NO! I WON’T ANSWER YOUR SURVEY

How many times a day does someone call you to participate in a survey? If it’s an unknown number, you’re smart enough not to pick up the phone. But often, it’s a familiar name—possibly a doctor’s office or some medical group. When you see that on your caller ID, you feel a little nervous. Did they find something wrong with your blood work? But when you pick up, there’s a recorded message that they would like you to spend time answering their survey questions. Bummer! They’ve not only interrupted my dinner hour, they’ve resorted to scare tactics to make me answer the phone. The moment I hear that message, I end the call. No! I won’t answer your survey.

We have gone to the same primary care physician for years. It’s ridiculous for some hospital marketer to call and ask what we think of him, and whether we were satisfied with the last visit. What a waste of our time. Yes, there have been times when we were treated by one of his colleagues, and weren’t exactly thrilled with his/her listening skills. But doctors are human beings, remember. If they’re seeing a patient they don’t know well, they might not ask the right questions or come up with answers we like to hear. We absolutely would not give that doctor a poor rating just because of some isolated incident.

And if we’ve had our first visit with a new health care practitioner, we aren’t going to know right away whether they helped us or not. Sciatica isn’t cured in a day. It’s way too soon to evaluate any therapist after the first or even second session.

Other places now follow up every service they perform with a survey. Are you satisfied with your oil change? Your furnace check? How are you supposed to know if you’re satisfied until you’re sure things are running smoothly.

Have any of these marketing experts heard that it’s rude to violate boundaries? Butting into quiet family time.? Calling someone during the news hour with a recorded message? . Most people hate annoying surveys and aren’t comfortable making negative comments that could backfire on them. . No! I won’t take part in your survey, so please stop calling.

October 11, 2021October 11, 2021

BEWARE! SNOBBY STORES COST MORE.

Most urban areas have at least one upscale market. This is where you can buy fancy cheeses, luscious pastries, exotic coffee and fresh seafood. Of course, you have to pay more, but it seems worth it. The ambiance outclasses any big box supermarket. As you walk in the door, you can smell roses, and you don’t have to rub shoulders with poorly dressed people who drive rusty old trucks. But if you shop for ordinary grocery items like hand soap, tv dinners, or even lettuce, you may pay twice as much as you would at supermarkets like Kroger’s or Walmart. Beware! Snobby stores cost more.

Sometimes, if you’re in a hurry, you really don’t care. Last month, I paid $8.00 for a bottle of hand soap. This week, as I stopped at the dollar store on the way home from town, I saw the exact same product for $3.50. Only one problem, if you’re bothered by that sort of thing: the place smelled of disinfectant–not fresh roses. . And the customers weren’t wearing designer clothes. Some were outside taking a smoke break. A few were walking home, carrying bags across the railroad tracks. All in all, not a place to mingle with the upper classes. Or be seen.

There are those who wouldn’t be caught dead in a dollar store, and will shop only at upscale markets. They enjoy seeing friends and acquaintances from their clubs , charities, and cultural pursuits. Apparently , they have so much disposable income that they don’t check the prices, or even care. It’s where the elite meet and greet.

But there are some of us who don’t like feeling ripped off. With inflation running at an all time high, I will only pay so much for atmosphere. There are many bargains at the dollar store: vitamins, readers, household cleaners, paper goods, canned vegetables, and even greeting cards. Why pay $6.00 for a birthday card, when you can get a very nice one for a dollar?

Beware! snobby stores cost more.

October 8, 2021October 8, 2021

WE MAY NEED A THIRD PARTY CANDIDATE

For the past two presidential elections, most American’s voted against one candidate–not for. Even Trump was surprised when he beat Hilary Clinton in the 2016 election. But the fact is, lots of people didn’t like her at all, for various reasons. Misogyny, mainly. But others disliked her defense of her husband’s affairs, and the way she threw the women he targeted under the bus. And there was Benghazi, when our American ambassador was left hung out to dry while she was Secretary of State. And then came election 2020. By then, Trump had made so many ridiculous gaffes and mistakes with the Covid-19 pandemic, that people were willing to vote for anyone who opposed him. Hence, we elected a 42 year political hack who never had what it took to run for president—until now. Seems the Democrats and Republicans are so mired in their own party politics that they can’t come up with a truly appealing candidate. Makes you wonder. We may need a third party candidate.

