I had a "light bulb moment" tonight. Nothing really that major, but an AH HA moment none the less. Or maybe it is more of a "pat myself on the back" moment? I'm not sure...but it stemmed from an "I'm so pissed off I almost can't see straight" moment...
Being the most awesome mother that I am, I agreed to take Kailey and her friends to the Taylor Swift concert in Pittsburgh on the 18th (this weekend). I did this back in like February or March. Can't quite remember when tickets went on sale....anywho. I got a ticket for myself because I was not quite comfortable taking 3 15-year old girls to the big city and just dropping them off at Heinz Field for a night. Call me overprotective or whatever, but obviously the other parents felt a little of the same because they were happy I was getting a ticket and going (not that they offered to chip in on my ticket since I agreed to take them or anything...whatev.) Plus I like Taylor...she's cool. Her songs don't totally suck.
Well, here we are. A few days from the concert and this is what I know:
1. I have tickets.
2. The concert is Saturday, June 18th
3. I'm driving
ummmm...yeah...that is pretty much it. LOL
So, today the 3 girls get together to make t-shirts and talk about what's going down. Not with me mind you. You know, since I'm just a mom taxi *eyeroll* I had talked to one of the other mothers earlier in the day and determined that the concert starts at 7pm and the gates open at 5:30pm. This is a ticketed concert. No GA. We already have our seats. So, being the SANE non-teenage person I'm thinking if we roll up to Heinz Field by 5pm or so we are golden. Right? RIGHT? We say that leaving town around 2pm would be fine and give us time to eat before the show. Awesome.
Tonight, my daughter gets a text from the other girl going...something like this, "Me and XXX talked and decided with our parents that we should leave no later than 11am for the concert."
Huh? 11 AM....AM?! As in 8 HOURS before the concert? 8 HOURS?!?! It take me approximately 1.5 hours to drive to Pittsburgh. Takes, what, an hour to eat? What in the HELL are we going to do for another 5 HOURS?
OHHHHHHH we are going to stand in a line and scream in an ATTEMPT to get pit tickets and go backstage.....ummmm OK.
Am I a prude? Am I ancient? I know I didn't go to alot of concerts when I was young. I just remember that the ones I did go to, I was just happy to GO! I wasn't barking orders to the adult who was KIND ENOUGH to take me. I think that is what pisses me off more than anything...this 15 year old girl, who IS NOT MY DAUGHTER by the way, is trying to tell me what to do. Yep. That is what pisses me off the most LOL
And the funny part in all this? My daughter is on my side with this. She thinks is goofy as hell to think they are going to be chosen out of hundreds of screaming tweens and teens. She just wants to go to the concert. God bless her. Either I have raised a wonderful sweet young lady with lots of common sense or one that is scared to death to act like a bratty know it all teenager. Either way, it's win win LOL ***light bulb moment*** {{{pat on the back}}}
This is where I'm at. Mad. Dreading this concert because of the logistics. I'm centimeters from the point of just asking for my tickets and telling them to find their own way there. We'll see them in the seats. Meh.
Wonder what I'll get talked into....I guess you'll have to tune it next week folks!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Summer time is at hand...
So, here we are the beginning of June. Wow. This year really did fly by. Sounds SUPER cliche, but seriously...it flew.
Roman graduated Kindergarten on the 24th of May. *sigh* He is SO grown now. It's nice having him home again during the day with Rocco. Even though Rocco got pretty comfy having me, the TV and toys to himself all day during the week, he is adjusting to having Roman home as well. There is still the daily...err...occassional argument over cars, my lap and whether or not we watch Disney Juinor or Nick after breakfast. Oh well. Can't wait for the other one to finish up her school year and add to the mix...oy.
Kailey's last day of school will be on the 7th. Isn't it NUTS how these kids end up going to school into June now? I know they were going to be out earlier, but due to snow days used this year it pushed it further into June. But still. I don't think I'd mind them going back to school mid-August so that they would be done at the end of May. But what do I know?
