Browsing Tag: randomthoughts

    Miscellany

    Random Thoughts: Restaurants, Wait Staff and Iced Tea

    December 12, 2011

    When you order iced tea at a restaurant — as I often do — you never know what you’re going to get. Some teas are really strong, some are really weak, some are served with a glass full of ice and some with a bit less ice.

    And so, when you start to add sugar, you have to test and taste until you get the iced tea just right. Sometimes, I’ve added 1-2 sugar packets and other times, I’ve had to use 4-5 sugar packets.

    All of which is to say this: It takes a lot of tweaking to get the iced tea just right.

    And that’s why it drives me a little bit crazy when my iced tea is still half-full or three quarters-full, and THE WAITER/WAITRESS COMES BY AND REFILLS MY ICED TEA! ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!

    Thanks. Just needed to vent.

    Miscellany

    Random Thought: Peeing on others’ cornflakes

    September 18, 2011

    Person A: “I just (saw/heard/tried) a great new (movie/CD/restaurant). It was terrific, you really have to (see/hear/try) it yourself!”

    Person B: “I (saw/heard/tried) that, too, and it stunk. You’re wrong.”

    What on earth would compel Person B to respond like that? What does s/he hope to gain from peeing on Person A’s cornflakes?

    Don’t be a turd. If you see someone else enjoying something that you didn’t enjoy, keep it to yourself and let the other person enjoy his/her cornflakes.

    Miscellany

    Random Thoughts: Car Dealers or Car Stores?

    September 4, 2011

    salesmanBuying a car can be a really stressful event, right? Not many people actually look forward to going into the car dealer and getting the high-pressure sales pitch then having to sit through a torturous negotiation process.

    So when you hear the phrase “car dealer,” it probably has a lot of negative connotations. Who wants to go to the “car dealer”??

    Not me.

    I don’t think the problem is the “car” part … it’s the “deal” part. Pretty much everything else we buy in life (aside from cars and houses, mainly) is pretty easy: There’s a set price and you either pay it or you don’t. It’s easy.

    But making a “deal” isn’t easy. It’s not fun.

    So, at the risk of sounding like Andy Rooney, have you ever wondered why the auto industry hasn’t tried to change the name of its businesses? Rather than “car dealer,” I think they should call them car stores.

    Car store.

    Doesn’t that sound so much less intimidating? A lot of people enjoy going to the store. No pressure. No negative connotations.

    “Let’s go to the Chevrolet store and see what they have.” That beats the heck out of “I have to go to the dealer and look for a car.”

    I really think they should start rebranding the whole experience now. And start with the name. They’re car stores, not car dealers. (It would also help if they’d get rid of the high-pressure salespeople and the insufferable process that buying a car entails, but hey … gotta start somewhere.)

    (Stock photo from Shutterstock.)

    Miscellany

    Random Thoughts: Beavis & Butthead

    August 8, 2011

    beavis-buttheadCari sent me a link to this interview with Mike Judge talking about the return of Beavis & Butthead to television.

    Confession: I’m excited by this news.

    Random thought: What if it’s one of those things that doesn’t live up to the hype you build up in your own mind? What if it’s nowhere near as good/funny as the original?

    I hate when that happens.

    Miscellany

    Random Thoughts: Hotels and Air Travel

    June 14, 2011

    Two things that won’t fit on Twitter:

    1.) Why is it that you can reserve a hotel room without paying, but not an airplane ticket?

    I can reserve any room I want in any city at any hotel and not pay a dime unless I actually follow-through and use it. But you have to pay up front for a seat on an airplane? Wouldn’t it be cool if you could make airline reservations and cancel them 24 hours in advance without paying, like you can do with hotels? That would be awesome.

    2.) Why does no hotel pamper guests with quality toilet paper?

    Seriously, no matter how much you pay for a hotel toom and no matter what city you’re in, you get the same industrial-strength, barely-softer-than-sandpaper toilet paper. Stay at a posh hotel and they’ll give you the soft, terry cloth robe, the super-comfy bed, the HD TV and all the other niceties … but no dice on anything remotely acceptable on the toilet paper dispenser. My kingdom for a roll of Charmin at my next hotel stay!

    Miscellany

    Random Thoughts: Cooking for Guests

    April 17, 2011

    If you ever come for a visit at Casa McGee, remind me to cook one (or more) of these things for you:

    • Garlic-flavored chili cheeseburger
    • Chicken fajitas
    • Macaroni salad

    That’s all.