Posted by barb on Jul 30, 2006 in
Pictures,
Random Thoughts 
Many of you who’ve known me for more than a few years have heard about my fun experiences on the train while I lived in New Mexico. I only took the train once from New Mexico to Minnesota, but that was enough. The trip consisted of two legs – a 24-hour trip from Albuquerque to Chicago, and an 8-hour trip from Chicago to Minneapolis. On both my outgoing long trip and home-bound long trip creepy men hounded me…for the whole 24-hour trip.
This is why I felt very brave of me to take the train to Boston. However, if things did go badly, the trip was only 7 hours, so I had some hope that it wouldn’t be too bad. (That, and Andrew will be joining me for the return trip, so he can protect me then.)
As it turned out, though, my fears were unfounded. I don’t know if that’s because I was on the Acela Express (translation: business class), or because I was on the quiet car (no cell phones, no loud conversations), or because the train has just become a better experience. Either way, I’ll be happy to take the train again…at least in business class, and for relatively short trips.
Tonight I’m staying at the Sharaton Commander Hotel. Tomorrow? Off to the Harvard dorms. Ick. I didn’t like dorms as a “young college student”…I’m not expecting to like it much as an old grad student.
Tags: trip report
Posted by barb on Jul 30, 2006 in
Random Thoughts Dad’s still in the hospital in Denver. He’s going alright – mostly bored and lonely. He’s now in his own room, so out of ICU. They want to keep him for one more test today, and then he’ll probably be discharged tomorrow.
I think we’ve almost convinced him to go back to Minnesota, rather than stay on the job in Colorado. Not that he’d be dumb enough to actually start working, but he could stay in a supervisory role, answering questions and all. But my brother let my 4-year-old niece talk to Dad. Apparently Dave had told her a bit about what was going on, and she was upset (as we all are). So, she talked with Dad one evening, told him she missed him and wanted him to come home. Sure, hearing it from me, my brothers and my mom wasn’t enough. He needs a 4-year old to get him to do the right thing. Still…he’s stubborn, just like the rest of the family…so he may stay out there.
I’m leaving for Boston in just a few minutes, and I’ve already been informed that I’ll have crappy internet service this week, so updates may be few in the next week.
Tags: family, suckitude
Posted by barb on Jul 28, 2006 in
Random Thoughts I’ve been a customer of Lane Bryant for more than 15 years. In all that time, one thing has really bugged me about buying clothes at their stores. Every time I check out, I am pestered by the cashier to apply for a Lane Bryant credit card. Every. Fucking. Time.
The conversation usually goes something like this:
Cashier: Will this be going on your Lane Bryant card?
Me: Nope
C: Do you have a Lane Bryant card?
Me: Nope
C: If you apply for one today, you’ll save 15% on your entire purchase.
Me: No thanks.
C: But it’s a really great deal.
Me: Nope.
C: Okay, but you’re missing out.
Me: I don’t care.
C: Your total is…
I’ve tried various ways to cut this conversation off.
Trial 1:
C: Do you have a Lane Bryant card?
Me: Nope, and I don’t want one.
C: But you could save …
Trial 2:
C: Do you have a Lane Bryant card?
Me: Nope, and I’m really tired of you people asking me.
C: But you could save…
Trial 3:
C: Do you have a Lane Bryant card?
Me: Nope, and I don’t want another credit card in my wallet.
C: But you could apply, save your 15%, and just pay it off right away.
Trial 4:
C: But you could save 15% on your entire purchase today.
Me: I know because you’ve accosted me about this every time I shop here, and I haven’t changed my mind.
C: You’re missing a great deal.
I realize that one way to deal with this would be to lie to the cashier and simply say that yes I have a Lane Bryant card, but I don’t care to use it today. However, I don’t want to have to lie. I shouldn’t have to lie to have a good shopping experience.
Today I decided to try something different. (“Decided” might be a bit of an overstatement – I’m a bit stressed out, so perhaps my frustration just boiled over to make the decision for me.) The conversation went something like this:
Cashier: Are you going to put that on your Lane Bryant card?
Me: No, and I don’t care to apply for one, either.
C: But if you apply today you’ll save 15%…
M: Yes I know, and I’m tired of being asked every time I shop here. If you bring up that credit card again, I’m walking out of this store.
C: Yes, but…
M: Bye.
And, indeed, I walked out while she was ringing up my purchases.
I’m sure I’m now known as the “crazy lady” at that store, but I don’t care. I’m tired of having that conversation every fucking time I check out. I don’t shop there very often anymore, anyway, because much of their clothes are…um…hoochy-mama clothing, which I’m not into wearing. However, they are the only place that sells cute underwear in my size (emphasis on cute…I can find it elsewhere, but it’s fun to wear somthing cute, dammit). Maybe I’m just going to have to get used to boring, white, granny under clothes. Sigh.
