This ’N That
Have you cleaned up around your home this month? This weekend marks the last weekend for free dumping for Jasperites at the landfill. It is a perk offered by the county to help clean up the county. All month long, residents have been allowed to dump their excess trash at the landfill free of charge.
And, this Saturday, residents in the city of Monticello can put trash by the curb to be picked up. That includes many things you would have taken to the dump. Some restrictions apply; check with City Hall, 706-468-6062.
It’s also a good time to pick up yard trash, litter along the roadside, and otherwise, generally help Georgia, and Jasper County, be “Peachy Clean.”
With the Tour of Homes set for this Saturday, April 27, along with a lot of other activities, it’s a good time to spruce up the town.
And then, next week, the first weekend in May, the Market on the Square opens with much fanfare and lots of items for sale. For the first week, pretty much everyone is invited to participate, and those of us who have nothing to sell, can peruse what is offered. And, we can visit with our neighbors, and get to know them better whether they are vendors on the Square or other shoppers.
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Sometimes I think how wonderful it is to be living in the 21st century. Do you realize, I can be sitting in my chair, reading a book, playing a game, watching TV, and if you ask what I’m doing I can honestly answer, I’m washing dishes…or clothes, or maybe making ice.
I think we tend to take our modern marvels for granted, but think about it. We have a machine to wash our dishes; we have machines to wash and dry our clothes, we have machines to do so much. So I do often marvel, when I’m being lazy, that I’m not really lazy, after all, I’m washing clothes.
Some people don’t like folding clothes. I don’t mind. Now, I don’t iron. I do grab my permanent press out of the dryer and hang it up immediately. But, I don’t iron. I guess we need a better machine for that:-)
And, when you think back to our forefathers, you really realize how easy we have it. We have machines to drive, no horse and buggy. We have machines to cook; no need to light a fire. We really do have a pretty good life, when you think about it.
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Last week I wrote about being tethered to the phone. For many of us, there is another culprit that holds probably too much of our attention. That is our televisions. Ours went out Saturday while most of the family was there celebrating Easter. When it happened, no one really noticed or cared. The Atlanta Braves had lost their first game miserably, and I wasn’t even aware they were playing a double-header. I don’t know if it was scheduled or was a make-up from Friday night, but they played. I didn’t see them.
Jimmy and I pay way too much for television. But there’s the high-tech receiver, and the basic channels, and then some other channels, then the sports pack, and the regional sports pack, and don’t forget the maintenance fee (they got me on that one). I had refused the maintenance plan, thinking it’s their place to take care of their equipment, and it’s another $9 a month. Well,when a technician was needed at the house, I had a choice…either $8.99 a month, or pay a $99 visit.
Well, I opted for the maintenance plan. While I have it, I’m probably going to replace my worn-out remotes, and maybe a new receiver. I don’t know. Right now my television is working, and since Jimmy is now semi-retired, he was able to stay home and meet the technician. A win-win.
As I started out saying, we pay way too much for television. But, I like to watch as many Braves games as I can catch, and Jimmy loves hunting and fishing shows. Each is an additional charge. But, we’re happy for the most part. And, I keep threatening to change from DirecTV(AT&T) to Dish every two years, so I can get the lowest prices. So much for rewarding you for loyalty.(-:
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Do you like talking to recordings? I despise it. Therefore when I called Direct the other day, I was easily frustrated.
At our office, we still answer the phone personally, and probably always will. I know of several businesses I despise calling because I’m going to have to listen to a recording, try the dial-by-name feature or listen to departments hoping to figure out who I need. Sometimes I just give up. Sometimes a trip there works.
I even answer the phone for Google, who has called three or four times today alone. It’s aggravating. I can understand why people don’t want to answer the phone. Today, besides Google calling, there have been callers about our diabetic needs, our car warranty, and other such nonsense. I can’t figure out who responds to these calls to make it worth their time to set up a phone bank. But, I guess they don’t pay much. I keep thinking if everybody would just hang up on them, companies would quit bothering us if it wasn’t worth their while.
So, please, get out and enjoy our community, and say to heck with those aggravating calls. It’s really a beautiful, calming, wonderful world we live in.