The Age in Which We Live

We all know that this is the digital age, but it still amazes me at how entrenched in it we have become. Often true is the saying, "Out with the old, and in with the new." But I like to keep some old stuff around. Yet at times I automatically respond to things from a "digital" perspective rather than from an old-school "analog" one as in the following situation where Ellen had asked me for my brother-in-law Jeff’s mailing address so that she could send him something…


Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 7:52 AM
Subject: Jeff
What is his mailing address? I have an article to send him. Thanks, ep

On Jan 24, 2008 8:22 AM, Chops wrote:
jeffiscool@ohyeah.OK

On Jan 24, 2008 9:01 AM, EP wrote:
Mailing address. For real mail. :)

On Jan 24, 2008 9:16 AM, Chops wrote:
lol, that just shows you what kind of age we're in - the digital age.

~~Retro D.

Topsfield Scare

Anyone who has ever walked with me down at the North End or shuffled with me through a bustling mall knows that if you do not keep me within sight of eye, soon I will be without it.

Understandably Jenn gets a bit frustrated and at times considers this to be a somewhat nerve-racking experience, but what must have been an even more nerve-racking experience is what happened to my evanescent chaperone:

When I was about Eight years old - old enough to know better, yet I still don’t know better - I got lost at the Topsfield Fair. Though I don’t remember all of the details, I do remember a great barn, and inside the great barn were peddlers of various wares, like snake oil (just kidding), but really: honey of bee, still in its wax; and glue of super; and an evolving table full of Die-Cast chariots morphing into binarily autonomous bots! Outside I remember a mighty steed, and along his mighty side was an authoritative figure, petting Nitro’s mane, and wearing boots, black boots…with straps, he peered, seemingly, through his Aviators, and his dark blue uniform was crisp, pinned, with a shiny metallic shield over his chest, and he wore a magnificent holster which secured not only his pants, but also a Colt .45, Silver! Away…

Could any of these have lured me like the Lorelei’s Siren? Or had another alarm, like that of the Burning Banjos Quartet, smokescreened my senses such that blind faith followed? What was I or was I thinking?

Just ask my friend Brian what he was thinking after I had walked away from him. Oh, and don’t forget to ask him how went the date? That’s right, whilst courting a prospective helpmeet, Brian looked left and I left right wandering off to talk to the cop with the horse or to manipulate the Transformers or something, and it subsequently took hours before I would be recovered.

However nice it was of Brian to accept my invitation to have me briefly accompany him and his fare lady (at least I would like to think that it was nice; maybe he was merely trying to take home the prize for Best in Show) and squash any chance of visiting the kissing booth (or was that where he was the whole time while I was unwittingly winning the Freelance Daredevil competition?) Whoever knows what came from it or would have come had he declined?

If not his genuine niceness that caused him to accept, then the next more surer appeasement against which I lean is that the fiery winds of fate must have intervened; fore Brian now is one of Arlington’s Finest, a selfless crusader who saves lives and who ended up winning the American Dream (complete with great wife and kids.) Inevitably I am consoled by the thought of each and by my final fair-scare solace: I was his first rescue?

Brian, thanks for finding me, and thanks for the memorable solo-mission.

~~Chatter Chop

On the Moon with Zoom...Be Back Tomorrow

Man in Tree

Q : How do you get a one-armed man out of a tree?


A: Wave

What I Do When I Don't Have a Punching Bag

In ’94 the BYU Bookstore had a great selection of Jack(son) Hand(il)y “Deep(est) Th(i)oughts” greeting cards. After American Heritage study sessions on the lawn outside the bookstore, Dori and I used to go into the store to read the greeting cards and laugh our heads off. In particular I’ll never forget this one card that described what to do if you ever go temporarily insane – basically it suggested that one should get some weeding done rather than shoot somebody, like a lot of people do, because of how surprised you’d be.

