Stop & Shop gas stations are few and far between in Massachusetts, therefore the bargains galore at their gas pumps are not heavily advertised. While working in Foxboro a few years ago, I was thrilled to discover that scanning my Stop & Shop card at their pump off Route 140 would save me 5c/gallon on regular and 10c/gallon on premium. Stop & Shop recently upped the ante to grant an additional 10c/gallon discount for every $50* you spend in their supermarket.
A colleague of mine told me about the discount and while acting impressed with this nugget of thriftness at the time was good for business, the truth is that I am a Roche Bros girl through and through. While I doubt that my annual Stop & Shop tab would break the triple digit mark, my parents shop there regularly. Unbeknownst to them, my Stop & Shop card is somehow tied into their account. I purchased almost 12 gallons of premium for $38 this morning ($3.40 a gallon vs. $3.95 at Sunoco), courtesy of mom and dad's loyalty. Best of all, I have absolutely zero intention of telling them a thing about it.
Click here for other Stop & Shop gas locations.
* changing to 10c/gallon for every $100 later this week
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Pahkcah02 on Being a Good Influence
"And to you 'C' students, you too can be president of the United States," - George W. Bush addressing student at Yale University
I went out to Amherst yesterday to help out my sorority with their formal rush. I've been out of school for 6 years and was almost certain that as an old fogie I would be ignored by most of the current 19 and 20 year old active members. I was pretty surprised when just about every single girl came up to me to ask me who I was, what I majored in (when was the last time someone asked you that?), and what I did for a living. A good number of them also asked me for career advice given the state of the current job market. Like any good sales rep there's no topic I find more interesting than talking about myself so I was eager to impart my widom to these little sponges of knowledge.
One major topic of obsession was my UMass resume. They were curious to know which professors I had, what classes I took, and other general academic advice. I chose to attend UMass-Amherst for a number of reasons, and sadly academics was not one of them. Had I known then just how worthless my operations management degree was, I probably would've chosen an easier path like American History or Judaic Studies. Instead I spent the vast majority of 1998-2002 attending class only when I had to, put the minimal effort into most assignments, and didn't make a lasting impression on a single professor. Grad school for a person with a 2.8 GPA and no academic references is pretty much a no-go, which is why my academic career never went further than the hallowed concrete jungles of 01003. The advice I gave to impressionable sorority sisters:
Study hard and go to all of your classes. Make friends with your professors because they're the ones who can hook you up with jobs and grad school recommendations. A lot of you will need to go to grad school so you can break into careers where you will be making a difference in the world. Take advantage of everything offered to you at UMass.
Or you could be like me and skip a lot of classes because your math intensive major bores you to tears. You won't graduate with a respectable GPA but by the time you turn 28 you will own a condo, drink way too much scotch, and drive a BMW.
Hopefully they will follow the noble path, whichever one it may be.
I went out to Amherst yesterday to help out my sorority with their formal rush. I've been out of school for 6 years and was almost certain that as an old fogie I would be ignored by most of the current 19 and 20 year old active members. I was pretty surprised when just about every single girl came up to me to ask me who I was, what I majored in (when was the last time someone asked you that?), and what I did for a living. A good number of them also asked me for career advice given the state of the current job market. Like any good sales rep there's no topic I find more interesting than talking about myself so I was eager to impart my widom to these little sponges of knowledge.
One major topic of obsession was my UMass resume. They were curious to know which professors I had, what classes I took, and other general academic advice. I chose to attend UMass-Amherst for a number of reasons, and sadly academics was not one of them. Had I known then just how worthless my operations management degree was, I probably would've chosen an easier path like American History or Judaic Studies. Instead I spent the vast majority of 1998-2002 attending class only when I had to, put the minimal effort into most assignments, and didn't make a lasting impression on a single professor. Grad school for a person with a 2.8 GPA and no academic references is pretty much a no-go, which is why my academic career never went further than the hallowed concrete jungles of 01003. The advice I gave to impressionable sorority sisters:
Study hard and go to all of your classes. Make friends with your professors because they're the ones who can hook you up with jobs and grad school recommendations. A lot of you will need to go to grad school so you can break into careers where you will be making a difference in the world. Take advantage of everything offered to you at UMass.
Or you could be like me and skip a lot of classes because your math intensive major bores you to tears. You won't graduate with a respectable GPA but by the time you turn 28 you will own a condo, drink way too much scotch, and drive a BMW.
