Jeff Milner Vs. The Ants
I think the carpenter ants in my front lawn are just about ready to surrender. I bought a bottle of diamaceous earth after the first one ran out and now they seem to be suffering greatly. They were migrating toward the sidewalk in a big way, however, I out-flanked them and gave them a good spray there as well. They may have won a few battles along the way, but I'm going to win the war.
Happy Forth of July Yanks
Hope you have good fireworks tonight. I enjoyed the fireworks here in Canada on July 1st as I was driving home from the wedding late Tuesday night. Fireworks are fun.
I Liked the Tuna but the Tuna Didn't Like Me
I came home early from work tonight because the tuna sandwich that Anna so lovingly made for me wasn't sitting well. In fact it was "not sitting well" so badly that it didn't just not sit, it actually got up from where it was sitting and decided it liked the toilet better. I'm feeling much better now, at this point you're probably not.
You know the thing about throwing up, as gross as it is, it sure does feel a lot better when you get the poison out. That's all I have to say about that - for now.
Goodbye Canada Hello Disneyland
In an act of sheer lunacy I have decided to go to Disneyland for the weekend. That's right - they are having auditions there for Character Cast Members and Anna-Maria and I are in the process of planning our trip. I am really excited, and can't wait to go.
Glenneth and Jack-Hammer's Wedding Reception
Jackie and Glen are having their reception in Medicine Hat on August 2nd (correct me if I'm wrong). Jackie just called me to ask if I would put together a slide show for her. I would like to but with all the things going on right now, it's going to be a struggle to find the time. Maybe if Mom scans 50 pictures of Jackie at Earl's house and Jackie emails me 50 pictures of Glen, together with the video footage that I have I can put together a really great show.
The Phone is Ringing Off the Hook
Well I need to get back to all my errands and I've been getting calls from everyone tonight. Most recently was Anna saying that maybe we should call this crazy trip off. It's still up in the air, but I think we should go for it. If you're reading this why not click shout out so I can hear your opinion? Go for it.
Wednesday, July 02, 2003
Plastic Update
I posted a story on Plastic.com that got published. It's about how the law in Missouri doesn't allow High School kids there to compete on School teams and other teams of the same sport during the same time period. This seems like a normal thing for us Canadians, but in the United States Missouri is one of the only States to have this rule. Check out my story, and even comment on it there if you feel like it.
I posted a story on Plastic.com that got published. It's about how the law in Missouri doesn't allow High School kids there to compete on School teams and other teams of the same sport during the same time period. This seems like a normal thing for us Canadians, but in the United States Missouri is one of the only States to have this rule. Check out my story, and even comment on it there if you feel like it.
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
Milner's from 1903 to 2003 - 100 years in Canada
As Gary mentioned we had our family reunion over the weekend. Anna did put on some fancy elf ears on me and smaller pointy ears on Gary. Below is a picture of me with the ears on. I had a chance to go kayaking down the upper Saint Mary's River a couple of times with Anna, Corry, Anson, Jackie and Glen. Today I was able to recover a bit just taking it easy working at the pool and not doing too much else. Of course now I am not really prepared for going to Calgary for Jackie's wedding and we'll be scrambling to get everything in order tomorrow, especially with my plan for Anna-Maria and I to take part on the Milner float in the parade in Raymond.
As Gary mentioned we had our family reunion over the weekend. Anna did put on some fancy elf ears on me and smaller pointy ears on Gary. Below is a picture of me with the ears on. I had a chance to go kayaking down the upper Saint Mary's River a couple of times with Anna, Corry, Anson, Jackie and Glen. Today I was able to recover a bit just taking it easy working at the pool and not doing too much else. Of course now I am not really prepared for going to Calgary for Jackie's wedding and we'll be scrambling to get everything in order tomorrow, especially with my plan for Anna-Maria and I to take part on the Milner float in the parade in Raymond.
Sunday, June 29, 2003
Reunion Revisited
The reunion was pretty fun. Although it went pretty much as I expected, I visited mainly with my own family. Tracie and I really enjoyed tubing down the river. It was the highlight of the trip for us.
What a stroke of luck it was for us to win all those prizes. I really like the painting that Alice did, I'm glad that I won when I did. At the next family reunion, Dad needs to bring a wood carving for the draw. I think that one of his carvings would rival Joyce's blankets.
It was a little embarassing to win twice in a row, but I don't think that anyone really knew who Tracie even was. I don't introduce her nearly enough, but, except Uncles and Aunts I don't really know anybody's names anyway. Even when people do introduce themselves to me, there are always 4 or 5 people there and they rattle the names off way too quickly for me to catch anyway. I'm thinking that for my new year's resolution this year, I will start caring about what people's names are and make an effort to learn them. Learning and remembering people's names is one of the big points in the book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People". I think that it's probably true.
-Gary Milner
What a stroke of luck it was for us to win all those prizes. I really like the painting that Alice did, I'm glad that I won when I did. At the next family reunion, Dad needs to bring a wood carving for the draw. I think that one of his carvings would rival Joyce's blankets.
