Rain? Really?

Apparently today's teens are afraid of a litte water and hard work. Either that or their parents, teachers and coaches have coddled them in to submission.

My 13 year old daughter was supposed to have a track meet today and they cancelled it, all because of a little sprinkle of rain. Last I knew they only cancelled outdoor sporting events for Lightning. But this was back when I was in school almost 15 years ago, so what do I know now. When I called the school to find out if it was on at 2:15pm they said yes. Then at about 2:40 my daughter called me and said they cancelled it. So I called the school back just to double check and sure enough was told that they cancelled it for weather. And she didn't even know if they would have practice. I was quite surprised when I asked about why it was cancelled and she actually told me that the track could get wet. Wait a minute! You mean that it rains and the track gets wet? No way, that couldn't ever happen!

I can recall all through school running in rain for practice, meets and invitationals. I only recall one track meet ever being rescheduled for weather and it was down right storming out. Lighting and thunder in full force. This school doesn't even know if they will reschedule their meet. I get it's not high school and all, but what does this teach our children? To mine, I think she feels like it doesn't matter that it got cancelled because no one made a big deal about it. Not even the coach. So much so that she didn't even know if practice was on because the coach didn't tell her. I had to call the school and find out that way. How pathetic.

Well to say the least, I am not impressed by the current public schools athletics department. And I am not sure the future holds any promise.

Advanced Technology

Advances in Gaming.
(This is a blog I wroter several years ago and I completely forgot to post it then.  I jut found it and thought I would share.  Keeping this in mind, note that the Kinect has released)

How funny that you can do everything from your phone now a days. It really puts in to prospective how things have changed. I'm only 30 and it seems like in just my lifetime the advances in technology have been astonishing. When I was 8 years old we weren't playing games like, Need for Speed, I was playing Pole Position. We had an Atari game system, which when compared to the Xbox 360, looks like a spinning top or marbles.


It wasn't until I was 12 that the Nintendo game system came out and that blew our minds. Super Mario Bros was amazing, with the jumping up on blocks and over creatures and monsters and the coin collecting. It was great. This made Atari games look like a game of jump rope. And the upgrades just kept coming.

Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Sega and Sega Genesis all come out with in a five year span. My brain racked with excitement when my homework was done. Then it was which game to play. After High School I let gaming go and didn't touch another system until I was 22. This was thanks to my husband.

Introducing me to the Microsoft manufactured Original Xbox, I became what u would call an avid gamer. With its dynamic for the moment visuals and it’s more than complex controller when compared to the 5 button controls for the Nintendo and Sega systems, it became something to fill times of boredom quite fast. It didn't consume my life, but it was time consuming. I found myself attracted to the shooter games which most girls that play video games, don’t venture to. These were games such as Halo and Halo 2. There were nights when my husband would get home from work at 3am and he and a bunch of co-workers/friends would play Halo until all hours of the morning. At times I even found myself up with them to play mini tournaments.

Sony made its way to the gaming scene as well with the Playstation. Somewhat like the Xbox, you played games on CD and the controller was also more complex. The PS2 soon followed its predecessor and the graphics and controls were also upgraded.

As the PS2 made its way in to many homes and introduced free online gaming (which didn’t meet many owners standards), it was only a short time until Microsoft realized they needed to keep the playing fields even. They upgraded the Xbox to the Xbox 360. One word described the system: WOW! The games improved like hell fire and blew me away. But it wasn't until we bought an HD TV that we really reaped the benefits of our purchase. The system was expensive, nearing 500 dollars compared to the 99 we paid for our 1980's systems. But as we soon found out, well worth it.

Now with games such as Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3 I found myself liking games even more. The HD TV brought the games to a new height. Xbox Live gave the feeling of being right in the action, it was hard to believe that so long ago I was afraid to die on Centipede and Super Mario Bros. It was ten times more intense. Walking around corners in Halo not knowing if something was going to jump out and shoot you or stab you was exhilarating and the adrenaline rush was like that of riding a roller coaster for the first time.

With the release of the 360 Sony upped the ante one more time releasing their PS3. Not only was it an incredible gaming platform for graphics but it introduced the Blue Ray player installed right within itself. But the game play online just couldn’t compete with Microsoft’s Xbox Live. Again this online play was free, which Microsoft has yet to introduce, but the quality of free is known over and over again. You get what you pay for.