I don't know about you guys, but my summer has been booked for months now. I think in the 10 WEEKS (yeah folks, only 10 short weeks in this summer) of summer I have TWO weekends with no official plans penciled in. Did you read that? TWO weekends out of TEN. Craziness.
I honestly think I'm just as busy in the summer as I am during the school year. The ONLY breaks I'm getting is not having to send in money every other week for this and that at Kailey's school, no signing folders and no remembering to keep the lunch accounts filled. OH and not having to get them up for school in the morning. Or be home for the bus in the afternoon....ok...so when I type it out and read it all, I *am* getting a nice break. But I failed to mention the t-ball games, volleyball games, basketball games and weekly practices we will be attending. So I guess one replaces the other in essence...oh well. They are only young once, right? And we will miss all this when they are grown, right? Eh, at least that is the lie I keep telling myself when I feel I can't take another minute in the van, gym or baseball field LOL
So, here is to another busy summer folks. I'm really excited to make a few trips here and there including a week in Williamsburg, VA. We've never been there and are pretty pumped for some sightseeing and a day or two at the beach.
I'm going to at least TRY to get some relaxing in during the next 10 weeks. I hope all my mommy friends do the same <3
Roman graduated Kindergarten on the 24th of May. *sigh* He is SO grown now. It's nice having him home again during the day with Rocco. Even though Rocco got pretty comfy having me, the TV and toys to himself all day during the week, he is adjusting to having Roman home as well. There is still the daily...err...occassional argument over cars, my lap and whether or not we watch Disney Juinor or Nick after breakfast. Oh well. Can't wait for the other one to finish up her school year and add to the mix...oy.
Kailey's last day of school will be on the 7th. Isn't it NUTS how these kids end up going to school into June now? I know they were going to be out earlier, but due to snow days used this year it pushed it further into June. But still. I don't think I'd mind them going back to school mid-August so that they would be done at the end of May. But what do I know?
I don't know about you guys, but my summer has been booked for months now. I think in the 10 WEEKS (yeah folks, only 10 short weeks in this summer) of summer I have TWO weekends with no official plans penciled in. Did you read that? TWO weekends out of TEN. Craziness.
I honestly think I'm just as busy in the summer as I am during the school year. The ONLY breaks I'm getting is not having to send in money every other week for this and that at Kailey's school, no signing folders and no remembering to keep the lunch accounts filled. OH and not having to get them up for school in the morning. Or be home for the bus in the afternoon....ok...so when I type it out and read it all, I *am* getting a nice break. But I failed to mention the t-ball games, volleyball games, basketball games and weekly practices we will be attending. So I guess one replaces the other in essence...oh well. They are only young once, right? And we will miss all this when they are grown, right? Eh, at least that is the lie I keep telling myself when I feel I can't take another minute in the van, gym or baseball field LOL
So, here is to another busy summer folks. I'm really excited to make a few trips here and there including a week in Williamsburg, VA. We've never been there and are pretty pumped for some sightseeing and a day or two at the beach.
I'm going to at least TRY to get some relaxing in during the next 10 weeks. I hope all my mommy friends do the same <3
Friday, May 20, 2011
Who is responsible for our kids?
So. I was sitting here earlier tonight doing a little laundry killing time until I had to go pick up my teenage daughter from the movies. On the TV, the local nightly news. A news story caught my attention and frankly made me shake my head in shame:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/05/facebook-zuckerberg-privacy-teens-underage-users-consumers-union.html
Let me get this straight...Consumers Union is pissed off at Facebook because Mark Zuckerberg isn't doing more to police underage Facebook use. Hmmm. Let's ponder this. Last time I checked, shouldn't it be the responsibility of PARENTS to police this? I mean, I'm a young mother. I just turned 34 in April. My oldest daughter turned 15 in April. She has a Facebook. She wasn't allowed to have her own Facebook until she started high school in the fall. So, that meant she was 14. A year older than what is "required" to have a Facebook account...and that is WITH parental permission. At least that is what Facebook's account registration page asks.
