Waltzing Matilda* and what makes ME squeal (with displeasure)

Just a quick shout-out to "the land down under"--Australia! Welcome!!! I can't believe this is the first time in three years of doing this blog.

The adventure goes on, and as one wise man said, "When God closes one door, he opens a window".  More details when I have them, but it's a good sign.

On a totally UNrelated subject--I used my KitchenAid food grinder attachment to make a few pounds of breakfast sausage.  I had a good solid starter recipe, and obtained pork scraps from a local butcher to add to the cheap pork loin I bought at Shop-Rite. Tasty and fresh.  I think I'll get some chuck steak or sirloin to grind for hamburgers in the near future.

The negative in this post has to do with customer service. I went to the local upscale grocer in search of the aforementioned pork fat to make sausage. I went to the meat counter and asked where I could find a couple of pounds of pork fat.

"We don't have that...we have bacon down the aisle there (points in the general direction of the display case)"
"Would you know what store I could go to to get (pork fat)?"
"No"
(and this is where I began to lose faith in that store)
"I wouldn't even know what number to sell it under"

Which tells me a) she's not a butcher, b) she couldn't be bothered with such a piddling request, and c) the much-vaunted customer service at this store has a few yawning gaps that should be rectified.  If you've seen the movie "Miracle on 34th Street" (the good one, not the modern one), you remember that the "us or nothing" model of retailing went out with mechanical cash registers. I would regularly tell customers where they could find what we didn't have, especially if it involved a local business. If the item was requested on a regular basis, and it fit in our merchandise profile, I'd either start inquiring up to management or if I was in a position to do so, place the orders myself.  I'm not going to give the name of the store for the simple reason is that it's the first such experience I've had there. Won't tell on IM or private message, either...

More later. Cheers!

*--Lyrics by Banjo Patterson; March music by James Barr, 1818.

One Step Up*

The job front comes forward today.  I've had several nibbles lately.  Mansfield U, as I suspected, no-hired their 2nd semester temporary job and will post again for a fall semester start. U-Scranton gave me a phone interview for a Cataloging assistant position. No word on that one--the silence is deafening. This particular song title from the Boss seemed apropos.

As for new postings, I've seen humble and great postings crossing my desk and piquing my interest.  I'll let you know if anything comes of my applications. Cheers.

*--Bruce Springsteen, Tunnel of Love, 1987

PS: welcome to my readers in the Dominican Republic! Country #34 heard from. Please leave opinions and comments as you feel moved to.