Hopefully they will follow the noble path, whichever one it may be.
Friday, September 12, 2008
A New Appreciation for E-Shopping
One of my besties Mama T is turning the big 29 + 1 in a few weeks so I need a cute outfit to reflect that very special milestone. Unfortunately my displeasure for the mall completely overpowers my Y chromosome to the point that I hardly ever have anything appropriate to wear. There are only two people on this planet that I have 100% success shopping with: mommy dearest and Attorney Lee. Otherwise Murphy's Law (aka: my reason for living) pretty much guarantees that I will never, ever find the specific item that I'm looking for.
I ended up getting a fantastic frock for aforementioned party at Macys.com. The power of Macy's basically means that they took over every decent local department store, bastardized the product selection and erroded customer service. I generally go to the Macy's in Brockton and it's sad how what was once a fine department store (Filene's) has become a glorified Sears, the only difference of course being that Sears actually cares about their customer base. I know that Macy's has the means necessary to act like a high class department store. Unfortunately the only way to get the type of clothing one would expect from a finer retailer, you have to go online.
Hopefully it will fit since I loathe having to return it already. Believe it or not, it took me over 2 days to pick out a dress from the dozen of so fine e-tailers out there. I am pleased to report that Macy's is the only company that charges outrageous shipping fees ($27 if I want it here in under 2 weeks), which is why I balked a little bit.
The truth is though that I live in the 'burbs and don't really want to drop a nickel by buying from a Boston boutique. Shopping malls, with their large parking garages, were specifically created for people like me to pick through thousands of square feet of traditional polo shirts, suits, and cargo pants. Yet for some reason I'd rather suffer through a Bruins game than paw through uninspiring racks of clothing.
Someday when I'm rich and famous I'll get one of those personal shoppers so I don't ever have to step foot in a department store. Until that glorious day, I will remain (for the most part) an armchair consumer, shipping fees and all.
I ended up getting a fantastic frock for aforementioned party at Macys.com. The power of Macy's basically means that they took over every decent local department store, bastardized the product selection and erroded customer service. I generally go to the Macy's in Brockton and it's sad how what was once a fine department store (Filene's) has become a glorified Sears, the only difference of course being that Sears actually cares about their customer base. I know that Macy's has the means necessary to act like a high class department store. Unfortunately the only way to get the type of clothing one would expect from a finer retailer, you have to go online.
Hopefully it will fit since I loathe having to return it already. Believe it or not, it took me over 2 days to pick out a dress from the dozen of so fine e-tailers out there. I am pleased to report that Macy's is the only company that charges outrageous shipping fees ($27 if I want it here in under 2 weeks), which is why I balked a little bit.
The truth is though that I live in the 'burbs and don't really want to drop a nickel by buying from a Boston boutique. Shopping malls, with their large parking garages, were specifically created for people like me to pick through thousands of square feet of traditional polo shirts, suits, and cargo pants. Yet for some reason I'd rather suffer through a Bruins game than paw through uninspiring racks of clothing.
Someday when I'm rich and famous I'll get one of those personal shoppers so I don't ever have to step foot in a department store. Until that glorious day, I will remain (for the most part) an armchair consumer, shipping fees and all.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Wednesday - Because A Lot Goes Down Between Tuesday and Thursday
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Learn The Rules, Masshole
As a motorist, I am slowly getting used to the growing number of bicyclists, especially when I travel inside the city of Boston. When I drove in last week I was shocked to witness that driving a Huffy in an unsafe, and douchebag-like manner isn't just for bike couriers anymore. I always suspected that cyclists were subject to the same laws as motorists, and I've managed to find proof in page 105 of the Massachusetts Driving Handbook. That means it's just as verbatim for cyclists to run through red lights, disregard hand signals, and dodge pedestrians in crosswalks as it is for those driving vehicles. See for yourself (with comments):
When you are riding a bicycle on public ways, state law subjects you to the same basic laws and regulations that apply to motor vehicle operators.
• You must obey all traffic signs and signals, ride single file with the flow of traffic, and yield to pedestrians. (pahkcah 02 translation: nobody likes a douchebag)
• You must ride on the right side of the roadway, unless you are turning left. To turn left, signal, look, and move into the lane closest to the center line. (pahkcah02 translation: we live in America, and in America we drive on the RIGHT side of the road. We fought wars to keep left-handed driving off of this continent. Biking on the left simply because it's less congested/more convenient is almost an act of treason in my book.))
