Posted on February 25, 2012
Today we stocked up on provisions for our breakfasts and lunches, as well as various paper products, at the local supermarket, Winn-Dixie. It’s always an experience to visit a grocery store in another part of the country and see how it operates.
This Winn-Dixie here appears to be older, but the perimeter of the building featured the usual departments: fruits and vegetables, fish and meats, dairy and bread. I felt at home. It was the smaller things that were different. The plastic bags for produce didn’t come on a roll; they came on a slab. The house brand was called “Great Value” instead of “Spartan.” The price of limes was markedly different too, and I imagine that’s because citrus fruit is prevalent in Florida. To ship it north to Michigan adds to the cost.
Other than the limes, the rest of the items we purchased cost more here than at home, and I imagine that’s because many of them need to be shipped from north to south. So I would recommend that Winn-Dixie institute a “Wall of Value” with discounted items that change weekly like we have at home. That was the most obvious difference between the two locations.
See more 10 Minutes in category Small Town Life
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Posted on February 24, 2012
Earl and I arrived at our final destination in the Florida Keys this afternoon, a little bedraggled for having driven 1590 miles to get here. At the same time, the temperature was a balmy 82 degrees. As always, Earl soaked it in and exclaimed, “Isn’t this wonderful?” Who would disagree?
Weather aside, right now we’re in our condo and waiting for the maintenance man to fix the television, the IT manager to fix the Internet, and the telephone company to fix the telephone. So delightful weather has its disadvantages.
See more 10 Minutes in category Things to Ponder, Travel
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Posted on February 19, 2012
I love the song “Leaving on a Jet Plane” sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary. I love it even more now that Mary Travers is no longer with us.
At the same time, Earl and I are taking road trips rather than airline trips these days. It’s partly because leaving on a jet plane isn’t as much fun as it used to be. There are too many restrictions: arrive two hours before flight time, take off much of your clothing to go through security, bring only three ounce bottles of hair spray, shampoo, cleanser, mouthwash. Pay extra for everything; in some cases, this means even a seat assignment.
So tomorrow we embark on our latest adventure to the southernmost part of Florida. Last year we flew and rented a car. This year, we’re banking on the idea that we can get to our destination via automobile with less cost. It’s true; it will take us more time, but we plan to explore America along the way. Besides, we have the time.
And we’re bringing whatever luggage we want with no penalty fee; we’re keeping our clothes on; and we’re bringing large sized mouthwash and shampoo. We don’t need to pick a seat assignment either.
See more 10 Minutes in category Changing Scene
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Posted on February 18, 2012
The world of the super-pack is upon us, and I don’t mean the political version. I mean the world where you have to buy twos and threes when you only want ones.
For example, I needed a roll of paper for my old-fashioned calculator. You know the kind where you run a tape and you can see your error when the answer doesn’t make sense. One roll of paper lasts me a year or two. But the smallest quantity I could find was a pack of three rolls.
I also wanted one of those flat cardboard boxes you fold into a storage container for various papers you need to keep for posterity. But the smallest quantity I could find was a bundle of four. I didn’t have that much posterity in mind.
It’s the same with red pens. Really, how many does one person need? The pen manufacturer thinks I need five. The file folder manufacturer is positive I need one hundred. It isn’t just with office supplies that I’ve noticed this trend. It’s sneaking into grocery stores and drug stores and convenient marts as well. Even pizza restaurants and donut shops.
Perhaps manufacturers and merchants figure it’s more economical to package things together than individually. Perhaps they would rather have the money for three rolls of paper all at once and wait three or four extra years for me to run out. Perhaps it’s our culture’s mentality of making sure we have enough “stuff.”
Whatever it is, I probably will need those extra cardboard boxes just for storage.
Posted on February 17, 2012
I graduated from grade school in the spring of 1957, fifty-five years ago this coming May. It was a glorious time. I loved my classmates, which was important since I’d gone to five grade schools and really hoped to belong somewhere. I felt I did at St. Louis Cathedral Grade School.
