Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Random Odds and Ends

* I've pretty much been a walking zombie of late due to all of the house renovation work, trying to get the latest project done and finished. I try to avoid our local Wal-Mart like the plague, but the only hardware store in the small town we live in is closing, so I've had to visit Wal-Mart three or four times in the last week for various stuff like caulk, screws, etc.

The first trip I'm in the checkout line, some cashier waves me over to an empty line, I walk over, put my stuff on the counter, and the cashier says "Cigarettes?"
I'm kind of baffled but assumed she saw my staring into random space waiting in line in the general vicinty of the cigarettes as interest, so I just say no and conclude my transaction.

Second trip, same damn thing, except the cashier asks "Would you like any cigarettes?" I'm too baffled to really answer, thinking: "Wow, I'm used to the upsell at the grocery store for the candy and random hair products they're trying to unload at the checkout lines, but is Wal_Mart seriously pushing the cancer sticks on people buying ordinary items (and not lighters, dip, or Nicoderm patches)?

Third and fourth trip confirmed that yes, yes they are trying to push cigarettes on each and every shopper. Still baffled by this. I'm not a militant non-smoker by any means but that just seems all kind of wrong to me for some reason.

* I've tried to play in some of the BBT3 tournaments that Al and others have busted their asses to set up for all us ungrateful slobs, but man, it's painful these days to play in a "blogger" tournament. I remember when I'd look forward to such things for days and days before they happened, instead of cringing every thirty seconds at the asshattery on display. Sorry, kids. Just calling 'em as I see 'em. But hey, as long as YOU'RE having fun, right?

* Writing the US guvmint a check at tax time is not a fun experience.

* Facing the odd prospect of being in Vegas for ten days, starting April 15th, with absolutely no spending money whatsoever, due to all the money I'm pumping into my real estate schemings. I'll be there working for PokerRoom, so it's not like a real vacation or anything, but it'll be kind of strange to be in Vegas for that long with no fun money to splash around on the normal degenerate activities.

* It's never a good sign when the president of your company sends out a funny, over-blown, completely-over-the-top April Fool's email about a huge, universally-terrible sweeping change to corporate policy and half the company mistakes it for being real, due to the fact that such things happen on a regular basis, for reals.

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