It was a little embarassing to win twice in a row, but I don't think that anyone really knew who Tracie even was. I don't introduce her nearly enough, but, except Uncles and Aunts I don't really know anybody's names anyway. Even when people do introduce themselves to me, there are always 4 or 5 people there and they rattle the names off way too quickly for me to catch anyway. I'm thinking that for my new year's resolution this year, I will start caring about what people's names are and make an effort to learn them. Learning and remembering people's names is one of the big points in the book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People". I think that it's probably true.
-Gary Milner
Saturday, June 28, 2003
Required Reading
The University of Sydney is experimenting with series of electromagnetic pulses directed into the frontal lobes. Hooked up to the machine, 40 percent of test subjects exhibited extraordinary, and newfound, mental skills.
What I want to know is, where can I get one?
The University of Sydney is experimenting with series of electromagnetic pulses directed into the frontal lobes. Hooked up to the machine, 40 percent of test subjects exhibited extraordinary, and newfound, mental skills.
What I want to know is, where can I get one?
Friday, June 27, 2003
The Low-down on Phone Surveys
Ok, here's the scoop. If you don't want to do the survey then please realize that "I'm busy now" does not equal "I'm not interested" and in most cases will result in being called back in a couple of days. If you don't want them to call you back ever ask politely for the name of the company, write it down along with the date and the name of the interview then politely ask them to remove your number from their list. If they ever call you back (you'll know it's them because you wrote down their company name) you can sue them.
But if you are turning over a new leaf, as Tracie did today, and decide to take part in the study, then here are some things you'll want to know. First thing you should do is ask, how long does this survey take. Most of the time the interviewer won't tell you unless asked. Once you ask they have to tell you. Don't be intimidated if they tell you it will be 15 or 20 minutes because just because you agree to begin a survey doesn't mean that at anytime during the survey you can't just decide that you've had enough and politely tell them, "You know what, I'm sorry but I'm just no longer interested in doing this survey" and then you can either tell them they can call back later or not to bother. I should note that the survey cannot be used unless you are on the demographics at the end when you hang up. It doesn't really matter if demographic questions are answered.
If you don't know the answer to the question don't say "Well I'm not really familiar enough ... " or "That question is ambiguous", just say, "I don't know". It's as easy as that. If you do know the answer but don't want to give it for whatever reason, either say, "Refuse" or "I don't want to answer that". If they pressure you, just repeat, "Refuse".
It probably doesn't matter one bit if you give your first and last name, but unless they are entering you into a draw or something else where they are going to need to identify you, there is no reason that a first name wouldn't do the trick. As far as giving even your first name, well it does make life easier for the supervisor who may or may not verify that interview. It's just a way for the supervisor to know who to ask for if / when they call you back to see if the interviewer was acting in a professional manner.
When it comes to sharing other information, the first 3 digits of your postal code is enough to let the surveyors know the general area. Anything more than that and they know your location down to the side of the street that you live on, maybe down to as much as two or three houses. And when I say they I mean the people that analyze the surveys not the people doing the surveys - we couldn't care less. So when it comes to postal codes, if you feel uncomfortable just tell them number letter number refuse refuse refuse. It's your right; you might as well take it. Again it probably doesn't really matter one way or another. I know that in one particular survey they like to know your postal code so that they can see how close you are to particular stores and evaluate how well you like their store based on your location and answers. That's it for survey advice for now, perhaps I'll add more advice as things come up.
New Roommate Update
My new roommate moved in today; the one I mentioned in an earlier post. He is from Tokyo. He bought himself a USB Wireless network adaptor and without me even being here to change any of my router settings was able to get onto my Internet connection. Maybe I should evaluate my network security. Maybe some other time - it's late... Anyway I did tell him that the wireless connection would be the best idea and its great because this way he can just use the internet from his own computer in his own room. I love technology.
Jeff Milner the Lifeguard - My first Day at My Second Job
I think I like lifeguarding a lot better than surveying. The pay isn't as good (just slightly), but the environment is way better. I especially liked my shift today because I didn't have to do any of the cleaning responsibilities and there were enough staff there to answer any of my questions. The pool that I’ll be working at for the majority of my shifts this month is attached to a senior citizens recreational facility. That means that there are a lot of elderly people that like to swim there. It’s great because in a days work there is more chance that you’ll have to save someone from a heart attack then yell at kids to stop being “stoopid” and end up having to call an ambulance for their spinal injury. Actually I wonder what the ratio of elderly to kid injuries is really like? Either way, being a lifeguard rocks.
Ok, here's the scoop. If you don't want to do the survey then please realize that "I'm busy now" does not equal "I'm not interested" and in most cases will result in being called back in a couple of days. If you don't want them to call you back ever ask politely for the name of the company, write it down along with the date and the name of the interview then politely ask them to remove your number from their list. If they ever call you back (you'll know it's them because you wrote down their company name) you can sue them.
