Now for that tune up, maybe

As planned I got my Onstar updated today so I am covered again. The great part is that I only had to wait at the garage for about forty minutes as Mike took pity on me and took vacation hours to meet me there and take me to lunch. The technicians also took pity on me and expedited the installation process which ended up being done so quick that once Mike arrived, we only had time for the Arby's next door for lunch. It all turned out OK though as we spent the extra time car shopping for Cindy. We are looking for a mechanically sound, American made car that we can afford to pay cash for so that there is no financing to require full insurance coverage. ( she is on our insurance but full coverage at her age will cause our insurance to jump significantly in price ) Yes it is a tall order but there are cars out there that fit the bill as we seem to call about them just after they are sold. I know that there is a car out there for us but just have to remain patient until we find it. As soon as we do, the brain tune up I need is next on the list. At least I think it may be. I can't be sure without having the tune up. Oh how confused I am !

Tomorrow I get to spend the day at the Garage

Back in November I got a letter from Onstar informing me that my Aztec is old. OK more to the point informing me that since my Aztec is a 2004, it has analog Onstar. On January thirty first, Onstar switched to digital making my Onstar obsolete. Since Onstar values my monthly service fee, Ummm I mean my business, they agreed to update my oldie for fifteen dollars ( the price of the new chip)if I paid a years service up front. This of course sounded fair to me since I don't plan on getting rid of this old car that just happens to be paid for anytime soon. I made the appointment and went in back in November for the technician to get my numbers and order the chip ( each chip has to be custom ordered for the vehicle it will be installed in ) I was told that they would call in about a week when the chip came in and I would be asked to make an appointment to come back for installation. January came and went and my chip never came in .(I called so many times to check on it that I almost remember the number) My Onstar was turned off on February first and nobody seemed to care,until today that is. Today I got the call. My chip is in. Perfect, just when I don't have the time to sit at the garage for three plus hours, it is here. Because Mike and I both like having the security of Onstar, I agreed to tomorrow being the day,before the twenty some other chips ,that are back ordered,

come in and I have to wait behind those people to get my chip

installed. So family and friends, if you need me tomorrow, that is where I will be. Please say a prayer for my sanity !

My little mess up.

Saturday was Cindy's next to last driving lesson from the driving school . She is doing great and hopes to finish up her driving portion tonight and schedule a driving test sometime soon when the weather is good and she doesn't have anything else on the calendar. ( realistically this could take a couple weeks) As she drives with these instructors from this school they grade her on the same things that the State trooper will grade her on during her actual test. Saturday Cindy came home with a pretty good report( she easily would have passed if this were an actual test ) but the instructor said that Cindy was slow at maneuverability indicating that she was not confident enough in herself. The instructor reminded us that she was allowed to use the cones that are set up at the driving school ( a couple blocks from our house) to practice and make her more confident even though she had never bumped or ran over a cone. This is the first that I have heard of us being able to practice there so I told Mike and the boys ( who were playing video games) that we would be back. Cindy drove to the site and proceeded to practice. I stepped out of the car so I could make sure she was where she needed to be and see if she was ever dangerously close to any cones. Cindy did well and for a half an hour she drove up and back , up and back. As I watched the car I noticed something, the licence plate, it was starting to peel. Then my eyes wandered to the yearly tag. Oh no, I remembered, I was supposed to renew it on my Birthday. As Cindy backed out of the cones, I stopped her and told her to get in the passenger seat and I would drive home. She asked if she did something wrong, which of course she didn't. Finally when we got the car home I told her I messed up. Now if you are looking for a humbling experience try admitting to your kid that she could have been fined for driving your car with expired plates. Anyway, there was nothing I could do then since the BMV had closed and would not be open till Monday. I parked the car. This morning Mike signed the POA so I can buy tags without him being present and took the car, I usually drive, to work. Thank you God that I got there and purchased the tags without a problem. I really am going to need to get my brain tuned up.

I love Big Lots friends and family sales !

