Whatever Happened to the Customer is Always Right?

At a time when people are tightening their belts like never before because the economy, for lack of a better word, sucks, businesses and service people should be going out of their way to please the customer, and to take heed not to offend the customer. Lately, I've noticed the reverse.

Take, for example, last night.

Husband and I are big fans of the Applebee's chain. They have this queso blanco dip that is too die for. (If you are a normal red-blooded American that likes spice and cheese, that is.)

We ventured to the Rancho Cordova location because we had been out shopping in the Sunrise area. We normally dine at the Arden location. So begins my story:

Our waitress greets us shortly after we sit down and asks, "Can I start you off with some drinks?"

I reply, "Water." And she replies, "Two waters, then?" Aaron nods.

Waitress leaves the table and I notice a flyer saying if your server does not offer you a Corona or margarita, you get a coupon for a free appetizer on your next visit. I point it out to Aaron, but it is too early to get excited over a free deal.

We settle on the Ultimate Trio, picking the three appetizers of Wonton Tacos, Steak Quesadilla Towers and the said Spicy Queso Blanco. Waitress takes our order, and to my delight, she still doesn’t offer the alcoholic drinks.

Aaron comments, "Maybe she doesn't think we look old enough to drink?" I laugh. We're only 27 and 30, going on 31, after all.

Everything is going well. We’re surprised by the amount of food, and I discover I love Wonton Tacos, made with "zesty pulled pork ... stuffed in crispy wonton shells and topped with crunchy Asian slaw with cilantro." Yum!

Several times our waitress comes by asking if we were ready for dessert, but we are both so stuffed, we can’t decide. The lure of dessert at $1.99 is too much for Aaron, so he talks me into ordering two Strawberry Cheesecake Shooters, promising he’ll help finish mine because I am oh-so-full. (What a sacrifice on his part.)

As Aaron's finishing off my shooter, the bill comes. We notice the waitress billed us for three appetizers at the happy hour price instead of the Ultimate Trio price, which is cheaper. We point this out and she replies, "Oh! You wanted the trio!?!" 

Yes, that's what we ordered when Aaron said, "We're going to have the Ultimate Trio" and pointed to it on the menu and made our three choices.

Waitress leaves to correct the bill, and I (think I) overhear someone (her manager?) telling her that she actually served us three separate appetizers instead of the Trio. This would make sense, considering the large portions. But, I can't be sure that's what I heard or if that's what happened. 

Waitress brings back the corrected the bill, and I show her the flyer for the free appetizer and say with a smile, "So, do we get this because you didn't offer us one?" 

"I did! It's the first thing I do at every table." 

Aaron and I look at each other confused. No, she didn't.

"I offer every table a margarita. It's the first thing I do because we get in trouble if we don't. Maybe you didn't hear me."

“Uh, no we didn't hear you ... ”

“Yes, because we get in BIG trouble if we don't. I make it a point because we get in BIG trouble if we don't.”

We laugh awkwardly. "Uh, we didn't hear it." 

I'm now thinking, Wow. You can't just admit your mistake? You have to make us feel bad for you because you didn't do your job, so you're making us the bad guys if we push the matter? 

When she comes back with our card, she hesitantly asks, "So did you want the appetizer? Did you want one right now?" 

"Well, we're full ..." (Thinking, the flyer says it's a voucher for your next visit ...)

She reiterates for the billionth time how it's the first thing she asks and how they get in trouble if they don't, so we finally let it go. 

Aaron tabulates the tip for our unprofessional waitress, because again, if we don't leave the minimum standard tip, we're the bad guys, even though my husband doesn't have a job and I'm self-employed and underpaid, we're still expected to leave a tip for a job poorly done.

---

I notice this just about every time I go out to eat. The servers don't work for their tips. They expect it. And when they make a mistake, they don't own up to it. I don't know if it's Restaurant Theory 101, but it's like they've been trained to say, "Oh, you wanted ... " instead of "Oh, you ordered ..."  

Maybe it's human nature to use that dissociative language, but it pisses me off. Maybe next time I should reply, "Yes I did WANT that because THAT'S what I ORDERED, BITCH!" (OK, so maybe I'll leave off the bitch part.)

What happened to the customer is always right? 

