EditUndo

As consumers we have LOTS of choice.  Especially since the ‘big box’ store arrived.  Seems every store sells everything.  It’s just a matter of whether you enjoy the look, feel, prices, service, brands, convenience/proximity to your house.  I’m not particular about most things, but do have some items I’ll only buy at particular places.

When it comes to coffee, I enjoy Starbucks over Second Cup.  My family has a long-time affiliation with the Cup and we have friends, who, missing the Cup overseas, had a chance encounter with one of the Cup’s exec’s over in India on a business trip, and he personally sent them a sweet stash of their favorites to keep the addiction well-fed (sorry, run-on sentence).  I think that’s great.  But Starshmucks still tastes better to me.  

So today, convenience won and lined up at the mall’s Second Cup,  I found myself having a conversation with the barista about whipped cream and it’s appropriateness on EVERY beverage (I was for and she seemed against).

‘Have you ever had the apple cider at SB’s?’ I asked.

‘OH everytime I go there I just HATE the service’ the ever-growing-louder-and-more-obnoxious barista replied.

‘Funny, I love their service’ I reply. (How can you fault, ‘good morning, thank-you for choosing Starbucks, how can I help you?’  or the ONE time I was dissatisfied with my latte, coming in the next time and mentioning the problem and receiving a FREE one????)

‘Oh every time I go there it’s just (insert any experience insulting to Starbucks) … BLAH BLAH BLAH’.

I had a similar experience at Sears just before Christmas.  I had gone to the Bay first to look for a particular gift and dealt with a snarky sales associate who, frankly, wasn’t helpful at all.  So I ditched and went to Sears.  When I couldn’t find what I was looking for at Sears, the friendly associate asked if I had checked anywhere else.  I mentioned the Bay and why I hadn’t given them my business.  She proceeded to say she had ALWAYS had terrible service there.  One: I didn’t ask about YOUR experience.  Two: complaining about the competition is making you look bad.

But seriously people, say ‘oh I’m so sorry to hear you had a bad experience’ and try do better by me than the last guy!

Like I said before, we have tons of choice as consumers.  Sometimes I feel strongly enough about something to stick to one brand, one store for a particular something.  And other times, I don’t.  If you happen to be in competition for my business, don’t put down the other guy.  I’m smart enough to figure out where my money should go myself.  And that decision is based on what I like.  Not what you don’t.

As a Canadian, I’m pretty excited that my country and all the peeps in it are anticipating the Olympics in 2010.  I’ve seen lots of pictures recently of the torch passing through all kinds of communities (great and small, Arctic and Southern and everything in between).  On Boston.com they do this thing called ‘The Big Picture’ and one of the instalments shows locals in Inuvik and in Resolute Bay, among many Northern communities.  That excites me!  Everyone should share in the fun!
At the end of a long night shift in the ER I stood in the main foyer at McMaster hospital and watched the torch arrive, tearful speeches given, the National Anthem sung, and the next torch lit and carried outside into the dark morning.
I’m not sure if it was the exhaustion I was feeling after being up all night, the dry air, the pride I have for my country, or what, but I got teary listening to the little girl sing our anthem.  Was a nice experience, probably the only bit of the Olympics I’ll get to share in up close.
After the ceremony I went back to the unit with my RBC clapper (long rubber balloon that was used to bang against a hand to make a thunder noise in place of clapping) and donked a few peeps on the head with it.  Donking is so much fun

(Another lovely flower from the backyard at Thanksgiving)

In true (recent) Ontario-winter-style, the snow is melting and the green grass is showing once again.  We’ve had two false starts.  There are still buds on the trees from the last one.  Does that damage trees I wonder?  Are they supposed to freeze up at a certain stage in dormancy in order to ‘wake’ healthfully in the spring?  By tomorrow all the snow will be gone here by Lake Ontario and the only mark of imminent/present winter will be the Christmas lights up on every other house in this neighbourhood.  And the Christmas cups at Starshmucks.

I gotta say, I am so in the mood to decorate my house for Christmas.  One large house-shaped problem though.  No house.  If I had more time on my hands, the inside of our room would be decked to the hall.  Alas, this new job is sucking a significant amount of energy from me.  Which is good.  After all, I want to be good at what I do.  I’m learning fast.  Making significant strides every shift.  And, considering the constant flow of traffic at this Southern Ontario ER, will likely require new sneakers by New Years with all the running I do in a shift.  Pretty soon I’ll be able to draw blood from anything that moves, suss out the priorities in a stack of 23 charts of patients waiting to be seen, and manage to chart on every one of them in crazy detail and competence.  Watch out world, I’m armed with size 6.5 gloves and motivated!