Ever since I developed the shopping cart system for my stamp business, it has always amazed me how frequently orders come in from customers with similar names.
This has been the source of much confusion and amusement, not only with me, but with everyone who has worked for me.
To demonstrate how easy it is for me to get confused filling an order, I'm going use the names of my blogger friends (instead of calling actual customers out) .
These three customers placed an order within minutes of each other:
Janet Becky
Janet Velvet
Star Velvet
You know, I don't take drugs but I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should...
**************************************
BITACLE.ORG steals content. JESUS GLEZ is a THIEF. If you are reading this post on BITACLE.ORG, you are supporting theft of intellectual property. This post was written and copyrighted by CREEKHIKER, who has not given consent for material to be reproduced. Please visit CREEKHIKER to enjoy this content LEGALLY.
If you want to know why this message is at the bottom of every post, read this post.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Monday, September 08, 2008
Gustav Redux
My family is still suffering down in Baton Rouge. Again, I am so amazed that there is no national news about this tragedy. Before I get to my tale, I want to share some photos from the Entergy website (Baton Rouge's main power supplier).
I know the power companies are working so hard. my own cousin has been working 16 hour days. But he gets to go home and sleep in his own bed and see his kids.
The fact that the power is so slow to come back on is a testament to how much damage there is.
Today, my sister had one of her annual PET scans. This test is always approached with a great deal of anxiety in my family. It can tell if there is cancer anywhere in her body. What would normally be a short drive to the hospital took them over an hour and a half because of downed power poles and malfunctioning lights... and idiot drivers who don't know the "if in doubt, STOP!" rule! While they were inside getting her test (all clear! YEAH!), someone punctured their wind shield.
My brother-in-law had to deal with paying for the two generators he picked up from a former client the last Tuesday. He expected they were "about $400." They were over $1300!!! My mother was having a cow! But, I did a quick search for their model number and found that's a more than fair price. They weren't being gouged. But it is an extra expense.
The generator itself was both a blessing and a curse. My mom found it to be so loud that it rattled her nerves. She took to running it off and on just to have some relative quiet. Not much quiet as all the neighbors seemed to have loud gennys too! And then both households spent close to $150 on fuel each ...not counting that they had to drive 25 - 30 miles at time and wait on line for more than an hour to buy the fuel.
But now that the power is back on, I'm hopeful that a little air conditioning, a well stocked fridge, a working electric stove will calm nerves and allow them all to heal.
**************************************
BITACLE.ORG steals content. JESUS GLEZ is a THIEF. If you are reading this post on BITACLE.ORG, you are supporting theft of intellectual property. This post was written and copyrighted by CREEKHIKER, who has not given consent for material to be reproduced. Please visit CREEKHIKER to enjoy this content LEGALLY.
If you want to know why this message is at the bottom of every post, read this post.
I know the power companies are working so hard. my own cousin has been working 16 hour days. But he gets to go home and sleep in his own bed and see his kids.
The fact that the power is so slow to come back on is a testament to how much damage there is.
Crews of linemen going to work.
This is where some of the hundreds of linemen that came to work from other states had to bunk. These men leave their homes and families, live in rough conditions and work extraordinarily long hours to help people get power.
One of my favorite photos of Hurricane Gustav damage. Not only did he have his way with this transmission line, he clearly mopped the grass with it!
While my mom has had power since 6 p.m. Saturday and the local news there has been claiming since Sunday that their whole neighborhood has power, in reality, my sister's area only had their power back about an hour ago.Today, my sister had one of her annual PET scans. This test is always approached with a great deal of anxiety in my family. It can tell if there is cancer anywhere in her body. What would normally be a short drive to the hospital took them over an hour and a half because of downed power poles and malfunctioning lights... and idiot drivers who don't know the "if in doubt, STOP!" rule! While they were inside getting her test (all clear! YEAH!), someone punctured their wind shield.
My brother-in-law had to deal with paying for the two generators he picked up from a former client the last Tuesday. He expected they were "about $400." They were over $1300!!! My mother was having a cow! But, I did a quick search for their model number and found that's a more than fair price. They weren't being gouged. But it is an extra expense.
The generator itself was both a blessing and a curse. My mom found it to be so loud that it rattled her nerves. She took to running it off and on just to have some relative quiet. Not much quiet as all the neighbors seemed to have loud gennys too! And then both households spent close to $150 on fuel each ...not counting that they had to drive 25 - 30 miles at time and wait on line for more than an hour to buy the fuel.
But now that the power is back on, I'm hopeful that a little air conditioning, a well stocked fridge, a working electric stove will calm nerves and allow them all to heal.
**************************************
BITACLE.ORG steals content. JESUS GLEZ is a THIEF. If you are reading this post on BITACLE.ORG, you are supporting theft of intellectual property. This post was written and copyrighted by CREEKHIKER, who has not given consent for material to be reproduced. Please visit CREEKHIKER to enjoy this content LEGALLY.
