It's tourist season again in our lovely small coastal Maine town. Which means the Massholes, New York Nitwits, Connectitits and Canadiasses are back.
I know tourism drives our town, but do you all have to be such asshats?
If I'm running in the morning with my dog, single file, is it really that hard for the two or three of you to go to single file to let us pass? Of course it is! Force us into the road, which is busy with cars so that we almost get hit several times.
If you're in a road race and running alone, don't take up the whole frelling sidewalk and give me dirty looks because I'm NOT in the road race. Share the sidewalk, you moron.
When our local grocery store puts out sawhorses in front where it already clearly has "NO PARKING" in giant letters, it does NOT mean, park in front of those sawhorses and wait for your lazy ass wife while she shops.
The same goes with parking sideways in two handicap spots when you don't even have a handicap sticker/placard. If your child in his karate uniform can't walk to where you can legitimately park, then you need to put a special helmet on his head and put him on the short bus and get a real handicap sticker.
Don't pull out of your parking spot and then start driving on the wrong side, straight at me, then give me the finger. I can't help it if you got your drivers license in a Cracker Jack box.
When I go to my local stores and the employees who know me say hello (and are genuinely happy to see a local they know) or high five me and we wink or giggle, don't give me a dirty look - or them, either. Yes, we love you're here spending your money in our town, but we have this secret "handshake" that we can't wait for you to leave.
Stop throwing your garbage on the side of the road. Is it really that hard to wait until you get back to your hotel/motel or rental and throw it in the trash? I am SICK of picking up your trash in my yard.
If you stop me to ask for directions and I honestly don't know where you're asking about, don't get ticked off at me and claim I'm just not telling you because you're a tourist. Next time I see you, I'll direct you to get on 95 north and tell you to stop when they start speaking French.
If you're polite to me, I will bend over backwards to help you get to where you want to go - I've pulled my iPhone out of my armband to do a search in Maps for people. All I ask is for a sincere "thank you."
My dog is a Siberian Husky. She is NOT a wolf (good lord, people, she's only 35 pounds, wolves are MUCH bigger and illegal to own as a pet). If your child is afraid of dogs, don't wave me off the sidewalk in anger. You should seriously take the kid to a psychiatrist and find out what the problem is. What are they going to do when they get older and encounter dogs? You can't shelter them forever. Besides, my dog in on a leash, in full control of me. I don't want your brat's dirty hands on her, anyway.
If, however, you ask nicely if you and your kids can pet her, I don't mind. She is an edu-dog (she goes to schools with me to talk to students about cyberbullying), so she gets petted by many kids at once. But do ask first!
Well, I'm glad I got that all off my chest. Have a good 4th of July and don't be asshats!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Things That Stick In My Craw - More Driving Complaints
I swear my Beemer has a "screw with me" bumper sticker that I can't see. My husband is amazed how we travel in my car and how many drivers literally screw with me. Yes, I own a BMW. Get over it.
Going to Portsmouth, NH last week and on the highway. I was in the middle lane and the guy in front of me was going slower than the speed limit. I put on my blinker, moved into the left lane to pass him and what does he do? Speeds up.
Okay.
So I get back behind him and he slows down again.
I said the "F" word, got into the left lane and as this idiot sped up, I stepped on the gas and flew by him. My hubby gave him the finger. I got in front of him and slowed down (no, not to screw with him) set cruise control to a bit over the speed limit.
He rode my bumper for a bit, but finally backed off and went back to his plodding pace.
If you're going slower then the speed limit, please get in the righthand lane.
Pulled into the parking lot at Petco, turned to find a parking spot and a car is coming right at me - on my side. They swerved and actually gave me a dirty look. WTF?
Another time, I pulled into a parking spot at the grocery store at the same time as someone pulled in opposite me. I put my car in park and they were giving me a nasty look, like I was supposed to back out and let them pull through? Hello?
Last night we were in our Jeep (an '84 CJ7) and were pulling into the library parking lot when a small car came flying at us. Parking lots are supposed to be 5 MPH or so (you should go that slow in case someone pulls out of a spot without looking). This guy was going at least 30 MPH - no kidding! My husband had to swerve to avoid getting hit and the guy driving the other car gave *us* the finger. My husband had half a mind to put the Jeep in reverse and run the idiot down. I wouldn't let him.
This morning I was at a stoplight. There was a new BMW M5 convertible in the lane next to me. When I pulled up, he insisted on pulling up a bit more to be ahead of me. At a red light. Ohhhhhh. I'm scared now.
The light turned green and as we both turned in our lanes, he stepped on the gas and took off. Like I'm gonna race him. He ended up taking a left pretty much less than 100 feet from the turn and as I passed him, I yelled, "I'm so impressed."
Why do most people who drive act like such morons? There certainly is no shortage of them on the roads. And why do insist on picking on people who drive Beemers or expensive cars? My car looks new, but it's a 1999, so please folks, find someone else to pick on.
Look! There's a Ferrari, go chase it.
Going to Portsmouth, NH last week and on the highway. I was in the middle lane and the guy in front of me was going slower than the speed limit. I put on my blinker, moved into the left lane to pass him and what does he do? Speeds up.
Okay.
So I get back behind him and he slows down again.
I said the "F" word, got into the left lane and as this idiot sped up, I stepped on the gas and flew by him. My hubby gave him the finger. I got in front of him and slowed down (no, not to screw with him) set cruise control to a bit over the speed limit.
He rode my bumper for a bit, but finally backed off and went back to his plodding pace.
If you're going slower then the speed limit, please get in the righthand lane.