I soon found myself enthralled with the guitar and band games. These games putting me right in to make believe land of being a rock star. You could now return to the feeling of being a kid or fulfill a long time fantasy of actually starting a band. What makes it more realistic is how they make contests for your Rock Band or Guitar Hero Band that allows you to show your talents as a gamer by making videos and playing challenges online against other bands.

With gaming expanding more and more everyday, Nintendo felt they needed to catch up. They tried the Game Cube and the DS and presented us with the Wii. Which brought what was supposed to be body full action to the gaming world with bowling, tennis, baseball, golf, boxing, yoga; the list is endless. Using the Wii-motes you use your arms like the racket, the bat, etc. It’s a great addition to the gaming family with kids that want to game. The Wii makes it much easier for them to play than trying to learn the complex controllers of the Xbox and the PS systems.

So, as I look back on my time in the gaming world I wish that I could have had the games that my kids now have and the ones they will soon have with the release coming soon from Xbox 360, the Kinect.  You will no longer need a controller.  The controller will be your body and there will be no more cheating the gaming system as there is with the Wii.  They attempted to make it a healthy gaming option to only have kids and adults the same finding ways to play without being active.  The Kinect will put the Wii out of existence.

Accomplishment....

Belle Tire...

So, last time I was on I told you about a situation with a Belle Tire employee who represented the company extremely poorly while visiting a Hooters establishment near his place of work.  While I understood why he was behaving in some of the ways that he did, I don't think other ways he bahaved was really called for in a place like Hooters.  I am not going to rehash everything that I have already said, so I will just get to the point fo this blog.

I received a response from Don Barnes, Marketing Director.  I was relieved to see that he had taken action based on my email.  I have never gotten a response for a complaint in the past of quite this magnitude.  This is the email I received.

Dear Megan,



First I would like to apologize for the way our employee was behaving. We coach and teach our employees that they represent Belle Tire even when they aren't at work. Yesterday I was able to identify the employee and disciplinary measures were taken. Along with that an entire company wide email was sent to every single employee reitterating Belle Tire's policy.


Don Barnes
Marketing Director

I am not sure what exactly the form of discipline was taken for sure, but I can say that I haven't seen him back in Hooters.

Hooters Rocks!

Representation and respect

Belle Tire
3773 28th Street Southeast, Grand Rapids - Next door to Hooters

I recently submitted a contact request to Belle Tire for a situation I couldn't believe.  Now I understand that when people go to an establishment, such as Hooters, they are there for the food, fun and sexuality of it. I know I am.  Now, this being said, having a husband who works for a multi-billion dollar company, I can't believe that he would ever wear their Logo so large and out there and act the way this guy did.  Here is the comment I sent directly to Belle Tire.

"I recently visited my favorite Hooters restaurant and was seated across from a guy who was wearing a Belle Tire shirt and Hat.  I didn't really think much of it until he started to behave in a way you would find a guy behaving in a strip bar.  Now this restaurant of course is known for being a place men go to look at hot women and drool over the ones they can't take home with them and enjoy some great food.  However this guy wearing the Belle Tire attire was a complete and utter bafoon.  I can't even call him a man at this point because a true man wouldn't treat anyone this way, even if he was in a strip bar.  He started by smacking the waitress on the ass a few times more than I would find appropriate and the way he spoke to her was like he was a possessive husband.  Now for all I know the Hooters Girl he was disrespecting was someone he knew and that's fine.  The point is, he was wearing the Belle Tire name all over and acting this way.  I once worked for a large insurance company and as a part I volunteered for them at a Golf Outing and also wore their shirts elsewhere.  While wearing anything with their Company Name on it I wouldn't have acted out of sorts like this in any way.  that's just not the way you represent someone like that. And this guy had no regard for the fact he was in company clothing. This all being said... I will continue to use Discount and I will not have my work done at Belle Tire even if your company is able to beat their pricing because all I can see when I see your sign is this jerk acting like just that.  Oh and his name is Drew and he is a windshield repair man from what I understand."

Maybe what I say won't matter to anyone and maybe it will change the client base for the smaller.  Who knows.  All I know is that I won't and either will my rather large family. 

Belle Tire - 3773 28th Street Southeast, Grand Rapids - (616) 954-8000

Over all - 0 stars out of 5 stars

Sprint...not another phone call...

Here I go again.  The round and round with Sprint customer service. 

The short of it...  I bought the new Evo Shift.  Was told one price and got my bill today with the entire cost of the phone plus some.

The long of it... I don't have that kind of space!

Advice???

A little off base....


