Today at the grocery store  

Okay - are you in charge of educating them, because I have a list!

Glad to see you back.

LOL. There is no way I want the task of educating the cashiers. We would have to take them to a kindergarten class and teach them basic respect and courtesy. What's wrong with these people? Didn't they watch Mr. Roger's neighborhood?

Mr. Rogers! YOU are HILARIOUS!

It's not like this was some young kid whose brain was on vacation! The woman was at least as old I am if not a little older. You would think she would have developed a bit more common sense and have more of a work ethic.

Her brain has been sucked out by the youth of today. LOL. I am sure she wasn't younger than you. She has confessed to being 25 with two children that are in their tween years. LOL. She has a husband that made her hair gray. LOL Since you are at the ripe age of 16 maybe she can adopt you too. I'm still in shock of you being over 30.

Are you sniffing the mold in the cave again? What the heck are you talking about? Who has kids in their tween years?

The cashier. That's why she's an idiot. Cut her some slack. You've been around kids that age. She is working just to get a break from them.

I am sure she hates her job and hates her life and hates the fact that she has that job at this juncture. She probably doesn't want to have any job at all but can't afford to not work. She doesn't have the skills, poise, etc. to get something better and she doesn't care about being courteous.

I usually kind of step back and watch these people and observe their mannerisms and so forth but this particular day I was forced to engage. She was handling my flowers a bit too rough for my liking as well.

You want to talk about unfortunate people. There was an older lady that came into Wal-mart that had never shopped there before in her life. Her and her husband were both retired. She had always shopped at Macy's and couldn't believe Wal-mart had such nice clothes. Her husband had a pension and SS. And she had ss. The pension stopped because the market went under and there was no more money. Her clothes started tearing so she had to get new ones but she couldn't afford Macy prices. They aren't out on the street, but how sad is that to have the money you worked so hard for and that you are used to disappear because of the economy. I feel bad for the older generation. It's not like a lot of them can get jobs.

It just goes to show that you cannot take anything for granted. Macy's is fine, but it is not as if the quality is so much better than walmart on everything they sell. In fact some of the merchandise in those high priced stores is just poorly made crap!

It's nice to have "money" and a comfortable lifestyle but you have to have a plan for the day when everything changes. It is unfortunate that the couple you mention are having to downscale, but as you said, at least they are not out on the street.

I never understood why anyone would want to shop at Macy's. I grew up in Va, in the country and we didn't have a Macy's anywhere near us. I went to NY by myself when I was 19. I had to go through Macy's to see what the big deal was. I thought if it was that great I would just by something there. I looked through the clothes and all the clothes had strings hanging from them. At first glance, I figured maybe it was a fashion statement. When I got closer to the clothes, the string was hanging from the seams. I left the store laughing. Why would anyone want to shop there? I was from the country and wasn't stupid enough to buy that stuff. LOL

I have gotten some good deals at Macy's on sale priced and clearance clothing. I had a gift card and one of those coupons from the paper and I found a dress on sale and with all the discounting it came to two dollars and change!

That's pretty good. I usually do that with JC Penney's if I want something "brand name." I wait for the sales and discounts and usually the outfit is under $10.

Everything you buy is a "brand" name and was designed by someone. It cracks me up when people flock to the department stores for "designer" clothing. Real designer clothing is not mass produced and sold off the rack.

There goes my fashion knowledge. LOL I thought brand names were the clothes mass produced to sale in stores and the designer fashions were those that there are only one of made. Of course, designer labels are usually brands that are expensive so I'm confused. Don't ask me about clothes labels. I will tell you it is whatever name the mom writes in the child's clothes. LOL

That's just it, everything has a "brand" and people go crazy over the idea of something being "made" by Hilfiger or Lauren or whoever but what they don't realize is those people are not the ones making the clothes and some of them may not even know how to sew or even draw!

LOL. I see, but they are popular names so everyone flocks to them because they are "Name brands". I just thought they bought them because they were supposed to be better quality. I've never seen the difference in the quality, so I didn't rush out to get the newest one.

That's because you're smarter than the average Jane. I knew someone who bought something from Penny's back in the day because it had a "designer" label and the fabric was paper thin. She also couldn't pronounce the names of designers which was hilarious.

