One gets an idea of how bad one is out of shape when one takes on a pair of blades and attempts to go 3 separate rounds with 3 separate dogs. The idea is to get the exercise and to get the dogs burned out.
Well, the dogs are full-fledged running the entire time. I do not allow them to slow down, sniff, bark at other dogs - whatever. I don't want or need to do that. If those dogs - or any individual dog - doesn't want to get with the program, that dog can stay home and I could care less. Prince is on the verge of that disqualifier. He wants to run, but he wants to stop and smell everything. I nearly ended up on my face when he decided to cut in front of me to go into a yard that had a dog out front.
I have very good balance on those things, fortunately, but I must say that after 3 dogs worth, my muscles were giving out. In fact, after the first run my leg muscles were burning - that's cause I took Coco - the Dane/Catahoula mix for a much longer run. She is MUCH easier to deal with and will obey my commands without hesitation. She is one of the best dogs I have ever owned - and to think she was headed to euthanization because of everyone else - fully 4 families before me - who said she was out-of-control and destructive. She is also in excellent condition - she can keep up with me longer than I can keep up with her, that's a fact. For now, anyway.
Whatever the case, roller blading is a great cardio exercise and that's what I'm looking for. But. The streets around here totally suck. The asphalt is old, full of cracks, very course, they all need to be resurfaced. It has needed it for a long time now. I don't care if the city of Phoenix is broke - they are resurfacing streets all over the place, I see it every day. This is my next campaign. I will start calling them - and calling them - and calling them - if need be until I get some results.
I am also considering stopping at a very large park on the way home from work, skip the dogs and use the cement walkway that goes around the entire circumference of the park. It is very nice, there is hardly ever anyone there and it would be far easier to get the workout I'm looking for without the dogs. I could still give the dogs a run, but this way I wouldn't have to worry about falling over the dogs, just concentrate on the workout at hand. It's at least 1/4 mile around that park.
Umm, those are some of the thoughts that consume me these days - growing old and getting fat. Can't stop the age part, everyone has the choice about fat, skinny or in-between. Right now, I'm in between. There are other thoughts as well, and not all of it is confined to the economy, finances and how to keep the house.
But I won't got there as it's almost my bedtime and I wore myself out. I wonder if, perhaps, that much of a workout as what I did earlier might help me sleep better? Or, conversely, it was too late to do such a workout and I will sleep even worse.
I'll find that out tonight and, of course, report it tomorrow.
OH!! I went to Fry's Food Stores - I always go to that place - at least 4 times a week anyway - to start using the gift card I was given. Well, the gift card didn't work. It was the same floor manager that had been ignoring the self-serve stations the other day that was there today. I don't dislike the lady - but please. If your job requires you to give full attention to something - most jobs do - then DO your job. It IS possible to gab and still do an efficient job in the case of grocery sales. You can talk with your customers while attending to them, I'm sure of it, I know because I do it every day. I don't miss a beat while getting what I need to get done - done - but I am always open to a good conversation with anyone, even a total stranger. Aren't you? Lol.
The point? They usually aren't talking with customers, when the "infractions" occur, they are talking with other employees and wasting a lot of valuable, customer time while they are at it. In the case of a customer like me, who wants in and out of the store as quickly as possible, it is VERY annoying. Well, this lady was all about business today. Took the card, fooled with it for a few minutes, asked if I wanted a new card to take it's place cause' that card isn't going to work every time I try to use it. Great. Sure. She half runs to the other end of the store and back, I'm serious. She was in a BIG hurry to either deal with me efficiently - or just get me OUT of there, lol.
Dunno, but I am usually always friendly with all of them and I bid her a great day while leaving and she did the same back. I say usually cause' if they get nasty with me when I have not been nasty with them, I either let emotion take over and give it right back - or usually - head straight to the manager's office for a nice conversation about employee
Well, it's bedtime -
.....
-
.....\
G'nite.
ben
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Wednesday
No clue how it got to Wednesday so fast. Really. I slept okay last night - I have been having some really weird dreams that I am waking up out of when the alarm goes off in the morning, hence I am remembering some of them (verus usually not remembering any of them). Today's - would take far too long to go into all of it, but it is another horror flick movie style thing where a group of us were taken hostage, removed to a huge desert compound literally in the middle of nowhere - and the whole story was REALLY strange. I think they were aliens in human form, lol.
In all of this financial chaos I have been going through with non-paying tenants lately, I managed to keep my credit-stained fingers off of the credit cards. I remember an ordeal I was going through last year I think it was - no the year before? Anyway, I was using the gas card frequently and ran that up to $300. For credit, I guess many people think that's nothing. That's huge for me, I hate getting that far into debt for something that should be included in a monthly budget in cash, not credit. I have that almost paid down to zero now. I won't be getting rid of it when it is at zero balance - it lowers your credit score by getting rid of cards and what if I need to use it again in some financial mayhem that might come my way?
I don't want to rely on credit cards - and I don't anyway - but there are uses for them beyond credit scores and I think it's good to have a few - IF - you can be responsible about it and not use it as a store spending spree to buy everything you ever dreamed about - and then start making hundreds of dollars per month on card payments with a huge chunk of that money going to interest.
I ALMOST got myself into payments on a large screen TV, but thought better about it and ridded myself of that thought that grew to unbelievable sizes inside of my head - an almost intense desire after I lost my big-screen to the house fire 2-1/2 years ago. I REALLY want another one, but sanity returned to me before I fell for it. Yes, I want one, no, it isn't any time at all to add to the monthly payment load that I already have. In fact, the better plan is to save up for one. If I thought I could me whatever the payments were going to be, then I should be able to take that monthly payment and put it in a savings account instead, paying cash for it in the end which would be 2 full years from now.
Yes, well I haven't done that though I may start if my situation improves.
Anyway, work day is here, must be offa here.
G'day.
ben
In all of this financial chaos I have been going through with non-paying tenants lately, I managed to keep my credit-stained fingers off of the credit cards. I remember an ordeal I was going through last year I think it was - no the year before? Anyway, I was using the gas card frequently and ran that up to $300. For credit, I guess many people think that's nothing. That's huge for me, I hate getting that far into debt for something that should be included in a monthly budget in cash, not credit. I have that almost paid down to zero now. I won't be getting rid of it when it is at zero balance - it lowers your credit score by getting rid of cards and what if I need to use it again in some financial mayhem that might come my way?
I don't want to rely on credit cards - and I don't anyway - but there are uses for them beyond credit scores and I think it's good to have a few - IF - you can be responsible about it and not use it as a store spending spree to buy everything you ever dreamed about - and then start making hundreds of dollars per month on card payments with a huge chunk of that money going to interest.
I ALMOST got myself into payments on a large screen TV, but thought better about it and ridded myself of that thought that grew to unbelievable sizes inside of my head - an almost intense desire after I lost my big-screen to the house fire 2-1/2 years ago. I REALLY want another one, but sanity returned to me before I fell for it. Yes, I want one, no, it isn't any time at all to add to the monthly payment load that I already have. In fact, the better plan is to save up for one. If I thought I could me whatever the payments were going to be, then I should be able to take that monthly payment and put it in a savings account instead, paying cash for it in the end which would be 2 full years from now.
Yes, well I haven't done that though I may start if my situation improves.
Anyway, work day is here, must be offa here.
G'day.
ben
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Tuesday
To the masses coming here from other places - the masses of those that I know, I should say, not the masses doing Google searches for Cafe World - you are welcomed to read and leave and come back or do whatever you want (but please do not leave nasty messages) - I am using TWO blogs at this point and have been for some time now. I write in both of them. I do that because each one has a different feel to it.
I don't know how to explain it, but one blog is on a small site that and this blog is a universe of site - how many millions of people have Blogger accounts? I don't necessarily have a favorite, either, but I do use this blog for entries about corporations or things that I want to be able to have Googled and the masses able to find it. You may have noticed my Cafe World entries; Grocery store entries; all kinds of stuff. I also started something about dogs and want to continue with that as well.
My other blog is almost purely personal stuff. I do that here, too, but it is not JUST that. I have SEVERAL - MORE - blogs that I write in occasionally. Prolly no-one knows about those because they are incognito. Purely diary type stuff that is available to the world, the world, however, doesn't have a clue who is writing it. In fact, one of them I completely change my writing style so that no-one that may know me will be able to figure it out. Why? Cause' I feel like it. No, really, there are simply some things I would like to be able to express freely about certain subjects and not be found as the author. Nothing crass, illegal or gross, just life, really. This particular blog here - well - I know there are some people that are coming here that I simply am not going to reveal that much information about my personal life to. Nuff said.
Just sayin. I'm not out to offend anyone, if you are offended for some reason, bring it to my attention. If it's something I should apologize for, then I will. If it is not, I will tell you such.
Anyway, this is a clarification for purposes I will not reveal, either, but wanted to get that out there.
Work day is here, I must be-gone.
G'day.
ben
I don't know how to explain it, but one blog is on a small site that and this blog is a universe of site - how many millions of people have Blogger accounts? I don't necessarily have a favorite, either, but I do use this blog for entries about corporations or things that I want to be able to have Googled and the masses able to find it. You may have noticed my Cafe World entries; Grocery store entries; all kinds of stuff. I also started something about dogs and want to continue with that as well.
My other blog is almost purely personal stuff. I do that here, too, but it is not JUST that. I have SEVERAL - MORE - blogs that I write in occasionally. Prolly no-one knows about those because they are incognito. Purely diary type stuff that is available to the world, the world, however, doesn't have a clue who is writing it. In fact, one of them I completely change my writing style so that no-one that may know me will be able to figure it out. Why? Cause' I feel like it. No, really, there are simply some things I would like to be able to express freely about certain subjects and not be found as the author. Nothing crass, illegal or gross, just life, really. This particular blog here - well - I know there are some people that are coming here that I simply am not going to reveal that much information about my personal life to. Nuff said.
Just sayin. I'm not out to offend anyone, if you are offended for some reason, bring it to my attention. If it's something I should apologize for, then I will. If it is not, I will tell you such.
Anyway, this is a clarification for purposes I will not reveal, either, but wanted to get that out there.
Work day is here, I must be-gone.
G'day.
ben
Monday, April 5, 2010
Give One Up To Fry's Food Stores
I'll give kudos when kudos are due.
I spoke, in-person, with the general manager of the store that I have been discussing on this forum for a while now, today at the store.
I only stopped in for a few bottles of soda - I just dumped almost $160 there yesterday. He handed me a gift certificate and again apologized for -- everything. I have no idea how effective this manager will be in turning things around, I only know that he, himself, is a totally laid-back person that is obviously not into any kind of arguing with customers.
In fact, I took it that he's not in to arguing with anyone, anywhere, for anything. Whether that's a good or bad thing is up to the reader as everyone has their own view of things concerning such.
Oh, I was not looking for an argument, I was observing his demeanor, attitude, facial movements, body language - all of it.
This is an on-going story. More when there is something to report.
I spoke, in-person, with the general manager of the store that I have been discussing on this forum for a while now, today at the store.
I only stopped in for a few bottles of soda - I just dumped almost $160 there yesterday. He handed me a gift certificate and again apologized for -- everything. I have no idea how effective this manager will be in turning things around, I only know that he, himself, is a totally laid-back person that is obviously not into any kind of arguing with customers.
In fact, I took it that he's not in to arguing with anyone, anywhere, for anything. Whether that's a good or bad thing is up to the reader as everyone has their own view of things concerning such.
Oh, I was not looking for an argument, I was observing his demeanor, attitude, facial movements, body language - all of it.
This is an on-going story. More when there is something to report.
Monday
Sometimes Monday morning comes rolling around, the alarm goes off and I do NOT want to get out of bed.
Such was the case this morning.
Life is rough, get over it I tell myself and move on.
Easter dinner at mom's house was perfect. Best one I've been to in a long time. It helps when everyone is getting along. Mother didn't want to talk politics - neither did I, middle bro sort of steered that direction a few times but - politics in our family can and will start some rather heated arguments.
I am not into such, especially during a celebration such as Easter. I pick my fights with whom I pick them with - currently it's a couple of large corporations - and that is enough for me. I don't NEED to be fighting with family members - politics inevitably leads to such as I do not see eye to eye with my brothers on such. I did agree with him, however, that Afghanistan is a waste - let's listen to the Russian's advice, pack our bags and get the bleep out of there. Let's not see one more American troop killed over there.
I'm all for any war that needs to be fought. If it's a true and serious threat, let's deal with it. Seems like we have a mini-war going on right on our borders and it seems to me the Federal government is doing mostly nothing about it. I'm a few hundred miles from the Mexican border, although I am not living in fear of anything happening, certainly the prospect is there.
