In another 'this job would be so easy if it wasn't for the customers' moment- today a lady asked for a refund because the show time we had listed on the internet wasn't the same as the box office time. I cheked the internet and wasn't able to find a show time that corresponded to the time she insisted was showing on Yahoo movies so I offered her a refund or a free pass. She refused to leave until I gave her both.

She eventually asked me to allow her into the office so she could show me the listing on Yahoo movies. When the site came up she said accusingly , "you changed this."

"When did you look it up?" I asked.

"Thursday."

"The times have changed since Thursday."

"You should say that on the site."

"Here where it says 'Saturday' it would have said 'Thursday' on Thursday."

"You should say that these showtimes are only for Thursday. It's very confusing."

"I'm sorry but the showtimes change almost every day. You need to pick the day you'd like to come to the movie to see the times for that day."

"So you're not going to give me anything?"

how about a two-by-four to the head?

"So you're not going to give me anything?"

how about a two-by-four to the head?

And that would be generous. Sheesh. I mean, it didn't occur to this lady that because for the most part, new movies are released on Fridays that the show times, might... just maybe... possibly... CHANGE??

Besides, if I'm not mistaken, when she looked at the website on Thursday she would have seen

Henry Poole is Here starts Friday

Vicky Cristina Barcelona starts Friday

Star Wars: The Clone Wars starts Friday

fer cripes sakes

School starts Monday. When I check the weather forecast for Monday and Tuesday it says Hurricane Fay in red under the dates. [link] It would make actual sense for school to last into June instead of starting mid-August. Of course I will need to drive the kids since who knows what time the buses will run if we have weather, and every other parent will be driving too. Yes, I am hot and cranky. I look forward to school and dread it at the same time.

Random shocking mom moments. My 16 yo is surprising me with cooperation. First he danced with me several times at my nephew's wedding. I had NEVER seen him dance before. He even went out there without me doing line dance stuff. Then when I got his school schedule I told him we needed to go to the office and add/drop Spanish instead of Gym and he just said ok without argument, and did it. I'm wondering what happened to him while I was away for a couple months. Also wondering how long the honeymoon period will last. Huh.

{{{Drew & family}}}

Barb, I've seen the display for Ghostgirl, and I'm very envious of it. Yes, I hope the GCS book gets something just as striking. (I'll post a review of the Ghostgirl book at some point; I just got a copy the other day, but haven't started it yet.)

Ok, I just saw this on my Hotmail front page thingy:

It may seem like the perfect way to save calories and slash your sugar intake, but studies show that diet drinkers actually weigh more than regular soda drinkers. For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese tied to a 2-can-a-day habit is 57 percent compared to 46 percent for regular soda drinkers. Diet soda may throw off your natural appetite regulation, causing you to eat more sweets. It may also trick you into thinking it's OK to indulge in high calorie foods because you "saved" by choosing diet soda.

Um... from what I'm reading (and I don't know precisly how the study was structured) it looks like "cause and effect" are confusing somebody. I don't think the diet sodas are making people fat, I suspect fat people tend to drink diet sodas.

And my new neighborhood? NO THAI FOOD!!!!

Lord, woman, where did you move? Iowa?

I know, right? Well, none that deliver at 11:00 at night. Probably none that deliver at all. My poor sick little self would have to go outsided and engage teh hoomans to gain tom yum.

The town that does this shindig (and this year is the 16th running of the race) actually has a cardboard boat museum. Hand to god. I love stuff like that.

That sounds delightful.

I liked her answer to the question "What was it like kissing PC?":

Fine until his Mom showed up with an Uzi?

I'm so annoyed by the whole thing--fine, whatever, you were so fucking drunk you don't even remember it? That's annoying enough. You want to PRETEND you were so drunk you don't remember it? Even more annoying. But to then act like I'm some kind of psycho who's wishfully IMAGINING that you asked me to fuck you? Yeah, GO FUCK YOURSELF. I'm not holding my breath for the last six months, for you OR Grandma, OK? Damn.

Oh MAN is that not fun. Neither answer makes him a good guy here. Both make you feel like shit. Been there, done that, got the emotional scars... AGH

And all love to Drew. Safe, fast, travels, Babe.

I don't think the diet sodas are making people fat, I suspect fat people tend to drink diet sodas.

There is some evidence that the body releases insulin in response to a sweet taste, regardless of whether it's real sugar. That would actually make you hungrier.

There is some evidence that the body releases insulin in response to a sweet taste, regardless of whether it's real sugar. That would actually make you hungrier.

I've heard that! Maybe that's what they meant by "Diet soda may throw off your natural appetite regulation, causing you to eat more sweets."? Of course, they also went with "diet sodas make people think they can eat cookies at will"

Well, this is just stupid:

It may also trick you into thinking it's OK to indulge in high calorie foods because you "saved" by choosing diet soda.

I mean, people do that, I guess, but "tricked"? There's a somewhat related effect seen with other calorie-reduced foods where you tend to replace those saved calories in other parts of the meal or in greater consumption. (So in a way, I guess you could call that your body refusing to be tricked.) But what they're talking about sounds like just one of those silly rationalizations we all make.

Not even sure it's that silly, really - Big Mac plus Diet Coke is still a calorie win over Big Mac plus Coke, even if neither option is particularly advisable.

But as I understand it, there is some basis for this:

Diet soda may throw off your natural appetite regulation, causing you to eat more sweets.

So there is some causal effect there. But I'd agree with you that correlation is by far the lion's share of the issue.

broken cookies have no calories