Pulled into the parking lot at Petco, turned to find a parking spot and a car is coming right at me - on my side. They swerved and actually gave me a dirty look. WTF?
Another time, I pulled into a parking spot at the grocery store at the same time as someone pulled in opposite me. I put my car in park and they were giving me a nasty look, like I was supposed to back out and let them pull through? Hello?
Last night we were in our Jeep (an '84 CJ7) and were pulling into the library parking lot when a small car came flying at us. Parking lots are supposed to be 5 MPH or so (you should go that slow in case someone pulls out of a spot without looking). This guy was going at least 30 MPH - no kidding! My husband had to swerve to avoid getting hit and the guy driving the other car gave *us* the finger. My husband had half a mind to put the Jeep in reverse and run the idiot down. I wouldn't let him.
This morning I was at a stoplight. There was a new BMW M5 convertible in the lane next to me. When I pulled up, he insisted on pulling up a bit more to be ahead of me. At a red light. Ohhhhhh. I'm scared now.
The light turned green and as we both turned in our lanes, he stepped on the gas and took off. Like I'm gonna race him. He ended up taking a left pretty much less than 100 feet from the turn and as I passed him, I yelled, "I'm so impressed."
Why do most people who drive act like such morons? There certainly is no shortage of them on the roads. And why do insist on picking on people who drive Beemers or expensive cars? My car looks new, but it's a 1999, so please folks, find someone else to pick on.
Look! There's a Ferrari, go chase it.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Things That Stick In My Craw - A Little of This, A Little of That
Just general ranting and raving today.
I was in the parking lot of a store, sitting in my parked car, talking to my hubby on my cell phone. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a car headed straight for me. Horizontally. Across empty parking spaces, not in the road behind me. I said to my hubby, "Some old lady is going to hit me!"
At the last minute, she stopped. Not even a foot from my drivers side door. I couldn't believe it. She backed up and corrected her path into the road. WTF?
This is why older folks need to have their drivers test every year once they reach 65. I'm just sayin'.
I purchased a great deal from Groupon.com (if you haven't checked out the site, DO!) I got 3 movie rentals from Redbox (a kiosk at most grocery stores) for just $1 and bought 3 of those so that I got 9 rentals for just $3. Such a deal!
Printed up the first three codes to use while we were out shopping yesterday. Went to rent Despicable Me, put the code in, everything was a-okay and "your DVD is being vended" appeared on the screen. We waited. There were some grinding sounds in the machine. Hubby and I looked at each other. That was not a good sound. It was almost like the DVD was being shredded, not being vended. Waited some more. Still grinding sounds. I called the 1-800 number for Redbox and while on the phone with the guy, the screen suddenly went blank, then an error message that the kiosk was shutting down. So the guy apologized and said he'd email me a new code to replace the one I'd used. Cool!
Went to another store closer to home, put in the second code in. Invalid promo code. Okayyyyy. Redid it and used the third code. Again, Invalid promo code. By this time, I was frustrated and we went home.
Called Redbox and the girl listened to my story and checked my account and said a new code *had* been generated for the one where the DVD never came out, but the guy never emailed it to me. She then typed in the two codes I'd tried to use and she said they came up as valid. WTF?
She told me to just delete those codes and she'd issue me three new ones and emailed them to me while I was on the phone with her. Bless her heart. I got the codes and used one today to rent Megamind. No grinding noises, no error messages. Phew!
Today I went to our local Rite Aid. I'd gotten a promotional email that I could get 30 4x6 color prints for just $3 if I ordered them online, then pick them up in the store. Such a deal! Then I got a coupon for $1 off of two Butterfinger Snackrs, which were on sale for two for $1 at Rite Aid. Hey, you can't beat free, right?
Ordered the prints on the Rite Aid web site. Total there came to $5.70, but I knew they'd replace that with the $3 coupon I had. Or so I thought.
I went to Rite Aid, grabbed two of the Snackrs, then went to the photo register. A girl came and got my envelope of photos and I showed her the coupon. She said she'd take me at the register.
As she went to scan in the envelope, I tried to explain that I had the coupon and it was $3 for the 30 prints, not the price on the envelope, $5.70. She ignored me, scanned the two Snackrz, scanned the coupon so that they were free, then scanned in the $3 coupon and charged me $3 more. She actually told me $9.85 (15 cents tax). I mean, hello? You *did* go to school and pass basic math, didn't you? No, I didn't say that out loud.
I calmly pointed at the coupon and said the prints should have been $3.00, not $5.70, which is why it added $3.00 to the total. She looked totally confused, went to the store manager and came back to tell me it was $3.00 *off* - I said that would mean they would lose money (only 30 cents, but hey). She said no, it was $3.00 off. Okayyyyy.
So she voided the whole transaction and started over. Scanned in the envelope, $5.70, gave me $3.00 off of that, scanned in one Snackrs, looked at the coupon for that and said, "Oh, it's $1.00 off of two of them, so I'll just scan the one."
And promptly charged me 88 cents, then announced I owed her $3.76 instead of the $3.15 it should have been.
I'll break this down for you (and I hate math):
$3.00 for the prints
15 cents tax for the prints
0 for the snackrs
equals $3.15
Instead, she charged me:
$2.70 for the prints
15 cents tax
88 cents for the snackers
equals $3.76
At this point, I was ready to blow up. I just paid the frelling $3.76 and left.
I was in the parking lot of a store, sitting in my parked car, talking to my hubby on my cell phone. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a car headed straight for me. Horizontally. Across empty parking spaces, not in the road behind me. I said to my hubby, "Some old lady is going to hit me!"
At the last minute, she stopped. Not even a foot from my drivers side door. I couldn't believe it. She backed up and corrected her path into the road. WTF?