.....you'll hear of wars and rumors of wars.....earthquakes..... just a few words taken out of scripture in the Bible. The earthquakes are what is getting my attention. Seems to be quite a lot of them occuring at various places all over the world, including the one yesterday that was "felt by 20 million people". In God is the only real peace to be found on this earth. That's all I can say about any of what is going on right now in this world.
I did not accomplish much this weekend. Pulled some weeds, installed more drip emitters - but really, nothing grand. Oh, well I did resume the Spring cleaning - I took everything apart, basically, in my master bathroom and scrubbed the freak out of all of it. It isn't done yet - but it's close to done. I watched all 3 Lord of the Rings movies as well. Mother gave me a pic - it is framed art, the pic is of 2 dogs and was created apparently with a pencil. It was my step-grandfather's. She actually gave me the pic a long time ago but wanted it back for a while for some sentimental reasons that she apparently has gotten over.
It was good for her to take it - it would have burned up in the house fire 2 years ago. She also gave me the Kachina doll that she has been holding. This isn't some plastic piece of junk, this is a very fine piece of Indian artwork. She has been holding that for me for some time as well. Both the pic and the doll are locked away in my master bedroom closet and will stay there until there are no more kids in the house. Michael is an absolute klutz, I just don't trust having such pricey stuff in any area that is even remotely accessible by him.
Well, work day approaches and I want to read this story about the miners getting freed in China.
G'day.
ben
Such was the case this morning.
Life is rough, get over it I tell myself and move on.
Easter dinner at mom's house was perfect. Best one I've been to in a long time. It helps when everyone is getting along. Mother didn't want to talk politics - neither did I, middle bro sort of steered that direction a few times but - politics in our family can and will start some rather heated arguments.
I am not into such, especially during a celebration such as Easter. I pick my fights with whom I pick them with - currently it's a couple of large corporations - and that is enough for me. I don't NEED to be fighting with family members - politics inevitably leads to such as I do not see eye to eye with my brothers on such. I did agree with him, however, that Afghanistan is a waste - let's listen to the Russian's advice, pack our bags and get the bleep out of there. Let's not see one more American troop killed over there.
I'm all for any war that needs to be fought. If it's a true and serious threat, let's deal with it. Seems like we have a mini-war going on right on our borders and it seems to me the Federal government is doing mostly nothing about it. I'm a few hundred miles from the Mexican border, although I am not living in fear of anything happening, certainly the prospect is there.
.....you'll hear of wars and rumors of wars.....earthquakes..... just a few words taken out of scripture in the Bible. The earthquakes are what is getting my attention. Seems to be quite a lot of them occuring at various places all over the world, including the one yesterday that was "felt by 20 million people". In God is the only real peace to be found on this earth. That's all I can say about any of what is going on right now in this world.
I did not accomplish much this weekend. Pulled some weeds, installed more drip emitters - but really, nothing grand. Oh, well I did resume the Spring cleaning - I took everything apart, basically, in my master bathroom and scrubbed the freak out of all of it. It isn't done yet - but it's close to done. I watched all 3 Lord of the Rings movies as well. Mother gave me a pic - it is framed art, the pic is of 2 dogs and was created apparently with a pencil. It was my step-grandfather's. She actually gave me the pic a long time ago but wanted it back for a while for some sentimental reasons that she apparently has gotten over.
It was good for her to take it - it would have burned up in the house fire 2 years ago. She also gave me the Kachina doll that she has been holding. This isn't some plastic piece of junk, this is a very fine piece of Indian artwork. She has been holding that for me for some time as well. Both the pic and the doll are locked away in my master bedroom closet and will stay there until there are no more kids in the house. Michael is an absolute klutz, I just don't trust having such pricey stuff in any area that is even remotely accessible by him.
Well, work day approaches and I want to read this story about the miners getting freed in China.
G'day.
ben
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Easter Sunday
A very nice day spent with my brother, his son, my son and my mother at my mom's house in Sun City. This is the original Sun City - the horse properties, the expensive homes, the nice area. Mom made a very tasty dinner - as usual for her - she is a great cook and I have always admired her ability as such. I have attempted to follow in her footsteps - I think I will always look at her as my cooking hero : )
I am not gay, btw, if that's what brings that statement to mind. I also like growing flowers because - God made them and they are beautiful and smell wonderful. I like plants and having a property full of them. I like God's creation - He created these things, we are inclined to like His creation in all the many facets that that entails. There is a huge difference, in my mind if no-one else's, in looking at a house that has all kinds of vegetation versus a house that has none or very little.
I find it far more unnatural to have a barren property than to have something like mine: 200 plus plants and trees growing on all sides of the house, maintained, groomed and looking nice. There are years worth of growth to go before most of it is mature. It is also almost totally covered with drip irrigation - water saving system that also almost totally eliminates weed growth. I am perfecting that system - fine tuning it. I want only to have to go out there, turn a handle on a ball valve, and then go watch the plants being watered - versus spending hours out there with a garden hose. SOME areas will still be covered with water hose, but the time drain of 1 to 2 hours every day out there just watering stuff will be eliminated, my drip system will do it for me.
That's it. It's my bedtime and - I'm going to bed.
G'nite.
ben
I am not gay, btw, if that's what brings that statement to mind. I also like growing flowers because - God made them and they are beautiful and smell wonderful. I like plants and having a property full of them. I like God's creation - He created these things, we are inclined to like His creation in all the many facets that that entails. There is a huge difference, in my mind if no-one else's, in looking at a house that has all kinds of vegetation versus a house that has none or very little.
I find it far more unnatural to have a barren property than to have something like mine: 200 plus plants and trees growing on all sides of the house, maintained, groomed and looking nice. There are years worth of growth to go before most of it is mature. It is also almost totally covered with drip irrigation - water saving system that also almost totally eliminates weed growth. I am perfecting that system - fine tuning it. I want only to have to go out there, turn a handle on a ball valve, and then go watch the plants being watered - versus spending hours out there with a garden hose. SOME areas will still be covered with water hose, but the time drain of 1 to 2 hours every day out there just watering stuff will be eliminated, my drip system will do it for me.
That's it. It's my bedtime and - I'm going to bed.
G'nite.
ben
Fresh And Easy Grocery Stores: GREAT Customer Service!
Let's get off of the subject of Fry's/Krogers and Walmart Supercenters. Well, we may throw the names in the discussion, but the focus will be on the Fresh and Easy grocery chain. Not sure how long ago - maybe 3 years? .....that Fresh and Easy started to move into town. They started building and building and building -- or taking over existing structures and completely re-doing them - until they had stores all over the place.
The nearest one to me is 4 miles away.
I have not been shopping at Fresh and Easy very long, they haven't BEEN here very long. In contrast, I have been shopping at Fry's Food Stores since 1974 and I have been shopping at Walmart Supercenters off and on for the last 10 or so years. I have almost completely given up on buying anything at Walmart simply because of the HORRIFIC customer service issues that are to be found there in a shopper's nightmare of neglect; abusive treatment and even total dissing, right to your face. I go, on average, to Walmart about once a month compared to the several times a week I USED to go there years ago. Walmart may be about low prices - but they don't pay their employees anything and yes, definitely, they get what they pay for in terms of complete, total lack of customer service.
I USED to overlook Walmart's abusive customer service issues, but over the years I just got to the point where I could take it no longer. The last time I was there, which was about 3 weeks ago, I went to the deli counter to get some turkey sliced into lunch meat portions. There were fully 4 people working in the back. I waited for 30 seconds before someone finally voiced: "We'll be with you in a minute". I left. I also complained to the district manager, again. I refuse to put up with a single second's worth of bad service from anyone there.
I WILL start to remember to bring my camera into these stores - eventually - to begin documenting this stuff and posting it on the web for the entire world to see.
Totally got off-subject, but relevant to the discussion, as I have never had ANY problems at Fresh and Easy. I do NOT go into stores looking for trouble. In fact, I am very focused: get what I went in there to get and get out of there as fast as possible as I pretty much abhor going into any of those places. BUT, I do not abhor going into Fresh and Easy! I can say that because they ALWAYS cheery, friendly and helpful. If I ask them where something is, they will take you there. There is no malice in their voices (as in, you are an intrusion into our daily work lives, we don't need you, you need us type of attitude). They most definitely do NOT have the best prices around, but - their prices aren't bad, either. Well, I'll take that back.
On certain items, they do have killer deals. Notably their frozen potatoes section which has a full line of their own brand, I'm guessing - that is much lower than Fry's or Walmart. They also seem to have good, on-going deals on half-hams at 77 cents per pound. That's pretty good, really. Other stuff is comparable to Fry's or Walmart and then there's other things that are simply beyond what I am willing to pay..........UNLESS.........I have one of those great coupons.
But what makes or breaks a company's "deal" for me? Customer service, ALWAYS. Whether for good or for bad, that is the single-most thing that I am looking for. If you find a place that has good deals on some things, the same deals on others but a little higher on yet more - I am going to take that place and shun the rest. Well, I haven't gotten that far with it. They are not huge stores though they do have a good selection on some things. I don't think I could ever get to the point I could say that Fresh and Easy is the place where I spend most of my grocery money just because of that. That being there isn't enough there to cover everything.
But don't let that statement deter you, there are many items that they do have a great selection on - I don't think they are trying to cover the universe in that arena, they are trying to offer quality items at a good, great or decent price. Yet, what attracts me to the place is the always-great attitude I have experienced there - at least so far.
I have NEVER had the issues I have had at both Fry's and Walmart with the checkouts at Fresh and Easy. It's very simple stuff and the employees I have encountered have actually made it an enjoyable experience. Last time I was there - earlier this week - I forgot to get some cookies for the kids - but had already started checking my stuff through the scanner. I asked where the cookies were - yes, the lady offered to take me over to them, I just asked to be directed in the general direction as she was obviously busy and I did not want to take her away from dealing with others that needed help as well. I also asked if it was okay to do so, I am not the kind to want to hold others up - there were plenty of open checkouts, so it was nothing in terms of making myself a nuisance customer to other customers. I went, got the cookies, found all my items scanned and bagged, only waiting for me to scan the cookies and pay for the items.
It wasn't JUST that she was willing to go out of her way to help me (though that in itself is a shopper's dream at this point in time), it was the way she went about it. In terms of customer service, this person was brilliant. Her total focus on making sure I was happy with my experience, without me having to ask for it, was something you might think to find at a fine restaurant with pricey food fares and expectant high percentage tips. She was moving very quickly, relentlessly, back and forth from one checkout to another, helping others in almost angelic-like proportions in her total smoothness and ability to deal with a lot going on and not missing a beat. I hope she is paid well for such enthusiastic, energetic, awesome output.
Ohhh, but that was just her, you say. NO, I reply. That is just ONE example. You see, I hear apologies from companies about "what happened". BUT, the apology never comes from the offender, it always has to come from some level of management. I don't even have to GO there at Fresh and Easy. Disclaimer: I am NOT an employee of Fresh and Easy, I do NOT work in the grocery business but I am an avid shopper as I spend a GREAT deal of money on food on any given month. However, I AM in the customer service industry, but it is far removed from the food industry.
TREAT PEOPLE AS YOU WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED YOURSELF. I have no idea if that is any mantra in the corporate climate of Fresh and Easy, whether it is or isn't, that's the way I see their outlook on the subject. Coming from a person like me - not that I'm anyone, but still - that's high praise.
I thought today, why always tout the deficiencies of one company: Fry's Food Stores, and not tout a store I might happen to be totally satisfied with? Okay, okay, Fry's is not ALL bad, but there's enough there to make me speak out against that corporation on a frequent basis. They simply don't have "it" down at the employee level. It matters not if high-level management is all about customer service: if it is not reflected in each store employee's attitude, who gives a damn what a person you will never see or talks to thinks about it? I don't GO to Fry's to see high level management, I go there to get groceries. I don't expect high-level management to be attending the checkout line. I don't even expect that they are there. In fact, I don't expect much of anything at this point from Fry's, excepting the fact that I probably will run into some kind of BS when I am there. If it were not for their pricing - that is pretty much outstanding - I wouldn't go there at all.
So, kudos to Fresh and Easy. To Fry's Food Stores - You have a LONG ways to go. Your prices are fantastic but it does not nullify the TERRIBLE customer service that I frequently experience there.
The nearest one to me is 4 miles away.