There were eight girls who hung around together, and I’ve written about them before. Now, some of us are attempting to put a reunion together even though we haven’t been in particularly close contact for more than half a century.
Yet, when the bond is there it’s one of those things you can pick up where you put it down. Of the eight girls, seven have already surfaced and said they were coming to a lunch the end of April. We’re still trying to track down the eighth.
One problem is that women usually take their husbands’ names at marriage, so it’s difficult to find someone under those circumstances. But we’re searching the social networks to see if we can do it. So Kathy McHugh (maiden name), if you’re out there and you graduated from St. Louis Cathedral School in 1957, please phone home. I can be reached at anne@annebrandt.com.
See more 10 Minutes in category Nostalgia
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Posted on February 16, 2012
It’s been six days since I last jousted with AT&T, which was supposed to give me a credit on my telephone bill. Today my new bill arrived and, with it, a sinking feeling. The amount we owe does not reveal any credit. In fact, the amount we owe shows we are delinquent.
Do you think I would take this lying down? Hah! Instead, I immediately got on the horn to AT&T, told the automated voice that “I don’t speak to robots,” waited until Kenneth, a customer service representative, came on the line, and went through my diatribe one more time. Oh, if only it would be the last time.
Kenneth started his communication with me by proclaiming, “It’s a great day at AT&T. What can I do for you?” I responded by saying I was an irate customer – fair warning here – and that if he could something for me it would indeed be a great day
He apologized for previous slights, but that didn’t raise my confidence level. I’ve been down this road before. So over the next half hour I described for the umpteenth time how AT&T has taken my on-time payment and credited to an account that no longer exists, making my current account look past due.
Time passed. I was put on hold several times. Each time I wondered if I would get the equivalent of the “finger” in a disconnect. But no, Kenneth always returned and assured me he could fix things. I asked how he could do this when the previous three representatives I’ve spoken with could not. His reply? “That is a very good question.”
Not particularly a confidence builder. At the same time, I seem to be at the mercy of this behemoth. But they don’t know who they’re dealing with. Once I see the credit has been accurately applied, I’m going to call and ask what kind of additional credit I can get for the time I’ve spent pointing out AT&T’s error. It’s the victim speaking up . . .
See more 10 Minutes in category Annoyances
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Posted on February 12, 2012
For a year and a half I have been working on mastering the butterfly stroke. I’ve taken lessons, sought advice, read how-to manuals on-line, and put time in the pool working on the various parts of the whole. I think I’ve got it.
To achieve this goal, I’ve considered the butterfly stroke akin to ballet, something I’m far more familiar with. Ballet uses all the body in its poses; butterfly does the same. So when I push off from the end of the pool I raise my arms overhead and bow my head and think “Graceful pose.” I keep my legs and feet together as one and think “Jump and point.” It’s a sorry state that I cannot remember the official words for the ballet poses, but my last lessons were thirty-five years ago. I can, however, remember the feeling of being totally involved and lyrical.
And that’s where I am with the butterfly. Totally involved. Lyrical. And loving the sense of accomplishment.
See more 10 Minutes in category Things to Ponder
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Posted on February 10, 2012
AT&T and I will never be best friends. In fact, we will never be friends at all. I don’t congregate with stupid people, and I congregate as little as necessary with stupid corporations.
Tell me if I’m wrong. We have two telephone lines in our home, land lines as opposed to cell phones. We use one to talk on and the other for faxes. Faxes are still important in our life, since my husband is a Realtor® and receives legal documents regularly.
For some reason, AT&T sent us two paper bills, one for each line. This seemed an extravagance to me, since the two lines could be combined in one bill and sent to the same address. Wouldn’t this save AT&T at least one stamp each month? So I called the behemoth and suggested it put the two lines on one bill, thus saving the corporation money. That was my only intent: to consolidate the paperwork.