This is why older folks need to have their drivers test every year once they reach 65. I'm just sayin'.
I purchased a great deal from Groupon.com (if you haven't checked out the site, DO!) I got 3 movie rentals from Redbox (a kiosk at most grocery stores) for just $1 and bought 3 of those so that I got 9 rentals for just $3. Such a deal!
Printed up the first three codes to use while we were out shopping yesterday. Went to rent Despicable Me, put the code in, everything was a-okay and "your DVD is being vended" appeared on the screen. We waited. There were some grinding sounds in the machine. Hubby and I looked at each other. That was not a good sound. It was almost like the DVD was being shredded, not being vended. Waited some more. Still grinding sounds. I called the 1-800 number for Redbox and while on the phone with the guy, the screen suddenly went blank, then an error message that the kiosk was shutting down. So the guy apologized and said he'd email me a new code to replace the one I'd used. Cool!
Went to another store closer to home, put in the second code in. Invalid promo code. Okayyyyy. Redid it and used the third code. Again, Invalid promo code. By this time, I was frustrated and we went home.
Called Redbox and the girl listened to my story and checked my account and said a new code *had* been generated for the one where the DVD never came out, but the guy never emailed it to me. She then typed in the two codes I'd tried to use and she said they came up as valid. WTF?
She told me to just delete those codes and she'd issue me three new ones and emailed them to me while I was on the phone with her. Bless her heart. I got the codes and used one today to rent Megamind. No grinding noises, no error messages. Phew!
Today I went to our local Rite Aid. I'd gotten a promotional email that I could get 30 4x6 color prints for just $3 if I ordered them online, then pick them up in the store. Such a deal! Then I got a coupon for $1 off of two Butterfinger Snackrs, which were on sale for two for $1 at Rite Aid. Hey, you can't beat free, right?
Ordered the prints on the Rite Aid web site. Total there came to $5.70, but I knew they'd replace that with the $3 coupon I had. Or so I thought.
I went to Rite Aid, grabbed two of the Snackrs, then went to the photo register. A girl came and got my envelope of photos and I showed her the coupon. She said she'd take me at the register.
As she went to scan in the envelope, I tried to explain that I had the coupon and it was $3 for the 30 prints, not the price on the envelope, $5.70. She ignored me, scanned the two Snackrz, scanned the coupon so that they were free, then scanned in the $3 coupon and charged me $3 more. She actually told me $9.85 (15 cents tax). I mean, hello? You *did* go to school and pass basic math, didn't you? No, I didn't say that out loud.
I calmly pointed at the coupon and said the prints should have been $3.00, not $5.70, which is why it added $3.00 to the total. She looked totally confused, went to the store manager and came back to tell me it was $3.00 *off* - I said that would mean they would lose money (only 30 cents, but hey). She said no, it was $3.00 off. Okayyyyy.
So she voided the whole transaction and started over. Scanned in the envelope, $5.70, gave me $3.00 off of that, scanned in one Snackrs, looked at the coupon for that and said, "Oh, it's $1.00 off of two of them, so I'll just scan the one."
And promptly charged me 88 cents, then announced I owed her $3.76 instead of the $3.15 it should have been.
I'll break this down for you (and I hate math):
$3.00 for the prints
15 cents tax for the prints
0 for the snackrs
equals $3.15
Instead, she charged me:
$2.70 for the prints
15 cents tax
88 cents for the snackers
equals $3.76
At this point, I was ready to blow up. I just paid the frelling $3.76 and left.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Things That Stick In My Craw - Traveling...Yes, Again
Just got back from a trip where I had to fly from Boston. Which meant I had to take the bus from my area to Logan Airport. I had a prepaid ticket for the bus, so when I got to the station, I asked the guy taking tickets if I had to go inside for anything. I told him I had one bag that I wanted to go in the luggage area. He told me I was all set. So I got in line to have the lady put my bag in and she told me I'd have to go inside to get a tag for the terminal I was flying out of. There was a long line. So I got on the bus with one bag under the seat in front of me and the other on my lap. Not a comfy ride.
Got to the airport. My first flight was on Jetblue. I couldn't get a seat assignment when I checked in - they said they'd give me one at the gate. Okey dokey. Went to gate and handed clerk my ticket for a seat assignment. She told me I'd have to wait until they began boarding. Okey dokey. So some guy goes up and she gives him a seat assignment. What the heck? I stood behind him and she looked at me like she'd never seen me before. Gave me seat assignment.
In the meantime, this guy who was short and in a business suit and looked like a mobster starts bitching about how we should be boarding, yadda yadda yadda.
We finally board and guess who I get to sit next to? Yep, Mr. Bitch. Oh, but it gets better - I'm in the middle seat and on my other side is a woman with a toddler who is going to sit on her lap. The plane was full, or I would have asked to move.
Honestly, I think all parents need to pay for a seat for their child and bring a car seat so that the child is safely buckled in (and can't kick the seat in front of them or cause mayhem).
So, as passengers are boarding the plane, Mr. Bitch, on my left, is complaining *loudly* about how the flight was late, how many people does this plane hold? Etc, etc. I tried to make him laugh by saying it was like one of those clown cars at the circus. He didn't get the joke.
So the flight attendant comes up just as the door was closed on the plane and apologizes to Mr. Bitch for the delay and says he could make it up to him by giving him alcohol. This is at 830 in the morning. So Mr. Bitch gets two little bottles of vodka and OJ. What about me having to put up with Mr. Bitch? Nada! Pfft.