But if you are turning over a new leaf, as Tracie did today, and decide to take part in the study, then here are some things you'll want to know. First thing you should do is ask, how long does this survey take. Most of the time the interviewer won't tell you unless asked. Once you ask they have to tell you. Don't be intimidated if they tell you it will be 15 or 20 minutes because just because you agree to begin a survey doesn't mean that at anytime during the survey you can't just decide that you've had enough and politely tell them, "You know what, I'm sorry but I'm just no longer interested in doing this survey" and then you can either tell them they can call back later or not to bother. I should note that the survey cannot be used unless you are on the demographics at the end when you hang up. It doesn't really matter if demographic questions are answered.
If you don't know the answer to the question don't say "Well I'm not really familiar enough ... " or "That question is ambiguous", just say, "I don't know". It's as easy as that. If you do know the answer but don't want to give it for whatever reason, either say, "Refuse" or "I don't want to answer that". If they pressure you, just repeat, "Refuse".
It probably doesn't matter one bit if you give your first and last name, but unless they are entering you into a draw or something else where they are going to need to identify you, there is no reason that a first name wouldn't do the trick. As far as giving even your first name, well it does make life easier for the supervisor who may or may not verify that interview. It's just a way for the supervisor to know who to ask for if / when they call you back to see if the interviewer was acting in a professional manner.
When it comes to sharing other information, the first 3 digits of your postal code is enough to let the surveyors know the general area. Anything more than that and they know your location down to the side of the street that you live on, maybe down to as much as two or three houses. And when I say they I mean the people that analyze the surveys not the people doing the surveys - we couldn't care less. So when it comes to postal codes, if you feel uncomfortable just tell them number letter number refuse refuse refuse. It's your right; you might as well take it. Again it probably doesn't really matter one way or another. I know that in one particular survey they like to know your postal code so that they can see how close you are to particular stores and evaluate how well you like their store based on your location and answers. That's it for survey advice for now, perhaps I'll add more advice as things come up.
New Roommate Update
My new roommate moved in today; the one I mentioned in an earlier post. He is from Tokyo. He bought himself a USB Wireless network adaptor and without me even being here to change any of my router settings was able to get onto my Internet connection. Maybe I should evaluate my network security. Maybe some other time - it's late... Anyway I did tell him that the wireless connection would be the best idea and its great because this way he can just use the internet from his own computer in his own room. I love technology.
Jeff Milner the Lifeguard - My first Day at My Second Job
I think I like lifeguarding a lot better than surveying. The pay isn't as good (just slightly), but the environment is way better. I especially liked my shift today because I didn't have to do any of the cleaning responsibilities and there were enough staff there to answer any of my questions. The pool that I’ll be working at for the majority of my shifts this month is attached to a senior citizens recreational facility. That means that there are a lot of elderly people that like to swim there. It’s great because in a days work there is more chance that you’ll have to save someone from a heart attack then yell at kids to stop being “stoopid” and end up having to call an ambulance for their spinal injury. Actually I wonder what the ratio of elderly to kid injuries is really like? Either way, being a lifeguard rocks.
Thursday, June 26, 2003
Turning over a new leaf
Today I did something that I would normally never do...I answered a phone survey. That's right Jeff, and it's all because of you. Normally, when surveyors call, I tell them I'm busy or not interested or whatever just to get rid of them. Today when she asked if I would spare 15 minutes, I hesitated, but because of Jeff's constant appeal to be nice to people on the phone, I did it. It was about my credit card use. One thing I didn't like is that when it was all over, she asked me for my full name and postal code. I gave it to her, but I didn't like it.
Mortgage brokers
Overall, I have been pleased with my mortgage broker. He is very patient and has taken the time to explain everything to me and answer all of my questions. What sucks though, is that he never gave me enough warning to get all of my things in order. Let me explain. For my pre-approval, he asked me questions about how much money I make, what savings and what other debts I have. I asked him at that time if there was anything that I needed to get, like a letter from my employer. He told me that we wouldn't be needing that for the pre-approval and not to worry about it. Since I've never bought a house before, I just did what he told me.
Several weeks later, we found a house and put in an offer. All we had to do was get approved for a mortgage within five days and the house would be ours. Now keep in mind that I've never done this before, but I figured that since I was pre-approved, getting approved would be a cinch.
Here's my complaint. Now we only have five days to get everthing in order. Things like our bank account balances and three months worth of transactions, GIC's, RRSP's, student loan information, letter of employment, etc.. If all of those things are not in by monday, we don't get the house. Why didn't the mortgage broker just tell us before? He knew we would need it sometime. Why didn't he say three weeks ago, "By the way, start gathering bank account info, we're going to need it"? I've been going crazy the last two days trying to get it all sorted out. Had he told me before, I could have just handed it to him when we found our house. We're still waiting on several things to be faxed to them and if they aren't, well then, it sucks to be us. If there are any mortgage brokers out there reading this, please do your clients a favor and tell them what they'll have to get done more than five days ahead of time.