I know of kids younger than 13 who have a Facebook page. Do I agree with it. Absolutely not. Is it my problem? Nope. Is it Mark Zuckerberg's problem...I don't think it is. This is a PARENT problem. This is a parent's not taking control problem. This is parents trying to be the good guy and thinking it's not a big deal that their 10 year old has a Facebook account. This is a HUGE indication of how parents are quick to point the finger to anyone but themselves and/or their child.
This topic literally flys all over my a$$. I mean, I consider myself a pretty strict parent. By NO means am I "perfect" or anywhere close. But I REFUSE to take my thumb too far off my kids when it comes to Internet use. I have all log in and password information. More than a few times a week I will log in to my daughter's Facebook account and "creep" on her page and the pages of her friends. She knows this. It's not a secret. I'm not sneaky about it. I tell her. I WANT her to know. I'm always watching...vigilant. The same goes for her cell phone. Spot checks...I'll just grab her phone at random and read some texts. Me doing this stuff was part of the conditions to her getting access to it. Not because I'm mean or not cool. And not because I'm not respectful of her privacy. Privacy? Heh...I digress.
I can't help but hear stories like this one and get angry with the way kids are being parented today...or lack there of. And people wonder why today's youth are so disrespectful and seem so entitled. It's because they weren't raised like we were...not even CLOSE. Granted, times are different now. There are so many more influences we as parents have to worry about. All the more reason to be more involved! We won't even get started on the "everyone plays & everyone wins" mentality that's being shoved down our throats in every aspect of our kids lives where there should be competition. I'll save that rant for another day!
I'd love to hear what you guys think about this...all 3 of my followers LOL Or ask your friends about this article...on your Facebook page *grin*
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/05/facebook-zuckerberg-privacy-teens-underage-users-consumers-union.html
Let me get this straight...Consumers Union is pissed off at Facebook because Mark Zuckerberg isn't doing more to police underage Facebook use. Hmmm. Let's ponder this. Last time I checked, shouldn't it be the responsibility of PARENTS to police this? I mean, I'm a young mother. I just turned 34 in April. My oldest daughter turned 15 in April. She has a Facebook. She wasn't allowed to have her own Facebook until she started high school in the fall. So, that meant she was 14. A year older than what is "required" to have a Facebook account...and that is WITH parental permission. At least that is what Facebook's account registration page asks.
I know of kids younger than 13 who have a Facebook page. Do I agree with it. Absolutely not. Is it my problem? Nope. Is it Mark Zuckerberg's problem...I don't think it is. This is a PARENT problem. This is a parent's not taking control problem. This is parents trying to be the good guy and thinking it's not a big deal that their 10 year old has a Facebook account. This is a HUGE indication of how parents are quick to point the finger to anyone but themselves and/or their child.
This topic literally flys all over my a$$. I mean, I consider myself a pretty strict parent. By NO means am I "perfect" or anywhere close. But I REFUSE to take my thumb too far off my kids when it comes to Internet use. I have all log in and password information. More than a few times a week I will log in to my daughter's Facebook account and "creep" on her page and the pages of her friends. She knows this. It's not a secret. I'm not sneaky about it. I tell her. I WANT her to know. I'm always watching...vigilant. The same goes for her cell phone. Spot checks...I'll just grab her phone at random and read some texts. Me doing this stuff was part of the conditions to her getting access to it. Not because I'm mean or not cool. And not because I'm not respectful of her privacy. Privacy? Heh...I digress.
I can't help but hear stories like this one and get angry with the way kids are being parented today...or lack there of. And people wonder why today's youth are so disrespectful and seem so entitled. It's because they weren't raised like we were...not even CLOSE. Granted, times are different now. There are so many more influences we as parents have to worry about. All the more reason to be more involved! We won't even get started on the "everyone plays & everyone wins" mentality that's being shoved down our throats in every aspect of our kids lives where there should be competition. I'll save that rant for another day!