Though I am just a friend of Big Lots, I am a good one. I try to shop at at least the closest one to me ( sometimes the three closest ) at least once a week. They have great prices every day not to mention when they mark down products that will be expiring within the next thirty days. I have gotten many food items for a dollar or less. As a matter of fact in the summer time I like to buy boxes of cereal at a quarter to fifty cents a box to take to the lake and let the kids feed the fish and ducks. A box of cereal each provides them with a wonderful time and the wildlife are most thankful too.Today however was a bit different than my usual visit. Today was their Friends and Family sale.The employees pass out coupons to friends and family and after the store would usually be closed Sunday evening anyone with a coupon can shop and get twenty percent off everything. Now twenty percent isn't really that much except when your neighborhood Big Lots gets a Broyhill buyout which includes an awesome huge ( Big like the one at the last supper according to certain child )dining room table with matching chairs which retailed at the Broyhill's showcase shop for between two thousand five hundred and three thousand dollars .( depending on whether the set includes two arm chairs or none) Big Lots had already taken forty percent off just because they are Big lots and thanks to the invitations I received from Eboni, Michelle, Tony ,and Stephanie. ( It is good to have lots of Big Lots friends) I got the table and six chairs for quite a discount. Of course I would like to say Thank You to all my Big Lots friends but In addition I need to thank Mike and my Dad. Dad was called to provide a truck for the table which wouldn't fit in the Aztec ( even making a third trip ) but also got trapped into helping carry the table in the house as it was at least five hundred pounds ( that is Mike and Dad's estimation. All I know is that it is way too heavy for me to even lift a corner of it off the floor). So, thank you all . I truly appreciate it !

Here is a picture though the table is minus one extension leaf

Grandma update

First I would like to thank all who are praying for my Grandmother and other family members who are in need .I would also like to ask that you keep doing so. As I type, Grandma's health continues to decline. The doctor's as well as most of us are baffled that she is still with us. She is doing better at accepting her coming death but still seems very fearful. We think that her Dementia has her mentally going back to when her eleven children were small and not wanting to leave them when they need her. Since I updated most, Grandma now has an intestinal disease ( Nobody seems to remember what the doctor said the name of it was. C Diff ,I asked ? they didn't know) Six of her eleven children were called in to a meeting with doctors and declined an insertion of a feeding tube( Grandma is eating by mouth but not enough to sustain her) The same six also agreed to a DNR status. We all know that death is inevitable but it is so tough to watch with your hands tied. Thanks for the prayers, we all appreciate them.

Update on Michael's feet

We had Michael's six month from the second foot post op visit yesterday. All is looking well but it looks like he will have to have two more surgeries within the next few years to close the growth plates in his feet. Generally they would do this during the surgeries themselves but since Michael is so young they couldn't . Don't get me wrong everything is looking great and we knew this would probably need done but still we always put it in the back of our minds. To put this off another three or four years until he is fully grown, he will have orthotics made.God willing, these may even make other surgeries unnecessary.

