How much do I owe you?

I got a kick out of EuroMom's post on Simple Math and wanted to tell you my experience at with lacking math skills and customer service. Two of my pet peaves in the World of Retail.

Party City - My purchase totalled $1.08. I gave the checkout girl a $20 dollar bill and 3 cents. She hit 203 on the number pad and looked at the computer screen, perplexed.

She cleared it and punched it in again. And again, perplexed.

So she asked the checkout girl next to her how to enter $20.03. "Is that right?" Checkout Girl #2 looked at it and said, "No, it's 2003," and punched it in herself. Then she looked at it and began doubting herself! Upon further examination she regained her confidence and allowed my Checkout Whiz to hit enter.

Jason's Deli - During a recent trip, they did not have any sweetner packets at the beverage counter. None. No pink stuff, yellow stuff, blue stuff. Not even straight up sugar.

There were three employees standing at the counter. Let's call them Larry, Moe, and Curly. I asked Larry if they had any Sweet & Lo to which she replied, "I don't know."

That was it. She didn't know. I looked at her. She looked at me. Question answered. My job's done.

How about Moe or Curly? Do you think they might chime in and answer for their dim-witted co-worker?

Nope.

So I bypassed Moe altogether and directed my attention to Curly because he looked to be the oldest and asked my question again. He turned to a FOURTH person and asked them when a FIFTH person, a bright young lady with good hearing, overheard my question and said that someone was refilling the tray in the back.

So I wouldn't have to wait on the tray, she retrieved a handful of the pink stuff and my black currant tea was saved!

Finally, a glimmer of competence.

Not only am I glad I homeschool, I don't think I'll worry if I'm doing a good job anymore.

Explosive Reading

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

I never read the Declaration of Independence before this year when we studied it in history.

I always thought it was a lovely and important document written in fancy handwriting on parchment.

It is all that, but when I read it for the first time I was struck by what it says. Those colonists did not mince words. The independence we now possess and enjoy with abandon without realizing we even have it --- it all came at great price.

The fancy handwriting and eloquently crafted sentences stated in no uncertain terms what those colonists were sick and tired of and exactly what jolly old King George had done.

He has refused...

He has forbidden...

He has obstructed...

George was

totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation...A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Imagine the courage those men must have had to make that bold proclamation. It did not mean they fired up the grill and shot off fireworks. It meant certain and imminent war.