I'd love to hear what you guys think about this...all 3 of my followers LOL Or ask your friends about this article...on your Facebook page *grin*
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
OK...I'm ready now
So. Spring has sprung. The birds are out in full force, chirping their spring songs. The weather is bi-polar and my children are counting the hours until the last day of school. The women of the world are doing the spring cleaning routine...time to wash the walls, windows and clean the nooks and crannies that are forgotten the rest of the year.
I mentioned in my previous post that we built a deck last spring. I use the term "we" as in we PAID for the deck to be built by a wonderful man and his crew of 1. He did a spectacular job with it and we thoroughly enjoyed the summer out there last year. Obviously we are eager to begin enjoying it again this year....but we can't yet.
A month or so ago when I was getting all antsy to start my "spring cleaning" because everyone else I knew was talking about doing THEIR spring cleaning, I asked my sister in law to bring her power washer up to help me clean my deck. After going over both our schedules and working around volleyball clinics, t-ball games and her work schedule - we nailed down a date. I really wanted it done before we had the boys' birthday party May 15th. We were going to do the cleaning the end of April. Perfect.
So, maybe two weeks prior to this perfect date we had set I gave Bob a haircut. Went outside and shook the excess hair off the side of the deck. I opened the door and there was a bird that flew quickly off my patio furniture. I said aloud to NO ONE, "What the hell is with the birds? Is there a freakin' nest or what?"...I walked over to where my patio furniture was neatly stacked for the winter and sure as shit there on the underside of a chair was a Robin's nest. Not only was it a nest, but it contained 4 perfect sweet blue eggs. AWWWWWW! I was SO excited! A bird's nest! On my deck! Low enough for us to see! The kids are going to flip!
Sure enough, when the kids got home from school they were in awe. Everyone took turns looking and of course I got pictures. See:
April 27, 2011
I of course did some research on the internet. Read that it takes about 2 weeks for eggs to hatch once they are all laid. Then after they hatch it's about another 2 weeks til they leave the nest. Oh. Um. Ok. But this is such an amazing opportunity for my children to see a wonder of nature! What's a month of not using my beautiful new deck? I mean, the loads of bird shit all over the siding, floor, railing and furniture I'm going to have to scrub are nothing compared to the circle of life happening right in front of us, right? Right?! *sigh*
About a week later, we have these:
May 6, 2011
Adorable? Right?! I wanted to snatch them out of the nest and hold 'em in my hand! Awwe!
The next week:
May 12, 2011
And as of yesterday they look like this:
May 16, 2011
Can you believe how FAST they have grown?! I plan on taking pictures every other day now until the leave. Which is hopefully SOON! As much as I have loved the experience, I am SO ready to power wash all the bird shit off my beautiful deck and furniture! Now is the time little birdies...fly away....be FREE!
And the moral of this ladies and gents? Next year, the deck furniture is going in the basement.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes....
Wow...last blog post February 2009? Really? I can NOT believe it's been 2 years since I've blogged. I mean, I can kind of believe it. My life has had literally thousands of blog-worthy moments the past 2 years...but somehow I haven't had the time to sit down and document them.
Noteworthy moments:
April 2009 - I turned 32...now I'm 34 LOL
May 2009 - Rocco turned 1...Saturday he turned 3!
July 2009 - We went to Florida...again...saw the mouse...again...swore I wouldn't go back to Florida in the summer again.
September 2009 - My mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Liver Cancer.
October 2009 - My mom passed away on the 17th. My world crumbled.
November 2009 - Went to Florida again. It was cold. But I needed the mouse after the October I had.
May 2010 - Put a deck on the house. It is awesome and we LOVE it.
July 2010 - Florida again...why do I do this to myself. Many years shall pass before we do this again. Although we had a blast and I got to meet up with a super cool friend and her family while we were there - love ya Mary Ann!
August 2010 - Roman started Kindergarten *tear*....Kailey started high school *sob*
September 2010 - My grandma passed away (my mom's mom). I'm now the only living female in my family. Wow.
I guess that kind of catches you up. I should also mention I started coaching volleyball at Kailey's school with a dear friend of mine. I am her assistant...love being the assistant LOL It keeps me super busy from August to October and March to May. We coach 7th - 12th grade. It's really awesome and I love doing it.
