Fresh Choice

This is a manners rant.

I took the family out to the neighborhood Fresh Choice tonight and damned if I wasn’t pissed off at the guy behind me by the time I reached the registers.  You know; you walk in to the joint and they hit you over the head with the cafeteria trays.  They even have the mini red cafeteria trays for the kids.

After you get your tray, plates and utencils, it’s off to the Kings Table Smorgasboard!  Well, they guy behind me was really irritating at best.  EVERY time he chose something to put on his plate, I heard him say, ” Oh I just love jicama” or, “I just love pasta”.  Give me a break Mr lovey dovey. 

So, when I finally got to the end of the food line, where you pay at the register, this ass-clown holds his tray 2 inches above half of my food!

What an idiot!!  I asked him to please move his tray, that it was common courtesy to not reach across and hold his tray over my food.  He just huffed and puffed.  This guy was around…..oh I dunno…….. maybe 55 or 60 years of age.  I just could not believe he did that.

Okay I am done.  Thanks for listening!

Will It Blend??

I came across this interesting site.  It is one those quasi funny, interesting, salesy type videos that make you think hmmmmmm, how’d they do that? 

Well what are waiting for?  Click here!

The Christopher Gardner Story

I heard on the way in to work this morning about the Christopher Gardner Story.

 Basically a rags to riches story about overcoming obstacles and knowing who you are to get to the top.  I love these stories because they are very similar to what I went through as a kid with my mother.  I mean we never stayed in a BART bathroom and we always had the same house, in fact to this day my mother still lives in the same house I grew up in.  I remember waiting in the car alot while she went to get things, sometimes even digging through dumpsters for arts and crafts supplies.  These supplies were usually blocks of wood and other textiles that we then would cut up and make things with.   I remember going to FISH closet to get clothes and government cheese.  We went to church every Sunday.  I am so grateful that my single mom raised me with integrity, trust and confidence.  Maybe more on this later.  In the mean time, here is the link for Chris Gardner’s Website.

A Fine Port

I was introduced to a mighty fine port over the last few months, by one of my colleagues.  It is called Sandeman Founder’s Reserve.  At $15 bucks a bottle, it is a bargain!  Check it out at Sandeman. Enjoy!

Funny Craigslist Post

I was reading the best of Craigslist tonight and thought I would share this little gem with you.

I especially LMFAO when I read this: 

35 year old secretary- You have a 20 year old son, and a 15 year old son… yet you dress like you are 16. I would be embarrassed to be your children. Oh and you look really stupid when you wear that plaid school-girl skirt with the white tights and hooker boots. This is an office… not a brothel.

Enjoy!

Dogs at The Mall

I have been sick the past few days and havn’t had the chance to post much so get ready for a flurry of posts for your reading digestion and enjoyment.

 I was at the Valley Fair Mall on Thursday night.  (I know I know, I hate malls too)  I am like a green beret when it comes to mall shopping; I know where I need to go, exactly what I need to buy and where it is located. 

I get in and get out.  Quickly.  So in the spirit of Christmas, here goes:

 So I am hustling along to Macy’s and Restoration Hardware for gifts to purchase and what to my wondering eyes to see? But a medium sized Collie sitting next to the tree.  (INSIDE THE MALL!!) Yes it was on a leash, but also on a bench with it’s 55+ year old owner eating a Mrs. Field’s Cookie.  I could not believe it.  I mean, what in the hell is a dog bigger than my kids (Weight: Dogs 60-75 pounds) doing inside the fucking mall?  Now I see why Santana Row was built.  I mean the high rollers  must have gotten tired of crap like this.  I asked a mall security guy if dogs were allowed in the mall and he replied, “No did you see one?”  I said yes and pointed the culprits out to him.  He was on it.

 I want you to know I am a dog person, born in the year of the dog.  I love dogs.  I have raised two beautiful dogs at separate times, both male Golden Retrievers that lived to be 11 and 14 respectively.  I would have even been fine if it was a seeing eye dog. 

But is wasn’t. 

What are people thinking these days?  I am sorry if I alienate any readers out there, but come on people.  These damned Baby Boomers that are now old, think that the world revolves around them to the point of bringing their mutt into the mall?  To eat a cookie with their mutt?

Hey rover, next time you want to take the missus on a walk, go to the dog park with your frisbies, pooper scoopers and fleas.  Not at the mall for my shopping dis-pleasure.

