The Adventures of Being Me

I just met 1 of Iowa's senators who work in Washington. Senator Harkin rented a car from my coworker and my coworker thought he was the governor. I corrected him. I was in the middle of a yawn when I noticed him grabbing his bags and didn't think to ask for his autograph or stand for a picture on my cell phone. Oh well. Post later. Bye!

What the hell is this, Yell at the Sales Clerk Day? OK, nobody actually shouted, just angry with me for following the company's rules. One said to me, "You don't care, you just want your money?" and "How would you feel being mistreated. You wouldn't like it would you." Whatever. If he is trying to pick a fight with me, he picked the wrong person to screw with. Threaten me all you want how you won't rent from us again when it was your coworker who rented the car with her club discount. If she has rented lots of cars as you say, then she should know the rules by now. As I often say when reciting stories to people, Take your bull shit someplace else cause it ain't working over here. As for the angry customer who threatened to take a college contract away from us because he didn't like his rate, all I can say is negotiate a better rate next time and good luck finding a company that treats you better. I fratenize with the compeition so I know we a...

What shall we call this 10th planet that has been discovered? Whatever the name, it must go with My Very Educated Mother Just Sold Us Nine Pizzas sentence that helps school children recall the order of the planets from the sun. Here are a few suggestions. Following the Greek and Roman Mythology tradition the other planets and moons have, except for Uranus moons named after Alexander Pope and William Shakespeare story characters. 1. Leander, lover of Hero who drowned in the sea during a storm when Hero's light could not be seen. 2. Cassandra who received the gift of phophecy from Apollo, but when rejected his love he cursed her phophecies so no one would believe her when the Trojan Horse entered the city of Troy. 3. Penelope who married Ulysses and waited 20 years for his return. Not believing he was lost at sea she wove a cloth during the day and unraveled it a night so she would not complete it. 4. Persephone who was kidnapped by Hades (Pluto) and became goddess of the underworld ...

Pardon my language, in the entry name. A customer made a complaint how someone parked their personal car in her spot where she picked up her car rental and proceeded to tell me which spot it was in. She parked next to it. I knew it was my car. We parked our cars in the return lots because they are closer than the employee parking lot a mile away. Anyway when she said next to it, I naturally assumed she meant the parking space next to it. No, the stupid bitch (pardon the b-word) parked in the open area with no lines inches from grazing my car. I was not happy. I also had a heck of time getting out of the spot without hitting any cars. There was an empty space behind me. It would feel awkward giving my boss a bill for the damage on my car a customer caused. Of course he would just write me a check and charge the amount to the customer. I have to place that in my car rental blog that rental cars do not have assigned seats. A lot of customers think they must park their car in the same spot...

One negative aspect of working the night shift that is the fact of being sleepy for hours waiting for a delayed flight a customer is on, then go home to feel wired. I swear after driving home, changing clothes, brushing my teeth, and finally reaching my soft, warm bed to suddenly wake up and can't fall asleep. It must be the excitement of going home that us feel that way. My coworkers get the same thing happening to them. It is very annoying the next day when you have to get up and can't wake up again. Post later. Bye!

I just saw Rick Springfield at the airport. Yes the Rick Springfield famous from General Hospital in the 80's. He was cuddling a puppy so I didn't want to disturb him. Plus I didn't recognize him at all and my coworker had tell me which one he was. I asked my coworker to get his autograph, but he wouldn't do it. A customer who rented a car from us said he was on her flight and my coworker went looking for him. He had a baseball cap and sunglasses complete with earphones hanging down. He wore a black sweater and baggy blue jeans. He had 2 carts full of black boxes pushed out. That is all I have to tell. Post later. Bye!

Despite my name on this journal, you found the right one. It's me. Hope you enjoy my journal. For those of you who are not Cory: I ran into a familiar face today at work, which is always nice. That don't happen to much at the airport. Once I rented a car to a familiar face and he didn't even recognize me. After I said my name, he remembered me and asked how I was. Anyway, post later. Bye!

