Daddy's Little Girls

I have a friend who was a rather rebellious teenager and fell into a tough street lifestyle into her early adulthood. She left home at 17 and lived all over the country. For years she had a tumultuous relationship with her parents, going long stretches of time without seeing them. She became pregnant with her own child and delivered a beautiful baby girl. This was a turning point for her. She got off drugs, found a legitimate job, and got off the streets. She created a small but beautiful home for her and her daughter. Eventually she went to college and got a degree in a field that she felt truly passionate about, all while maintaining the same job for 12 years.

Recently my friend decided to move back to her home state, a great move for her, but sad for me. She has mended the relationship with her folks and has become an integral part of their daily lives. Her teenage daughter is now surrounded by a positive family unit and succeeding in school in a much more positive direction.

Today my friend told me she has a fishing trip planned for the weekend with her father, the first time they have ever gone on such an outing in her entire life. Given my recent paternal issues, hearing of their strides, I felt hopeful that perhaps someday I will be able to find peace with my own father. We have a lot of unspoken hurts between us that have been swept under the rug for over 30 years. So, thank you G.P.T. for not only being my best friend, sister-in-heart, and confidante, but for showing me through your experiences, that nothing is insurmountable. You are my inspiration for family unity.

To Coupon or to NOT to Coupon....

There is a reality television show on a cable network titled "Extreme Couponing" which I believed (note-past tense) to be the ultimate stretch on finding a series that would hold a semblance of interest. I must admit, I have been sucked into a few episodes and actually find myself motivated to take a stab at this newly publicized phenominon. The amount of savings to be had is mind boggling if done correct. (One lady had over $600 in items and paid $4.18.. by ANY means, this is awesome).

This afternoon I found myself at the local grocery store picking up a handful of last minute ingredients for recipies I will be trying during tomorrow's holiday celebration. The market was quite busy, all 18 lanes open. Each one easily housed five customers deep and almost every cart was brimming with a variety of meat, charcoal, beer/alcohol and a plethora of fixin's for side dishes. With ninja skills I managed to navigate through the aisles, grabbing my small list of items and shimmy into a check out lane in less than 15 minutes. Unfortunately, lane 13 was a very, VERY bad call.

The fella' two customers in front of me had a one inch stack of retailer and newspaper coupons AND receipts from a previous shopping spree. Quite rudely he demanded credits for items on said receipts which required extensive investgation and the keyed override approval of a manager, thus holding up the line. Minute by minute I became exeedingly annoyed at the delay this caused me and my melting gallon of ice cream. Please do not misunderstand, I give kudos to anyone who is talented enough to make the system work in their favor, especially in these rough financial times. However, there are a few ettiquette tips I might recommend.

1. Please do your best to plan these time-consuming treks for the market's slow hours, NOT the most busy time of day.
2. Do NOT decide one day prior to a major holiday to conduct your couponing.
3. Please allow the customer behind you with three items in hand go ahead of you, ESPECIALLY if it's ice cream.
4. HANG UP YOUR CELL PHONE WHEN YOU ARE BEING ASSISTED AT THE REGISTER!!! (seriously, this is common courtesy people.)

After today's experience, I hesitate to try my hand at saving a few pennies with these ditties. I am still up for the challenge, however; I realize the simplest common consideration as to when and where you test your skills makes a huge difference. And to Lola the cashier, you showed great patience and professionalism to this tactless excuse for a human, yet smiled with apologetic eyes to the unlucky souls who unloaded behind him. For that, you get major "props" from me. When I see you next, the Starbucks 10 feet away will be on me and I will relay this story just so you know people really DO appreciate great customer service.