Receipt required for return....

That seems to be the new philosophy of stores. No returns without a receipt.

I work next to a major Discount store. Their policy is posted.
Returns within 90 days with Receipt accepted.

I shop there often usually during lunchtime. I'll buy DVD's when I find them on sale. I do not open them until I am going to watch them. This maybe something we shouldn't do -- let them sit there unopened. Monday night, went to open "The Princess Bride Anniversary Edition". I bought this awhile ago - maybe 3 weeks, maybe 3 months. The disc inside was purple but just loaded it in the player. Did not think twice about it. It didn't work. Looking at the disc again, the disc did not have a picture or even a title on it. In fact, all it said was TDK DVD-R. Looked like a disc you can buy to use when burning your own discs. Oh great - I was not positive which store I bought it at. But there was a good chance I did buy it at the store near work. I use their store charge card and get a 10% rebate occasionally. So I do tend to buy my DVD's there when on sale.

I mentioned my dilemma at work and a couple of co-workers were like -- "Good Luck with that! They are a pain to return things to.". Why did they say that? Personal experience -- they did try to return something -- BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE A RECEIPT. No. One person said he just wanted a different size but with no receipt, they did not accommodate.

Still, I figure I am going to try. However, my receipts are here, there, and everywhere. But I figured I'd go looking. Then it dawned on me. the sign in the store says if you don't have your receipt but have the charge card you used, they can find the "receipt" for you.

So at lunch today, I go to the store. I explain I buy DVD's on sale and that I'm 99% sure I bought it at that store but it might be months ago. I show the problem. She takes my store charge card, scans it. She scans the DVD and VOILA - there is the record that I did purchase that DVD at that store. Even exchange - no problem.

Why do people blame the system when they are not following the rules themselves? Look at how easy of a time I had because I went knowing the rules and followed them. Those that do not follow the rules then gripe when they can't get something accomplished. But the rules are there for a reason. It's not to just fill up a sign. They are the rules. How come so many people don't seem to understand that??

Presidential Politics (Sorry, long post.....)

...but it is important.
Since it seems this is all there is in the news lately, I figured I’d jump on the band wagon and express my opinion.

Your vote does not count. Sorry to break the news…. At least in presidential elections, that is.....

I think our fore-fathers would be rolling in their graves if they knew what was going on.
If they understood and knew about our technology today, they would abolish the Electoral College. It was an idea that made sense back in the 1700’s but not now. Not with the information highway and text messaging and websites on our phones.

The Electoral College, my understanding of it, was established in order to determine who was elected president. How could everyone get there vote to the capitol though? The United States was growing. There were no automobiles. No planes, no trains. So what do you do? Can’t have the whole community get in a wagon and ride to cast a vote. So you elect a delegate to go and place your vote for you. Decide how many delegates an area has by the population. The delegate is supposed to then go and place the vote for the candidate the people back home want. This way just the delegates could travel to the capital and there could be one meeting to count the votes and – ta-da – a new president is elected.

Fast forward – The year is 2000.
The national results of the presidential election according to Wikipedia.com –
George W. Bush received 50,456,002 votes by American Citizens.
Al Gore received 50,999,897 votes by the voting public.
So, based on the popular vote, Al Gore should have been sworn in as president.
But because of how the delegates are allocated across the country, George W. Bush was named president (Bush received 271 delegates while Gore received 266). So any body out there that voted for Al Gore, did your vote matter? No. Does that reflect your opinion, your choice? Nope.

Democracy? I don’t think so. My vote did not count in the scheme of things.

Now let’s look at present day.
The democrats are still trying to decide on a nominee. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are fighting it out. Should they be?
According to the individual votes – the popular votes – from the primaries so far, Obama is ahead (see www.realclearpolitics.com or www..usaelectionpolls.com ). What I found is this --

Popular Vote Total for Democratic Primary so far:
Obama == 17,535,458
Clinton == 17,493,836

Oh wait – maybe you heard Hillary say *she* has the lead in the popular vote. Well that is only if exclude the caucus states and just toss the opinion of the residents in these states away. Yes, ignore these states and then Hillary is ahead in the count. (Isn’t it amazing how you can look at numbers, exclude the ones you don’t like and then claim VICTORY!?).

But it goes by delegates. And according to the current delegate count for the states, Obama is ahead.

So how can Clinton believe she can win? Oh, there are now “super delegates” that can vote. They can decide to put Clinton in as the Democratic nominee to face McCain in November. The “super delegates” can claim they believe Clinton would be better for the Democratic Party then Obama.
Hmmmm, what about the popular votes?
The votes you and I cast at the primaries? The votes that are supposed to be used to put the candidate we want, we the American People, want in the election? Does our vote matter? Does it count if these “super delegates” can just basically veto our vote?

It is a shame that I sit here thinking my vote does not count. I do believe it matters in local politics. Yes, my vote is heard and reflected in who wins City Council or Governor in my state. Yes my vote is heard for my state’s senators and my state’s representative in the house.

But as for president, my vote does not matter. I live in RI where we get 4 measly electoral votes. The candidates don’t usually even stop here to campaign. Only 4 votes.

What would George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison and the rest of the “delegates” at the Constitutional convention in 1787 think???

Must Share Overheard Conversation of a 5 year Old

As I try to surf, DH is reading to DD from a Disney story book we borrowed.
The story of the "Aristocats" just mentioned that the butler decided to take the cats to TIMBUKTO.

I hear my 5 year old interrupt Daddy and ask "Where's TIMBUK-1?"


(Be sure to my other blog for today on TAGGING....)

