so sorry to part

apparently i need to clean out my condiment shelf a little more often. i found this sweet & sour sauce in the door. check out the expiration date on the label.

somewhat disturbingly, it wasn't even moldy or anything. i may have found something to rival the half life of a twinkie.

dating services

i have discovered a new favorite columnist, susan deitz. here is what she has to say about dating services:

"Paying for a social life is an affront to human dignity — a crime that should merit punishment: something on the order of, say, being pushed into first dates with complete strangers after paying exorbitant fees for the privilege. Of all the indignities suffered by the unmarried (and there are a few), having to pay for a social life — usually feeble, half-baked and leading nowhere — may be the biggest."

if this made you chuckle, check out the full article.

happy iqd!

i hope everyone enjoys international quirkyalone day!

i hate getting ripped off

my furnace went out on friday. it's february in minnesota. brrr.

i thought it may be the thermocouple, so i went to white bear heating and cooling, where i had purchased a thermocouple before. the door was locked. it was lunchtime. i called the number on the van, and voice mail said they were closed until monday. damn. i went to ace hardware, found the part, replaced it, relit the pilot. goody.

a few hours later, the furnace went out again.

repeat this over the weekend so i don't have to pay a ton of money for an emergency service call.

monday morning comes, i call wbh&c. someone comes out and cleans stuff out. the furnace is now again working. cost: $155.00

overnight, the furnace went out again.

this morning i call wbh&c again. this time the guy replaces the gas valve. the furnace works. currently, anyway. cost: $50 for time, no trip charge, and $265 for part #36C03-300, for a total of $315.00.

$265 seemed high. so looked up on the internet, and found the "list price" to be $82.80, and found it to be on sale for $69.

f*ckers.

a win-win situation

sometimes, if you pay attention, you will find good things.

i've been buying these overpriced single serving brownies that cost $2.99. i typically don't pay attention to how much things cost, because i buy mostly organic items, and people who do this just can't be too bothered with cost as the primary factor in purchases. but i did happen to notice that brownie mix - which would make an 8x8 pan of brownies - was only $1.09.

heck, for almost 1/3 of the price, i can not only have brownies for myself, but have plenty to share.

as long as i don't eat them all tonight, that is...