I love the dollar store. Unfortunately, every time I visit the dollar store, I walk out with the one item I want, and 99 other items I don't need. The dollar store should really be called the 'hundred dollars plus tax store'.
A couple of weeks ago I went in with my two daughters because they wanted little radios with headphones. Well, they really want Mp3 players because they covet mine, but I figure why spend that much money on something they're going to break the next day? So we buy the little radios, buy the batteries, go outside the store, and they're bound and determined to listen to them RIGHT AWAY. And good thing, too. Neither one of the little radios work.
Back inside the dollar store, I confront the high school punk working behind the cash and politely request a refund. He pointed at a sign that says, "No Refunds". Like an idiot, I said, "But we just bought these 3 minutes ago." All of a sudden this surly woman appears out of nowhere and booms, " OUR POLICY IS NO REFUNDS, YOU SEE?" I can very plainly read the sign, but since we just did make the purchase, I figured what's the big deal, just give me back my four bucks. I boomed back, "BUT WE JUST BOUGHT THEM A COUPLE OF MINUTES AGO, AND THE DAMN THINGS DON'T WORK."
I looked behind me, and the owner of the store is hurrying down the aisle past a couple of nonplussed shoppers. He beams at me, and says, "What seems to be the problem?" Surly lady barked that I wanted a refund and they don't give refunds, and so on and so on. The store owner said to me, "Well, that is our policy, but can we do an exchange or a store credit?" I don't know, can we? I ponder what exactly I can exchange for four dollars in merchandise. Another radio that doesn't work? The butterfly nets in the corner? Perhaps that fabulous painting of the sad clown behind the counter? Except that was fifteen dollars and I would have to pay 11 extraneous dollars and now I was pissed anyway. I smirked at the store owner and said, "No, I can't think of anything I'd want to exchange for four dollars. Maybe you can give me a store credit." And then I beam at Surly Lady, who by this time is huffing and puffing like a rhino in heat. "Oh good!" the owner said, and hand wrote a store credit on a scrap of paper. For four bucks.
I lost the scrap of paper in my big purse the next day. And I still had to fork out for working radios at another store for the kiddies, who still wanted their tunes.
They broke the stupid things a couple of days later.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Faux pas
A couple of years ago, I gave up my illustrious bartending career to go back to school and go into audio. I got a job almost immediately after school with a company that installs home theatre. Much of involved heavy labor, being on construction sites, or doing retrofits in older homes. Alas, the job was not for me, as my supervisor did not see the potential brimming inside me (read: cause I was a girl) and suggested that maybe I didn't have the strength for this particular job. Actually, I am pretty strong, for a 'girl'. I hauled beer kegs around before, what was so hard about this?
As it happened, my boyfriend had just offered me a spot as his apprentice in his company. He is in heating and cooling, but specializes in sheet metal. So I cheerfully said goodbye to the other company, tagged along with him and it turned out that not only did I enjoy this work, but we were also able to work together without wanting to rip eachother's heads off. (You don't find that very often with the 'husband and wife teams') Two years later, I am still working with him (and still love him).
I like to joke that I am 'glamourizing' the trade, because while I wear a hard hat and boots instead of a sexy top and heels, I still make an effort to look nice and retain my femininity. After all, I'm competing in a field that's mostly populated by men and I'm proud of myself to be able to work among them, gain respect for what I do.
One day last week, we're on site, and one of the carpenters working there is having a spat on the roof with one of his mates. I heard them going back and forth for a little while, when suddenly one of them yells, "Well, then tell me that then. You don't have to nag me like a fuckin' broad." The other guy realizes I'm below them and looks at me with a sheepish grin on his face, while I smile sweetly back.
I love days like that.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Holy Hell, I'm back.
Yeah, I know. It took a while, but funny how life and a helluva writers block can put a serious dent in your creativity.
Firstly, I'd like to direct your attention to the right of the page, where I've posted links to a couple of blogs that bear reading. 15 Minute Lunch, who boasts one of the funniest writers whose stuff I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time. Secondly, but not least, My Mad, Mad World, the author of which actually turned me onto the 15 minute Lunch. She's pretty funny too. She's got stories about her life and her kids that will make you pee yourself.
MY life? It can be pretty funny too. I'm a single mom. Three kids, aged 30, I mean 8, another 7, and 1 who's 3. I'm madly in love with a man who also has three kids, twins age 11, and another who's also 8. My mother also lives with me, and has the ultimate pleasure of looking after my kids while I'm at work. Someday, we all hope to live together in one home, just as soon as we find a house big enough and the money to pay for it. So, altogether, that's one mom, one dad, one grandmother, six kids and two dogs and I think a partridge in a fucking pear tree.