We may need a third party for America to come to its senses. — We may need a third party candidate, since Democrats and Republicans can’t come up with an appealing one..

I’m an independent voter which has it’s disadvantages, because you can’t vote in the primaries. But I’ll be darned if I will go all out for any politician I don’t think would do a good job, just because I want to be part of a crowd. In the days before internet dating sites, young people used to join politically active organizations as a way to meet members of the opposite sex. Remember, those were the days when you were supposed to be a joiner if you were looking to find a spouse, Churches and political parties were fertile mating grounds.

The majority of young people I know vote Democratic. They love causes, and joining protest groups. Give them something to march about , and they’ll be there in rain, sleet and snow. Most older people are fairly quiet about their opinions, which more often than not are conservative. Middle age conservatives are a bit more vocal—driving around town with American flags and signs that say f*** Biden. But the truth is, neither party has produced a truly dynamic, appealing candidate for the past two elections.

I don’t know how anyone could support either party’s platform 100%. Do we really believe that all Republicans oppose abortion rights, and all Democrats want open borders? I don’t think so.

It may be time for a third party. Call it Common Sense, or whatever you like, but let it be centrist. And please, come up with an intelligent inspiring, candidate

October 6, 2021October 6, 2021

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS ARE HEROES

Many school days have been cancelled throughout the nation this past week. But it’s not directly due to the Covid-19 outbreak. It’s because there’s a shortage of school bus drivers. The truth is, they’ve never had the respect they deserve. No sure why that is. But it’s time we recognize the fact that it’s a very difficult occupation. School bus drivers are heroes.

Most of us try to avoid getting stuck in traffic behind a school bus. It’s annoying having to stop every time they do, and wait while the kids disembark. My children walked to school (in the good old days when it wasn’t considered child neglect, so I had never met a school bus driver until recently. And now, I have a new respect for the brave souls who assume such awesome responsibility. Hooray for School Bus Drivers.

School bus drivers are heroes. It's an occupation carrying great responsibility. — School bus drivers are heroes. They often drive in bad weather conditions, and they’re responsible for many children.

My school bus driver is someone I met while doing water aerobics. First, I must describe her appearance because she’s straight out of central casting. A bit plump, bright blue eyes, rosy cheeks, short blond hair, and a a warm smile. She loves to chat with everyone, regardless of their color or social status.

That morning, it was extremely cold outside, and I asked her how she felt about driving on icy roads. She replied, ‘I just go very very slow.” She added that a bus is extremely heavy, and doesn’t perform too well on ice. ” It simply rolls, pretty much out of control, and you just have to hang on and hope it doesn’t end up in a ditch.” That’s when I realized what a tremendous responsibility these people have. I think that the first time my school bus rolled off the road, I would turn in my badge.

In the locker room, we continued our conversation about her job. She takes it very seriously. “I’m the first person they see in the morning on their way to school, and the last person they see before they get home,” she said. “So I always greet them with a smile, and tell them goodbye as they leave.”

She paused a minute, and looked off into the distance. “I really love my kids,” she said. “And I’ll bet they love you,” I replied. She looked pensive for a moment. “Yes,” she said. “they do.” Knowing this lady, I’m sure she is loved by all the kids, even the unruly ones. She’s a strong woman, who probably has to intervene in many fights and endures a bit of back talk from time to time. And yet, she loves her job.

Now, when I see a school bus, I imagine it’s my friend behind the wheel, and I no longer feel annoyed when I see the brake lights and the stop sign goes out. It won’t be long until we have the first snow in much of the United States, with treacherous driving conditions. I’ll be thinking about all these unsung heroes and wishing them Godspeed.

