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I bought a few new shirts. And I didn't read the care tags prior to the purchase. They are handwash only. No washing machine. But I have a handwash setting on my washer. I have delicate and handwash. Should I chance it or just handwash?

Some Hump Day Humor

*Author's note, there is a bad word in this post. I have had some funny things happen to me over the past couple of days. I always think that I should share them on my blog and after calling ~j to report funny situations, the idea is right. Post it. I fell in love with Costco while visiting ~j. Thing is: Costco there is nice. It is flooded with young mothers, cute children, happy staff. Last year, New Mr. Tia and I got a membership when he was Soon To Be New Mr. Tia. I love the deals there. I love the fact that I can buy 50 one hundred calorie Kudos for less than ten bucks. I love that they send me coupons that I use. My friend told me about another new warehouse to go to... No, not Sam's Club. I will actually be going as her guest tomorrow to check it out. She made the point that this place has benefits, like, self checkout which means open lines which, in turn, means no more lines of 20 people deep at the TWO cash registers that are open. So yesterday, needing oxi clean and bottled water, I head to Costco. The thing about Costco here is that you can't just go there for one thing unless that one thing is so important you will spend more time waiting in line to pay for said thing for almost as long as it took you to get there. I got my stuff, plus a way cute shirt to add to my "trying to be transformed wardrobe". I head to the line and wait. And wait. I am almost to the front of the line and my cart is pulled by a nice man with a nice smile and a name tag... "Follow me...", he says. So I follow, and he gets all my items turned so he can scan the barcodes and send me on my way. While turning my items, an older gentleman jumps in the line... OG: "I have been waiting for chicken for an hour." (right now, I am wishing I could mock the voice he spoke in) Cashier: "Oh yeah?" OG: "A whole hour. How come she can go ahead of me?" Cashier: "She was waiting in line sir. Longer than you. You just can't jump in front of her in line." OG: "But I have been waiting. An hour. For that chicken." Cashier: "I understand sir, but rules are rules. It's called courtesy." OG: "I bet if I had tits and a nice face, I would get special treatment too." At this point, I have cashed out and gotten everything in my cart and I turn and say... (with a sympathetic look on my face) "Oh... But I like your face." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lap dog buckled into a cart at Target. Nuff said... yet brings me to another story.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Driving to work one morning and see a vehicle in front of me with a plastic bag hanging out of the passenger side door. Just waving in the wind. I pull up to the car to alert the driver only to see her. Sitting there. Smoking a cigarette. And petting her cat. That is sitting on her lap as she is driving. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Not all of us here in Southwest Florida have the luxury that New Mr. Tia has. He works two blocks from our house. Frequently, he will come home unannounced for this, that and the other. The door to our home is a large one that is heavy and you have to push hard to shut. This morning, while showering, I heard the door slam. I said, "Honey?" No answer. "Babe?" Nothing. Remembering that it is Wednesday and Wednesday is the day we call each other Sugar Bear... ok not really... I called his name once more and no answer. Did I mention I watch way too many crime shows? Thinking the worst, I hurry to get out of the shower and try to figure out what I have in the bathroom to defend myself against who might be stealing my tv. Oh wait, the tv is still on. And I live in Florida. And they are covering the landing of space shuttle Atlantis right now. And the "door slamming" I heard was actually what we call down here a sonic boom. Phew.

I take it back.

Man. Did you read my previous post? Yeah? Well, I rescind my apology.

I still like the Wal*Mart up north by my parents' house. BUT... Read on.

Our friends at Wal*Mart had a deal going that if you purchased more than a certain amount, upon approval, you could get 0% financing for so many months. New Mr. Tia likes to do that. He opens a finance account, and pays it off before the certain months are up.

So we get the tv home. New Mr. Tia starts measuring and figuring and leveling to get the tv just right on the wall.

Did you know that when you buy a flat panel tv, you also have to spend almost another hundred dollars on the wall mount? And lo and behold, we bought the ONLY tv that required a ridiculous size wall mount. The holes on a standard flat panel are so many inches apart, but we bought the tv that requires a wall mount for holes that are many more inches apart. So we go back to Wal*Mart.

Ugh.

Of course when you have a return they have that nice person at the door that greets you and gives you a pink sticker to indicate that it is a return. We of course cannot go to electronics to return said wall mount, but we have to go to the conventional return line that was seriously stretched to the other entrance of the store. I waited in line while New Mr. Tia went to electronics to see if they even had the wall mount we needed. When he came back, I still hadn't moved in line. There was only one cashier at the returns desk. We saw a faint glimmer of hope when another cashier came to her aid only to help about two, maybe three people and then return to her post of doing nothing but swinging keys and looking official.