Today I did something that I would normally never do...I answered a phone survey. That's right Jeff, and it's all because of you. Normally, when surveyors call, I tell them I'm busy or not interested or whatever just to get rid of them. Today when she asked if I would spare 15 minutes, I hesitated, but because of Jeff's constant appeal to be nice to people on the phone, I did it. It was about my credit card use. One thing I didn't like is that when it was all over, she asked me for my full name and postal code. I gave it to her, but I didn't like it.
Mortgage brokers
Overall, I have been pleased with my mortgage broker. He is very patient and has taken the time to explain everything to me and answer all of my questions. What sucks though, is that he never gave me enough warning to get all of my things in order. Let me explain. For my pre-approval, he asked me questions about how much money I make, what savings and what other debts I have. I asked him at that time if there was anything that I needed to get, like a letter from my employer. He told me that we wouldn't be needing that for the pre-approval and not to worry about it. Since I've never bought a house before, I just did what he told me.
Several weeks later, we found a house and put in an offer. All we had to do was get approved for a mortgage within five days and the house would be ours. Now keep in mind that I've never done this before, but I figured that since I was pre-approved, getting approved would be a cinch.
Here's my complaint. Now we only have five days to get everthing in order. Things like our bank account balances and three months worth of transactions, GIC's, RRSP's, student loan information, letter of employment, etc.. If all of those things are not in by monday, we don't get the house. Why didn't the mortgage broker just tell us before? He knew we would need it sometime. Why didn't he say three weeks ago, "By the way, start gathering bank account info, we're going to need it"? I've been going crazy the last two days trying to get it all sorted out. Had he told me before, I could have just handed it to him when we found our house. We're still waiting on several things to be faxed to them and if they aren't, well then, it sucks to be us. If there are any mortgage brokers out there reading this, please do your clients a favor and tell them what they'll have to get done more than five days ahead of time.
Hears the deal. I check this blog several times a day and guess what. There's hardly ever any new posts. This leaves me disappointed and maybe even a little non-plussed. What I think might be happening is the main guys that were posting are a little tired when they come home from work. Hopefully they will get in shape later and be back in the mood for some serious writing. In the meantime mom and I are busily getting ready for the family reunion and the first of July. We are looking forward to seeing you at that time. And remember to post.
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Jeff Milner Movie Review - 8 Mile
If I recall correctly, actually if Anna recalls correctly, she remembers the critics giving rave reviews to 8 Mile. Frankly, if that's true, all I can ask is what were they thinking? I got into the movie a few minutes after it started but I don't think I would have missed much had I come into the movie with only a few minutes left. Nothing really happens, there is the romance that doesn't go anywhere, the family crisis of being out of money that is only temporarily resolved when the mother wins bingo and the case of the unresolved record contract. Nothing happens in this movie. The climax was a "rap battle" in which contestants insult each other while rapping. What a stupid idea for a movie. The best part was in the special features (Anna loves special feature DVD's). In the special features they go behind the scenes to the filming of the movie and Eminem does some rap battling against some of the extras. He was actually quite good - but honestly a real documentary of his life would have been tremendously more interesting.
House Situation Update
My house is doing pretty good. Slowly but surely I'm getting everything fixed up. I still don't have my own lawnmower, and yes the grass is getting pretty long, oh and I still have a roommate that eats a lot of my food despite my protests. He is, however, moving out at the end of the month, and so far my plan is to take in these two new roommates that I talked about earlier. One of them wants to get Tenant Insurance, but I think he's a little over-zealous because there isn't much point in us both paying insurance but maybe there is, I don't know. For sure they don't need to know about the condition of the singles, but he did ask so that he could tell his insurance company. Anyway I need to find out exactly what I need to do about insurance because it looks like he wants something more than what I have (he doesn't even know what I have - I'm not sure I really do either except that it's a rip-off job).
I went to find out about refinancing my mortgage. I guess with the super low rates today re-mortgaging will pay for itself in about 8 months. Really, I suppose I should go for it. I just need to find out the exact details of how much they will charge me to buy out the mortgage and if they will even allow me to buy it out without selling the house. I talked to one lady at TD and she said I could payout a lump payment up to 15% without penalties and then paying out the rest would cost approximately 3 month's interest - which as far as I can figure is about $1600. That's amazing eh? Anyway paying the same amount on the mortgage with the lower rate will mean it will be paid off in 13 years.
If I recall correctly, actually if Anna recalls correctly, she remembers the critics giving rave reviews to 8 Mile. Frankly, if that's true, all I can ask is what were they thinking? I got into the movie a few minutes after it started but I don't think I would have missed much had I come into the movie with only a few minutes left. Nothing really happens, there is the romance that doesn't go anywhere, the family crisis of being out of money that is only temporarily resolved when the mother wins bingo and the case of the unresolved record contract. Nothing happens in this movie. The climax was a "rap battle" in which contestants insult each other while rapping. What a stupid idea for a movie. The best part was in the special features (Anna loves special feature DVD's). In the special features they go behind the scenes to the filming of the movie and Eminem does some rap battling against some of the extras. He was actually quite good - but honestly a real documentary of his life would have been tremendously more interesting.