I had to turn away a customer today. His license expired yesterday. I checked our book for a grace period. No grace period for his state. I can't rent a car to an expired license no matter how bad I feel for him. He said he was here for a funeral too. Poor man. Post later. Bye!

I swear I have to constantly remind my family not to send internet attachments to my work email address. Sure I can send and receive email at work, but internet access is firewalled so I often can't view photos and sites they include in their emails. I would have thought by now they would be used to me having 3 email addresses: 1 at work, 1 on my cell phone, and 1 on my computer. Weirdoes. Post later. Bye!

I visited my sister's house tonight. I had to clean my volunteer uniform. We discussed going to the local amusement park on Monday and where she disappeared to that freaked Mom out. They went to visit friends and family and saw a parade at one. We had a barbeque on the deck and she invited a couple neighbor ladies over for ice cream. It was nice and cool. I walked the baby around. Though my sister said the baby specialist said nothing was wrong with the baby to prevent her from walking and sitting up, she did mention to the neighbor ladies that there might be water on her brain to slow down her development in walking. At age 2 to 3 that should level out. She also has soft muscles that don't help with coordnation and balance. I think the baby's biggest problem is parental impatience because the comparing of children is inevitable. Once the baby walked to fast and tripped over her feet. Luckily, I holding her hands so she didn't hit the deck with her face. She liked walki...

On the news tonight I hear of a new fad for teens getting high, dusting. And the dusting addicts are called dusters. I do not know if this means teens are more creative than adults think or they spend too much time bored at home to come up with inhaling a spray that cleans dust on computer keyboards complete with long tube to get in between the keys. These cleaning products produce a high from blocking oxygen to the brain. I guess with the new cold medicine laws teens had to stop swallowing whole bottles of cold medicines to get high. The dusters have caught the attention of the police and now one must show identification when buying these products to prove one is 18-years-old. Maybe I should bring this up with a coworker who likes to get high. I am sure he would test the effect with our keyboard cleaner. Post later. Bye!

Yesterday my Mom asked about copying photos on her computer. She has done this before so I am unsure why she is asking this. She doesn't know how to do the coloring to copy the pictures properly. I express confusion and anger at her consistantly asking me electronics questions. She once asked me why she had trouble with the sound with her answering machine. Plus, she has my brother's old computer, so really can't answer her question. I know nothing how electronics work. Sure I own a phone, but that don't mean I know how it works. I have computer, but don't use half the keys from not knowing what they are for. My brother is an electrical engineer who more suitable to answer these questions. I ask why she is not pestering him. She is asking me because I'm there. Whatever. Post later. Bye!

Today our heat wave waned a little from the rainstorm last night and rain this morning. It's lovely now. At my museum volunteering I ate squash seeds for the first time. The intern soaked them in salt water after chopping up the squash, then baked them in the oven. They taste just like potato chips, though a little too sweet and salty to eat very many of them at once. Today I helped the daycamp kids fill the wood box. After baking, I watered the plants. We have plenty of aloe plants for burns. I baked snickerdoodles for the first time. I needed a little instruction since the dough was really sticky and the recipe said to roll dough balls in a cinnamon and sugar mixture. An important part was not copied down. Usually, one refrigerates the dough before rolling into balls. Since we skipped the refrigerator part, a lady there used two spoons to make the balls and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar on them. Snickerdoodles are just like a sugar cookie, except for the cinnamon added to the s...

My oldest niece started a blog and had a couple entries to share with me. I am so proud. Though she uses her real name and I do not. You never know if you talking to a saint or Jack the Ripper on the internet so I try to be as anonymous as possible. Post later. Bye!

It is that time of year again for detasseling corn. Generally, corn is knee high by the 4th of July and now is taller than people. Usually, teenagers take jobs pulling the top of a corn stalk called a tassel off so the corn tassels in the next rows will pollinate it. I never did it. It is not fun even if it pays well. One walks in long sleeve shirts and pants in the summer heat and wander in corn rows one can easily get lost in. I hear coworkers talk how their kids or grandkids are detasseling. In high school, people I knew got bad sunburns from not wearing a hat or sunscreen. Post later. Bye!

