My Nephews

Nephews
Originally uploaded by Jenn W.

Just *try* to tell me that these two boys aren't the cutest guys around.

:)

Watching the traffic

Watching the traffic
Originally uploaded by Jenn W.

I hung out on the front deck last night for a while, enjoying the brisk air, and watching cars roll right through the stop sign on my corner.

Sunbathing

Sunbathing
Originally uploaded by Jenn W.

What a glorious day.

I let the dog out at 7:30 this morning, and it was so beautiful out, I knew right then I'd be spending the day outdoors. I'd rather have gone for a hike or something, but instead I did yard work all day. We're going to be re-landscaping this spring, so I had to clean up all the crap left by the old owners (think piles of leaves that are shoulder high on my dog, and sprinklers and shovels and other assorted crap that's been buried under the snow), and move all the rocks from the front garden. I raked for three damn hours, solid. Heavy, wet leaves. My shoulders are killing me, but I feel great. It was so good to be out in the cold, fresh air, working in OUR yard. I so love being a homeowner.

Now, I'm doing my usual round of Sunday night chores, getting laundry done and packing lunches and whatnot, and then it will be time for Grey's Anatomy.

Hope y'all had a good weekend, too.

My nephew

Liam
Originally uploaded by Jenn W.

How *cute* is this child, eh?

Appliance meltdown

I broke our dishwasher last night.

I was loading it up, and heard an odd clunk when I put something in the top rack, and then the rack seemed uneven. I looked inside, but couldn't see if it had come off the rails.

I pulled out the bottom rack, tossed the dinner dishes in, pushed the rack in, and closed the door.

*CLUNK*

*PING*

I backed away.

Then the dishwasher creaked, the door slowly opened and the top rack came rolling out. Then the bottom rack. And then a screw fell off from somewhere. One more big THUNK and the damn thing tilted in it's little cubbyhole.

Mike was downstairs painting, and wasn't witness to the meltdown, so I emptied the whole dishwasher, closed and locked the dishwasher door, and went to get him.

He came up and took a look. It had come off one of it's supports underneath, so he just had to reset it and rescrew the bolts back in at the top.

*WHEW* Quick fix, thank goodness.

I was a little worried there for a minute I'd be subject to slave labour until it was fixed.

We are junkies.

Drive Thru
Originally uploaded by Jenn W.

I knew we were Tim Horton junkies, we Canadians, but I hadn't realized just how addicted we were.

Here are some stats about my favourite little coffee shop:

There is about one "Timmies'' for every 11,500 Canadians. That's more than double McDonald's ratio of one restaurant for every 21,700 Americans.

There are about as many Tim Hortons per Canadian as there are McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's combined per American, says Peter Oakes, a New York-based analyst with Piper Jaffray & Co.

Since it was bought by Wendy's International Inc. in 1995, Tim Hortons Canada has grown from 1,180 outlets to 2,597.
The coffee and food operator, whose IPO this week values the company at about $4 billion, has suggested it can expand by another 40 per cent, reaching one Tim Hortons for every 8,000 Canadians.

There are 288 Tim Hortons south of the border, up from 17 in 1995. The company hopes to have 500 by the end of 2008. Buffalo is the most successful U.S. market so far, according to the company, with 48 outlets at the end of 2005.

In 1996, it introduced bagels, and now sells four of every five fast-food bagels in Canada. It boasts of "turbo toasters'' which toast a bagel in less than 20 seconds.

(Information taken from the March 21, 2006 issue of The Record.)

Restful

Theo
Originally uploaded by Jenn W.

Today was a Very Good Day.

That is all.

Twisti-cat

Twisti-cat
Originally uploaded by Jenn W.

*Yaaaawwwwnnnn*

Heading to the office

Heading to the office
Originally uploaded by Jenn W.

This is across the street from my office. Quite often on my way into work, I pull into the lot beside this field and watch the sun come up for a few minutes. Makes a good start to the day.

We Have Squatters

Now, anyone who knows me knows I love rats, but any wild rats on my property have to find new homes. (Or any other wild animal, for that matter.) I've made arrangements with a wildlife rescue lady who is willing to come and get them once they are trapped. There is a trap there, not set yet, but I want them to get used to seeing it.

We've seen two out playing in the front yard. Frolicking among the leaves and rocks, and generally being totally adorable. Then one day we only saw one out, and shortly thereafter our neighbour told us that the hawk who lives in our area made a meal of something off our driveway one day, and he thought it might have been one of the rats.

