No Legacy is so Rich as Honesty

What follows is the tale of how I almost got a 32" flat screen TV for $20 and change.

All I wanted, like any good Kevin Smith fan was to get a proper poster frame for my Zack and Miri poster.
This is large poster therefore a large frame; 27"x40".
Most stores do not carry this large size on their shelf so I hit the internet. I found one online that I could get for $19.97 plus tax and shipping. As I am cheap and did not want to pay approximately 25% of the cost of the item to get it delivered to my door, I chose to pick it up at the store and not pay for the shipping charges.

To protect the 'innocent' I shall refer the store as Schwal~Mart...  Even better, S-Mart [because Bruce Campbell and Army of Darkness are awesome...].

I head to the local S-Mart to pick up the poster frames I ordered (I have a couple others that needed suitable frames).

I give my information to the employee and off she goes to get products.
Initially she brings out the one package with two of the three frames and goes to get the second box. As she is pulling the larger box out she calls out,
- 'You got the TV right?'
- 'No... It is another poster frame...'
- 'Well, your name is on it...'

After more searching for the right product and checking the computer, it is found that the order number on the TV is correct and it is what was sent on my behalf from the warehouse.

Two more S-Mart employees get involved and cant figure out what to do and keep looking to me for some brilliant idea as to how to handle this.
["YOUR THE S-MART EMPLOYEE! I JUST WANT MY POSTER FRAME..." I did not say this although I wanted to as this was not entirely there fault.]

After much discussion it was decided that they would refund the one item and I would have to take it up with the internet and just re-order the one item.
Out pop some receipts that I must sign for the 'return' of the item I never received.
It is for the wrong item.  She just 'returned' the item that was correct and is then supposed to send it back to the warehouse.

Now it gets complicated.

1) She is unable to un-return the item as it already went through the computer.
2) The item that should have been returned was a price difference of $3.97 plus tax, which at this point I did not even care about.

'What are we going to do?'
Again...  YOUR THE S-MART EMPLOYEE! I say to myself...

She decides to make up the $3.97 difference by taking if off of the price of the couple of items I had picked up and was going to buy.
Items total was $4.22, less $3.97...
...
...
...
Out comes the calculator to figure out how much I owe... (Spoiler, it was 25 cents... No calculator...)

I pay my 25 cents.

She then decides that they still need to 'return' the TV and with the difference of $4.51 still needs to come to me (she does not care about the previous $3.97 off that happened previously and I have decided to keep my mouth shut and not argue or try to help any more...)

Forty Five minutes later, I have $4.51 returned to my debit card, $17 and change returned to my PayPal account, paid 25 cents for something that I still think I should have paid $4.22 for and have 2/3rds of the poster frames that I bought but may have been returned and I have them anyway so they might be stolen...  I am very confused...

I really wish I could have been a fly on the wall when she was trying to explain this whole thing to the manager and/or accounting office...

The questions that remain;
- Had I not been cheap and sprung for the delivery to my house, would I have found a TV on my doorstep?
- When I re-order my frame, do I pay for the shipping and see if I get a TV instead?
- If I do, what do I do with it?
- Should I pay for the shipping to try to pay back some of the $3.97 that I should not have received?

I am somewhat shocked at the number of times the employees said, I just would have taken the TV and not said anything...  The cashier claims she would have realized that it was not supposed to be the TV but I am not 100% sure on that...

Based on the title, several legacies are not very rich...
What else would they just keep there mouth shut about?

Make use of time, let not advantage slip.

365 days ago I made a decision.

Now, if you know me, you probably have heard various stories of either questionable decisions I have made or decisions that might have seemed like a good idea at the time, quite possibly during college.

All too often decisions are based on time. 

It always seems to come down to the length of time, either it is too long or too short.

This is the case with my decision.  Time was going to be too much and too little.

365 days ago, I was still in the process of getting my house.  I was therefore commuting to work.  It was a good fifty miles each way.  The majority of it was on the highway and it took me about forty five minutes to make the trip.  I made this trip just about every day.

365 days ago, I had a morning rehearsal and then a show that night.  I had a six hour break between the rehearsal and when I would have to be back for the show call.  I had debated on driving home during that break.  I decided it would take too long, and I wouldn't have much time at home.  I didn't want to drive for an hour only to drive another hour back after ONLY four hours at home.

I did also not want to spend the extra money on gas.  I was trying to buy a house and wanted to save the extra money.  I was already filling up the car every other day.  Two round trips in one day would be most of a tank of gas.

My decision, based on time and money, was to stick around town and waste the six hours.  I went to the cheap movie theatre to eat up some of that six hour chunk.

After the show that night, I made my forty five minute drive back home.

When I arrived home, my Mom was unresponsive to Dad and he asked if I could rouse her.

She was unresponsive to me and after trying for a long time (what seems like a long time, probably wasn't but maybe it was too long...), and not feeling a pulse, I dialed 911.

I then had to perform CPR, with the guidance of the operator, on the woman who birthed me, raised me, always protected me, and would shake her head at some of my questionable decisions.