I have not been shopping at Fresh and Easy very long, they haven't BEEN here very long. In contrast, I have been shopping at Fry's Food Stores since 1974 and I have been shopping at Walmart Supercenters off and on for the last 10 or so years. I have almost completely given up on buying anything at Walmart simply because of the HORRIFIC customer service issues that are to be found there in a shopper's nightmare of neglect; abusive treatment and even total dissing, right to your face. I go, on average, to Walmart about once a month compared to the several times a week I USED to go there years ago. Walmart may be about low prices - but they don't pay their employees anything and yes, definitely, they get what they pay for in terms of complete, total lack of customer service.
I USED to overlook Walmart's abusive customer service issues, but over the years I just got to the point where I could take it no longer. The last time I was there, which was about 3 weeks ago, I went to the deli counter to get some turkey sliced into lunch meat portions. There were fully 4 people working in the back. I waited for 30 seconds before someone finally voiced: "We'll be with you in a minute". I left. I also complained to the district manager, again. I refuse to put up with a single second's worth of bad service from anyone there.
I WILL start to remember to bring my camera into these stores - eventually - to begin documenting this stuff and posting it on the web for the entire world to see.
Totally got off-subject, but relevant to the discussion, as I have never had ANY problems at Fresh and Easy. I do NOT go into stores looking for trouble. In fact, I am very focused: get what I went in there to get and get out of there as fast as possible as I pretty much abhor going into any of those places. BUT, I do not abhor going into Fresh and Easy! I can say that because they ALWAYS cheery, friendly and helpful. If I ask them where something is, they will take you there. There is no malice in their voices (as in, you are an intrusion into our daily work lives, we don't need you, you need us type of attitude). They most definitely do NOT have the best prices around, but - their prices aren't bad, either. Well, I'll take that back.
On certain items, they do have killer deals. Notably their frozen potatoes section which has a full line of their own brand, I'm guessing - that is much lower than Fry's or Walmart. They also seem to have good, on-going deals on half-hams at 77 cents per pound. That's pretty good, really. Other stuff is comparable to Fry's or Walmart and then there's other things that are simply beyond what I am willing to pay..........UNLESS.........I have one of those great coupons.
But what makes or breaks a company's "deal" for me? Customer service, ALWAYS. Whether for good or for bad, that is the single-most thing that I am looking for. If you find a place that has good deals on some things, the same deals on others but a little higher on yet more - I am going to take that place and shun the rest. Well, I haven't gotten that far with it. They are not huge stores though they do have a good selection on some things. I don't think I could ever get to the point I could say that Fresh and Easy is the place where I spend most of my grocery money just because of that. That being there isn't enough there to cover everything.
But don't let that statement deter you, there are many items that they do have a great selection on - I don't think they are trying to cover the universe in that arena, they are trying to offer quality items at a good, great or decent price. Yet, what attracts me to the place is the always-great attitude I have experienced there - at least so far.
I have NEVER had the issues I have had at both Fry's and Walmart with the checkouts at Fresh and Easy. It's very simple stuff and the employees I have encountered have actually made it an enjoyable experience. Last time I was there - earlier this week - I forgot to get some cookies for the kids - but had already started checking my stuff through the scanner. I asked where the cookies were - yes, the lady offered to take me over to them, I just asked to be directed in the general direction as she was obviously busy and I did not want to take her away from dealing with others that needed help as well. I also asked if it was okay to do so, I am not the kind to want to hold others up - there were plenty of open checkouts, so it was nothing in terms of making myself a nuisance customer to other customers. I went, got the cookies, found all my items scanned and bagged, only waiting for me to scan the cookies and pay for the items.
It wasn't JUST that she was willing to go out of her way to help me (though that in itself is a shopper's dream at this point in time), it was the way she went about it. In terms of customer service, this person was brilliant. Her total focus on making sure I was happy with my experience, without me having to ask for it, was something you might think to find at a fine restaurant with pricey food fares and expectant high percentage tips. She was moving very quickly, relentlessly, back and forth from one checkout to another, helping others in almost angelic-like proportions in her total smoothness and ability to deal with a lot going on and not missing a beat. I hope she is paid well for such enthusiastic, energetic, awesome output.
Ohhh, but that was just her, you say. NO, I reply. That is just ONE example. You see, I hear apologies from companies about "what happened". BUT, the apology never comes from the offender, it always has to come from some level of management. I don't even have to GO there at Fresh and Easy. Disclaimer: I am NOT an employee of Fresh and Easy, I do NOT work in the grocery business but I am an avid shopper as I spend a GREAT deal of money on food on any given month. However, I AM in the customer service industry, but it is far removed from the food industry.
TREAT PEOPLE AS YOU WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED YOURSELF. I have no idea if that is any mantra in the corporate climate of Fresh and Easy, whether it is or isn't, that's the way I see their outlook on the subject. Coming from a person like me - not that I'm anyone, but still - that's high praise.
I thought today, why always tout the deficiencies of one company: Fry's Food Stores, and not tout a store I might happen to be totally satisfied with? Okay, okay, Fry's is not ALL bad, but there's enough there to make me speak out against that corporation on a frequent basis. They simply don't have "it" down at the employee level. It matters not if high-level management is all about customer service: if it is not reflected in each store employee's attitude, who gives a damn what a person you will never see or talks to thinks about it? I don't GO to Fry's to see high level management, I go there to get groceries. I don't expect high-level management to be attending the checkout line. I don't even expect that they are there. In fact, I don't expect much of anything at this point from Fry's, excepting the fact that I probably will run into some kind of BS when I am there. If it were not for their pricing - that is pretty much outstanding - I wouldn't go there at all.
So, kudos to Fresh and Easy. To Fry's Food Stores - You have a LONG ways to go. Your prices are fantastic but it does not nullify the TERRIBLE customer service that I frequently experience there.
Fry's Food Stores Service Issues (Ongoing "Discussion)
I have written about customer service issues at Fry's Food Stores for quite some time now. The point? If they are not motivated to do anything about it themselves, perhaps some negative exposure to the entire world WILL. I have seen many Google searches for Fry's service coming here on the Feedjit software to the side of my blog. This is some kind of indication that SOMEBODY else must also be interested in seeing things change at Fry's Food Stores, even if in ever so small, incremental steps.
My latest round of emails were sent to all kinds of individuals within the Kroger's corporate structure. Whether any of those people read those emails and did anything (besides dump them into the recycle bin on their computer), I have no idea. The form I filled out through customer input on their website did get someone's attention. I believe they always respond to whatever comes their way through that forum.
This time, I received a reply email from a lady, after that I got a call from an individual that is regional manager or some title from someone else and yesterday, I got a call from the store's general manager. They were all apologetic. I sincerely believe they have great intentions, too. I also sincerely believe that absolutely nothing will be done about it.
Case in point: I sent this email out a week and a half plus ago. This information had already been received by the store's general manager. Yet, 2 days ago, I saw the general manager and a floor manager walking around the front of the store, discussing whatever and totally ignoring customers that were OBVIOUSLY waiting for help at the self-service checkouts. The floor manager had the device in her hand that remote controls all the screens - she was SUPPOSED to be tending to the customers and whatever issues come up with self-checkout, instead, she was babbling with the store's manager.
I was in a full-service lane at the time, watching this nonsense. The man was standing at the self-serve terminal where the employee is supposed to be helping people. Another guy was standing there, looking around, at a self-serve checkout, waiting for an attendant. Only when the lady that was supposed to be engaging herself with this setup looked up - and shock came over her face seeing people waiting to be helped - did they get helped.
I have threatened to take a video camera in there and film this nonsense, I always forget to take it in there with me. I could have acquired at least 4 videos of these people - whether employees or management - totally ignoring the customers. One of the videos would have shown fully FOUR employees, including a manager, standing there talking and yapping away, while I and another individual were standing there, waiting for whenever they might get their social hour over with, look up and do what they are supposed to be doing (well, one assumes that they are supposed to engaging in the work at hand, one does not necessarily believe that assumption after years of seeing this stuff going on).
Hey, the new manager of the store sounds like a very nice person. I'm not saying they are a-holes working there, I AM saying that there are some pretty spacey people who apparently have the attention span of a gnat working there. Well, there ARE a couple of a-holes working there, most notably a black man that works in the meat department who started what akins to a fist-fight with me over my question about why there was no chicken available that was advertised - and had NOT been available for the nearly 5 days I had gone in there looking for such. He got testy with me saying I would have to come in when they had it. It was aggregious attitude at best. When I went and got a manager - who went with me to approach this individual - this man started in on me, right there, with the manager standing there! He became VERY aggressive in his stance and speech and started walking towards me.
The manager shut him down. They SHOULD have FIRED his stupid ass. Forgive my language, but that kind of action towards a customer that is ONLY asking a question is beyond uncalled for, that person should NOT be working there.
So now what? I will continue to go in there and observe what's going on while I'm shopping. I never said I wasn't going to shop there at all - though I am spending some of my grocery dollars at other stores at this point, especially at Fresh and Easy since they have some great coupons. Oh, and the individual that called me wanted to know about the conveyor belts being used at Fresh and Easy - EVERYONE checks themself out there, but it is FAR easier to use than the ridiculous system that have at Fry's. I couldn't tell him if they are using a scale system like Fry's is - but I will ask them the next time I go in there. The point is you can get the scanning job 3 times faster - at least - than at Fry's because you don't have to wait for the system to weigh the product and verify it is the correct weight for the item that was scanned. Further, the employees are scurrying around at Fresh and Easy helping bag customer's groceries and whatever issues customers might have with the scanning system. They are VERY focused and do their jobs 100% better than anything I have experienced at Fry's Food Stores with their self-checkouts.
More to this story in the near future.
ben
My latest round of emails were sent to all kinds of individuals within the Kroger's corporate structure. Whether any of those people read those emails and did anything (besides dump them into the recycle bin on their computer), I have no idea. The form I filled out through customer input on their website did get someone's attention. I believe they always respond to whatever comes their way through that forum.
This time, I received a reply email from a lady, after that I got a call from an individual that is regional manager or some title from someone else and yesterday, I got a call from the store's general manager. They were all apologetic. I sincerely believe they have great intentions, too. I also sincerely believe that absolutely nothing will be done about it.
Case in point: I sent this email out a week and a half plus ago. This information had already been received by the store's general manager. Yet, 2 days ago, I saw the general manager and a floor manager walking around the front of the store, discussing whatever and totally ignoring customers that were OBVIOUSLY waiting for help at the self-service checkouts. The floor manager had the device in her hand that remote controls all the screens - she was SUPPOSED to be tending to the customers and whatever issues come up with self-checkout, instead, she was babbling with the store's manager.
I was in a full-service lane at the time, watching this nonsense. The man was standing at the self-serve terminal where the employee is supposed to be helping people. Another guy was standing there, looking around, at a self-serve checkout, waiting for an attendant. Only when the lady that was supposed to be engaging herself with this setup looked up - and shock came over her face seeing people waiting to be helped - did they get helped.
I have threatened to take a video camera in there and film this nonsense, I always forget to take it in there with me. I could have acquired at least 4 videos of these people - whether employees or management - totally ignoring the customers. One of the videos would have shown fully FOUR employees, including a manager, standing there talking and yapping away, while I and another individual were standing there, waiting for whenever they might get their social hour over with, look up and do what they are supposed to be doing (well, one assumes that they are supposed to engaging in the work at hand, one does not necessarily believe that assumption after years of seeing this stuff going on).
Hey, the new manager of the store sounds like a very nice person. I'm not saying they are a-holes working there, I AM saying that there are some pretty spacey people who apparently have the attention span of a gnat working there. Well, there ARE a couple of a-holes working there, most notably a black man that works in the meat department who started what akins to a fist-fight with me over my question about why there was no chicken available that was advertised - and had NOT been available for the nearly 5 days I had gone in there looking for such. He got testy with me saying I would have to come in when they had it. It was aggregious attitude at best. When I went and got a manager - who went with me to approach this individual - this man started in on me, right there, with the manager standing there! He became VERY aggressive in his stance and speech and started walking towards me.
The manager shut him down. They SHOULD have FIRED his stupid ass. Forgive my language, but that kind of action towards a customer that is ONLY asking a question is beyond uncalled for, that person should NOT be working there.
So now what? I will continue to go in there and observe what's going on while I'm shopping. I never said I wasn't going to shop there at all - though I am spending some of my grocery dollars at other stores at this point, especially at Fresh and Easy since they have some great coupons. Oh, and the individual that called me wanted to know about the conveyor belts being used at Fresh and Easy - EVERYONE checks themself out there, but it is FAR easier to use than the ridiculous system that have at Fry's. I couldn't tell him if they are using a scale system like Fry's is - but I will ask them the next time I go in there. The point is you can get the scanning job 3 times faster - at least - than at Fry's because you don't have to wait for the system to weigh the product and verify it is the correct weight for the item that was scanned. Further, the employees are scurrying around at Fresh and Easy helping bag customer's groceries and whatever issues customers might have with the scanning system. They are VERY focused and do their jobs 100% better than anything I have experienced at Fry's Food Stores with their self-checkouts.
