**I've moved***
http://peoriaspeaks.com/wpmu/rixie/
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Huh-Huh
We took the students to see The Nutcracker today.
At *The Bone.
Good grief.
*That's the name of the Student Center at Illinois State University
At *The Bone.
Good grief.
*That's the name of the Student Center at Illinois State University
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
SURPRISE!!
Last weekend my sister-in-law had a surprise 30th birthday party for my little brother.
They've only been married for a few years so I guess she wasn't fully aware of how horribly rotten we all are about surprises. I'm bad...like, find my Christmas presents bad. Like, slip the tape off the wrapped presents and peek bad.
But as bad as I am? My brother is 10 times worse. And of course, we know this about him, but we didn't have the heart to tell our sister-in-law.
So, the task was for us to get my brother out of his house and to my parents house an hour away under the guise of coming to see me and my kids and help my dad with some sort of task.
But we weren't sure how we were going to orchestrate the whole thing. We just knew we had to get him out of HIS house by 4 PM, keep him at my parents house for a few hours and then get him BACK to his house by 8. And he called after my nephew woke up from his nap and told us that the baby had a fever.
Then my sister-in-law called from, I think, her bathroom whispering "He's not going to leave!" And my sister called saying she had the flu and was puking. Then my mom almost set the house on fire...the potholder caught on fire which, in turn, lit the cute little wicker basket she keeps stuff in right next to the gas stove.
Then we finally DID get my brother to come over to help my dad haul bales of hay to the garden. Except when my brother asked my dad if he was ready to move said bales my dad said:
"I'm not moving that hay TONIGHT. It's COLD out."
But it was o.k., because my mom gave him "The Look" to which my dad responded:
"Oh hell, I guess I need to move those bales."
But it was all o.k. Or so we thought...I guess he suspected something because at some point my brother said to my son "Do they think I'm stupid?"
So I decided to ride back to his house with him to celebrate with my other sister *wink* *wink* and it's all good.
We walk in and he's surprised and all his friends were there...it was a great party.
My sister and I asked him if he had any idea and he says:
"Well, I knew SOMETHING was up. I though maybe she bought me a big screen t.v......but this is good too."
So, my sister-in-law gets lots of points for pulling it off, but the first thing SHE said once we got there was "I'm never doing this again."
They've only been married for a few years so I guess she wasn't fully aware of how horribly rotten we all are about surprises. I'm bad...like, find my Christmas presents bad. Like, slip the tape off the wrapped presents and peek bad.
But as bad as I am? My brother is 10 times worse. And of course, we know this about him, but we didn't have the heart to tell our sister-in-law.
So, the task was for us to get my brother out of his house and to my parents house an hour away under the guise of coming to see me and my kids and help my dad with some sort of task.
But we weren't sure how we were going to orchestrate the whole thing. We just knew we had to get him out of HIS house by 4 PM, keep him at my parents house for a few hours and then get him BACK to his house by 8. And he called after my nephew woke up from his nap and told us that the baby had a fever.
Then my sister-in-law called from, I think, her bathroom whispering "He's not going to leave!" And my sister called saying she had the flu and was puking. Then my mom almost set the house on fire...the potholder caught on fire which, in turn, lit the cute little wicker basket she keeps stuff in right next to the gas stove.
Then we finally DID get my brother to come over to help my dad haul bales of hay to the garden. Except when my brother asked my dad if he was ready to move said bales my dad said:
"I'm not moving that hay TONIGHT. It's COLD out."
But it was o.k., because my mom gave him "The Look" to which my dad responded:
"Oh hell, I guess I need to move those bales."
But it was all o.k. Or so we thought...I guess he suspected something because at some point my brother said to my son "Do they think I'm stupid?"
So I decided to ride back to his house with him to celebrate with my other sister *wink* *wink* and it's all good.
We walk in and he's surprised and all his friends were there...it was a great party.
My sister and I asked him if he had any idea and he says:
"Well, I knew SOMETHING was up. I though maybe she bought me a big screen t.v......but this is good too."
So, my sister-in-law gets lots of points for pulling it off, but the first thing SHE said once we got there was "I'm never doing this again."
Monday, December 1, 2008
Caps
Over here --------------------------------------------------->
is a nifty little icon about insurance caps. Specifically, the push to have congress enact legislation requiring health insurers to raise lifetime insurance caps.