Today a former employee returned from his trip to Alaska and showed us photos on his cell phone of the sun shining almost 24 hours a day. One more photo was of the snow capped mountains that are that way all year long and another was a moose. Once in a blue moon does one find a moose in Iowa. He was sorry to come back to this weather. It is nice and cool there, though warmer than the native Alaskans enjoy. He had a huge box of frozen fish that was thawing so he had to go. It was nice to see him. Apparently his wife called his cell phone to make sure he come back safely during the picture show. It may be just me, but I am used to couples going on vacations together instead of separately. Whatever makes them happy. Post later. Bye!

I received a phone call asking about things left in the customer's car they returned a few hours ago. I took a # to call back so they would have to remain on hold. I checked the car to find the items he inquired over and an item he did not inquire about. When the customer came to retrieve the items, he asked if it was me who checked the car. I said yes. He gave me $2 as he thanked me. I replied, And thank you. Post later. Bye!

The Des Moines Register (newspaper) sponsors a bicycle ride across the state of Iowa. The route changes every year. It goes through little towns and overnight stops in larger towns. It is great publicity for tiny towns rarely mentioned in the news. Every town has gifts for the bicyclists. It has gotten so popular that they had to reject participates and refund the deposit this year. Today is the start of Ragbrai with the bicyclists dipping their tires in the Missouri River and partying at Stopover #1. 5 days from now they will finish their journey to the other side of Iowa and dip their tires in the Mississippi River. It is not a race like Tour de France so no yellow jacket will rewarded. Ragbrai is just bicycle ride across the state with lots of free souvinirs and free food for the participants. Post later. Bye!

Do you know if any flights are being delayed because of the heat? My answer: No ma'am. Airplanes fly through all temperatures and may only be delayed due to heavy winds and ice.

This week was announced as a large heat wave covering the country. In Iowa, we call it the Dog Days of Summer. Last part of July and early part of August are the most hot and humid days of the year so that time period is given a title. Post later. Bye!

This week my coworker got a surprise, and so did we. I discovered a coworker was adopted by his stepfather and real his father had absolutely no contact with him all his life. Suddenly, his real father called up his mother to ask for my coworker's phone number. His mother refused to give it to him saying she would deliver a message. My coworker never called the man to find out what he wanted. His father has lived in the same city all these years and never once contacted my coworker who is in his early 20's. That's sad. Another coworker at another job had a similar lost loss relative contact. When her father was in the hospital, he told her she had a younger brother she never knew about. She was furious. She refused to come over when he died, but did go to the funeral to ask people about her brother. A female relative told her where to find him with his name and age. She immediately contacted him to discover that her brother knew about her existance, but did not know where t...

Had customer call declaring her car did not start and it was in a parking garage. My coworker offers to do a car exchange for her. No, she does not desire a car exchange because does not need it anymore. So my coworker sent 2 guys out to jump start the car and bring it back. On the way to the parking garage, the customer shows up at the airport counter. She further complains how inconvenient it was to physical lock all the doors. I am guessing the automatic lock button did not work because the car battery was dead. The woman continues with this was the worse car she ever rented, hated the company coupon stipulations, and will never rent from our company again. She demands compensation for the dead car, the understay fee removed, and the gas fee removed. The understay fee we remove without being asked and would not charge for gas for a broken down car anyway. The compensation for her inconveinence will be nothing. We are paying the fee to drive the car out of the parking garage, paying ...

I had a routine return of a vehicle, until I saw the printout. Odd, it printed the unlimited mileage line twice, the frequent flyer miles line twice, and the taxes lines twice. We naturally assumed it was a printer problem. My coworker examines it closer to notice there was an outstanding balance equal to the amount of the taxes being charged twice. That is what the computer says too. Do not know why it did that. When I returned it, there was no extra amount needing to be charged. My coworker calls the manager at home and fixes the problem so customer will not be complaining. Of course we check if any other receipts are that way. No, it was a one time glitch. Though, I saw a full moon last night. Post later. Bye!

