So, today I was at the dollar store and picked up a few small things.

I had to wait quite a while for someone to show up to check me out and then they had problems with the cash register.  They ended up having to pull everything out of the bag and then ring me up again, and that still didn't work so they had to run it through again at the next station.

Not an issue.   But when I got home and unpacked the bag I found that the highest priced item was missing.  I'm sure it wasn't intentional and that in the kerfuffle it just got missed.

But.

It's left me with a bad feeling about that store and since there are several branches of the same chain within easy walking distance I probably will go to one of them and not go back to that branch.

It is so very easy to lose a customer.

If you invite me to your home for 6:00 I will arrive at 6:00.
Don't assume that I'll take that to mean 6:15 or 6:30.
If you want me to arrive at 6:15 tell me to arrive at 6:15.

And don't give me the "around six" or "sixish" nonsense.
Do that and I'll still arrive at 6:00.

Say what you mean.

Many people seem to think that if they're running late they just have to call and let you know and that's OK.

Being late happens to everyone sometimes but it's the people who do it chronically that I'm thinking about.

Like it's fine to leave you waiting around for them because they've informed you they're "running late".

It's still extremely rude.
If they do it regularly they're clearly indicating that they think your time has no value.

If you say the meeting starts at a certain time,

START THE MEETING AT THAT TIME!

Don't delay waiting for stragglers.

If you start on time chances are they'll be on time for the next meeting.


Delaying is also really inconsiderate of the people who were on time -- basically you're saying that their time doesn't matter,  that they have nothing better to do than sit and wait.

I was reading and something about the story reminded me of an incident when I was small child and my father showed me how to use the middle pedal to brake the car if it started rolling.

This is something I have not thought of in years, it feels like a memory I have almost forgotten.

But now that I'm old, when a memory out of my past comes to me I wonder if anything will ever call it up for me again.  If this is perhaps the last time in my live I will think of that particular event.

As I was out walking today I was thinking about why I find that so many women look artificial and odd and I realized it's because they're not dressed so much as they are decorated.  The excess in clothing, makeup, jewelry has taken over - the things have become more important than the idea that they are accessories used to present the best version of the person.

They're not wearing the clothes, the clothes are wearing them.

They're no wearing makeup, scent, jewelry - those things are wearing them.

That's why they seem so non-human and unreal.

It's 49 years since I finished high school and I still shudder whenever I recall gym class.