Sunday, April 15, 2012

Idiot Driver's with Children

Good morning my fellow subjects.  Today's rant is about two different driving incidents that I saw three days ago.  I seriously couldn't believe my eyes.

While sitting on my front step with my hubby and Princess enjoying the weather that we have been so graciously given a car drives by, at about 40km per hour down my side street (which should be at about 30km/hr).  I look at the car to see if I know who it is, and there is a woman in the front seat, with her cell phone out, staring at it (assuming she is reading a text), and her two children, under the age of three years are sitting in the back seat!

As I shouted out "Are you fucking kidding me?  Did you just see that?" to my hubby, the woman slowly starts to take the curb and some grass off someone's front yard, all while coming to a stop so she could finish reading her text and respond I assume.  Then carries on with her drive.

I mean, first its against the law to drive and text or use your cell phone at all.  Secondly, your children are in the car.  Thirdly its announced everywhere that there is a program going on with the local police department about wearing seat belts or driving while being distracted.  There is a steep financial fine not to mention the points that you would lose.

Moving on with my day, after coming back from the city from shopping (at Costco, see previous rant) I stop off at the corner store for my hubby to run in and grab something.  Princess and me are being silly in the car while waiting.  We notice that our neighbors are walking up to the car beside us.  I smile and wave through the window.  While admiring just a how big their youngest daughter had gotten since the fall, I realize that the child isn't just getting in the car through the front seat and climbing into the back.  Nope.  She got in the front seat and her Dad just strapped her in with a regular adult seat belt.  No car seat.  Did I mention this child might have turned two recently?  That's right my royal subjects idiot number two just drove away with his toddler in the front seat of a moving vehicle without a car seat of any kind!

These two "adults" in my opinion, should be charged with child endangerment.  There is no excuse for what they did.  I really have no tolerance when it comes to children being neglected because of ignorance.
Hey there all.  I know its been tragically long since I last posted.  I've been incredibly busy with my Princess and family outings and gatherings, and just didn't have the time to write.

I have missed you all though, I even missed my anonymous commentator who likes to try and piss me off all the time.  Nothing like biting back and forth when it stays interesting.

My bitchfest today is in regards to Costco and their customers at the location nearest me.

Disclosure:  I am a Costco member and choose to shop there because of the great deals.  So yes I put up with the nonsense, but it doesn't mean I can't bitch about it.


I'll be fair and state that I have not been to all Costco's but....mine I can comment on.  What the hell is with the lack of staff at the check outs on a Saturday afternoon?

We all know now that spring has sprung upon us (quite early I might add, and love that fact) that business booms even more so.  Yet the lack of check outs available is just plain wrong.

I mean, come on,  when the lineups are literally so long that they have to curl down product isles, so much so that the customers still shopping can't go up said isles to make further purchases.  It gets a bit frustrating.  Make the checkout areas larger please.  After all everything else about the store is massive!

Also I'd like to say that I am quite amused at the consumers of Costco.  When its busy and you're trying to find that parking spot right close to the building.....STOP what you're doing!  Think about it.  While you're looking for that close parking spot, the rows of parking spots that are about a 500 meter/yard walk away from the entrances are filling up and you'll just have to walk farther.  So get off your lazy ass and walk a bit!

Also driving in Coscto parking lot, is like taking your life and handing it up to whatever higher power you believe in.  Driving laws still apply in parking lots last time I checked.  Four way stop signs .....are not yield signs nor have they changed colors.  They still mean : HEY YOU ASSHOLE!  STOP!

Setting all that aside, I would like to thank Costco for the 7 more grey hairs from a 45 min shopping experience at Costco yesterday.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Movies

So its tax season.  Everyone is rushing to file their taxes, scared if they owe good ol' Uncle Sam yet excited if they don't.  This year we didn't owe Uncle Sam and the return was a good one.  It allowed us to get caught up on a lot of different things and to have a little fun as well.

One of the fun things we did was take our Princess to see the Lorax movie at one of the local movie theatres.  I figured if we went to an afternoon viewing it wouldn't be as expensive.

Here is the trailer to the movie if you haven't already seen it:






After wasting time in the mall that the theater was attached to, which sucked big time, we went to the 4:30 time slot.  For two adults and one child it came to 18.00.  I thought great, this isn't bad!  But then my Princess and my child husband couldn't go in of course without snacks.  So a small popcorn and water for Princess, and a large popcorn and Root Beer for hubby, it was 28.00!!!!!!  This theater advertises that it sells their canteen items for 30% less than any other theater in the area!  So to see an hour and half movie that isn't even something I personally wanted to watch it cost us $46.00!  This is fucking ridiculous!

