Most Liked Automotive Blogs (377)

I joined a writing website to post my work. Unlike here, one must comment on other people’s work before posting. I’m new to the site and don’t know anyone.

Well, my compliment got me a compliment on my work. I thanked the person and a short interaction occurred.

A few minutes later I got a message asking how long I’ve known John. I said I don’t know a John. The person good naturedly told me she appreciated my discretion. I repeated several times that I don’t know a John. This person informed me that John’s girlfriend is a very jealous type and warned me. Sigh. So I stressed that I honestly don’t know this John person so there is nothing to be concerned about.

Jeez, I don’t even feel like commenting if jealous people think I’m after their man. Like, hell no!

That’s life with a bunch of faceless profiles.

I work in a retail environment, a department store. I know the atmosphere has changed over time, just as consumer travel has changed.

There was a time when people dressed up to travel and shop. Both activities seemed more prestigious. If you watch any old show or film, the characters were usually dressed impeccably. Men wore hats, women wore hats and gloves. Accessories weren't tacky or dated. There seemed to be an order to things. As if work and home life were stable enough to present ourselves as "together" in more ways than one.

I am sitting in a department store that is empty but for the employees and a few customers. There has been a pallor on the face of retail. The coordinated lips and nails are gone. Fancy brooches and rhinestone clip on earrings have been shed. The atmosphere is dull except for the occasional frivolous shopper. Luxury for the mainstream has been substituted with fancy phones and active wear.

Two things have made me contemplate this. One, the possibility of my store closing due to bankruptcy, the second, two films I recently watched again. I usually watch a film I like numerous times, so, I have given thought to the aura of the films, not only the main plot. Tonight, I focus on the characters of both films, "The Danish Girl" and "Carol".

If you haven't seen these films, "The Danish Girl" is about the first man to attempt sex reassignment. "Carol" is the story of a woman acknowledging her sexuality. What on earth could these characters have to do with retail? Only I would make a connection. lol In "The Danish Girl", after living as a female, she takes a job in a department store and she glows with excitement. Her smile is electric. Her supervisor is very respectful and her statement "we are all performers" as if in a great play, to provide the ultimate shopping experience. In "Carol" the female character is shown in the same retail environment, but the experience if far from magical. Her supervisor is a cold, negative character and the position of store clerk is a hair above garbage left blowing across a New York City sidewalk. Is the vast difference because one character wants to fit in and be accepted, accepting the stereotype that goes with it, while the other feels she doesn't fit in, she has other aspirations?

Do we feel like garbage in our jobs because we aren't fulfilled elsewhere? Are we longing to play a role, to have at work what we don't have at home? In the end, I think we all take on roles in order to survive.
"we are all performers".

I fell into a burning rung of fire

And it burned

If you know me
You may have known me
Sad housewive
Lonely housewife
Lived 3 lives, 3 weddings, 2 children, 1 life
Mine
You have been lining roadsides
Sometimes, cheering me on
Rarely attacking, because I’m pathetic or strong?
I have written of excruciating loneliness
Joyous love, cascading, flowing to a place called Malta

You have read my tumbles, rarely knocked my walk
As if, one might assume, we still feel
To other
The stranger on the street
Part of the landscape
A part you realize you’ll miss
Who I am, you are

My cat purrs and climbs aboard. I ask him “do you like the rustic atmosphere?”

My electric was disconnected 3 days ago for nonpayment lol-not. I’m wearing a down coat, buried under two big dogs and a cat, body heat. I feel like a pioneer. Like camping in s house. I sure wish warm weather would come.

My latest lesson, men are expensive and more costly to get rid of. I’m sure the same can be said for female leaches.

Today was day 1 of my store’s liquidation. We are a carcass, to be picked clean. I can’t decide if I want to stay to the bitter end and collect unemployment or abandon ship. Those who have, have lost friends. I don’t want to do that.

I had a breakdown but now I’m running on anger adrenaline. I will not give up. Not today, anyway.

This is life. The amazing thing is that I have the will to live. This confounds me.

