False Advertising, Product Misplacement, etc.

I had several problems with this today, it seems like this was the common problem everywhere I shopped today.

Last night I saw a Kohl's commercial advertising cashmere sweaters for $29.99 Friday and Saturday only during their "early bird" and "night owl" hours. I know the "early bird" hours start at 7am. I got to the store at 9am and after looking around for them for at least 10 minutes I finally found them (not a very big selection) and they were priced at $34.99. I asked a store clerk about it and told her the commercial I had seen. She said she was sorry but the "early bird hours were for Saturday only and the "night owl" hours were for today and that started at 3pm. I would have to come back then if I wanted the sale price. The commercial did not specify which hours were for which days, and after seeing it again tonight it is still unclear. I did end up making another trip to Kohl's this afternoon to get the sweaters at the advertised price but am still aggravated that I wasted a trip this morning.

My next issue was when I was shopping at Stop and Shop for tonight's dinner. I had planned to make crab meat fettucine and was in need of a white sauce for it. I settled on Knorr garlic and herb sauce and grabbed two packets. When I got home and started to prepare the meal I noticed that I had gotten one garlic and herb and one alfredo. The alfredo was in the wrong place behind the garlic and herb packets. Luckily the two sauces turned out to be good together but I could have mistakenly grabbed one that didn't go so well. This could have been a mistake made by a customer who picked it up and decided against it and put it back in the wrong spot. But after my next episode I decided to blame it on the store.

Last but not least, my final stop for the day before picking up my daughter from school, I went to Benny's. I needed to purchase a plastic table and a telephone for my new office. I had been told by a friend that 4 foot white banquet tables were on sale for $19.99. I went to that area of the store and found several different types and sizes of tables, none of which had a price marked on them or a sign indicating the cost. I tried my luck and grabbed the 4 foot one. Also I found a cordless phone with caller ID and digital answering machine. The sign taped to the shelf below it boasted a $19.99 sale price. When I got to the register the clerk tried to scan the table with no success. Apparently it had not been programmed in their system. I told her the price I thought it was supposed to be but she called a manager over. It ended up $29.99 and the manager told me it was the square card table that was that price. I went back to the display and did my best to guess which was the right table. Next the clerk scanned the phone. It came up $39.99. Again the manager had to assist. I showed her where I picked up the phone and pointed out the sign that was clearly indicating that phone's price. She said it was the wrong phone or wrong sign. I told her I wanted it at that price because that's what was advertised. With an attitude she said that there is a sign at all registers stating "all prices are subject to register verification". Because of this they are exempt from honoring a price if false advertising comes into play, which I think it totally unfair. At this point in the day I was so upset with stores that I gave the manager back the attitude I was given. I told her I was not buying anything at their screwed up store and wouldn't be back because they can't get their s*!@ straight and I stormed out.

I guess tomorrow I will go to Wal Mart to get the two items which will probably be less expensive, but I will have to wait in line forever because the "checkout experience percentage" that they have posted is never higher than 40%

:(

Tax Dollars for Road Work

I think some more of that money should also go to the towns to fix roads. Especially in New London. Since I bought a house in New London about 3 years ago, and then moved just over the town line to Waterford, I have been forced to drive through the town, no way around it. I used to avoid it. The roads are HORRIBLE, bumps, potholes, etc. everywhere. And I don't understand when the roads get torn up for water or sewer work why they don't require the company who did the digging and patching to come back a few months later when the asphalt settles and re patch it! Longview Street is especially bad, sections about 2 feet wide or more, stretching halfway across the street, need to be repaired. Every morning and afternoon I drive that road to bring my daughter to and from school. The last week or so I have noticed a creaking noise in the back end of my car in the suspension and I am sure it has to do with going over those spots several times a day. When the day comes that my car needs to be fixed I will send the bill to the City of New London!