I was unsuccessful.

Paramedics were unsuccessful.

Doctors were unsuccessful.

Life from that point on would be very different.

I just want to say that time does not matter.  Money doesn't matter.

If you have the opportunity, even if it is only for four hours, and it requires a two hour round trip….

TAKE THE TRIP…

I didn't and as a result, I didn't really get to say goodbye to my Mom.

Due to coming home late and leaving early, the last couple of times I saw her, she was half asleep and it was just a quick, “Love You, see you tonight” or “I’m home.”

Don’t let your excuse to yourself or to others be that it is too late, or it will take too long, or it is not enough time.

Take any time you can when you can.

You never know what you might miss…

I Love and miss you Mom.

Update after dinner: Mom's fine and keeping an eye on us.

The New Lent 2015!

Okay people.  We are on a time crunch here.  Fat Tuesday kinda snuck up on me this year, and therefore #TheNewLent 2015 is fast approaching.. I missed it last year due to life being life.

If you are new to the party, you can read about the last years in previous posts:: #TheNewLent, Happy Fat Tuesday, and Fat Tuesday!

A basic recap if you don't feel like reading the previous posts and/or if you just want to quickly be brought up to speed.

- They say Lent is the 40 days from Ash Wednesday leading up to Easter.  Spoilers - if you check the calendar it is more than 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter.  Apparently .in Lent you are able to take Sundays off.  Not so in #TheNewLent.  We do our thing on Sundays too...

- In #TheNewLent, you start something up instead of refraining from something.

The first year made it well past Easter and was feeling pretty good, and then...  Life.  We moved so it made it difficult to continue.

The second year, I kicked it up a notch and started drinking more water.  I know, insanity...

The third year, I basically combined the two...

This year, now that I am sort of settled and have a gym membership that I have used twice since it's start...

- I will plan on drinking at least the 64 oz of water as recommended before anything that actually tastes good.

- The intent is to work out daily although that may not be feasible with life happening as it tends to however every effort will be made to do so.

The big question now is what I do to take it further.

Kevin Smith has had good luck with cutting out processed sugars all together.

Some believe that vegetarian is the better way to go but that is just crazy talk.  I accidentally didn't eat meat for a day once and it was surreal.

Bread is great but those carbs are supposed to be bad...

What do I do?

A combination of all three?  Reducing, sugar, bread, meat?  Cutting them out completely?  (Sorry to say but I don't think that would happen...)

I know it is only a day away but please advise if you are so inclined.

Likewise, feel free to check up on me and keep me accountable.  I will reciprocate if you decide to participate in your own New Lent.

Here's for the next 45 days... Happy Fat Tuesday!!!

I doubt if I will make it to my post college look in that time but maybe I'll get on a good start to it.

Post college.
'I wanna look good naked..." - Lester Burnham - American Beauty 

As I liked it...

Found this in my old school junk...

(My nephew was wondering what grades I had gotten after I gave him a hard time about his recent test scores. He probably was hoping I had done just as poorly...)

I am sure I had heard 'All the World is a Stage', growing up in the theatre atmosphere but I KNOW I had not read As You Like It or heard the entire monologue.  You can call it a rip off if you want but I don't think it is too shabby for a 13 year old kid.

The Biggest Stage

By: Seth Berry

The entire world is a stage.

We are all acting on it.

God is the director and heaven is the backstage area.

The rehearsal for this performance has been since the beginning of time.

There are many curtain calls for this performance because, when you die, the curtain comes down for you.

After you die, the curtain comes down for you.

After you die, you return backstage and ask the director how you did.

This performance will go on forever and ever.

It has been going on since Adam and Eve were put on the stage.

Pain and suffering are just acting because backstage (heaven) there is none of that.

***I added or moved some comas but that is the extent of editing...  Be gentle with critiques whether spoken, written, or kept to yourself.

Finding this actually helped with some recent and past losses.  

I will have to remember the wisdom of my 13 year old self when I witness the next curtain call in this production.

Hypothetical Questions Get Hypothetical Answers

Hypothetical situation...

A guy is set up with a girl by a mutual friend.
While both parties are shy, he is told that he is 'her type' and that she would be in to him.

After meeting her, he gets the courage to ask the girl out. They go out and he has a good time, and she tells him that she had a good time.

When his schedule allows, he asks her out again and before you know it, a couple of weeks have past and they have gone out several times. Even if it wasn't always a conventional date, quite a bit of time was spent together and it appeared that both parties had a good time. (At least the hypothetical texts confirmed this after each outing or time spent together...)
It was even to the point that the girl was asking when the next time something could be done together. It was not just the boy doing the asking...
To use the popular baseball metaphor, the boy even got a hit. He was trying to make his way to first base but he is not very athletic and remember he is pretty shy...

