The Joy of the Festuche

Not long ago someone suggested to me that I should turn off the ability to leave anonymous comments. I didn't and I won't and the reason is the anonymous comment I got yesterday that is still making me smile. I won't even make you follow a link. Here it is:

Hi - just wanted to comment about your (three year old) entry about the origin about the word "festuche" - my mother (an IBM employee) used it when talking to me last weekend while I was home visiting, and caused quite a dinner table discussion. We broke out the OED and couldn't find it there, and my little brother booted up the computer and tried dictionary.com. Failing that, he googled the term. Imagine my surprise when the usually somber and sullen 22 year old burst out in hysterical laughter upon finding your story. It was good to hear him laugh, and makes for a great story.

Isn't that the most wonderful comment? Festuche is a gift that just keeps on giving!

In case you need a festuche booster shot, here's the original entry

The Joy of the Festuche

Not long ago someone suggested to me that I should turn off the ability to leave anonymous comments. I didn't and I won't and the reason is the anonymous comment I got yesterday that is still making me smile. I won't even make you follow a link. Here it is:

Hi - just wanted to comment about your (three year old) entry about the origin about the word "festuche" - my mother (an IBM employee) used it when talking to me last weekend while I was home visiting, and caused quite a dinner table discussion. We broke out the OED and couldn't find it there, and my little brother booted up the computer and tried dictionary.com. Failing that, he googled the term. Imagine my surprise when the usually somber and sullen 22 year old burst out in hysterical laughter upon finding your story. It was good to hear him laugh, and makes for a great story.

Isn't that the most wonderful comment? Festuche is a gift that just keeps on giving!

In case you need a festuche booster shot, here's the original entry

I totally heart Target

I got up this morning to find that my client who is whacko on a good day, has totally slipped a nut, gone off the rail, checked out of the OK Hotel, lost her freakin' mind. That took an immediate hour to sort out - responding to a bazillion emails with 'If you'll look again, I believe you'll see that possibly you might have misread...' and other variations on what Mom would have called the church equivalent of WTF?????

Then I did some other stuff and then all of a sudden I realized that I was still in the boxer shorts and barely held together ratty t-shirt that I had slept in. (FYI, for me 'working in jammies' is truly a metaphor. I do get dressed every single day.) And my teeth... ugh. Plus no pills!

So, shower and pills and got dressed and brushed teeth. (I remember when my father quit smoking - after more than 50 years of smoking unfiltered camels. He said that the worst part was that his mouth never tasted horrid any more so he couldn't remember if he had brushed his teeth or not.)

Anyway. I got everything under control, checked to make sure the morning traffic had cleared and set out for Target. We have multiple Targets to chose from. So I picked the one that had another one close by. I got there ahead of most of the back to schoolers. I got the Moms with babies who were out for their pre-morning nap trip. I found one pair of the pants I wanted but about the time I spotted them, a really nice manager looking guy asked if he could help me. When I discovered there was only one pair, I hunted him down and said 'yes, you can actually.'

He allowed as how that was the only pair in that size in the store but said they would probably get more. These pants are too perfect to go on probably. I asked him what he thought the chances were that they would have more at another store. He said 'no need to take chances! See this number on the tag? Customer Service can look up that number and tell you how many are where and even call and have them held for you, if you like.' Say WHAT??

And Customer Service did just that. The second store I had planned on hitting had 1 pair. Another store had 1 pair. BUT there's a really BIG (two story) Target north of town and they had MANY pair. And yes, she'd be delighted to hold them for me.

The two stores are both on interstate highways so even getting from one to another wasn't too bad. And, indeed, the second store had saved them for me. I am so happy.

These pants are really no big deal. Jersey material, wide straight legs, elastic waist with draw string and side seam pockets. Perfect every day pants. They they look nice, are comfortable and are $11 each. I now have them in navy, black, gray and olive and I have backups for when these wear out. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

Then I got home to find out that yet another BIG project is very nearly - really like maybe late this afternoon or tomorrow - ready to start (this is the need someone like Susan Dennis one). Nice.

So far, this is an excellent day here at SusanDennisHQ.

I totally heart Target

I got up this morning to find that my client who is whacko on a good day, has totally slipped a nut, gone off the rail, checked out of the OK Hotel, lost her freakin' mind. That took an immediate hour to sort out - responding to a bazillion emails with 'If you'll look again, I believe you'll see that possibly you might have misread...' and other variations on what Mom would have called the church equivalent of WTF?????

Then I did some other stuff and then all of a sudden I realized that I was still in the boxer shorts and barely held together ratty t-shirt that I had slept in. (FYI, for me 'working in jammies' is truly a metaphor. I do get dressed every single day.) And my teeth... ugh. Plus no pills!

So, shower and pills and got dressed and brushed teeth. (I remember when my father quit smoking - after more than 50 years of smoking unfiltered camels. He said that the worst part was that his mouth never tasted horrid any more so he couldn't remember if he had brushed his teeth or not.)