Plane takes off. Toddler starts kicking seat in front of him. Mother does nothing. I plugged my headphones into the armrest to watch TV (thank God Jetblue has that). Toddler keeps looking at me trying to get my attention. I ignore toddler. Toddler hangs on top of seat in front of him. Mother does nothing.
Mr. Bitch is watching TV, so he's not bothering me...yet.
Mr. Bitch gets up to stretch. I take the opportunity to go to the restroom. Get back to my seat. Flight attendant brings two more bottles of vodka and an OJ to Mr. Bitch. Seriously? Is it really a good idea to get this guy drunk?
Mr. Bitch begins talking to me, very drunkenly. About his back, surgeries on his back, how much he is in pain and the alcohol is helping it....
Toddler unplugs my headphones from armrest. I calmly plug them back in. This is a new game for him. He unplugs them again. I plug in. The third time, I leave them unplugged. No apologies from the mother. Toddler begins kicking seat in front of him again.
I'm in airplane hell.
Mr. Bitch tells me how his mother is in assisted living, hates it there, that his brother stole the business from his mother, millions of dollars involved, yadda yadda yadda. Apparently, she was quite the businesswoman and had a haute couture fashion store in Washington, D.C. Her name is Harriet Kassman. Look her up. The son took over the store, closed the couture side and made it a wedding store, put his mom in assisted living. Now Mr. Bitch is going to a lawyer to sue the brother. I think he just wants the money.
Finally, the plane lands. I can't get off fast enough.
My next flight is better - no one sitting next to me. But because of high winds, it is as bumpy as hell and I end up gripping the armrests and gritting my teeth. I need a drink.
Land at the airport, which was the size of the one on the TV show "Wings," if you remember that. One gate for departures, one for arrivals. One airline flies in and out of there.
Called hotel for courtesy van. Comes a half hour later. Ramada Inn. Cheap. Room is clean but everything in it is old and worn out. The tiles in the shower are either bulging out or in. Doors are scarred, missing parts. Tub had someone else's pubic hair in it. Ewwwwwwww.
Checked email, then went down to the bar to have some wine and order dinner. Smoking is still allowed in the bar. Wow. Also has separate room with lottery/keno machines. Ended up talking to some of the locals. One guy who won $300 in the gambling room bought me a drink. Woohoo!
Went back to my room, slept. Woke up at 130 in the morning. Either next door or across the hall is having a very LOUD party. Find my earplugs, go back to sleep. In the morning at 630 am, I wake and turn TV up LOUD. Bastards.
Went to the conference, did my thing. I was told I'd get a check that day. Mortgage is due. No check - it's "in the mail." Great. Like I'm not stressed enough as it is.
Lady who drove me back to my hotel was a maniac driver. I literally was pressing my foot on the floor as a brake. I was glad to be back at the hotel.
Went to the bar again for dinner. It was very good. No complaints.
Next morning, go to take my vitamins. I mix in my lorazepam with the vitamins on purpose. I take it only if I am super stressed or the airplane ride is bad. The maid went through my things. I had four lorazepam. Now there were only two. Bitch. No tip for you!
Have breakfast, van to the airport, get on plane. Woman is sitting in my seat. I politely tell her. She gives me a dirty look, huffs and moves. No one next to me, thank goodness. But a man decides that because no one is next to me, it's okay to put his bag under the seat next to me. Geesuz.
Get off plane to head to shuttle to my gate. Woman in front of me stops dead and I almost run into her. What is wrong with people? I go around her and she moves her bag so that I hit it, then gives me a dirty look. Right back at ya!
Get on connecting flight. Window seat. No one in the middle. Nice, quiet flight.
Landed, waiting to get off plane and run like hell to bus stop so that I don't miss the bus (and have to wait an hour for the next one). Family two rows up stand in the aisle. Apparently, their adorable girl threw up on the seat. The mother presses the call button and asks for napkins. They're handed to her. Father wipes off girl and seat and asks for more napkins. By this time, the front of the plane is empty. Instead of moving out of the aisle and into the front of the seats where his daughter was so that the rest of us can get off the plane, he stays put.
I finally say, "I hate to be rude, but I have a bus to catch. Can you please move?" And I was being nice.
Dirty looks from mom and dad. Tough shit. But they move.
I run like hell. Make it to bus stop. Bus hasn't come yet. Yay!
Get on bus. Watch "Taxi" on the screen they have on the bus. They also have free headphones, water and newspapers. I like this bus. And whatever happened to Randall Carver from "Taxi?" He was the odd one out. Found him at http://randallcarver.com/. Wow. He didn't age well.
Finally home. I hate traveling. And stupid people. And rude people.
Got to the airport. My first flight was on Jetblue. I couldn't get a seat assignment when I checked in - they said they'd give me one at the gate. Okey dokey. Went to gate and handed clerk my ticket for a seat assignment. She told me I'd have to wait until they began boarding. Okey dokey. So some guy goes up and she gives him a seat assignment. What the heck? I stood behind him and she looked at me like she'd never seen me before. Gave me seat assignment.
In the meantime, this guy who was short and in a business suit and looked like a mobster starts bitching about how we should be boarding, yadda yadda yadda.
We finally board and guess who I get to sit next to? Yep, Mr. Bitch. Oh, but it gets better - I'm in the middle seat and on my other side is a woman with a toddler who is going to sit on her lap. The plane was full, or I would have asked to move.
Honestly, I think all parents need to pay for a seat for their child and bring a car seat so that the child is safely buckled in (and can't kick the seat in front of them or cause mayhem).
So, as passengers are boarding the plane, Mr. Bitch, on my left, is complaining *loudly* about how the flight was late, how many people does this plane hold? Etc, etc. I tried to make him laugh by saying it was like one of those clown cars at the circus. He didn't get the joke.
