Patch A Chip

Several years ago I had a small chip on my car windshield.  I repaired it with a do-it-yourself kit from the car parts store.  The job was easy to do, but a bit of a hassle.  That windshield bit the dust, and the current windshield has been in place for three years.  Two weeks ago I noticed a chip on the passenger side with cracks radiating out from the center.  From one edge to the other it was about two inches long.  I thought that would be too big to repair, so I called my insurance company about having the windshield replaced again.

The insurance company uses a "preferred" provider for auto glass, so I got transferred to that office.  Much to my surprise they told me I could have the chip repaired, and set an appointment for this afternoon.  At 2:00 the doorbell rang and the technician introduced herself.  I showed her the windshield imperfection, and she verified she could indeed take care of it.  It would take her about 30 minutes to do the job.

It actually took closer to 20 minutes.  She cleaned the windshield, then injected resin into the chip and set an ultra-violet light on top of the area to cure the resin.  While it was curing she cleaned the exterior of the rest of the windows and vacuumed the front seat carpet of the car (which was a nice touch).   Before I knew it she was knocking at the door again with my paperwork.  Unlike my do-it-yourself job this one has a warranty.  She showed me her work and I was amazed.  All that was left of the chip was two pinhead sized dots.  The rest had disappeared.

The best part?  My insurance company waived the deductible because I had the windshield repaired instead of replaced.

Five years ago today: Jammies

Remodeling Season

It's remodeling season at the mall.

All summer they've been working on patching and replacing the sidewalks.  A crew has been on the roof doing something with the air conditioners.  For a couple of weeks different areas of the parking lots and garage have been roped off with yellow tape every day, and I had to be observant so I could  zig and zag around them.

There are changes going on inside, too.  One store is being remodeled.  Another is being rebranded with a new concept by the same corporate owner.  Two storefronts are being built out for new stores, and the management office has announced there are more changes to come.  (They didn't come out and say it, but I suspect everything will be done before the holiday shopping season--the main event for retailers--begins.)

All these changes have led to some grumpy customers who don't like change and expect 'their' store to be there.  They come to the Customer Service desk to vent; we have a list of alternate places they can find what they're looking for so we can send them in the right direction.  There's never a dull day at the mall!

Five years ago today: Birds of Prey

A Song For A Wednesday

Marvin Gaye's Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler), from the 1971 album, What's Going On.

A Sad State Of Affairs

Ferguson, Missouri (a suburb of the St. Louis area) is making the national news. But not in a good way.  On Saturday Michael Brown, an African-American teenager, was killed in an altercation with the police. Afterwards the officer gave his version of what happened. A friend of Michael Brown contradicted that version. The incident turned into 'he said, she said', and racial tensions began running high.

Last night there was a candlelight vigil that turned violent. Several businesses were looted, and a gas station was burned.

On the way to work today I heard the young man's parents were going to hold a press conference about the matter, but Ferguson isn't particularly close to the mall so I didn't think any more about it. Shortly after I opened the Customer Service desk I got a call from the main office letting me know there'd been rumors on social media that some people were calling for incidents at several places, including this mall. They were aware of it, and had extra Security guards and police officers on the floor.

For a while after I hung up the phone I startled at every strange noise, but after an hour or so I relaxed. There was indeed an extra safety presence, although they looked a little bored.  Over the course of my shift I fielded several calls asking me if the mall was open. (I guess those people had heard the rumors, too).  When my co-worker arrived to relieve me mid-afternoon I passed on everything I'd been told.  We agreed we hoped the sad issue resolves itself soon.

Moonlight Rambling

Every year about this time I hear ads for the Moonlight Ramble, a leisurely nighttime bike ride through the streets of St. Louis.  Every year I think, "I should do that some day".   Now I can say I have; last night Hubby Tony and I participated in the fifty-first version of the ride. 

This year AARP was one of the big Ramble sponsors.  Last month when I was reading through the group's Bulletin I noticed the local office was offering a limited number of free registrations.  I quickly sent off an email to the contact person, and was excited to find out a couple of days later that I'd snagged one.

Last night at 12:05 AM (long after I'm usually in bed) Tony and I were on our bikes at the staging area just south of Busch Stadium  along with thousands of others waiting for our turn to start riding.   Around us was an incredible variety of people, from babies in bicycle trailers to couples on tandem bikes. Families were clustered together, and there were quite a few people in costumes or groups with matching shirts.

When we finally got the OK to start it took several minutes for the bikes in front of us to get out of the way so we could get moving.  For the first couple of blocks things moved slowly, but eventually the crowd spread out.  Despite the fact the organizers emphasized the Ramble is not a race, some bikers felt the need to go fast; they darted in and out of the pack annoyingly, but for the most part the riders were a friendly group that leisurely rode down the blocked-off streets.

