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Archive through October 11, 2009

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: General Discussions ARCHIVES: August 2009 ~ December 2009: Free Expressions: The return of The Return of the Gripe Thread: Archive through October 11, 2009 users admin

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Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Wednesday, September 09, 2009 - 2:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
"women from her church to *document* human rights offences"

versus

"8th grade classes at all of the local Jr. Highs go to DC in the spring"

How does Rissa's neighbor know if perhaps her neighbors might be agnostic or atheists? While I have contributed quite a bit for a young man to go on a Church mission to build housing in Honduras, he was a youngster that had done a lot of work around my house during 2 summers. So I had no problem contributing a truckload of good stuff to the rummage sale. I considered it to be an educational experience for him in a safe setting. I also contributed towards a super, used but pricey, trumpet for the youngster because he showed such promise in his HS band classes and wasn't able to come up with his full share reqd by his parents, even after all the money he had earned. (He never asked, but my best friend was keeping me updated on the "trumpet fund".)

A trip for Jr. High youngsters to travel to DC is travel that I especially consider to be educational and gladly donated money for several nieces to participate. Again, a safe setting and healthy for kids to get some travel experiences. [ETA: the kids were in Phoenix, so the coupon books didn't work for me, so all I could do to support was to gladly send money.]

But some adult I hardly know, trying to get funding for a church travel plans, is not something I would find acceptable. Would feel very uncomfortable being put on the spot by some neighbor or coworker.

BTW, you know, that expression about KARMA coming back at one? When my mold abatement problems hit me about 5 yrs later, the young man of the Honduras trip came running with a borrowed ventilator air mask the very next day to help me - even though he was holding down 3 jobs after HS. We had to pull everything out of the guest room to wash down with bleach or toss. I was so distraught, not thinking very clearly. He spent about 3 hrs, hauled all the furniture out, and directed the project getting me back on track. I cried when he refused to take a cent of payment. So, yeah, that KARMA stuff can come back when you least expect it.

Escapee
Member

06-15-2004

Wednesday, September 09, 2009 - 7:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Escapee a private message Print Post    
I hate it when anyone sells anything door to door because I am a sucker for it. What infuriates me is the neighbor kids who sell stuff door to door but their houses have no soliciting signs. I got one too.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Wednesday, September 09, 2009 - 8:00 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
my husband is too, escapee..he's not allowed to answer the door! LOL

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Monday, September 14, 2009 - 1:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Here in So Cal, in the midst of a drought or near drought, we're under water restrictions. We take water conservation pretty serious under normal circumstances, but at times like these we go a little further. Especially since part of the water restrictions including only watering your front lawn a couple times a week for 15 minutes or whatever it is. Evidence of this...I have a pile of laundry I'm afraid will never be gone and dead grass.

The city, who the last several years has been coming down hard on homeowners with a whole beautification thing, hasn't been issuing their normal warnings (nasty letter, picture of infraction, threat of fines.) I knew that was changing the other day though when I walked out the door and the city truck was sitting across the street. In the couple minutes I was outside, I watched him drive and stop by four houses, cuz ya know, nobody really has green grass. And sure enough, we got a warning yesterday.

What ticks me off about the warning for dead grass is, well water shortage! We're doing exactly what we should be doing. Water 2 nights a week, about midnight for 15 minutes each time. If we use more than we should be, we'll be charged extra by the water company, plus they can come and audit our water usage and charge even more. Not quite sure what we're supposed to do (the city warning was oh so helpful in adding we could put down manure, seed, and water,) but, we'll have to do something.

The warning also included having no visible address on the house and added it's supposed to be visible from the street and how big it should be. I told Darren we oughta take a pic of the numbers on the corner of the garage, from the street where they are clearly visible (not to mention the address painted on the damn curb) and send it to them and tell them to shove it. He didn't think that was too funny. The address must be invisible to the city people only though, cuz no one else has ever had any trouble finding it! I almost thought they had the wrong house, except it was a pic of my house, lol.

I haven't talked to any of the other neighbors yet to see what warnings they got besides the dead grass. That should be fun, there's always a whole bunch of stupid stuff. They once sent me a warning for trash sitting on the porch (complete with pictures of the 3 big black bags sitting there.) Took me a few minutes to remember what the heck that was about...it was a donation for goodwill and the bags set there for maybe thirty minutes before they picked it up. One of the neighbors got one because their kids basketball hoop (one of those that has the base with wheels so you can move around) was sitting on their curb at the bottom of their driveway.