More to this story in the near future.
ben
Friday, April 2, 2010
Friday - At Last!!
So, the ex-tenant shows up for his stuff yesterday with a 3 year old boy. Didn't know he had a son. He doesn't, he replies - it's his new roommate's kid. Whatever. He hands me the money and I let him go to town on getting his stuff out of there, while I - by default - had to entertain this kid.
Anyway, I informed him that his ex-employer had called me and wanted to buy his stuff back at a greater price that whan he, the ex-tenant, was going to pay me. The offer wasn't even tempting, I wouldn't do that to a person. The ex-employer was going to hold his stuff hostage until he paid back what he owes. Ex-tenant says he doesn't owe him anything and conversely, that guy owes HIM money. Don't know, don't really care, he got his stuff back from me and that is the end of it. I'm glad the stuff is gone. He gave me 2 brand new lampshades - dunno man, stuff like this happens when people move out, they feel the need to give me things. Well, they are good looking shades, I am going to chuck the 2 shades on the lamps in my bedroom and replace them with those.
I have acquired to rooms full of furniture from tenants who did not want the stuff and that is how I am easier able to attract new tenants: furnished rooms.
Friday. I dunno why, but this week has seemed like it has just dragggggged by. I am ready for a weekend at this point. There is a day's full of work in our truck routing system. Should be interesting because I am several hours over my allotted time right now and would have to leave early - very early - to bring the hours to 70 for 2 weeks.
Of course, I usually throw something from the news in here. This is a new - and alarming - one: Mexicans coming across our borders and seeking political asylum because of the violence along the border towns from the drug cartels. How many hundreds of thousands of them will come streaming across the border if we allow this to start happening? I'm even more curious as to when, exactly, the Mexican government is going to deal with this problem and END it. The drug cartels, that is. I'm sorry those people are going through all of that, but this nation cannot afford the freebie handouts that will ensue with all these people getting free housing, food and health coverage. Funny I have to pay through the nose, literally, for health care coverage but these people can come in here and get great care - for free.
Enough of that. This nation is distressed, at the least, right now is all I can say about it. There are a lot of things coming from a lot of different angles at us and I don't believe our current government has the ability to effectively deal with it.
Anyway, the work day is approaching, a freight truck is already here and I must get offa here.
ben
Anyway, I informed him that his ex-employer had called me and wanted to buy his stuff back at a greater price that whan he, the ex-tenant, was going to pay me. The offer wasn't even tempting, I wouldn't do that to a person. The ex-employer was going to hold his stuff hostage until he paid back what he owes. Ex-tenant says he doesn't owe him anything and conversely, that guy owes HIM money. Don't know, don't really care, he got his stuff back from me and that is the end of it. I'm glad the stuff is gone. He gave me 2 brand new lampshades - dunno man, stuff like this happens when people move out, they feel the need to give me things. Well, they are good looking shades, I am going to chuck the 2 shades on the lamps in my bedroom and replace them with those.
I have acquired to rooms full of furniture from tenants who did not want the stuff and that is how I am easier able to attract new tenants: furnished rooms.
Friday. I dunno why, but this week has seemed like it has just dragggggged by. I am ready for a weekend at this point. There is a day's full of work in our truck routing system. Should be interesting because I am several hours over my allotted time right now and would have to leave early - very early - to bring the hours to 70 for 2 weeks.
Of course, I usually throw something from the news in here. This is a new - and alarming - one: Mexicans coming across our borders and seeking political asylum because of the violence along the border towns from the drug cartels. How many hundreds of thousands of them will come streaming across the border if we allow this to start happening? I'm even more curious as to when, exactly, the Mexican government is going to deal with this problem and END it. The drug cartels, that is. I'm sorry those people are going through all of that, but this nation cannot afford the freebie handouts that will ensue with all these people getting free housing, food and health coverage. Funny I have to pay through the nose, literally, for health care coverage but these people can come in here and get great care - for free.
Enough of that. This nation is distressed, at the least, right now is all I can say about it. There are a lot of things coming from a lot of different angles at us and I don't believe our current government has the ability to effectively deal with it.
Anyway, the work day is approaching, a freight truck is already here and I must get offa here.
ben
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Thursday
I've been neglecting my blogs for several days - just haven't felt like posting anything so I haven't. There isn't a lot going on anyway, so no big deal - for me anyway - in not posting anything.
But, I did receive the full amount as promised by the ex-Marine - he is fully paid up through the end of April and I am in a little better place financially to make some payments I have put off. I had the money, I just didn't want to dip into anything further than what I already had, when an emergency comes up, you must have the ability to deal with it.
BTW, Today is April 1st - or April Fool's Day - if you are so inclined, of course, take great liberties at someone else's expense, lol.
My attention has been drawn off to this border situation and that apparent fact that the Federal Government is ignoring pleas from governors of states such as mine - Arizona - for help in getting more National Guard down there. They're so hell-bent on health-care and spending trillions of dollars they don't seem to give a damn about our nation's borders, security and safety. Although a tragedy to see that rancher killed down there, it is almost as if he is a martyr for the cause since it made national headlines. How can Obama and his administration ignore it now? Well, I'm sure he can if he wants to.
From my view of it, Obama is the worst president that has EVER occupied the White House, hands down. George Bush doesn't come anywhere NEAR the incompetency this man has in occupying that space - that's all he's really doing, occupying a space. He doesn't have the mind or the experience to deal with what's going on in our country or the world. More and more, the word "Socialism" is being thrown around in identifying his ultimate agenda. Sooner or later, they are going to try to come after our guns. I hope they do, that will signal the end of this nonsense as the uproar against him and anyone attempting to do so will be the end of any hope he might have for a second term.
I received a card from the Census - they want people to do temporary jobs for Census taking. I am going to call them and see if I can do that on weekends - they pay $15 per hour which isn't bad money and it's only a 2-month stint. I REALLY want to keep saving up for the ceramic tile. I have NOT dipped into that fund and I'm hoping I won't have to. I have X amount of money coming out automatically on a weekly basis from my main checking account going into that fund which is now closing in on $300. I figure I'll need around a grand to do it myself, a couple grand I guess if I'm going to pay someone to do it for me.
I don't know how to do it is the point, but everyone I talk to says it's easy. Yes, well I'd hate to shell out that much money and screw it up. Unfortunately, at the rate this fund is going, I'm probably going to end up replacing the living room carpet with that money and then start the fund all over again for the tile.
Well, my time is running out before I have to sign into work here. Michael left me a note this morning begging to get back onto the computer. For reasons which I will not go into here I have all but permanently banned him from it. He's been off for over 2 months now. I am NOT in the mood to allow him back on it, either, after what I found he had done on and through it. So, NO will be my response to him. What he did was nothing short of outrageous on the thing.
Weather is cooling back down considerably - it was 88 the other day and yes, the AC was running during that heat. The tenants in the trailer received a gift of a Mastercool cooler for the thing which will save boocoo bucks on electricity. It just needs a few parts and a filter - the most expensive thing - and it's ready to go. Mastercool is the best in the business, in case you didn't know, getting a used one in great condition for free is pretty awesome, actually.
Anyway, have a good day, I'm outta here.
ben
But, I did receive the full amount as promised by the ex-Marine - he is fully paid up through the end of April and I am in a little better place financially to make some payments I have put off. I had the money, I just didn't want to dip into anything further than what I already had, when an emergency comes up, you must have the ability to deal with it.
BTW, Today is April 1st - or April Fool's Day - if you are so inclined, of course, take great liberties at someone else's expense, lol.
My attention has been drawn off to this border situation and that apparent fact that the Federal Government is ignoring pleas from governors of states such as mine - Arizona - for help in getting more National Guard down there. They're so hell-bent on health-care and spending trillions of dollars they don't seem to give a damn about our nation's borders, security and safety. Although a tragedy to see that rancher killed down there, it is almost as if he is a martyr for the cause since it made national headlines. How can Obama and his administration ignore it now? Well, I'm sure he can if he wants to.
From my view of it, Obama is the worst president that has EVER occupied the White House, hands down. George Bush doesn't come anywhere NEAR the incompetency this man has in occupying that space - that's all he's really doing, occupying a space. He doesn't have the mind or the experience to deal with what's going on in our country or the world. More and more, the word "Socialism" is being thrown around in identifying his ultimate agenda. Sooner or later, they are going to try to come after our guns. I hope they do, that will signal the end of this nonsense as the uproar against him and anyone attempting to do so will be the end of any hope he might have for a second term.
I received a card from the Census - they want people to do temporary jobs for Census taking. I am going to call them and see if I can do that on weekends - they pay $15 per hour which isn't bad money and it's only a 2-month stint. I REALLY want to keep saving up for the ceramic tile. I have NOT dipped into that fund and I'm hoping I won't have to. I have X amount of money coming out automatically on a weekly basis from my main checking account going into that fund which is now closing in on $300. I figure I'll need around a grand to do it myself, a couple grand I guess if I'm going to pay someone to do it for me.
I don't know how to do it is the point, but everyone I talk to says it's easy. Yes, well I'd hate to shell out that much money and screw it up. Unfortunately, at the rate this fund is going, I'm probably going to end up replacing the living room carpet with that money and then start the fund all over again for the tile.
Well, my time is running out before I have to sign into work here. Michael left me a note this morning begging to get back onto the computer. For reasons which I will not go into here I have all but permanently banned him from it. He's been off for over 2 months now. I am NOT in the mood to allow him back on it, either, after what I found he had done on and through it. So, NO will be my response to him. What he did was nothing short of outrageous on the thing.
Weather is cooling back down considerably - it was 88 the other day and yes, the AC was running during that heat. The tenants in the trailer received a gift of a Mastercool cooler for the thing which will save boocoo bucks on electricity. It just needs a few parts and a filter - the most expensive thing - and it's ready to go. Mastercool is the best in the business, in case you didn't know, getting a used one in great condition for free is pretty awesome, actually.
Anyway, have a good day, I'm outta here.
ben
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday
Ummm, a few things to do in the truck routing system - better than nothing. We are getting close to end-of-month so managers will be pushing salesmen to get whatever they can - out the door and into the company's coffers. Usually, the last business day of the month is a rather hectic day in trying to get out all kinds of stuff - all over the place.
Meanwhile, I will have a vacated room to deal with in the middle of next month with the female tenant going for some kind of military training - for 70 days. Hey, I took her in because it was a body to fill the room and give me rent money. Figured I would cross that bridge when I got to it.
Totally incredible that Jeffrey Dahmer's name is being floated again around the news. That guy was killed in prison. I read the entire thing on that guy in the Crime Library (it's online - you can read about all kinds of whackos from the guy that was making furniture out of human flesh to Jeffrey Dahmer and his apparent fetish for eating the flesh of young, human males and so on).
Adam Walsh's dad is the one that started that TV series to help find wanted fugitives. After all this time, perhaps they might get to the bottom of the unsolved mystery: who killed his son.
Well, anyway, was just musing the news online and reading some rather pathetic ads from people looking for housing on Craigslist.
As for now, I must get offa here.
ben
Meanwhile, I will have a vacated room to deal with in the middle of next month with the female tenant going for some kind of military training - for 70 days. Hey, I took her in because it was a body to fill the room and give me rent money. Figured I would cross that bridge when I got to it.
Totally incredible that Jeffrey Dahmer's name is being floated again around the news. That guy was killed in prison. I read the entire thing on that guy in the Crime Library (it's online - you can read about all kinds of whackos from the guy that was making furniture out of human flesh to Jeffrey Dahmer and his apparent fetish for eating the flesh of young, human males and so on).
Adam Walsh's dad is the one that started that TV series to help find wanted fugitives. After all this time, perhaps they might get to the bottom of the unsolved mystery: who killed his son.
Well, anyway, was just musing the news online and reading some rather pathetic ads from people looking for housing on Craigslist.
As for now, I must get offa here.
ben
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday
Wrestlemania is being held at - whatever they call that stadium now - and my son and JD are going. That should be a cool event for them to go to, plus getting to go into this giant, huge, enormous structure - that would be entertainment in itself for me!