And what happened to the Applebee's manager or assistant manager coming by to check on the meal and make sure the server made the promoted offer?

Applebee's put us in the awkward situation in the first place by making it our responsibility to bring it up, and then our waitress made the situation worse. That's a sure way to lose customers. And that location certainly lost our business.

I just wanted my freakin' free appetizer. I didn't know my meal was going to come with a guilt trip for asking what I was entitled to. 

Update: After complaining online, the manager called me, apologized for the waitress' behavior, and noted that waitress no longer worked there. The manager also sent me coupons for free appetizers/desserts. I am satisfied with the way the manager handled the situation. She was very professional.

Happily Married After

Fourth row bleachers for Joan Jett

I'm 27 years old, and I've been with my husband for 7 years.

We met when I was just 20.

Aaron likes to joke he had to get me when I was young and dumb.

He's 4 years older. I like to tease him about how old he is. He is, after all, in his 30s!


I am especially proud of our relationship. I've had friends and roommates tell me they envy it and that they hope for the same thing in their lives.

Aaron and I spend a lot of time together since we're both home all the time, and we just love hanging out together. Lately, we've been spending a ridiculous amount of time together in a very small space.

At the end of May, we had to temporarily move out of our house because we discovered our house had serious mold. On top of that, we just got a roommate, so she had to leave, too. It was a nightmare.

At first, we were told, 4 days. That's how long we'd be out of the house for mold remediation. Then 4 days turned into 4 more, and 4 more after that.

Now, the mold is gone and the rebuilding has begun. New kitchen counters, new carpet, new paint, etc. We're supposed to be back in our house by July 1st.

In that time, hubby and I have shared a room with our cat and dog at my mom and stepfather's house, which is also home to my disabled uncle and stepgrandmother who has dementia. (Pac Man, the snake, is staying with friends.)

To say it has been trying would be an understatement. But through it all, I've had my wonderful husband.

We've both felt like we're going to lose our minds, like we couldn't take another day cramped in this room with the suitcases overflowing with wrinkled clothes, the small fan attempting to combat the heat of a Sacramento summer in a house that rarely turns on the A/C, and with the cat's stinky litter box not far enough away in the hall outside the bedroom.

But, I think we're still sane, because we have each other ... and Netflix on the Wii.

June 19th was the 7-year anniversary of our first date. June 23rd was our 4th wedding anniversary.

We celebrated by seeing Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in concert and Bridesmaids and Water for Elephants on the big screens. Our movies were free!

Even though our living quarters weren't what we wanted for our anniversary, we had an awesome anniversary because we spent it together ... and with Joan Jett!

Back, and Happy to Boot

You probably thought I forgot all about my blog. This isn't true. Blogging crosses my mind all the time, but I'm just so busy, I have a really hard time taking time out to blog when it's time I could spend writing another article for pay I always need. 

Being a freelance writer is tough; it's even tougher when you're the breadwinner with bills to pay and five mouths to feed. (Aaron and I have a dog, a cat and HE has a snake).

But, I haven't crashed yet from my day of cleaning, bill-paying and writing, so here I am.

I'm in an excellent mood thanks to the good news from the past few days: Obama and Seth Myers roasted Donald Trump at the White House Correspondent's Dinner; U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden, and the Kings are staying in Sac, at least for one more season. All of the above makes me very happy.

I know some people love Obama, some hate him, many are disappointed, blah, blah, blah. Can we all just agree that Donald Trump is a douchebag and it was awesome to watch him squirm in his chair?  

As a person of faith who is a pacifist at heart, I would have prefered that we captured and tried Osama bin Laden, but I'm a realist when it comes to the world, especially war, so I leave you with this:

I don't care if you've seen it a million times on Facebook. It's funny. If you can't laugh at that, it's time to pull the partisan stick out of your butt and lighten up.

Birthday Weekend #1

My birthday weekend consisted of a lot of Buffy watching. Aaron got me season 3 and my inlaws got me season 4! I watched season 3 in about four nights.

Presents from Aaron

On Friday I rocked out to Kepi the Band, Captain 9's & the Knickerbocker Trio, and The Trouble Makers at Old Ironsides.

Kepi

Capt. 9's

 Trouble Makers

 

I have to say, The Trouble Makers make me feel old. Here they are, many years older than me and with way more energy than me. And, it's the same way every time I see them.