Thank's Mike

When Mike asked me a couple weeks ago where I wanted to go out to eat for my Birthday and Valentine's day, I had no idea. We usually go to Red Lobster once for the two days combined but the last couple years Red Lobster's prices had gone up and the serving size and quality of the food had gone down. I think it must be me as this seems to be happing at a few restaurants that we go to. When Mike was on second shift a few years ago, he and I had a few places that we would go for lunch from time to time. Then suddenly we decided to stop going to place after place one at a time. There was the Chinese place,the pizza place, the Mexican place, and a few others. Then one by one they were off of our list. The Mexican place went bankrupt after the produce that they got from China spread Hepatitis to many. The Chinese place's ( the only Chinese place that I have ever eaten at where the food was good at once) food turned from good to terrible when the original cooks went back to China ( they were able to work for only a few years here and go back to China and have their families live a better life than they ever imagined as one server told me.) and other cooks came from China with an admiration for onions( yuck !) Anyway, I could not think of one place that I would like to go to. For what it would cost for the two of us to go out( let alone the whole family ) I could cook two or three meals for the family at home. For this reason and so many more we ate Valentine's Day dinner and my Birthday take out at home. The kids were off on Monday so Mike decided to take a vacation Day yesterday and take me out. I was sort of miffed when the alarm went off and he told me that he wasn't going to work but I went with it and boy was I glad that I did. Turned out that Mike had remembered that we ate at Bennigan's on the first night of our Honeymoon. We had the Monte Cristo sandwich and loved it. Not too long ago we were talking about how good they were and Mike found that Bennigan's had opened a few restaurants in Ohio. We had to travel a little over an hour but we had lunch there. What a wonderful surprise. We even tried their new desert, fried brownie, fried Twinkie, and fried Zinger,all with ice cream and whipped cream. We had a wonderful time and will probably go back in the not too distant future.
Only problem is that since I now have had my Birthday/ Valentine's day lunch out, My Birthday is now over and I have to stay thirty nine. Sniff sniff, sob, sob !

39 Today

Most of my thirty ninth birthday was spent at church as today was a religious education Sunday. We still managed to fit in a nice dinner of Take out foot long Pepperoni rolls followed by a dairy Queen cake from our local DQ that just opened five days ago in honor of my birthday .( Ok their reopening had nothing to do with me, but hey let me feel important for a few minutes) After Dinner Mike and I took a trip to the mall to pick up my Birthday present, a diamond journey necklace, that he had on hold. All in all it was a great Birthday. Thanks to all the friends and relatives who called or E mailed birthday wishes.

Me with my DQ cake. The candles are in the shape of a 3 and a 9 if you can't see very well in this picture

Me and the kids ,even the furry ones

Me and my present
Thanks Mike & kids

That season again

I can't believe that we are already past Valentine's Day and already through the first two Friday's in lent. Time just seems to be flying. Cindy's senior prom is another day that is coming way too fast. I think her prom is also a little earlier than usual this year being May second .
Due to this upcoming date we decided shortly after Christmas that we would have to look for a dress soon. Last year's had to be ordered and then with the mix up she almost didn't have one so we decided that we didn't need that kind of stress this year. We have been getting many catalogues and brochures from local bridal shops but nothing has jumped out at us. Actually I should say that nothing under six hundred dollars has jumped out at us. Anyway on a whim , after taking Cindy to the bank this morning I decided to take a ride to The Winner in Near by Sharon PA. Unfortunately, I had not been there in years and had to call Mike find out which exit to take after I took the wrong one and had to turn around a couple times. In the end we got there . The dresses there were about the same as most bridal shops in that I can not imagine them being flattering to even the skinniest model's figure let alone a real girl's. Not to mention that many of the prices were simply outrageous. All was not lost tough, there were two beautiful lilac dresses in a style that was flattering to Cindy's build on one rack. I bet they might have been last years dresses as they were the only two of that particular style. They were also a little less pricey( notice I didn't say cheap)than most. The first was a tad snug in a spot or two but Cindy liked it . As luck would have it the other was one size bigger. It fit her wonderfully. We purchased the dress and found our way to the door. Unfortunately the sales lady left a sensor on the dress and we were greeted by a siren and many store clerks at the door (oops) They remedied the situation and we left. Now we just have to make sure she has shoes, jewelry, a hair do , etc... Then we can move on from Prom to Graduation. Boy are we having fun !

Happy Valentine's Day

My loving husband suprised me this morning with

a

Precious Moments figurine

"Happily ever after"

and

A

Three pound Hershey's solid chocolate heart

What a Husband !

Thank you Dear

I

Love

You

I knew she shouldn't take psychology

After overhearing a comment between Mike and I

Cindy: What?

Me: It's a private joke.

Cindy: Gee I wish I had normal parents.

Me: We are normal. The joke was actually started by our friends from church.