The newest tenant just paid up half a month's rent. I was amazed. Almost stupified - getting money early? Yee-hawwwww! She is, however, leaving for 70 days next month for some kind of military training. The agreement is that I would be able to rent out the room to short-termers/weekly/even daily rentals while she is gone, but she wanted to come back.
If another tenant pays up like he says he's going to, then I will be getting back into better financial shape. The third tenant - I have no idea. I haven't seen him in days. He comes and goes, that's his modus-operandi, but - I need to know when I'm going to get some more money is really all there is to it.
The ex-tenant of whose stuff I still have after 2-1/2 months called yesterday to plead about me keeping the stuff until Wednesday (versus selling whatever I can out of it), when he will come up with the money to "buy it back". I'm soooo very tired of tenants skipping out on paying their rent. If another tenant does the same thing he did, I will not have a problem doing it all over again. After the legal time limit passes, I can do whatever I want with their stuff. The guy should count himself lucky that I am also not imposing a storage fee at $5 per day times 75 days.
Fortunately for me, it's still relatively cool outside so that dealing with all of this isn't necessarily, totally killing my budget in terms of having to pay out $450 per month during the hot summer for electricity plus higher water bill. THAT is really what is concerning me right now - having enough to keep the power on, the house cooled. In keeping with that thought, I am going to dump all the money that lady just gave me onto the power card and put it on the meter. I was going to start getting ahead more than a month ago when all this financial chaos started hitting me. I wanted to get that thing up to $400 at least before the beginning of June - it's STILL possible, but I will have to magnify the effort.
As for today? I forgot to take home the turkey I had thawing in the fridge at work and I am going to have to go get it if I don't want an entire turkey to spoil. Meaning get it, bring it home and cook it today. It's still early enough to do that. I am going to take the dogs and let them run around that big, massive yard there for 30 minutes or so and then come home, prepare the turkey and cook it. Should be done by late afternoon, so no biggies. I will have turkey sandwiches for a week : )
Forgot to include that Michael has left - again. He's back at his family's house, doing whatever. No reason, no idea, just left. He goes through this stuff where he wants to be around his family, then, I guess, he gets enough of it and comes back over here.
Anyway, I best get moving if I am going to make my "Turkey Plan" work.
G'day.
ben
The newest tenant just paid up half a month's rent. I was amazed. Almost stupified - getting money early? Yee-hawwwww! She is, however, leaving for 70 days next month for some kind of military training. The agreement is that I would be able to rent out the room to short-termers/weekly/even daily rentals while she is gone, but she wanted to come back.
If another tenant pays up like he says he's going to, then I will be getting back into better financial shape. The third tenant - I have no idea. I haven't seen him in days. He comes and goes, that's his modus-operandi, but - I need to know when I'm going to get some more money is really all there is to it.
The ex-tenant of whose stuff I still have after 2-1/2 months called yesterday to plead about me keeping the stuff until Wednesday (versus selling whatever I can out of it), when he will come up with the money to "buy it back". I'm soooo very tired of tenants skipping out on paying their rent. If another tenant does the same thing he did, I will not have a problem doing it all over again. After the legal time limit passes, I can do whatever I want with their stuff. The guy should count himself lucky that I am also not imposing a storage fee at $5 per day times 75 days.
Fortunately for me, it's still relatively cool outside so that dealing with all of this isn't necessarily, totally killing my budget in terms of having to pay out $450 per month during the hot summer for electricity plus higher water bill. THAT is really what is concerning me right now - having enough to keep the power on, the house cooled. In keeping with that thought, I am going to dump all the money that lady just gave me onto the power card and put it on the meter. I was going to start getting ahead more than a month ago when all this financial chaos started hitting me. I wanted to get that thing up to $400 at least before the beginning of June - it's STILL possible, but I will have to magnify the effort.
As for today? I forgot to take home the turkey I had thawing in the fridge at work and I am going to have to go get it if I don't want an entire turkey to spoil. Meaning get it, bring it home and cook it today. It's still early enough to do that. I am going to take the dogs and let them run around that big, massive yard there for 30 minutes or so and then come home, prepare the turkey and cook it. Should be done by late afternoon, so no biggies. I will have turkey sandwiches for a week : )
Forgot to include that Michael has left - again. He's back at his family's house, doing whatever. No reason, no idea, just left. He goes through this stuff where he wants to be around his family, then, I guess, he gets enough of it and comes back over here.
Anyway, I best get moving if I am going to make my "Turkey Plan" work.
G'day.
ben
Friday, March 26, 2010
Friday
The lunacy continues. But that's all politics and all the junk that is going on - I believe we are all well aware of what is going on and how to correct it if you are so inclined - at the polls in November. I will guess that a record number of turnouts will be at those polls later this year and an even greater record to be set in the numbers of people registering to vote. I don't care how long that line is, I will be voting if I have to stand there 3 hours. Well, if I'm still around that is : ) I never like to assume that the span of my earthly existence will take me any further than the day I am in - ie: today. Yes, my beliefs are "steeped" in religion, or, more pointedly, coming from the Bible.
It is a bit odd, though, that radio talk show hosts are the people that have more "power" in all of this than most anyone. But, enough of that.
There is one thing that Obama is doing that I find particularly unsettling: his treatment of Israel, the Prime Minister and the attitude he is displaying towards that nation. Obama/U.S. really has no right to interfere with the decisions that a foreign government is making concerning it's own nation. Walking out on the Netanyahu at a dinner is inexcusable and reprehensible. I sincerely hope that Obama is a one-term president, as this man seems to hold himself above everyone. HE knows what's best for us, we dumb@$$ Americans don't know anything. Yes, well I do know one thing: I did NOT vote for him and I suspect many people who did are regretting that decision. If Obama wants to interfere with the inner workings of a foreign nation, perhaps he should go to North Korea or Iran and discuss with it's leaders how they are treating their own people. Yeah, I didn't think so. He's using his position as a sort of bully pulpit - against the wrong people.
Well, whatever. The work day is almost here and I want to finish reading some other news stories, such as the semi truck that ran over at least 6 motorcycles yesterday in the Phoenix area, killing at least 3 riders. The man admitted he was "distracted".
G'day.
ben
We have been fairly slow at work all week long - until today. There is enough stuff in there to do to keep me busy well into the afternoon.
It is a bit odd, though, that radio talk show hosts are the people that have more "power" in all of this than most anyone. But, enough of that.
There is one thing that Obama is doing that I find particularly unsettling: his treatment of Israel, the Prime Minister and the attitude he is displaying towards that nation. Obama/U.S. really has no right to interfere with the decisions that a foreign government is making concerning it's own nation. Walking out on the Netanyahu at a dinner is inexcusable and reprehensible. I sincerely hope that Obama is a one-term president, as this man seems to hold himself above everyone. HE knows what's best for us, we dumb@$$ Americans don't know anything. Yes, well I do know one thing: I did NOT vote for him and I suspect many people who did are regretting that decision. If Obama wants to interfere with the inner workings of a foreign nation, perhaps he should go to North Korea or Iran and discuss with it's leaders how they are treating their own people. Yeah, I didn't think so. He's using his position as a sort of bully pulpit - against the wrong people.
Well, whatever. The work day is almost here and I want to finish reading some other news stories, such as the semi truck that ran over at least 6 motorcycles yesterday in the Phoenix area, killing at least 3 riders. The man admitted he was "distracted".
G'day.
ben
We have been fairly slow at work all week long - until today. There is enough stuff in there to do to keep me busy well into the afternoon.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Cafe World Tips 15: 70,000 Chinese Candy Servings In 2 Days Off ONE Oven!
This tip is for the use of spices. Though I wrote another entry about this a few days ago, I did not have the same information that I do now.
Basically, the thought came to me to try adding the same spice to one dish, over and over and over, see if Zynga made allowance for that or can you only add it once?
I started with Shu Mai Dumplings - added around 30 servings of 10% spice - and yes, I did end up with close to 3,000 servings on ONE cooked dish of it.
So, I did the same thing with Chinese Candy - but this time, I - lost count actually - but over 300 uses of the 10% additional servings per use of the spice. Meaning, I used the 10% spice that many times one ONE single dish of Chinese Candy that was cooking.
Yes, folks, it came out at at over 70,000 (SEVENTY-THOUSAND) servings off the one, single dish!! In 2 days, just one oven put out that many dishes. The only drawback, if you want to look at it that way, is that you only get Cafe points for the one cooked serving of it. Yes, I spend a small fortune on the spices, but I will get 3 times that amount back, at least when all 70 plus thousand servings are bought and paid for. The great advantage is all those servings off of one oven plus the fact you don't have to tie up all your ovens to actually get there. I am still cooking dishes daily, adding up my Cafe points but now am using 1 oven continuously for more servings and considering 2 ovens.
The point is that these spices ARE useful if used in the most effective way. The other drawback is that it took about 2 hours to put all those spices on there. But it was fun to find out if it works : )
Also, FYI - The 5% and 10% spices are bought with gold coins, not cash. Yes, the better spices are cash bought items - oh well, I won't be buying them but I bet somewhere down the line there will be opportunities to get them for free.
Basically, the thought came to me to try adding the same spice to one dish, over and over and over, see if Zynga made allowance for that or can you only add it once?
I started with Shu Mai Dumplings - added around 30 servings of 10% spice - and yes, I did end up with close to 3,000 servings on ONE cooked dish of it.
So, I did the same thing with Chinese Candy - but this time, I - lost count actually - but over 300 uses of the 10% additional servings per use of the spice. Meaning, I used the 10% spice that many times one ONE single dish of Chinese Candy that was cooking.
Yes, folks, it came out at at over 70,000 (SEVENTY-THOUSAND) servings off the one, single dish!! In 2 days, just one oven put out that many dishes. The only drawback, if you want to look at it that way, is that you only get Cafe points for the one cooked serving of it. Yes, I spend a small fortune on the spices, but I will get 3 times that amount back, at least when all 70 plus thousand servings are bought and paid for. The great advantage is all those servings off of one oven plus the fact you don't have to tie up all your ovens to actually get there. I am still cooking dishes daily, adding up my Cafe points but now am using 1 oven continuously for more servings and considering 2 ovens.
The point is that these spices ARE useful if used in the most effective way. The other drawback is that it took about 2 hours to put all those spices on there. But it was fun to find out if it works : )
Also, FYI - The 5% and 10% spices are bought with gold coins, not cash. Yes, the better spices are cash bought items - oh well, I won't be buying them but I bet somewhere down the line there will be opportunities to get them for free.
Tuesday
Let the fireworks begin. The tenant showed up that I had put the notice on his door - but I was in bed when he came home. Okay, it's not going to be fireworks, it just feels that way sometimes when you are forced into a position of having to deal - in rather negative terms - with tenants. Perhaps he will move out when I'm at work - won't be the first time that's happened - all well and fine, too, as long as the items removed do not lap over into MY things.
Something that caught my attention this morning: Obama is set to go out and try to win support for the health care reform bill - AFTER - he signs the bill. Huh? Aren't you supposed to do that BEFORE you decide to implement something that is so widely opposed, your political life is doomed forever? No, I don't think that far-reaching, I believe that many of these democrats that smugly recalcitrated over and over that they are "doing what's good for America" even though most of America said they don't want it - yes, they are going to pay for this. Apparently there has even been some criminal acts of rocks being thrown through doors and pellet gun shots and such.
Hey, I'm not for the violence, but I am all for giving these people a permanent boot out the door - a boot so incredibly forceful that the people who take their place and those after that will think twice about telling us what is good for us. We are all fairly smart people, we can figure this out for ourselves. I don't WANT socialism and I summarily reject anything that looks like it or looks like the beginning of it and for sure, this at the very least is the beginning of it.
I saw an accident yesterday, yes changing gears again - but this was very, very bad. I thought I had seen a really bad one not too long ago - this one takes the cake. At an intersection in Mesa where the speed limits are 40MPH, there was a 2 car accident I came up on while driving the semi. One of the vehicles was a mini-van and the other was a PT Cruiser.
When I saw the minivan, I was wondering where the front end of the thing was. There WAS no front end on that vehicle. When I got up closer, I could see the condensor - it was smashed all the way up just a few inches out from the windshield. The condensor is a part of your AC system in your car, it goes in front of the radiator which is directly behind the grill - at the FRONT of the car. I have seen bad accidents in front end damage, this one? It looked like someone had taken a giant axe and cut the front end off. The minivan had T-boned into the PT Cruiser - whose passenger side was smashed all the way over to the driver's side. The tell tale sign: there was cloth put around the windows of the minivan to keep people from seeing the dead body/ies inside of it. Medical units had already come and gone by the time I got there, the police were doing an investigation. I wished I had my camera to take a pic of that minivan. I wondered how fast that vehicle had been travelling to do that kind of damage. FAR greater than 40MPH and obviously, at least to me, had run a red light.