We finally get to the sweet little lady that was so beaten down by the overwhelming amount of returns. She asks if we would just like a credit back to the account in which we used to purchase the item. We say sure. I love that now when you return something you don't have to pull out your credit card, they have it on record.

We go back to electronics. They don't have it. So we leave and New Mr. Tia says he is going to Home Depot to look for one. Nothing. Lowe's. Nothing. I get on Target.com and that's right. Nothing.

So we decide to give up for the night and assemble the tv on the stand and set it on the new chest we got.

Then we turned on the tv.

And we see a tiny green dot smack dab in the middle of the screen.

Next morning New Mr. Tia calls the company and they say a pixel is out and it is not covered under warranty unless a certain percentage of pixels are out. So guess what we did?

Head back to Wal*Mart. I decided to get a pedicure. Yes, Wal*Mart has pedicure people. Again, another dumb idea. I still have a nice scab from where my cuticle was yanked from my toe.

New Mr. Tia returned the tv and asked if he could just exchange it for a different tv. They told him it would be better to just return the tv and go back to electronics to get the new tv and do seperate transactions. Again, they just credited the account back.

We decided on a different tv with the standard wall mount measurements and the cost of the tv was cheaper and the quality of the product was better.

I was walking around looking at the new gps systems and accessories when I hear New Mr. Tia's voice. He doesn't deal well with bad situatins and poor customer service.

Upon approaching the cash register the girl says his account is not valid. You know when you apply for a store charge account, they give you a receipt with your account information for you to use until your physical card comes in the mail? And you can use that receipt over and over and if it expires before you get your card in the mail, you can give them some information, they can pull it up?

Not at Wal*Mart.

Supposedly, your receipt is only valid for 24 hours and we were passed the 24 hour period. They could not pull up the account information and said we had to wait until the card came in the mail. EVEN MANAGEMENT told us that.

As New Mr. Tia's face got more and more red, I asked the lady, "you have a $... sale in front of you and you're telling us that we can't get it on the deal you are offering us and we have to wait? That is ridiculous. I have never heard of a store doing such a thing."

So now what happened? I applied for the financing so we could get the tv and everyone was happy.

But now, I'm back to boycotting Wal*Mart. Starting tomorrow. I have to get a few things today and don't have time to go back to Target. And Target doesn't carry the things I need.

In other topics...

Anyone watch the Grammys? Or is it Grammies? Anyway, How do you feel about them turning the music on during Kanye West's acceptance speech? And they wouldn't turn it off until he said that it would be in good taste to turn off the music when he started talking about his recently departed mother? How could they think he wasn't going to say something about her?

a time to repent.

Not until I moved down here have I had such a deep loathing for Wal*Mart. Down here, the store is completely different. Matter of fact, every time I go back to my hometown and I visit the Wal*Mart there (because Target is too far away), I notice the difference. Believe it or not, there is a difference. Up north, the cashiers are friendly. They converse with you. The lines are basically bare... EVEN at Christmas time. Down here, not so much. I dread the Wal*Mart down here. The cashiers are rude, the stores are messy and down right dirty. One time, I went to get some things and spent more time waiting in line than I did actually shopping. One of the items I purchased was a 6 pack of beer that I contemplated opening while in line. Apparently, in the town I live in, there is an unwritten rule that if you consume a product while in the store, it is not considered stealing. Sure, I have opened a soda while at the store, but at least I still have the cashier scan the empty bottle. But really, folks, nothing makes me want to throw up more than when I'm looking at accessories for my bathroom and I come across an eaten apple core that is all brown and mushy sitting on the shelf next to the display of bath rugs. Ew. I have made a silent resolution to not shop at Wal* Mart anymore. The kicker is, if I drive on the right road, I can find 3 Wal*Marts within MILES of each other. And they are all the same. I have come to peace with the fact that I am willing to spend the extra dollar and drive the extra miles to go to Target where the store is clean, the quality of the product is better, and well, they have a Starbucks. Sunday, I thought would be a quiet day at home. New Mr. Tia was sick with some bug that he is convinced his mother passed to him via the telephone. I was tidying up the house and putting off vacuuming until he woke up. He asked what we were going to do and I told him I thought he could use the rest so I didn't want to plan anything. He decided to act on my recent nagging of rearranging our bedroom. Yes, I just admitted that I nagged my husband. You see, we have a television in our bedroom. It sits against the side wall on his side of the bed. Since New Mr. Tia usually falls asleep before I do... and he snores, I like to watch tv to fall asleep. However, when he rolls over, I can't see the tv. I can't really bring myself to push him over. Because when he rolls over, he usually stops snoring. Can you feel my double edged sword? I just think we should move the tv to a more neutral place where we can both see it equally. Rearranging the room should be cake right? And cheap, right? Have you ever met New Mr. Tia? We spent our Sunday afternoon driving from store to store to store looking for a lingerie type dresser/chest to match our bedroom furniture since our bedroom furniture is discontinued. We also were out pricing flat panel tvs that we could hang on the wall. All I wanted was to move a few things in the room. Our tv is fine. But now, different plans have been made. After visiting Best Buy, Target, Costco, and a few other stores, we didn't have any luck. Afterall, we were just pricing things. Not buying them. We were pleased that all we spent was money to fill up on gas. Then yesterday, I got the text message... "Wal*Mart has a 26" flat panel with a built in dvd player for $..." So we went. I could feel my shoulders tensing as we walked in the store. As we made our way towards electronics to look at the merchandise, we passed the furniture. And guess what we found? For a good price. And it was good quality. Real wood. Not laminate. We both were in awe that we found what we were looking for and more for a cheaper price and a better financing deal at this place. We wasted our Sunday afternoon looking for something that was right in our backyard the entire time. Sorry, Wal*Mart. (side note: while we were looking at the tvs, I heard the loud speaker... "attention Wal*Mart shoppers, registers 23 and 25 are now open with NO LINES. I couldn't believe it myself)

