Who knew?

I thought the drive-up window at every bank in the universe opened at 8:30 a.m., even on Saturdays when the lobby is closed. I learned differently today. Because of a quirk arising from the shifting of my paydays relative to when bills come due, I didn't have enough money in my checking account to make the payment on my home equity credit line (which, along with my mortgage, is with a different bank than my normal one) until yesterday (27 Feb). Normally I pay my bills on-line, but even though the transactions are electronic, it can take up to three business days for them to go through.

Since my credit line payment is due on the 1st of every month, I couldn't pay it electronically. So I wrote a check friday morning, intending to swing by that other bank and make both a cash deposit into my checking account there, and make my credit line payment. I went and got the cash at my regular bank, went to the other bank and made the deposit and went home. yep, that's right. Not only did I forget to make the credit line payment, I discovered friday night before leaving for work that I hadn't even taken it with me! Hence me going to the bank again this morning, and discovering that the drive up doesn't open until 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays.

Mail between countries

I just received a package from the UK. It is stamped with the symbol of the Royal Mail, which makes me wonder what the employees of of our own Post Office thought when they saw it. It also brings to mind the time I mailed a donation to a man in Christchurch, New Zealand. I had to take the letter to the Post Office, and hand it to a Postal Worker, who proceded to mark it 'Par Avion' which I guess is French for 'Air Mail'. I also paid 90 cents for the privilege, at a time when 1st class stamps were 23 cents. Global post. It makes you think.

Sausage Soup

I've been making a lot of soup lately, to eat at work since it is cheaper and healthier than anything I might buy out of the vend-o-mat. For protein I've used beef (chunks and ground), pork (again, chunks and ground) and chicken (chunks). I've even tried beans, which didn't work so well from a taste stand point. This time I picked up two pounds of Hy-Vee bulk sausage.

As usual, I browned it, then added water. When the water was boiling I added a package of frozen Pepper Stir-fry Vegetables (green, red, and yellow peppers, and onions), half a bag of egg noodles, and about a 1/4 cup of rice. When I first tasted it, I wasn't sure sausage was a good ingredient, but over the last two days I've decided I like it.

Not often seen

A few days ago I saw something that I don't usually see in my neighborhood. I have no idea what it was doing, but there it was, big as life.

A little surprising

I'm surprised (but not entirely). The reaction to my notion of taking a voluntary layoff has been uniformly negative, even from the Democrat flavored members of my family. All have counselled me to 'look out for number one'. I've always looked out for Number One. My favorite saying is "It's all about me, baby!" For which attitude I have recieved much chastisement from the Democrat flavored members of my family. So, craving their indulgence, let me say that I find it deliciously ironic that, when push came to shove, the chips fell where they did.

That said, my reasons for contemplating a voluntary layoff were not entirely charitable. It was, in truth, mostly about me. I don't enjoy my current position anymore. I've mastered it, so there is no challenge any more. In a word, it's boring. Also, despite the fact that Frank has been with us for almost a year, people still come to me with requests that it is Frank's job to handle. And it doesn't seem to make any impression on them how surly I am when I say, "How many times do I have to tell you, I don't have the key to the supply room any more?" or "Ask Frank, he's the boss, not me." An other factor is that the whining and carping is getting worse. I understand that people are worried about getting laid off, but do they have to talk about it constantly? They obsess about their seniority dates and whether their paychecks are accurate to the penny. I'm just tired of it all.

Now, on a completely unrelated note, I have a gadget called a tele-zapper. I've had it for years and years. It 'zaps' computer dialed calls, and was intended for use against tele-marketers. Today, this morning, its power supply shorted out. I discovered this when my answering machine went dead. Then I noticed that the microwave was dead, too. So was the 'fridge, and the light over the sink. I happened to be on the phone with Pops at the time, and he enjoyed helping me puzzle out the answer. A check of the fuze box revealed a blown fuze on that circuit. A replacement was inserted, and blew instantly. The obvious culpret was a short circuit, and it almost had to be one of the appliances plugged into that circuit. I unplugged everything and put a new fuze it. It didn't blow. I plugged the appliances in in turn. Only the tele-zapper failed to work. Interestingly, by itself it didn't fry the fuze, so it must have only been a partial short, just enough to overload the fuze with everything else plugged in.

Razors and other odd things

I was getting my hair cut this morning, the first item on my list of errands to run. In the course of conversing with the stylist, I mentioned that one of the things I missed from the old days of hair care was that barbers would shave the back of your neck with a razor. Well, it turns out stylists have razors too. Not a plain old fashioned straight razor, but something very near to one. The only major difference is a guard that makes it much harder (if not impossible) to cut someone accidentally.

I also learned that shaving someone with straight razor is considered surgical hair removal in the state of Iowa, and that Cost Cutters insurance carrier won't let them do such things. Me, I don't see much difference between a straight razor and a safety razor, or why using or not using shaving cream matters (my stylist didn't use any on me).

I can't help but wonder how such a fine legal distinction came about. It also serves to remind us how the legal system intrudes into every aspect of our lives.