Yes, school bus drivers are heroes.

October 4, 2021October 4, 2021

RAINY DAY BEEF STEW FOR TWO

Rainy days and gray skies signal that my favorite time of year is coming. Finally, that miserable summer heat and humidity are coming to an end. Soon, we’ll have a hard frost, which will kill the ragweed pollen. When my nose stops dripping and the air is crisp and cold, I’ll feel a burst of energy—but not yet. This morning, we woke up to fog, and the rain has never really let up. Grocery shopping was out, and due to so much covid-19 in our city, I didn’t want to stand in line for take-out. A perfect time to make Rainy Day Beef Stew for two.

My freezer has individual packs of beef stew meat, purchased when it’s on sale and stored for use on a rainy day. The veggie bin had carrots that were a bit old and needed scraping, but they were still good. And there was a quarter head of cabbage left from last week. Potatoes are a staple, as well as cans of beef consommé on my cupboard shelf. And I always have some kind of pasta on hand..

With nothing to do but some laundry, I put the beef and consommé on to simmer while I opened a new book to read. The beef smelled delicious. Later on, I added the other ingredients and when everything was warm, I kept it on low heat until time for dinner. Paired it with a fruit salad and some biscuits .

It’s supposed to rain again tomorrow. But there’s no leftover stew, so I’ll have to scavage through the cupboards and come up with something else.

Rainy Day Beef Stew for Two

INGREDIENTS

¾ pound beef stew meat

1 can Campbells beef consommé

Three carrots, scraped and cut in chunks

1 large or two small potatoes, peeled and cubed

¼ head cabbage, cut in ribbons (optional)

¼ cup orzo or other small pasta

DIRECTIONS:

Dredge beef cubes in flour, then saute in small amount of olive oil until slightly brown. Add the beef consommé, and another can or two of water. Simmer for two hours. ( You may need to add more water if it starts to boil down.) Add carrots, cabbage , potatoes and pasta the last half hour. When the veggies and beef cubes are tender, it’s time to serve in large bowls.

If you like a thinner stew, you can add some water until it’s the consistency that you like. Be sure and stir a few times so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Don’t you love rainy days?

October 1, 2021October 1, 2021

FANNIE MAY IS FADING AWAY

Remember when your city had a Fannie May store? Ours was on a corner right in the center of town. I think my sister worked there for awhile. They gave away samples. Who could resist buying a pound of Mint Meltaways or Chocolate Truffles. The perfect gift for every occasion. Even after my children left home and spread out across the country, they loved receiving a box of their favorite chocolates in the mail. The candy was a bit more expensive than drugstore chocolates, but well worth it. Sadly, it’s one of life’s simple pleasures that’s coming to an end. Fannie May is fading away.

For decades, I sent loved ones Fannie May Candy for every birthday, Christmas and Easter. Some had favorites, like Pixies. Others didn’t care, as long as it was from Fannie May. It was something a little special that I enjoyed doing.

Most of the retail stores closed several years ago., although there are still a few in Illinois and Indiana. For awhile, you could scout around for a Fannie May kiosk in some malls. They didn’t ship, but for $22, you could buy a pound that fit into a post office sleeve, and mail it to anywhere in the USA for $5. When they closed those stores, you could still order directly by calling Fannie May. I think they had free shipping. And then that stopped. You couldn’t order online at all. Now, Fannie May has changed their policy once again and you can order online, but shipping and handling costs are $23.95! No savings there.

Last week, I decided to order candy for a relative recovering from surgery. Much to my surprise, Fannie May Chocolates now sell for $49.95 a pound on Amazon. That 100% inflation. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Federal Reserve Chairmen Jerome Powell say our inflation rate is 5%. Don’t believe them.

.No wonder Fannie May is fading away. There’s a limit to how much the average person will pay for a box of chocolates.