• It is strongly recommended that you avoid listening to headphones while riding.(pahkcah02 note: You shouldn't do this while driving a vehicle either)
• Before entering or crossing a roadway, you should stop, look left, look right, and look left again for traffic—even if it is a one-way street.(pahkcah02 alert: because manners matter!)
• When preparing to merge, stop, or turn, use hand signals to communicate your intentions to other roadway users. You may use either hand to signal.(pahkcah02 interpretation: You'll look like a huge dork while doing this and we'll probably mock you from behind our windshields but at least we won't clip you when you flex your left arm to inform us that you're taking a right.))
• Use an audible signal bell, horn, or your voice to warn pedestrians.(pahkcah02: or better yet, just bang on our hoods and yell "hey, I'm cyclin' here!")
• For nighttime operation, your bike must be equipped with a white headlight, red taillight, and/or rear reflector, pedal reflectors, and side reflectors. In addition, you must wear reflective ankle bands.(pahkcah02: Go Go Gadget Night vision is no substitute for safety)
• You may use sidewalks outside business districts, unless there is a local ordinance prohibiting it.(pahkcah02 kudos: actually, most of you are pretty good at obeying this rule.)
• When operating on a sidewalk, you must yield the right of way to pedestrians.(pahkcah02 simple math: just because pedestrians have two feet and bicycles have two wheels does not mean that a bike = being a pedestrian)
Maybe you think I'm bashing cyclists for trying to get fit/be green/not use gas but that's really not the case. I take my role as a driver very seriously and wholeheartedly believe that driving is a privilege and not a right. I've been driving in Boston for over a decade and I am here to inform you that it is a downright scary and hostile environment. If you rear-end a car while travelling 10 miles an hour you'll probably only render cosmetic damage. If you hit an errant cyclists that is not paying attention at 10 mph then some one's going to end up in the hospital. That is an insanely scary prospect for anyone.
Many of our roads are over-crowded and not conducive to driving. In a world full of rainbows and unicorns there would be no need for cars and all of the world's problems would be solved. In reality, that is never, ever going to happen. Motorists need to smarten up and pay attention; cyclists need to memorize page 105 and understand they are subject to the same laws and courtesies as their gas guzzling road hogs.
Happy motoring.
When you are riding a bicycle on public ways, state law subjects you to the same basic laws and regulations that apply to motor vehicle operators.
• You must obey all traffic signs and signals, ride single file with the flow of traffic, and yield to pedestrians. (pahkcah 02 translation: nobody likes a douchebag)
• You must ride on the right side of the roadway, unless you are turning left. To turn left, signal, look, and move into the lane closest to the center line. (pahkcah02 translation: we live in America, and in America we drive on the RIGHT side of the road. We fought wars to keep left-handed driving off of this continent. Biking on the left simply because it's less congested/more convenient is almost an act of treason in my book.))
• It is strongly recommended that you avoid listening to headphones while riding.(pahkcah02 note: You shouldn't do this while driving a vehicle either)
• Before entering or crossing a roadway, you should stop, look left, look right, and look left again for traffic—even if it is a one-way street.(pahkcah02 alert: because manners matter!)
• When preparing to merge, stop, or turn, use hand signals to communicate your intentions to other roadway users. You may use either hand to signal.(pahkcah02 interpretation: You'll look like a huge dork while doing this and we'll probably mock you from behind our windshields but at least we won't clip you when you flex your left arm to inform us that you're taking a right.))
• Use an audible signal bell, horn, or your voice to warn pedestrians.(pahkcah02: or better yet, just bang on our hoods and yell "hey, I'm cyclin' here!")
• For nighttime operation, your bike must be equipped with a white headlight, red taillight, and/or rear reflector, pedal reflectors, and side reflectors. In addition, you must wear reflective ankle bands.(pahkcah02: Go Go Gadget Night vision is no substitute for safety)
• You may use sidewalks outside business districts, unless there is a local ordinance prohibiting it.(pahkcah02 kudos: actually, most of you are pretty good at obeying this rule.)