If you want to know why this message is at the bottom of every post, read this post.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Why I Hate Cleaning
I keep a very untidy house. Hey, I live alone and the dog doesn't complain (most of the time). As someone recently pointed out to me, I am basically the CEO, Head of Marketing, Art Director, Web Designer, Copy Writer, Stamp Designer, Head of Purchasing, Bead Maker, Jewelry Designer, Chief Cook and Dog Bowl Washer and Accountant for five different businesses! No wonder I'm tired.
(In case you are keeping track: I still produce and bid for production companies, I freelance write for other companies as well as my own, I teach community education, I design and sell rubber stamps and I make beads and jewelry. Count 'em...five jobs!)
If I have a choice between cleaning and doing something that might bring in some income, I choose the income. That's not to say if my choice were a nap or cleaning... I'd take the nap...but as I pointed out, I'm freaking tired!
With all of the above as a disclaimer, there's yet another reason I hate cleaning: I never get DONE! One thing ALWAYS leads to another. (OH MY GOD! I have become my mother!!!)
Example, a month ago, I went away to a bead show. Thanks to the earthquake we had the week before, when the power came back on, I failed to notice I set my bedroom clock exactly 12 hours off. So instead of waking up at 5:45 a.m., taking Mabel to the creek and getting on the road early and calmly, I was frantic from the time I awoke (8:30). And in my haste to get away, I locked Mabel in the house and forgot to take keys to both babysitters!
Both ended up breaking in my house. While the BFF left no trace of having broken in, my other babysitter opted to break in to my office, knowing that she could stand on my desk after climbing in a window.
This knocked my curtains off the wall and as my ceiling fan was on and it was dark, the curtain was on my desk when I returned.
As I went to hang it, I noticed how dusty it was and realized the last time it was washed was right after I moved in and my mother took on that chore. So I wash and dry and iron. Again, hanging the curtain, I notice the blinds... filthy. I vacuum. Still nasty.
I go to the paint store and buy TSP (trisodium phosphate... the wonderful ingredient in Mr. Clean but far cheaper at the paint store!). I fill my bathtub with warm water and soak and then scrub all four blinds. I hung them on my clothesline to dry. They look like new.
I'm about to hang a pair and notice cobwebs in the corner. I dust and vacuum the walls and ceiling. Only, now I think the paint looks dull... See where I'm going???
Quite frankly, I'd rather live with the mess! UGH!
**************************************
BITACLE.ORG steals content. JESUS GLEZ is a THIEF. If you are reading this post on BITACLE.ORG, you are supporting theft of intellectual property. This post was written and copyrighted by CREEKHIKER, who has not given consent for material to be reproduced. Please visit CREEKHIKER to enjoy this content LEGALLY.
If you want to know why this message is at the bottom of every post, read this post.
(In case you are keeping track: I still produce and bid for production companies, I freelance write for other companies as well as my own, I teach community education, I design and sell rubber stamps and I make beads and jewelry. Count 'em...five jobs!)
If I have a choice between cleaning and doing something that might bring in some income, I choose the income. That's not to say if my choice were a nap or cleaning... I'd take the nap...but as I pointed out, I'm freaking tired!
With all of the above as a disclaimer, there's yet another reason I hate cleaning: I never get DONE! One thing ALWAYS leads to another. (OH MY GOD! I have become my mother!!!)
Example, a month ago, I went away to a bead show. Thanks to the earthquake we had the week before, when the power came back on, I failed to notice I set my bedroom clock exactly 12 hours off. So instead of waking up at 5:45 a.m., taking Mabel to the creek and getting on the road early and calmly, I was frantic from the time I awoke (8:30). And in my haste to get away, I locked Mabel in the house and forgot to take keys to both babysitters!
Both ended up breaking in my house. While the BFF left no trace of having broken in, my other babysitter opted to break in to my office, knowing that she could stand on my desk after climbing in a window.
This knocked my curtains off the wall and as my ceiling fan was on and it was dark, the curtain was on my desk when I returned.
As I went to hang it, I noticed how dusty it was and realized the last time it was washed was right after I moved in and my mother took on that chore. So I wash and dry and iron. Again, hanging the curtain, I notice the blinds... filthy. I vacuum. Still nasty.
I go to the paint store and buy TSP (trisodium phosphate... the wonderful ingredient in Mr. Clean but far cheaper at the paint store!). I fill my bathtub with warm water and soak and then scrub all four blinds. I hung them on my clothesline to dry. They look like new.
I'm about to hang a pair and notice cobwebs in the corner. I dust and vacuum the walls and ceiling. Only, now I think the paint looks dull... See where I'm going???
Quite frankly, I'd rather live with the mess! UGH!
**************************************
BITACLE.ORG steals content. JESUS GLEZ is a THIEF. If you are reading this post on BITACLE.ORG, you are supporting theft of intellectual property. This post was written and copyrighted by CREEKHIKER, who has not given consent for material to be reproduced. Please visit CREEKHIKER to enjoy this content LEGALLY.