We just got back from our weekend getaway spot, our trailer. It sleeps 8, if you're willing to sleep practically on top of eachother, but we manage to do it. This particular weekend was Hallowe'en at the trailer park. They do that sort of thing for the kids, that and Christmas in July, pancake breakfasts in the park for the kiddies, that sort of thing. The Christmas thing is priceless because the dude dressed as Santa is actually some fat drunk redneck dressed in a Santa suit, socks and sandals and he rides up on a pickup truck, but our kids don't care because they get presents.
Anyway, the Hallowe'en thing. The kids got into the spirit of the whole thing and decorated the trailer for the whole ordeal. Here's one of the spots they chose to decorate:
Gerry was way thrilled.
Firstly, I'd like to direct your attention to the right of the page, where I've posted links to a couple of blogs that bear reading. 15 Minute Lunch, who boasts one of the funniest writers whose stuff I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time. Secondly, but not least, My Mad, Mad World, the author of which actually turned me onto the 15 minute Lunch. She's pretty funny too. She's got stories about her life and her kids that will make you pee yourself.
MY life? It can be pretty funny too. I'm a single mom. Three kids, aged 30, I mean 8, another 7, and 1 who's 3. I'm madly in love with a man who also has three kids, twins age 11, and another who's also 8. My mother also lives with me, and has the ultimate pleasure of looking after my kids while I'm at work. Someday, we all hope to live together in one home, just as soon as we find a house big enough and the money to pay for it. So, altogether, that's one mom, one dad, one grandmother, six kids and two dogs and I think a partridge in a fucking pear tree.
We just got back from our weekend getaway spot, our trailer. It sleeps 8, if you're willing to sleep practically on top of eachother, but we manage to do it. This particular weekend was Hallowe'en at the trailer park. They do that sort of thing for the kids, that and Christmas in July, pancake breakfasts in the park for the kiddies, that sort of thing. The Christmas thing is priceless because the dude dressed as Santa is actually some fat drunk redneck dressed in a Santa suit, socks and sandals and he rides up on a pickup truck, but our kids don't care because they get presents.
Anyway, the Hallowe'en thing. The kids got into the spirit of the whole thing and decorated the trailer for the whole ordeal. Here's one of the spots they chose to decorate:
Gerry was way thrilled.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
How to burn any dvd, even if it is encrypted
Disclaimer: This information is provided ONLY with the intention of telling how to make backups of legally owned DVDs, not for purposes of sales and distribution of copywrighted materials.
If you have kids, chances are you have a collection of movies right there in your home to keep them entertained and out of your hair for a while. (Come on, we all do it.) But if your kids are anything like mine, precious, expensive DVDs go magically missing if they're not under lock and key, and surface from under the couch six weeks later, completely scratched and unplayable. It puts a dent in your wallet every time you buy one of these movies. Imagine paying almost thirty dollars for your kid's favorite movie and seeing it ruined two weeks later.
This is why, now, I make backup copies of all our movies. That way, I can keep the original copy pristine, and make fresh backups whenever I need them. I use the program DVD Shrink, which in most cases works just fine. It's downloadable completely free on the internet. Some DVDs, however, are encrypted, which makes most backup software unable to reproduce them. I found two downloads which, used in conjunction with DVD Shrink, work like a charm.
First, download DVD Shrink. Second, download DVD Decrypter. Then, find a program called Ripit4me. Once these are saved on your computer, open up Ripit4me and click Wizard Mode. Ripit4me should automatically open up DVD Decrypter for you. When these two processes are complete, (They take a while, because they create dummy files that a DVD backup alone would not be able to copy from an encrypted disc. ) the program will ask you if you would like to use DVD Shrink to complete the backup. It's pretty much self-guiding, and has worked every time for me.
An easy way to keep your expensive DVDs immaculate (and your kid's hands off them).
If you have kids, chances are you have a collection of movies right there in your home to keep them entertained and out of your hair for a while. (Come on, we all do it.) But if your kids are anything like mine, precious, expensive DVDs go magically missing if they're not under lock and key, and surface from under the couch six weeks later, completely scratched and unplayable. It puts a dent in your wallet every time you buy one of these movies. Imagine paying almost thirty dollars for your kid's favorite movie and seeing it ruined two weeks later.