After 2 days and hours upon hours of reading, I finished Harry Potter #6. Very intriquing who R.A.B is leaving a note in the fake treasure Dumbledore died getting. I racked my brain going through past books. Ms. Rowling has a way of bringing up people and subjects in prior books in her tales. First I tried to figure out someone with a last name beginning with B. The note began with To the Dark Lord, only followers call him that. Next line was I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. This had to be a follower believing he would be killed from betraying The Dark Lord because he had a conscience, and has been killed in a prior book I guessed. I checked Book #4 for when The Dark Lord returned for clues. He said all his followers knew the measures he took to insure immortality, so not necessarily a close contact of him wrote this note. In book #5, his followers knew about the phophecy that finished the note. Figuring th...

I created a new blog to show my novel on the internet. Many people at work have encouraged me to publish it myself if book publishers reject it. I shall see if it gets anyone's attention. I am in the editing process so to date only the first 4 chapters and Prologue are on the site. Check out thehermitnovel.blogspot.com. Post later.

Iowa State University has demolished 2 dormitories the past few days (I think on Monday morning) and the event was shown on the news show Inside Edition. Wow, I didn't think THAT would make the national news but obviously it did. Post later. Bye!

I went to a family reunion today. We had a potluck dinner. My Mom's cousin said that there was so much food brought that if you leave starving it will be your own fault. We took turns holding my baby niece. When the baby needed a nap, her father fell asleep before the baby did. We stayed in the air conditioned house while most of the men played horseshoes outside and chatted under a tree. My Mom's aunt took a rest of the floor. I guess a bed or couch was not good enough. My older 2 nieces got the new Harry Potter book. The 17-year-old read it in 9 hours and did not like the ending. She did not think #6 was a great as the first 5. The 13-year-old niece continued reading it today. She said it was not not too scary and evil for her to handle. I glanced at the first couple pages about the Prime Minister receiving a message. I have to wait til tomorrow to read it. I was not at home when the book came in the mail. I had a lovely time telling my aunts about my museum work and still i...

I ran into a problem with a couple who did not have a credit card to rent a car, only checkcards we do not take. But their under 18 son had a credit card to use. Can't take a credit card from someone under age. By law, under age 18 can not legally sign contracts and any contract signed will be voided by the courts. How does a kid have a credit card and his parents do not? Maybe it was a prepaid credit card we don't accept either. Oh well, make somebody mad every day. Post later. Bye!

Today I washed my hair right before work. It did not dry well in my air conditioned apartment, so I forget to place in barrettes to hold my bangs back. I tried a rubber band, but my tiny hairs hit my eyelashes. Going nuts, I walk over to the gift shop to find zero hair assessories there. At a last resort, I put in paper clips. I had to twist it to slide it in like a bobby pin. Whatever works. Post later. Bye!

I knew it. My coworker with the former boyfriend leaving threatening messages yesterday never called the police, even when she has a restraining order against the man. My coworker has lost her mine. At least her boyfriend did file a complaint. He answered the phone to listen to the criminal threaten him too. He also informed the guy that when he hung up that he was calling the police and his parole officer. He got a case number from the police and gave it to the man's parole officer. Hopefully, that will solve the problem for a while. Post later. Bye!

It is that time again waiting for the new Harry Potter book to come out of hiding. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. I preordered mine. I received a message of rush delivery on the day it comes out, but alas, I work tomorrow. Post offices close on Sundays so I probably get it on Monday. I haven't received the DVDs I ordered last week, so maybe all of it will come at once. If anyone would like to drop a comment how the new book is, I will be grateful. Post later of my book review. Bye!

