RVmamma has moved to SassyCityGirl.com

Formerly known as RVmamma.com,  I changed my moniker to SassyCityGirl to reflect a change in focus and direction, which means less focus on travel and more on humor.  Everyday humor that touches us all.

Part of this process involved a narrow escape from the clutches of Yahoo, who held me prisoner for over 10 years, and a tentative friendship with Google, leading to the waiting arms of GoDaddy and Wordpress.  So far, the honeymoon is just beginning, but I'll reserve judgment until we emerge from newlywed bliss.

Without question, Wordpress has been a challenge for someone who lives in a love/hate relationship with technology, and relies on 24/7 hotlines, but after a few hours of trial and error, it seems to be coming together. Perhaps you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Certainly, in the near future, I will share this entire process in the hope that someone will be saved from this burden of learning, faltering, cursing, learning, faltering, cursing....the progress is slow, fitful, and frustrating.
That said, I'm here!  I'm importing over all my old postings from the RVmamma.com site, as well as postings from Examiner.com and OpenSalon.com.

Please visit me at SassyCityGirl.com!

Freeway Etiquette 101

Dear Driver on I-5,

I'm sure you had an EXCELLENT reason for your erratic and dangerous driving patterns on the road last weekend, but I'd like to share a few driving tips that could save your life.

For one thing,  the definition of  FAST LANE is simply that... the lane where you drive FAST.  In fact, you are expected to drive well OVER the speed limit, while simultaneously monitoring the rearview mirror and radar detector.  Everyone else seems to understand this, except you.   If you ever paused to wonder why other drivers are riding your @$#, honking, and flipping you off,  these are just friendly reminders to move out of the FAST lane.

Secondly, if you feel compelled to exercise your constitutional right to be in that lane, it certainly is your prerogative; everyone else must defer to you.  However, when the FAST drivers swerve to the right lane to pass,  curb the urge to engage in a Mario-Andretti-Moment and do NOT speed up to prevent passing.  I know it takes a tremendous degree of self-control to refrain from that adrenaline-fueled aggression, but be aware that it leaves a plume of road rage in your wake.

Here's the final lesson:  You are NOT the center of the universe, despite what your enabling mother may have taught you.  Mindfulness of how your behavior affects those around you will save your life in LA, will win you friends in Seattle, and will earn you good Karma everywhere.

Yahoo Sucks.

I have been on the phone with Yahoo Tech support for an hour.  Here are some direct quotes from my perplexed Tech advisor:

"Hmmmm...well, that's very strange."
"No, I've never heard of that happening before.  That would be very unusual."
"I don't know why this is happening. Let me consult with our engineers and try to figure out."
"We are going to try to set this up from here since you can't do it from your end."
"Hmmm.....that's strange, the code should be different."
"This is a little frustrating." DUH.
"We'll see if my engineers have anything else we can try here. This is REALLY weird. "
"Well now, that is definitely broken."
"I don't know if we can do that from here.  They recently changed our user interface around, and I don't know if we can do that now."
"Apparently we can't forward this account anywhere. Wow, yeah.  That is definitely a problem."
"(sigh..........)"
I can hear the distinct sound of frustration and confusion in his voice
"For some reason, this is just not working. This is not how it's supposed to be."

It was gratifying to hear that their tech engineers are frustrated and stymied.  I've been beating my head against a wall for ages dealing with this crap, and have sent numerous requests for assistance via email, to no avail.  This is the first time I've called, which forces them to actually DO something and realize that I'm not an idiot who can't follow the on-screen directions.  THEY have a serious technical glitch on their end that needs to be resolved.

Oh, I also learned that Yahoo Business Email is NOT compatible with Apple Safari.  In fact, he was positively astonished I could interface with my email AT ALL while on Safari. Mac-ophiles out there, avoid Yahoo, like the plague that it is. 

Yes, cigarettes are biodegradable, but...

