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Archive for January, 2008

"Lab Rat" Payment

January 28th, 2008 at 11:09 pm

Last year, I answered an ad for one of the local fragrance companies to help sniff and evaluate their new fragrances. I'm now one of their Monday "regulars" and it's actually a sweet deal. Go in, sniff, answer surveys, get paid. For about 10-15 minutes work I get $15. That's $60/hour! I wish my regular job paid this well!

The money came at an opportune time. I was down to $25 in cash and spent $20 on gas this weekend. Passed up on a $5 car wash even though my poor car is covered with about three splats of bird guano. With today's payment, I don't have to visit the ATM. I spent $2 mailing a package. The rest, if I can hold on to it, will go towards Thursday or Friday lunch, which is when people in my office tend to go out.

Friday freebies

January 25th, 2008 at 11:21 pm

I apologize for ranting about something entirely off-topic as per this forum. I had already complained to a coworker who was shocked silent, because normally I am very complacent, calm and smiling. I guess I still wanted to get it off my chest so I just vented here.

Anyway. Here's my frugality bit of the day. I came home to find yet another Walmrt freebie in the mail. This time it was Dove shampoos. It's not my normal brand, but hey, free is free.

They came in those packets instead of the little travel sized bottles. I'm curious to know, do people find those packet sizes sufficient for a good washing? My hair is ahoulder length but there's no way those packets contain enough conditioner for my entire head o' hair. Or maybe I'm just a conditioner hog?

Oh well. I'm pooped. Today I can truly say, TGIF!

Morning spoiled by road rage

January 25th, 2008 at 02:08 pm

Ahh, nothing like waking up on a freezing cold morning with a sore throat, and then to top that off to be a victim of road rage. How is it that in all my years of commuting, it is during my current shortest commute (10 minutes) that I have witnessed the most incidents of road rage and careless driving?

I take mostly back roads to work. Many of them go through housing developments so the speed limit on the same road may change from 45 to 25 then back up to 45. Call me pokey but I tend to drive right at teh speed limits. Especially considering these roads go through residential, it is no surprise to see people biking or crossing the road. Better safe than sorry, right.

Well, apparantly to some people in my town, GETTING THERE is more important than being a safe driver.

I was just slowing down while entering a 25mph zone when I noticed the driver behind me (minivan mom w/ cell phone glued to ear) was zooming up at a scary speed. She came right up to my bumper and then began tailgating me. Argh. At the very end of the slower speed zone, she backed off (wow, I could see her front bumper finally) but when the speed went back up to 45, she was right on my ass.

Rather than put the pedal to the metal, I gradually sped up to 45, with minivan mom right on my tail. Well, that lasted about 5 seconds because she got fed up and decided to pass me. In no-pass zone (double yellow lines). When there were cars coming! Those guys honked and bless them, there was no collision. Minivan mom passed me... then hit her brakes because she found herself behind the line of cars that was in front of me. SO, that meant she'd managed to hop ahead of one car (me) in the line of cars on the road. Good for you, woman!

I watched her tailgate the poor car that was now in front of her. Then that car made a right turn. And guess what, minivan mom swerved into the left lane to get around the car as it slowed down to turn. And yes, there were some cars in the left lane. No collisions, though. Thank goodness for wide roads.

Despite her "get ahead" tactics, minivan mom ended up a big loser anyway. She'd passed me, but we ended up reaching the same destination at roughly the same time. She managed to pass ONE car but did that gain her any precious time? Nope. But she did manage to piss me off and put me in a bad mood! Thanks, lady!

Picking up the pieces

January 23rd, 2008 at 02:14 pm

Yes, it's been awhile, but I found this in my bookmarks and thought, whoops. Time to update!

My company gave a rather generous bonus this year. Well, I thought it was, considering we're not really a large company. However, judging by the smirks on some other coworkers' faces, there was obviously something I was missing, so I asked. TUrns out our company used to give two bonuses/yr, and in the past couple of years (after I joined) the company stopped giving the second bonus. Hmmm.

I guess I see the "rosier side" of things. Coming from the world of acadaemia, where we were forced to pay out of pocket for nearly everything, I was tickled pink to join my current company who picks up the bill for whatever office supplies you need. And free coffee/hot water in the kitchen. Heh.

In terms of offering employees bonuses, well, to behonest, it's not written in company policy that they MUST give bonuses each year. It's a benefit and they can choose to take away benefits at will. Of course, it's a nice perk but, well, it's not something I'd quit my job for. Maybe I'm too complacent? I don't really know. I love my job, I have an easy 10 minute commute, I get what I'd consider decent pay (about mid to high range according to those jobs websites). So for now, I'm quite content =)