Why does getting a pair of earphones that last longer than a month feel like winning the lottery? I had to discard a good set of earphones I had about a year because the pads wore off and one can not just buy the pads. That would make things too easy. So I get a new set and already they are starting to make a shrill sound in one ear. I twist the plug and turn down the music since the shrill pounds with the bass to alleviate my poor ear from the shrill. I think I need to buy a new pair. I got them only a short while ago, maybe a month?? Why can't these things last? Post later. Bye!

A coworker's former boyfriend has been leaving threatening messages now that he is out of jail. He went to jail for domestic violence that revoked his parole from murdering a pet. I hope she has called the police and takes him seriously. I bet she hasn't. She likes to think she is tough like another abused drama queen I knew at another job, but really they actually cave in easily. I hope he stays away from us. Post later. Bye!

A coworker vacationed last weekend and came back unable to walk from the bad sunburn he got. His ankles are swollen and walks now with a limp. He has been in a bad mood all week. I asked if he forgot suntan lotion. No, he just thought his legs didn't need any. He knows better now. Post later. He called some doctor line and she said to rub aloe lotion on it and keep his feet elevated. I read in a magazine once to use oatmeal on a sunburn. I'm sure both ways work. Bye!

I am having a unique experience at the airport today. I saw law enforement officials we normally do not see here walking around and escorting people out the door. I notice from the lack of handcuffs, they are not being arrested. I ask what the deal is and my coworker explains all week the governors coming are getting escorts. Though, since I'm not outside, I'm unsure if they ride to their hotels in squad cars or limos. They are not renting cars from us. Post later. Bye!

I am going to a family reunion Sunday, my Mom's sisters and two of her female cousins. My sister spoke to Mom last night while I was over at her house doing laundry. I don't know how I'm going to get there. Mapquest sent me in a weird direction, then the streets I am to drive on are not found on the map they provided. Then, I get the impression nobody wants me to bum a ride off them. Mom first offered to pick me up and then suggested going with my sister to help with the baby. My sister's husband is coming to the reunion so they do not need help with the baby. My sister isn't sure how to get there either. Even worse, is deciding what dish to bring. My sister tries to bring a food I pick out. Maybe chips or a pie. I can decide that part later. Post later. Bye!

I had a fun day at my volunteer position. I was stopped twice on my way to the building I volunteer at. One asked how to tell the difference between paid staff and volunteers. You don't because we don't wear badges to distinguish ourselves. The next person asked if we get hot and sweaty in our costumes. No, not really. We wear tanktops underneath to catch the sweat and drink plenty of water so we don't get too hot. Of course avoiding the hot stove area and sitting in the cooler part of the house helps too. We also sit like 21th Century people and uncross our legs when visitors walk in. We played jacks on the porch with a marble and card games in the parlor. The older gal tried to teach us young people a new game. I can see why we don't play these complicated card games Grandma and her lady friends loved to play. We were all confused how to play this new game. Tricks, trumps, changing high cards, bidding, teams, and remembering Jacks were highest with aces, Kings, Queens...

I finished a picture of a tulip I painted on a blank puzzle I got at a craft store. Breaking the picture up was not easy causing some of the puzzle pieces to have tears. I was planning to give it to somebody for their birthday or anniversary to put together. I decided to give it to the departing coworker at my museum position as a farewell gift. She got a better job at a bookstore. I like her a lot. She is also a struggling author writing a murder mystery. When I first met her I was a chatterbox, that is until 2 others joined us who constantly interrupt me so I am the quiet one now. She is about the only one who listens and asks questions about myself (and my book progress). I will miss her. Why is it when I find someone to like and look forward to seeing again, they get ripped away from my life, never to be heard from again? I call it silently leaving because their is no real good-bye. Then people who irritate me stick like glue and won't shake off me to the point feel the need t...

I have to laugh at all the people trying to improve their health by taking the latest fad of supplements and diets as gospel to living longer. What could these people possibly do in 100 years than they can't do in 50, or even 30? I found a good quote in a newsletter to describe human thirst for immortality: Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Susan Ertz, writer (1894-1985). Wish to be immortal and forever remembered, change everyone you touch. Post later. Bye!

