Well, guess what? Can you believe it?
Someone actually reads my blog!! I mean, a real person! And I met him! (well, I guess it would be ´he met me´, right?)
How cool is that?
Cat
Monday, September 18, 2006
Thursday, August 31, 2006
What an idiot!
As Hurricane John lashes out as a category 3 against Mexico's Pacific coast, there are still some stupid American tourists in Puerta Vallarta who don't think they need to take any precautions.
I don't even know if I can say anything that illustrates what an idiot he is better than he already did.
Cat
"We have tornados in Iowa. This can't be worse than that," said Hal Nissen, 75, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as he walked along the oceanfront with his wife, Bonnie, 73.
I don't even know if I can say anything that illustrates what an idiot he is better than he already did.
Cat
Monday, August 28, 2006
And the panic begins...
Already, the lines at the gas station are 10 deep, and the shelves at the grocery stores have been emptied of water, beer, and anything you can eat without cooking it. Forget about buying batteries.
The tourists have been sent packing, and the Florida Keys have been evacuated.
Yes, Florida is in a full-fledged panic over hurricane/tropical storm Ernesto.
I'm blaming it all on Tara. I think it's been three years now that we have spent her birthday sitting in the dark eating tuna sandwiches, and maneuvering our way around the patio furniture in the living room.
Oh, well, Ernesto, bring it on. At least I'll find out if my new roof leaks.
Cat
The tourists have been sent packing, and the Florida Keys have been evacuated.
Yes, Florida is in a full-fledged panic over hurricane/tropical storm Ernesto.
I'm blaming it all on Tara. I think it's been three years now that we have spent her birthday sitting in the dark eating tuna sandwiches, and maneuvering our way around the patio furniture in the living room.
Oh, well, Ernesto, bring it on. At least I'll find out if my new roof leaks.
Cat
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
How much is your blog worth?
My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?
Well, I could have predicted that outcome. I have no idea what the value is based on, but whatever it is, I guess I have none.
But then again...
my other blog fared pretty well with the calculator...
My blog is worth $47,421.36.
How much is your blog worth?
Test your blog today! hehe
Cat
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Color Quiz
 | Cathi took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test! "Wishes to find her stimulation in a voluptuous atm..."
|
Cat
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Hurricane blahs
OK, time for a rant, or whine, or whatever you want to call it.
Now that hurricane season has officially started, I'm even more pissed off than I was last year.
Why, you ask? Well, because last year's damage isn't even fixed yet, and you can't even get anyone to come out and give estimates. Because our insurance rates have skyrocketed to quadruple what they were last year. Because our economy in Florida has taken a very serious hit ...and nobody even knows!!!
Why is it that Katrina and the people of New Orleans have received so much media coverage and help, but no-one outside the state of Florida even knows that Wilma was a very serious storm? Because we were not standing on our rooftops waiting to be rescued? We had no rooftops to stand on! Most of them blew off!
Look at an aerial picture of South Florida today. You will see many of the homes still with blue tarps on the roof from Wilma. And these homes are supposed to withstand another storm? There are still road signs missing or damaged, trailer parks that look like ghost towns, and piles of debris laying around. You can see remnants of Wilma everywhere. There are people to this day living in condemned homes, hoping they don't get caught, because they have noplace else to go.
Every insurance company has cancelled our policies and pulled out of the state, leaving the government to insure us, at whatever rate they want (and they want a lot!), because there is no competition.
We have had layoff after layoff, as our economy depends on tourism, and there was nothing here to attract tourists last season. And the people who live here don't have any money to keep the economy going. We've spent it all on shoddy repairs done by companies who came to Florida after Wilma, and then left when their repairs started falling apart.
Am I bitter when I hear stories about the people of New Orleans squandering their FEMA money on prostitutes and booze, while I remember standing in a FEMA line for hours, then being told there were no funds available? Not even a hot meal? You bet I am! I went home from the FEMA station to sit in a dark house with no electricity and with water rolling down the walls, while the people of New Orleans lived in hotel rooms and bought food (or whatever) with FEMA vouchers. And everyone I talk with here in Florida tells the same story.
I pray that we do not have another serious storm this year. We are not prepared for it, economically or physically. And not mentally, definitely not mentally.
But we do know one thing. If that storm does come, we will have to take care of ourselves. We learned that lesson very well last year.
Now that hurricane season has officially started, I'm even more pissed off than I was last year.