The grass though is what really annoys me. We try really hard to be careful with our water usage and we're doing the right thing. We shouldn't be penalized for that.

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Monday, September 14, 2009 - 5:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Teachmichigan a private message Print Post    
I'd forward their letter to the city water monitors. See what they have to say about it!

Christy358
Member

07-10-2007

Monday, September 14, 2009 - 7:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Christy358 a private message Print Post    
Here we have a tv station that likes to play champion to the little guy. Do you have something like that?

E-mail the newspaper? Maybe a reporter who has done an article on the drought and using water in smart ways?

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Monday, September 21, 2009 - 10:28 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Heh, there's an article on the front page of the paper today about it....homeowners caught between a rock and a hard place, stuck with an ordinance on watering and one on maintaining landscape. I'm going to have to pick up a paper to read the article later.

I've talked to quite a few neighbors and all of them got the same warning we did about the grass. There's a lot of confusion and anger...what exactly are we supposed to do, no matter what we're going to take a hit, either in a fine by the city or increased water prices. And I'm none too happy about that either! My water bill doubled in the last month and we didn't use any more than we did last month (I compared the two bills.)

ETA: I will give the city one though, after laughing at them! After griping about the address, which is visible from the street, Darren got home Saturday and found a problem, lol. It got breezy Saturday morning and Kota had two games so we spent the morning at the park. We came home between the games for her to eat lunch and pick up Darren who'd been working and when we pulled up, he was out cutting a couple tree branches down. Come to find out, when it's breezy out (like it was that day the city was in the neighborhood) the branches were low enough to blow down and block the address on the corner of the garage. When it's not breezy, the branches weren't blocking the address. So he cut those down, problem solved, lol.

Sugar
Member

08-15-2000

Monday, September 21, 2009 - 11:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sugar a private message Print Post    
I don't think I've ever lived anywhere that had some sort of landscape rules. I'd be pitching a big fit.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 12:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
It's a good thing and a pain in the butt all at the same time. Landscape and property upkeep ordinances. You don't see junker cars that never moved parked in front yards and they are very quick to get graffiti taken care of (er, that is pictures taken by the police and then the homeowner having to repaint it themselves and at their cost.) And then there's stupid things like trash cans can't sit on the side of houses if they're in view of the street, even if they're nice and neatly put up or kids toys like the neighbors basketball hoop being too close to the street or brown grass in a drought.

I understand it in theory. When people take pride in their homes, they take pride in their neighborhoods and communities, there's less crime and more people want to move here. But, at this point they're just browbeating people who can't really do anything about it.

Oldtex
Member

03-06-2006

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 9:39 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Oldtex a private message Print Post    
War - do what I've seen on HGTV. People trying to sell house, but grass is brown or sparse in some spots. Don't know who makes it, but I seen on HGTV the realtor (or homeowner, etc.) there is a product that comes in a spray can...you actually "spray" your grass green.

Probably expensive, but I just die laughing every time I've seen this. LOL

Kitt
Member

09-06-2000

Tuesday, October 06, 2009 - 3:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kitt a private message Print Post    
Arggggg, CA chain restaurants will have to show calorie count on their dishes from sometime next year, and some have started putting them on the menu already.

I just went to California Pizza Factory for lunch and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to eat out again! A plate of my favourite salad was 1000 calories!!! A half plate (which I ended up having) was 499. AND THAT WAS ABOUT THE LEAST CALORIFIC THING ON THE MENU!!!!! Arrrrrrrggggg!

It's so much better to live in ignorance!

Sorry, just had to scream that to someone!

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Tuesday, October 06, 2009 - 3:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ophiliasgrandma a private message Print Post    
Kitt, asked for your dressing on the side and just dip your fork in it. That probably will cut the calorie count in half, if not more.

Kitt
Member

09-06-2000

Tuesday, October 06, 2009 - 4:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kitt a private message Print Post    
It was a vinaigrette, so I thought it wouldn't be too bad (comparatively). Candied walnuts though.

But EVERYTHING was worse than that, instead of going down the menu looking at prices, we were both looking at the calories!