This is why, now, I make backup copies of all our movies. That way, I can keep the original copy pristine, and make fresh backups whenever I need them. I use the program DVD Shrink, which in most cases works just fine. It's downloadable completely free on the internet. Some DVDs, however, are encrypted, which makes most backup software unable to reproduce them. I found two downloads which, used in conjunction with DVD Shrink, work like a charm.
First, download DVD Shrink. Second, download DVD Decrypter. Then, find a program called Ripit4me. Once these are saved on your computer, open up Ripit4me and click Wizard Mode. Ripit4me should automatically open up DVD Decrypter for you. When these two processes are complete, (They take a while, because they create dummy files that a DVD backup alone would not be able to copy from an encrypted disc. ) the program will ask you if you would like to use DVD Shrink to complete the backup. It's pretty much self-guiding, and has worked every time for me.
An easy way to keep your expensive DVDs immaculate (and your kid's hands off them).
If this isn't Christmas, then what is it?
Christmas is going to be upon us in two days. What I've found lately is that there seems to be a bit of an uprising against "Happy Holidays" and people have started going back to saying "Merry Christmas". I couldn't be happier.
A friend of mine was upset at the fact that despite the fact his kids' school had put on a Christmas pageant every year since it opened, this year the event was cancelled because they did not want to offend anyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas. So, in other words, unless we are willing to embrace the holidays celebrated by cultures who don't partake in Christmas, we don't get to celebrate ours, was the message this father of three seemed to be getting. Case in point: A couple of years ago my kids' school decided on a multicultural holiday pageant; Hannukah, Kwannza, Ramadan, and Christmas. While I have no problem with my kids learning about holiday rituals in different parts of the world, I do have a problem with my child singing 'Dreidl, Dreidl' with her class and not singing ANY traditional Christmas songs in concert at her school.
Who was it that decided that we're supposed to be ashamed of our own faith? Excuse me, but if
Toronto City Hall can stick a menorrah in Nathan Phillips Square, they can put a Christmas tree there too without getting any flak about it from politically correct bleeding hearts. I understand that Christmas was practically the only holiday publicly observed for many years and now we're trying to make up for it, but why should people who celebrate this holiday take it up the butt and not observe it, or forgo saying "Merry Christmas" just so they don't offend others?
Another friend of mine, a devout Christian, is busy reminding people that "Jesus is the reason for the Season". December 25 is Christmas day. Merry Christmas.
A friend of mine was upset at the fact that despite the fact his kids' school had put on a Christmas pageant every year since it opened, this year the event was cancelled because they did not want to offend anyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas. So, in other words, unless we are willing to embrace the holidays celebrated by cultures who don't partake in Christmas, we don't get to celebrate ours, was the message this father of three seemed to be getting. Case in point: A couple of years ago my kids' school decided on a multicultural holiday pageant; Hannukah, Kwannza, Ramadan, and Christmas. While I have no problem with my kids learning about holiday rituals in different parts of the world, I do have a problem with my child singing 'Dreidl, Dreidl' with her class and not singing ANY traditional Christmas songs in concert at her school.
Who was it that decided that we're supposed to be ashamed of our own faith? Excuse me, but if
Toronto City Hall can stick a menorrah in Nathan Phillips Square, they can put a Christmas tree there too without getting any flak about it from politically correct bleeding hearts. I understand that Christmas was practically the only holiday publicly observed for many years and now we're trying to make up for it, but why should people who celebrate this holiday take it up the butt and not observe it, or forgo saying "Merry Christmas" just so they don't offend others?
Another friend of mine, a devout Christian, is busy reminding people that "Jesus is the reason for the Season". December 25 is Christmas day. Merry Christmas.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Do as I Say, not what I do. (How to not drive yourself insane during the holidays)
Are you beginning to hate Christmas?
Does the very word conjure up stress for you?
Then you're going to have to make a few adjustments, and the hell with "The Perfect Christmas". I used to groan every time December approached. The promises to be here and there, the Christmas shopping, the decorating. All this and trying to maintain your regular life on top of it is enough to make anyone crazy. All the stress, all the nonsense, for what is, in reality, one day in the whole year. Too much pressure. Here is my list of things for you to try and I am hopeful that maybe we can all learn to enjoy the holidays a little bit more.
1. Make a list, if you have to.
Obviously a list makes things easier for things like what to get for Christmas dinner, or the card list for the year. Make thoses lists. Do all the little things first to get them out of the way.
2. Try not to procrastinate. If you've locked yourself into cooking dinner for 20 guests and you have a whole bunch of prep to do for it, try and get that prep done 1-2 days before. You're busy enough with everything else, so it really doesn't help you if you're still shopping for said dinner on the day of.