HEHEHE. Now that's funny! Why would you buy something you know you couldn't get much wear out of. Maybe she wanted to wear it after it was "worn" in. Was she a madonna fan?

She was just dumb.

LOL. Sometimes there is no excuse for someone, except dumb. LOL

Well "they" say there is no accounting for taste...

LOL. I just got a comment on an article I did last year for gifts for sister in laws. Someone told me it was just rude to give a prepaid phone card and phone numbers to anyone. It was meant light-heartedly and like I told her if you knew my sister-in-laws you might recommend it. Besides, they would think it funny.

I guess that person would have a real problem with me sending stationery and self-addressed stamped envelopes.

Send me the link to that article.

I will look for it tomorrow. I wrote it a year ago. They (meaning AC) dug it up out of archives to feature in their Christmas section. LOL

Obviously they were not offended by it!

They should have been, I hadn't started using spelling and grammar checker on my stuff. LOL

I think stationary and envelopes are a great idea. If you print your address on the envelopes, maybe, just maybe, the receiver will get the hint. LOL

You would think so!

That's a really great idea! Maybe you should even do a Christmas gift article suggesting that. Better yet an article on how to get people to communicate with you.

I was actually thinking of of combining the idea with your calling card for parents of college students.

That would be a good article. I haven't seen AC ask for that specific category yet so you might actually get an upfront. I know they have a bunch of articles starting with GIFTS FOR... I hope they pay you for it. If not, at least it should be featured so you can get some page views that way.

They took the scrapbook story (still can't find the pictures) so I have one I plan to do on when and how I got the car. I just find it easier to do stuff for helium because some of their titles don't require much time at all to crank out an article.

The only thing is now everything is electronic. No one really takes the time to write letters anymore.

This is true. I don't think anyone writes anymore. One of my friends stopped emailing me. She said she didn't have time. LOL She said didn't you see my face book page. I said no and she said she is posting everything there because it was easier.

Good grief! As if communication were not suffering enough. A local business I frequent offers discounts to facebook followers but I refuse to become one. I don't have the time for THAT. I get way too many emails as it is.

LOL. I don't know why I find that so funny. Seriously. Following a floral shop on facebook? I really have to check this out. Do they go somewhere? LOL.

You will be happy to know that I received my answer from AC. Yep there site is turning into Helium for me. Guess it will SUCK! They are turning it into Featured contributors and you might not qualify if you don't have credentials. Guess who doesn't have credentials?!? Do you ever feel like people are telling you you just aren't good enough? Boy this is ridiculous for not even $4.

Sounds like your beloved AC started something that now they can not finish. I would not worry much, as long as you continue to improve you will be able to look into other opportunities.

Yeah. Trying to work outside the home for $8 an hour. LOL AC is setting up "featured contributors" where if you are a featured contributor you will make a little extra money with assignments and you get to be featured. This is going to suck for us that are mediocre. LOL

Well, if you ask me they don't really have very high standards.

LOL. Gee, thanks. That makes me feel real good since I can't even meet their standards. LOL It's almost like they are trying to be like Helium with the credential badges. The worst part is, I'm not impressed with Helium, especially how the articles are so hard to access. LOL

I'll be you were impressed with your latest helium payout, ha ha!

My only critcism of helium is how easy it is for bad articles to get published, but then that is also why it is so easy to earn there.

Actually bad articles are easy to publish on either site. AC just won't pay you upfront for the bad article, unless it's bad because the info is wrong. I read one article that was great writing, but the how-to was wrong. I know the person submitted it for upfront because she is worse than me and only submits for payment.

That is truly sad.

That's just the way these writing sites are. There is no one that checks the accuracy of the information. I think instead of being worried about who has what credentials maybe they should hire someone to check the accuracy of the articles. Especially the how-to's. LOL In one of my cousin's college classes he was saying that a bunch of the guys, him included that took mechanics would write essays for English about a car problem and it would be a running joke to put the wrong info in the article. See how this problem started? LOL

That is why Wikipedia is such a problem. But helium an AC have the ability for articles to be flagged so I guess that is something.

I've never flagged any article. You never know when that little favor will come back to haunt you. Besides, you don't really know how anonymous it actually is.

That's true about the anonymity; I have often wondered about that. Here's a laugh for you, when you were responding to this just now I was at the grocery store again!