What has happened is that as health care costs have risen exponentially, insurance caps have not. I would venture a guess that the vast majority of individuals who have insurance have no idea what their lifetime cap is. Many HMOs, PPOs, and QCPs don't have a cap at all. But this can change. Our original policy up in Oshkosh had no cap. Because of changes, a cap of $2,000,000 was implemented. Of course, this seems like a lotta dough. Unfortunately, it's not. And most won't know it's not enough until it's too late.
This is not a bleeding disorders issue, but the bleeding disorders community has been very active in pursuing legislation to assist individuals affected by the issue.
What is unique about the chronic disease community is that we must live with this issue throughout out lives. Many others become ill, receive treatment/hospitalization, get better and then are left paying the bills. Not so for us. Not only do my husband and I always have this on our minds, our boys will have to deal with the issue. We do not have the ability to declare bankruptcy and start from scratch...my kids will always have these bills.
Insurance caps do not change based on increases in inflation, cost of living or new and expensive therapies. In fact, it's quite common for an insurance company to sort of 'encourage' consumers to cap-out on a policy so that the individual is no longer on a policy.
Here's an article about a family who learned about the issue all too quickly.
When our own insurance company implemented a cap, my husband went to his employer's benefit fair and asked the specialists what would be offered for those who hit their cap. The reps said "Oh, gosh, that doesn't happen. You know it's $2M, right?" He chuckled and walked away. $2M seems like a nice chunk of change. Ultimately, we chose to move back to Illinois because we knew that we'd hit that cap when the boys were in high school and then what? Illinois has a much better safety net for those in the high risk category; additionally, our current plan has no lifetime cap.
Of course, the bigger issue is that health care costs are out of whack. Many of the drugs used to treat chronic, rare disorders have "orphan drug" status. This means that the condition effects so few individuals that developing new drugs isn't very lucrative. Therefore, to encourage research and development of these very specialized drugs, the FDA has special regulations. Essentially, the companies that develop these drugs are given tax reductions and marketing exclusivity so that they will continue the research.
The Orphan Drug Act (ODA) has been instrumental in the development of new and innovative therapies, but it's a double edged sword. These companies have a monopoly on their therapies and are able to set prices for said therapies quite high. A Catch-22.
So, what's a family like mine to do? We have to have these drugs...they keep my kids alive. The average life expectancy of a person with hemophilia prior to the development of these drugs was somewhere in the mid-twenties. Now it's virtually the same as non-hemos. But the cost of the drugs is outrageous. I don't begrudge Pharma for wanting to profit on an otherwise relatively unprofitable therapy, but something has to give.
Our current system is not adequately meeting the needs of individuals living with a chronic illness or those who face a catastrophic illness. In the end, by not raising insurance caps, everyone suffers.
I encourage everyone to pull out their certificates of coverage and find out what your lifetime cap is. If you can't find it in the literature that you've been provided by your insurance company, call 'em and ask 'em!
For those of you who don't HAVE insurance, this kind of reform is a step towards getting adequate coverage for all.
is a nifty little icon about insurance caps. Specifically, the push to have congress enact legislation requiring health insurers to raise lifetime insurance caps.
What has happened is that as health care costs have risen exponentially, insurance caps have not. I would venture a guess that the vast majority of individuals who have insurance have no idea what their lifetime cap is. Many HMOs, PPOs, and QCPs don't have a cap at all. But this can change. Our original policy up in Oshkosh had no cap. Because of changes, a cap of $2,000,000 was implemented. Of course, this seems like a lotta dough. Unfortunately, it's not. And most won't know it's not enough until it's too late.
This is not a bleeding disorders issue, but the bleeding disorders community has been very active in pursuing legislation to assist individuals affected by the issue.
What is unique about the chronic disease community is that we must live with this issue throughout out lives. Many others become ill, receive treatment/hospitalization, get better and then are left paying the bills. Not so for us. Not only do my husband and I always have this on our minds, our boys will have to deal with the issue. We do not have the ability to declare bankruptcy and start from scratch...my kids will always have these bills.
Insurance caps do not change based on increases in inflation, cost of living or new and expensive therapies. In fact, it's quite common for an insurance company to sort of 'encourage' consumers to cap-out on a policy so that the individual is no longer on a policy.
Here's an article about a family who learned about the issue all too quickly.