What do families of five do?  I mean sure you don't have to go to the movies, sure you could smuggle in your snacks from home if you don't get caught by the ginormous security aliens checking your bags for outside theater treats.  But what if you want a treat?  Something special for your family to do, and this one thing happens to be taking your kids to a movie?

This is why, I assume, that downloading movies and such is such a huge thing right now.  I'll pay for a big screen television, a popcorn maker, and a spindle of DVD's to burn movies on or make copies of movies, and after 1 year (if you were to go to the theater twice a month) and I would have spent the same amount of money I would have going to the movies.  Oh, and I would have been a whole lot more comfortable.

P.S.  Hey you, kid who was approx 9 years old, who wouldn't stop whining over your brother not sharing the arm rest, and your sister who insisted on kicking the back of my chair, thanks for kicking over your soda so it dripped down the floor and coated the bottom of my purse with sticky sugar!  I'm sending your parents the bill for a new purse!

Friday, March 09, 2012

Doesn't It Make Sense?

As you all know I am a military spouse.  I am a wife of a husband who is known to be predictable in my actions.  We get paid twice a month.  Those two days it is common for the 10 thousand members of the military of the base we live to do their groceries on these two days.  Not all 10 thousand members go to the same grocery store, so don't think that this is the reason for my rant!

There are two grocery stores in the neighboring town to us that is literally like 8km (approx 3 miles) from our home.  One I find is very much over priced and its usually an additional 100.00 more than going to the alternative store.  However I am tempted to go into the next major city which is like 30km (approx 12 miles) away.  Here are the examples as to why:

1.  What is advertised in the flyer that week, is usually not in stock, sold out, or they just didn't have that particular flavor.

2.  There are never enough staff members on the check outs on these two days a month.  The lines are usually 5 people long or more and the cashiers are as slow as molasses.

3.  They do not have a consistency of product.  One week ground beef is available the next its not.

4.  The store is borderline not clean.

5.  They don't carry a variety of product.  No name pickles vs. Valassic only.


Now I've mentioned to some followers in the past, that I don't mind grocery shopping.  Sadly its one of my only times of getting out of the house.  Its interaction outside the family walls.  But I get so frustrated for stores that are near a military base that do not "support our troops" to the best of their ability.
After all, if these men and women can fight for our freedoms then can't you supply the damned pickles they like?

*sigh*

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Road Rage

My loyal subjects, if you didn't know I live on a military base in military housing.  You'd be surprised at the train wrecks that happen here.  The drama, the gossip, the backstabbing and the rules and regulations are enough to right my own soap opera Canadian style.  However for today I'm going to discuss people's driving habits.

Have you ever been behind a person when driving on a highway, where the speed limit is 90km/hr or 55 miles/hr, and they're doing 10 under?  There is no room to pass or as soon as the slow ass person see's you're trying to pass they go faster?  Or what about that person who slows down when they "think" you're riding their bumper when there is clearly one car length between you and the dumb asshole?

Here on base there are crazy speed limits.  Some roads have the speed limit posted every kilometer others aren't listed at all.  On base I expect people to follow the limits to the number because the military police are looking for things to do to occupy their time because there are only so many coffees and donuts they can consume.

However just outside the base, people think that there are no driving laws/speed limits in place in civilian living.

Source


My biggest pet peeve of all....

Texting while driving.  Hello!!!!!!!!

Put that electronic device down and pay the fuck attention to what you are doing.  Let me tell you that what you did last night really won't matter much when you hit another vehicle that has children or infants in it and you kill them all because your friend just had to know.  Oh and by the way.....stopping at a red light or a stop sign, does not give you the right to pick that phone back up and text again.  Cause guess what I'm the one honking at you and flipping you the bird when the light has gone green or the 3 Mississippi's (three second stop) are done and long over.

I'm not saying I'm a perfect driver.  However I couldn't imagine the guild if I caused a scene like this because I thought a text was more important than mine and everyone else's safety.


Source


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

I Love to Torture Myself

Well my royal subjects.  Today is Ash Wednesday and it is supposed to be a day to start giving up something that you love/indulge in.  Now I am Roman Catholic and I practice ....not so much.  Without getting too much into the religion aspect, cause lets face it, it pisses too many people off and that isn't really what I want to talk about, I wanted to let you know that I've decided to give up one thing and gain one thing.