• When operating on a sidewalk, you must yield the right of way to pedestrians.(pahkcah02 simple math: just because pedestrians have two feet and bicycles have two wheels does not mean that a bike = being a pedestrian)
Maybe you think I'm bashing cyclists for trying to get fit/be green/not use gas but that's really not the case. I take my role as a driver very seriously and wholeheartedly believe that driving is a privilege and not a right. I've been driving in Boston for over a decade and I am here to inform you that it is a downright scary and hostile environment. If you rear-end a car while travelling 10 miles an hour you'll probably only render cosmetic damage. If you hit an errant cyclists that is not paying attention at 10 mph then some one's going to end up in the hospital. That is an insanely scary prospect for anyone.
Many of our roads are over-crowded and not conducive to driving. In a world full of rainbows and unicorns there would be no need for cars and all of the world's problems would be solved. In reality, that is never, ever going to happen. Motorists need to smarten up and pay attention; cyclists need to memorize page 105 and understand they are subject to the same laws and courtesies as their gas guzzling road hogs.
Happy motoring.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
90210 = 2 Hours Of My Life (and I want them back!)
Last summer Mama T informed me that the group of incoming college freshmen she was working with had heard of Beverly Hills 90210 but had never actually seen an episode. The original Fox series premiered 18 years ago this fall, well before the majority of this generation's high school students were born. The original Nine-oh was created by Aaron Spelling, a pop culture genius who wrote and produced some of the finest television ever to grace the American airwaves. The new 90210 is a rip-off of the original, with plot lines that underline a depraved West Coast culture of greed and dishonesty. After wasting two hours of my life watching the new 90210, I am convinced that Aaron Spelling is spinning in his grave.
The new series starts out similiar to the original: a nuclear family with solid midwestern values is suddenly uprooted to Beverly Hills. I knew that I was in for a bumpy ride when I spied Shenae Grimes in the opening scene. Ms. Grimes plays a whiny, confused Canadian teen in Degrassi so I can't imagine that playing a whiny, confused American teen in 90210 is much of a stretch for the newly minted size zero starlet. Adopted African-American brother Dixon (Tristan Wilds of the Wire) manages to strike a balance between being a star lacrosse player and practical joker with grace, all while listening to his sister whine about boy problems. If you're not missing Brenda and Brandon by this point, you haven't been paying attention.
Jennie Garth is back as a guidance counselor while Shannon Doherty cameos as the long lost BFF. Cue in a grandmother with a drinking problem, a long lost baby, a homesick mother, teenagers with access to their own plane, and a couple of $300,000 Bentleys and you've got the making of a show that is just plain bad, even by CW standards. There are already a ton of well written shows about spoiled rich kids living unrealistic lives in the lap of luxury (eg: Gossip Girl) so I'm not sure what cultural value 90210 brings to the table. Personally if I wanted to watch 2 hours of elitist, mind-numbing television I would've tuned into the DNC.
Unless it gets cancelled after one episode (possible but not very likely), 90210 will air next Tuesday at 8pm. For those who are waiting with baited breath for the continuation of this week's horrendous pilot I send my deepest regrets to the Spelling family.
The new series starts out similiar to the original: a nuclear family with solid midwestern values is suddenly uprooted to Beverly Hills. I knew that I was in for a bumpy ride when I spied Shenae Grimes in the opening scene. Ms. Grimes plays a whiny, confused Canadian teen in Degrassi so I can't imagine that playing a whiny, confused American teen in 90210 is much of a stretch for the newly minted size zero starlet. Adopted African-American brother Dixon (Tristan Wilds of the Wire) manages to strike a balance between being a star lacrosse player and practical joker with grace, all while listening to his sister whine about boy problems. If you're not missing Brenda and Brandon by this point, you haven't been paying attention.
Jennie Garth is back as a guidance counselor while Shannon Doherty cameos as the long lost BFF. Cue in a grandmother with a drinking problem, a long lost baby, a homesick mother, teenagers with access to their own plane, and a couple of $300,000 Bentleys and you've got the making of a show that is just plain bad, even by CW standards. There are already a ton of well written shows about spoiled rich kids living unrealistic lives in the lap of luxury (eg: Gossip Girl) so I'm not sure what cultural value 90210 brings to the table. Personally if I wanted to watch 2 hours of elitist, mind-numbing television I would've tuned into the DNC.
Unless it gets cancelled after one episode (possible but not very likely), 90210 will air next Tuesday at 8pm. For those who are waiting with baited breath for the continuation of this week's horrendous pilot I send my deepest regrets to the Spelling family.
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