On the freeway this morning, it was raining so hard my car started hydroplaning and I wasn't even going that fast. I slowed down, obviously, but what always gets me are the people that drive like maniacs, even in a heavy downpour. Cutting in and out of traffic, cutting other drivers off, insanity. Yes, the rain is back! My poor doggies - I left them out in the rain to fend for themselves. They are NOT allowed in the house when I am gone, period. They ARE animals and no, it's not animal abuse to leave them in the rain. Most of nature's animals endure the rain out in the wilderness and they don't seem to be dying because of it, so there.
Whatever the case, I was glad I did not water my plants yesterday as I had had half a mind to. I had heard it might rain, so I figured another day wouldn't hurt, and by golly, I was right! I won't have to water them for at least 4 or 5 days after this, it's raining HARD right now. I looked at the drought index yesterday for Arizona - it has different colors over the state indicating the severity of the drought. The index shows that the drought is gone in about 1/4 of the state, is extremely dry in probably another 1/2 and the rest is worse, I forget what they label it, but it's a MUCH small portion than what I saw last time. With rain like this coming at the rate it has been this winter, I don't wonder to see the whole state come out of it. The Salt River running through Tempe and Phoenix - a normally dry riverbed - is running at a good pace right now. That's a GOOD sign. That means the dam/lake above it is full.
Well, anyway, this post is long and I am about to sign into work.
G'day.
ben
Something that caught my attention this morning: Obama is set to go out and try to win support for the health care reform bill - AFTER - he signs the bill. Huh? Aren't you supposed to do that BEFORE you decide to implement something that is so widely opposed, your political life is doomed forever? No, I don't think that far-reaching, I believe that many of these democrats that smugly recalcitrated over and over that they are "doing what's good for America" even though most of America said they don't want it - yes, they are going to pay for this. Apparently there has even been some criminal acts of rocks being thrown through doors and pellet gun shots and such.
Hey, I'm not for the violence, but I am all for giving these people a permanent boot out the door - a boot so incredibly forceful that the people who take their place and those after that will think twice about telling us what is good for us. We are all fairly smart people, we can figure this out for ourselves. I don't WANT socialism and I summarily reject anything that looks like it or looks like the beginning of it and for sure, this at the very least is the beginning of it.
I saw an accident yesterday, yes changing gears again - but this was very, very bad. I thought I had seen a really bad one not too long ago - this one takes the cake. At an intersection in Mesa where the speed limits are 40MPH, there was a 2 car accident I came up on while driving the semi. One of the vehicles was a mini-van and the other was a PT Cruiser.
When I saw the minivan, I was wondering where the front end of the thing was. There WAS no front end on that vehicle. When I got up closer, I could see the condensor - it was smashed all the way up just a few inches out from the windshield. The condensor is a part of your AC system in your car, it goes in front of the radiator which is directly behind the grill - at the FRONT of the car. I have seen bad accidents in front end damage, this one? It looked like someone had taken a giant axe and cut the front end off. The minivan had T-boned into the PT Cruiser - whose passenger side was smashed all the way over to the driver's side. The tell tale sign: there was cloth put around the windows of the minivan to keep people from seeing the dead body/ies inside of it. Medical units had already come and gone by the time I got there, the police were doing an investigation. I wished I had my camera to take a pic of that minivan. I wondered how fast that vehicle had been travelling to do that kind of damage. FAR greater than 40MPH and obviously, at least to me, had run a red light.
On the freeway this morning, it was raining so hard my car started hydroplaning and I wasn't even going that fast. I slowed down, obviously, but what always gets me are the people that drive like maniacs, even in a heavy downpour. Cutting in and out of traffic, cutting other drivers off, insanity. Yes, the rain is back! My poor doggies - I left them out in the rain to fend for themselves. They are NOT allowed in the house when I am gone, period. They ARE animals and no, it's not animal abuse to leave them in the rain. Most of nature's animals endure the rain out in the wilderness and they don't seem to be dying because of it, so there.
Whatever the case, I was glad I did not water my plants yesterday as I had had half a mind to. I had heard it might rain, so I figured another day wouldn't hurt, and by golly, I was right! I won't have to water them for at least 4 or 5 days after this, it's raining HARD right now. I looked at the drought index yesterday for Arizona - it has different colors over the state indicating the severity of the drought. The index shows that the drought is gone in about 1/4 of the state, is extremely dry in probably another 1/2 and the rest is worse, I forget what they label it, but it's a MUCH small portion than what I saw last time. With rain like this coming at the rate it has been this winter, I don't wonder to see the whole state come out of it. The Salt River running through Tempe and Phoenix - a normally dry riverbed - is running at a good pace right now. That's a GOOD sign. That means the dam/lake above it is full.
Well, anyway, this post is long and I am about to sign into work.
G'day.
ben
Monday, March 22, 2010
Monday/Health Care Bill Passes
When the government says that this bill is going to cost over 800 plus billion dollars, how much do you think the final price tag for all of this is REALLY going to cost? Have you ever known the government to stay on-budget for anything? I would guess triple, even quadruple that amount to be the "final" cost.
You don't just suddenly dump 32 million people into an existing pool of "customers" and figure that everything is going to flow as smoothly as it did before they were all thrown into the mix.
The point? We all want health care like other nations that have subsided, government run health care, but do we want the TAX base that they have as well? Do you really think that 41% of your income should go to the Federal Government? THIS HEALTH CARE BILL ISN'T FREE. It may end up to be a free bonanza for whoever - slackers I would assume, people that spend their lives living off the "good graces" of others - usually taxpayers - but it's going to cost you and I, the average Joe, a good chunk of change sooner or later. Probably sooner.
There are also those that are saying the Democrats - I can say that with confidence because not a single Republican voted for this bill - didn't even bother to READ the bill. This isn't shocking, but it is appalling. I have heard forever now that many politicians vote on bills where they haven't read one page of the text of the bill.
A majority of Amercans were opposed to the passage of this bill. Which means that the politicians "representing" us didn't represent us at all. Those that voted for it did their own thing, dissing their constituency and making it clear that they know what's best for us, we are too dumb to figure it all out. I imagine the voting polls this year will be very, very busy.
Onto other things. I issued the non-paying tenant a 5-day notice yesterday. I'm sure he must have felt it coming, I'm not going to let him live in my house for free forever. He'll have to move back in with mommy or someone else unless he can come up with a good chunk of change within the next 5 days. Life sucks sometimes - but I'm going broke without the money from these tenants. My savings will be gone by the middle of next month if this situation isn't reversed and quickly. If I have to actually take him to court to get him out, then I'm going to be a very unhappy person and his living there will not be "nice" by any stretch of the imagination.
I got a lot of stuff done outside yesterday, but there is still much to do. I intend on getting most of it done by the end of this month so I am not left scrambling next month to try and get it finished before the intense heat gets here. The ex-marine apparently is sticking around for a while - which helps me to identify, if nothing else, that his word should be good for the amount of money I am going to receive from him at the end of this month, which is still 10 days off.
That's about it for now, work day is almost here. I have read enough news this morning, it's all focused on the health care bill, Pelosi's face with that smug look is plastered everywhere. They're all patting themselves on the backs and thinking how great they are. These people don't have a friggin' clue. That's my complaint and has been since I was much younger: they don't have to go work jobs like the average American does, they are all rich by my standards if no-one else's, they simply cannot relate to the common American. And from what I've seen in recent days, they don't CARE if they relate or not. This is the epitome of arrogance and self-aggrandization and it is sickening to watch.
Anyway, I'm outta here.
G'day.
ben
You don't just suddenly dump 32 million people into an existing pool of "customers" and figure that everything is going to flow as smoothly as it did before they were all thrown into the mix.
The point? We all want health care like other nations that have subsided, government run health care, but do we want the TAX base that they have as well? Do you really think that 41% of your income should go to the Federal Government? THIS HEALTH CARE BILL ISN'T FREE. It may end up to be a free bonanza for whoever - slackers I would assume, people that spend their lives living off the "good graces" of others - usually taxpayers - but it's going to cost you and I, the average Joe, a good chunk of change sooner or later. Probably sooner.
There are also those that are saying the Democrats - I can say that with confidence because not a single Republican voted for this bill - didn't even bother to READ the bill. This isn't shocking, but it is appalling. I have heard forever now that many politicians vote on bills where they haven't read one page of the text of the bill.
A majority of Amercans were opposed to the passage of this bill. Which means that the politicians "representing" us didn't represent us at all. Those that voted for it did their own thing, dissing their constituency and making it clear that they know what's best for us, we are too dumb to figure it all out. I imagine the voting polls this year will be very, very busy.
Onto other things. I issued the non-paying tenant a 5-day notice yesterday. I'm sure he must have felt it coming, I'm not going to let him live in my house for free forever. He'll have to move back in with mommy or someone else unless he can come up with a good chunk of change within the next 5 days. Life sucks sometimes - but I'm going broke without the money from these tenants. My savings will be gone by the middle of next month if this situation isn't reversed and quickly. If I have to actually take him to court to get him out, then I'm going to be a very unhappy person and his living there will not be "nice" by any stretch of the imagination.
I got a lot of stuff done outside yesterday, but there is still much to do. I intend on getting most of it done by the end of this month so I am not left scrambling next month to try and get it finished before the intense heat gets here. The ex-marine apparently is sticking around for a while - which helps me to identify, if nothing else, that his word should be good for the amount of money I am going to receive from him at the end of this month, which is still 10 days off.
That's about it for now, work day is almost here. I have read enough news this morning, it's all focused on the health care bill, Pelosi's face with that smug look is plastered everywhere. They're all patting themselves on the backs and thinking how great they are. These people don't have a friggin' clue. That's my complaint and has been since I was much younger: they don't have to go work jobs like the average American does, they are all rich by my standards if no-one else's, they simply cannot relate to the common American. And from what I've seen in recent days, they don't CARE if they relate or not. This is the epitome of arrogance and self-aggrandization and it is sickening to watch.
Anyway, I'm outta here.
G'day.
ben
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Cafe World Tip 15: How To Effectively Use Your Spices
It dawned on me today while using the spices that perhaps, just perhaps, I could dump a 10% additional servings spice on ONE dish, over and over and over and have it multiply it that many times on ONE dish, instead of doing it on 18 dishes that I was cooking.
So I tried it. I dumped the 10% spice on one serving of Mu Shai Dumplings that I was cooking 30 times. I think the dumplings are 580 servings per dish that you are cooking. I then used the 1-hour thyme on it 5 times - it's a 6 hour dish. I then started dumping the Mystery spice on it. Some of the Mystery spices are rather worthless. You get some that that take 2 minutes off of cooking time, or 5 minutes. Big waah. Waste of time for that. Some of them give you free gold coins or cafe points - semi-worth it.
Well, when this dish was done cooking there were almost 3,000 servings on that ONE dish. It does NOT, however, give you multiplied Cafe points, so this tip is only good for increasing the amount of dishes you can get off of a dish that you are cooking.
BTW, some people mistakingly believe that you have to pay cash for all of the spices to get more. True with 1, 6 and instant Thyme, NOT true with the 5% and 10% increase. You can buy those with gold coins.
So, today, I bought one dish of Chinese Candy. I am going to dump at least 100 10% spice on it before it's done cooking - it takes 2 days. That will give me a net of 20,000 servings off of ONE dish that is cooking on my stove!! If I have time, I will 200, but the spices are rather slow in applying them to a cooking dish, I don't want to spend too much time on this game. But let's do the math. To buy one serving of Chinese Candy is 6,000 gold coins for 2,000 servings. If you add the 10% spice, then each time you add the spice, you are getting 200 additional servings of the Candy.
I believe the Candy is 9 coins per serving. So, if I do 100 10% spices on it, giving me and extra 20,000 servings, multiplied by 9, that's 180,000 gold coins for that dish. A 100-pack of 10% spice is 60,000 gold coins, so my net profit by adding the spices to it is 120,000 gold coins plus the 2,000 for the original dish minus he 6,000 to buy it. Not a bad return, aye?
Finally, you can add the spices ANYTIME while a dish is cooking. If you have 1 minute left to cook, you can still add spice to it.
The obvious advantage of doing it this way is that you only tie up one stove. Unless you don't care about gaining Cafe points, you don't want to tie up all your stoves doing this. I do not like doing 2 day dishes because to get any amount of it, you have to use all of your stoves. But, with this method, I don't have to do that, will end up with as many servings as I want tied to how many spices I want to add to the dish, and I get a LOT of gold coins for it in the end.
