Mr. Turtle and Matthew Meet

Yesterday we were out in the yard when hubby spotted a tiny turtle just hanging out on our deck. I'm excited to see our new visitor and immediately set up a little make-shift pond for him out by the palm trees and rocks. Mr. Turtle is not interested and scampers off. All I can think is that I hope Mr. Turtle will stick around for Matthew to see him. Now, for the most part, I'm an animal lover, not that I want to go around catching lizards and frogs, but I can deal with just about any little creature. I'm definitely a let's give them a little pet...hubby on the other hand finds no pleasure in being one with nature. As far as hubby is concerned they have their space and we have ours no need to collide.
Later in the evening, Mr. Turtle is still hanging out on our deck. Matthew is definitely like his Mommy, he's all about checking out the little creatures. I love that he doesn't have fear and that he is interested in this little bitty thing in Mommy's hand. One day soon I know Matthew will be asking for a pet, just remember to ask Mommy.

Matthew Goes to Summer Camp....

and I'm the one who's left crying. Matthew is such a big boy, ready with car in hand he's excited about going to Summer Camp. I dress him in the most appropriate TShirt I can find stating...100% GOOD, 10% of the Time. We are all excited and off to Summer Camp we go. We arrive at his class and he jumps right in saying Hello to everyone he meets on the way. A few minutes later he gives me a kiss and says "Bye Mama"...sort of just telling me to be on my merry way. I wave goodbye as the lump builds in my throat and I can feel the tears coming. My baby is not a baby, he's a well adjusted toddler ready to explore. As I head my way back to the car with my hubby all I can think is Matthew is ready for an adventure! But Mommy needs a box of tissue!!

Discouraged Consumer...

Do you find yourself getting easily irritated more and more when you are out shopping? Do you wonder to yourself why? I do. Lately it seems that no matter where I go, I'm irritated. I'm irritated with the layout of the stores, the inconvenience of displays of items or the crowded aisle, I'm irritated with the prices and poor selections of items and I'm irritated by the lack of coupons. But I must say that my greatest gripe is against the employees. Today I had the worst experience yet. I heard somewhere that if you experience a happy moment you tell 10 friends, but get mifted and you tell anyone that will listen, well today is that day my friends. I hope this reaches as many people as possible...so tell your friends and leave a comment!
I'M IRRITATED AT CVS!!!!
CVS has an advertisement for Jumbo Pacakage of Huggies on sale at $8.99. Now for you Mom's out there you know the importance of getting a good deal for diapers. So here I am at the CVS near my home, in search of the JUMBO package for $8.99 plus I have a coupon for $1.50 off any size purchase. I'm excited you can imagine at the possibility of this purchase, so I'm in search of the coveted diapers. After a few minutes in the baby aisle I find two packages of Huggies but there is no pricing information on the shelf to let me know which of the two is the one on sale. No problem, I pick up a couple more items, with son in toe and we head off to the checkout counter.
Now here is where the trouble begins. I'm second in line at the Photo Center, where there is obviously just one CVS employee taking care of customers. The CVS employee, a woman, who appears to be in her late 40's is fiddling at the self photo stand. She finally looks our way and slowly makes her way behind the counter to help the first customer. Much to my surprise, she is NOT helping him with photos of any sort. The employee asks him to wait and goes back to the machine and fiddles some more, turns out she's pulling up some personal pictures she wants to develop. Really? I'm still waiting.
The employee goes back and finally finishes up with the gentlemen ahead of me. Now, I've been waiting patiently for my turn and without exaggeration I've been in line about 15 minutes. Did I mention, I'm with my 2 year old? Yes, I'm waiting and trying to keep a 2 year old from touching everything within his reach. I approach the counter and give her the Huggies package and ask if this is the package that's on sale and if not can she please give me the price. The CVS employee rolls her eyes at me and then proceeds to tell me that I have to walk clear across the store over to the red machine and price the item out myself.
Really? Really? Really!!!!! Let me get this straight! I've been in line for over 15 minutes, you have been fiddling with personal pictures and now YOU (the CVS employee) want me (the customer) to price out my own items. You want ME to get out of line, walk across the store with my 2 year old, price out an item and then return to the line again before I decide to make my purchase!!!! I thanked her for her laziness and left my cart. Of course not before telling her that I would take my business elsewhere and that I found her behavior unacceptable, of which she answered, it is company rules that we are not to price out items for the customer. I left fuming!!!
So what do you think of this??? Have we become a society of self-serve checkouts? Is it ok NOT to expect any service when entering a store? Am I to do everything myself now? And if so, why are the prices not better? If now I can pick up the item myself, walk over to a price check and figure out prices for myself, then proceed to a self check-out, pay and bag my own items, then I must ask...why aren't my items any cheaper? It seems that I am expected to be the EMPLOYEE and I'm actually the CONSUMER, I should get some kind of discount for all my work!
Shame on you CVS! Shame on you and your lazy employees. Shame on you CVS to think it's OK not to have good customer service. Shame, Shame, Shame on you!!! And just so you know, I rather pay the extra few dollars at another store where customer service is still the norm.