Why, you ask? Well, because last year's damage isn't even fixed yet, and you can't even get anyone to come out and give estimates. Because our insurance rates have skyrocketed to quadruple what they were last year. Because our economy in Florida has taken a very serious hit ...and nobody even knows!!!
Why is it that Katrina and the people of New Orleans have received so much media coverage and help, but no-one outside the state of Florida even knows that Wilma was a very serious storm? Because we were not standing on our rooftops waiting to be rescued? We had no rooftops to stand on! Most of them blew off!
Look at an aerial picture of South Florida today. You will see many of the homes still with blue tarps on the roof from Wilma. And these homes are supposed to withstand another storm? There are still road signs missing or damaged, trailer parks that look like ghost towns, and piles of debris laying around. You can see remnants of Wilma everywhere. There are people to this day living in condemned homes, hoping they don't get caught, because they have noplace else to go.
Every insurance company has cancelled our policies and pulled out of the state, leaving the government to insure us, at whatever rate they want (and they want a lot!), because there is no competition.
We have had layoff after layoff, as our economy depends on tourism, and there was nothing here to attract tourists last season. And the people who live here don't have any money to keep the economy going. We've spent it all on shoddy repairs done by companies who came to Florida after Wilma, and then left when their repairs started falling apart.
Am I bitter when I hear stories about the people of New Orleans squandering their FEMA money on prostitutes and booze, while I remember standing in a FEMA line for hours, then being told there were no funds available? Not even a hot meal? You bet I am! I went home from the FEMA station to sit in a dark house with no electricity and with water rolling down the walls, while the people of New Orleans lived in hotel rooms and bought food (or whatever) with FEMA vouchers. And everyone I talk with here in Florida tells the same story.
I pray that we do not have another serious storm this year. We are not prepared for it, economically or physically. And not mentally, definitely not mentally.
But we do know one thing. If that storm does come, we will have to take care of ourselves. We learned that lesson very well last year.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
this 'n that
Just a few small things today...
Some customer service stories
I had the worst customer service experience with YAHOO! today. Read about it on my bizcradle blog.
Tara had to call Transunion yesterday to correct some (a lot of!) incorrect entries on her credit bureau report. The rep, based in a location that he "isn't allowed to tell people", said she would have to call the "managerment" department. She tried to tell him there was no R in the word, but he couldn't understand what she was talking about. Outsourcing.....isn't it great?
This joke is on me. Of course, I blame the cell phone reception, my hearing is just fine. One of the yahoo reps was giving me her email address, which I heard as yahooonthefloormailonthefloorsupport@yahoo.com. I thought it was kind of long, but since she was a call-center rep, I figured it was the address they used for reps "on the floor". I felt like an idiot when I realized it was yahoo_mail_support....the word was underscore, not onthefloor. LOL
Dancing Cactus update
As some of you know, I moved my retail store to another location in the mall. Well, I'm still not making a killing, but I've had sales every day since I moved! I really like my new location and think I will do much better there.
And in the news
Talk about "going to the dogs"..... at least this time it isn't a Floridian.
Cat
Some customer service stories
I had the worst customer service experience with YAHOO! today. Read about it on my bizcradle blog.
Tara had to call Transunion yesterday to correct some (a lot of!) incorrect entries on her credit bureau report. The rep, based in a location that he "isn't allowed to tell people", said she would have to call the "managerment" department. She tried to tell him there was no R in the word, but he couldn't understand what she was talking about. Outsourcing.....isn't it great?
This joke is on me. Of course, I blame the cell phone reception, my hearing is just fine. One of the yahoo reps was giving me her email address, which I heard as yahooonthefloormailonthefloorsupport@yahoo.com. I thought it was kind of long, but since she was a call-center rep, I figured it was the address they used for reps "on the floor". I felt like an idiot when I realized it was yahoo_mail_support....the word was underscore, not onthefloor. LOL
Dancing Cactus update
As some of you know, I moved my retail store to another location in the mall. Well, I'm still not making a killing, but I've had sales every day since I moved! I really like my new location and think I will do much better there.
And in the news
Talk about "going to the dogs"..... at least this time it isn't a Floridian.
Cat
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Mindless fun
Here's a cute little game I found, in case you're really having a boring day at work. If you want the code to put it on your website, go to Home Business Today.
Meanwhile, have fun!!!
The Red Button Game! Thanks to Aaron for keeping it alive!
Cat
Meanwhile, have fun!!!
The Red Button Game! Thanks to Aaron for keeping it alive!
Cat
Monday, May 08, 2006
¿Quién habla?