So I tried it. I dumped the 10% spice on one serving of Mu Shai Dumplings that I was cooking 30 times. I think the dumplings are 580 servings per dish that you are cooking. I then used the 1-hour thyme on it 5 times - it's a 6 hour dish. I then started dumping the Mystery spice on it. Some of the Mystery spices are rather worthless. You get some that that take 2 minutes off of cooking time, or 5 minutes. Big waah. Waste of time for that. Some of them give you free gold coins or cafe points - semi-worth it.
Well, when this dish was done cooking there were almost 3,000 servings on that ONE dish. It does NOT, however, give you multiplied Cafe points, so this tip is only good for increasing the amount of dishes you can get off of a dish that you are cooking.
BTW, some people mistakingly believe that you have to pay cash for all of the spices to get more. True with 1, 6 and instant Thyme, NOT true with the 5% and 10% increase. You can buy those with gold coins.
So, today, I bought one dish of Chinese Candy. I am going to dump at least 100 10% spice on it before it's done cooking - it takes 2 days. That will give me a net of 20,000 servings off of ONE dish that is cooking on my stove!! If I have time, I will 200, but the spices are rather slow in applying them to a cooking dish, I don't want to spend too much time on this game. But let's do the math. To buy one serving of Chinese Candy is 6,000 gold coins for 2,000 servings. If you add the 10% spice, then each time you add the spice, you are getting 200 additional servings of the Candy.
I believe the Candy is 9 coins per serving. So, if I do 100 10% spices on it, giving me and extra 20,000 servings, multiplied by 9, that's 180,000 gold coins for that dish. A 100-pack of 10% spice is 60,000 gold coins, so my net profit by adding the spices to it is 120,000 gold coins plus the 2,000 for the original dish minus he 6,000 to buy it. Not a bad return, aye?
Finally, you can add the spices ANYTIME while a dish is cooking. If you have 1 minute left to cook, you can still add spice to it.
The obvious advantage of doing it this way is that you only tie up one stove. Unless you don't care about gaining Cafe points, you don't want to tie up all your stoves doing this. I do not like doing 2 day dishes because to get any amount of it, you have to use all of your stoves. But, with this method, I don't have to do that, will end up with as many servings as I want tied to how many spices I want to add to the dish, and I get a LOT of gold coins for it in the end.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
A Crazy Dream
Dreams - or nightmares - tend to have stuff in them that in actions that are physically impossible. However, this nightmare was a doozy and in my mind, must have gone on for hours (whether it did or didn't isn't the point: I definitely thought I was going to be killed in this drama).
As we taxiied down the runway - inside of some sort of jetliner and I was a co-pilot - we were escaping something that was coming after us. (I love airplanes, so it was only fitting that my dream started out in such). Our lives were in imminent danger - I don't know from what, the dream started here and progressed from that point.
It was a small town and a junky looking airstrip. In fact, in reality, no-one would ever land a jumbo-jet on such a thing. The asphalt was all cracked, the lines were totally faded and there was a small control tower with one man working the field.
The town itself was full of tattered, old homes that were all falling apart. The world I was in did not seem like the earth that I know - though I have been in places in Mexico that slightly resembled the little town we were leaving. The place was dark - as in evil - and scary. Others had scrambled into the plane, I didn't know any of these people, and frankly, I didn't even know who the pilot was, either.
In this dream, I had no idea where I was, how I got into the predicament or what I was running from. As we took off, I sighed a huge sigh of relief as we got away from whatever "it" was, but there was far greater danger that we were approaching.
It seemed like we had only been in the sky for a very short time - as we had just acquired cruising altitude when we both saw it: A giant stone structure whose base was on the ground but apparently ascended more than 35,000 feet - we were above the clouds. It had a GIANT opening in it - miles across and we were somehow being sucked into it. We were also apparently running out of fuel as the engines started flaming out.
The only thing I remember is sheer terror. We could not escape the pull of this structure, whatever was happening was fate: we were doomed to a disastrous crash and there was nothing we could do about it. As we entered this stone thing, the engines had all died and we started a vertical descent at unbelievable rate of speed, INSIDE of this stone structure. There was JUST enough room for the plane to fit vertically, going straight down, on either side of the structure. As we went down, we saw the bottom looming, but before the bottom, the structure opened up on one side and the engines "magically" came back on.
The maneuvers the airplane made are physically impossible. In reality, the plane would have crashed at the opening of the structure. Instead, we did an almost L-turn going into it and then suddenly and immediately going straight down. We made another L-turn near the bottom and were flying, basically, in the Twilight Zone. I say that because it was a land that was very, very strange looking, hard to define. Like the land of dinosaurs without the dinosaurs.
Well, the plane levelled out but we crashed into a semi-flat area at the bottom. There was some - race - of people there waiting for us with seemingly very hostile intent. It became evident quickly that they were out to kill us with arrows, knives, stones or just plain ole' strangulation. They did not have any modern-day guns/weapons/anything.
As the people that had scrambled onto the plane got out, they were viciously assaulted and killed. Heads being cut off, arrows being flung into their bodies, these people that were killing us were cutting off our heads and got a hold of the pilot, stabbing her multiple times, ripping off limbs.
I told you this was a nightmare, I'm writing it out because it was SO vidid and SO incredibly weird.........
Somehow, I managed to get away. I was running for my life. I was looking around while running trying to figure out where to run to to get away from these people. Inside of this stone structure, the ONLY way out was UP. The whole thing was surrounded by huge cliffs and rock structures. For whatever reason, these killers did not know I had slipped past them and did not notice me until I had made a good distance from them straight up the side of this rock structure.
Apparently, I had become the prey and these people had been training a young man in the art of hunting down and killing such. This couldn't have been more than a 15 year old kid. They "dispatched" this kid after me and this guy was running like a Gazelle. UNBELIEVABLE - and impossible for any man - speed. I sped up my race to get up and out of this viscereal stone structure. If you ever see a stone structure jutting up into the heavens, almost into space - please stay away from it. It will try to kill you!
BTW, I have very vivid images in my mind of this entire scenario, it has not disappeared out of my memory and this dream occured over 2 weeks ago.
The rock wall I was on disappeared back inside the stone structure and I found myself crawling up narrow shafts and then onto flat rock and then going back up narrow shafts. I was hoofing it - as fast as my feet could take me I was moving. That kid was gaining on me. The rock slowed him down considerably once he got to it and started climbing it. He had a bow with numerous arrows in a sack on his back.
From the look of it, I had thousands and thousands of feet to climb. This went on for quite a while, the boy eventually gained on me until he was maybe 50 feet or so below me. I decided I was not going to die at the hands of a teenager and waited for him. I positioned myself in such a way that when he got to me, my foot was going to go into his face and I was going to attempt to shove him off the cliff and make him fall - about a 100 foot fall. It also became evident that this was some super-human or possibly alien race with great strength and power - and also, apparently, magic tricks.
Regardless, this kid got to me - he looked like a savage. I shoved my foot in his face and made contact, but he managed to grab my ankled and tried to pull me down. I got my other foot and was bashing his face with it while he was also trying to grab that. I managed to slip my foot out of his grasp and then gave one, final, huge blow to his face with both feet. He fell. His body was crashing onto the rocks jutting out and he landed on the ground with a great thud.
Out of the thin blue air, one of the adults of this species magically appeared, picked the boy up and disappeared.
I wasn't waiting around for whatever was coming next, super-adrenaline pumping through my veins I redoubled my efforts to get out of this rock thing and get away from these people. Well, now, a whole group of adults were after me. I was in sheer terror, which helped me to not wear out - my feet kept moving. Somewhere along the way, tall pine trees came into my view. I had thought this a good sign, perhaps I could get out of this thing and back onto - the Earth.
And sure enough, I got up high enough and back onto solid ground. It was a forest and I started running for my life through it, as the people chasing me were giving a relentless pursuit. I was shocked that, as I was running, I came through a clearing in the forest and there was a highway in front of me. Wherever this was, it was at a VERY high altitude as the road was at least a 10% grade.
A car with a man driving approached, I waved him down, frantically moving my arms up and down. The whole thing was surreal. He stopped, I just jumped in and told him to floor it, get the bleep OUT of there. As he started to pull away, the men that were chasing me came crashing out of the woods. They were flinging arrows and throwing rocks as we sped off. 100 feet up the road, an incredible sight as some sort of aboriginal looking people, dressed to the 9's in some sort of tribal-looking wear, painted faces - that looked like death - painted bodies - were standing there, lined up at the edge of the forest, spears in hand but the spears were being held veritically with the spear heads in the ground.
These people were standing there like stone statutes. They were not attempting to stop us and they were not the same people as the others that had been chasing us. The looks on their faces, however, was enough to invoke even more terror. You have to understand that throughout this entire ordeal, I was completely, totally terrified. The people that were chasing us had stopped in the middle of the road, having had given up the chase. Why they didn't use their "magic" to simply plant themselves ahead of us, I'm not sure, but I think it had to do with passing through a portal in the road.
Whatever the portal was,apparently those behind us could not pass through it. We drove on and came into view of some of the most majestic mountain scenery I have ever seen in my life, and I have seen plenty. This was also an impossible road, or appeared to be anyway. It was at the very top of a huge mountain ridge - I have no idea what the elevation was, but we were obviously VERY high up.
This is when I woke up. My heart was pumping and I was breathing heavily as if I had just run a marathon. It took quite a while to calm down.
I had no idea, and still don't, if this dream/nightmare has any relevance to my real life. Some claim that dreams are an extension of yourself and that those dreams can be interpreted to find some meaning that is attached to whatever you may be going through in life.
I felt compelled to put it into printed word simply because it's still in my head. Most dreams I wake up from I completely forget about right away.
As we taxiied down the runway - inside of some sort of jetliner and I was a co-pilot - we were escaping something that was coming after us. (I love airplanes, so it was only fitting that my dream started out in such). Our lives were in imminent danger - I don't know from what, the dream started here and progressed from that point.
It was a small town and a junky looking airstrip. In fact, in reality, no-one would ever land a jumbo-jet on such a thing. The asphalt was all cracked, the lines were totally faded and there was a small control tower with one man working the field.
The town itself was full of tattered, old homes that were all falling apart. The world I was in did not seem like the earth that I know - though I have been in places in Mexico that slightly resembled the little town we were leaving. The place was dark - as in evil - and scary. Others had scrambled into the plane, I didn't know any of these people, and frankly, I didn't even know who the pilot was, either.
In this dream, I had no idea where I was, how I got into the predicament or what I was running from. As we took off, I sighed a huge sigh of relief as we got away from whatever "it" was, but there was far greater danger that we were approaching.
It seemed like we had only been in the sky for a very short time - as we had just acquired cruising altitude when we both saw it: A giant stone structure whose base was on the ground but apparently ascended more than 35,000 feet - we were above the clouds. It had a GIANT opening in it - miles across and we were somehow being sucked into it. We were also apparently running out of fuel as the engines started flaming out.
The only thing I remember is sheer terror. We could not escape the pull of this structure, whatever was happening was fate: we were doomed to a disastrous crash and there was nothing we could do about it. As we entered this stone thing, the engines had all died and we started a vertical descent at unbelievable rate of speed, INSIDE of this stone structure. There was JUST enough room for the plane to fit vertically, going straight down, on either side of the structure. As we went down, we saw the bottom looming, but before the bottom, the structure opened up on one side and the engines "magically" came back on.
The maneuvers the airplane made are physically impossible. In reality, the plane would have crashed at the opening of the structure. Instead, we did an almost L-turn going into it and then suddenly and immediately going straight down. We made another L-turn near the bottom and were flying, basically, in the Twilight Zone. I say that because it was a land that was very, very strange looking, hard to define. Like the land of dinosaurs without the dinosaurs.
Well, the plane levelled out but we crashed into a semi-flat area at the bottom. There was some - race - of people there waiting for us with seemingly very hostile intent. It became evident quickly that they were out to kill us with arrows, knives, stones or just plain ole' strangulation. They did not have any modern-day guns/weapons/anything.
As the people that had scrambled onto the plane got out, they were viciously assaulted and killed. Heads being cut off, arrows being flung into their bodies, these people that were killing us were cutting off our heads and got a hold of the pilot, stabbing her multiple times, ripping off limbs.
I told you this was a nightmare, I'm writing it out because it was SO vidid and SO incredibly weird.........