Cindy: Wait a minute... You guys have never had friends and now you do and they are just like you ? Are you sure these friends are not imaginary ?

Me: Thanks Cindy!

Cindy: It's Ok Mom a lot of people have imaginary friends . It's nothing to be ashamed of !

A walk down memory lane

We are now on the third snow day in a row. The good news is that the kids are starting to feel a bit better and should be ready to go back to school weather permitting tomorrow.As for me I had Mike take our Aztek, that I normally drive to work as the Grand Am that he normally drives is not very good in the snow. Because Mike knew that I would be home all day he installed a program so I could pick out pictures for a digital key chain that I got for Christmas. I spent most of the morning going through digital pictures dating back as far as 1999. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane. I even found pictures that I didn't realize I had. As a rule I take a bunch of pictures but sometimes Mike puts them on the computer and ends up burning them to disk without my even seeing them. I found a couple of these pictures today. One is a picture of Cindy, Michael, & Robby with my Maternal Grandmother ( taken in March of 2004) who is now in pretty bad shape at the age of ninty years and eleven months old and not expected to live much longer.

Another picture, that i didn't realize I had is one of my kids with Mike's Paternal Grandmother( who is 89), Mike's Maternal Grandmother ( who passed away shortly after this picture was taken), and Mike's Brother's kids.

Just taking care of sick kids here

Generally my family is pretty healthy and all seem to have great immune systems that quickly get rid of any bacteria or viruses that do come our way. However my three kids seem to be having a tough time these last few days.It started Thursday evening when Robby got a cough. It was a bad sounding cough but none the less just a cough. I gave him some Robitussin and we went on our way. The next day Robby also had a sore throat so we added Tylenol cough and sore throat and started his customary steroid syrup that he takes with a cold to keep him out of the Hospital . This seems to be doing the trick so I thought we were out of the woods. The Next day however Cindy and Michael both spiked fevers of one hundred and three plus sore throats and a cough. Again Tylenol cold and sore throat seemed to be helping. Yesterday however, Cindy and Michael both switched to flu symptoms. I am not a doctor but I can't imagine just one virus causing all of this havoc on these kids. Thankfully they have been off school since last Friday due to temps in the single digits. It is terrible that they are sick when they could enjoy days off school but at least they aren't falling behind. As for now I am just dispensing over the counter remedies while pushing the home made chicken soup in various varieties ( chicken noodle, chicken with dumplings, chicken with wild grain and white rice ) and praying that we are soon through this chapter of our lives

Married couple's night out

Last night Mike and I attended our Parish's Married couple's night out Valentine's party. We have been a part of this group's activities for a few years now but have never had a hand in any of the planning . Not to say that the planning needed us as the three or so couples that have always been in charge have done a great job . They have supplied a pasta dinner and each couple are asked to bring a desert or appetizer.
The first meeting that Mike and I attended was the Halloween Party a few years back where Mike surprised me by making sure we showed up a couple hours early ( dressed in our King and Queen costumes)and he had a horse drawn carriage waiting to take us on a beautiful ride through the town where I grew up . We then arrived at the party in royal splendor. To add to it all Mike asked my parents to come and take pictures. They did and even drove around with us video taping our ride. This was wonderfully memorable for me , as you can imagine, so this group, has always held a dear place in my heart.
After our first meeting there has been other theme parties such as a travel party where we all wore clothes from places that we either have visited or would like to. We played games for prizes like traveling toothbrush and soap holders, calendars with pictures of tourist attractions and so on. There was a dance party where they had a line dance instructor come in and teach everyone some steps, and other such theme parties.
Mike and I have attended most of these parties and had a pretty good time but last night's party was amazing. As we walked in to the church hall last night with a tray of gourmet olives and the Red velvet cake that I baked for the occasion , we were stopped at the door and asked how many years we have been married. I figured that this had something to do with a game and didn't think much of it.As I took the foods to the appropriate table Mike started talking to some friends of ours. When I joined them everyone was instructed to head from the hall to the Church. We had done this at a previous meeting for journey prayer( which I always enjoyed ) so again I thought nothing of it. Once seated in pews we were informed that journey prayer was not the reason that we were there but that we were all involved in a ceremony of sorts to renew our marriage vows. I was overjoyed. Due to communication problems ( another story entirely) Mike and I did not have a Catholic wedding but were married in a protestant Christian church. I have always felt bad about this fact. Though we have planned on renewing our vows in the Catholic church a couple times,
it just didn't happen. Now with a daughter who is almost eighteen and sons not far behind we have decided that saving for their graduations and weddings is more important than having a second wedding for ourselves. This was our chance and I was so happy. It was like God answering my prayer that I never even prayed. It was really beautiful with song, readings, quiet prayer and then every couple was called forward as their years as man and wife were read and each wife was handed a rose After we were all called and formed a semi circle around the alter and Father officiated in the renewing of vows.It was so nice. After we all went back to the hall to eat and then play a few games. A kind of reception if you will.
Towards the end of the evening, a sheet of paper was passed around. It seems that this group had outdid themselves and were looking for other's to volunteer for future events.Some events were already themed such as indoor bocce and spring flower planting but there was one date in November without a theme. Since friends of ours were also as touched as we were, we decided to volunteer for this party and come up with our own theme. I am not confident that we will be able to do as beautiful job as the past group but we will sure try.