The common perception is that cigarettes are biodegradable, which is, of course, perpetuated by every smoker on the planet.  Yes, the paper and tobacco are organic, but let's not forget those nasty little plastic filters*, specifically designed to lessen the deadly impact to the smoker's lungs, but have no personal regard for anything else.   But then, who cares about the environment or any of the wildlife that may consume said plastic...isn't life about survival of the fittest?  After all, it is said that those species with stronger constitutions and a genetic predisposition to digest plastic should inherit the earth....

No, I'm totally all about teaching those animals to toughen up and appreciate the nutritional value in plastic.  Putting the needs of wild ANIMALS over the nicotinic NEEDS of real humans is simply inane....just ignore those damned animal-lovers and all their tree-hugging, carbon-stingy protests.

That said, what does concern me here, is the impact these butts have on the human designated to clean this ashtray in the photo above.  It already sucks to be the ashtray-cleaner, but to force this human to stoop down to pick up the butts on the ground because some inconsiderate parasite could not deign to place the butt in the tray is beyond offensive.

No, you may not care about the environment or wildlife; in fact, you may not even buy into the whole Global Warming conspiracy.  But trash on the ground looks like trash on the ground, so this winter take that extra second to warm your fingers with that nice, toasty butt and throw it IN the ashtray, rather than NEAR it.


*There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding cigarette butt litter. The biggest myth is that cigarette filters are biodegradable. In fact, cigarette butts are not biodegradable in the sense that most people think of the word. The acetate (plastic) filters can take many years to decompose. Smokers may not realize that their actions have such a lasting, negative impact on the environment.

-CigaretteLitter.org  

http://www.cigarettelitter.org/index.asp?PageName=Facts

Rude Behavior 101

Where does rude behavior start? Are people born with a genetic predisposition to be pushy and self-centered? Or, is it something our kids silently absorb over the course of a childhood, an uncivilized osmosis. The Nature vs Nurture debate rages.

Last weekend, we were over near University Village at our favorite local shoe store, the Shoe Zoo, to replace my daughter's running shoes. A woman and her young daughter entered the store just after us, and proceeded to speak LOUDLY with ostentatious familiarity to the sales staff. Now, I've witnessed people peacocking like this around superiors at work, or with celebrities, or even at high-end retailers, in fragile efforts to build self-esteem. But the SHOE ZOO???

Naturally, she brazenly started asking for help from the salespeople out of turn, who deferred to her and started running shoes from the back immediately, while people who had been in the store waiting, looked on patiently.

Luckily for me, despite being bumped by this woman, we knew exactly what we wanted and were finished quickly, so I went up to the small register desk to pay, thankful to escape this thorn in our afternoon. Just as the clerk finished scanning my credit card, moments away from freedom, THUNK. Within that two feet of counter space, a box of shoes was unceremoniously slapped down, an inch from my elbow, which left me insufficient space to even sign the damned credit card slip. Using every speck of self-control in my person, I held my tongue, moved myself away from this hulking body that was crowding my personal space, and completed the transaction. As I stepped away, I snapped this photo to illustrate the limited space on this counter, as well as to foreshadow the next generation of rude behavior in this poor hapless child.

So, is this just all about the RANT? Of course, that's part of it, but there's also the bigger picture here. We learn basic behaviors from our parents, as well as other caregivers and role-models in our lives, but at what point do we take responsibility for our own actions and stop blaming our parents and our upbringing? Does this woman even realize she's a boor? We all witness bad behavior every day, and are surely impacted regularly, but how often do we turn that critical eye upon ourselves and think how our actions might be considered rude to others?

Here's a hint. If you happen to notice a stranger casually taking a photo of you with her iPhone, it's self-reflection time.

Tavi, You are Brilliant

http://tavi-thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com/

If you love fashion or appreciate brilliance in a pint-sized package, you MUST read this blog.  Written by a 13-yr old girl named Tavi, this remarkable, witty blog simply blows my mind.   Since she was recently on the cover of POP magazine and invited to Fashion Week, I realize I'm not making some new discovery here, but new for me, yes.

And if the photos and blog aren't enough, here's a link for a little video to truly appreciate the genius that is Tavi.

 

Photos of Tavi, from her website...seriously, is she not amazing?  

iPhone Must-Have App: Bump!