Somehow, I managed to get away. I was running for my life. I was looking around while running trying to figure out where to run to to get away from these people. Inside of this stone structure, the ONLY way out was UP. The whole thing was surrounded by huge cliffs and rock structures. For whatever reason, these killers did not know I had slipped past them and did not notice me until I had made a good distance from them straight up the side of this rock structure.
Apparently, I had become the prey and these people had been training a young man in the art of hunting down and killing such. This couldn't have been more than a 15 year old kid. They "dispatched" this kid after me and this guy was running like a Gazelle. UNBELIEVABLE - and impossible for any man - speed. I sped up my race to get up and out of this viscereal stone structure. If you ever see a stone structure jutting up into the heavens, almost into space - please stay away from it. It will try to kill you!
BTW, I have very vivid images in my mind of this entire scenario, it has not disappeared out of my memory and this dream occured over 2 weeks ago.
The rock wall I was on disappeared back inside the stone structure and I found myself crawling up narrow shafts and then onto flat rock and then going back up narrow shafts. I was hoofing it - as fast as my feet could take me I was moving. That kid was gaining on me. The rock slowed him down considerably once he got to it and started climbing it. He had a bow with numerous arrows in a sack on his back.
From the look of it, I had thousands and thousands of feet to climb. This went on for quite a while, the boy eventually gained on me until he was maybe 50 feet or so below me. I decided I was not going to die at the hands of a teenager and waited for him. I positioned myself in such a way that when he got to me, my foot was going to go into his face and I was going to attempt to shove him off the cliff and make him fall - about a 100 foot fall. It also became evident that this was some super-human or possibly alien race with great strength and power - and also, apparently, magic tricks.
Regardless, this kid got to me - he looked like a savage. I shoved my foot in his face and made contact, but he managed to grab my ankled and tried to pull me down. I got my other foot and was bashing his face with it while he was also trying to grab that. I managed to slip my foot out of his grasp and then gave one, final, huge blow to his face with both feet. He fell. His body was crashing onto the rocks jutting out and he landed on the ground with a great thud.
Out of the thin blue air, one of the adults of this species magically appeared, picked the boy up and disappeared.
I wasn't waiting around for whatever was coming next, super-adrenaline pumping through my veins I redoubled my efforts to get out of this rock thing and get away from these people. Well, now, a whole group of adults were after me. I was in sheer terror, which helped me to not wear out - my feet kept moving. Somewhere along the way, tall pine trees came into my view. I had thought this a good sign, perhaps I could get out of this thing and back onto - the Earth.
And sure enough, I got up high enough and back onto solid ground. It was a forest and I started running for my life through it, as the people chasing me were giving a relentless pursuit. I was shocked that, as I was running, I came through a clearing in the forest and there was a highway in front of me. Wherever this was, it was at a VERY high altitude as the road was at least a 10% grade.
A car with a man driving approached, I waved him down, frantically moving my arms up and down. The whole thing was surreal. He stopped, I just jumped in and told him to floor it, get the bleep OUT of there. As he started to pull away, the men that were chasing me came crashing out of the woods. They were flinging arrows and throwing rocks as we sped off. 100 feet up the road, an incredible sight as some sort of aboriginal looking people, dressed to the 9's in some sort of tribal-looking wear, painted faces - that looked like death - painted bodies - were standing there, lined up at the edge of the forest, spears in hand but the spears were being held veritically with the spear heads in the ground.
These people were standing there like stone statutes. They were not attempting to stop us and they were not the same people as the others that had been chasing us. The looks on their faces, however, was enough to invoke even more terror. You have to understand that throughout this entire ordeal, I was completely, totally terrified. The people that were chasing us had stopped in the middle of the road, having had given up the chase. Why they didn't use their "magic" to simply plant themselves ahead of us, I'm not sure, but I think it had to do with passing through a portal in the road.
Whatever the portal was,apparently those behind us could not pass through it. We drove on and came into view of some of the most majestic mountain scenery I have ever seen in my life, and I have seen plenty. This was also an impossible road, or appeared to be anyway. It was at the very top of a huge mountain ridge - I have no idea what the elevation was, but we were obviously VERY high up.
This is when I woke up. My heart was pumping and I was breathing heavily as if I had just run a marathon. It took quite a while to calm down.
I had no idea, and still don't, if this dream/nightmare has any relevance to my real life. Some claim that dreams are an extension of yourself and that those dreams can be interpreted to find some meaning that is attached to whatever you may be going through in life.
I felt compelled to put it into printed word simply because it's still in my head. Most dreams I wake up from I completely forget about right away.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Friday
Another day with next to nothing to do in terms of deliveries at work. In fact, there ARE no deliveries, only one pickup - and that place is only 5 miles away from the branch.
Well, the semi hasn't been washed in - months actually - there has been no time for it until the last week or so. It takes several hours to wash a truck and trailer by hand. However, I won't even think about doing that until the sun is up and it warms up a bit. There are plenty of cleaning projects to do, thankfully, that will occupy my time if nothing else comes up.
The subject is worn to threads, but I am still intently watching the health care debacle as it winds down to a vote, allegedly anyway, on Sunday. All the big mounths around the nation are espousing their ideals on the subject - whether for or against it (I am totally against spending 1 trillion dollars in a BAD economy, but who am I?) - it really is like going to a circus and watching the clowns perform with their little toys and the animals.
I do not, however, find any humor whatsoever in the "fact" that this bill will have a loophole to allow illegal aliens to receive free healthcare or that this bill allegedly will allow for elective abortions. It was bad enough to pass a law to make abortion legal, it is that much worse that taxpayer money should go to pay for them.
Well, time will tell. Even if it does pass, there will be hurdles thrown in front of it, from what I am reading, that will make it difficult to actually be enacted as it currently is written.
Weekend is almost here. 7 hours of work and then go home for a couple of days off. I figure to do some Spring Cleaning this weekend - starting with my bedroom I am going to move all the furniture around, vacuum and use the carpet cleaning machine and basically go over every corner of the room until it sparkles. I'm not a big fan of washing windows, but that is on the agenda as well. In fact, my version of a Spring Cleaning will take more than one weekend. I just focus on one room until it's the way I want it and then move onto something else.
Anyway, work day is here and a freight truck just showed up, off to work.
G'day.
ben
Well, the semi hasn't been washed in - months actually - there has been no time for it until the last week or so. It takes several hours to wash a truck and trailer by hand. However, I won't even think about doing that until the sun is up and it warms up a bit. There are plenty of cleaning projects to do, thankfully, that will occupy my time if nothing else comes up.
The subject is worn to threads, but I am still intently watching the health care debacle as it winds down to a vote, allegedly anyway, on Sunday. All the big mounths around the nation are espousing their ideals on the subject - whether for or against it (I am totally against spending 1 trillion dollars in a BAD economy, but who am I?) - it really is like going to a circus and watching the clowns perform with their little toys and the animals.
I do not, however, find any humor whatsoever in the "fact" that this bill will have a loophole to allow illegal aliens to receive free healthcare or that this bill allegedly will allow for elective abortions. It was bad enough to pass a law to make abortion legal, it is that much worse that taxpayer money should go to pay for them.
Well, time will tell. Even if it does pass, there will be hurdles thrown in front of it, from what I am reading, that will make it difficult to actually be enacted as it currently is written.
Weekend is almost here. 7 hours of work and then go home for a couple of days off. I figure to do some Spring Cleaning this weekend - starting with my bedroom I am going to move all the furniture around, vacuum and use the carpet cleaning machine and basically go over every corner of the room until it sparkles. I'm not a big fan of washing windows, but that is on the agenda as well. In fact, my version of a Spring Cleaning will take more than one weekend. I just focus on one room until it's the way I want it and then move onto something else.
Anyway, work day is here and a freight truck just showed up, off to work.
G'day.
ben
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Thursday - KCL and Blogging in general
Lesseeeee - I am now a bigot, a right-wing leaning conservative religious nutcase and a hypocrite. Of course, this assessment only came from one person, so I will reserve jugdment on myself in case all of this isn't true : )
I was commenting on another person's journal about that person's take on illegal aliens and the costs that they impose on individual states and on the federal government, when another person came onto his blog and basically ostracized me for my views of things.
Funny, I don't remember signing anything anywhere that says that my views must be in complete agreement with some other individual's views of things. When I have to do that, I will stop blogging altogether. Although I don't doubt the end result of some of our nation's leader's intent is to create a socialist style nation that is run but more: dictated by the federal government as to how we shall live our lives - the American people are not going to go for it. That is evidenced by the large numbers of Americans that are standing up against this health-care overhaul - 37 states now whose governors are threatening to sue the Federal Government if this piece of legislation passes.
The point is simply that I refuse to be gagged and silenced by anyone. People can call me all the names they want - it only stands to make that person look juvenile in maturity and ability to cope in society. I have certainly taken my share of the religious name-calling in my adult life-span of street preaching, talking about the Lord online on numerous different venues and talking to individuals about the Lord as well. People don't need God until - they need a god. When they need a god, then perhaps they will find the true God - the Lord - Jesus Christ - the Father God - The Holy Spirit - a lot of names defining the Trinity and the Lord of Hosts.
Regardless, I suppose this kind of name-calling and trash-talking will go on as long as there are humans present on the earth that are able to communicate with each other, it is nothing that surprises me, but the lows that people will stoop to to try and press another person's buttons sometimes does surprise me at least a little.
Fortunately, I always have this blog to come to if such suppression does, indeed, occur on any other blog, as I have found Blogspot/Blogger to basically not care one way or the other what you do with your blog as long as it isn't something extremely objectionable or against the law. I have even seen extremely objectionable blogs have a warning page issued before you can access it - warning, this blog has been found to objectionable by others, yada yada yada.
I do not, however, believe that KCL owners would ever try to silence me on my personal views of things, they do, after all, opine on many subjects across the board and I would say quite bluntly at that. Not that I have a problem with that, just making an observation. Still, when you get a site like KCL and all of these individuals sort of get thrown into a small box, so to speak, it is always interesting - or ghastly depending on your views of things - to see the occasional torrents of hate and verbal abuse that spews forth from certain individuals.
And, I might add, a handful of individuals that are either singularly or collectively at the onset of such interactions that lend to mild chaos; forms of verbal barbarianism and general malfeasance shown to everyone else.
Well, workday is here, I must be about the company's business.
G'day
ben
I was commenting on another person's journal about that person's take on illegal aliens and the costs that they impose on individual states and on the federal government, when another person came onto his blog and basically ostracized me for my views of things.
Funny, I don't remember signing anything anywhere that says that my views must be in complete agreement with some other individual's views of things. When I have to do that, I will stop blogging altogether. Although I don't doubt the end result of some of our nation's leader's intent is to create a socialist style nation that is run but more: dictated by the federal government as to how we shall live our lives - the American people are not going to go for it. That is evidenced by the large numbers of Americans that are standing up against this health-care overhaul - 37 states now whose governors are threatening to sue the Federal Government if this piece of legislation passes.
The point is simply that I refuse to be gagged and silenced by anyone. People can call me all the names they want - it only stands to make that person look juvenile in maturity and ability to cope in society. I have certainly taken my share of the religious name-calling in my adult life-span of street preaching, talking about the Lord online on numerous different venues and talking to individuals about the Lord as well. People don't need God until - they need a god. When they need a god, then perhaps they will find the true God - the Lord - Jesus Christ - the Father God - The Holy Spirit - a lot of names defining the Trinity and the Lord of Hosts.
Regardless, I suppose this kind of name-calling and trash-talking will go on as long as there are humans present on the earth that are able to communicate with each other, it is nothing that surprises me, but the lows that people will stoop to to try and press another person's buttons sometimes does surprise me at least a little.
Fortunately, I always have this blog to come to if such suppression does, indeed, occur on any other blog, as I have found Blogspot/Blogger to basically not care one way or the other what you do with your blog as long as it isn't something extremely objectionable or against the law. I have even seen extremely objectionable blogs have a warning page issued before you can access it - warning, this blog has been found to objectionable by others, yada yada yada.
I do not, however, believe that KCL owners would ever try to silence me on my personal views of things, they do, after all, opine on many subjects across the board and I would say quite bluntly at that. Not that I have a problem with that, just making an observation. Still, when you get a site like KCL and all of these individuals sort of get thrown into a small box, so to speak, it is always interesting - or ghastly depending on your views of things - to see the occasional torrents of hate and verbal abuse that spews forth from certain individuals.
And, I might add, a handful of individuals that are either singularly or collectively at the onset of such interactions that lend to mild chaos; forms of verbal barbarianism and general malfeasance shown to everyone else.
Well, workday is here, I must be about the company's business.
G'day
ben
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