Wicked Attitude

As a renter of vacation homes, I use the things I see “wrong” with places as a reference of what to get right should we decide to go into the same business.  There is one glaring thing that irritates me to no end and when I mentioned this to a friend of mine she said she wouldn’t even rent a place missing this item…window coverings. 

Now I know you may have a fabulous view of a lake, woods, beach or whatever and I don’t care how secluded you claim your rental is I don’t care to parade around at night with no option to shut the blinds.  I mean what view would it be impeding to have blinds completely open during the day?  We stayed at a place that was darn near perfect except the fact that the only place there were blinds was in the downstairs bedroom and the bathroom.  I mean I don’t assume people are lurking out in the woods looking in windows but the fact is, I don’t know.  We’ve stayed in places where other cabins surrounded us or it was acres of woods with trails skirting by the house that were open to anyone staying in the cabins so yes, the possibility exists as far as I’m concerned. 

Owners…blinds are CHEAP and I’ve stayed at rentals from Hawaii to Ohio that have had this issue.  I’m sure people’s stays were lovely with or without window coverings which is why it’s never mentioned in comments in the guest book but I’m here saying what I know others haven’t…stick up some blinds on your windows!  I don’t need Bambi or some hilljack seeing me in my skivvies!

Every morning I watch the news and every morning I hear “gas prices have hit a new high again today” or “prices are going up at the grocery store” or my favorite “if you want luggage on your trip then we’re going to charge you to check ANY bags in addition to the price hikes we already made for fuel surcharges.”  I see people on local news saying they’re having to make choices on what bills to pay in order to fill up the gas tank to go to work for a job that no longer pays enough for them to have the “luxury” of a normal day of shopping.  It’s now people making lists of what they need, where they can go closest to them to get the bare necessities and go home.  Vacations are being cancelled or scaled back considerably.  I seriously have to change the channel now when the “pump patrol” or oil prices start coming up.  I cannot take hearing what new thing is jumping up to a ridiculous level and will put the crunch on even more people.

So what about you?  How are soaring prices on everything affecting you?  If they’re not, what’s your secret to beating the system?

I don’t know about you but I find it highly irritating when I go to the grocery store and come out to find some local business has jammed a flyer under my windsheild wiper.  I don’t need your coupons, I don’t need to know what your latest sale is and I don’t need a grand opening fyi.  I don’t like the idea of someone touching my car either.  So out of that a simple solution was made.  I’ve been sliding this little darling on my dashboard when I go inside and I’ve been immune to the flyer issue while others have them on their cars. 

I don’t know if they figure someone who would put that in plain sight would probably come visit them in a rather unpleasant way if they ignored it but it does keep them away.  If you’re sick of your car being yet another way for people to spam you, click here to get yours.

When I was young, I knew that what was expected of me was that I would get married, have children and live the whole “American dream” with the 2 kids, dog, big house, minivan and whatever else the 70’s/80’s mentality I grew up with pushed.  I too thought this was how I would spend my adulthood until I met my husband.  See, I could see a future with him but when I really got into my teen years I started questioning if children were a part of the “dream” that I really wanted.  I was 17 when we started dating and literally I told him after a month that I didn’t know if I wanted kids and if that was important to him he might want to go elsewhere.  Well at 19 he was going to say when he needed to in order to get in the drawers.  That’s fine.  But this was a feeling that didn’t change in me as we dated and eventually got engaged.  He said he didn’t need kids to be “whole” and he was really supportive regardless.  What I found to be so interesting and ultimately highly intrusive was how as soon as we were engaged and well into the first few years of our marriage people felt they had the right to grill us about when we were starting a family.

Read the rest of this entry »