This is a tribute of sorts

When I first moved here, I had a really hard time. It's almost been 18 months and I still am having a hard time, but that's a different post for a different time. I was going through a song and dance with the state to get my massage therapy license so in the mean time, I waited tables and bartended at a restaurant. I remember it well, it was my second week of work and my last table of the night. Two girls walked in and sat in my section. They were so sweet. Bright smiles and contagious laughs. After I served their dinners to them I remember saying, "Thanks for being so friendly. You girls have really made my day. As a matter of fact, you are really making me miss my sister." I said this because as I watched their interactions, it reminded me of me and my sister. I told them that my sister was due in a few weeks with a baby and I wanted to be with her badly. It was nice to see them and talk to them because I was still fresh to the area and really, wasn't sure what I was doing here. They made me feel better. Fast forward a year. Again, my second week of work, but at my new salon and spa. When I don't have any clients, I walk around the salon and nail room and talk to clients and offer complimentary neck and shoulder massages while they wait for their colors to process and their nails to dry. That's when I saw her. The girl from the year before that was in my restaurant with her sister. She didn't remember me at first. I approached her and offered her neck and shoulders some lovin'. And again, she had the big smile and the contagious laugh as she talked to her nail tech. Then she started asking me about myself. I told her we'd met before. When I jogged her memory a bit, she remembered. It was a joyous reunion. Since then, this girl has become a regular client of mine. She and I know each other. I know her husband's name. I know about her childhood. I know how much family means to her. She has said on more than one occasion that her family is her rock. I think this is where she and I connect so well. I LOVE my family. I miss my family. I talk to my sister several times a week. She and I have conversations that I guess only sisters can understand. We laugh and we cry together. I'd talk to my brother probably about the same amount of time, but he's very busy and will be for the next two and a half years or so. To have siblings like I have, is the best gift ever. They are my support and my rocks. Their spouses and their children are just as wonderful. I'm such a nerd, I have tears welling up as I type this. My parents are the best. Not only do I have a great mom and a great dad, my mom remarried to a wonderful man who loves me and my siblings as if we were his own. We are so fortunate to have a "bonus dad" like him. I'm grateful for my parents everyday. Words cannot describe the love I have for my family. I miss them all the time and especially as of late. If only every kid could be as lucky as me.

Say You Want a Resolution Well You Know...

Happy New Year, Everyone! How was your holiday season? Good? Good. New Mr. Tia and I went to our hometown in Western New York and spent time with both families. It was joyous. Hardly stressful. We flew out of an airport about 3 hours away from where we live because a) we saved almost $300-$400 by flying out of there b) I have family there so we didn't have to pay for parking or a hotel and c) it was a direct flight. We came home on New Year's Eve and spent the Eve with my aunt, uncle and their two girls. My aunt kept asking what my resolution for 2008 was. I'm not one that is big on resolutions. I used to write pages after pages of things I would do differently for the new year and of course, I never followed through. A lot of times, I never set realistic goals for myself, hence the failed follow through. I have, however thought of some things that I can do this year that I can achieve. Drink more water. Water is so good for me and sometimes I don't feel that I am drinking enough of it. I do notice a difference when I drink more of it. Focus on my new career. I just started a new job and I love it. I get frustrated at times and I have realized that my frustrations don't help matters. My new philosophy is "Tomorrow is a new day". Self Preservation. Early to bed, early to rise. Just returning from a week away, I have gotten into the habit of sleeping in and staying up late. Having healthy sleeping habits can help me to be more alert to get through my work day. Along with the preservation, I am also going to focus on my self confidence. I have been struggling with this since I have moved here. My best friend finally told me that I cannot expect others to perceive me as confident until I am in fact, confident. I have had a hard time at my new job with that. I went in yesterday with a new attitude and I am hoping my project works. One day down and it has. Follow through on things. Everytime I go out of town, I get this bug in my butt to get home and get on the stick. I want to reorganize, clean out the closet, clean clean clean... you get the idea. Thanks to my parents, I got a brand spanking new dated organizer complete with a task master that I can use to help me get this stuff done. Spend more time with my iPod and my digital camera. They deserve more lovin'. And of course... BLOG MORE. I know I have talked about this before, but I really am going to try. We'll see how it goes. I wish you all a wonderful 2008. *side note: See that big space in between the title and the beginning of the post? That happens whenever I start a post and save it to finish later. How can I stop that?