So the flight attendant comes up just as the door was closed on the plane and apologizes to Mr. Bitch for the delay and says he could make it up to him by giving him alcohol. This is at 830 in the morning. So Mr. Bitch gets two little bottles of vodka and OJ. What about me having to put up with Mr. Bitch? Nada! Pfft.
Plane takes off. Toddler starts kicking seat in front of him. Mother does nothing. I plugged my headphones into the armrest to watch TV (thank God Jetblue has that). Toddler keeps looking at me trying to get my attention. I ignore toddler. Toddler hangs on top of seat in front of him. Mother does nothing.
Mr. Bitch is watching TV, so he's not bothering me...yet.
Mr. Bitch gets up to stretch. I take the opportunity to go to the restroom. Get back to my seat. Flight attendant brings two more bottles of vodka and an OJ to Mr. Bitch. Seriously? Is it really a good idea to get this guy drunk?
Mr. Bitch begins talking to me, very drunkenly. About his back, surgeries on his back, how much he is in pain and the alcohol is helping it....
Toddler unplugs my headphones from armrest. I calmly plug them back in. This is a new game for him. He unplugs them again. I plug in. The third time, I leave them unplugged. No apologies from the mother. Toddler begins kicking seat in front of him again.
I'm in airplane hell.
Mr. Bitch tells me how his mother is in assisted living, hates it there, that his brother stole the business from his mother, millions of dollars involved, yadda yadda yadda. Apparently, she was quite the businesswoman and had a haute couture fashion store in Washington, D.C. Her name is Harriet Kassman. Look her up. The son took over the store, closed the couture side and made it a wedding store, put his mom in assisted living. Now Mr. Bitch is going to a lawyer to sue the brother. I think he just wants the money.
Finally, the plane lands. I can't get off fast enough.
My next flight is better - no one sitting next to me. But because of high winds, it is as bumpy as hell and I end up gripping the armrests and gritting my teeth. I need a drink.
Land at the airport, which was the size of the one on the TV show "Wings," if you remember that. One gate for departures, one for arrivals. One airline flies in and out of there.
Called hotel for courtesy van. Comes a half hour later. Ramada Inn. Cheap. Room is clean but everything in it is old and worn out. The tiles in the shower are either bulging out or in. Doors are scarred, missing parts. Tub had someone else's pubic hair in it. Ewwwwwwww.
Checked email, then went down to the bar to have some wine and order dinner. Smoking is still allowed in the bar. Wow. Also has separate room with lottery/keno machines. Ended up talking to some of the locals. One guy who won $300 in the gambling room bought me a drink. Woohoo!
Went back to my room, slept. Woke up at 130 in the morning. Either next door or across the hall is having a very LOUD party. Find my earplugs, go back to sleep. In the morning at 630 am, I wake and turn TV up LOUD. Bastards.
Went to the conference, did my thing. I was told I'd get a check that day. Mortgage is due. No check - it's "in the mail." Great. Like I'm not stressed enough as it is.
Lady who drove me back to my hotel was a maniac driver. I literally was pressing my foot on the floor as a brake. I was glad to be back at the hotel.
Went to the bar again for dinner. It was very good. No complaints.
Next morning, go to take my vitamins. I mix in my lorazepam with the vitamins on purpose. I take it only if I am super stressed or the airplane ride is bad. The maid went through my things. I had four lorazepam. Now there were only two. Bitch. No tip for you!
Have breakfast, van to the airport, get on plane. Woman is sitting in my seat. I politely tell her. She gives me a dirty look, huffs and moves. No one next to me, thank goodness. But a man decides that because no one is next to me, it's okay to put his bag under the seat next to me. Geesuz.
Get off plane to head to shuttle to my gate. Woman in front of me stops dead and I almost run into her. What is wrong with people? I go around her and she moves her bag so that I hit it, then gives me a dirty look. Right back at ya!
Get on connecting flight. Window seat. No one in the middle. Nice, quiet flight.
Landed, waiting to get off plane and run like hell to bus stop so that I don't miss the bus (and have to wait an hour for the next one). Family two rows up stand in the aisle. Apparently, their adorable girl threw up on the seat. The mother presses the call button and asks for napkins. They're handed to her. Father wipes off girl and seat and asks for more napkins. By this time, the front of the plane is empty. Instead of moving out of the aisle and into the front of the seats where his daughter was so that the rest of us can get off the plane, he stays put.
I finally say, "I hate to be rude, but I have a bus to catch. Can you please move?" And I was being nice.
Dirty looks from mom and dad. Tough shit. But they move.
I run like hell. Make it to bus stop. Bus hasn't come yet. Yay!
Get on bus. Watch "Taxi" on the screen they have on the bus. They also have free headphones, water and newspapers. I like this bus. And whatever happened to Randall Carver from "Taxi?" He was the odd one out. Found him at http://randallcarver.com/. Wow. He didn't age well.
Finally home. I hate traveling. And stupid people. And rude people.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Things That Stick In My Craw - Parents With Heads In The Sand
It really saddens me when I go to give a talk about online safety for kids to parents and not one parent shows up. When talking with school personnel, it's mainly because some parents just don't care what their kids do online or they're afraid to find out what their kids are doing online.
The Internet is not going away, folks. Neither is cyberbullying or social networking sites like Facebook, or webcam sites like ooVoo, Skype, Tinychat and other sites kids and teens use like Formspring, Tumblr, Twitter, Myspace and Youtube.