Kailey's Jr. High volleyball team finished 4th in the conference (11 teams) this year. This is a vast improvement on the last place finish the team has had for many years now. We are working really hard at turning the program around, and it's starting to show. Very exciting stuff!
Roman played flag football in late summer fall last year and plans on doing it again this year. He really loved it & asks when he gets to wear pads...umm...not for a few more years! He is currently playing t-ball. I have one word for t-ball excruciating...yeah...that'd be the word. I guess if you don't have a competative bone in your boday it would be right up your alley. Unfortunately my family has about 1000 competative bones collectively. So it's painful to sit through. After EVERY game Roman asks if he won. Yeah buddy...sure...you won *eyeroll* LOL But he is having fun...and that's all that matters!
Rocco is just Rocco. He is a super lovey sweet little boy who wants to do/say EVERYTHING his big brother does/says. It's almost like having a Roman clone in the house & almost to the point of making me want to pull my hair out LOL He has strange habits of smelling me all the time and wanting to invade my personal space anytime I decide to sit still. His favorite perch is on the recliner arm while I use my laptop...as that is pretty much the only time I sit anymore. I love him to bits though and can't get enough of his strong hugs and sweet kisses. It kills me that he is 3 now...*sigh*
I guess on that note, I will leave you with a few snaps of the growning weeds I affectionatly call my children...enjoy & I SWEAR I will post again soon!
Noteworthy moments:
April 2009 - I turned 32...now I'm 34 LOL
May 2009 - Rocco turned 1...Saturday he turned 3!
July 2009 - We went to Florida...again...saw the mouse...again...swore I wouldn't go back to Florida in the summer again.
September 2009 - My mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Liver Cancer.
October 2009 - My mom passed away on the 17th. My world crumbled.
November 2009 - Went to Florida again. It was cold. But I needed the mouse after the October I had.
May 2010 - Put a deck on the house. It is awesome and we LOVE it.
July 2010 - Florida again...why do I do this to myself. Many years shall pass before we do this again. Although we had a blast and I got to meet up with a super cool friend and her family while we were there - love ya Mary Ann!
August 2010 - Roman started Kindergarten *tear*....Kailey started high school *sob*
September 2010 - My grandma passed away (my mom's mom). I'm now the only living female in my family. Wow.
I guess that kind of catches you up. I should also mention I started coaching volleyball at Kailey's school with a dear friend of mine. I am her assistant...love being the assistant LOL It keeps me super busy from August to October and March to May. We coach 7th - 12th grade. It's really awesome and I love doing it.
Kailey's Jr. High volleyball team finished 4th in the conference (11 teams) this year. This is a vast improvement on the last place finish the team has had for many years now. We are working really hard at turning the program around, and it's starting to show. Very exciting stuff!
Roman played flag football in late summer fall last year and plans on doing it again this year. He really loved it & asks when he gets to wear pads...umm...not for a few more years! He is currently playing t-ball. I have one word for t-ball excruciating...yeah...that'd be the word. I guess if you don't have a competative bone in your boday it would be right up your alley. Unfortunately my family has about 1000 competative bones collectively. So it's painful to sit through. After EVERY game Roman asks if he won. Yeah buddy...sure...you won *eyeroll* LOL But he is having fun...and that's all that matters!
Rocco is just Rocco. He is a super lovey sweet little boy who wants to do/say EVERYTHING his big brother does/says. It's almost like having a Roman clone in the house & almost to the point of making me want to pull my hair out LOL He has strange habits of smelling me all the time and wanting to invade my personal space anytime I decide to sit still. His favorite perch is on the recliner arm while I use my laptop...as that is pretty much the only time I sit anymore. I love him to bits though and can't get enough of his strong hugs and sweet kisses. It kills me that he is 3 now...*sigh*
I guess on that note, I will leave you with a few snaps of the growning weeds I affectionatly call my children...enjoy & I SWEAR I will post again soon!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Mmmmmacaroni & a new lens.....