A Rose Is not just a rose

In honor of St. Valentine's day ( and the many Birthday's and Anniversaries ),which is fast approaching I found the following on Roses. I hope it is helpful for those who are looking to surprise the love of their life with a bouquet. After all you want to make sure you are sending the right message . No devoted wife wants to receive the message that she is a platonic friend does she?

Red: Courage & Respect
The ultimate romantic way to say 'I love you,' also stands for courage & respect. A great color to send a military mom.

White: Innocence
The color of innocence and also conveys the message, 'You're heavenly.' It's a great gift for a new love.

Red & White: Unity
Signifies unity; what a terrific surprise for a newlywed couple or your first Valentine's together

Pink: Grace & Sophistication
Deep pink means gratefulness. Light pink conveys admiration. Make a statement to the one you've been eyeing!

Coral or Orange: Desire
Symbolizes enthusiasm and desire. It's time to get off the fence and declare your love to your secret crush!

Pale Colors: Warmth & Friendship
Send these to your gal pals or sisters who have been there through thick and thin

A Dozen Roses
Stands for "there are dozens of ways I care about you

Two Dozen Roses
Stands for the 24 hours in a day, and tell your loved one you think about them every hour!

Three Dozen Roses
Romantic attachment unlike any other. A truly exceptional surprise they'll remember long after the flowers are gone!

Four Dozen Roses
Means unchanging and unconditional love. Sent to that one-and-only Valentine !

What a good idea

Danielle had such a great idea for a Lenten project. Though Ash Wednesday is over I think it is still early enough to make your own Salt Dough Recipe for Crown of Thorns and other crafts :: CUF.org if you wish.

Unprepared for dinner

After getting all of the kids to school this morning following mass ( only one out of three was tardy) I realized that I had not planned dinner for tonight. As most Catholics, we do not eat any meat on Ash Wednesday or any Fridays , including Good Friday, during lent. I did remember to buy a few cans of clam chowder, tomato soup at hand, and Ramen cheddar cheese noodle soup for lunches but I had not thought about dinner. In the past I have bought take out fish and fixed a side dish to go with it but at seven to nine dollars per pound of fish and the fact that the last couple of years the pieces were becoming thinner which fried harder and were left under the heat lamps longer, the quality was no where near what I expected for the price. Towards the end of lent last year I found that Sam's Club carried some IQF real fish that is not your typical processed fish sticks. Sam's club also carries delicious IQF pre stuffed shells all you have to do is heat and add a sauce.( I personally like them sauce less) So off to Sam's club I went. I should have made a menu before I went but I decided to just see what looked good. Of course, everything looks good when you are fasting. before I knew it, I had Tilapia, Mahi Mahi, fresh Salmon, stuffed shells, stuff for macaroni and cheese, fixings for salad and a few other things in my cart. I decided to go ahead and purchase all that I had in the cart and freeze some for meatless Friday meals coming up. As for tonight I am making a Parmesan encrusted tilapia with a side salad and baked macaroni and cheese. sounds good to me but like I said everything does right now.