Here's a clue for you parents: You need to know what your kids are doing online! If you say no to them getting a Facebook account because you don't have one, I can bet you they will open one up anyway. So meet in the middle and the two of you open your own accounts up and be your first mutual friends. If you don't want them to have an account because you feel they are too young for one yet, explain that to them and make a deal of some sort. Something like if they bring their grades up, do chores around the house, etc, you will consider letting them get an account. Technically, Facebook only allows kids 13 and older online, but because they don't make the kids verify their age or identity, many younger kids (some as young as 8, yes, 8) have Facebook accounts now.
You're the parent - act like one! As long as your child lives under your roof and you're paying for the Internet service and their cell phone, you have every right to see what they are doing online and on their cell phone. Make them give you the password to any accounts they have online, but don't be over vigilant and look over their shoulder or check their computer every time they log off. Give them some space, but do check once in a while to see what they're doing online.
As far as their cell phones, make sure they know they cannot delete any texts sent/received until you see them. If they do, then take the phone away from them or get monitoring software (I'll give you links in a minute).
Encourage your kids to come to YOU for help if they encounter something online or via their cell phone that makes them feel uncomfortable. Whether it's what turns out to be SPAM, a stranger trying to get them to reply or send them info/photos, or just someone trying to pick a fight, DO NOT freak out and make them feel like they are responsible for what they come to you with.
It is NOT their fault.
They did NOTHING wrong.
Show them you understand that and I can bet they will continue to come to you for help with anything else.
LISTEN to them and I mean REALLY listen.
If you don't understand what they're talking about, ask them to show you or explain it.
LEARN what they are doing online - ask them to show you how ooVoo, Tinychat, Formspring, or wherever they hang out, works.
Kids like to show off what they know - let them!
As far as Facebook goes, if you see a post or photo you don't approve of, don't tell at them and again, don't freak out. Suggest they change what they posted. If it's a photo, find a photo that's comparable but one you approve of and ask them to substitute with the one you like better.
It all comes down to meeting in the middle, folks.
As I wrote before, the Internet isn't going away anytime soon.
Learn to live with it. Learn what you're kids are doing online. And for heaven's sake, if your school or community offers you a FREE chance to have an expert like me come teach you how to keep your kids safer online, then make the time to come to the talk. We're not all a bunch of bores. And you just might learn something.
For info on monitoring/filtering software and more, go to:
WHO@-KTD Resources Page
The Internet is not going away, folks. Neither is cyberbullying or social networking sites like Facebook, or webcam sites like ooVoo, Skype, Tinychat and other sites kids and teens use like Formspring, Tumblr, Twitter, Myspace and Youtube.
Here's a clue for you parents: You need to know what your kids are doing online! If you say no to them getting a Facebook account because you don't have one, I can bet you they will open one up anyway. So meet in the middle and the two of you open your own accounts up and be your first mutual friends. If you don't want them to have an account because you feel they are too young for one yet, explain that to them and make a deal of some sort. Something like if they bring their grades up, do chores around the house, etc, you will consider letting them get an account. Technically, Facebook only allows kids 13 and older online, but because they don't make the kids verify their age or identity, many younger kids (some as young as 8, yes, 8) have Facebook accounts now.
You're the parent - act like one! As long as your child lives under your roof and you're paying for the Internet service and their cell phone, you have every right to see what they are doing online and on their cell phone. Make them give you the password to any accounts they have online, but don't be over vigilant and look over their shoulder or check their computer every time they log off. Give them some space, but do check once in a while to see what they're doing online.
As far as their cell phones, make sure they know they cannot delete any texts sent/received until you see them. If they do, then take the phone away from them or get monitoring software (I'll give you links in a minute).
Encourage your kids to come to YOU for help if they encounter something online or via their cell phone that makes them feel uncomfortable. Whether it's what turns out to be SPAM, a stranger trying to get them to reply or send them info/photos, or just someone trying to pick a fight, DO NOT freak out and make them feel like they are responsible for what they come to you with.
It is NOT their fault.
They did NOTHING wrong.
Show them you understand that and I can bet they will continue to come to you for help with anything else.
LISTEN to them and I mean REALLY listen.
If you don't understand what they're talking about, ask them to show you or explain it.
LEARN what they are doing online - ask them to show you how ooVoo, Tinychat, Formspring, or wherever they hang out, works.
Kids like to show off what they know - let them!
As far as Facebook goes, if you see a post or photo you don't approve of, don't tell at them and again, don't freak out. Suggest they change what they posted. If it's a photo, find a photo that's comparable but one you approve of and ask them to substitute with the one you like better.
It all comes down to meeting in the middle, folks.
As I wrote before, the Internet isn't going away anytime soon.
Learn to live with it. Learn what you're kids are doing online. And for heaven's sake, if your school or community offers you a FREE chance to have an expert like me come teach you how to keep your kids safer online, then make the time to come to the talk. We're not all a bunch of bores. And you just might learn something.
For info on monitoring/filtering software and more, go to:
WHO@-KTD Resources Page
Monday, September 6, 2010
Things That Stick in My Craw: Snooty People
I hate it when I go somewhere and someone thinks they are better than I am. Case in point: My sister and her husband came to visit last summer. We live in a touristy town, so we took her to the beach area where there are a lot of restaurants and bars. We know most of the owners of these places. We hit our fave sushi bar first for a drink, then went across the way to a new restaurant we'd heard raves about. It was up on the second floor of an old hotel that had been refurbished. As we walked up a beautiful set of wood stairs, we marveled at the wonderful work that had been done. We asked if we could sit out on the deck. No problem.
