Bless
Bless indeed. On the recent subject of sweeties. Here is the saga of a Christmas present gone slightly wrong.
It has been a custom, since we moved into this house, to give our neighbours a nice tin of biscuits or something as a neighbourly gesture. We never expect anything in return. But, we usually do get a little something anyway. This Christmas past the usual gift was sent in along with a nice card. About 2 hours later there was a light knock on the door (they haven't discovered the doorbell yet) and the dogs went wild as usual. How dare someone or something come to their front door without them knowing.
Upon answering the door there stands our neighbour. She was standing back from the door as she is a timid wee old lady and is scared of the dogs. I think she is scared of her own shadow but never mind. The dogs were put into the kitchen where they couldn't maul our wee neighbour, still barking but maul free. Our wee next door neighbour very kindly handed us a package that had been rather hastily wrapped in gay Christmas paper.
Now for the big bit. Upon thanking the neighbour and seeing her on her way we opened up the package to look see. It was a large family tin of Quantity Avenue. (we don't do Quality Street, we live in an Avenue I will have you know)Anyway, Christmas over, New Year in, it is someones bright idea to open the tin of sweeties from next door. Why not says me. That's what they are there for. We do. We pick. We chew........
Whats wrong with these? The hard ones are soft. The soft ones are hard. And the other ones are just ok. It is someones bright idea to look at the tin. On the underside is the use by date. May 2007. Not May 2010 or even May 2009. But May 2007
We are still alive. The tin is nearly empty. But I think if there is a next time I will look at the date before opening
Bless them
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Chew Chew for now
Posted :: Wednesday 1/21/2009 9:26:00 AM
It's That Time of Year Again
Yes folks. That time of year has come again. Rather quicker than in previous years. What time, I hear you ask. The time to take stuff back to the store that you bought it in because the item you spent a fortune on for your beloved has started to fall apart. The reason will be made clearer soon.
My wife was delighted with what I had got her for Sanity Clause to bring her for the Festive period. She loved it. It was just what she wanted. (nobody calls me SuperShopper for nothing you know) Anyway, back to the item. She was so keen to show it off that she used it from day one. Now, as you all know, my wife has not been getting out and about as much as she could have due to her wee stay in hospital recently. But when she did get out this thing went with her everywhere. (see who can guess what the item is first go)
After its third or fourth day out the item started to fall apart. I was not a happy bunny. No sir. Not a happy bunny indeed. I had spent my , I repeat, MY hard saved cash on this item. Not only that, i had trolled the streets of Toronto (without success) looking for this item. I had bought one of these on board ship during our cruise last Summer (wrong one, had to return said item) At last, after asking all over and anyone who would know where i could get said item I found out that there was a store in Bangor, yes, Bangor, our home town, that sold this particular item. Thank feck it's Friday. (that's the actual day I bought it on) Purchased, wrapped, given, adored, falling apart, back to store, given a replacement, and back home. My wife is a happy bunny. And so am I.
Upon close inspection when we got home we discovered the possible reason for this item to start falling apart. This item is from one of the top, I say TOP, design houses in New York. The best in it's line. You get what you pay for. Quality. At least, that's what i thought. Looking closer at the inside of this fine piece of designer clobber I was disappointed to find out that this item was made nowhere near New York. not even York. It had come from some sweat shop in India. India is not the problem here. What the problem here is. Compare the price I paid for the item. Take away the manufacturers cost price. That leaves a hell of a profit margin for the brand. And the retailer.
Being an ex retailer myself I enjoyed a reasonable profit margin. I sold quality goods. Goods to last a lifetime. I am glad to be away from retail as I find now that products are no longer made with the care and attention to detail that equates to the final cost of said product.
How's that for a rant? I feel a lot better now. Do any of you feel any better for reading it?
Now, don't forget the earlier question. What is the item i bought for my wife. First correct answer give yourself a joob joob and a pat on the back. For those of you who give a wrong answer / suggestion, don't loose any sleep over it.
All comments and replies to this gack, click on above title and see what happens
Ta ta for now
Posted :: Monday 1/12/2009 10:04:00 AM
For This Year I Will....
I think for this year i will .........probably do the same as I did last year only a wee tad different. As I have made no resolutions I cannot break them. I have little money left and at the end of this year I can more or less guarantee the same. I found out that after a break of friendship with my pal Dr. Smirnoff he is still not a very friendly person. After thinking that we had made up our differences he creeps up behind and PWCHWAAAACK. I am ill with some very uncomfortable illnesses over a 3 day period. Goodbye old friend.
Apart from that. I had a great time over the Xmas period and New Year. There were friends home from all over the place and even we had a full house with foreigners. The USA were there. Canada was there. England was there. The Republic (Eire / The South / Ireland) was there. Good to see all. One guy in particular was home and nobody was supposed to know. But, you know the saying. Bangor is too small a place to keep any secrets for long. Hence the booze up arranged in Fealty's the other day. Great innit! (but then again not so great as I was the one who ended up ill.
Santa was really good this year. Everything I was given was actually something that I wanted. I think this is a first. (for me anyway) It must have been something to do with all the little hints I kept dropping prior to the day. There were things that I got that were used more or less straight away, especially the gift vouchers, and there were other things that will take me up to this time next year to even start using (all the books) I did go out and buy a CD that wasn't in my stocking though, methinks that because it was such an awkward one to find that nobody bothered to go looking. I walked into the store and there it was. On the shelf about 10 feet inside the door. That was one voucher used up. After hearing about Zavvi and them not honoring their vouchers I thought I better just get this used up just in case.
At the moment our hose is still on the full side. Apart from ourselves we have two from the USA and one from England staying. So, hose full for the moment. I think come this time next Tuesday we will have the hose back to normal again. That means after my household duties I don't have to worry about slobbing around. Great innit!
One thing I did do, I said I would'nt but I did anyway, was..... I went into Woolworths on their last trading day. And yes, I did buy a load of stuff. What stuff I hear you ask. I will tell you. I went round their CD and DVD racks and picked out the items I thought would sell on Ebay. Everything was 80% off. Everything is now on Ebay. Maybe this will be the year for making my fortune on Ebay. But then again. I seem to remember saying something along those lines this time last year. Look what happened there. Wait and see. Wait and see.
For now
Chow
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Posted :: Saturday 1/3/2009 8:03:00 AM