 Resting between bands at Old I

I didn't end up doing anything to my hair. 

My bangs are a mess, but they're growing.

On Saturday, I had a nice birthday get-together at my inlaw's house. Amy baked delicious lemon cupcakes with lemon frosting that I couldn't get enough of. So good!

I will be celebrating my birthday again next weekend with friends. One weekend just isn't enough, obviously.

I Have a Problem

A shoe problem.

When I went to put away my new birthday shoes, I realized I do own a pair of black flats. I had forgotten all about them because I never wear them because they're pretty uncomfortable.

'

That's my shoe closet, minus one shelf for slippers and sandals. 

The bottom right pair be hubby's dress hoes.

They're Steve Maddens from Famous Footwear that I got a killer deal on -- $10, regularly $40.

I know compared to a lot of girls, I don't own that many shoes. But, considering I really only wear a few pairs on a regular basis, most of my shoes just gather dust from sitting so long. I have a couple pairs I've yet to wear out of the house. I just love shoes.

I don't regret my new purchase because the Madden Girl shoes kill my feet, and the studs scrape the tops of my toes, but I can't believe I completely spaced that I did in fact own a similar pair. I think my next shoe-related purchase will be full gel inserts. I really need them. Cute shoes hurt, even Chucks.

Happy Birthday to Me. I'm Old Now.

I'm officially in my late 20s. I'm 27 today. I did not make my weight-loss goal, but with the stress of the last couple weeks, I didn't expect to.

I haven't had time to post as I'm trying to write more for my clients to make up for my husband's unemployment running out. The Sacramento job market sucks, in case you hadn't heard.

We live in a kind of a disaster of house -- a house I love, nonetheless -- and have had some major plumbing problems while husband does a DIY remodel on the master bathroom. Chaos is a good word to describe life lately.

I really wanted to treat myself to a few things for my birthday with my birthday money, but since we're in a crazy tight bind, I really held back and only got two things have been on my list for a long time:

black ballet flats, on sale for $11 at Payless

new sunglasses, because I lost my last pair in the ocean.

Payless has everything buy one, get one half off, so my sunglasses were $5.

I found the most AMAZING 50s cat-eye sunglasses with rhinestones at Icing,

but they were $14, and I couldn't bring myself to spend that much. 

Maybe some day ...

I was at the mall to see Tangled. It was pretty cute. The Regal/UA theater at Sunrise gets movies after they have been out for awhile, so they are only $3.50 during the week and $3.75 on the weekends. They get a lot children's movies. It's a great way for a family to save money.

Take That, Uncle Sam!

Taxes done!

What a relief. As someone who supports herself almost entirely through freelance work, filing my taxes is a pain in the butt. And, I'm ashamed to admit, I had a horrible record-keeping system this past year and had to scramble to gather all my expenses and deductions.

But, it's done! It's done! Hooray! Hooray! And, we get a nice refund.

I celebrated by splurging on a Living Social deal: two Fandango tickets for just $9 total. Now I can see a movie for my birthday. Hopefully I won't regret the theater-experience. Here's the deal. 

Hair Tales

It's March 1st. That means I turn 27 in nine days. Ahhhh!

I often change my hair for my birthday, and I'm totally unhappy with my hair now, but not sure what to do with it. I recently cut my bangs, and went against my instincts and snipped-snipped where I shouldn't have. I know the rules of bang-cutting, and I broke them. I'm at a loss. The color is fine. The bangs are horrendous. Much worse than the picture.

Here's my hair on Valentine's Day. 

The bangs a tiny bit longer now. 

Haircuts of past birthdays:

Last year, Great Clips cut my hair, and Aaron helped me dye it.
For the cut, I used a Katy Perry picture for inspiration.
I love her style. I just can't stand her when she opens her mouth.

 

For my 25th birthday, 

I sported bangs I could wear straight or sweep to the side 

with hair tapered in the front. 

I was my go-to blond color.

I celebrated turning 24 with side-swept bangs and a lighter auburn color. 

And struck another dorky pose, apparently.

I didn't get a special haircut for my 23rd birthday 

because I was growing out my hair for my wedding.

My 22nd birthday was the year that started the birthday transformations. 

Up until that year, I had had long, blond hair for a long time.