Anyway. I got everything under control, checked to make sure the morning traffic had cleared and set out for Target. We have multiple Targets to chose from. So I picked the one that had another one close by. I got there ahead of most of the back to schoolers. I got the Moms with babies who were out for their pre-morning nap trip. I found one pair of the pants I wanted but about the time I spotted them, a really nice manager looking guy asked if he could help me. When I discovered there was only one pair, I hunted him down and said 'yes, you can actually.'

He allowed as how that was the only pair in that size in the store but said they would probably get more. These pants are too perfect to go on probably. I asked him what he thought the chances were that they would have more at another store. He said 'no need to take chances! See this number on the tag? Customer Service can look up that number and tell you how many are where and even call and have them held for you, if you like.' Say WHAT??

And Customer Service did just that. The second store I had planned on hitting had 1 pair. Another store had 1 pair. BUT there's a really BIG (two story) Target north of town and they had MANY pair. And yes, she'd be delighted to hold them for me.

The two stores are both on interstate highways so even getting from one to another wasn't too bad. And, indeed, the second store had saved them for me. I am so happy.

These pants are really no big deal. Jersey material, wide straight legs, elastic waist with draw string and side seam pockets. Perfect every day pants. They they look nice, are comfortable and are $11 each. I now have them in navy, black, gray and olive and I have backups for when these wear out. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

Then I got home to find out that yet another BIG project is very nearly - really like maybe late this afternoon or tomorrow - ready to start (this is the need someone like Susan Dennis one). Nice.

So far, this is an excellent day here at SusanDennisHQ.

Giving Money Away

I do not give a lot of money away, but I try to share. I do it because I have been incredibly lucky and incredibly blessed and I know others haven't so it seems fair to help out now and again.

But, I am now rethinking my process. I'm sick and tired of a mailbox full of invitations to charity events that I have zero, none, no interest in. I'm sick of letters begging for more more. I'm sick of brochures and phone calls. I feel like I am being penalized for giving in the first place.

Last year I donated $600 worth of software to a school for homeless kids. That has triggered an avalanche of begging. I gave $1,000 to an ADS hospice and that has gotten me invited to every function in town and a ton of junk mail. A couple of years ago I gave $1200 to an outfit called Dress for Success which outfits women looking for work and helps them with job interviews and stuff. Those people became stalkers. I quit giving money to public radio and TV ages ago because I couldn't stand their all out assaults multiple times a year.

There are three giving situations which do not trigger torture.

1. The closest Goodwill is less than a mile from here. Their hours are very generous. You drive up, give them the stuff they thank you and hand you a receipt and you never ever ever hear from them until the next time you drive up.
2. We have a newspaper here put out and sold by homeless people. They sell it quietly and nicely on the street. It costs a dollar. I generally always buy a copy when I see someone selling it and I usually pay them $5.00 for the copy.
3. My wonderful teddy bear recipients (a crisis shelter for women and children). All I ever get from them are wonderful thank you notes and generous tax receipts.

I'd like to be able to give to a wide variety of different kinds of places that clearly need the cash. I'm not even all that wedded to the tax write off. And I do truly understand that they must have fund raising machines to stay in business so it's really a mobious strip, a vicious cycle. And it pisses me off. I just went down to get my mail and had 9... NINE... different pieces of mail asking me for money. It's a waste of money and it's aggravating.

Giving Money Away

I do not give a lot of money away, but I try to share. I do it because I have been incredibly lucky and incredibly blessed and I know others haven't so it seems fair to help out now and again.

But, I am now rethinking my process. I'm sick and tired of a mailbox full of invitations to charity events that I have zero, none, no interest in. I'm sick of letters begging for more more. I'm sick of brochures and phone calls. I feel like I am being penalized for giving in the first place.

Last year I donated $600 worth of software to a school for homeless kids. That has triggered an avalanche of begging. I gave $1,000 to an ADS hospice and that has gotten me invited to every function in town and a ton of junk mail. A couple of years ago I gave $1200 to an outfit called Dress for Success which outfits women looking for work and helps them with job interviews and stuff. Those people became stalkers. I quit giving money to public radio and TV ages ago because I couldn't stand their all out assaults multiple times a year.

There are three giving situations which do not trigger torture.

1. The closest Goodwill is less than a mile from here. Their hours are very generous. You drive up, give them the stuff they thank you and hand you a receipt and you never ever ever hear from them until the next time you drive up.
2. We have a newspaper here put out and sold by homeless people. They sell it quietly and nicely on the street. It costs a dollar. I generally always buy a copy when I see someone selling it and I usually pay them $5.00 for the copy.
3. My wonderful teddy bear recipients (a crisis shelter for women and children). All I ever get from them are wonderful thank you notes and generous tax receipts.

I'd like to be able to give to a wide variety of different kinds of places that clearly need the cash. I'm not even all that wedded to the tax write off. And I do truly understand that they must have fund raising machines to stay in business so it's really a mobious strip, a vicious cycle. And it pisses me off. I just went down to get my mail and had 9... NINE... different pieces of mail asking me for money. It's a waste of money and it's aggravating.

Not baseball fans...

But, fortunately, I am the only one of the three of us who can operate the remote control.

Not baseball fans...

But, fortunately, I am the only one of the three of us who can operate the remote control.