LOL. Seriously, people will think you live there. LOL You are too funny.

Well, a girl's gotta eat!

What? You aren't like all these other crazy people on a diet? The teachers at this school are all on a competitive diet. Wish I could join. LOL

I am about 5'8" and weigh maybe 145. The last thing I need is to be on a diet.

LOL. Wish I had that problem. Maybe you should model for some extra money. That might be fun. You could learn how to be a diva and tell everyone what to do and what their job is. I'm not a diva, but I found it is easier to do things yourself than to get someone to do what they are being paid to do.

I wanted to model when I was young and into wearing makeup, etc. I was too short! When I finally became tall enough they had changed the height requirements!

LOL. That sounds like my luck. Maybe you should try to do it now. You never know what might happen.

Now I am too old, too thick and still too short!

Oh yeah, and too NOT INTERESTED!

LOL. You could be an inspiration to those of us who are over 20. LOL

All that stuff seems glamorous when you are young and then you get a taste of what the reality is. A friend and I heard about an opportunity to do some kind of modeling deal with a local department store at our high school. I was about 5'7" or so and maybe 115. She was short and a little chubby. Guess who they picked?

That's probably because they were advertising for the local short chubby girl to buy their clothes. It's hard for petites(short people) to find clothing that looks good on them. Maybe they were hoping to break a trend.

Actually, what they want is people they can shape and mold into their own image.

I wonder why they wouldn't want a taller, chubby person because they could get the person to gain or lose weight as they needed. Or, do you mean by personality wise?

Chubby? Was that a joke? Even plus sized models are not all that "plus."

HA! No joke, I just couldn't get out what I meant. LOL I meant I wonder why they wouldn't want a taller thin person, or if they are looking for someone chubby so they can make them lose or gain weight for what they need.

Nah, it's a racket. They wanted someone they could mold and make feel good who would by the clothes, etc., go on to modeling school. It's like those model searches where they don't choose you for anything but they want you to sign up for classes.

Oh, that makes a person feel good about themselves. They spend all that money and never get anything in return. What an ego booster. LOL It's a wonder those people don't get mad and retaliate against the stores or the schools.

Why would they? Everything you have to pay for is a racket of some kind. People are not that deep though; they don't even think about it.

Good for you! No one has any respect when they are working. It's really bad when they are working with the public and talking like that. It's ridiculous.

Hardly anyone has any respect at any time! That is one of the few things that will get my temper up. I have no patience for that kind of behavior. I am glad you spoke to the manager. That kind of behavior is so completely inappropriate.

BTW, "buss" was supposed to be bust, which was really burst (or busted), but she didn't pronounce the final t. That crap sometimes drives me crazy as well. You can't even understand people half of the time because when they are speaking English they are still not speaking English!

Many of my students mumble and I have to ask them to repeat themselves repeatedly and to speak up and in some cases I still can't tell what the heck they are asking me. I need a decoder ring!

Many people in New Orleans wash their dishes in a zink, they drink ernge juice they get their books from the liberry (those who actually read)... don't get me started.

LOL. My sides are starting to hurt again. Don't put Trensue in cultural shock. LOL I grew up in the south and I am still not used to it! Of course, no one can understand me either.

My grandfather is from the country; you would not believe how many times I had no idea what the h*ll he was talking about. Some of the things people say here don't even make sense. In some parts of the country you can blame Non-British Europeans for passing down a different pronunciation but nothing these people say is the result of a French influenced inflection.

I love it when people come here from other places and try to pronounce the street names correctly. I had a friend briefly who used to say she lived on Meelahn street (Milan). I used to laugh at her because I know that everyone here says Mylun.

A friend of mine from Haiti was talking about Cawntee (Conti) street. I told him to take himself down to the French Quarter and ask for that street and see what happens. While people here have no trouble saying calliope when talking about musical instruments, when they mention the street or the housing project it is callyohpe.

I could go on and on and on...

When I was a kid I would hear "you talk so proper!" I had no idea what the heck they were talking about.

Thank you for protecting my from the whole culture shock thing! You are right, I am old and don't adapt well! Although the other day I did tell my husband I was fixin' to kick his but into the next county if he didn't fix the ice maker or learn how to fill an ice tray. How did I do?