Any other suggestions for how to deal with these over-programmed cashiers and their well-rehearsed script?
Tags: rant
Posted by barb on Jul 28, 2006 in
Random Thoughts I just talked with Dad. He had a “heart cath” this morning so they could check his heart and valves. He hasn’t talked with the doctor yet, but he knows that he’s had two more stents put in and hear something about an aneurysm (according to WebMD, that’s a stretched and bulging section of a blood vessel). He should know more this evening, so I’ll let my brothers or Mom call him and report back to me. He also thought he might be moved to a room outside the ICU later this evening.
Tags: family, suckitude
Posted by barb on Jul 27, 2006 in
Random Thoughts,
Thesis/Grad Life 
My crazy aunt, Maggie, just knew that I’ve been having trouble motivating myself on my thesis lately. Her solution? A PhD fairy! How awesome is that?
The card she sent says:
This is your own personal PhD fairy.
She loves to do RESEARCH!
Put her on your computer and watch the numbers start to CRUNCH!
She also gives OOMPH when you’ve had enough.
Now I have to finish. Yay!
Tags: comfort, family
Posted by barb on Jul 27, 2006 in
Random Thoughts ..and not for good reasons.
My brother e-mailed me during lunch that Dad’s in the hospital. He had been having chest pains and when he went to the emergency room, his EKG did not come back right. Unfortunately, Dad is in Colorado for work right now (he and the rest of my family live in Minnesota, I live in Virginia), so he’s away from his family, in a strange hospital with only his “guys” (what he calls the guys he works with) at his side. Fortunately he’s got someone he knows, at least, but according to my brother, he’s feeling a bit scared and alone (who wouldn’t). To top it off, he’s in a small town which doesn’t have a cardiologist on staff (yikes!), so they’re transporting him to Denver. So, I won’t know anything for a few hours (more than an hour to get to Denver, and a couple hours for tests, etc.). He is stable and alert, at the last report – he even talked with Mom while in the ambulance to Denver). But, I decided to come home for the afternoon – I’m no good at work right now.
I’ll update when I can/when I have news.
Update 6:25 PM: Dad’s in Denver, and the doctor thinks that he may have had another heart attack. He’ll be having an angiogram in the morning. I talked with him on the phone, and he sounds in okay spirits. He’s all alone in an ICU in a city away from all his friends and family, so he’s as good as he can sound right now.
Tags: family, suckitude
Posted by barb on Jul 24, 2006 in
Random Thoughts Is it sad that the following came up in a google search:
The Big Rip-Off (TMNT 1987 episode)
And I instantly knew the TMNT was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
Tags: tv
Posted by barb on Jul 17, 2006 in
Random Thoughts Note to you after-morning-rushhour drivers: Don’t stop at the top (or bottom) of the ramp to get on the Beltway*. I know it’s scary to see all of that traffic moving on the Beltway, but the only way you’re going to get into it is if you move your ass. Stopping is only going to make it harder, and it’s going to piss off the drivers behind you, like me.
Second note to after-morning-rushhour drivers: Don’t act startled when I honk at you for drifting into my lane. I happen to like the finish on my car as it is, and while there’s less traffic than during rush hour, it’s still not acceptable to just veer into someone elses’ lane.
*I realize that this happens during rush hour, too, but I generally only see it occasionally when I’m driving to work. This morning, driving in at 10:30AM I saw it twice – once directly in front of me on an entrance ramp.
Tags: rant
Posted by barb on Jul 16, 2006 in
Pictures,
Random Thoughts Our weather has been miserable hot and miserable humid, so I decided that we needed to celebrate summer a bit. My method? Grilling! We went out this morning and bought a little grill (Weber’s Smokey Joe), since it’s just two of us, and we don’t plan on grilling all the time. I spent the afternoon making ‘tato salad, cutting veggies for kebabs, and baking a blueberry cobbler.
This evening I got the grill going with a a bit of trial-and-error (and a bit too much “carcoal starter”…*wooph*). And about an hour later we had a yummy summer-themed meal. Can I just say that I love grilling? I mean, really, fire and food, what more could a person want?
Tags: baking
Posted by barb on Jun 27, 2006 in
Random Thoughts As of last Tuesday, Weather.com says that our area had had 0.76 inches of rain to date this month. As of yesterday? It says we have 10.10 inches to date this month. That’s over 9 inches of rain, most of it since Sunday. As much as I like rainy days and thunder storms, it seems that this is just about too much.
Tags: rant
