Caos en la Línea del Supermercado

You know, I love the self-checkout lane at Walmart. I use it pretty much every time I got shopping…and feel like the whole checking out experience goes ten times faster. I’ve got it down to a well honed craft, too. I whiz right through that line and I’m pushing buttons before the little computerized voice is even telling me to, and I’m all done in a freaking flash! Such a flash, in fact, that I tend to get a little impatient with obvious self-checkout first timers. I just want to run up and do it for them, as they stare at the screen and wonder what to do next.

That being said, I got hit with the humble stick today when I was rushing to check out so that I wouldn’t be late getting back from my lunch hour. Racing up to the only checkout that wasn’t occupied, I started scanning my stuff immediately, barely paying attention to the screen. I’m all about speed, you know. Well, in case you aren’t familiar with the glory of self-checkouts, there ARE some things you can’t scan in. Produce for example. Bakery items. With these, you just touch the on screen button that says “look up item” and find whatever you’re buying on the screen. Again, I’m a total whiz with this. At least, I usually am, until I look up and notice that the screen, and all of its buttons, are in Spanish.

Um…

It’s not like the buttons were in different places. It’s not like the screen didn’t look exactly like it does when it’s in English…but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember WHICH button to push to look up the item. Like…where it was on the screen. And there are, obviously, several buttons to choose from. I swear I can usually do this in my sleep! But not in Spanish. Ugh. So…I took a gamble. And totally pushed the wrong button. A button that took me into some weird screen I’ve never seen. I tried really hard to push some other buttons to back out of there, but to no avail. And of course, two seconds hadn’t passed before the kindly old Walmart worker, who stands at the top of the self-checkout area to oversee them, came over to solve my problem. I think the position could be eliminated by a simple “back” button on the screen. But no…that would be too easy. Instead, when people mess up, something goes off on their terminal that says, “Great…the idiot at register #2 has screwed up royally. Go swipe the card hanging from your lanyard, push random buttons on the screen for a while, and make sure they feel good and stupid before you leave.”

So…smug “I’ll fix your issue” lady comes over. And I say to her as she’s walking toward me, “Hey, I just pushed the wrong button…I didn’t realize this was a Spanish terminal.” She looked at me like I was a crazy person. She came around to face the screen, and then looked up, totally dumbfounded. “I don’t speak Spanish,” she said. Well…super. So…instead of me pushing random buttons trying to get out of there, SHE was doing it. And I swear…she had no idea what she was doing. You could just tell. All the while, I was turning into that self-checker-outer that I hate…who holds everyone else in the store up. Ugh! FINALLY she swiped her little card, and it went back to the right screen. I KNEW it. All that random button pushing is just for show.

Anyway…once she had it fixed, she just stood there, watching me. Like I would want HER help ever again. Sheesh. After assuring her that I could muddle through without her, she finally went away. I chose the right button…I found my item…and finally checked out…promising myself that, in the future, I will never start scanning again until I’m SURE that the machine is speaking my language.

An Open Letter to All You "Scooters"

Hello, Mister Scooter Driver. I get the fact that you think you’re pretty cool on that scooter. Maybe you drive it because you’re trying to get good gas mileage. Maybe you’re driving it because you can’t afford a car. Maybe you think it’ll do until you can get the dough together to get a real motorcycle. As judgmental as I usually am, I have never had a problem with scooters…really. While it has never been a mode of transport I’ve been drawn to, I say live and let live. To those who choose to drive them, I’ve always said, "Scooter Drivers of the World…Scoot On!"

If, however, you are going to ride that scooter…and you can’t get the little bugger going above 19.5 miles per hour…while going down-freaking-hill…on a major, well traveled, road…then I’m going to start having a problem with the scooter. There are side streets for a reason, Bub.

Um...

...in the name of my constant need for self promotion, I thought I'd put a little deal on the side of this blog to show when I've updated my movie blog. Which I updated today. And yet...it's showing my most recent update as the one from the other day. Actually, if you click on the title, "Janine At The Movies," it'll take you to the new post. But it doesn't show the post as the newest post. :( Which I don't get. And I thought I'd share. But also...I updated my movie blog. Again. Maybe by the time anyone reads this, it will have fixed itself...but I don't know. We'll see.