Then comes an unfortunate evening in which some liquid courage was consumed.
The devil's libation made the boy send some texts that perhaps were a bit too bold and truthful...
This freaked the girl out a bit and seemed to make things awkward.
The boy was told by the mutual friend that everything was fine and the girl still was interested in him and he was over thinking the situation. The boy had nothing to worry about.

HOWEVER...

When the unfortunate evening was discussed later, the girl informed him that a connection was never felt and nothing would or could come of the pairing.

NOW...

Hypothetically, the boy realizes, as Tennessee Williams wrote in The Glass Menagerie, there are boys who meet girls that do not get married.

BUT...

Should the boy be perturbed or frustrated that, despite apparently no connection, the girl continued to accept requests for dates (even suggesting a time for the next one), and let the batter get a hit even if he didn't make it to first base...

Was the girl just being nice and didn't want to hurt his feelings?
Was the girl using him to do things until something better came along? (Hypothetically, the boy has dealt with that before...)
Did the girl feel sorry for him and that was the only reason she accepted the dates? (Hypothetically, the boy has had that happen too...)

OR...

Should the boy accept that this is just how 'the game' is played?
Should the boy just be grateful that it only went on for a few weeks before he found out nothing would happen?
Does the boy have reason to be perturbed?

Completely hypothetical of course...

Me, sarcastic? That seems to be the consensus...

sar·casm

[sahr-kaz-uhm] 

noun

1.Harsh or bitter derision or irony. Mocking, contemptuous, or ironic language intended to convey scorn or insult.

2. a sharply ironical taunt; sneering or cutting remark: a review full of sarcasms. The use or tone of such language.

Synonyms

1. sardonicism, bitterness, ridicule. See irony¹ . 2. jeer.

Does this describe me? 

I never thought so except for perhaps the occasional sarcastic remark for comedic effect.  In general I thought that people liked the happy go lucky 'clown' persona that I end up adopting when I am somewhat comfortable in a situation.  Others tend to not remember how reserved I am in a new setting.

All masks dropped, veils removed, and the lights turned on, I am a fairly shy.  Not super confident in myself. Overall pretty insecure.  All stemming from being ridiculed through twelve years of school.

Constantly concerned about what people thought of me, what they said to me, what they said to others about me...

To this day, I am extremely self conscious when in a new group or even a group of people that I am fairly comfortable with.

Needless to say, it is a bit disheartening when I find that the general feeling is that I could be described as 'sarcastic'...

To make it worse, already don't really feel accepted or part of the group.  

Perhaps this is why... 
Sarcasm, by definition, is regarded as negative.  Not something I necessarily want to be around.

I have been told my doppelganger is Sam Kinison.  I don't see the resemblance but maybe it is more about the harshness in his persona as well...  People tend to not 'get' him and take him the wrong way...

I understand that much of what I say is dry and people might not know if I am serious or not.  Not sure how to take me.

I can only hope that what turns out to be Hyperbole is confused with Sarcasm.
When people give me a compliment and I either say 'I know' or say it is because I am awesome. do I really mean that?  Am I that arrogant?  
No...  It is simply the facade I put up.  Inside I am constantly doubting my worth.

I have to wonder how often this has been the feeling of people I have met and worked with.
Is this why I am still single...  A sarcastic person is not the type that I would want to spend time with...
Is this why I always feel like the bonus onion ring...

I will probably be quiet for a few days, maybe longer, then the mask will go back on the persona that people expect (and want?) will be back, sarcastic, hyperbolistic, and the clown...

A gentleman in THE land of 'Gentleman Clubs'.

I had heard that Tampa had more 'gentleman's clubs', per capita, than any other place.

While driving today I think I passed 10 of them and it got me thinking.

Just on this list of 55, there are 32 that have a Tampa address.  This does not include any in Tampa that did not make the list or any additional outside of Tampa.

I am not making judgements about those who patronize the clubs or get their cash from said patrons.  To each his own.
Personally, I have not gone to one as I don't see the point.  Some may have heard my feelings on the subject but that is a whole other topic.

What was concerning me was, being a single guy looking for that special girl in a town with so many establishments of this type and therefore so many ladies being employed there. what are my chances of finding one that does not work at one.

Again, not judging but it might just be awkward introducing the lady to my family knowing what she does for a living.  Plus, not sure what I could offer her, should I happen to find one, with the money that I make, by comparison, and my job situation.

This all leads me to other questions...  Am I supposed to be in Tampa?  Should I be in another location with another job?  What is that job?  Is it in the theatre industry? 
Am I supposed to be in the theatre industry?  I don't think I would have been able to work as long as I have in the industry if this is not where I was supposed to be but it is difficult believe when it is so hard finding a job that wants to have me work for them full time and make a decent enough salary that I could support a family.  I didn't get into this industry to be rich but making enough to live comfortably would be nice.

Sorry for the tangent, I digress...

I realize that there are a lot of people in Tampa and in the Tampa area and I know a lot of girls that, to my knowledge, do not have a side job at one of the many clubs, but I can't help but wonder how many girls have I run into that have that second job or that is there only job...

Things that make you go hmmm...