Pet Supplies Plus are a great bunch, on the whole. They have a wide variety of high quality cat foods, a much better array than anybody else around here. However, they have a certain gulf between the local management and the corporate brass in Michigan. I've been trying for years to get them to stop sending me email every time I breathe, but no matter how many times I tell them that I want at most one email per month, they just send and send and send. Every time I use my preferred customer card, I get an email asking how my visit is, which I invariably ignore in hopes that they might take the hint.
Thus, I only use the card when there's an actual discount involved. Today there wasn't and the checkout girl was very pushy about me using it. "It still records your purchases," she said, or something very like that. In other words, I'm doing your market research for free. This has never been one of my prime interests and is why I shop at Aldi and Publix, companies that don't have loyalty programs or preferred customer cards, whenever possible. Ms. Tamara would like me to throw down PSP because they sell live rabbits. I am growing ever more sympathetic with this view.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Life event
Everything about my real-life relationship with Tamara is glorious, fun, wonderful. The Facebook version though turned very slightly strange, reflecting entirely on Facebook and not at all on us. Never having done this before, I tried declaring that we're in a relationship by using the Life Event status update. One of the choices is New Relationship and you can tag the Facebook Friend with whom you're in the relationship. (That came out odd, but I really don't want to add another "with.")
Declaring that I'm "in a relationship" on my profile proved impossible on the phone for whatever reason. (For non Facebook peoples, this is a different thing than a status update. So I did so from this here computer. In this case, I could also fill in Tamara's name, but it would only be confirmed when she responded to a message from Facebook saying that it's true. I so approve. What I find odd is that they didn't do this on the In A New Relationship status update. Granted that my friends who might have been waiting with baited breath got the word a few hours earlier than they would have otherwise, and moreover we really are in a new relationship. But in theory, I could have said I was in a New Relationship with any or all of my 215 Facebook Friends, including four or more recording artists. Kind of slack, Facebook, not that it was any problem for us personally, but a little weird nonetheless.
So in short, in case you missed it, I'm in a relationship, and beatifically happy about it.
Declaring that I'm "in a relationship" on my profile proved impossible on the phone for whatever reason. (For non Facebook peoples, this is a different thing than a status update. So I did so from this here computer. In this case, I could also fill in Tamara's name, but it would only be confirmed when she responded to a message from Facebook saying that it's true. I so approve. What I find odd is that they didn't do this on the In A New Relationship status update. Granted that my friends who might have been waiting with baited breath got the word a few hours earlier than they would have otherwise, and moreover we really are in a new relationship. But in theory, I could have said I was in a New Relationship with any or all of my 215 Facebook Friends, including four or more recording artists. Kind of slack, Facebook, not that it was any problem for us personally, but a little weird nonetheless.
So in short, in case you missed it, I'm in a relationship, and beatifically happy about it.
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Synthesizing pernil
I had a brief phase, last year I think, when I was just flat crazy about the Puerto Rican delicacy pernil. That's marinated pork shoulder. Tamara, for very good reasons not involving religion, does not eat pork. So the current effort is to find a way to fake pernil. I think I mentioned at the time of my pernil obsession that I was nuts about pico de gallo. I am sure that I have mentioned my recent discovery of canned diced tomatoes with lime, peppers and cilantro. In other words, pico de gallo without the onions. That helps! Tonight, we're going to try out pernil-style chicken thigh with vegetables and rice. I don't know how authentic it will be, I'm just hoping for tasty.
In the end, I hope to make something pico de gallo like with lentils, I mean besides the lentil pancakes I made earlier this year. I dig 'em, but I never did master cooking them throughout without burning the top, bottom or both. I still think that lentils would make a terrific meat substitute. I used to make ok lentil meatballs by adding organic corn grits. I didn't exactly abandon the effort; I just ran out of grits. It might be time to buy more. In the end, I suspect that one or both of us will wind up being vegan. It helps to be prepared.