Sitting in Arosa, my favorite local coffeehouse yesterday, I was introduced to a revolutionary new term:  BUMP.

Here's the context....my friend and I were entering each other's contact info into our respective iPhones, and she said that we should just "Bump it."  What???  I didn't know what it was, but I knew I loved the name, and that's good enough for me!

So what is Bump?  It's an app that allows two iPhone users to swap contact information or photos by simply bumping the two phones together!!  It's a direct rip-off of the old Treo "beaming" ability, but WAY cooler, as only Apple can do.

The info received is automatically stored in Contacts or Photos, and the whole exchange takes a fun 10 seconds max.

To test it out, a friend and I downloaded the Bump App while sitting in the sun at the park.  (Yes, it's the end of September, and it is a glorious day in Seattle!)  I will admit that the set-up of the app is not as elegant as it could be, but not bad.  We then each selected a contact or photo to exchange....then BUMP!  We gently bumped our phones together and immediately our phones vibrated (out of sheer joy, I'm sure) and the exchange was made.  The final step is to confirm you want the info and it's done.

Did I mention that it's also FREE????  Yep, there is not a single downside to be found with this app.  Everyone needs it, everyone will use it, and it beats the hell out of typing in contact info with that god-forsaken virtual keyboard we iPhonephiles tolerate.

GET IT NOW.  

Good Samaritan in Montlake

I love those snapshots of life that leave a deep impression, especially when that memory evokes a wash of gratitude and a belief in the core goodness of people.

This week,  as I was sitting at a red light at the corner of Boyer and 23rd, right in the heart of Montlake, a potential fatality was averted right before my eyes.

Anyone who lives around here knows that this intersection is extremely busy and chaotic, situated half-way up a relatively steep hill where cars fly down 23rd, and pedestrians and cyclists often go unnoticed until the last split-second.  Indeed there was one fatality last year of a pedestrian who was simply standing at the corner, the victim of  poor visibility, clueless Seattle driving,  and unpredictable traffic patterns.  The memorial left by friends and family for the victim served as a stark reminder that we must remain completely focused and vigilant at all times. 

Which brings me back to last week.  I will admit that as I sat at the red light, with a couple cars ahead of me, I was NOT paying attention, and barely noticed when the woman waiting on the other side of 23rd started running across the street.  The light was still red, but there will always be impatient people who cross against the red, so nothing seemed terribly amiss, until I noticed she was grabbing the arm of the elderly gentleman who had been waiting on my side of the street.  Apparently confused, he had started to cross 23rd against the red light and the woman, realizing his life was in peril, rushed across the street to grab his arm and lead him back to the safety of the sidewalk.  Several cars rocketed by that very spot  a second later.  wow.

Obviously, this all happened in a matter of seconds, but as the events unfolded and my comprehension of their significance dawned on me, I was simply overwhelmed with a flood of emotion.  The slight adrenaline rush that hit me was obviously miniscule compared to what that woman must have felt, but I was thankful that she acted, probably without even thinking, and potentially saved this man's life.

As I drove past, rushing to get to my meeting, I was grateful that I was a witness to this act of pure selflessness, leaving an afterglow of renewed faith in people. 

Weird but Cute

Ridiculously cute.  Apparently, a pot-bellied pig in Germany was abandoned by its family, and this dog, who had puppies last year, adopted it.  It's that cross-species thing that's just so dang endearing. 

My 9-yr old daughter just looked at these heart-melting photos and said, "awwwwwwwww, so CUTE.  What IS it???"  Who knew that a pot-bellied piglet could be so adorable? 

So, I guess the secret's out, huh?  One look at the photos and the evidence is undeniable.  Yes, I'm a Perez-ophile.  Admitting the addiction is the first step......

Ann Taylor Hires Discount Sign Company: Part 2

I posted a photo a few weeks ago of the Ann Taylor sign with the backwards "N". It was one of those little things that catches your eye, like a visual itch.

Well, I just happened to be at Bellevue Square a couple days ago, and what did I see? 

Apparently, it takes weeks to turn that "N" around? Or is the missing "N" a sign of something much bigger?.....

Guesses anyone?