I've decided this last night with the hubby.  We smoked our last pack last night, and before deciding who goes to the store to get more, I suggested quitting for Lent.  This way it gives us an added reason and saves us money, and we're doing the "proper" religious thing.

He agreed.

So it has been 15 hrs since my last smoke.  I went to bed right after the last smoke I had so it wasn't so bad then.  This morning, I usually have one right when I get up, and well I didn't so that was a little difficult.  I also usually have them while I talk to my bestie on the phone, but didn't.  What was hardest today so far, was when hubby came home from work for lunch.  We usually have two or three while he's home.  So its a matter of habit breaking.  I haven't really craved the smoke itself, just the habit of going outside.  Typing this actually makes me think I wanna smoke.  But I truly don't.  Talking about it with the bestie is slightly difficult, I just told her I don't want to talk about it, cause it makes it harder.  Hopefully she understands.

Another few reasons to quit my smoking as well as hubby is for financial.  This year needs to be a year of sacrifices.  I don't wanna be pay check to pay check any more, and still be in the red.  It sucks.  By hubby and I not smoking we save several hundred dollars per month.  This will help to put money other places.  This decision is obviously better for our health, especially me as we are currently thinking that I am pregnant.

That is right.  You read correctly.  If I've done my math right, I'm about 4.5 weeks along.  I was taking birth control faithfully, and well I don't think it worked this time, because I have never missed my time of the month while taking birth control no matter what stresses I was going through.    So I took a test a few days ago, and it came back negative but I could've tested to early.  I haven't taken my next cycle of pills in fear I am pregnant cause I'm 1.5 weeks late.

I'm a planner.  I only ever wanted one child, planned for one child, can (just barely) afford one child.  I was just about to get my independence back with my Princess going to school this coming fall, and now ....could be another baby in the mix!

I'm conflicted about this.  With my recent diagnosis of degenerative disc disorder, financial, desires for my life, etc....its not a good time to have a child.  However when is it ever a good time?  I know people manage with less than what I have with three or four children.  However I think I'll be disappointed if I'm not pregnant?  Oh my God, I'm pissing my own self off just typing it.

Here is one better, I've already picked out the names!  GAWD I'm awful.

Also hubby and I have decided that every day when he comes home from work we're gonna go on a family walk.  This way it gets me out and about, and working on losing weight, and in shape for a possible child, and we are forced to spend time with each other.

So I'm quitting something I love, which is smoking.  I'm gaining some exercise, and losing some weight, and yet suffering mentally from the possible predicament of a child.

I'm retesting a week from today to find out if I am expecting.

Kick Me When I'm Down

There have been many things going on in my life since the turn of the new year that have been insanely stressful.  I'm not going to go into all of them but I will go into one in particular which leads me to my next bitch fest.

Last week I had an MRI.  The reason is that I was having back pain periodically through the last twelve years.  After having my Princess, the pain was getting more intense and it would occur more frequently than before.  So after the last attack of pain, that lasted 1.5 months I went to the doctor, got x-rays which led to an MRI, which led to my results yesterday.

The results that I received could have been worse.  Something like cancer would have been the worst.  Obviously it wasn't a clean bill of health either because I wouldn't have something to bitch about today if it was.  The diagnosis was degenerative disc disorder.  It is quite severe and surgery is definitely in my future.  I am also unable to continue in my chosen profession of personal support worker (the dirty end of a nurse's job basically).

This news stunned me.  It was not an easy thing to hear, yet I didn't know how to react.  I didn't know how to feel.  I did however know one thing.  Since my Princess was going to be going to school this coming September I was able to get my career back and be ME again.  Now, it wasn't going to happen.  I wasn't sure if I was sad due to the diagnosis or sad due to the fact that once again, what I wanted, that was so close, was then taken from me.

I called my Dad, as he wanted to know what the results were from the MRI.  Low and behold, once I told him he started barking off about if I lost 100 lbs the disorder would go away and I'd be fine.  To him, everything is about weight and exercise.  He wouldn't let me tell him that this had nothing to do with the fact that I have a more than healthy body size, but everything to do with the car accident I was in 12 years ago.  He ended up hanging up on me.  Thanks for the support Dad, I'll fuckin remember that when its time to decide if you need a nursing home.