So I treated myself last week and ordered a new lens for my camera. I am by NO means a photographer......I would love to someday have the mental capacity needed to take up the hobby. If there is a label for what I am, it has to be a proud member of the Mamarazzi!
I am lucky enough, however, to have a few photographer friends who have been MORE than gracious in helping me get the best photos I can with my equipment. I can only aspire to have an ounce of their talent one day (Tamra & Lorrin).....
Well of course I have to test out my fun new toy and that my friends means photos of my kids for your viewing pleasure!!
Here is Roman getting rather annoyed with all my picture taking while he was trying to play:
And last but certainly not least, is Rocco enjoying some good 'ol macaroni & cheese today:
The last picture is my absolute FAVORITE!! I can't believe my sweet Rocco is 9 months old already (as of yesterday).....time really does fly!!
Monday, February 9, 2009
I'm a victim.....
OK.....so maybe I'm being a little bit dramatic with the title. But I have to say I really felt bullied at the grocery store yesterday.
I have made the New Year's resolution to REALLY limit, if not cut out, my plastic bag use. I purchased some really groovy canvas bags at my local grocery store. Much to my surprise I really LOVE these bags. I think I have like 5 of them. They hold alot and have long handles so I can hoist them onto my shoulders like you would a purse. Really cool & super handy.
It's also really nice to not having to tote in 3,000 plastic bags with only like 3 things in each one. I know the stores here are not the only ones guilty of doing this. It really gets on my nerves!
So anywho, yesterday I went to the grocery story to get what I needed to make supper. Only a handful of things and also a few staple items like milk and eggs. I took with me 3 canvas bags thinking that should be plenty.
I get everything I needed.....and a few things I didn't (hehe) like a small cake and some cookies from the bakery, etc.
I'm in the check out lane and I take my bags out first and place them on the belt. Then I start placing my items on the belt in my usual anal way (heavy things first and light and/or smooshable things last). I try to make it as easy as I can for the cashier since 9 times out of 10 she is the one bagging the groceries as well. But today she had help. So the other lady starts bagging my purchases. I'm watching her and in my usual anal way I am thinking I could SO pack those bags better, so they would hold more things. This is probably why I use the self check out regularly at Walmart......annnnywho......she has my cake and cookies to the side along with a nice fresh french baguette I got for our meal. The woman uses 2 of the bags and is opening the 3rd one. She fumbles with it in attempting to put the cake on the bottom......she takes it out and puts in some other things......attempts to put it back in and then turns to me to say, "Do you want me to just put this cake in a plastic bag so it doesn't get smooshed?"....I tell her no that's OK. So she goes back to fumbling and putting things in and out of the bags. Geez lady, it's not rocket science! She turns to me again, "I can just put the cake in this bag," gesturing to the plastic bags AGAIN. "No ma'am that's OK, I don't want to use a plastic bag." She is back to fumbling. At this point I want to shove my basket out of my way and just pack up my own damn groceries.......she once again looks at me and says, "Well I can't put this cake in without smooshing it, let me put it in a bag for you." I then hold out my hands and tell her that I'll just carry the damn thing. I'm NOT using a blasted plastic bag! I then proceed to set the cake nicely on top of my eggs in one of the bags....there was PLENTY of room and I'm not sure why she thought a small cinnamon coffee cake was going to damage anything underneath it.....good grief!
I never in a million years thought I would have to have this much gumption to stick with a New Year's resolution as simple as this. I mean c'mon?! Who has to argue with a grocery bagger over use of plastic bags. I really felt like I was fighting for my right to refuse using those bags LOL
Now I'm not totally anti-plastic bags ladies and gentlemen. I do use them on occasion and when I have more than I can store I take them to my local grocery store to be recycled. At this point in time I have my quota of plastic bags tucked in my lovely plastic bag holder hanging in my laundry room. But it was getting to the point where I felt like I was being over run with plastic bags. I could have SWORN they were breeding at night in there........And I started feeling guilty that I had so many! Then to top it off I saw that show about the giant garbage island floating in the ocean......good grief. If you missed that post here is the link. Talk about crazy.......
