The Evil Empire Stays on My Naughty List

WalMart* (now with an asterisk instead of a star, why?!) remains stora non grata for me. I reluctantly made a minimal purchase there last week. Love the little message on the receipt...cleverly using that "dead space" to upsell the self checkout.  What target audience needs to be sold on using the self-checkout? Perhaps it is faster and easier, but "fun"?!?! Really? What freaks at WalMart think using a self checkout is "fun"? Is the word "convenient" too long or advanced for this space on the receipt?

In my experience, self checkout wasn't fast, either. The money sucker-in thingie kept rejecting my $1 bill. So I had to give it to the self checkout monitor and trade her for a less tattered one.  The funniest part was when she did a counterfeit exam on my rejected $1 bill, holding it up to the light and using her highly advanced counterfeit spotting skills to make sure I wasn't passing a fake SINGLE.  What?!?! Who would counterfeit $1 bills????!!! Apparently, a huge problem at WalMart...

Yes, still hating the Evil Empire...but laughing at it too.

Another Reason Shoes Are So Awesome!

From a poster in a local women's bathroom:
We can wear platforms - which is why there is no such thing as a 'short woman's complex'

Photo credit: taken while wearing platforms...

Outside In

Hmmmm -- would anyone notice if I go ahead and use this for indoor living room furniture?  Bet I could just wipe away the offending kid stains.  It looks pretty nice, and at $1549.99, I don't think I want to leave it out in the Arizona sun...in fact, have the people who design and price this furniture ever done a thermal resistance test in Phoenix? Would this last even two summers in our remorseless sun?

Swirl It Is Fun!!!

Swirl It at ValVista and Williams Field. Yes, I made fun of their sign in my blog last fall. They still have that sign..apparently no one involved in the venture read my blog BUT it's fun, easy, and affordable. We visited tonight -- they have 8 (I think) flavors of yogurt at any given time and about 60 toppings. Sold by weight, 39 cents an ounce. Each of us got a small portion and one topping; our total bill came to $3.  Not to mention I got 3 or 4 samples for FREE!  NICE!

The topping bar had pretty much anything you could ask for -- unrefrigerated, so no cookie dough -- but even Lucky Charms, Cap'n Crunch, Snickers, Oreos, tiny creme de menthes, gummy bears, sprinkles, and much much more. Oh yeah, and healthy fruit -- which we pretty much ignored.  Fortunately, the kids were occupied with the shiny green Jetsons space age stools and didn't notice the tempting array of sugar sugar and more sugar toppings.

They have games there to play while you eat as well -- nice!  Great value -- I will go back, weird logo and all...

Meet Rich Bowers -- Facebook Resister

Rich Bowers is not on facebook, but his friends are. Some of them have adopted his photo as their ID photo in reverse protest. Now we are going to get his fan page going.  Facebook users, will you go and join his fan page?
United Friends of Rich Bowers

Come on!  What a cool dude -- just check out his pic -- clearly, you need to be his fan!!!

Random Tuesday Thoughts

• I think the grandmother's clock is running faster every time I wind it, guess that's better than slower
• I don't like this Folger's Caramel Drizzle flavored coffee
• Glad another InFusion Groove class is over; I gotta get more comfortable teaching that format
• But it did feel like a good workout
• What is it, like 67 degrees in here
• I like this book I'm reading EL Doctorow's Homer and Langley
• Need to get to t-mobile and get a new phone

Random photo from Google I'm Feeling Lucky, Images:

Nice tie-in to Night at the Museum 2!! Good night!

The Emperor Penguin's New Groove

 

Mom, I need an emperor penguin costume for my summative (emphasis on emperor -- as if Mom would accidentally whip up a macaroni penguin costume instead)...Mom faced this challenge with good humor, a Goodwill coupon, and pinking shears. Believe it or not, the hat is what took longest! But it was a fun crafty craft project. Also, three cheers for adhesive backed felt -- a great innovation available at Michael's (yep, had a coupon for that too).

Before Romes went to this school, I didn't even know the word "summative," which is an interesting fact in itself (just ask my Scrabble opponents...). Now even Laney says it with authority.  We are now veterans of numerous K and 1 summatives, and of course -- craft projects.