For 18 months the governor's assistants have been preparing for the annual Governors Convention this week. Sorry, Governor Arnold from California will not be present. Many names I never heard before will be present. News media and security galore will also be present. Every governor coming get a bag of Iowa products advertising the best of Iowa. I don't wish to spoil the surprise. And cell phone towers were erected inside the building to handle the cell traffic. I believe they have been preparing 18 months for this. Post later. Bye!

I saw an advrrtisement for a Precious Moments Thanksgiving village complete with the first Thanksgiving dinner. Whoever designed this village must be from the southwest part of the U.S. because the natives look like from the southwest with ponchos and bobbed hair. The tepees, pottery, and blankets are decorated with southwest theme, but tepees were only used by the Plains Native Americans when hunting buffalo only. The canoe is only correct part I found of the Native Americans. From my college courses over 5 years ago, I recall the East Coast culture described with leather and mulberry fiber clothes and men had large tufts of hair sticking upwards much like today's ponytail. Their homes were very large wooden structures surrounded by fort-like fences with zigzagging openings to prevent a straight path into the village. Their canoes were made mostly from birch bark peeled off the tree. The Eastern Woodland culture did hunt buffalo by herding them to drop into ravines to their death...

I read in today's paper of a man who was a scientist for the US Department of Agriculture gaining symptons of psychosis 11 years ago, took various medications since, and 2 days before his appointment for his psychiatrist 50 minutes away he cut his neck with a saw. His wife went to the pschiatrist's office on the scheduled day and cried on the floor traumatized from finding him in their basement. Now she plans to sell the house 9 months after her husband's death. Her picture was on the porch with beautiful flowers. She has my sympathy. Apparently Iowa has a pschiatrist shortage where 69 of Iowa's 99 countries have no psychiatrists at all. My county has the most of 29 psychiatrists. A psychiatrist would have few problems setting up shop here. In Cherokee, there is a first-in-the-nation program started in 1999 to train postgraduate physican assistants in psychiatry. Because of lack of federal money, but some from the state, the Cherokee Mental Health Institute is taking ap...

If you find yourself getting unhelpful service when you ask for assistance carrying luggage around the airport or driving the car to the curb, it is likely because most people do not tip. One guy I worked with took a customer's luggage out to his rental car and then left it beside the car on the cement unattended because he did not expect the guy to tip for the extra effort. There are as many people who say with a smile, "Thank you very much" before walking or driving away as there are people who tip with bills or coins. By the way, a quarter for a tip is often seen as an insult rather than a reward. I thought I would mention that after hearing from the car rental next door about her tip for waiting on a customer on a delayed flight. Her company doesn't allow gratutity to be accepted. I explained my company does allow it, though most do not tip so often we call a skycap (who are paid the airport to help airport customers with luggage, wheelchairs, etc.) instead of hel...

3 weeks ago a mother discovered a door open and her daughter missing. The mother refused the conclusion that her girl would walk out of the house in the middle of the night. No Amber Alert was issued from lack of information. Neighbors were questioned as well as family. Two neighbors were named as important witnesses since they saw here a few hours before she disappeared. Many volunteers scoured the countryside looking for the missing girl, even on the 4th of July. Sadly, a little girl's body was found in a river that is believed to be the missing girl yesterday. DNA tests are pending for identification. I know the mother of Natalee Holloway has attacked the Aruban government for not easing her pain by finding her daughter. Volunteers, divers, FBI, and Dutch planes still look for Natalee, What more do you want? That's more assistance than most missing children get and many missing children never are found. I know she is grieving, but attacking a government will not bring her da...

My coworker this week actually heard a customer say to them "Don't force me to play the race card" when the customer was not getting their way. Excuse me? Was that a threat? I hate to break this to people who have never worked a sales job before, but we make people mad every day. Threatening to have the associate's job, accuse them of racism, name calling, or threaten to call the home office to complain are empty threats to us. I made someone mad at me today because her credit card declined. I even dialed her credit card customer service number for her and the credit card company refused to allow the authorization. Then, I refused to take a cash deposit, so she did not get the car. Post later. Bye!