So we sat, laughed, talked and waited for a waiter. And waited. My hubby went to the outside bar and asked the bartender if we could get a waiter. We waited some more. The specials men, which was photocopied and nothing fancy, had my sister and I making paper airplanes and flying them off the deck. We giggled. We were having fun. The waiter finally came and took our drink orders. We asked for a menu. We had planned on having appetizers there, then dinner somewhere else.
The next thing we know another waiter came to our table with menus. We asked where our waiter was. We were told he asked to switch. My sister asked if she could smoke on the deck (it was outside). She was told she had to go downstairs and outside. Hmmmm. We waited some more for our drinks.
The hostess closed the sliding doors to the deck. I know we were not that loud. We *were* having fun and laughing. I didn't know that was against the law. She then kept looking out at us giving us dirty looks. There were hardly any tables inside with customers.
My sister and my hubby went downstairs to have a smoke. While they were down there, I heard my sister loudly say to someone how the smoke was coming right up on the deck, so why couldn't she smoke from up there? She had a point. Our drinks finally came, the waiter wouldn't even smile at my brother in law and me and I had had it. I admit, I went on a bit of a vocal rampage. I told the waiter I had never been treated so rudely, the place was pretentious and that we were not regular tourists - we lived here year round and I was going to make sure I told everyone I knew in town (and I know a lot of folks) how horrible this place was. I informed him we had planned on eating something, but I wouldn't touch the place again with a ten foot pole. He asked if I wanted to speak to the manager. I told him to forget it, give us our bill and we were leaving.
By the end of my tirade, my hubby and sister had returned and both knew it takes a lot to piss me off, so this was serious. I had my brother in law pay, because the waiter practically threw the bill on our table, then I stormed out of the place, my sister and hubby trailing behind, loudly saying I'd never come back to this restaurant again.
We ended up eating at a place next to the sushi restaurant and the owner there had no problem with us smoking outside. We told him what had happened and he told us he'd heard nothing but complaints about the restaurant we'd been in.
Why is it that some people assume they are better than you or me? I hate when people presume and point their nose in the air and act like they are better than me. You know what? You're not. You're a sad little person. At least I'm happy with what I have.
So there.
So, who has ticked you off?
So we sat, laughed, talked and waited for a waiter. And waited. My hubby went to the outside bar and asked the bartender if we could get a waiter. We waited some more. The specials men, which was photocopied and nothing fancy, had my sister and I making paper airplanes and flying them off the deck. We giggled. We were having fun. The waiter finally came and took our drink orders. We asked for a menu. We had planned on having appetizers there, then dinner somewhere else.
The next thing we know another waiter came to our table with menus. We asked where our waiter was. We were told he asked to switch. My sister asked if she could smoke on the deck (it was outside). She was told she had to go downstairs and outside. Hmmmm. We waited some more for our drinks.
The hostess closed the sliding doors to the deck. I know we were not that loud. We *were* having fun and laughing. I didn't know that was against the law. She then kept looking out at us giving us dirty looks. There were hardly any tables inside with customers.
My sister and my hubby went downstairs to have a smoke. While they were down there, I heard my sister loudly say to someone how the smoke was coming right up on the deck, so why couldn't she smoke from up there? She had a point. Our drinks finally came, the waiter wouldn't even smile at my brother in law and me and I had had it. I admit, I went on a bit of a vocal rampage. I told the waiter I had never been treated so rudely, the place was pretentious and that we were not regular tourists - we lived here year round and I was going to make sure I told everyone I knew in town (and I know a lot of folks) how horrible this place was. I informed him we had planned on eating something, but I wouldn't touch the place again with a ten foot pole. He asked if I wanted to speak to the manager. I told him to forget it, give us our bill and we were leaving.
By the end of my tirade, my hubby and sister had returned and both knew it takes a lot to piss me off, so this was serious. I had my brother in law pay, because the waiter practically threw the bill on our table, then I stormed out of the place, my sister and hubby trailing behind, loudly saying I'd never come back to this restaurant again.
We ended up eating at a place next to the sushi restaurant and the owner there had no problem with us smoking outside. We told him what had happened and he told us he'd heard nothing but complaints about the restaurant we'd been in.
Why is it that some people assume they are better than you or me? I hate when people presume and point their nose in the air and act like they are better than me. You know what? You're not. You're a sad little person. At least I'm happy with what I have.
So there.
So, who has ticked you off?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Things That Stick In My Craw - Tourists
I know I live in a tourist town. For those that don't understand - we live near the beach in southern Maine and from Memorial Day through Labor Day it's tourist hell here.
My husband grumbles a lot, but most of his clients are tourists with summer places up here, so he tries not to complain too much.
Me, I'm complaining.
Yesterday, I was at the beach with my dog, resting in between runs. A car with Massachusetts plates pulls up. "We were going to ask you where (a certain restaurant) is, but we see it now," one of the four women in the car said.
I laughed and pointed at the restaurant, literally about 20 feet from us.
So, lady, why did you still pull over?
I hate it when I'm in the middle of running with my dog and someone flags me down for directions. I hate to be rude, so I always stop, but it gets me mad. The two of us get into this rhythm when we run and I hate breaking the stride when we get to that point. If I'm walking, it's different. Stop and ask me anything. If you see a person running, leave them alone.
If you realize you passed the road you were supposed to turn on, put on your blinker as you slow down so that you can safely turn around and go the right way. Do NOT do what some jerk did to me yesterday:
I was following my husband in my car to drop his truck off at the dealership for a tuneup and inspection sticker. A green truck with out of state plates in front of him suddenly turns left into a driveway. My husband blissfully continued on. As I drove by, this jerk, without even looking around, steps hard on the gas to back out of this driveway into the other lane and came thisclose to hitting my car. My heart was in my throat as I swerved and almost went up on the sidewalk and into a telephone pole. It happened so fast I didn't have time to hit the horn or yell at the idiot.
