My life in a jar...actually many jars

     Sitting here on a rainy Monday afternoon sorting through my many jars of coins and realizing I've had some of these since I was a teenager!  How many stories go with all this change?  I could chart half my life from these jars.  How much would I have to pay to get someone to roll all these damn pennies!!

Pee Wee would approve!

Why is it, when you honk at someone for doing something stupid like cutting you off in traffic, their immediate response is to honk back?!  It's like the adult version of "I know you are, but what am I"!

Don't go cheap!

     We all like to be frugal.  We all want to save a little money by buying stuff in bulk or going with the no-name brand because, come on...it's the same product in a different jar!!  But there is one thing that you can't ever go cheap on.  That, my friends, is toilet paper!  I say that, because I am currently sitting on what still seems like a years supply of Kirkland paper from Costco.  Now, Kirkland doesn't quite live up to the low standards of the stuff we had in school, which doubled as medium-grade sand paper for the woodshop class, but I'm still regretting my purchase.  Of course there are many other things you really shouldn't attempt to pay less for.  One doesn't want to head to the dollar store for condoms or chicken but those seem obvious.  At least I hope they do.  But the next time I need to stock up on bathroom supplies, I'm going with luxury over thrifty!
    

At the big U! (United Airlines, for those not in the know)

     If anyone has seen that Mr Lube commercial with the self serve desk can relate to one particular aspect of my job.  I bring you, The Check-in Kiosk!!!  Here's a typical conversation I have with random passengers...

Psgr: Do I have to use this machine or can I just talk to you?
Me: We'd prefer you use the machine ( side note - we wouldn't prefer it, but we have stats to keep!!)
Psgr: But I'm not really good at computers
Me: Don't worry, it's easy.  I'll show you.  Touch the screen first
Psgr: What?
Me: Where it says Touch the Screen...touch it.
Psgr: Now what?
Me: It needs to read your passport.  No, not now...first touch where it says passport. Now put it in like it shows you.  Face up sir.  No, face UP!  Like the picture shows you!!
Psgr: It doesn't go in all the way!! (frantically jamming his passport into the little hole)
Me: It's not supposed to sir.  Just leave it where it is
Psgr: It says 'Please see Customer Service Agent'
Me: Alright.  You'll have to wait in that line over there and someone will help you
Psgr: But there wasn't a line when I got here.
Me: I know sir.  We're very busy today

   I love my job!

Halloween! Bah humbug?

     Yes, it is that time of year.  A few days from now all the children in the neighbourhood, save for a few poor souls with extreme religious backgrounds (don't worry kids, the rest of us are going to hell) will be donning their favourite superhero costume or, as is more likely the case, in this day and age, their favourite teenage pop star costume, and going door to door to ask for candy as that is what their parents did when they were young.  Of course I also took part when I was a kid.  Anyone who was willing to walk around on a cold October evening wearing nothing but an ill-conceived plastic shell labelled "Spiderman" deserved the bag of loot he brought home!  This night was amazing!  All you have to do is ring the bell and candy was yours!  No stupid tricks involved.  It was just a thing you said.  And believe me, thanks to the youthful Boyle genes, I managed to continue this tradition until I was 17.  Of course, because I was canvassing the same neighbourhood for the last 4 years, some people were starting to remember me and kindly suggested I was getting too old.   Once you get to that age where you are no longer welcome on the doorsteps of your neighbours holding out an empty shopping bag demanding free candy, you turn to the Halloween party.  Where all guys, at some point, dress up as women, and all women turn regular costumes more fun by adding the word 'slutty' to the title.  

     Halloween at our house was a bit different as poor old dad was born on this special day and, as one can imagine, didn't appreciate celebrating his birthday every year by answering the doorbell every few minutes to shell out candy to ungrateful kids who were probably also getting too old to be trick or treating!  So some years I was left to fend for myself and that is where I learned that turning off the lights and hiding in your room watching movies was the best way to go.  Yes, I lived in one of THOSE houses.  I guess I learned to enjoy avoiding the hassle.  Living in an apartment now means no trick or treaters.  I suppose I don't completely hate that.

     I can see it all.  20 years from now, I'm living in a tiny house on a quiet street.  Minding my own business for most of the year.  And then, one fall evening in October, three ghosts will visit me.  The ghost of Halloween’s past, present and future.  It'll be such a life-changing experience that in the morning I rush to the window and throw money down to the first kid I see and tell him to buy the biggest pumpkin he's ever seen!  Then again, I might just shut the window, turn the lights off, and assume it was a dream, the result of some underdone pumpkin pie.  Don't bother me... I think The Simpson's Halloween episode is on.
    
 

Life changing moment needed...

I'm thinking about expanding my horizons.  It's a long term goal as I am still on season 2 of Grey's Anatomy

Ahh, technology!

So I was sitting at my computer earlier and saw something out of the corner of my eye fly by the window.  For a brief moment I actually reached for the remote to try and rewind what just happened so I could get a better look.  I know I haven't had to sit through a commercial for quite some time now but perhaps I'm using my pvr a little too much.  Or perhaps someone should get to work on one I can use in real life.