And...in case you haven't noticed...I really love links lately. But one Link/Linc in particular will always be my favorite. Hee hee.

****UPDATE****

Looks like it finally fixed itself. Although there is supposed to be a picture there. There was a picture when it was highlighting the wrong post. Ugh. Oh well...maybe the picture will show up eventually.

A Little FYI...

Just in case anyone was wondering...I DO still watch movies. I even blogged about one of them...which I thought I might have forgotten how to do...but it turned out to be just like riding a bike. I hope to do better in keeping that thing up to date...if only because it kills time on a boring afternoon. ; )

Summer...Is That You?

So...we're supposed to get up to around 80 degrees in Laramie today...or, depending on which weatherman you listen to, even above 80.

I'm trying to keep a straight face and just look natural...because if Summer really IS here...I don't want to scare it away.

****UPDATE****

This was the thermometer when I went home at lunch...

And this was my face when I was forced to remember what it feels like when I first get into my car in the summer...

Yes, Sharon, I'm glad I don't have to deal with the Houston heat...and I AM happy for the summer...but thank goodness for air conditioning in the Grand Am!

Just Call Me Marshall Mathers

Last night, anyway, I could have easily gone by the name Eminem...'cause I was cleanin' out my closet.

My original intent was to clean out some dresser drawers full of clothes that I NEVER wear to make room for clothes that I do wear, but that I didn't have room for in my closet. So...I emptied the drawers...and then kind of just went bananas, hitting the closet, too...and getting rid of stuff that I don't use/wear/like anymore.

Here is the pile of hangers after I'd taken everything out of the closet that didn't belong in there. Some of it was junk, but some was just stuff for the dresser that didn't need to hang.

This is one of the piles of clothes that I had to sort through...there was another one on my bed...

These are the FOUR bags of clothes that I took out of my room once I was done...reminding me that I REALLY need to do this more often. I am horrible at keeping clothes that I don't need anymore.

Finally...my closet never knew, before last night, that there was such a thing as these wide open spaces...it was a miracle!

I'd love to take a picture of my whole bedroom and show you all how beautifully organized it is...but THAT...is a work in progress. The closet being done is a big enough success for today!

Here's Your Sign

You know, I get the fact that there are plenty of dumb people out there. I GET it. I get to talk to a lot of them daily. But sometimes...I'm just astounded by how dumb people really are.

The other girl here in the office, Karin, has twin boys. She has one of those digital picture frames on her desk that scrolls through pictures of them...some individual shots...some together.

Well, a lady was sitting at Karin's desk and must have just seen a picture with one of the boys, because she asked, "How old is your little guy?"

Karin responded, "Oh...they're two."

The woman, "Oh...they're both two?"

Karin said, "Yes."

Moment of silence.

The woman, "Are they twins?"

Um...

Cinco De Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Everyone.  Or, as I like to call it…That Lovely Day in May That Gives Me an Excuse to Eat Mexican Food For Every Meal.  And also, Wear a Sombrero to Work Day.  You know…whichever.

Here on the campus they ordered a bunch of yummy variety trays from Corona Village for the happy day.  Corona Village is my FAVORITE Mexican restaurant, so you know I’m all for it.  I’m a little worried, though, that we might run out of salsa.  They only gave us 5 gallons.  Seriously.

New Arrival

So basically my tennis shoes were falling apart…so I had to get some new ones.  Usually I don’t wait for my shoes to fall apart to buy new ones…so this was a new experience for me.  Like…I really NEEDED new tennis shoes.  And…because I’d spent so much money in Disneyland, I had to wait to afford new shoes, rather than just buying what I wanted the very second I wanted it…like I usually do.  Weird, I know. 

Anyway…after much online shopping and deliberation and collaboration with my style consultant (aka Kristi) and my financial consultant (aka Carleen, who cuts my paycheck) I found the perfect pair, and they arrived today.  Hooray!  Introducing my new Nike Shox Turbo +8s!  They were totally cute and irresistible when I saw them online, but the truest test of any shoe is how it looks on…(nice, nice)…how it FEELS on…(so comfy!)…and it’s a total bonus when they look cute with jeans.  So…Woohoo…they are the best of all the worlds!