Our Tax Dollars for Foxwoods

Today a story on the morning news upset me.. It is a story about how much money the State of CT gives to Foxwoods in grant money each year. Here is the link...

http://http://wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?s=7435518

While I do think maybe they are entitled to something because of the whole taking of the land thing, I'm not sure about $17 million per year. Especially for things like landscaping. I think they make plenty of money to pay for that themselves.

I've paid my taxes every year and I think tax dollars could be put to better use. For example, I am self employed, don't make a whole lot, and I can't afford health insurance for my daughter and I. Currently we have Husky coverage through the state but it is up for review. I know I am going to be told that I make too much and I will have to purchase my own (for a few hundred dollars a month). And winter is here, but I already know that I am not eligible for heating assistance. So there's another few hundred dollars a month for electricity to heat our home. These are things we really need but I can't afford.

Imagine what $17 million dollars a year could do... How many Connecticut residents would be able to have health coverage who would otherwise be uninsured? And how many median income families would be able to keep their homes a comfortable temperature without maxing out their credit cards or empyting their savings?

My New Swiffer

I used the coupons for free replacement products today from Swiffer. We will see how long this one lasts!

MORE Medical Mistakes

Unbelievable wrong side surgeries are occuring too close to home. Here is a link to a recent story on Good Morning America about the Rhode Island Hospital...

http://http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=3925810&page=1

This is just a mere 60 miles from home. It could have happened here at L&M, a mere 2 miles from home, or anywhere for that matter.

As Chris Cuomo said, "this isn't (0r is) brain surgery" it's just a matter of knowing left from right! A client and I were discussing this story a couple days ago and she said the last time she went in for surgery she was surprised at how many people in the operating room had asked her 'which side?' Now it all makes sense to her. If you are having surgery don't be afraid to speak your mind and let the doctor, nurse, surgeon, etc. know where to operate.

When we made our last ER visit I did notice signs posted for the staff to 'pause' or wait 10 seconds before doing a procedure, just to clear their mind and think about what they are doing. I guess this small precaution should be implemented at every health care facility. Had those surgeons at Rhode Island Hospital taken the 10 seconds to clarify left or right, the 3 mistakes may not have been made!

Hospital Mistake

The day after my last post about my daughter having a week long cold, we had to bring her to the hospital. She had a fever for a couple days and she was miserable so I knew something more was wrong with her. After 4 hours in the emergency room, a breathing treatment, and chest x rays, the doctor finally came in and said she had an upper respiratory infection (a cold) and he could not give her any medicine. He said just go home and continue to do what I've been doing for her. When I left, I was pissed because I could tell she was sick. I got home and put her to bed and 10 minutes later the phone rang. It was the hospital. The nurse said the doctor failed to look at the xrays (that he had ordered) and another doctor saw them and diagnosed my baby with pneumonia. I needed to go back to the hospital and get a prescription for antibiotics. Well, that made me feel better because I just knew it! But then I wonder, what if that other doctor had not stumbled upon those x rays? My daughter would still be suffering and perhaps worse. Anyway, the next day I went to the pharmacy first thing in the morning to get the medicine. Turns out they had given the wrong dose. The pharmacist called the hospital and pointed out their mistake and got my baby the right dose. Thank goodness someone was paying attention to what was going on! She is better now but next time I will know to speak up and ask the doctor or nurse to double check their diagnosis and perhaps ask for a second opinion.

Little Colds

My little one has a cold and has had it for a week. I used to give her Little Colds for her cough and congestion but to my dismay they took all such medicines off the shelf. They say it's not proven to be effective or safe. I can tell you that it's effective, my doctor says so too. When my daughter doesn't take it she coughs all night and wakes up often, when she does take it, she doesn't. There you go, effective. The problem is giving too much but if you can read a dropper there's no excuse. There have been i think 20 something deaths in the last 40 years which is a very small portion. I am afraid that if parents don't have these medicines to help their children when sick they may give them medicine meant for older people, cutting the dose, which could be much more deadly. I am also worried about my own child of course. I worry about her feeling miserable, I know how I feel when sick, and not getting much needed rest because she is uncomfortable all night long. I really hope they re examine this decision and put it back on the shelves.