There was a  short (9 mile) and a long (19 mile) ride.  We had planned on doing the longer route, but when we got to the turnoff we changed our minds.  Only half the people turned with us, which made the rest of the ride less congested and more pleasant.  It took us about an hour to return to the staging area, where a band was playing.  We got some snacks and a drink, listened to the music for a while, and decided to call it a night.

On the way home we were already talking about what we'd do differently next year.  I guess we've started a new tradition.

Five years ago today: Younger or Older?

Unique Flavors

I try to stay away from potato chips, but today when Hubby Tony, Son Donald, and Son Tony went to the grocery store they brought home several bags of produce and healthy food....and a bag of Lay's Wasabi Ginger chips, one of the four finalists for the 2014 "Do Us a Flavor" promotion.  (The others are Cappuccino, Mango Salsa, and Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese)

The chips were good, but I thought the wasabi was a little too mild.  When Tony left for the evening to visit with some friends I asked him to take the rest of the bag with him. I didn't want to be tempted to eat more.

Pizza, Anyone?

You may remember that last month I signed up to be a secret shopper.  I've now done a half dozen assignments, but the majority of them have been for a chain of pizza parlors that has two locations relatively close to my house.  I must be the only person in my area who can do them because they keep calling me!

One of the locations will deliver.  My house is outside the delivery area for the other so there I order the pizza as a carry out.  My assignment is to get a pizza, rate the quality of the service, and take pictures of the pizza from several vantage points.  I upload the pictures and fill out a short survey, then call it done.

We used to order from this chain when the kids lived at home and we needed to fill three teenage boy stomachs.  The first time I did the assignment we had the pizza for dinner, and I realized my taste buds had changed.  It may be on the inexpensive side, but it's not the best.  Son Donald has friends who like pizza, though, so I tell him when I'm getting one and he figures out whose turn it is for a free meal.

The pay for doing this isn't great, but I figure I'm paying my secret shopper dues and getting experience.  I'm also making several 20-somethings happy, so it's worth it.

Five years ago today: Fine Dining

The Centennial State

Hubby Tony and I just got back from a whirlwind four days in Central Colorado.  While we were there we saw the sights in Denver:

State Capitol building

Capitol Building step--5280 feet

Big Blue Bear statue

Colorado Springs and nearby areas:

Air Force Academy chapel

Pike's Peak Cog Railway

And the Rocky Mountain National Park and surrounding territories:

Continental Divide-more than 2 miles above sea level

Five years ago today: Getting Nailed

The Pastor's Cat

An urban legend...but nevertheless funny:

My friend Dwight recently told a story about the pastor of his church who had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, and tried most everything he could think of to get it to come down, but the kitty would not budge.

The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and pulled it until the tree bent down, he could reach up and get the kitten.  That, then, is just what he did.  He attached one end of a rope to the tree and the other to his car, and then pulled the tree downward, all the while checking his progress in the car. After getting out and trying unsuccessfully to reach the kitten, he decided that if he went just a little bit further with the car, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. 

But as he moved the car a little further forward, the rope broke.  The tree went  'BOING!' and the kitten instantly sailed through the air - completely out of sight!

Needless to say, the pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood hunting for the animal, asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. Nobody had.  So he prayed, "Lord, I commit this kitten to your keeping," and went on about his business.

A few days later he was at the grocery store and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food.  Now this woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?"

She replied, "You won't believe this, Pastor, but..." and then told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat.  She kept refusing.  Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, "Well, if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it."

She told the pastor, "I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you simply won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. All of a sudden this kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its little paws outspread, and landed right in front of her."

Lesson learned... Never underestimate the power of God and His unique sense of humor.

Five years ago today: Must See TV

Money Minder

Many years ago a friend gave me a small combination coin purse/wallet/key case.  It was just big enough to hold a license and a couple of credit cards in the top zipper compartment and some folded up bills in the change section.  I decided it was the perfect size and weight for a travel wallet.  Last time I took a trip, though, I noticed the stitching was starting to pull away at the sides.  It was time to start looking for a replacement.

For months I looked around and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.  Either the wallets were too big, too fancy, or way too expensive.  (I don't travel enough to justify a $40 wallet that I'd only use a couple of times a year.)  One day I was in a shop that was having a sale on Vera Bradley products, and I found what they called a Campus Double ID. It has two ID windows, a coin pocket on the back, and a few credit card slots inside.  I thought it might do for my needs.

The best part?  It was on clearance for only $10.

Five years ago today: Burn, Baby, Burn