Mak1
Member

08-12-2002

Tuesday, October 06, 2009 - 5:55 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mak1 a private message Print Post    
Kitt, I feel your pain. I read the nutrition info for everything I like at Panera Bread last night. It was horrifying! The grams of fat and sugar were killers.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Wednesday, October 07, 2009 - 1:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Yesterday I was venting...today, I am griping and it's a gripe that's been a long time coming!

We live in a neighborhood that's a fairly frequent target for soliciting. I'm not talking about the neighborhood kids fund raising for school, sports, or girl/boy scouts. We live within about 2 blocks of three different churches, so they're here fairly often, ministering, inviting folks to services or activities. And the kids who are selling stuff to stay out of trouble (buy a magazine subscription to keep me off the street or candy to send me to a youth conference.)

These people are easy to spot...the church folks dress up, carry their bibles and pamphlets and come in a large group. The kids come in smaller groups and have id's identifying them as belonging to this or that group. They're also pretty polite, both the church folks and the kids, they knock on the door once, leave a pamphlet or flyer if you don't answer, say God Bless You or Thank you if you answer and say no thanks.

They can sometimes be annoying (the church folks are always here but for the most part they're not a big problem.

About 3-4 years ago, we got a new group of solicitors. They are a rather skeezy group. They aren't the cleanest bunch, they show up wanting to sell cleaners (and usually have 2 or 3 spray bottles filled with some liquid that's not labelled, filthy washcloths, and once in a while an empty garbage bag,) and they are absolutely rude. There's no indication they work for anyone or who that might be (no labels on bottles, no business cards or flyers, not even full bottles!)

This morning, I was on the phone with sis when one came by. He laid on the doorbell, then pounded on the door, then more laying on the doorbell (this is normal practice for all of them!) My dogs, who usually don't even do more than a single woof when someone comes to the door go wild. Sis wanted to know who the hell was attacking my door like that and if she should send bil over to check on me. The worst part about that is that they usually come in groups of 2 or 3 and each and every one of them will come to your door at least once (usually twice.)

The really skeezy part to me is that if you are dumb enough to open the door or have the bad fortune of arriving home as they're in the neighborhood and they catch you outside, they do everything they can think of to try to get in your home. "Let me come in and show you how well this works." "If you give me two minutes in your kitchen, you'll want to buy all the cleaner I have!" I had one neighbor tell me when she opened the door, the guy tried to push past her until he saw her husband sitting at the table and backed off.

There's so many things wrong with that. Not a lot of people in this neighborhood will open the door and let strangers in (none that I can think of) but there are quite a few elderly people alone, unlike the neighbor whose husband happened to be home, there are women home alone or with young kids still at home during the day. There's also been a spree of burglaries around here lately where someone knocks on a door and if noone answers, they call in their crew to break into the house. So now you have to worry about opening the door and not opening it!

It's gotten so bad that as soon as they're spotted people start calling the cops to come chase them off and eventually the cops come and send them on their way but they'll be back in a week or two. They totally tick me off!

Escapee
Member

06-15-2004

Wednesday, October 07, 2009 - 1:21 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Escapee a private message Print Post    
Wargod, that happened to me. They are skeezy. I took a tip from someone here. Sometimes they are casing the place. Be careful. Secondly, ask them to see their peddlers or vending license so you can contact the company if there is a problem, 90% of the time, they won't have it. Third, tell them that you (or one of your children) are highly allergic to different chemicals and could they please tell you what chemicals or compounds are in their product, they won't be able to tell you. Thirdly, call the cops.

Here is what happened to me. I have wood floors throughout my house with area rugs. When we first moved to the house we also got new area rugs and sofas, so they were clean. I made the mistake of answering the door and this gal wanted to do a deep cleaning. I said no thank you I had no need. She said "It looks as though you do." I said "Ma'am, this stuff is new and I just moved in, so no thank you."

With that she told me to "Enjoy my damn filth"


She walked off, I tried to see if there was some sort of company van or truck around, there wasn't, she just walked off down the block around the corner. I still think she was casing the place. DUMB idea in a neighborhood with two cops. I went over and told the neighbor (cop) about it. They haven't been back. He said if they do, to send them over to his house.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Wednesday, October 07, 2009 - 2:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Escapee, now that you mention the "enjoy my damn filth" I remember when you first posted about that! It's the same type of thing here, they are rude and pushy.