Thanks.

Rotozip Isn’t Zippy

Here is a letter I sent today to RotoZip customer service: 

I received the RZ5 as a gift last Christmas.  I have not had a reason to use it until today to remove some excess sheetrock around twelve 20 foot 2×8 rafters that I installed in my garage.  I want to share with you my experiences with the tool.

1)  Upon inserting the bit into the chuck, it was very hard to get the chuck to lock down tight enough to hold the bit in place.  I thought I had it tight enough on two occasions yet, it fell out of the chuck when I operated the tool.  I am lucky that I was not injured.  I decided to remove the depth guage and tighten up the chuck with the included wrench.

2)  Upon tightening the bit with the included wrench and re-attaching the depth guage, the tool actually worked the way it is supposed to.  Once I was finished, I wanted to try out the abrasive cutoff attachment on some conduit.  I could NOT get the bit out of the chuck!

3)  After muscling up on the chuck, turning it counter-clockwise, I actually removed the entire chuck from the shaft.  (Why isn’t the shaft reverse threads??) So now I have a drywall bit stuck in a chuck that I can’t get out.  Very frustrating.

4)  I can’t believe that the dust hood isn’t included in the kit.  This thing throws dust like crazy.  I had to put on my half face respirator to finish the job.

5)  I really feel that the handle is unreliable.  Because of the removable function of the hard auxiliary control handle, the handle does not fit snug up against the tool housing and rattles when the tool is turned on. The handle does not provide enough stability to use while the tool is in cutting operation. 

I have almost every tool there is.  I am a far more accomplished craftsman than the best weekend warrior.  I am not sure what to do at this point; My father gave me the tool and he said he bought it from Home Depot, but I know they will not do a thing about this as I don’t have a receipt and the tool has been used (let alone the fact that it has been a year).

I would like a replacement kit just like what I have.  I am willing to send you back (at your expense) the tool I have now so you can have you product and manufacturing folks evaluate what I am talking about.  Clearly there is something wrong with this tool.  Maybe it was a faulty manufacturing run? 

To the two people reading my rants, I would not recommend this tool to the most experienced person.  It is junk.  I am just trying to get another one that works, so I can use it somewhat in a limited fashion.

Cheers!

Britney Paris and Lohan

I just want to comment that these 3 gals are hot, but very annoying.  It is too bad that Britney is setting the wrong example for younger mothers worldwide.  I also think the latest scandelous pictures of her going commando with Paris are interesting, but a bit much.  I mean come on Papparazzi (sp?) leave a drunk, young, misguided mother of 2 alone for crying out loud!

Britney, come on.  Get your act together.

The Glue On Ice Cream Cone Wrappers

I was at the local DQ last night with my wife and as I ate my medium cone, I peeled off the wrapper so I could eat all of the cone with the ice cream inside.

As I peeled the wrapper off, I noticed there was way too much glue used to hold the wrapper on. 

My question and concern is pretty obvious…..is that glue harmful?

If you know, please post the answer.  Hopefully, it is non-toxic.

911 Wait Time

It took 5 1/2 minutes today to reach a live operator on my cell phone

On the way in to work today I passed an accident that had just happened seconds previously. 

A young lady in her 20’s had plowed into the back of a large pick up truck, which didn’t have any visible damage.  The truck driver was exiting his vehicle and the lady’s airbags had deployed.  She was just sitting there, dazed and her car looked totaled. 

Obviously she needed emergency help.  If for nothing else to get her and her car out of the road so another on-coming car didn’t rear end her and cause more damage.

So I call 911 from my cell phone. I wait and wait and wait and wait. 

The whole time I am thinking, what if I was running from someone with a gun trying to rob me?  5 1/2 minutes is a lot of running, or a lot of anything especially if it is an emergency.

My soundoff:  I pay enough taxes to live in California that I should receive a lower response time than 5 1/2 mins for a 911 call.  Prior to this, I had heard rumors that cell phone 911 calls didn’t have priority, but I didn’t believe them until now. 

I would think that this issue would be a MAJOR concern with parents giving cell phones to the kids or with women feeling like they have a security blanket in their cell phone, because they don’t. 

Come on California, hire more 911 operators to answer the cell phone 911 calls!

Some additional articles are here and here and here for your reading pleasure.