The Environmental Protection Agency calculated more than 4.45 million tons of plastic bags were generated in the U.S. in 2005.
Wow. That's alot of plastic bags! LOL
So I may not be a die hard environmentalist.......I feel like I'm doing a little bit by bringing my own bags to the store. Not only is it better for the environment, maybe I'm saving the store a few bucks by not using their plastic bags? See, now I can say I'm doing my small part to help during this recession too....heh.
I have made the New Year's resolution to REALLY limit, if not cut out, my plastic bag use. I purchased some really groovy canvas bags at my local grocery store. Much to my surprise I really LOVE these bags. I think I have like 5 of them. They hold alot and have long handles so I can hoist them onto my shoulders like you would a purse. Really cool & super handy.
It's also really nice to not having to tote in 3,000 plastic bags with only like 3 things in each one. I know the stores here are not the only ones guilty of doing this. It really gets on my nerves!
So anywho, yesterday I went to the grocery story to get what I needed to make supper. Only a handful of things and also a few staple items like milk and eggs. I took with me 3 canvas bags thinking that should be plenty.
I get everything I needed.....and a few things I didn't (hehe) like a small cake and some cookies from the bakery, etc.
I'm in the check out lane and I take my bags out first and place them on the belt. Then I start placing my items on the belt in my usual anal way (heavy things first and light and/or smooshable things last). I try to make it as easy as I can for the cashier since 9 times out of 10 she is the one bagging the groceries as well. But today she had help. So the other lady starts bagging my purchases. I'm watching her and in my usual anal way I am thinking I could SO pack those bags better, so they would hold more things. This is probably why I use the self check out regularly at Walmart......annnnywho......she has my cake and cookies to the side along with a nice fresh french baguette I got for our meal. The woman uses 2 of the bags and is opening the 3rd one. She fumbles with it in attempting to put the cake on the bottom......she takes it out and puts in some other things......attempts to put it back in and then turns to me to say, "Do you want me to just put this cake in a plastic bag so it doesn't get smooshed?"....I tell her no that's OK. So she goes back to fumbling and putting things in and out of the bags. Geez lady, it's not rocket science! She turns to me again, "I can just put the cake in this bag," gesturing to the plastic bags AGAIN. "No ma'am that's OK, I don't want to use a plastic bag." She is back to fumbling. At this point I want to shove my basket out of my way and just pack up my own damn groceries.......she once again looks at me and says, "Well I can't put this cake in without smooshing it, let me put it in a bag for you." I then hold out my hands and tell her that I'll just carry the damn thing. I'm NOT using a blasted plastic bag! I then proceed to set the cake nicely on top of my eggs in one of the bags....there was PLENTY of room and I'm not sure why she thought a small cinnamon coffee cake was going to damage anything underneath it.....good grief!
I never in a million years thought I would have to have this much gumption to stick with a New Year's resolution as simple as this. I mean c'mon?! Who has to argue with a grocery bagger over use of plastic bags. I really felt like I was fighting for my right to refuse using those bags LOL
Now I'm not totally anti-plastic bags ladies and gentlemen. I do use them on occasion and when I have more than I can store I take them to my local grocery store to be recycled. At this point in time I have my quota of plastic bags tucked in my lovely plastic bag holder hanging in my laundry room. But it was getting to the point where I felt like I was being over run with plastic bags. I could have SWORN they were breeding at night in there........And I started feeling guilty that I had so many! Then to top it off I saw that show about the giant garbage island floating in the ocean......good grief. If you missed that post here is the link. Talk about crazy.......
The Environmental Protection Agency calculated more than 4.45 million tons of plastic bags were generated in the U.S. in 2005.
Wow. That's alot of plastic bags! LOL
So I may not be a die hard environmentalist.......I feel like I'm doing a little bit by bringing my own bags to the store. Not only is it better for the environment, maybe I'm saving the store a few bucks by not using their plastic bags? See, now I can say I'm doing my small part to help during this recession too....heh.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)