In the end, I hope to make something pico de gallo like with lentils, I mean besides the lentil pancakes I made earlier this year. I dig 'em, but I never did master cooking them throughout without burning the top, bottom or both. I still think that lentils would make a terrific meat substitute. I used to make ok lentil meatballs by adding organic corn grits. I didn't exactly abandon the effort; I just ran out of grits. It might be time to buy more. In the end, I suspect that one or both of us will wind up being vegan. It helps to be prepared.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Kibbitzers
I have a lot of important stuff and a lot of funny stuff to write about. But right now what's on my mind are these two little weasels that I live with who, since I started feeding them wet food and quit letting them free-feed dry food, whine at me more or less 24 hours a day for more food. I swear that I am not underfeeding them. If anything it would be overfeeding. Love and romance has been great for them. "M-rowwwr!" --"OK, here's some food. Hush now." Granted, they used to whine when the (dry) food bowl wasn't constantly filled, so it's not so different. But I wish that they would hurry up and evolve those opposable thumbs. It's not so hard! We did it, didn't we?
I must say though that generally they are much better behaved and seem much happier. Since I started adding a little water (tepid and filtered) to their canned cat food, they're both back in the clean plate club. They didn't seem to like pate style, but making it wetter seems to make it OK. And they're good kitties by and large. And Tamara loves them if anything even more than I do. So that works!
I must say though that generally they are much better behaved and seem much happier. Since I started adding a little water (tepid and filtered) to their canned cat food, they're both back in the clean plate club. They didn't seem to like pate style, but making it wetter seems to make it OK. And they're good kitties by and large. And Tamara loves them if anything even more than I do. So that works!
Thursday, March 3, 2016
81 dolluh tux
There used to be this great thrift, gift and variety store far out Two Notch Road (also US 1) in Northeast Columbia called It's A Deal. And then it was gone, and we were very sad. The other day, my Facebook feed showed me a memory from a year or two ago featuring something from this store. This was very fortuitous since I couldn't remember the name up til that point. So I looked it up and they had moved less than a quarter mile up US 1. So joyously Paul and I went back, he bought a bunch of books, and I found some new tuxedoes.
Tamara had told me to look out for a tuxedo, that I might need one, so when we were buying the loveseat yesterday, I took her on the rounds of the thrifts and also to It's A Deal. The best of the tuxes was a Calvin Klein, but it was very big. I thought that my seamstress was magic and could do anything, so I snapped it up for $10. My seamstress, however, told me that it couldn't be done. It was just too big. So today I went back to It's A Deal and asked if I could trade for the 42 Regular tux (I usually wear a 40); he said no problem. The seamstress was much more pleased this time, except that it was the only 42 Regular that they had and that was the size her husband would need. I offered it to her for $10, but I think she preferred being paid to paying out.
Anyway, she pinned it up and the alterations, which may take all month, will be $71. So I have a brand new tux for $81 and now all I need is the puffy shirt, the black tie and the shiny shoes. Only bad news? That 37 waist fitted suspiciously comfortably. I've been wearing a 34 ever since I dropped the weight after quitting gluten. Ah well, it was a nice run.
Tamara had told me to look out for a tuxedo, that I might need one, so when we were buying the loveseat yesterday, I took her on the rounds of the thrifts and also to It's A Deal. The best of the tuxes was a Calvin Klein, but it was very big. I thought that my seamstress was magic and could do anything, so I snapped it up for $10. My seamstress, however, told me that it couldn't be done. It was just too big. So today I went back to It's A Deal and asked if I could trade for the 42 Regular tux (I usually wear a 40); he said no problem. The seamstress was much more pleased this time, except that it was the only 42 Regular that they had and that was the size her husband would need. I offered it to her for $10, but I think she preferred being paid to paying out.
Anyway, she pinned it up and the alterations, which may take all month, will be $71. So I have a brand new tux for $81 and now all I need is the puffy shirt, the black tie and the shiny shoes. Only bad news? That 37 waist fitted suspiciously comfortably. I've been wearing a 34 ever since I dropped the weight after quitting gluten. Ah well, it was a nice run.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Loveseat
Anybody who has ever met me probably could guess that once I learned of the existence of a store named Furniture Barn, I would have to buy my loveseat there. The fact that there's a sign out front reading, "SHOP HERE NOW" = only a plus. Seriously, they happened to have a crazy comfortable loveseat that happened to be on half-off sale. They also sell used furniture, which we perused after I bought the comfy chair; fortunately there wasn't anything there to make us run back and say, "Just kidding!" The chair is actually being delivered this afternoon, which we thought was pretty snazzy.