I dyed my hair a dark auburn, 

Great Clips added layers in front and side-swept bangs.  

Rory Gilmore's new college 'do was my hair inspiration.

Added bonus: Silly artsy photo.

SUGGESTIONS?

If I pin back the sides of my bangs, they look better. It's going to take a long time to grow out the hair that should have never been bangs. I shouldn't cut my bangs in the middle of the night. Lesson learned.

Witherspoon Wins Best Dressed ...

In my book, anyway. I didn't watch the red carpet coverage, so I'm only basing this from the dresses I saw onstage at the Oscars, but she was stunning from head to toe.

She reminded me of one of my favorite vintage Barbie dolls.

See more Reese at the source: Just Jared.

Am I the only one that thought it looked like Halle Berry had sideburns? She was still gorgeous. But I couldn't stop staring at the sideburns when she was onstage.

I don't have a lot to say about the Oscars. It was fairly boring, per usual. The Inception intro was entertaining. I thought Anne Hathaway was charming, while James Franco fell flat. At least my girl Natalie Portman won. I love her career choices.

If you're interested in owning any of the films nominated for Best Picture, you could shop at my store. Just sayin'.

Netflix FAIL. 'Winter's Bone' Review.

Saturday night I sunk into the blue recliner, tucked myself under the red velor throw blanket, set my bowl of popcorn on my lap and my glass of Strawberry-Banana Fruit Smoothie Splash V8 juice on the side table.

I was set for a long evening in front of the screen watching The Social Network and Winter's Bone with my husband and the fur babies, Oliver and Gizmo, lap kitty and lap dog, respectively.

Just 30 minutes into The Social Network, the disc froze. Aaron tried cleaning into to no avail. Thanks a lot, Netflix! I was disappointed since this meant I wouldn't get a chance to finish the movie before the Oscars, but I wasn't engrossed in the film. It's hard to enjoy a film with such an unlikable main character. Was Mark Zuckerberg a total dick, or what?

Frustrated, we moved onto Winter's Bone. Honestly, I really didn't know much of anything about this film. And, I didn't realize that in the film, Jennifer Lawrence looks so very much like my friend Amanda's little sister, Katie. The three of them could be sisters, with Jennifer and Katie as twins. Uncanny, and a bit distracting at first since the movie begins very slowly.

Lawrence plays Ree, a 17-year-old Ozark Mountain girl from a rough, meth-selling family. Ree takes care of her two younger siblings and depressed, shell of a mother. Her father put their home and land up as bond, but he's missing. If he doesn't show for his court date, her family will lose their home. Ree goes "huntin" for her father, trying to track him down through her extended, lawless family. No one wants her sniffing around, but she's determined to uncover the truth about her father, despite threats of physical harm.

Winter's Bone is raw and bleak. It opens your eyes to the real poverty Americans live through every day in the rural Missouri mountains. Ree teaches her young siblings to shoot squirrel for dinner. They have nothing else. Her family is vicious and hateful. They are like a mob family -- the poorest, trashiest mob family to ever live. The movie will haunt you. It aims to.


The Nominees:

• Black Swan 
• The Fighter
• Inception
• The Kids Are All Right
• The King's Speech
• 127 Hours
• The Social Network
• Toy Story 3
• True Grit
• Winter's Bone

Reviews: Black Swan; The Kids Are All Right

I’m behind on my movie-watching and more so on my movie-reviewing. I hope I find the time to watch both The Social Network and Winter’s Bone before the Academy Awards on Sunday, but it’s going to take some real dedication on my part to put other responsibilities aside in favor of this mini resolution…


My brief thoughts on Black Swan and The Kids Are All Right.

Black Swan
Loved it. Even though I haven’t seen all the best actress nominated films, I’m rooting for Portman to take the Oscar for her portrayal of Nina. Portman’s transformation from the sweet, innocent, sheltered white swan to the ruthless, psychotic, sexual black swan was cinematic gold. I got a kick out of Mila Kunis’ rebellious, party-girl ballerina character, but it wasn’t an award-worthy role. The mother-daughter dynamic between Nina and Erica (played brilliantly by Barbara Hershey) adds another layer to the movie. At times, it seems that overbearing Erica, a former ballerina herself, has Nina’s best interests at heart; while other times you wonder if she’s just as screwed up as her daughter. As the film builds, you start to question what is real and what isn’t, but it’s best to just let the movie take you for the ride up to the nail-biting opening night of “Swan Lake.” Black Swan is a wild ride that I plan to take again and again. A twisted, beautiful, wild ride.

