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Home > Archive: December, 2007

Archive for December, 2007

Happy Holidays and One Unhappy Return....

December 29th, 2007 at 02:46 am

I'm half way through the holidays and thought I'd spread some Christmas "cheer" courtesy of Toys R Us (But Customer Service Is NOT).

Today, we ventured to the above mentioned store to return a remote-controlled car that a relative got my daughter.

The car does not work and hasn't since my daughter opened it on Christmas Eve. I explained to the clerk that the person who gave it to us did not give us a gift receipt and all we wanted was a working version of the same toy. The 15-year-old clerk said without a receipt there was nothing he could do even though the car was still in its original box with a Toys R Us label on it and clearly hadn't been run into the ground over the last 72 hours.

I asked very nicely to speak to a manager, but was told they had all gone home for the day (it was 2 p.m. -- those managers at Toys R Us must really have it tough....) In lieu of a manager, I got a 16-year-old clerk who stood there snapping his gum while I explained the situation. He too said he couldn't do anything for me, so I dumped the non-working toy on the floor and said "Well, now that I won't be shopping here ever again, I guess you can have this broken piece of junk that you sold back." (I'm not positive but by the way the clerk jumped back 5 feet, my guess is the car bounced off his foot. Oops....)

Whew ... now that I've vented I feel much better.

Aside from that, we had an enjoyable Christmas and are headed into the home stretch with my mother's annual New Year's Eve bash.

Dear ol' mom is from another country and likes to do it up big for the new year. This year, she had king salmon flown in from some polluted waters off the West Coast. Because she's always off gambling away my inheritance or playing Bingo, she had the fish delivered to my house today. I thought it would be a pound or two of salmon that I could throw in my freezer. Little did I know that she was having a WHOLE salmon delivered and said salmon is as big as my 7-year-old.

Thankfully we're in deep freeze mode here, so the fish is residing on my back porch for the time being. Meanwhile, I'm wondering how much I can get for it on eBay....

Things I wish I had known when I was young and stupid.....

December 17th, 2007 at 04:13 pm

Credit cards are like crack if you're an addict like me....

Fancy red sports cars with 6-year loans tend to break down around year 5....

Designer duds do not make the person....

Diamonds are not a girl's best friend and it's student loans that are FOREVER....


Ouch!

December 11th, 2007 at 02:45 am

As I was leaving the boudoir this morning, I slammed into the open linen closet door. Fortunately, my knee took the brunt of the impact. But unfortunately, it ripped the door right off the hinges and split the wood beyond repair.

I will now be shopping for a new closet door and possibly a new kneecap as well.

I thought briefly of just leaving the whole mess until after the holidays, but the man of the house is throwing a Boxing Day Buffet (even though we don't live in a country where Boxing Day is celebrated) and I'd prefer that the whole neighborhood doesn't see the messy state of our linen closet. The closet in question resides outside the boudoir/master suite and down the hall from the primary guest bathroom so it is very noticeable.

So much for being done with shopping....

What's cooking?

December 10th, 2007 at 06:12 pm

I ordered half a honey-baked ham for Christmas and a turkey breast concoction for our Boxing Day party. It's the first time I've ordered a pre-cooked ham and/or turkey and I was a bit surprised by the hefty price tag. However, not having to stand over the stove Christmas Day is well worth it. (Fortunately, there was a $5 off coupon in yesterday's paper, so at least I'll get a little break.)

I still need to make the side dishes, appetizers and dessert, but I've got those recipes down to a fine art so no one should go home with botulism Christmas Day. (Boxing Day is another story...)

I have also come up with a detailed cookie baking list and am taking three days off to see how many of those little babies I can burn this year. Baking is not my strongest culinary area, but every year I try my best to make something resembling a Christmas cookie so Mini Me can have the illusion that her mommy is Martha Stewart, Oprah and the Queen Mother all rolled into one. So far I think I have her fooled.

All but one gift has been bought and I have my sister working on that one so I don't have to venture into anymore stores. (Praise Allah, the Lord and the FED EX guy!!!!) I do have a few gifts left to wrap, but for the most part I'm ready for the big guy in the beard and red suit. (And I'm not talking about my husband.....)