Better than me

As most of you know, I have done a lot of jobs in my past. Anything you put in front of me, I'll try it.

After my long struggle of becoming an LMT here and finally finding a job, I only work part time at my new spa. So to make up for some lost time, I have been bartending a couple nights a week. I used to bar tend for a corporate restaurant but then have moved to a new place that opened up and the money to be made has been, well, quite phenomenal to say the least.

Let me tell you about new place. It is a wine bar. And a cigar bar. There are leather sofas and chairs for our guests to sit and enjoy their cigars and cocktails and on the weekends we have live jazz and blues. On one end of the bar, there is a walk in humidor with every kind of cigar you can imagine and on the other side, there is a liquor store.

There are two sides to the bar. One is for the public and the other side is for members. You have a thumbprint identifier to let you in to the "Members Only" area. You get many benefits for being a member... 10% off purchases, access to the conference room, a free cigar and bottle of wine a month... and depending on the level of membership, the more benefits you have. But mainly what does your membership get you? Status. "Hey lady, wanna come join me for a cocktail? I am VIP at this club down the street. That's right, I said VIP. I have money."

These members love their liquor and they love to drop their money like no body's business. It is actually quite sickening. I guess that is because I'm from a place that drinks cost a quarter of what they cost in these parts and well, I most of the time got them for free anyway. Bartenders of a feather flock together.

I have been nominated by my colleagues to be the member 'tender. Most members like me. Others don't get my sense of humor. I'm ok with that. I have been known to make almost $200 in tips off of only TWO PEOPLE.

I have now asked to be taken off the member bar for only a couple days. That's all I want. I need a TV timeout. I'm surprised I haven't lost my job yet. If any of you reading know anything about me, you know that I am not one to be talked down to without having something to say back.

Let me set the scene for you...

*about a year ago when I was waiting tables, I waited on some gentlemen that worked for one of the largest car dealerships down here. They tried recruiting me to come to their place and sell cars. I ran into one of the people a few weeks ago while bartending a private party in someones home. I didn't know at that time how he looked familiar and just thought I knew him from the wine bar. Until he came in wearing the dealership's t shirt, did I then put it all together. Read on.

Me: Now I know how you look familiar to me. I served you and some of your colleagues last year at SB.

Him: And we tried to get you to come sell cars with us.

Me: That's right!

Him: If I remember correctly, you had a lot going on then, you were getting married... (he goes on and on)

Me: Yep!

(interrupted by friend of man... aka: I'm With The Guy With The Membership)

IWTGWTM: Wait, let me get this straight... you met her LAST YEAR when she was waiting tables at SB.

Him: Yes.

IWTGWTM: And you tried to get her to come sell cars with you.

Him: Uh-huh.

IWTGWTM: And now here you are, a year later, in another bar, realizing how you met in the first place.

Him: That's right.

IWTGWTM: Well, I can certainly say that I'm glad that in that last year having a job offer fall in her lap like that, she has really moved on to bigger and better things. Way to reach for the stars.

Now, the member that I knew from back when was offended as was I. I looked at him and said:

With the economy being the way it is right now, I am probably making more money bartending than selling cars. And I like to make my money honestly, not by lying through my teeth to sell all the bells and whistles.

You know, some people. Then, my favorite:

Member: Miss? (finger snap) Miss?

Me: You know my name, you can call me by my name.

Member: Oh, well, I prefer to call all who serve me Miss.

Me: Oh? Really? I didn't know we could do that. If that's the case, I prefer to call all who I serve Douchebag. So, what'll it be Douche?

Now, this kid has been up my butt the last few times I have worked. The best part is: I think his parents bought his membership or he saved his allowance. He is younger than me and is the worst of them all. When it's time to close his tab, he always says, "Give yourself 20%". Yessir. I'll be right on that. Thanks for nothing. Douche.

Moral of this post folks, please don't think you are better than anyone else. Treat your servers with respect. They work hard for their money.