3. Finances. Don't, and I cannot stress this enough, don't lock yourself into serious debt just to buy Christmas presents. Go with what you can afford. When you have bills to pay and someone on your Christmas list is just dying for the new Wii, or whatever pricey toy they happen to want, maybe this just isn't the right time for it. Set a budget for yourself and stick to it, no matter what. You'll be breathing normally in January when you can still afford to pay the bills and the mortgage on time.
4. While we're on the subject of gifts, consider making some, especially for people you want to acknowlege at Christmas, but won't be buying gifts for. If you have time, try making some holiday treats, putting them in a pretty tin, labelling them, and gifting them to your friends. It shows them that you remember them during the holidays, even if the only presents you'll be buying are for your immediate family.
5. Try to shortcut as much as possible. Do some shopping online. Wrap any presents you buy that very day, so that it's done. Don't do as I've done in the past and save it all till Christmas Eve because you think it's the only free time you have..I'm sure that others know, as I do, what it's like to be wrapping 147 gifts at 1 am Christmas day. The wrapping job gets a little sloppy after a little while and it's all you can do to keep your head up on Christmas morning, especially if you have excited kids around the house who get you up at 5 to open the goodies.
6. Keep the holiday visiting to a minimum. Now I know this in itself can be very difficult. You want to please everyone, and they're all telling you that you must stop by here, go there, meet for drinks, dinner here. Not only can this get expensive, but really draining on your time. Do you really want to spend all your time in December gallivanting all over the city? Pick a couple of occasions with the people you really want to spend the time with, and send regrets to the rest.
7. On the big day: Case in point. On Christmas day, it always used to be a battle for me and my family as to who was going to host dinner, whose inlaws were getting the Christmas day visit, and so on. When my children were very young, we always used to go to my aunts' house for Christmas dinner. What happened was that once we got there, and being that young children need to be supervised constantly, was that we were up and down the whole day and the whole evening, never mind having any time to enjoy the Christmas dinner, a drink, or even the other guests. We were exhausted by the end of the evening, and by the time we got home around 10:30 or 11:00 pm, we had to put two very grumpy, equally exhausted little kids to bed. Was it really worth all the hoopla?
We decided the very next year to start our own Christmas tradition, and if the relatives weren't pleased about it, well, oh well. They would just have to understand. The next year and every year since then, we've stayed home. We call everyone, of course, to wish them a Merry Christmas and a wonderful day. Every year, we get up, open gifts, have a leisurely breakfast, and sit around. The prep for our very simple Christmas dinner is already done the night before, and there's absolutely nothing to do except sit there and watch the kids play with their new presents. We don't worry about the mess, we don't even have to change out of our pajamas if we don't want to. Right then and there, I know I've achieved what I want. A stress free holiday.
The point is, is that the main objective of Christmas is to be with those you love, and enjoy them. All the decoration and presents and food are just extra, something to be taken lightly, and sometimes mask the whole reason this holiday exists in the first place.
Does the very word conjure up stress for you?
Then you're going to have to make a few adjustments, and the hell with "The Perfect Christmas". I used to groan every time December approached. The promises to be here and there, the Christmas shopping, the decorating. All this and trying to maintain your regular life on top of it is enough to make anyone crazy. All the stress, all the nonsense, for what is, in reality, one day in the whole year. Too much pressure. Here is my list of things for you to try and I am hopeful that maybe we can all learn to enjoy the holidays a little bit more.
1. Make a list, if you have to.
Obviously a list makes things easier for things like what to get for Christmas dinner, or the card list for the year. Make thoses lists. Do all the little things first to get them out of the way.
2. Try not to procrastinate. If you've locked yourself into cooking dinner for 20 guests and you have a whole bunch of prep to do for it, try and get that prep done 1-2 days before. You're busy enough with everything else, so it really doesn't help you if you're still shopping for said dinner on the day of.
3. Finances. Don't, and I cannot stress this enough, don't lock yourself into serious debt just to buy Christmas presents. Go with what you can afford. When you have bills to pay and someone on your Christmas list is just dying for the new Wii, or whatever pricey toy they happen to want, maybe this just isn't the right time for it. Set a budget for yourself and stick to it, no matter what. You'll be breathing normally in January when you can still afford to pay the bills and the mortgage on time.
4. While we're on the subject of gifts, consider making some, especially for people you want to acknowlege at Christmas, but won't be buying gifts for. If you have time, try making some holiday treats, putting them in a pretty tin, labelling them, and gifting them to your friends. It shows them that you remember them during the holidays, even if the only presents you'll be buying are for your immediate family.