Normally I just like blogging and letting out my frustrations on businesses but today I have something else I want to blog about.

When I put something somewhere because I know that I don't want anyone else to see it and I know that it's none of their business to be looking at it, I can't stand when they nose around until they find it.  If I wanted them to know what it was or if I wanted them to see it I would have pulled it out and put it with the stuff they need to look at.  I wouldn't have went thru the trouble of keeping it from you in the first place. 

And it's not like I was putting it there because it was something I wanted to hide from them, it was mearly because it was something very personal and I don't need them looking in to it.  I respect everyone's privacy.  No matter where it is.  Whether it's out and about or it's in my home or theirs.  This is in my house.  It's hidden in my drawer, with my private things.  It's not labeled open me and read the stuff inside. 

Anyway I had to get that out before I went crazy and yelled at this person.  I really want to actually yell at them but our friendship is way more important than this information.  My only real concern is that I can't trust them alone in my home now.  And that makes me uncomfortable and I don't know what to do.

Any advice?

Ahhh, Breakfast for Dinner

Denny's.....

I was having one of those days.  You know the one.  When everything is going wrong and all you want to do is go crawl in bed and sleep for the rest of it.  Well, instead I said I wanted to have breakfast.  Yes, breakfast for dinner.  It's something we do often.  So the choice was Denny's.  I know that a lot of people think that Denny's is nasty or a waste of time, but I was in the mood for their breakfast.  Eggs, french toast, smothered fries....it all sounded so good to me.

So we made our way up the street from where we were on 28th St and found the nearest and apparently only Denny's this way.  Walking in I could already smell the food that I wanted so badly.  The place was packed, it was Sunday afterall.  They quickly seated us back in a corner booth.  After finding out who the waitress was going to be I could already tell she wasn't going to get tipped well.  She took over 5 minutes just to come to our table.  I of course being the person I am, when she wanted to take my order I told her I didn't know what I wanted yet for my main course but a Strawberry shake and Smothered fries would get me started.

I was so looking forward to the smothered fries.  For those of you who haven't had them before, they are basically Potato wedges with cheese sauce and shredded melted cheese and bacon with ranch to dip them in.  They are so good.  Typically when I order these I get them at the table in about 5 minutes after ordering.  Not the case today.  Hell, I didn't even get my shake for 10 minutes and when the waitress brought that out she claimed the restaurant has the "hardest ice cream in the world" so that is what took so long.

Are you kidding me?  Hard ice cream?  What did she have to do? Mix it by hand because their shake mixer broke down.  Come on really?  Just admit that you hate your job and the last place you want to be is working at Denny's where everyone that comes in thinks they are better than you.  Or they are so drunk and stupid you can't stand dealing with them.  But blame it on the ice cream.  The very same ice cream the other Denny's I have no problems getting shakes in a shake (haha) from. 

After the shake came out I only assumed that the fries would be shortly behind.  But nope.  Not a chance.  It took yet another 17 minutes.  This puts me seated and waiting for 31 minutes.  This was about the time that I decided that I wasn't going to wait 20 minutes for fries let alone, another however long for the eggs, toast and pancakes I ordered and Dave's Superbird.  I was gone.  I stood up, collected my coat and had Dave get the car. 

Now this is how what I did differentiates from a Dine and Dash situation.  I walked up to the manager at the counter, told her I was disgusted with the service and couldn't believe I waited more than 20 minutes for fries that still haven't came and a shake.  I was leaving.  She just said good bye and headed in the direction of our waitress.  I am wondering if she still works there?...

Still being in the mood for the breakfast I was so strongly craving, Dave, like a good husband does, drove me all the way over to 44th and Clyde Park to the other GR Denny's so I could get the food I wanted.  This time it was good...or at least better than 28th St.

The waitress was definitely on top of things.  Our drinks came out immediately, the fries with in 5 minutes of seated and our food within 10 minutes of that.  Just as it should, once our fries were gone.  However, not the fault of the waitress, my eggs were underdone and they did need to go back.  And the waitress even knew enough that when she went to get the replacements that were still underdone, she took it upon herself to get me new ones before even attempting to bring it out.

Needless to say after all of this I didn't pay for my breakfast because this waitress heard my story about 28th St and then with my food not being done properly she asked that her manager took my meal off the bill.  I greatly appreciated this and tipped well of course.

Denny's 28th St. GR, 1 out 5 Stars
Denny's 44th St. Wyoming, 3 out of 5 stars.