he should have had at least a dollar. They are ripping students and parents off and getting away with it.  So, my husband called the school to see if we could get a pricing menu, the school says they haven't made one yet. So, how do they decide how much to charge the students if they don't have a pricing menu yet? The one year, I did go to the school and complain because they kept sending me notices home saying I owed money for lunch money and fed my daughter cereal for lunch because they say she owed money when my kids paid everyday. I would send their lunch money in a sealed envelope with their name on the envelope. They denied everything.  It got so bad, I had to go to the school and prepay and get a receipt. The funny thing was, she decided to pack a few times and the school never refunded the balance she had on her lunch account at the end of the year. That's a sin to steal money from kids like that.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Some men and women get on a real power trip when they get in a position of authority and they push the limits when trying to show their authority. One obvious fact they fail to realize is, just like a piece of strong metal, if you exert enough pressure on people, they will snap just like the metal. To their surprise, they have accomplished the opposite of what they wanted. Over-stepping your bounds of authority only shows you are lacking confidence and lacking control in some portion of your own life. It is really sad when you don't have enough self confidence in yourself that you feel it is necessary to abuse your authority to make yourself feel good about yourself.  I am a firm believer in showing respect for other people and I expect the same in return. If you treat others with respect, you are more likely to get a positive response from them and have a  more productive work place or personal relationships others. Respect isn't something to be earned, it is our God given right as humans. You don't start with a little respect and gradually work your way forward. You give someone your full respect unless proven they are not deserving of your respect. Then you simply walk away and remove yourself from the situation.  One thing a lot of people don't understand about me is I will sit back and be quiet about a lot of things. I simply sit back and observe. I may call you out a few things, but I will still be respectful and I will give you the opportunity to turn things around. However, if you don't turn things around, I will wash my hands of you and the situation. I refuse to allow someone to walk on me. I refuse to be on someones path of destruction. If you feel the need to exert power over someone to control them, then maybe it's time for a self evaluation. People are not to be controlled, only to co-exist. If you co-exist successfully, life will run smoothly like a well-oiled machine.

Doctors.....

My son had a doctors appointment this morning at 10:00 am for his vaccinations. Now, I had called to make an appointment for him at 9:15 and they told me to bring him in at 10:00. So, I rush around to get everyone out the door and have him there by 10 am.  Walk in the door and they say they can't see him until 1:00 now because the doctor had an emergency and her replacement won't be there until 1:00.  What kind of bullshit is that?  No phone call or nothing to tell me they changed his appointment and the doctors office is at least a 15 minute drive from my home.  I have been taking my children to this doctor for the past 11 years, they have my cell phone number.  Let a patient do a no show, no call and they would probably be trying to charge you. Most doctors offices require a 24 hour call in notice when cancelling an appointment or they will bill you for the office call. But, for some reason they aren't required to call you when your appointment has been changed at the last minute.  It would have been nice if she actually picked up the phone and called me to tell me the appointment was changed.  Maybe I hadn't left yet or even if I was driving I could have turned around before getting there, finding parking and dragging the kids inside only to find out his appointment was changed.  This only confirms my belief. Too many doctors think they are God and think they don't have to show common courtesy to their patients.  It's not the first time this doctor has pulled this.  There are other doctors in the office.  They should make sure they have another doctor on call to come in and replace the doctor who got called out on an emergency or at the very least pick up the phone and call you.  Because this happens way too much. The same thing happened over the winter when my son was sick.  They said she would be in, I drive him there when he was sick only to find out she got called on an emergency and I had to take him somewhere else. I really need to find another pediatrician.

Dead Beat Dads!!!

What is it with some men who seem to think it's okay to play games with their children's lives. Most mothers are always there for their children.  Some men seem to think they can walk away whenever they feel like it and they are not responsible for the children they make.  It's like they think it is the mother's job to make sure their kids are taken care of and they don't have to worry about putting food on the table or making sure their children have the clothes or things they need.  When you tell them they need clothes for school, damn they are no longer the dad and want a test. The courts up here in Michigan don't help mother's either. They told him he only had to pay $51.00 a month for child support for two children.  The courts up here are a joke.  It's a complete outrage what they do up here. He walked into the court with fake pay stubs saying he works less than minimum wage part time and the dumb ass judge believed him. The dead beat dad is part owner of a gas station and therefore can forge pay stubs for himself.  Even when the judge was told he was lying he said I had to prove it. Now, shouldn't the father be the one to have to prove what he makes. Not the mother. That's why there are way too many children out there who are not being taken care of by their fathers. It's like no one seems to care. The judges sit up there collecting their big fat paychecks to screw over mother's and their children. They ought to put men like that in prison. I know they say they will. But, they don't. Not up here. At least not until they get too far behind in what they call child support. To get the money, it means I have to take him back to court and miss work. If the dad isn't helping take care of them you can't afford to take off work. The courts tie our hands behind our back and there is nothing we can do about it.

