Oh, btw...

Please excuse the typos..still using the iPod touch to blog.

So much to talk about! Plus, a "cheap & easy"

Let's see...1st mention New Zealand's earthquake in Christchurch measured 6.5 on the Richter killing @ least 65 w/well over 100 people missing, Detroit Michigan CLOSING half of their public schools to save money...what the hell will they do with these kids? I'm asking rhetorically of course; 31 years ago today the US Olympic hockey team beats Russia/Soviet Union then Sweden to take the gold medal...where were YOU when that happened? I remember I was crying with either joy or hormones as I was a pre-teener; Wisconsin is still fighting city hall & not budging...perhaps they should move to Illinois like their elected Dems who escaped from their elected responsibilities thus hiding in a Northern Illinois hotel. Think they're ordering room service & pay-per-view pornos @ the expense of their constituents? According to a very scientific study(not...but a study was conducted) the top retailer/s re: customer service both online @ instore are Publix Grocery chain(mainly in the south USA,), Nordstroms, Costco & Barnes & Nobles(this is for overall customer service including stocks); best Internet retailer-amazon.com, best health care store-Walgreens(I kinda can't dispute that as my local Walgreens had the best pharmacists around), & best travel-Internet retailer is expedia.com. Aaaaand, a woman in Winthrop, Mass still has all her Christmas decorations up despite nasty letters from neighbors. Lauren Craig was told she has three days to tale the stuff down so she puts MORE decorations & had a huge Christmas party! Puts a whole new twist on redneck woman, wouldn't you say? Reminds me of that episode of King if the Hill where Bill Dauterive had that Christmas Village up to after Valentine's Day to impress a single mom. Hey, I'm more offended when I see Christmas stuff in stores in July...what say you?

OK, "cheap and easy" is a free gift for a friend who can(and should) reciprocate by sending a Coke via Facebook, do here's the link:

http://apps.facebook.com/ahhgiver/splash.php

And once again......

.....please pardon the typos/bad English as I'm still using the Ritz cracker to type on & the iPod ad my PC so to speak, but gettingy baby fixed tomorrow.

Have yourself a blessed day & I'll post "cheap & easies" later

Sephora...not as nice as you'd like

Well, sometimes.

Why is it when you request a sample, some businesses are more than willing to give you one? Like the deli at any grocery store: you want to see if that ham on sale is actually tasty or if the muenster cheese is bland. How about ice cream shops? They let you try a sample of any flavor as, well, you are about to eat it & it ends up tasting like crap; obviously you snot pick that flavor. But what if you weren't able to sample the ice cream..so, no matter how good it may look or sound and you spent a few bucks on...crap. You toss it..it was only a couple of bucks but that was a couple of bucks you wasted.

Same goes for cosmetics. And skin care products. Especially if you have sensitive skin, why is there a problem sampling a product to see how your skin reacts to it, especially at the fact skin care "ain't" cheap...even the secondary skin care, like what you'd find at Target, Walgreens isn't that inexpensive, but I know you can either write or email any of those companies and ask for either a sample or coupon and I'm sure they'd accommodate you.

And this is an investment. I mean, it's not rum cherry ice cream you're eating but some chemical compound that may react in either a positive or negative manner to your face. Your skin, which is the biggest organ of your body and needs proper care aside from anti-aging products, you want to protect it from pollution, the sun, wind, cold, etc... so, why would there even be some sort of dispute or problem with obtaining a sample or questions regarding what sort of sample you wish to obtain?

I am asking rhetorically, of course.

But at times, after putting several high-priced items on the counter at a Sephora the last thing I want is stink eye from a Sephora employee who's job is in retail, and is to inform, help, etc...& when I question a product and then ask for a sample, here's the stink eye. I've noticed the State Street store & Orland Park store is notorious for this having dealt with this first hand. I mean, I'm asking for a sample of some expensive facial cleanser & age-defying cream that I'm very interested in buying so this crap better work! And most of the employees act as if I'm asking for the entire jar or something out their purse. Like I want their own mascara, lipstick or face cream from their own stash.

Now, mind you I am aware of some who ruin it for others but come on! I WAS buying over $50 of hair care and my usual skin cream(I happen to have a delusional yet steady relationship w/Nick Perricone. Google him as he's fantastic and want to marry him for obvious reasons...snicker). The only redeeming grace for State Strrets Sephora, after I was receiving injudicious looks from all the pompous employees......I mean come on! I am not asking for the entire jar...but if they offered I wouldn't say no. I just want to try the product before I invest $100 on a skin care treatment.

....except for one. This absolute gorgeous older woman named Kathy, with her long brown locks and contagious smile made me feel as if I were talking to my mother on a great day! She was welcoming, warm, did not hesitate to provide answers to my questions nor gave me any "guilt" for asking for samples. Can you actually believe I will refuse to shop/patronize at an establishment who won't even provide a smile? Kathy at the State Street Sephora provided that...& because of her I will make an occasional trip to that specific Sephora; but I shall ask for Kathy.


FYI...my personal favie Sephora is the Nordstroms/Michigan Avenue location. EVERYONE there is fun, happy, energetic and makes shopping a complete joy! And I have absolutely no problem getting samples!

Just a blurb here...but...

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Aaarrrrgh!

No, I am not practicing for the release of the new Pirates of the Caribbean flick... I'm aggravated! I have so much to post like about the Chicago blizzard and Superbowl and the commercials and Romper Room and my husband and kids and the weather and food and I need to post reviews of various skin care stuff and Glee and AI and over-sensitive people my kids crap school and review of The Chicago Code and bitch abt Egypt's government and ancestry stuff and crap landlords and great neighbors and my PT and cooking tips and international pen pals... waiting for the repair of my PC which will be in two weeks. I hate typing on the dinky keypad on my iPod. Stinks!

I'm still here...just working on technical difficulties.