How is it that every time I decide to be lazy and leave my shirt untucked are the days the bossman shows up?

I missed excitement yesterday. A customer was arrested at 10:30 A.M. for driving drunk and driving in the center of the road going the wrong direction. Then the customer extended the rental. My company finds out from the police department of the impounding charges billed to the company, since the company owns the car. My coworker informs the customer of the impounding fees that will be billed to the customer's credit card. Of course the customer does not get the car back. My coworker wondered who gets drunk at 10:30 in the morning. I wonder if this lady really expected the company not to find out by extending the rental. Police do notify car rental companies of their cars being impounded or abandoned on the road. Post later. Bye!

I sneezed so hard tonight I wonder if I broke a rib. That happened last week too. Maybe I should turn the air conditioning back on to get rid of the humidity. Mother nature keeps making it rain. Post later.

Would somebody explain the ideology of lowering gas prices just before a big traveling holiday and then jack them up after the holiday. Since my childhood it has been the other way around. Today I did laundery at my sister's house and saw on the way home it jumped up 20 cents. I drove a mile out of my way to find a gas station still at yesterday's price of $1.99. We have never had $2.19 gas price before. The past record was $2.15 before lowering slowly way down to $1.88. Even at that price, we still shock people from the coasts whose prices are much higher. Post later. Bye!

Today at my volunteer position at the local living history museum, the intern and another volunteer spoke to a few visitors about the reality shows showing people living in the past. The intern said she liked the Edwardian house in Britain and the World War II house. She said she hated listening to the nonstop griping on these shows. It made her wonder why they volunteered in the first place. I viewed the Edwardian house and did wonder why some of these people were there. I liked the part where they brought in a former Edwardian maid who worked in the house they were in. Those modern people were quickly humbled into realizing how lucky they are today since sexual harrassment and sexual abuse are no longer part of women's jobs. One would not catch a reenactor or interpreter at a museum in those reality shows. We know how hard it was and enjoy returning to the 21st Century at the end of the day. Besides that, the networks would not choose someone familiar with living in the past beca...

I got up bright and early to hop to my hometown for the 4th of July parade before they blocked the streets. The parade always goes by my parents' house. My brother and sister came later. My baby niece loved looking at the horses. One horse pulling a wagon had a large gaping yellow hole in its leg. Against its dark brown skin, it was disgusting. My sister gasped and prayed someone was tending to that wound. The fire engine sirens also got my niece's attention. The theme was Happy Birthday to my hometown. One float had cows eating hay and a pig in cage. That was different. Floats here are less posh than the big city floats. They're simply hay racks pulled by a tractor or pick up truck. A couple of kids dressed in cardboard cake and gift costumes. There was a dog and goat pulled along the parade route with the bicycles. After the parade, we walked up to the park to view the entertainment. A dance studio did performances and a country music group played after. I walked the baby...

It is now America's Independence Day. I had a customer today from Italy asking if tomorrow is a holiday. Yes it is. I bought a newspaper today because I was bored. It had good articles on our founding fathers and soldiers in Iraq. One opinion columnist made a good point asking what our founding fathers would think of war protesters and liberal media criticizing our proud American government. Many forget the fact that our heroic and patriotic founding fathers committed treason declaring independence from Great Britain. Our founding fathers would say now what they said July 4, 1776: It is our job as citizens to criticize the government and abolish rules that no longer are working. I am reminded of after we won our independence and wrote the Articles of Confederation. The new government was not working as our founding fathers had hoped. People surrounding George Washington encouraged him to seize control of the country in a coup d'etat and declare himself King of America. At a me...

My smoke alarm has been beeping every few minutes for a week, keeping me awake when I try to fall asleep. It actually took me about 5 days to figure out where the beeping sound is coming from. At 2 in the morning it has driven me so nuts that I grab a step stool to pull down the smoke alarm and rip the battery out. Sure I'll place it back up on the ceiling, eventually. Post later.