I've been tagged

Okay, a friend "TAGGED" me. That's ok. I don't usually like junk mails and all that stuff but I thought this is a bit different. It's guided me to today's BLOG. Made me stop to think about a few facts in my life.

Here is how TAGGING works --
The rules:
*Post the rules before you give the facts.
*Post eight random facts about yourself.
*At the end of your blog post, you need to tag 3 people and list their names and their BLOG addresses.
*Leave the people you tagged a comment on their blog, letting them know that they've been tagged.

Unfortunately, I only know 2 people with BLOGs and one of them sent this to me. So, unfortunately, I'm going to TAG her right back! :) I hope you like this idea and spread the concept to your friends.

Here are my 8 RANDOM facts:
1) I LOVE CHOCOLATE. (I bet you're surprised)
2) I met my husband thru a personal ad in the newspaper. We had talked for several hours on the phone and then met in person. The spark was so strong.
3) I wish I had not listened to a certain person in my life and instead, followed my dream for the career I really wanted – to be a teacher.
4) I had started a “playing card” collection. Thought it would be neat. But then I had no place to keep the cards. So I thought “what good is this?”.
5) I love making gifts for others (crochet, quilts, etc) but, when it is finished, I have extreme anxiety that they will be overly critical of it and not like it. And I also start to think the gift has little value so I run out at the last minute and buy a nice gift too. (BTW, I have rarely finished any craft that is for myself.)
6) I LOVE the following TV Shows: The Simpsons, Fraiser, Family Guy
7) The hardest thing I have had to do in my adult life was taking my cat of 16 years and having him put down when he became too sick (BTW, this happened on my birthday in 2002 – one month before my daughter was born).
8) I became an aunt at the age of 6 and was punished by my first grade teacher for telling lies in school. Spent the day in the corner.


AND NOW FOR THE TAGGING:

I tag Weebles right back. See her blog at: http://ifionlyknewbetter.blogspot.com/

And I tag Kiki - also known as Kim - whose blog is out in Bingaland.... http://bingaland.blogspot.com/

Best made plans.... are not....

Sometimes going with the flow is better.
I had envisioned a weekend of accomplishing things. Nothing on my list is done.
The long weekend is over. But it was a fun time.

DD didn't even want to go to the parade. She wanted to go to the big playground at the local park. We went for almost 2 hours. Stopped for coffee and donuts and went and ate there. I brought softball paper work to do. But she made some friends, played around in the sun, got great exercise.

We got home and she went on the computer while I finished the softball work and watched "Fraiser" on DVD (how I love that show!!). Then she was willing to watch "The Muppet Show" (another of my favs) but I think it was because she just wanted to share time with me.

We played outside yesterday - catch and a bit of soccer. We played Uno (it's actually "My First Uno with Pooh" - it is only about 50 cards and just a wild card and draw 2 - no draw 4, no skips). We played Uno more today -- and I swear she inherited my mother's ability to play the game!!! I have not mentioned strategy to her at all - but she had saved 3 wild cards for the end of one game to ensure she could just go right out!!

How I wish I had even more time to spend like this with my daughter. She'll only be this age once. The messy house can just wait.

Last night as she went to bed - mind you, her bedroom is not "finished". There are baskets of laundry and buckets of storage stuff on one half. But last nite, as she was going to bed, she said "I love my room". I think she meant she loves the "love" in the house. And that is the only thing that needs not be "messy"! The rest of the mess just doesn't matter.

...and now the weekend is flying by too.

Here we are 1/2 way through the 3 day holiday weekend.
And where is here?
My plan had been to try to be alone in the house for one day and attempt to get a bunch of things accomplished.
But Saturday we had Softball practice then met our good friend for dinner and went around the mall. Got DD new sneakers - size 1 and she is 5 1/2 yrs old. That seems awfully big to me! Took our time, did the kids play area, did the jumpy mat. Got Auntie Anne's cinnamon pretzel sticks.

Sunday, DH slept late - very late -- and by the time he was done shower and all it was 1pm. Too late for him to head with DD to his mothers. In the morning DD and I played a little barbies (I hate playing barbies) and then I talked her into playing Uno (we have "My First Uno" deck - just a draw 2 card and a plain wild. Works great for learning!). I did enjoy that. then we started to watch a movie when DH was finally ready to face the day. I ran out for McD's and we ate outside - on our new table and under our new umbrella. Played a bit of catch with DD and now set up her Soccer/Hockey goal we had bought for Christmas and then forgot to pull it out on Christmas Eve. I just left them outside. I am so NOT a sun person. I had enough sun now. So in I came.

I know DH wants her to be more active but I can't stay out in the sun like that.

And for Monday's holiday - there's a parade not to far, and we missed the St. Patrick's Day one so I think we should go - but then that will shoot my idea of a day alone right out the window.

I wish I had more energy. I wish I didn't feel lost sometimes in depression. I wish I had more hours where I could be home doing things.

Where did the week go?

Time really does fly by. How does it do that?
How can it be Saturday already?

Today, we had a practice for softball. Another team was practicing too so we got together for a scrimmage. It was fun. But at first, I could feel my anxiety going right up -- why? Because I didn't have my Clipboard. I did not have a batting order list. I did not have a plan for who could play where in the field. I had to wing it. And wing it scares me. Why? I'm worried about being critiqued. Being judged - especially badly/poorly. If i spend an hour with my paper work and try the hardest I can and then someone questions it, I can say, "Hey, i go over this stuff and over it again. I'm trying to be fair all around and get everyone in every position. If you think you can do better, you do it." But today, I was winging it. I had spent no time preparing. Ok - I made it through. I got the the girls in different positions on the field. I remembered the batting order I made up. I had to let go the anxiety. I did it. It just was not easy to do.