We really would have liked a double recliner, but it's like they're all made for people who don't like each other. Most have a console with drink holders in between, presumably for manly men who want to make clear that they don't want to sit next to each other. Others would fully recline but only while your head is there to hold it down. This would make kissing a somewhat tricky action.
So it's a comfy, squashy, chocolate brown suedish loveseat. One side is a little more comfortable than the other (on the floor model anyway) but we figure even the less comfortable side is still comfortable. Now what to do with this papa san chair... Meanwhile, you should pay me not to tell you what earworm this loveseat has caused to be stuck in my head. Believe me, it'll be worth it!
We really would have liked a double recliner, but it's like they're all made for people who don't like each other. Most have a console with drink holders in between, presumably for manly men who want to make clear that they don't want to sit next to each other. Others would fully recline but only while your head is there to hold it down. This would make kissing a somewhat tricky action.
So it's a comfy, squashy, chocolate brown suedish loveseat. One side is a little more comfortable than the other (on the floor model anyway) but we figure even the less comfortable side is still comfortable. Now what to do with this papa san chair... Meanwhile, you should pay me not to tell you what earworm this loveseat has caused to be stuck in my head. Believe me, it'll be worth it!
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Certified
Back in the late '70s or early '80s, auto dealers decided that used car salesmen had a bad reputation. I don't know how it took this long for them to notice this, as the dishonest used car dealer had been a stock character in fiction, TV and movies for as long as the occupation had existed, but that's just another thing I'll never understand. So there was a push to rename the field.
For about five minutes, dealers sold "previously owned" cars. This has a lot of syllables and is hard to fit on a sign, but at least it's correct. Since then though, it's been "pre-owned." This is insane on its face and makes me in turn insane on my face. Honda dealers, for example, invariably advertise certified pre-owned cars. I... can't go through with it. I would otherwise march right in and buy a used Honda, but I just can't. I'll buy one off a used car lot first, no matter how dishonest.
So what's needed is a better adjective. Where I live, "certified born-again" ought to be a winner, but most likely folks would be offended. This morning, I thought I had it: "certified restored." But that latter word already has a meaning in the field and people would expect the car to be freshly repainted, which they almost never are. Reborn or Renewed sound good to me, although again people might want fresh paint. "Broken in"? No. "Previously driven"? No. If they want to sell to me, I think they should go with Used But Not Used Up. I don't think they need the "certified." Who's doing the certifying? Their mechanics? I've SEEN their mechanics. I think they should embrace the used car ethos, put everybody in loud plaid jackets and run with it. WHO'S WITH ME?!
For about five minutes, dealers sold "previously owned" cars. This has a lot of syllables and is hard to fit on a sign, but at least it's correct. Since then though, it's been "pre-owned." This is insane on its face and makes me in turn insane on my face. Honda dealers, for example, invariably advertise certified pre-owned cars. I... can't go through with it. I would otherwise march right in and buy a used Honda, but I just can't. I'll buy one off a used car lot first, no matter how dishonest.
So what's needed is a better adjective. Where I live, "certified born-again" ought to be a winner, but most likely folks would be offended. This morning, I thought I had it: "certified restored." But that latter word already has a meaning in the field and people would expect the car to be freshly repainted, which they almost never are. Reborn or Renewed sound good to me, although again people might want fresh paint. "Broken in"? No. "Previously driven"? No. If they want to sell to me, I think they should go with Used But Not Used Up. I don't think they need the "certified." Who's doing the certifying? Their mechanics? I've SEEN their mechanics. I think they should embrace the used car ethos, put everybody in loud plaid jackets and run with it. WHO'S WITH ME?!
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