May I ask why do people insist on getting the price of a car rental when I tell them I am sold out? Then they have to argue about whether I really do have cars or not. Not without a reservation, I explain. Next, they demand to know who does have cars to rent? I glance down the counters at the Cars Available signs with the agents standing next to them. I say the next company over without a customer in front of the counter. Finally, they say thank you and walk the opposite direction I directed them to. Weirdoes.

I hear the airlines overbooked flights again today causing headaches for travelers by the time they get to my counter. Many of the car rentals have watchdogs who can shut off the tap if they start running low in cars available to rent. Only someone with a special contract with a car rental company is able to override any sold out status. I don't know how airline reservations work so I can not explain how they overbook themselves so often. A few companies here have a slow watchdogs reluctant to prevent more reservations being made. One week a while ago one watchdog went on vacation and all that week the employees had to beg all the car rentals for cars to cover all the reservations. My company is it's own watchdog so I personally can shut off the tap if I have to. Of course I notify the manager when I do that. I get many phone calls from our reservation line begging me to make a reservation for a club member when we are sold out (all car rentals have clubs for frequent renters)....

What is with men telling me I need to smile more? Yesterday, my janitor friend told me smile. I said, Excuse me I can't be Little Miss Sunshine all the time. Yesterday I was frazzled from being so busy. Then today a skycap said good-bye and I smiled back good night, and another guy standing nearby tells me I need to smile. I thought I just did. Next I check the flight arrivals and the same f-cker says again I need to smile more. I was ready to flip him off, but polite enough to ignore him, AGAIN. I think some men need to come up with better conversation starters because they ticking me off. When I feel like smiling, I will. Am I not allowed to have a bad day? Post later. Bye!

I discovered last night that the car rental next door had someone call up wanting to a rent a car. When the rental agent explained they do not take check cards, the caller accused the agent of racism. On the phone? How does the excuse of racism work on the phone? We thought that was rather strange. Post later. Bye!

I know I said before that I hate holidays. Really I don't like the days leading up to the holiday because they are busier with crankier customers. When I worked at a shoe store the busiest day of the year was the day before Easter. Nobody guesses that one. This 4th of July I plan to go back home to attend my hometown 125th anniversary of its founding. My hometown has a well known 4th of July celebration every year. The past couple years my mother has been on the 4th of July committee. In any committee she's in she is always the treasurer. I think last year she was complaining too much money was being donated that they didn't know what to do with it. I told they will think of something. Anyway, drive safely this holiday weekend. Post later. Bye!

I just read an article saying people have been fired because of what they said in their blogs. The company deemed the blogs "inappropriate" without disclosing what exactly was inappropriate about the blogs. It made me nervous enough to ask my manager her opinion. I am the type of person what likes boundaries. They are nice to have. I'm sure my mother and I would have had less fights if my parents bothered to lay ground rules when I moved back home after college instead of their wait and see philosophy. Often I discovered I committed a sin when my parents are screaming at me making me feel like a deer looking into headlights asking what I did wrong. The biggest fight was over cleaning the house. My mother failed to understand that after working 8 hours, I do not feel like cleaning her house when I get home. My father understood perfectly. My mother learned to hire a cleaning lady. I thought the biggest problem was my mother not accepting I was a grown up, who did not have ...

The 4th of July is coming along with problems, problems, problems. The most common problem is What part of No did this person not understand the first time. I had a fight over availability of an suv, a fight over a new rule, a fight over company policy, a fight over a rental a coworker screwed up on, and a fight over sending people to the reservation line. For hours it was nonstop phone calls and customers at the counter. Then on top of that the computer gets weird on me and tell the customer waiting for his receipt that sometimes I want to take a sledgehammer to the computer but not not allowed to. Most customers laugh when I say that. I used to say we have gremlins in the system, but saying the computer needs steroids makes people smile more. I try to be funny if I sense impatience in a customer. One customer was so emotionally out of control threatening to sue us over lying to the person and they will tell the whole world we are frauds that I emailed my manager asking for permission...