The following month I did receive one bill, BUT on it was a $13 fee for making a change in our AT&T plan. Excuse me? I was being charged $13 for calling AT&T’s attention to the fact that it could save postage and paper by sending one bill instead of two. Of course, I called and whined; and the customer representative acknowledged that I should not have been charged. She granted me a credit. I thank her copiously, but said I had already paid the bill and would expect a credit on my next one. She agreed and we parted amicably. Not friends, mind you; I won’t accept AT&T people as friends.
Then yesterday, I received a non-payment notice. Another excuse me? Cutting to the chase, it turns out that the check I sent for the most recent bill was credited to another account. It wasn’t my fault at all; yet, the customer service representative said that I had to prove it. I declined. Instead, I said I needed to talk to a supervisor and that I wouldn’t hang up until this was resolved.
Fade to “On Hold.” I waited for several minutes while Sharon Mack, the person with whom I dealt, came and went on the line. At last, she agreed that the money I’d sent was indeed deposited in the wrong account and that it would be corrected. I appreciated her efforts, but believe me I shall double check in a day or two to make sure the transaction was made.
Why, O Why, did we dismantle Ma Bell?
See more 10 Minutes in category Annoyances
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Posted on February 9, 2012
Last week’s brouhaha about the Komen Foundation’s withdrawing its breast cancer screening support for Planned Parenthood – and then rescinding that decision in the light of public outcry – has made me want to go public with my complaints about breast cancer awareness.
My whine has nothing to do with Planned Parenthood. It has everything to do with the marketing techniques to raise awareness for breast cancer. They are everywhere; they are as insidious as the cancer itself.
Don’t get me wrong. I understand breast cancer is a serious problem, one made more emotional by the importance both men and women place on breasts in our society. In 2007, the most recent year statistics are available, 202, 964 women in the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer according to the Center for Disease Control. That same year, 40,598 women died of the disease. This is approximately twenty percent of those diagnosed.
At the same time, breast cancer is not the leading cause of death among women. Heart disease is. It’s not even the leading cause of death from cancer among women. Lung cancer is. So while organizations committed to the eradication of breast cancer serve an important function, I find their marketing to be over-the-top to the point where awareness of other serious cancers is dulled.
Cases in point: October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I’m fine with this, since almost every other organization or not-for-profit has its day, its week, its month. But I cringe when I board an airplane and am asked to buy pink lemonade for $2.50 to support breast cancer research. I cringe when I visit the super market, stroll the cereal aisle, and see pink ribbons on various brand name cereals. And then there is my local automobile dealership that had its employees wearing pink shirts in sympathy.
Perhaps I’m biased. I am an ovarian cancer survivor. It’s true only 19,842 people were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005, the last year I could find statistics. However, 14,787 of them died. That’s a seventy-four percent death rate.
Which makes me wonder, why isn’t there a month to recognize this scourge? Why isn’t there some drink on airlines to acknowledge that the survival rate for ovarian cancer is incredibly low? Why does Susan G. Komen and other breast cancer research organizations seem to have a lock on the marketing of cancer when all cancers deserve their due?
See more 10 Minutes in category Annoyances, Things to Ponder
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Posted on February 6, 2012
I believe it’s a time honored tradition for fans to critique their favorite teams the morning after they’ve played important games. And what could be more important that the Super Bowl? So in the spirit of such quarterbacking, I offer my comments.
I rooted for the New York Giants from the beginning, and I was happy when they won Super Bowl Forty-Six. (I understand that younger enthusiasts had trouble with the Roman numerals. What a pity! But that’s another blog.) I cheered with the loudest. So my grumble has to do with the post-game kudos.
More than once there was a reference to the greatest game in the world. Or the winner was the winner of the world. Wait! The winning team was the winner of the Super Bowl, but that is not the same as saying the team is the greatest in the world. Much of the world doesn’t even understand or play football. To be honest it’s more interested in soccer.
Which means it’s enough of an achievement to win the Super Bowl that I don’t think we need to make it more than it is. The Giants are not the winners of the world; they’re merely the best in the current year’s schedule that culminated in Game X LVI in which no other countries competed.
I will say many of the commercials were entertaining.
See more 10 Minutes in category Special Events, Things to Ponder
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