The Kids Are All Right

Really liked it. I appreciate movies that are part-comedy, part-drama because that’s how real life is. I love me some dramedy. The basic plot goes: What happens when two teenage children of lesbian parents contact their sperm-donor, disrupting the family dynamic the summer before the daughter leaves for college. The moms have been having problems and the sudden addition of donor-dad wedges them further apart. Loved Annette Bening as the more butch, control-freak, doctor mom with a drinking problem. But, she better not steal that Oscar from Portman, not that I’m worried.

The Nominees:

• Black Swan 
• The Fighter
• Inception
• The Kids Are All Right
• The King's Speech
• 127 Hours
• The Social Network
• Toy Story 3
• True Grit
• Winter's Bone

Flying Frisbees for Gizmo Girl

I have been under the weather and sleeping 10 million hours a day (OK, more like 12 to 14), so I am really backed up on my paid work with deadlines staring me in the face. I keep staring right back at them and at the blank computer screen in front of me, but no words have magically appeared. I can't justify taking the time to write a blog; however, I can take a few minutes of out my busy screen-staring schedule to post some cute fur baby pics from my very outdated cellphone.

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Sactown, so I made Gizmo one happy doggy and played Frisbee with her in the backyard. She is 1 year old, very smart and crazy active and happy. We think she's a Chi/Jack/unknown mix. We adopted her from the Yolo County Animal Services Shelter in Woodland when she was 2 months old. She has probably played fetch every single day since we brought her home about 11 months ago.

 

'Lulaby' - Liked It. Didn't Love It.

Last night I finished Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk. I previously mentioned how his treatment of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, really bothered me. It still does; however, it's not important to the plot.

What is important to the plot is the culling song. In investing crib deaths, reporter Carl Streator discovers that parents are reading the culling song to their babies to help put them to sleep, clueless that the poem kills.
 

With the help of three eccentric characters, Streator takes off on a cross-country trip to eliminate all copies of the poem, but he can't get the words of the culling song out of his head. When someone pisses him off, it takes everything in his power to stop the culling song from flying through his head. Sometimes, he can't help it.

Each main character has a different view of the culling song and how it should be used or not used at all. Real estate agent Helen Hoover Boyle has been using the poem for years, killing for financial gain.

The book is really a story about the death penalty and the consequences of immense power. Of course, it has a few wild twists at the end, which really aren't that wild if you paid attention to the whole story — paused and thought about the foreshadowing. But, as readers, we don't really pay attention, so Palahniuk gets away with it, just as Helen Hoover Boyle gets away with selling haunted houses. The potential owners never really look before they move in. They see what they want to see and ignore what they don't want to see. As readers, we do the same thing. It's what Palahniuk counts on.

Overall, I liked Lullaby. I didn't love it. I loved Fight Club. After a book like Fight Club, I had certain expectations. They were not met here. Maybe an author just can't repeat that level of excellence over and over. I loved Atonement by Ian McEwan. I think it's one of the best written books I've ever read. But, Enduring Love? It was OK. How to Make an American Quilt is one of my all-time favorite books. Unfortunately, when I checked out another Whitney Otto book at the library, I couldn't get through it. I can't even recall the name.

Maybe I just go into these books with too high of expectations. I don't have a favorite author for this very reason, although I do enjoy Jodi Picoult, but it's not as if she's writing at the level of Ian McEwan ...

Recommending Friends and Films ...

Friday is "Follow Friday" on Twitter. I'm bringing the same concept to blogging. I need more interesting people to follow since many of my friends have stopped blogging. Recommend some peeps for me to read, and I'll do the same for you.

I recommend  AMORRIS for yummy recipes and local coupon deals, and It's All Happening for fashion and green living tidbits. Check out Reading and Ruminations for book reviews by a girl who is, quite frankly, borderline obsessed with books.

When I get the time, I promise to comment on some of the great films I've watched recently, including Black Swan, Pirate Radio and You Don't Know Jack. The latter, especially, struck a chord with me.

