I find myself in a little hot water these past few days. It seems some people are not only reading the blog, but, have declared themselves gatekeepers, and/or critics. I probably shouldn't mention any names but I can't help myself, Harriet and Rebecca.
First let me explain something. Most of what flows from my brain to my fingers is true. I do not make things up. I may stretch the truth a little, or a lot, but Chuck doesn't lie. I tell the truth so I don't have to clutter up my brain with stories.
My friend Harriet is the most analytical person I know. I don't think she has ever made a purchase of any substantial amount without doing hours of research. I'm pretty sure she has every copy of Consumer Report ever printed. She has been reading about surround sound systems so long she and Paul will need hearing aids if they ever get one. I would, and have, called her for help with most large ticket items we have purchased. Yesterday I called to get her opinion on a couple of LED TV's.
"I thought you said you made your own lattes at home," she asked me a minute and a half into the conversation. "I read in the blog you went to Starbucks," she said. I told her I wanted to use my new Gold Card and had a few bucks on it. In case you didn't read yesterdays entry, they forgot to credit me a dime for using my personnel cup, couldn't figure out how to fix it so gave me a free drink.
This morning I still had the dough on my card so around eight I went out. I ordered the same drink at the same counter at the same store but from a different Barista. He made the same mistake. I don't take my personnel cup just to save a dime. I take the thing to save a cup too, Wanda and I recycle and compost and generate as little trash as possible, we do what we can. The company policy is save a cup, save a dime. I didn't make that up, and damn it, I want my dime! Today they figured out how to get me my dime. All it took was two people, five minutes and twenty cents worth of paper.
Rebecca, my daughter. I am so very sorry I offended you and Tim. How was I to know you had not one, but two, pieces of crap passing as televisions. When I was at Fred's I wrote about his lousy television sets. I was miserable watching those old, faded, tube TVs. Never did I imagine a couple of young people could live with cathode ray television. Maybe you should leave them out in front of your door early one morning? To make amends for my insult, if Wanda and I get a new TV, you two will get first dibs on our old one.
The other day I was thinking about new technology and the business' that have evolved because of it. Every so often I think about the ones that have disappeared. It wasn't so long ago you could go to a shoe repair on Main Street in downtown Walnut Creek. If you wanted a shoeshine while there "The Champ" would be happy to help you out. Tailor shops were also on every other block.
When I was a kid the tailor was a much needed service, as well as the shoe repair. I would get new heels and sometime soles on my shoes. Those would usually go first and lots more wear could be had for a fraction the cost of new shoes. Also, for many years I was the youngest boy cousin in the family by six to eighteen months. I would get lots of what were called then, hand me downs. I usually didn't mind much. I do remember a pair of pastel like slacks with a side zipper my mother pawned off on me as "fashionable." I should tell you I am sure those were my girl cousins pants. No wonder I had a difficult childhood.
One business that has evolved recently, and not because of our advanced technology, the storage business. Have you ever watched one of the TV shows about "The Hoarders?" How in the world could someone be filmed for television and actually admit to using a plastic garbage bag for a "port-a-john." And, for more than five years to boot.
Prior to 1972 there were very few public storage spaces in the USA. Today there are approximately 58,000 companies in the world with 50,000 of them right here. They say that one in ten of us pay money every month to "store" our extra stuff. We pay for rental on about 2.35 billion square feet of public storage. You can rent great big spaces, or, the smallest spaces, which are 10 X 5 or 50 square feet.
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