BLAME IT ON VERIZON FIOS

I should have had this blog written last Saturday, but I happily blame it on my Verizon Fios installers (who really made my day, my month, hell, probably even my YEAR)for the lack of free time.
After dealing with crappy Comcast customer service, I cancelled our cable and DVR.
After one, two days tops, I realized that cable (more importantly, the DVR)was a prime necessity.
Mr. Shagpiece though, thought it was nice not to have to pay a costly cable bill. He could take it or leave it.
WHAT HAD I DONE?
You would think the canceling of cable would give me more time to write...but you would be mistaken.
Now, I had to watch TV in REAL TIME. I had to stop whatever I was doing, sit my butt on the couch, and pay attention (no more rewinding, no more pausing, no more skipping over commercials).
And T.V. w/o cable? Yawn.
Gone were my comfort channels...the Food Network, HGTV. Gone were my shallow guilty pleasures...E! and Bravo and The Style Channel.
Gone were my reality w/o the guilt shows on Discovery (Deadliest Catch and Dirty Jobs).
A month later, Mr. Shagpiece admits he too misses his Comcast Sports Rise, ESPN, and DVRing the Saturday night line up that is a must watch for every person that wears a uniform with a badge and carries a gun...America's Most Wanted and Cops.
Right after Mr. Shagpiece said those words, A Verizon Fios commercial came on TV...FREE DVR for a year.
Surely, it was a sign.
He gave in (after I PROMISED to have my novel completed by the end of the week) and a few days later, the Verizon Fios Installers showed up.
They had manners. They had personality. They had a DVR and faster Internet connections. They had halo's over their heads and I'm pretty sure they didn't walk, they levitated.
Fios is no joke. When they say a better picture, they mean a whole hell of a lot better picture.
I didn't get my book done in a week...I mean, I did have to catch up on all the shows I've missed...Entourage, Project Runway...as well as discovering new shows, Pam, Girl on the Loose (not impressed-kinda boring), Generation Kill.
But now that I'm DVRing all my shows, watching them on MY TIME, the book is on track to be completed by August 31.
Every day I wake up and feel ecstatic that I have cable and a DVR once again. And dealing with Verizon has been icing on the cake. The only attitude I've received from them is great attitude.
I'll say it again; the Verizon guys not only made my day, they made my year.
And a special shout out to Mr. Shagpiece. I did NOT mean any of those things I called you after you hesitated when I suggested getting cable again.
Just as soon as I'm done watching all the episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, I'll give you that massage I promised.

LaToya-Borders Book Store (Airport Square)

For some women, heaven is a shoe store.
For a writer (well, for this writer, anyway) heaven is a bookstore with a cafe.
At the Borders in Airport Square, North Wales, is an employee at the Cafe who is always very kind and often seems to be on her own, multitasking peoples orders without freaking out.
I'd be like, "You want a WHAT? Can't you see I'm already working on three frozen drinks and warming up two scones? Why don't you just get a freaking coffee and call it a day?"
Anyway, not LaToya.
KT has this thing for frozen drinks with whip cream...it's usually her 'big treat' of the week. A trip to the book store and a chocolate chip frozen drink.
Well, when LaToya made one for Kt-I think she ruined her for life. No other frozen drink could live up to the Mount Everst of whip cream and huge chunks of Oreo's in the whip cream.
It was a piece of dessert art.
KT practically levitated over it.
So thank you to LaToya for always being patient, sweet, and providing great customer service.
You made my day, but more importantly, you made KT's day.

Of Men and Meat

I love Wegmans. It's clean and spacious and they make the most fabulous things in the take away departments (bakery, deli, meats).

The other week, I stopped at the meat counter and asked the young guy behind the counter for a NY Strip, not realizing he was getting ready to leave for the day (which I should have realized because he wasn't wearing the uniform jacket). He asked if I was planning on grilling the steak and when I said yes, he wrapped the steak up, came over to where I was standing and told me he had the best recipe for grilled steak.
Now, I've been in sales before. I know a thing or two about leading the customer to a product, putting it in their hands, and hoping they will walk away with it.
However, this guy (I'd later learn his name is Matt), was not trying to sell me product.
He just loves meat. Er, not THAT way.
"Put some basting oil on the steak, some Kosher Salt, and season it with Wegmans pepper blend seasoning, sear it on the grill for about one - two minutes each side, then turn down your heat and finish cooking it the way you like it."
I looked for a name badge, and not seeing one, realized that he was either just starting or just ending his shift. When I asked, he said he was done for the day!Yet there he was, not running out the door; genuine and helpful.
I did stop a manager on the way out to tell her that Matt had been really great (and I hope we all remember to give credit where credit it due).
That very simple recipe turned out fabulous. Gordon Ramsay would have been proud.
I've stopped at the meat counter a few times since then, and have been helped by a variety of people, and all of them are just as helpful as Matt.
I'm not sure what's going on in the backroom, but whatever it is, it's working!
So thanks to Matt for not running out the door at quitting time, and for giving me a great, simple, steak recipe.
And thanks to everyone behing the meat counter - you guys (and GIRLS) are always very engaging and the most helpful department in all of Wegmans!