As another mini-resolution, I'm trying to watch all the Best Oscar nominated films before the Oscars on February 27. Of course, since I'm poor, I'll probably end up only seeing the ones already on video. I have The Kids Are All Right, The Social Network and Winter's Bone queued up to come next on Netflix, so I'll at least have seen six of the 10 films by the ceremony, having already seen Black Swan, Inception and Toy Story 3.

The Nominees:

• Black Swan 
• The Fighter
• Inception
• The Kids Are All Right
• The King's Speech
• 127 Hours
• The Social Network
• Toy Story 3
• True Grit
• Winter's Bone

What great films have you seen lately?

Seriously, Adults? Seriously!?!

(promotional image)

Nina is judging you for giggling through her intimate moments.

I don't go to the movies very often. My husband and I just don't have that kind of money. We used to go to the drive-ins every so often, but currently don't have the right kind of fully-functioning vehicle for that. (Long story.)

For Valentine's Day, we went to a matinee of Black Swan, a film I've been dying to see long before its release date.

I know when Black Swan first came out, a lot of people hadn't heard of it and didn't really know that it's a twisted psychological thriller and not some sweet, happy film about Swan Lake. Now that Natalie Portman has picked up just about every best actress award, and the film's been getting all kinds of buzz, including a Best Picture Oscar nom., I think the general public is better informed. At the very least, people sitting their butts down in the theater to watch Black Swan should know it's an adult movie.

Imagine my surprise when I hear a baby start to cry not five minutes into the film. Seriously? You brought a baby to the theater, and to Black Swan, no less? And, on Valentine's Day? Seriously? Bringing a baby to the theater shouldn't be allowed for ANY film (unless it's one of those mommy and me specials), but you had to bring a baby into an intense psycho drama? Seriously?

As if the baby wasn't bad enough, the adults in the theater giggled during the sex scenes and made various noises that implied, "We're too immature to watch these scenes without acting like 13-year-old school kids." Seriously, adults? Seriously? If you had read anything about the movie, you KNEW those scenes were coming, and you still couldn't just shut up and watch? You had to take the rest of us out of the movie with your childish behavior? Seriously?

I need to stop going to the theater, I think. I've had far worse experiences, and I still loved every minute of the movie (even when it made me cringe and literally cover my face with my hands), but I really expected more of the adults who would choose to see the very dark, artsy and unromantic Black Swan on Valentine's Day. I guess by expecting people to behave like adults and have a little common courtesy for others, I just expect far too much.

Getting Older, Getting Thinner

Woohoo. I lost 1.8 pounds since the last time I weighed myself 12 days ago. Not bad considering I spent a good portion of those last 12 days sick and barely able to get my big booty out of the recliner.

I'd like to lose at least another 4 pounds by my 27th birthday on March 10th, although I really don't want to think about getting that old. I don't feel that old, and I certainly don't look it; although, I guess I look old-enough to get a drinking wristband at a club without showing my I.D. That was a proud moment in my life, despite the fact that I don't even drink. I'm so used to people mistaking me for someone much, much younger than I am.

I hate the thought of getting older. When I tease my 30-year-old husband about his age, he likes to point out that I'm only four years behind him. I like to pretend 30 is very far away, but I know I'm inching up on it. Hopefully, I can inch up on it with fewer inches on my waist.

I danced for 30 minutes on Just Dance 2 today. Hoping for another 30 minutes tomorrow!

The Lies of Palahniuk's 'Lullaby'

I’m currently reading Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk, and while I enjoy the plot, Palahniuk’s twisting of real-word facts bothers me so much I never become fully immersed in his fictional world.

Reporter (and narrator) Carl Streator's investigation into “crib deaths" begins the story. Streator says there’s no medical explanation and cites some 1945 study where doctors say babies can’t suffocate on blankets.

This really pisses me off. I feel very passionately about educating people on sudden infant death syndrome. I’ve written countless articles that relate to SIDS in one way or another. 

Doctors believe babies can smother on blankets. They can smother on mattresses, baby bumpers, and they can overheat if you dress them too warmly.

