Money, Money, Money

I went to two different banks today and actually went inside both instead of using the drive thru. One doesn't have a drive thru and the other I had to go in because I had to order new checks. Both closed at 1 PM. I got to the first bank around 12:45 PM and when I got there, there were four people ahead of me in line and at the tellers. Two tellers were working and various other employees were assisting the tellers, who seemed new and in need of assistance. By the time I was the next person to be helped there were at least four other people behind me and the tellers were getting anxious. One kept screwing up and the other seemed to be over-explaining everything. Finally, it was my turn, and my transaction took about 30 seconds. I left and made it to the second bank a couple minutes before 1 PM. No one was in line there and my transaction was done at 1:03 PM at which time I started looking at the check choices, picked one out and left around 1:10 PM.

Now, what's weird about this mundane task is that throughout all of the fuss at the first bank, none of the tellers got upset or angry. None of the other managers/employees got perturbed. The customers weren't hassled. Overall, service was very good. My teller even said, "have a good day... and weekend!" when I was leaving. At the second bank, I didn't feel hurried in my transaction or when picking out checks even though some banks would have locked their doors a few minutes before 1 PM. While I was picking out checks, I noticed that the drive thru remained open past closing. My teller made a point of saying my name while helping me. When I was leaving they had just locked the doors and the gentleman who was letting people out called me "young lady."

This remarkable bit of customer service must be attributed to the bad economy. If the masses are getting good service, how are they treating the high rollers?

Sam 'n Ella

Yesterday, I made a pot of turkey chili. I put it in the fridge last night, and this morning I got it out to pack up some containers. I was in a hurry, and I forgot to put the pot of the remaining chili back in the fridge. I just got home and discovered it on the stove where it's been all day.

Now, I didn't just open a can and heat the stuff up. I put some time and effort into making it. I really don't want to throw it away. I really don't want to get sick either. Of the two people I talked to since discovering it, one told me to throw it away and the other said it was probably fine.

Because my kitchen is most likely the coldest room in the house and the pot (and the chili) was cold to the touch, I think the chili is safe to eat. As a test, I forced* myself to eat a small bowl tonight and if I get sick tomorrow, I'll throw it out. If I don't, I'll keep it. So far, I feel fine.

*forced because I'm still stuffed from my steak and shrimp dinner

Book of Job

Since I've been doing contract work for a few years now, not knowing whether I'll have a job to go to tomorrow is nothing new. Of the three and a half contracts I've done, one is currently ongoing, one gave me a few weeks notice before ending, one transitioned into another contract (hence the half) and the last one ended suddenly. The common theme for all of them has been that they could end at a moment's notice. The soft hammer was swung today when I was told that the current project would likely come to an end, they think, in all probability, by mid-February. This isn't the first time I've been told the project was ending, but the last warnings they gave were for a month out not just two weeks. I'm guessing it's more eminent, but who knows?

Still, no time like the present to work on one of my New Year's resolutions, which is to get a full-time permanent job. I think I know approximately what I want to do in the next phase of my career, but I'm not sure they're hiring. It's not as if I haven't been looking and applying for jobs while doing these temporary gigs but it's time to step up the search. The first thing I have to do is get my resume in shipshape.

Light and Power

I'm having issues with electricity. The batteries from my PC and digital camera aren't holding a charge for long. The camera ones have been a problem for longer than just recently. The computer just started losing juice. I guess I'll buy a replacement for the camera soon, but I'm not sure I need to buy a new battery for the computer since I almost always plug it in when I'm working on it. Speaking of batteries, I should replace the ones in my smoke detectors since I meant to change them when we got out of Daylight Savings Time.

The other problem is with light bulbs. The main light in my bathroom blew right before Christmas, and I didn't replace it since I don't have any compact fluorescent bulbs. The next to go was the secondary light in my bathroom, which I replaced with a regular joe light bulb immediately. Next came a bulb in my kitchen fixture, followed by one in my living room. Also, one light in my bedroom flickers. The last three are ceiling fan light bulbs that are kind of a pain to replace.

I wonder if all the static electricity in the house is contributing to the blowouts? I know I shock Nigel (or he shocks me) on a regular basis.

Not Sure What I Bought

The two on the left are definitely sweet potatoes, but I'm not so sure about the ones on the right. Maybe they're just potatoes? I'll cook them tomorrow and find out for sure.

My Favorite Year

Happy New Year! Today starts the Year of the Ox. It just so happens that I'm an Ox! Looks like I'm going to have a great year.

Hello Kitty and I celebrated with some Almond Cookies and Green Tea.

Life Less Ordinary

Today was one of those days that you expect to be one way and it turns out another.