Category Archives: Uncategorized

with whom we have multiple accounts, is investigating me, via this blog. Isn’t that fun. No-one else would have hit the term insurance several times in the past 24 hours. I used to regulate the insurance industry and remember a few things.

We deny your claims

You are to blame for damage

We increase your rates

—

That is my Haiku to the Gecko. He says to just keep sending us premium payments. We’ll investigate you for a small dent and scratch.

Why? I put it off for a week. Glad you asked. Earlier this week I receive two Safety Recall notices from the manufacturer that as my car has lived in a warm, moist climate if the air bags deploy they may kill me with shards of metal. Also that the seat belts may not work. If that’s not enough, the key may fall out when the car is not in park. So, I’ve a car with no control, no seat belts and no air bags. Great.

The Gecko is telling me he’s investigating me because a little ding is more important than being killed by an air bag and a seat belt that doesn’t work after the key falls out on the freeway. I beg to differ. As long as they’re reading my blog I must say hello or I would be remiss in my hospitality. Hi!

Some folks have priorities. I have people to love and protect and will have the information required for my Safety Recall. Having the rare parts in and getting my car so it will not kill me is more of a priority than a minor dent. When the parts are in, the Safety Recall work will take four hours and will make me feel safer driving up the highway to see the inspector.

It’s interesting that when it’s a recall, it’s called service. When it’s a dent, the insurance company you’ve paid premiums to for years send an inspector. When I pay for insurance, I expect service. Thank you, Dee

Right now I live in a 20 story tower overlooking a big lake a block away. We have a trash chute. Those entitled persons never take the fraction of a second to turn the handle and turn off the red light on the trash chute, thus inconveniencing 19 floors of residents and requiring maintenance to go floor to floor to find the problem.

They never know who is the problem, however. My husband, software guru, has given them two easy ways. I’m low tech and would go for fingerprints.

When we were out west all the movie people would come out around this time and my husband and I called them PIB’s and SPIB’s. People In Black, and Servants of People In Black. The SPIB’s took over the grocery store. They wouldn’t let your cart or personage walk by because their butt was in the middle of the aisle looking for the perfect tea.

I was on that aisle with a basket asking to get by. No way. I was asked to join Sundance in publicity and was slated for volunteer training. Things changed and I ended up with more snowy weather, no hills.

In the end I give, I do not take. Entitlement is rampant and I would rather live a simple life with my husband and dog than feel more important than everyone else in the world. If I did, my dog would be tiny and in a designer bag. Now, in order to keep her paws from all the salt and snow, I do pick her up on occasion. Not in a designer bag, in my arms as any dog mom would do. Cheers, Dee

I love my car. It’s a mid-sized SUV that is perfect for me and the dog for traveling, she’s in back with water on her 4″ orthopedic bed. No, she’s not spoiled.

This afternoon I got a recall notice saying that if this car was manufactured in a hot, humid climate the airbag, if deployed, may disperse metal fragments that can kill occupants.

It gets better. I received a notice for each air bag today. There are two more. I’ve been driving this car since 2008. One is about faulty seat belts and the other that the key may come out of the ignition when the car is not in park. I never received those notices.

Did I say I love my car? I’d like to keep it at least another five years. These safety issues baffle me, however. There’s a backlog on the air bag parts (also in the notice) so it’ll be a week or two before the nearest dealership calls me to come in. They say the car is fine to drive as I’ve been driving it for nearly seven years with the defects.

Let’s see, air bags, seat belts, ignition errors. I just don’t feel as safe anymore. Dee

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/23/whole-foods-america-s-temple-of-pseudoscience.html

***

I read this sitting at my desk a little after eight on a Saturday morning, after taking out the dog and feeding her frozen raw meat with blueberries and carrots in it.

Yes, I was eating organic raisin bran topped with non-organic sliced banana and OK, organic milk. I was trained as a cook. I shop the outside (produce, fish, meat, dairy) and go inside for rice, tea, pasta. Whole Foods produce people are good to me, the butchers are great, and the cheese folks help me out whenever I need it. I don’t see what’s wrong in buying food at Whole Foods.

I also go to a local shop for certain things, an Italian shop nearby for 00 flour for my pizza dough and large blocks of mozzarella, also wonderful sun dried tomatoes.

A local bodega is my source for dish soap and dishwashing detergent. They have no meat department but make great sandwiches and have a decent cheese selection. They specialize in beer but that’s not my thing.

For paper products, in a pinch it’s the drugstore (I hate WF’s paper) or huge quantities via Amazon Prime. It’s the only way to go.

The other day I accidentally bought soy sauce from WF that is gluten free. Why would I do that. Wrong glasses, I think. There’s this entire gluten free area I avoid. Yes, the political correctness is annoying. I’ve been trying for years to figure out why they sell steer (emasculated bull) and not capon (emasculated chicken). And I don’t like that the gluten free people and multiple supplement customers look at me like I’m a monster for buying linguine with flour in it. I know they also buy a lot of chocolate and junk food!

They do have the best veg in town. I spread the wealth around the neighborhood. Everyone has their specialties. I know what I want, and need. Some of it is at Whole Foods. Cheers, Happy Saturday! Hope you got to sleep in later than 4 a.m. Dee

Christmas eve and my new desk is still messing with me. The keyboard slides around on the glass despite measures to keep it still.

The weather is warm for this time of year but it may snow today. I must drive a long distance to pick up my husband at the airport and he wants me to take along the dog as she loves traveling. Yesterday was his birthday. Tomorrow we’ve dinner for guests and I’ve much to do before leaving for the airport.

Shopping for last-minute items like cream, but also I ran out of gallon zip-top bags. Also prepping anything I can so tomorrow is easier.

Today I found and re-ironed an ancient handmade family tablecloth with lots of linen and lace. It’s on our glass table right now and looks like I’m a great aunt. I love it and have used it before in a different space but I prefer the lean lines and meld of older and contemporary that we have here.

I believe I’ll serve Christmas dinner on a bare glass table with my mother’s china and serviettes from my mother-in-law hand-embroidered with drawings and names of herbs, all expertly ironed. Hors d’oeuvres will be my marinated Kalamata olives, toasted and spiced Marcona almonds and a French and Italian cheese plate. On hand are my mother’s “nut bowl” which I’ll use for crackers, and two Greek olive wood planks from whence they were purchased, for the cheese. Olives and almonds will find another venue, bowls from somewhere.

Dessert will be a trifle with lemon curd and berries, set off by pannettone. I cannot make it until today as I need to place beverages and trifle on the balcony to refrigerate. The capon has been in the refrigerator over 12 hours and is still completely frozen. Mon Dieu!

Must take the dog out now. Duties. I’m glad we’ll get another two minutes of sunshine a day because I really don’t like having to use a flashlight to pick up after her in the dark. Yes, we do the doody thing, because it’s right. That’s another story. Happy Christmas Eve for those of you who celebrate it. Dee