When our own insurance company implemented a cap, my husband went to his employer's benefit fair and asked the specialists what would be offered for those who hit their cap. The reps said "Oh, gosh, that doesn't happen. You know it's $2M, right?" He chuckled and walked away. $2M seems like a nice chunk of change. Ultimately, we chose to move back to Illinois because we knew that we'd hit that cap when the boys were in high school and then what? Illinois has a much better safety net for those in the high risk category; additionally, our current plan has no lifetime cap.
Of course, the bigger issue is that health care costs are out of whack. Many of the drugs used to treat chronic, rare disorders have "orphan drug" status. This means that the condition effects so few individuals that developing new drugs isn't very lucrative. Therefore, to encourage research and development of these very specialized drugs, the FDA has special regulations. Essentially, the companies that develop these drugs are given tax reductions and marketing exclusivity so that they will continue the research.
The Orphan Drug Act (ODA) has been instrumental in the development of new and innovative therapies, but it's a double edged sword. These companies have a monopoly on their therapies and are able to set prices for said therapies quite high. A Catch-22.
So, what's a family like mine to do? We have to have these drugs...they keep my kids alive. The average life expectancy of a person with hemophilia prior to the development of these drugs was somewhere in the mid-twenties. Now it's virtually the same as non-hemos. But the cost of the drugs is outrageous. I don't begrudge Pharma for wanting to profit on an otherwise relatively unprofitable therapy, but something has to give.
Our current system is not adequately meeting the needs of individuals living with a chronic illness or those who face a catastrophic illness. In the end, by not raising insurance caps, everyone suffers.
I encourage everyone to pull out their certificates of coverage and find out what your lifetime cap is. If you can't find it in the literature that you've been provided by your insurance company, call 'em and ask 'em!
For those of you who don't HAVE insurance, this kind of reform is a step towards getting adequate coverage for all.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
I copied too!
Things I've Done
1. Started your own blog - You're lookin' at it.
2. Slept under the stars - several times
3. Played in a band - if high school concert, marching, jazz and pep band count.
4. Visited Hawaii - no...not much interest in it either, although I wouldn't turn down a free trip.
5. Watched a meteor shower - yes
6. Given more than you can afford to charity - I've given my time to the Hemophilia community, but never had enough $$ to spare.
7. Been to Disneyland - a few times
8. Climbed a mountain - of paperwork
9. Held a praying mantis - not till we moved back to Illinois where it's a little warmer.
10. Sang a solo - not on purpose
11. Bungee jumped - no
12. Visited Paris - no
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea - I watch Deadliest Catch sometimes...does that count?
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - yes, I taught myself how to knit
15. Adopted a child - Not yet...Mr. Rix says we have to wait till the boys are grown. We've adopted several animals, though, and they're like our children.
16. Had food poisoning - no
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - No, but we took the ferry to see it.
18. Grown your own vegetables - yes, I've had many, many gardens
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France - no
20. Slept on an overnight train - no, I've slept on a train, but it wasn't overnight.
21. Had a pillow fight - Yes...just like she said, that's what chicks do when we hang out.
22. Hitch hiked - no!
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - Yes...but not while at my current job!
24. Built a snow fort - Many; I love the way it sounds inside a snow fort...all muffled and still.
25. Held a lamb - no...unless a lamp chop counts.
26. Gone skinny dipping - Yes
27. Run a Marathon - My husband says I run them in my sleep.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice - Nope. But when we first moved here, our Realtor told us we had to check out the Gondolas at Avanti's. So we went to eat and I looked all over for boats in the place. I didn't know it was a freakin' sub sandwich.
29. Seen a total eclipse - Yes in 6th grade through one of those pinhole box things
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - yes
31. Hit a home run - Oh yes! I was All-Conference and Captain of my High School softball team!
32. Been on a cruise - No...too many people. I hate people.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person - No
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - If Beecher City, IL and Shelbyville, IL count, then yes.
35. Seen an Amish community - Yes
36. Taught yourself a new language - yes, sign language...took 2 more semesters of it in College (my degree is Deaf Education)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - I think we're there right now...I'm learning to be satisfied with what I have...not what I don't have. Bills are paid, food in the fridge, roof over head...all good.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person - no
39. Gone rock climbing - no
40. Seen Michelangelo's David - No...but Mr. Rix is pretty close!
41. Sung karaoke - yes...not very well.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt - No
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant - Not officially, but I do this when I travel.