House Situation Update
My house is doing pretty good. Slowly but surely I'm getting everything fixed up. I still don't have my own lawnmower, and yes the grass is getting pretty long, oh and I still have a roommate that eats a lot of my food despite my protests. He is, however, moving out at the end of the month, and so far my plan is to take in these two new roommates that I talked about earlier. One of them wants to get Tenant Insurance, but I think he's a little over-zealous because there isn't much point in us both paying insurance but maybe there is, I don't know. For sure they don't need to know about the condition of the singles, but he did ask so that he could tell his insurance company. Anyway I need to find out exactly what I need to do about insurance because it looks like he wants something more than what I have (he doesn't even know what I have - I'm not sure I really do either except that it's a rip-off job).
I went to find out about refinancing my mortgage. I guess with the super low rates today re-mortgaging will pay for itself in about 8 months. Really, I suppose I should go for it. I just need to find out the exact details of how much they will charge me to buy out the mortgage and if they will even allow me to buy it out without selling the house. I talked to one lady at TD and she said I could payout a lump payment up to 15% without penalties and then paying out the rest would cost approximately 3 month's interest - which as far as I can figure is about $1600. That's amazing eh? Anyway paying the same amount on the mortgage with the lower rate will mean it will be paid off in 13 years.
Monday, June 23, 2003
Everything That Seems Phoney Ain't Always Phoney
When I went to buy my house, just as I was making one of my final offers, out of the blue some mysterious "other prospective buyers" also made an offer. Apparently from what I had heard there had been no serious offers on the house for the last 4 months that it had been listed. All of a sudden now that I was making an offer these other people were offering and what was more, they were offering more than me. However, the owner's real estate agent assured me that since I had offered first that they would let me have a chance to raise my offer up a couple of thousand and still get the house. The really strange thing about all this is that even with my higher offer, the other offer was still higher but they wanted to sell the house to me. My theory is that because I was acting independent of a real estate agent - I was just buying it without an agent, the owner's didn't have to give part of the sale price as a commission to my agent and so even though I was offering less he would get more money out of the deal. It was a real stroke of luck that I didn't have a real estate agent. I'm not saying that it always works out that well, but it sure did for me. Oh I almost forgot, the other people that made an offer on the house showed up wanted to look at the place one last time, I guess in case I changed my mind. They pulled up in a little red truck just as I was up on the roof with the house inspector. They told me they were the other people that had made an offer on the house. I wish I would have talked to them, but I was busy up on the roof and just never bothered to go down and chat with them. They just drove off never to be seen or heard from again. Who knows, maybe I could have resold the house to them for more... I don't know. I guess I'm glad I didn't though, I kind of like this place.
When I went to buy my house, just as I was making one of my final offers, out of the blue some mysterious "other prospective buyers" also made an offer. Apparently from what I had heard there had been no serious offers on the house for the last 4 months that it had been listed. All of a sudden now that I was making an offer these other people were offering and what was more, they were offering more than me. However, the owner's real estate agent assured me that since I had offered first that they would let me have a chance to raise my offer up a couple of thousand and still get the house. The really strange thing about all this is that even with my higher offer, the other offer was still higher but they wanted to sell the house to me. My theory is that because I was acting independent of a real estate agent - I was just buying it without an agent, the owner's didn't have to give part of the sale price as a commission to my agent and so even though I was offering less he would get more money out of the deal. It was a real stroke of luck that I didn't have a real estate agent. I'm not saying that it always works out that well, but it sure did for me. Oh I almost forgot, the other people that made an offer on the house showed up wanted to look at the place one last time, I guess in case I changed my mind. They pulled up in a little red truck just as I was up on the roof with the house inspector. They told me they were the other people that had made an offer on the house. I wish I would have talked to them, but I was busy up on the roof and just never bothered to go down and chat with them. They just drove off never to be seen or heard from again. Who knows, maybe I could have resold the house to them for more... I don't know. I guess I'm glad I didn't though, I kind of like this place.
Sunday, June 22, 2003
The Milners are having a reunion in Cardston starting next friday. Mom and I are preparing a musical number to do for the entainment. I'm going to sing He's in the jailhouse now. Wally is joining us for it and Wally and I are going to be wearing fake beards just like in the movie called Oh brother where art thou. I don't know if Anna Marie is coming out there but I would hope that if she is, she would help Jeff out with a skit. I suggest writing Gary and Tracie into it too. Also Wally and I will be singing "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow".
Phoney Buyers Beware!