Now, researchers have not conclusively proven why this happens, but the leading theory (based on autopsies of SIDS victims) by the American Academy of Pediatrics goes like this:

“The cause of SIDS is unknown, but the predominant hypothesis about its etiology is that certain infants, for reasons yet to be determined, may have a maldevelopment or delay in maturation of the brainstem neural network that is responsible for arousal. This change affects infants’ physiologic responses to life-threatening situations during sleep.”

In layman’s terms, if you rollover and smash your face against your mattress, shutting off your air supply, your brain alerts you to move so you can breathe. For a baby under 6 months, that signal may not sound and that baby may die. 

It’s just a hypothesis, but it’s a pretty darn good one, especially when you consider that since the AAP began the “Put Baby Back to Sleep” campaign in 1992 – as in, your baby should always sleep on his back, not his stomach – the rate of SIDS has decreased by over 50 percent. Additional evidence comes from the sleeping environments of the roughly 2,500 babies who die from SIDS each year. Too often, the infant slept with blankets, crib bumpers, on a soft crib mattress, or wasn’t put to sleep in a crib at all, but on a couch or in bed with her parents. 

I don’t see why Palahniuk had to twist the research for his modern story. I’m not halfway through the book, but it seems the plot would work just fine had he acknowledged the real research behind “crib deaths,” and not some embarrassingly outdated study, especially when the narrator is a journalist. Shame, shame.

Save the Kittehs!!

Felicity & Oliver

I’ve never met a cat I didn’t like. I’ve been a cat person all my life. I like most animals, but cats just have a soft spot in my heart. I’ve turned my husband into a cat person, too. Well, I don’t know if it was me so much as it was my childhood kitty.

Felicity was the best cat, ever. Period. She was a total sweetheart and the smartest cat you could ever meet. I’m not just saying that because I was her mommy for 16 years. I could get many people to testify to the fact. She regularly impressed my friends with her intelligence.  

Felicity got very sick, very quickly with kidney failure and we had to put her sleep on January 2 of this year. It was the most horrible way to start the New Year, but it was the best thing we could do for our baby girl.

My heart broke into a million pieces when I found out how sick she was. My husband and I curled up into little balls and cried our eyes out. Aaron hyperventilated in the bathroom after the vet called us with the grim prognosis. 

It’s been just over a month now, and I find myself spending way too much time online looking at all the kitties (and doggies) who need homes. In the last two-and-a-half years, we’ve adopted one puppy and one kitten*, and I’ve spent a lot of time on Craigslist, Petfinder and the shelter websites. I’ve never seen it this bad before.

I’ve always wanted to foster kitties, but I didn’t want to bring new cats into the home, upsetting Miss Felicity. Now, that she’s gone and we’ve had time to grieve, it’s time to take action. 

Tonight, I sent an email to a nearby cat rescue, inquiring about fostering. I hope we can help save some kitties and find them good, forever homes.

You can help, too. Check out Sacramento Animal Coalition to learn about area rescues and other local animal services. It's Felicity-approved.

*Felicity would accept babies into her home -- our Oliver pretty much thought Felicity was his momma -- but we didn’t want to push it by adopting older animals.

On the Road Again ...

Happy Chinese New Year!

While not Chinese, I’m taking this opportunity to restart my first blog. I find it difficult to maintain a blog because I find writing without pay difficult, unless I’m ranting and raving in Livejournal. Heck, a private client even pays me to blog.

But, here I am, blogging again, with new resolutions.

My 2011 resolutions are:

• Trust and follow my instincts. Always. When I doubt myself, and go against my gut, I regret it.

• Branch out and get more eggs in my freelance writing basket. I’m already doing quite well with this one.

• Lose weight – the same resolution I’ve had for a couple years now. I eat moderately well, but I live a very sedentary lifestyle, compounded by health problems that leave me feeling fatigued and sore every day. Plus, I catch every little virus. I’m at the tail-end of a virus right now. It’s really hard to exercise when you have a raging sore throat or feel like vomiting, but I’m putting forth my best efforts with the help of Wii Fit Plus and the Just Dance games.

• Blog. Oh, look. I’m doing that one right now.

So here’s to another attempt at blogging. I’ll add new goals throughout the year.

Now, it’s time to enjoy my Chinese New Year dinner:

Pot Stickers, Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Hot & Sour Soup, Sweet and Sour Pork and Steamed Rice.

No fortune cookies. Is that a bad omen? Or a way of the universe telling me I make my own destiny?