That depends... did he fix it?

Bummer! Nope. I got up this morning to empty trays and no ice maker again. I am not filling them. He will want sweet tea later and he will be sad!

LOL. You guys are funny. Canellita, there is no way I would pronounce them right. I have to hear the pronounciation at least once before I get it right. I learned if you grew up in a place it is easy to know what the signs say as far as pronounciation, if and only if you heard the word before. I learned how to read at a young age doing that.

Trensue all I can say to that is "Men!" lol

What is the deal with men and the friggin' ice tray anyway? My aunt must have been a man in her previous life because instead of dumping out the entire tray into a container or ziploc bag she will take a few cubes out and put the ice tray back. When you want ice there is none because either the tray is empty or she just finally refilled it.

I believe in bagging the ice and making more so that you have extra when you need it, like when company comes over! Of course now she has a fridge with an ice maker but sometimes the machine is turned off because the pump is connected to a big bottle of water that sits on the counter and she doesn't always refill it and then she shuts off the ice maker...

I try not to go in there very much.

True, perhaps I should write a letter. It's just that since the hurricane some places had difficulty even getting and keeping employees.

When I shopped at Whole Foods a little while later it was a completely different experience. I guess the people who work there do so because they want to.

you have to do it C. they must learn their lesson if not, cashiering or being into front line jobs is not for them.

Well, as it is I am not likely to go back to that store anytime soon anyway. The prices were a little high, the selection limited and it's not really convenient to my home.

There is a market closer, though it is really small, but I usually do my shopping in a different area where I am getting errands done.

that's a good decision. better shop in the nearest store if you can have what you need there than go back to that store where you can be in trouble--good that you have that patience friend!

Usually I am on the other side of town doing something else so I just what I need there or in the next parish doing other shopping and will stop on the way back at something in that area.

Sometimes I stop in at Whole Foods on the way back from work. It all depends on what I am picking up.

wherever and whatever... i know you still can maintain your cool. so how's the status of your complain? are you going to pursue it?

I haven't had a chance to deal with it. Been too busy.

it's okay dear. just take your time!

I try not to show any annoyance in a situation like this because it just inspires them to have an even worse attitude with you. This particular day I was tired and it was more difficult than usual.

Those are some serious bags scheng! MommaJ and I can start a new business with clothing made from super strong rice sacks! All our financial problems will soon be over!

haha, you want to come here to carry 25kg sack of rice?
It's very good exercise if you and Mommaj can help me carry all the rice home.
I bet you two will lose 5kg per trip. My house is about 20 minutes walk away from the supermarket, and carrying 25kg of rice is enough to burn off all the fats accumulated from the last five years.

I must be sure and let MommaJ know in case she has any baby weight left she needs to burn off!

I just talked to Mr. Fixit. He got the parts this morning and he went to church where there was some program or something going on. He was changing his clothes to head in this direction though he is thinking I should bring the car to him because he can work on it better there, especially if it starts getting dark.

If this had been a young person I would have understood and been able to say "she does not know better." This woman had to be around 50 years old if not older. It is poor training on the part of the store but what can you do in a job like this one where there is regular turnover and people have no incentive to better themselves.

She was trying to say the apple had burst open, but it wasn't like that when I put it on the belt seeing as how I had taken the time to pick through the apples and choose ones without bruises or soft spots.

The cheese wasn't that cold and no humidty had built up on the outside of the bag. She was just making assumptions. Everything was safe from any moisture that could have potentially developed on the way home except maybe the cereal bar box and it didn't matter if it got a little moisture (even though I could have packed so it wouldn't) because the bars are individually wrapped.

I can't say that I have never been lazy but it seems like more and more people are in their jobs. At a grocery store, I'm pretty sure that most of them do this, but you call for a customer service person, or a bagger and they go back and get a new item! Not the customer!

I had a customer who would bag his own items, it was always seltzer water or something like that, it was bottled either way. In any case, he'd get ten and put them all in one plastic bag.. not doubled! lol... but that's beside the point. My point is, I would bag my own items if the cashier wasn't understanding what I meant, or was wanting to bag it a complete unnecessary way.

That is just it! I WAS bagging my own items and she still tried to put some stuff in plastic!