5. Try to shortcut as much as possible. Do some shopping online. Wrap any presents you buy that very day, so that it's done. Don't do as I've done in the past and save it all till Christmas Eve because you think it's the only free time you have..I'm sure that others know, as I do, what it's like to be wrapping 147 gifts at 1 am Christmas day. The wrapping job gets a little sloppy after a little while and it's all you can do to keep your head up on Christmas morning, especially if you have excited kids around the house who get you up at 5 to open the goodies.
6. Keep the holiday visiting to a minimum. Now I know this in itself can be very difficult. You want to please everyone, and they're all telling you that you must stop by here, go there, meet for drinks, dinner here. Not only can this get expensive, but really draining on your time. Do you really want to spend all your time in December gallivanting all over the city? Pick a couple of occasions with the people you really want to spend the time with, and send regrets to the rest.
7. On the big day: Case in point. On Christmas day, it always used to be a battle for me and my family as to who was going to host dinner, whose inlaws were getting the Christmas day visit, and so on. When my children were very young, we always used to go to my aunts' house for Christmas dinner. What happened was that once we got there, and being that young children need to be supervised constantly, was that we were up and down the whole day and the whole evening, never mind having any time to enjoy the Christmas dinner, a drink, or even the other guests. We were exhausted by the end of the evening, and by the time we got home around 10:30 or 11:00 pm, we had to put two very grumpy, equally exhausted little kids to bed. Was it really worth all the hoopla?
We decided the very next year to start our own Christmas tradition, and if the relatives weren't pleased about it, well, oh well. They would just have to understand. The next year and every year since then, we've stayed home. We call everyone, of course, to wish them a Merry Christmas and a wonderful day. Every year, we get up, open gifts, have a leisurely breakfast, and sit around. The prep for our very simple Christmas dinner is already done the night before, and there's absolutely nothing to do except sit there and watch the kids play with their new presents. We don't worry about the mess, we don't even have to change out of our pajamas if we don't want to. Right then and there, I know I've achieved what I want. A stress free holiday.
The point is, is that the main objective of Christmas is to be with those you love, and enjoy them. All the decoration and presents and food are just extra, something to be taken lightly, and sometimes mask the whole reason this holiday exists in the first place.
Friday, November 30, 2007
It's time to toilet train your son when...
It's time to do something I've been dreading: Toilet train my kid. The last time I had to do this was with my daughters, ages 7 and 8, and I still have bad memories. My youngest daughter screaming blue murder because she didn't want to do number two in the potty. My oldest daughter hiding in a corner of the living room because she wanted 'privacy'. Oh, the mess, the mess. Ugh.
Now the time is upon me once again. My son is two and a half, and already very concious of when he needs to be changed. I guess the first inkling I had of when it was truly time was when he walked up to me a couple of weeks ago, handed me his soiled diaper, and with a disgusted look on his face, said, "Mommy, I need to be changed."
My problem is achieving the toilet training stage. I'm not a boy, used to dealing with girls, and his father is really no help in this area. Thanks to him our son insists on standing up, not sitting down, which can get really messy. Secondly, I don't think "If you shake it more than once you're playing with it" is sound advice for a two year old who clearly delights in playing with his protruberant member.
My little man loves to run around the house, sans pullup, and will race up and announce to me exactly where he has marked his territory. It's not that he doesn't have any control at this stage, I think it's just that he loves to do this and not feel it against his skin after. So, I think I will have to resort to what worked with his sisters: Much applause and mucho bribery, because he doesn't trust the potty either.
Now the time is upon me once again. My son is two and a half, and already very concious of when he needs to be changed. I guess the first inkling I had of when it was truly time was when he walked up to me a couple of weeks ago, handed me his soiled diaper, and with a disgusted look on his face, said, "Mommy, I need to be changed."
My problem is achieving the toilet training stage. I'm not a boy, used to dealing with girls, and his father is really no help in this area. Thanks to him our son insists on standing up, not sitting down, which can get really messy. Secondly, I don't think "If you shake it more than once you're playing with it" is sound advice for a two year old who clearly delights in playing with his protruberant member.
My little man loves to run around the house, sans pullup, and will race up and announce to me exactly where he has marked his territory. It's not that he doesn't have any control at this stage, I think it's just that he loves to do this and not feel it against his skin after. So, I think I will have to resort to what worked with his sisters: Much applause and mucho bribery, because he doesn't trust the potty either.
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