New Perspective

As I was rushing around this morning trying to get Mike ready for work and the kids up and dressed an hour earlier than they are used to getting up, I was feeling a bit stressed. In my mind I was going over a check list of what I needed to get done to make it out the door on time. As always I allowed enough time but still felt stress. Once Mike left I again did a mental check ( Notes for all kids who may be tardy for school... check,church envelope... check,order form and check for Cindy and Michael's shirts for Witness( winning in the never ending search for salvation ) that I wanted to give to the director whom I would see at mass... check, everyone wearing clothing that was presentable for church... check ) OK we were prepared to go. Cindy and Michael were running on slow so they opted to eat their breakfast in the car under the provision that they had to do it quickly in order to observe the hour fast before Communion. Finally we were on our way with plenty of time. As I drove in the dark the kids were quiet and I began to think. At first I wondered why I could not remember going to Mass last Ash Wednesday. I could remember a couple years back before that but not last year. It finally came to me, Last year Mike was admitted to the hospital the night before Ash Wednesday. Though he turned out to be fine, at the time,we thought that he either had a heart attack or was ready to have one. It all came back so clear. I remember taking him to the ER for what we assumed was something like Asthma. I remember how scared I was when I was told that he was being taken by ambulance to an inpatient facility because his cardiac enzymes were extremely elevated. I remember driving to the facility crying while praying that he would be OK. I remember setting by his bedside as he insisted that I go home and go to bed, promising that he would be OK. Yes this whole nightmare came back, but then the realization that he was in fact Ok ,that the elevated enzymes were not caused by a bad heart but an injury to his back. I remember how I felt once all tests were done and Mike was released with a clean bill of health. How thankful I was to God for answering my prayers. I had a whole new perspective as I pulled into the Church this morning ( fifteen minutes early for mass) Suddenly it was no bother at all. I was glad to be there . I am thankful that I will have the chance to go again this afternoon with my husband who I love and adore. I am even thankful that I can observe an Ash Wednesday fast today. Most of all though,I am thrilled that the lemon pie that I bought at Arthur Treacher's yesterday and then brought home not remembering that I couldn't eat it today, broke and I realized that the girl gave me apple instead. Thank you God for taking the temptation away !

Ash Wednesday

Amazing that Ash Wednesday is here already. It seems like just a week ago we were taking down the Christmas tree. My big plans for tomorrow are to go to church. Yes , I am aware that mass only lasts about an hour but it looks like I will be attending twice. At first I planned that we would all go as a family to the six PM mass but the kids were so disappointed, that they would not be able to go to school late with ashes on their foreheads, that all three asked me to reconsider. Mike told me to give in and take them to the seven AM mass and that he would either not go or go by himself after work. I offered to attend for a second time with him which made him quite happy. Why not, I will need all the help that I can get since I plan to observe the Catholic fasting rules.( one small meal and two small snacks all day ) I also need to decide whether I am going to give up anything or perhaps give up giving something up for lent. Anyone who has an extra second and would like to say a quick prayer for me , would be adored for doing so.

Please help animal rescues simply by clicking your mouse ( no charge to you )

Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple... The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals. It takes less than a minute (How about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box 'CLICK HERE TO GIVE - ITS FREE' for free. This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate Sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/
Please come back and
click on it every day.

Politics have you confused?

VoteChooser.com is a link that asks you questions then matches your answers with the candidates for 2008 President. It matched me with exactly who I am planning on voting for .