I've never really questioned if they came from any type of company because it seems rather clear to me they don't. Everything about them screams something is off, the un-labelled bottles, no product name that I can ever recall hearing, how rude and relentless they are, and the fact that even when 2 or 3 of them are together, I've never seen (or heard a naighbor say they've seen) a car so they're walking into the neighborhood. That last part oddly enough has been a huge red flag, cuz what exactly are they gonna sell you? Their half used bottle of unlabelled cleaner?

When they first started coming around, we assumed they were just trying to scam money, but the last 6-12 months, that type of burglary has really become quite common here in town so it's a definite worry.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Wednesday, October 07, 2009 - 2:05 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
do you have an area constable? we always call ours when we get those types.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Wednesday, October 07, 2009 - 2:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Nope, we don't. The cops will come when called, but they're not always fast (not a complaint, just a fact!)

Maplsyrp
Member

02-10-2009

Thursday, October 08, 2009 - 8:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Maplsyrp a private message Print Post    
We have had people like that in our neighborhood too and I am in Texas. They skeeve me out also but someone usually calls the police before they make it halfway down our street. My gripe of the day. Our big boss thought it would be cool if all of us got a shirt with the company logo on it and wear it one day of the week. We were allowed to get any color we wanted so it was kinda a fun thing to do. My gripe..... They all show up today wearing their shirts and nobody bothered to tell me. I am steamed about it and also a little hurt.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Friday, October 09, 2009 - 12:29 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
I can relate to that Maplsyrp! Our former secretary was an instigator, she had been there for many years before I was hired. In my case, EVERY person in the office and all the crew chiefs were wearing Hawaiian attire, except me. I would have even bought something, if I had only known. Hurt like the dickens!

Kstme
Member

08-14-2000

Saturday, October 10, 2009 - 4:52 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kstme a private message Print Post    
Wargod, I have a 'no soliciting' sign on the front door. Right in the middle of it. I don't answer the door for anyone, except, when someone I know is coming or for a delivery I'm expecting. I yell through that window by the door...'No soliciting, means no soliciting!' Mags and Cami happily barking behind their barricade. This way, I've accomplished two things...they know we have dogs and they know someone is home.

The other day, the city changed our water meter. The guy knocked on the door to make sure my water was off. A few minutes later, there's another knock on the door, and I thought it was him, (his truck was still here), so I opened the door. It was 'the churchladies'...I pointed to the sign and said, 'No soliciting!' One lady stammered and I repeated, 'No soliciting means no soliciting, even by God!' I'm sure they're still trying to figure this out! Meanwhile, the meter guy is in stitches and gives me a thumbs up sign! Whoohoo!

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Saturday, October 10, 2009 - 10:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Heh, I think here people either go blind or illiterate when they see a "No Soliciting" sign cuz they are completely ignored.

I remembered another gripe (and I'm sure I've griped about it here before) this morning that ticks me off even more than the cleaner people. Dakota was supposed to be at the park, across town, at 10:45 this morning for warm ups before her game. Darren's sick as a dog so besides him not going, I was kept running this morning between taking care of him, getting Kota to get ready, me in the shower, and the car packed up. On the way to the park, we made a quick stop at Walmart for gatorade, ice, and some fruit to take with us. We got out of the car and were quickly making our way to the entrance when this guy pops out from between two cars wanting to sell perfume.

Oh those people tick me off! First off I'm running late, second he made my poor kid jump about 12 feet in the air (scared her half to death!,) and third, you don't just pop out of nowhere in a parking lot like that! I went straight to the first employee I saw and complained. When we got done, security was out there talking to him, but not sure if they made him leave or not.

Kstme
Member

08-14-2000

Sunday, October 11, 2009 - 8:10 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kstme a private message Print Post    
War, thankfully, I've never experienced anyone doing something like that in a parking lot. Holy crapola!!!

Goddessatlaw
Member

07-19-2002

Sunday, October 11, 2009 - 8:14 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Goddessatlaw a private message Print Post    
Parking lot people are crazy. I always drive defensively in parking lots, particularly at Walmart where kids are always running through the crosswalks and people are pulling out blind and backwards from parking spaces. Good for you for bringing it to security's attention, Wargod.