Seasonal Items

I understand the concept on trying to get a head start on the back to school shopping.  I did today only because they put everything out so early you have to go and buy some of the back to school supplies at Target if you want to get the good stuff at a cheap price because the bins are already half empty. My beef with the whole thing is, it is still summer! What if I need to buy items for my summer needs.  I have been in the stores looking for a few miscellaneous items for the backyard and I can't find them because they already pulled most of the summer items off the shelf. For example, a grill and some clips to hand up the streaming lights. With all the storms lately a lot of my clips blew away and my grill quit on me yesterday. I have to buy a new grill. I absolutely hate cooking in the house during the summer. It's just too damn hot even with the central air on. However, since it is toward the end of July. Your grill selection is very slim. Now, there are still about 2 or more months left of grilling. Don't they stop and think that someone may want to buy a grill in July.  For crying out loud they put the grills out in March before anyone even starts grilling.  No one is thinking about buying a grill in March. The same goes with Halloween and Christmas.  They start putting out the Halloween items in August and the Christmas items in October.  Who the hell wants to think about Christmas in October? Let me get through the school shopping and Halloween before you start shoving Christmas decorations down my throat.  Then when you run to the store in December when your putting up your decorations and need a few more items you can't find everything you need  because all the good decorations has already been picked over. I don't know about you, but I am sure as hell not pulling out my decorations in October to see what items I may need. It seems like every year they start putting the stuff out earlier and earlier. The whole thing is beginning to get ridiculous!

Die Hard 5

Why in the hell are they making another Die Hard movie. I understand that the great John McClane never died, but do they really have to make another one the last one should've been it. Hollywood needs to produce some new action heroes. I'm sure the movie will do well, but get some fresh blood in there. I'm no movie snob, but there needs to be some new action heroes, because I know I get tired of seeing the same ones.

C-Note

Economic Situation & Jobs

I am enjoying being a stay at home Mom to a certain point. I have had the opportunity to do things with my children over summer vacation that I normally haven't been able to do with them when I was working.  But, I did my time and I would love to enter the work force again but jobs are so scarce here in Michigan.  I would leave here in a heartbeat if my husband could transfer to another state without taking a pay cut.  What has this economy come to?  Not too many years ago you could apply for a job and find a decent job within a few weeks. Now it literally takes months, no matter how much education you have.  Jobs that used to pay around $50,000 year are now starting people off at $9.00 or $10.00 an hour. The competition for those lousy paying jobs are fierce. When I was reading online last week about the current economic situation, some employers are reporting they are receiving over a 1,000 online resumes for one job posting.  It seems that the men are having an easier time finding jobs.  There are more manual labor jobs than there is jobs woman typically perform. Employers are taking advantage of the millions of people being out of work and offering less money because they know there are a lot of people who are desperate for jobs and will take it.  What they fail to realize that the economy isn't going to improve much if people have less money to spend to boost the economy. If people make less than they spend less. Economics 101.

Abuse Of Power In The Work Place

I just recently started a new job. It really amazes me how some people in management lack basic people skills. This woman talks to the company employees like they are children or maybe worse.  I made an error and she asked me "Do you know how to read?" That was uncalled for. I wanted to reply "well actually with two college degrees under my belt, I would have to say yes." Considering the financial situation I am in right now, I just went about my business and didn't say a word about it.There are other ways of saying things, than to just be rude like that.  She could have simply pointed out the error and showed me how to correct it without the smart comment. After all, today was only my 3rd day, I'm going to make a mistake here and there. I don't know anyone who can perform the job perfectly in their first week of employment. I was an office manager for 10 years and in those 10 years, I never talked to an employee like that. I showed respect for employees.  I'm sure she makes a mistake or to, there just isn't anyone in the office to point it out. But, I think some people just let there position go to their head and think they can talk to anyone how they please and if you don't like it you can quit.