44. Visited Africa - no
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight - yes...both oceans, and several lakes
46. Been transported in an ambulance - yes...that is totally a story is for another blog.
47. Had your portrait painted - No, unless my kids' renditions count.
48. Gone deep sea fishing - no
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person - no
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - no
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - in my friend's pond
52. Kissed in the rain - yes
53. Played in the mud - yes
54. Gone to a drive-in theater - oh yes! As a kid and as an adult.
55. Been in a movie - Not anything I'd want anyone to see.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China - no
57. Started a business - no
58. Studied a martial art - no
59. Visited Russia - no
60. Served at a soup kitchen - no
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies - a couple times.
62. Gone whale watching - no...wait, does hitting the local pool count? Or looking at myself in the mirror?
63. Got flowers for no reason - a couple times...but I don't like receiving cut flowers. They die.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma - Not for about 12 years...they don't want mine, it's missing some Factor 9.
65. Gone sky diving - no
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp - no
67. Bounced a check - once or twice
68. Flown in a helicopter - no
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - yes...Snoopy's on my bookshelf right now.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial - Yes
71. Eaten caviar - bleh...no.
72. Pieced a quilt - Yes, I made Mr. Rix a quilt from all his 90's grunge-era flannels and backed it with the flannel sheet that was on his bed when we met.
73. Stood in Times Square - Yes
74. Toured the Everglades - no
75. Been fired from a job - No, but I told one boss to get fucked and walked out.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London - no
77. Broken a bone - my arm and a finger...the finger's still crooked
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle - Yes...I love it! Mr. Rix is going to get a Harely in the next couple years and we're looking forward to touring when the boys are grown.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person - Yes
80. Published a book - No, but my 'anecdotes' have appeared in a published book.
81. Visited the Vatican - no
82. Bought a brand new car - 1990 Plymouth Laser...bit mistake, I'll never buy a brand new car again.
83. Walked in Jerusalem - no
84. Had your picture in the newspaper - Yes, a couple times.
85. Read the entire Bible - no
86. Visited the White House - Yes
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - no
88. Had chickenpox - Yes - in high school!
89. Saved someone’s life - Hmmm....no.
90. Sat on a jury - no, but I was called for Jury Duty twice.
91. Met someone famous - Vince Neil, David Hasselhoff....that's all I can remember now.
92. Joined a book club - just recently...and I have the book for our next meeting, too!
93. Lost a loved one - yes
94. Had a baby - two
95. Seen the Alamo in person - no
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake - no, I've seen it though.
97. Been involved in a law suit - no
98. Owned a cell phone - yes.
99. Been stung by a bee - once
100. Read an entire book in one day - Oh yes...not for a while, but I love doing that. Especially on a cold rainy day.
Things I've Done
1. Started your own blog - You're lookin' at it.
2. Slept under the stars - several times
3. Played in a band - if high school concert, marching, jazz and pep band count.
4. Visited Hawaii - no...not much interest in it either, although I wouldn't turn down a free trip.
5. Watched a meteor shower - yes
6. Given more than you can afford to charity - I've given my time to the Hemophilia community, but never had enough $$ to spare.
7. Been to Disneyland - a few times
8. Climbed a mountain - of paperwork
9. Held a praying mantis - not till we moved back to Illinois where it's a little warmer.
10. Sang a solo - not on purpose
11. Bungee jumped - no
12. Visited Paris - no
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea - I watch Deadliest Catch sometimes...does that count?
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - yes, I taught myself how to knit
15. Adopted a child - Not yet...Mr. Rix says we have to wait till the boys are grown. We've adopted several animals, though, and they're like our children.
16. Had food poisoning - no
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - No, but we took the ferry to see it.
18. Grown your own vegetables - yes, I've had many, many gardens
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France - no
20. Slept on an overnight train - no, I've slept on a train, but it wasn't overnight.
21. Had a pillow fight - Yes...just like she said, that's what chicks do when we hang out.
22. Hitch hiked - no!
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - Yes...but not while at my current job!
24. Built a snow fort - Many; I love the way it sounds inside a snow fort...all muffled and still.
25. Held a lamb - no...unless a lamp chop counts.
26. Gone skinny dipping - Yes
27. Run a Marathon - My husband says I run them in my sleep.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice - Nope. But when we first moved here, our Realtor told us we had to check out the Gondolas at Avanti's. So we went to eat and I looked all over for boats in the place. I didn't know it was a freakin' sub sandwich.