If you want to know why this message is at the bottom of every post, read this post.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Gustav Power Outages
I am so thoroughly pissed at the national media for the coverage of Hurricane Gustav. New Orleans, SchmooOrleans! Talk about Baton Rouge! They took the hit!
My satellite provider had been broadcasting 24/7 from a New Orleans station allowing me to keep abreast of news from there but stopped in the middle of the night. While I have been able to reach family - some have cell phones that work; others can only be reached on a land line - they are suffering. THERE IS NO FREAKING POWER! It's 90 degrees in their homes. They all have fences down and have suffered roof damage. (That is, except my uncle in New Orleans. No damage; but no power.)
I nearly hit the panic button tonight when Entergy, the local lack-of-power provider updated their website to say my mother's parish will be without power until the 24th! But the local news in Baton Rouge has been telling people when the power is estimated to come on neighborhood by neighborhood. It is predicted that "most" people in my immediate family's area should have power by the 7th.
I have several cousin's in areas that will be back up on the 8th and 9th.
And for those of you who read Velvet's blog, her area is predicted to be down for 10 - 14 more DAYS!
And this is America!!!???
**************************************
BITACLE.ORG steals content. JESUS GLEZ is a THIEF. If you are reading this post on BITACLE.ORG, you are supporting theft of intellectual property. This post was written and copyrighted by CREEKHIKER, who has not given consent for material to be reproduced. Please visit CREEKHIKER to enjoy this content LEGALLY.
If you want to know why this message is at the bottom of every post, read this post.
My satellite provider had been broadcasting 24/7 from a New Orleans station allowing me to keep abreast of news from there but stopped in the middle of the night. While I have been able to reach family - some have cell phones that work; others can only be reached on a land line - they are suffering. THERE IS NO FREAKING POWER! It's 90 degrees in their homes. They all have fences down and have suffered roof damage. (That is, except my uncle in New Orleans. No damage; but no power.)
I nearly hit the panic button tonight when Entergy, the local lack-of-power provider updated their website to say my mother's parish will be without power until the 24th! But the local news in Baton Rouge has been telling people when the power is estimated to come on neighborhood by neighborhood. It is predicted that "most" people in my immediate family's area should have power by the 7th.
I have several cousin's in areas that will be back up on the 8th and 9th.
And for those of you who read Velvet's blog, her area is predicted to be down for 10 - 14 more DAYS!
And this is America!!!???
**************************************
BITACLE.ORG steals content. JESUS GLEZ is a THIEF. If you are reading this post on BITACLE.ORG, you are supporting theft of intellectual property. This post was written and copyrighted by CREEKHIKER, who has not given consent for material to be reproduced. Please visit CREEKHIKER to enjoy this content LEGALLY.
If you want to know why this message is at the bottom of every post, read this post.
The Token Political Post
I hate politics. I hate that this damn election has taken up two YEARS of our lives and that in the end, a lot of people will be unhappy no matter who wins.
That being said, I'm a small town girl and I take great offense to James Carville {Advisor to many of the Democratic party's most powerful leaders} and others in the Obama camp making fun of the size of Sarah Palin's town and city hall. Knowing a bit about Carville, LA, where Mr. Carville is from, I simply couldn't resist sending him the following email today.
Mr. Carville,
As a fellow (undecided) Louisianian, how about you hold up a photo of the Carville City Hall the next time you talk about where Gov. Palin is from? Oh, that's right, Carville doesn't have one...maybe a photo of one of the many trailers there would make the point?
I just don't think he's going to win Mr. Obama any votes making fun of small town America.
**************************************
BITACLE.ORG steals content. JESUS GLEZ is a THIEF. If you are reading this post on BITACLE.ORG, you are supporting theft of intellectual property. This post was written and copyrighted by CREEKHIKER, who has not given consent for material to be reproduced. Please visit CREEKHIKER to enjoy this content LEGALLY.
If you want to know why this message is at the bottom of every post, read this post.
That being said, I'm a small town girl and I take great offense to James Carville {Advisor to many of the Democratic party's most powerful leaders} and others in the Obama camp making fun of the size of Sarah Palin's town and city hall. Knowing a bit about Carville, LA, where Mr. Carville is from, I simply couldn't resist sending him the following email today.
Mr. Carville,
As a fellow (undecided) Louisianian, how about you hold up a photo of the Carville City Hall the next time you talk about where Gov. Palin is from? Oh, that's right, Carville doesn't have one...maybe a photo of one of the many trailers there would make the point?
I just don't think he's going to win Mr. Obama any votes making fun of small town America.
**************************************
BITACLE.ORG steals content. JESUS GLEZ is a THIEF. If you are reading this post on BITACLE.ORG, you are supporting theft of intellectual property. This post was written and copyrighted by CREEKHIKER, who has not given consent for material to be reproduced. Please visit CREEKHIKER to enjoy this content LEGALLY.
If you want to know why this message is at the bottom of every post, read this post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.JPG)
Posts