Tracie has been in the house market for the last few weeks. We found a house that we wanted to put in an offer on, and just as we were sitting down to do the paper work for the offer, our realtor got a call from the listing agent that notified him to the presence of competing buyers. Apparently they had been thinking of buying and wanted to be notified if anyone else wanted to put in an offer. This seemed pretty stupid to me, because now not only would they have to pay closer to the asking price, so would we, which could mean shelling out an extra $3000-$4000.
We wrote up our offer and it was actually about $5500 more than I wanted to offer, and the maximum that we could possibly afford, but we wanted the house. We took the offer to the house to present it to the owners and their realtors, but the other prospective buyers weren't there, so we waited a while. The listing agent wanted to see our offer right away, but luckily our realtor wouldn't show it until the other offer was also there.
It turned out to be a stroke of luck because the other guys didn't want to compete on it either. Apparently "they" changed their minds and by "changed their minds", I mean "they" didn't actually exist. The phoney buyer trick is quite possibly the oldest trick in the book. I wasn't really fooled by it, I mean, there was something really fishy about the whole deal.
Besides I remember the time Dad was a phoney buyer one time to convince some owners to pay money they owed to get the lien taken off their house.
We quickly dropped our offer by $5500 and presented it. We brought the original price down by $5500, and actually saved $1000 off of what would have been our initial offering price had we been competing with the other "buyers"
Here is a small picture of the house that we got.
Tracie has been in the house market for the last few weeks. We found a house that we wanted to put in an offer on, and just as we were sitting down to do the paper work for the offer, our realtor got a call from the listing agent that notified him to the presence of competing buyers. Apparently they had been thinking of buying and wanted to be notified if anyone else wanted to put in an offer. This seemed pretty stupid to me, because now not only would they have to pay closer to the asking price, so would we, which could mean shelling out an extra $3000-$4000.
We wrote up our offer and it was actually about $5500 more than I wanted to offer, and the maximum that we could possibly afford, but we wanted the house. We took the offer to the house to present it to the owners and their realtors, but the other prospective buyers weren't there, so we waited a while. The listing agent wanted to see our offer right away, but luckily our realtor wouldn't show it until the other offer was also there.
It turned out to be a stroke of luck because the other guys didn't want to compete on it either. Apparently "they" changed their minds and by "changed their minds", I mean "they" didn't actually exist. The phoney buyer trick is quite possibly the oldest trick in the book. I wasn't really fooled by it, I mean, there was something really fishy about the whole deal.
Besides I remember the time Dad was a phoney buyer one time to convince some owners to pay money they owed to get the lien taken off their house.
We quickly dropped our offer by $5500 and presented it. We brought the original price down by $5500, and actually saved $1000 off of what would have been our initial offering price had we been competing with the other "buyers"
Here is a small picture of the house that we got.
Saturday, June 21, 2003
That's Right Ladies - TWO JOBS!
Anna-Maria will have to keep a close watch on me now because now I have two jobs! I just got hired on at the Y to be lifeguard there, which while not the most glamorous place to work it does give me some lifeguarding experience. I'll be starting on the 30th of June, and the way my schedule is set-up it looks like I might just spend the rest of my summer working. I'll try to pencil in some time to post on the blog and sleep and the essential things needed for survival, because it looks like I may have more hours than I can handle. TWO JOBS!
Anna-Maria will have to keep a close watch on me now because now I have two jobs! I just got hired on at the Y to be lifeguard there, which while not the most glamorous place to work it does give me some lifeguarding experience. I'll be starting on the 30th of June, and the way my schedule is set-up it looks like I might just spend the rest of my summer working. I'll try to pencil in some time to post on the blog and sleep and the essential things needed for survival, because it looks like I may have more hours than I can handle. TWO JOBS!
Thursday, June 19, 2003
Attack of the Killer Moth
Do you ever wonder how the people who came up with Godzilla came up with Mothra? Do you think they were sitting around when suddenly a huge shadow of a giant moth fluttered overhead only to realize that in fact it was the shadow of a regular sized moth that just looked huge because the moth was so close to the light and then thought well hey we could still have this really huge moth to fight Godzilla, that would still be a good idea... Did Godzilla and Mothra fight or were they just friends?
Blink 182 was Right: "Work Sucks I Know"
I had another 3 to 10.5 shift today. Yes 10.5 not 10:30, at least not according to the work schedule. On an unrelated note to how much working for someone else blows, I will relate the following story as it has unfolded so far. Interesting conclusion pending actual events. So it was one of my first days on the job. Anna-Maria and I were both working and one of the other workers - I'll call him Chris - asks what is my relation to Anna. He was wondering if we were dating. Thinking that it would be inappropriate to be dating a co-worker I said we were "friends". Well, from that point on I created a monster. Not for me personally, but poor poor Anna. This boy asks her out almost every shift. The other night it was for coffee and well, coffee again tonight. But anyway Anna has been begging me to please set the story straight so that he will stop hitting on her. Frankly I must admit <evil whisper> I do find it hilarious </evil whisper>. Maybe I'll talk to him about it tomorrow. Maybe.