29. Seen a total eclipse - Yes in 6th grade through one of those pinhole box things
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - yes
31. Hit a home run - Oh yes! I was All-Conference and Captain of my High School softball team!
32. Been on a cruise - No...too many people. I hate people.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person - No
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - If Beecher City, IL and Shelbyville, IL count, then yes.
35. Seen an Amish community - Yes
36. Taught yourself a new language - yes, sign language...took 2 more semesters of it in College (my degree is Deaf Education)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - I think we're there right now...I'm learning to be satisfied with what I have...not what I don't have. Bills are paid, food in the fridge, roof over head...all good.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person - no
39. Gone rock climbing - no
40. Seen Michelangelo's David - No...but Mr. Rix is pretty close!
41. Sung karaoke - yes...not very well.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt - No
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant - Not officially, but I do this when I travel.
44. Visited Africa - no
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight - yes...both oceans, and several lakes
46. Been transported in an ambulance - yes...that is totally a story is for another blog.
47. Had your portrait painted - No, unless my kids' renditions count.
48. Gone deep sea fishing - no
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person - no
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - no
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - in my friend's pond
52. Kissed in the rain - yes
53. Played in the mud - yes
54. Gone to a drive-in theater - oh yes! As a kid and as an adult.
55. Been in a movie - Not anything I'd want anyone to see.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China - no
57. Started a business - no
58. Studied a martial art - no
59. Visited Russia - no
60. Served at a soup kitchen - no
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies - a couple times.
62. Gone whale watching - no...wait, does hitting the local pool count? Or looking at myself in the mirror?
63. Got flowers for no reason - a couple times...but I don't like receiving cut flowers. They die.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma - Not for about 12 years...they don't want mine, it's missing some Factor 9.
65. Gone sky diving - no
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp - no
67. Bounced a check - once or twice
68. Flown in a helicopter - no
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - yes...Snoopy's on my bookshelf right now.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial - Yes
71. Eaten caviar - bleh...no.
72. Pieced a quilt - Yes, I made Mr. Rix a quilt from all his 90's grunge-era flannels and backed it with the flannel sheet that was on his bed when we met.
73. Stood in Times Square - Yes
74. Toured the Everglades - no
75. Been fired from a job - No, but I told one boss to get fucked and walked out.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London - no
77. Broken a bone - my arm and a finger...the finger's still crooked
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle - Yes...I love it! Mr. Rix is going to get a Harely in the next couple years and we're looking forward to touring when the boys are grown.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person - Yes
80. Published a book - No, but my 'anecdotes' have appeared in a published book.
81. Visited the Vatican - no
82. Bought a brand new car - 1990 Plymouth Laser...bit mistake, I'll never buy a brand new car again.
83. Walked in Jerusalem - no
84. Had your picture in the newspaper - Yes, a couple times.
85. Read the entire Bible - no
86. Visited the White House - Yes
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - no
88. Had chickenpox - Yes - in high school!
89. Saved someone’s life - Hmmm....no.
90. Sat on a jury - no, but I was called for Jury Duty twice.
91. Met someone famous - Vince Neil, David Hasselhoff....that's all I can remember now.
92. Joined a book club - just recently...and I have the book for our next meeting, too!
93. Lost a loved one - yes
94. Had a baby - two
95. Seen the Alamo in person - no
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake - no, I've seen it though.
97. Been involved in a law suit - no
98. Owned a cell phone - yes.
99. Been stung by a bee - once
100. Read an entire book in one day - Oh yes...not for a while, but I love doing that. Especially on a cold rainy day.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
He Was Right
A good friend recently expressed some mild dissatisfaction about people who write checks at the store.
His voice was ringing in my ear while at the grocery store today.
My plan was to go right after school so as to avoid the rush. Not so much on the avoiding the rush.
But I found everything and as I was waiting in line, I wrote out my check with everything but the dollar amount lest the folks behind me share the opinion of Mr. Malaise.
Then it happens. Cashier lady inserts my check so it can be stamped or whatever in the slidy-inny-outy thing.
And my check disappears. It's just gone.
The cashier looks everywhere, lifts the lid, looks on the ground...looks everywhere. No check.
Then she looks at me and asks me if it's in my purse. Um yeah. I'm really Mrs. David Blain and made the check fly back in my purse.