7 more days until I have heat and light, provided my paycheck will cover it. At this time, I must determine what is most important, heat, water or light.

Not complaining, I did it to myself thinking I could support 2 adults, 1 not working. That other adult is out of the picture so, I am already in a better place.

Phone battery is low. See you later.

I have just endured day 4 of my company’s liquidation. Everyone is cranky. My associate in my department is now angry with me. A customer was there and my coworker asked me a question. I sort of disagreed with the pairing of a headboard to a customers bed frame. Now, keep in mind, this position still pays a commission. At the same time, all sales are final. Because of my answer, she lost the sale and was very angry with me. I responded, if you don’t like my answers, don’t ask me the questions. I wasn’t being bitchy. I only have concerns that if the pieces did not fit, the customer can’t return the piece. All I could think of was, do we want an angry customer over a $20.00 commission? Well, she said she won’t ask me anymore questions.

Now, if I had known I was supposed to agree to make the sale, I might have gone along with it. It’s her ear that would be bent if it didn’t work. Still, is it worth it?

Sitting in the dark. 5 more cold nights until electricity.

Until next time, see ya. :)

Although it’s in the 30’s in my house, it’s the mid 40’s outside with the sun shining. I still have gas so I’ve brewed coffee on the stove and washed 3 pairs of pants and a dress in my bathtub. Hopefully 1 item will be dry by 2pm. I’ll do another load shortly. I feel a little optimistic having something clean to wear to work.

I’ll make some eggs soon and rest until duty calls.

I feel like a pioneer

Support our tax dollars, buy local...

In a technology and futuristic driven world, choices of patronizing high quality products is getting easier (or more difficult depending on where you are).

Putting my hard earned money on material things that are of importance in our daily lives is one of my struggles. Yet the place and manner on which these material things are made matters most to me.

I only buy those that lasts forever, so durable the money I spend is so worth it.

Where am I going with this blog? Just to lolly gag on our attitude towards cheap versus expensive products. The lowering of our consumer standards and sold to the cheap goods flooding the market even more pervasive now in the first and second worlds. A most rare practice until 15 years ago.

So I hardly bought any foreign products since I lived here largely because of QUALITY, but even more compelling reasons are due to patronizing these goods and put our citizens to work. With the exceptions of German, Swiss, UK, Italian and Australian products, most goods produced today are of pathetic quality.

My specific reason for being a loyal local consumerist is that safety and durability.

Last week for the first time I bought a European SUV, the X5, and now I'm lured into the powerful statement of "the ultimate driving machine". Not that I've not been sold to the great performance of these vehicles just that I defended the need to support our local products. So with the exception of this, I've been driving all American made cars, my favorite of course is the Corvette and my Cobra, both has all provided me with the adrenaline pumping thrill every time I needed to beat my blues. Those 400 HP, and equally, capable pound feet of torque was just enough to make me feel alive. What a thrilling experience, my only true addiction. Driving fast and performance oriented vehicles with dedicated manual transmission.

Well my town car is parked as it can't handle the demands of the deep snow and brutal iced up roads in cold Minnesota.

My children are now sneering at their mom for having bowed down to abandon my hell bent support for my local products. Well I'll just have to apologize. I have to admit, I'm loving it, even better than my 2011 SRX and Equinox leased for two years.

Hallelujah tengo el culo cagao' again and again and again

who got some paper

Wouldn't you know it. Just the other day I was thinking that I've never had a flat tire on my car.
What a fool.
So I discover I have this flat tire, and I try to drive the old truck only to discover that the new fuel line I put in last year has disintegrated and gas is leaking all over the engine. So I go to fix the flat (15 minutes, right?) and of course the wheel nut were put on by Superman on his day off. 45 minutes later dripping sweat and covered in dirt the wheel nuts are off, but I discover the alloy rim that seemed so cool at the time is stick to the car like it's been welded on. Anyway, an hour later I'm done, and I go into the house, rummage around in the pantry until I find an old bottle of high fructose corn syrup, and I CHUG it.

Have a nice day.