Oh and P.S. about how to properly explain you are not interested in a phone survey. All you have to do is wait for the person giving the survey to stop talking and say, "I'm sorry I'm not interested." If you are not sorry, then "Not interested" also works nicely. Rudely slamming the phone down, giving the phone to your sister as a prank and having her hangup in discust or saying "can you hold on" and then after leaving the person on hold for 2 to 3 mintutes and then hanging up are all improper methods. Thanks.
Do you ever wonder how the people who came up with Godzilla came up with Mothra? Do you think they were sitting around when suddenly a huge shadow of a giant moth fluttered overhead only to realize that in fact it was the shadow of a regular sized moth that just looked huge because the moth was so close to the light and then thought well hey we could still have this really huge moth to fight Godzilla, that would still be a good idea... Did Godzilla and Mothra fight or were they just friends?
Blink 182 was Right: "Work Sucks I Know"
I had another 3 to 10.5 shift today. Yes 10.5 not 10:30, at least not according to the work schedule. On an unrelated note to how much working for someone else blows, I will relate the following story as it has unfolded so far. Interesting conclusion pending actual events. So it was one of my first days on the job. Anna-Maria and I were both working and one of the other workers - I'll call him Chris - asks what is my relation to Anna. He was wondering if we were dating. Thinking that it would be inappropriate to be dating a co-worker I said we were "friends". Well, from that point on I created a monster. Not for me personally, but poor poor Anna. This boy asks her out almost every shift. The other night it was for coffee and well, coffee again tonight. But anyway Anna has been begging me to please set the story straight so that he will stop hitting on her. Frankly I must admit <evil whisper> I do find it hilarious </evil whisper>. Maybe I'll talk to him about it tomorrow. Maybe.
Oh and P.S. about how to properly explain you are not interested in a phone survey. All you have to do is wait for the person giving the survey to stop talking and say, "I'm sorry I'm not interested." If you are not sorry, then "Not interested" also works nicely. Rudely slamming the phone down, giving the phone to your sister as a prank and having her hangup in discust or saying "can you hold on" and then after leaving the person on hold for 2 to 3 mintutes and then hanging up are all improper methods. Thanks.
Help, I'm Trapped by a 800lbs Boulder, and I Can't Get Up!
Aron Ralston is apparently going to sue the website "Equipped to Survive" for using his name to sell a personal locater beacon. The website used the following as part of their selling job.
Your survival should not require you to amputate your own arm, as Aron Ralston was recently forced to do in order to escape being trapped by an 800-pound boulder. Nor should you have to make any other extraordinary sacrifice. While too late for Aron, come July 1, 2003, you will be able to purchase a pocket-sized emergency beacon that will alert authorities that you need to be rescued and also give them your location.
Now Aron Ralston has sent in his attack lawyers to make "Equipped to Survive" remove his name from the page.
Aron Ralston is apparently going to sue the website "Equipped to Survive" for using his name to sell a personal locater beacon. The website used the following as part of their selling job.
Your survival should not require you to amputate your own arm, as Aron Ralston was recently forced to do in order to escape being trapped by an 800-pound boulder. Nor should you have to make any other extraordinary sacrifice. While too late for Aron, come July 1, 2003, you will be able to purchase a pocket-sized emergency beacon that will alert authorities that you need to be rescued and also give them your location.
Now Aron Ralston has sent in his attack lawyers to make "Equipped to Survive" remove his name from the page.
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
If You Lock Yourself Out of Your Car, Find a Dry Cleaner
I drove Jackie to Staples in Glen's car. As we were getting out, I handed the keys to Jackie. The keys were in her hand for up to 3 seconds before she put them on the floor to move her stuff around.
We didn't get what we needed in Staples, but we had just enough time to race to Michaels craft store. Except that the keys were still on the floor. Luckily we were advised by the people in Winners to go to the drycleaners to get a hanger. It's not just a name -Winners, the employees are actually winners. The lady at the drycleaners is a winner to. She gave us 2 hangers.
Glen's car does not unlock with a hanger, it doesn't unlock with 2 hangers either. By a miracle, I had left my window down about 1/4 of an inch. The plan was hatched that I would bend the hangers together to form a hook long enough to grab the keys off the floor. The joint was pretty crappy and so Jackie asked a fat couple if they had any pliers. They searched their entire car, but found nothing. They were so nice, that I am not going to make fun of fat people for 3 weeks.
I bent the hangers as best I could, and we decided that it would be strong enough. After a few minutes of shifting around, I managed to get the keys on the hook and was in the process of pulling them out of the car, when Jackie yelled be careful! As the joint was coming back out of the window, the second hanger fell off, and the keys landed under the steering wheel.
Chance took it's chance to strike, and we had the good fortune that the keys were close enough to grab with only one hanger. I had jackie pull the window down as best she could and after a few minutes I once again had the keys in my hand.