I guess we'll see if the other one turns up.

I leave cat food out for them, and they come out on nice sunny afternoons and have a snack on my porch.

They really are cute, but I own a terrier.

'Nuff said.

Sunning.

Theo, again on the back of the couch
Originally uploaded by Jenn W.

Theo is quite enjoying the sun, and spent most of this glorious weekend in that same spot on the back of the couch.

I used to LOVE the rain.

I'm here. Yeah, it's been quiet. Not in my life, mind you. Just here.

It's been a bit of a stressful week, for a number of reasons, none of which I can go in to here. You know, public forum and all that.

And today, to top it all off, there's water in the basement again. Not nearly as much as in the past, though, thank the gods, but enough that I am really, *really* starting to hate the rain.


And that makes me sad.

My new favourite TV show theme song.

Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of tickytacky
Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same
There's a green one and a pink one and a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses all went to the university
Where they were put in boxes and they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and there's lawyers, and business executives
And they're all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course and drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children and the children go to school
And the children go to summer camp and then to the university
Where they are put in boxes and they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business and marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.

Malvina Reynolds

Going in for the kill

Going in for the kill
Originally uploaded by Jenn W.

Yesterday was a long read. Today, you get just a picture. (But you do need to click on it to enlarge it. They always look better bigger.)

Customer Circus

Yes, this is long, but it's a perfect example of the rampant stupidity you find in service these days. Common sense is NOT common.

* * * * *

We had a client in the office yesterday, doing a short presentation for some staff. It was being arranged between our client and one of our branch offices, but I somehow ended up being the contact for the client. He asked Monday if I wouldn't mind ordering pizza for everyone for lunch. No problem, none at all, I told him.

Wrong. It took me about an hour yesterday to deal with the pizza issue. I was dealing with a local chain, because I knew they had a special on Tuesdays. I won't mention any names here.

Anyway, I called them Monday night, to see if they'd prefer to get the order early, or would Tuesday morning be fine. (I was being considerate. I know that six pizzas right at noon can be a big order.) I was told 'no problem, call in the morning, they'll be able to help you'.

This was my conversation with Pizza Girl (at 10 am yesterday morning):

(exchange of usual phone pleasantries, of which PG had none)
Me: I'd like to order six large pizzas to be delivered to my office at noon.
PG: Noon today?
Me: Yes, noon today. I called last night and was told it would be no problem to order them this morning to be delivered at lunch.
PG: oh. (loooong pause). Ok.

(here I wait and let her figure out if her brain still works)

PG: Ok, well, what kind of pizzas would you like?
(I give her the details on the six orders, confirming that they have a Tuesday 2 for 1 special.)
(She then confirms all the details regarding the pizzas and the promotional special, along with my company name and number and directions, etc.)

then I hear a looooong pause. (It is now 10:15)

PG: Ummm. I think I may have just cleared this whole order.
Me: Uh, what?
PG: I might have just cleared this whole order. I don't know this computer too well.
Me: Well then, why don't you write this order down, figure out your computer, and when you have a total for me, call me back so I can give you the credit card information.
PG: Oh, I can give you the total. (How she can do this when the whole order is cleared is beyond me, but whatever.)
Me: Ok, whatever, give me the total.
PG: $76.41
Me: For six pizzas, three of which are free?
PG: Oh, no, that's the regular price.
Me: Well, I'm not PAYING the regular price, AM I?? I'm paying the 2 for 1 price, right? So THAT is the total I would like you to give me.

(At this point, I am at my desk holding my head. If this wasn't one of my most favourite clients in the world, I would have said screw it, and bought them donuts or something.)

PG tells me she will figure out her computer stuff and call me back with the proper total. I asked her if maybe she wanted to know my NAME so she would know WHO to call back!
PG: Oh, uh, yes, I guess.

At 10:50, PG calls me back.

She gives me my total, re-confirms everything, and asks for the credit card information. She even reads the credit card numbers back to me. Two points for her.

An hour later, the delivery guy shows up. I take the pizzas, and he asks for cash. I say "it was on a credit card" and he shows me the receipt that says 'cash'. I call PG, while the driver is standing right beside me, and I ask her exactly what she did with the credit card numbers that I gave her just an hour ago??

PG: Oh, yes, you gave me numbers, didn't you. Hrm. Sorry. Tell the driver to come back, we'll give him a new receipt, and he'll have to bring it back to you for signing.

Me: *grumble* (At this point, I am beyond frustrated, and will probably cry if I have to deal with her ever again.)