Groundhog Day

So today is Ground Hog day. I wouldn't have remembered this except that Mike mentioned that they might be having a Pot luck party at work today. Turns out that they didn't ( too many people promising to bring Road kill ( groundhog ) stew, I guess) Anyway I didn't catch the live broadcast of the groundhog coming out so I guess I will have to rely on Doppler radar for my weather forecast. Don't get me wrong, I am as much for the cutsie stuff as the rest of them but honestly, a groundhog predicting our weather ? I just can't quite get a grip on .Maybe I just don't understand . Is it that if he sees his shadow we have six more weeks of winter or vise versa? Here in Ohio it doesn't really seem to matter. Though we have had some mild winters lately, Spring is never here until at least six weeks from February second anyway. So why do people get so excited ? Maybe we all just need more excitement in our lives. Maybe it is just me. I do remember years ago ( fifteen or sixteen years ago I think ) Mike's Grandmother, God Bless her soul, went on a bus trip to Pennsylvania to see Punxsutawney Phil come out and make his prediction. She sent Cindy (her only great grandchild at the time) a post card which Cindy carried in her pudgy toddler hands for days before it got destroyed. I guess that this day will always have special meaning to Cindy because of it. Maybe that is the key. We should make the most of every day, no matter how silly it may seem, who knows the memories may make it the best "holiday" ever.

Common sense people

The last few weeks I have noticed that the employees of local stores ( cashiers and baggers in general) have lost their sense of common sense. Why you ask ? Well let's see in the past week one cashier bagged my fresh apples in a bag between raw sausage on bottom and raw chicken on top. Of course the meat was wrapped ( we all know these wrappings never leak and contaminate everything around them) and the apples were in a bag( with air holes). I politely asked that she not put my produce with meat to which she apologized and took the chicken off the top and proceeded to tie the plastic bag containing the sausage with apples on top. Mike was with me putting the bags in the cart so I asked him to take the apples out. The woman didn't say much when Mike asked for another bag to put them in and the rest of the transaction stayed civil. As we left Mike mentioned that he was surprised.( he used to work restaurant management which has caused him to expect super sanitation services out in public ) I told him not to be that it happens all of the time. Sure enough last night while the kids were in karate he and I went to Wal Greens. I had an E coupon to Save five dollars when you spend twenty. In order to spend enough I picked up a bottle of tire cleaner ( Mike uses a lot, washing cars, in the summer) in addition to other things that I needed. Unfortunately the cashier at this store was not a nice person at all. She especially resented my asking her to remove my Hershey heart shaped bars( I would tell you they were an early purchase for the kids for Valentines day but surely most of you would realize that it is very doubtful that I will not eat them and need to get the kids more by Valentines day ) from the bag with the tire cleaner. She threw them into the already full other bag. Of course I should have kept quiet but I then explained that I didn't want my kids poisoned because she was stupid. ( OK stupid was probably not the best word to use but hey.... when it fits ) she basically ripped the money out of my hands and threw my change at me as I left before I well we just wouldn't go there. There were a few more cases of poor bagging ( shampoo with produce, magic erasers with more produce , etc) in just the last week which leaves me asking..... Have we lost our common sense? I remember when I was small Mom was buying bar soap and canned vegetables and they were separated. I would like to see the statistics of poison victims at the local hospitals and see if these careless people actually are responsible . Shouldn't the store managers teach their baggers and cashiers how to bag?I realize that most are young, many students, but all the offenders last week were grown adults most older than I . Is it the store's fault that they don't want to spend the fraction of a cent for another bag? How much do those cheap plastic things that usually rip before you get home cost anyway? Maybe I am the only one with a problem and will just have to start bagging my own groceries. Maybe that is the real reason that Aldi has you bag your own purchases, who knows? As for me I will never allow chemicals and the like fraternizing in one bag with food, especially fresh foods no more than allowing my unmarried children to share a room with a member of the opposite sex in my house but that is another story for another day.