Walmart Employee of the Week
After we got the car unlocked, we went to Walmart, and saw a sign that said it would be 24 hours, but we convinced the kid to bump us ahead to noon. He said ok, then asked, in a lowered voice how soon do you really need them. We said right now, and he said ok and budded us right to the front of the line, and our pics were done in 30 minutes.
-Gary Milner
I drove Jackie to Staples in Glen's car. As we were getting out, I handed the keys to Jackie. The keys were in her hand for up to 3 seconds before she put them on the floor to move her stuff around.
We didn't get what we needed in Staples, but we had just enough time to race to Michaels craft store. Except that the keys were still on the floor. Luckily we were advised by the people in Winners to go to the drycleaners to get a hanger. It's not just a name -Winners, the employees are actually winners. The lady at the drycleaners is a winner to. She gave us 2 hangers.
Glen's car does not unlock with a hanger, it doesn't unlock with 2 hangers either. By a miracle, I had left my window down about 1/4 of an inch. The plan was hatched that I would bend the hangers together to form a hook long enough to grab the keys off the floor. The joint was pretty crappy and so Jackie asked a fat couple if they had any pliers. They searched their entire car, but found nothing. They were so nice, that I am not going to make fun of fat people for 3 weeks.
I bent the hangers as best I could, and we decided that it would be strong enough. After a few minutes of shifting around, I managed to get the keys on the hook and was in the process of pulling them out of the car, when Jackie yelled be careful! As the joint was coming back out of the window, the second hanger fell off, and the keys landed under the steering wheel.
Chance took it's chance to strike, and we had the good fortune that the keys were close enough to grab with only one hanger. I had jackie pull the window down as best she could and after a few minutes I once again had the keys in my hand.
Walmart Employee of the Week
After we got the car unlocked, we went to Walmart, and saw a sign that said it would be 24 hours, but we convinced the kid to bump us ahead to noon. He said ok, then asked, in a lowered voice how soon do you really need them. We said right now, and he said ok and budded us right to the front of the line, and our pics were done in 30 minutes.
-Gary Milner
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
THE PRICE OF GASOLINE IN THE HAT
If anyone is interested out there about the price of gasoline in Medicine Hat its 55 cents a litre right now. The superstore gives a five-cent a litre discount so that makes the price at the superstore 50 cents a litre. The price of gasoline in Medicine Hat historically has usually been higher than anywhere else in Alberta, but not for the last few months. It's real good gas too; I would say even sniffing quality.
If anyone is interested out there about the price of gasoline in Medicine Hat its 55 cents a litre right now. The superstore gives a five-cent a litre discount so that makes the price at the superstore 50 cents a litre. The price of gasoline in Medicine Hat historically has usually been higher than anywhere else in Alberta, but not for the last few months. It's real good gas too; I would say even sniffing quality.
Or Maybe I Am Retarded Enough to Work There
After being such a snob in my last post about being late for work, I'm not sure I really want to tell you what I realized when I got to work. First of all I will say that they didn't seem to care too much that I was late, especially when I explained that I wasn't even scheduled to work but I was just coming in for the extra hours. She stuck to her guns that in fact I was scheduled for today and that I should be in at 3:00 all this week. Nothing else was said about it. Well I checked the schedule again just to make sure even though I knew I couldn't possibly be wrong and it looks like I was scheduled to come in at 3:00 on Monday just like they said. Well where did I go wrong? It turns out that for some strange reason the first day on the working week schedule is Monday. Yes - for some odd reason the first day of the week where I work is not Sunday like in the rest of the world, no everyday when I walk in the doors of the phone survey world, Monday becomes the first day of the week and as silly as this seems, it's really easy to confuse Sunday for Monday when Monday is my day to come in to work at 3:00. Oops.
Gold Dust Update
In a blatant effort to give a site I designed a little more traffic, why not check out the updates I made for Gold Dust Manufacturing. Specifically I updated the Specials page.
After being such a snob in my last post about being late for work, I'm not sure I really want to tell you what I realized when I got to work. First of all I will say that they didn't seem to care too much that I was late, especially when I explained that I wasn't even scheduled to work but I was just coming in for the extra hours. She stuck to her guns that in fact I was scheduled for today and that I should be in at 3:00 all this week. Nothing else was said about it. Well I checked the schedule again just to make sure even though I knew I couldn't possibly be wrong and it looks like I was scheduled to come in at 3:00 on Monday just like they said. Well where did I go wrong? It turns out that for some strange reason the first day on the working week schedule is Monday. Yes - for some odd reason the first day of the week where I work is not Sunday like in the rest of the world, no everyday when I walk in the doors of the phone survey world, Monday becomes the first day of the week and as silly as this seems, it's really easy to confuse Sunday for Monday when Monday is my day to come in to work at 3:00. Oops.
Gold Dust Update
In a blatant effort to give a site I designed a little more traffic, why not check out the updates I made for Gold Dust Manufacturing. Specifically I updated the Specials page.
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