Meanwhile, there's a lady behind me in line and the cashier asks HER if she saw the check. No, lady behind me isn't Criss Angel...SHE didn't have the check either. The old man behind HER in line is starting to get pissy because his peppermint ice cream is melting.
Cashier lady calls head cashier lady over. Still no check. She showed up with canned duster (I was waiting for her to pull an Intervention-Duster-Huffer-Lady thing but she didn't) she sprayed that in the machine. My check still didn't appear.
It was very perplexing.
Finally, my receipt was retrieved. I let them know that I was going to leave...they had my check, my work was done.
I got a call 2 hours later that they'd found my check in the machine but it was mangled. Could I come write another one? And, for my trouble, there would be a $10 gift card waiting for me.
Sweet.
So, I went over, wrote a new check, grabbed my gift card and some beer and went to check out.
Except the gift card didn't work. So 14 cashier/manager type people had to come over. And the bag boy gave some input, too.
Then the big question. Would I mind writing a check and they'd just give me $10.00??
Yeah, like I was going to fall for THAT again.
His voice was ringing in my ear while at the grocery store today.
My plan was to go right after school so as to avoid the rush. Not so much on the avoiding the rush.
But I found everything and as I was waiting in line, I wrote out my check with everything but the dollar amount lest the folks behind me share the opinion of Mr. Malaise.
Then it happens. Cashier lady inserts my check so it can be stamped or whatever in the slidy-inny-outy thing.
And my check disappears. It's just gone.
The cashier looks everywhere, lifts the lid, looks on the ground...looks everywhere. No check.
Then she looks at me and asks me if it's in my purse. Um yeah. I'm really Mrs. David Blain and made the check fly back in my purse.
Meanwhile, there's a lady behind me in line and the cashier asks HER if she saw the check. No, lady behind me isn't Criss Angel...SHE didn't have the check either. The old man behind HER in line is starting to get pissy because his peppermint ice cream is melting.
Cashier lady calls head cashier lady over. Still no check. She showed up with canned duster (I was waiting for her to pull an Intervention-Duster-Huffer-Lady thing but she didn't) she sprayed that in the machine. My check still didn't appear.
It was very perplexing.
Finally, my receipt was retrieved. I let them know that I was going to leave...they had my check, my work was done.
I got a call 2 hours later that they'd found my check in the machine but it was mangled. Could I come write another one? And, for my trouble, there would be a $10 gift card waiting for me.
Sweet.
So, I went over, wrote a new check, grabbed my gift card and some beer and went to check out.
Except the gift card didn't work. So 14 cashier/manager type people had to come over. And the bag boy gave some input, too.
Then the big question. Would I mind writing a check and they'd just give me $10.00??
Yeah, like I was going to fall for THAT again.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Latest and Greatest
Finally Redbox has made it's way to East Peoria.
What is Redbox? Well it's one of those ideas that makes you go "DOH! I can't believe I didn't think of it!"
It's a movie rental service....totally self service! You sign up for an account online using a credit card/debit card. Locate a nearby Redbox that has your movie and reserve it. When you get to the location, it's like vending machine/kiosk. Swipe the card you used to reserve the movie and the movie is dispensed. You can return the movie to the location you picked it up at OR at any other RedBox location.
Best part? It's $1.00. If you end up keep it an extra day, it's just another $1.00.
So you can pick up a movie locally, take it on the road and drop it off at your destination.
Very cool.
My folks and siblings have been using RedBox all summer. I'm pretty stoked it's made it's way here. Most of the boxes are located at Wal-Marts or grocery stores. I've heard that they also have them at some McDonald's.
What is Redbox? Well it's one of those ideas that makes you go "DOH! I can't believe I didn't think of it!"
It's a movie rental service....totally self service! You sign up for an account online using a credit card/debit card. Locate a nearby Redbox that has your movie and reserve it. When you get to the location, it's like vending machine/kiosk. Swipe the card you used to reserve the movie and the movie is dispensed. You can return the movie to the location you picked it up at OR at any other RedBox location.
Best part? It's $1.00. If you end up keep it an extra day, it's just another $1.00.
So you can pick up a movie locally, take it on the road and drop it off at your destination.
Very cool.
My folks and siblings have been using RedBox all summer. I'm pretty stoked it's made it's way here. Most of the boxes are located at Wal-Marts or grocery stores. I've heard that they also have them at some McDonald's.
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