Lawbreaker

The other day I got my second ticket for toll evasion in the mail. The funny (well actually I'm not really laughing anymore) thing about it is that it's the second time that I didn't drive through a toll plaza without paying a toll. Back in June I got a ticket for crossing the Dumbarton at noon on a Tuesday and not paying the toll in my Subaru. This doesn't make a whole lot of sense considering that I drive a Mazda, and I generally find myself working in Santa Clara at noon on Tuesdays. I had to write in to dispute the charge, and it was dropped a month later. Now the same thing has happened again. Apparently I just can't stop myself from driving my Subaru across the Dumbarton without paying the $3. I don't know if the people who actually drive the Subaru have altered their license plates, or if one letter is an F rather than an E and the toll people can't interpret it, but I sure wish the Subaru driver would stop evading tolls. This is getting ridiculous!

Fashion Statement

A male speed-dater wears:

A blue and white floral print, collared shirt. From all angles (mostly the pattern) it appears to be a woman's blouse. Over the top of the blue and white floral print shirt, a green and blue striped rugby shirt.

Yes, I'm sure he was picking up numbers in twos!

2,000 Calories To China

You've probably all heard this before, but it still amazes me a little bit. A conversation on the escalator in Nordstroms between two 15-ish year-old teen ladies. A parental-type woman, who I would assume was the mother of one or both of them was also present. They were both about size 0.

Teen 1: I really just don't want Chinese food.
Teen 2: Yeah, me neither.
Teen 1: I mean, one plate of food is pretty much 2,000 calories.
Teen 2: Yeah, I don't want that.
Teen 1: Well, you're fine, you really don't have to worry about that.
Teen 2: Oh, you don't either.
Teen 1: Yeah, let's not get Chinese.

Some People Call Me Maurice

I won a prize at our Staff Recognition Event recently. The announcer pronounced my name "Maurice." It was fun. Later another woman who had attended the dinner asked me how I knew it was me; I thought that was sort of funny, since I'm pretty used to many variations of my name by now.
Once I went home for Christmas, and I chanced to see a friend of a friend at this brewery gift shop. She was working there as a tour guide. We'll call her "M." Anyway, it was a really awkward situation. You see, apparently, M had decided her name was commonplace or something, and she was using my name. So in the middle of the tour, she notices that I'm there, and mentions it to the crowd that I am the "original Maryse" who inspired the name she was using. Now that I consider it further, I think she said something about working with another woman who had her name, so she decided to change hers to avoid confusion. It sure was weird when I noticed her nametag, and then when she noticed I was there. We made awkward conversation after the tour was over. I'm guessing she didn't really count on me showing up there ever, which is odd because it's a small town, and it seems like everyone is always running into everyone. Anyway, it's not like I mind someone else having my name; it's just weird when you know someone's name to be "M," but then they are using "Maris" instead.

Quote Of The...(2)

A question in reference to me dealing with cash in my job:

"So you never just slip one in your pocket or anything?"

Service With A Smile...And Some Homework?!?!

If you ever visited any place at all where someone has had to provide you with a service, you may have had the issue where the customer service agent isn't particularly focused on the service. Perhaps your grocery store clerk was more interested in a conversation with the checker next to her. Possibly you went to check in for a doctor's appointment, and the front office manager was a little preoccupied with the latest issue of People. I recently experienced similar great service. When I arrived at the customer service counter to conduct a few financial transactions, the representative was obviously busy doing some homework on the computer. Now, I don't have a problem with that at all. If you have some downtime at work, and need to accomplish some extra homework or studying--great, more power to you, use your time as well as you can. But, it's pretty bizarre when you don't actually quit the homework to do your job. In this instance, the rep began to help me with a transaction, and then stopped in the middle of it to add a few lines to her homework project. As our exchange continued, she paused several times in the process to continue the homework. I thought it was quite strange, and I wondered why she really thought it was appropriate. Maybe my customer service laws are too inflexible, and I just need to lower my standards.

Ugly Bird?

B relayed this little tidbit from Family Feud to me. One contestant, when asked to name an ugly bird, responded with "bald eagle." Yes, the majestic symbol of the US has apparently made the ugly bird list. I was seriously sitting here trying to come up with a worse answer to that question, but I couldn't. Unless maybe I answered an animal that wasn't even a bird. Possibly a lion would be more insane, but I just don't even think so.

Also, I really like this song.
Always Coming Back Home To You by Atmosphere.
It's a little shout-out to the Midwest!
On Wisconsin Baby!