He drove off. I got myself back in my lane and caught up with my husband, but my heart was pounding. And I was mad.
Please don't turn around in our driveway. When you pull in, we think you're coming to visit us. There are plenty of public places to turn around in just down the street. And it's a pain if you're in our driveway and we're trying to pull in. One person actually gave me a dirty look as I impatiently waited for them to move out of my driveway.
If you bring your dog with you to our beaches, there are signs up and down that state they are not allowed on the beach from 8 am to 6 pm. This rule is for EVERYONE, not just locals. So, if we can't bring our dogs on the beach, that means you can't, either. I wish the police would ticket the idiots that still do this.
If you do bring your dog on the beach in the time they are allowed there, please keep your dog away from mine. She is on a leash for a reason - huskies love to run and run and run. She likes to play with smaller dogs. Big dogs scare her. So when your lab, retriever or german shepherd comes running up to us off leash, she goes into scared mode and lays down. This is not funny to me, even if you think it's funny. You're supposed to have voice control over your dog if they are off leash. I have yet to see that. Control your dog, folks!
When I travel and end up in a touristy town, I do everything I can to try to not look like a tourist. It's worked so far. I try to go to local places and blend in, sitting at the bar and talking with the locals, or just minding my own business. I've actually had tourists ask me where things were. That makes me chuckle. I do hate it when I see tourists who are loud, obnoxious, and rude. And I see that more often than not. I really hate seeing them when they come to my town. It's almost like they feel that because they are "paying good money" to stay here for a weekend or week, that us locals have to bow down to them and let them cut in line at the store or drive over the speed limit.
Speaking of, cops in my town love to ticket speeders. So year round we always watch our speed, especially on our road, which goes right to the beach. The speed limit starts at 35 mph when you turn on our road, then goes down to 25 mph. I can't tell you how many times I have a tourist behind me giving me the finger or honking their horn, or even passing me (over the solid line) because they think I' going too slow when I'm going maybe 28 mph. I love it when the cops pull someone over in front of my house. Revenge is sweet.
Just remember, folks, when you're on vacation, treat the locals with some respect, please.
My husband grumbles a lot, but most of his clients are tourists with summer places up here, so he tries not to complain too much.
Me, I'm complaining.
Yesterday, I was at the beach with my dog, resting in between runs. A car with Massachusetts plates pulls up. "We were going to ask you where (a certain restaurant) is, but we see it now," one of the four women in the car said.
I laughed and pointed at the restaurant, literally about 20 feet from us.
So, lady, why did you still pull over?
I hate it when I'm in the middle of running with my dog and someone flags me down for directions. I hate to be rude, so I always stop, but it gets me mad. The two of us get into this rhythm when we run and I hate breaking the stride when we get to that point. If I'm walking, it's different. Stop and ask me anything. If you see a person running, leave them alone.
If you realize you passed the road you were supposed to turn on, put on your blinker as you slow down so that you can safely turn around and go the right way. Do NOT do what some jerk did to me yesterday:
I was following my husband in my car to drop his truck off at the dealership for a tuneup and inspection sticker. A green truck with out of state plates in front of him suddenly turns left into a driveway. My husband blissfully continued on. As I drove by, this jerk, without even looking around, steps hard on the gas to back out of this driveway into the other lane and came thisclose to hitting my car. My heart was in my throat as I swerved and almost went up on the sidewalk and into a telephone pole. It happened so fast I didn't have time to hit the horn or yell at the idiot.
He drove off. I got myself back in my lane and caught up with my husband, but my heart was pounding. And I was mad.
Please don't turn around in our driveway. When you pull in, we think you're coming to visit us. There are plenty of public places to turn around in just down the street. And it's a pain if you're in our driveway and we're trying to pull in. One person actually gave me a dirty look as I impatiently waited for them to move out of my driveway.
If you bring your dog with you to our beaches, there are signs up and down that state they are not allowed on the beach from 8 am to 6 pm. This rule is for EVERYONE, not just locals. So, if we can't bring our dogs on the beach, that means you can't, either. I wish the police would ticket the idiots that still do this.
If you do bring your dog on the beach in the time they are allowed there, please keep your dog away from mine. She is on a leash for a reason - huskies love to run and run and run. She likes to play with smaller dogs. Big dogs scare her. So when your lab, retriever or german shepherd comes running up to us off leash, she goes into scared mode and lays down. This is not funny to me, even if you think it's funny. You're supposed to have voice control over your dog if they are off leash. I have yet to see that. Control your dog, folks!
When I travel and end up in a touristy town, I do everything I can to try to not look like a tourist. It's worked so far. I try to go to local places and blend in, sitting at the bar and talking with the locals, or just minding my own business. I've actually had tourists ask me where things were. That makes me chuckle. I do hate it when I see tourists who are loud, obnoxious, and rude. And I see that more often than not. I really hate seeing them when they come to my town. It's almost like they feel that because they are "paying good money" to stay here for a weekend or week, that us locals have to bow down to them and let them cut in line at the store or drive over the speed limit.
Speaking of, cops in my town love to ticket speeders. So year round we always watch our speed, especially on our road, which goes right to the beach. The speed limit starts at 35 mph when you turn on our road, then goes down to 25 mph. I can't tell you how many times I have a tourist behind me giving me the finger or honking their horn, or even passing me (over the solid line) because they think I' going too slow when I'm going maybe 28 mph. I love it when the cops pull someone over in front of my house. Revenge is sweet.
Just remember, folks, when you're on vacation, treat the locals with some respect, please.