Now that I've gotten over my fear of speaking spanish on the phone, it's becoming kind of fun.
I was reading a whole discourse recently on one of the message boards about Mexican phone ettiquette, and how some folks who have moved there perceive people as being impolite. That's because when someone calls your house, or even your business, they don't ask "May I speak with Cathi?", like we do here in the USA. They ask "¿Quién habla?" ("who is speaking?") right off the bat of whoever answers the phone.
The board (bored?) people were discussing how they get offended, refuse to give their name, and have a stupid never-ending conversation when someone calls them.
Bueno.
¿Quién habla?
Yo hablo. ¿Quién habla?
José, ¿con quién habla?
Usted me llamó.
Sí, ¿quién habla?
and on and on.....
in english----> (not a literal translation)
Hello.
Who's this?
It's me. Who is this?
It's José, who is this?
You called me.
Right, who is this?
I mean, what's the point? They aren't going to change society, so if you live in Mexico, why not just go with the flow? I never really thought about it being impolite, I just always accepted that's the way it is. When someone calls, they ask who you are when you pick up the phone. And you answer the question. As the saying goes, when in Rome....
So, when I called Gerardo today, (to find out where my long-lost shipment is, but that's a blog for another day) the first thing I said when they picked up the phone was ¿Quién habla? I felt very Mexican. And anyway, my mom always told me never to begin the conversation that way when I called someone, so I also get to feel a little rebellious and enjoy being able to say that when I call people. (hey, I have to get my kicks wherever I can, right? haha)
Cat
I was reading a whole discourse recently on one of the message boards about Mexican phone ettiquette, and how some folks who have moved there perceive people as being impolite. That's because when someone calls your house, or even your business, they don't ask "May I speak with Cathi?", like we do here in the USA. They ask "¿Quién habla?" ("who is speaking?") right off the bat of whoever answers the phone.
The board (bored?) people were discussing how they get offended, refuse to give their name, and have a stupid never-ending conversation when someone calls them.
Bueno.
¿Quién habla?
Yo hablo. ¿Quién habla?
José, ¿con quién habla?
Usted me llamó.
Sí, ¿quién habla?
and on and on.....
in english----> (not a literal translation)
Hello.
Who's this?
It's me. Who is this?
It's José, who is this?
You called me.
Right, who is this?
I mean, what's the point? They aren't going to change society, so if you live in Mexico, why not just go with the flow? I never really thought about it being impolite, I just always accepted that's the way it is. When someone calls, they ask who you are when you pick up the phone. And you answer the question. As the saying goes, when in Rome....
So, when I called Gerardo today, (to find out where my long-lost shipment is, but that's a blog for another day) the first thing I said when they picked up the phone was ¿Quién habla? I felt very Mexican. And anyway, my mom always told me never to begin the conversation that way when I called someone, so I also get to feel a little rebellious and enjoy being able to say that when I call people. (hey, I have to get my kicks wherever I can, right? haha)
Cat
Monday, May 01, 2006
The geek inside me
Maybe I've always had a hidden geek inside and I just didn't know it. Or maybe I just created a geek with all my work on the website lately.
Whichever, while burning the midnight oil many a night getting my website working (which still isn't ready, but almost), I found that I really enjoy working with this computer stuff.
Now this is going to sound really geeky, but I actually find it fun to write some programming code and then go to the website and see the program working. I've discovered myself wondering what the underlying code is as I'm looking at various sites while surfing the internet.
Although I'll never learn to like that hollow, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I change something and then go to my website and see only a blank white page with an error message (the first lesson in programming...backup, backup, BACKUP!), I'd really like to learn more about the magic you can do with a few simple lines of text.
So, I bought a book and I'm studying programming. As if I didn't have enough on my plate already, LOL. Well, if nothing else, it will be a marketable skill if I'm able to get the hang of it.
Whichever, while burning the midnight oil many a night getting my website working (which still isn't ready, but almost), I found that I really enjoy working with this computer stuff.
Now this is going to sound really geeky, but I actually find it fun to write some programming code and then go to the website and see the program working. I've discovered myself wondering what the underlying code is as I'm looking at various sites while surfing the internet.
Although I'll never learn to like that hollow, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I change something and then go to my website and see only a blank white page with an error message (the first lesson in programming...backup, backup, BACKUP!), I'd really like to learn more about the magic you can do with a few simple lines of text.
So, I bought a book and I'm studying programming. As if I didn't have enough on my plate already, LOL. Well, if nothing else, it will be a marketable skill if I'm able to get the hang of it.
Cat
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