I like that because it makes sense. Even if I never were to go temporarily insane, if I were to get angry or frustrated I would rather thrash on a piñata or beat the stuffing out of a punching bag rather than put my hand through a wall or someone’s face.

Since I currently am in possession of neither, from now on to settle down I plan on blogging. In the heat of the moment I may post a confusing, poignant, and pointed blog. If I allow myself to cool off and wait ‘till Sunday, then I will post a retro-meditative perspectived blog. During the week if I experience no episodes of anger or frustration, then I will simple use the Sunday Settle-downs to post something calming and peaceful, like perhaps an Ode to Water such as this one that I learned in Germany (if I can remember it correctly): “Nichts in der Welt ist ebenso weich als Wind und Wasser, doch nichts hat mehr Gewalt!” Translation: Nothing in the World is as soft as Wind and Water, certainly nothing has more Force!”

~~ Serenity Dave

Wood-frame Ninjas (Prologue): Genesis

By morning they seemed like Three Musky Peers; by midday they seemed like Ninjas!

Training began promptly at 3:30PM. The sturdy rafters (evenly spaced 2 x 4s) provided the ideal dojo. Combined with the inherent danger (a 10 ft drop when the bottom floor already was completed, at least 20 to a cement basement when not), the mental proving grounds also had clearly been established. Some key areas targeted for improvement included balance, agility, strength, courage, madness, deftness, precision, coordination (both hand-eye and foot-eye), and trust. They conducted speed trials and crucible trials, and do not forget sparring trials.

Indeed, having ample access to continually constructed homes and ever abundant power tools and supplies, the Wood-frame Ninjas were able to fashion weapons of skill such as the Bo Staff and Nunchaku, and then test these weapon’s might and merit, not to mention the might and merit of the combatants.



Predestination to be revealed...

~~ Chops

Happy To Be 32!

Today I could have blown out 32 candles.
Today I could have been spanked 32 times.
Today I could have eaten for free at Superific's Burrito Bar.
Today I could have begun a career as a ballroom dancer. (It's true; Snowflake and Misty the Gym Leader said so. In response to an Ask Yahoo, Snowflake and Misty were very encouraging and supportive toward Roxy who is 32, so I hope Roxy goes for it!)
Today I could have mowed the lawn. (But it would have been difficult getting through all the Snow, unless I had chartered my own Private Jet - in other words, booked a flight on SW Airlines [at least that is what they would like you to think, and that aint even close, even if I were to have gotten more ripped off by "upgrading" to business select/susucked] - or I could have driven somewhere where the green grass shows and maybe have rented a lawnmower or bought one at the 5 and Dime or something.)
Today I could have had a midlife crisis.
I could have done lot of things today, whether I just turned 11,680 days old or not. And I did do a lot of things, just none of the above. I'm just happy to be.

Happy Life Mission Passageway Day to Me!

May I live to post many more,

David who wishes he were with Zoom on the Moon

~~~

New Year's Eve 2007

BOSTON 07/08 Happy New Year!!!

Jenn and I went into Boston for First Night http://www.firstnight.org/, and we had a blast. Growing up here I had never done this, and this was our first First Night since moving from Oklahoma over two years ago.

The night was filled with great music, a parade, fireworks, food, and of course people watching. We even got to see the inside of the Park Street Church and witnessed a terrific instrumental trio who performed Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Auld Lang Syne, and a New Zealand violin piece. The main performer was a girl on violin, and there was a guitar player and a cellist. The music was so invigorating that people were dancing in the pews and aisles (we were able to get some great footage of that.)

Hope everyone had an awesome 2007, and I wish everyone all the best in '08! May the next 12 months be full of joy and prosperity!

Best regards,

Chops

What I Think About Poor Customer Service!!

I can't stand poor Customer Service. What has this world come to!!!??? What ever happened to, "The customer is always right?" Still, when I am the victim of poor customer service I can't blame only the institutions or service providers for providing the crappy customer service, fore these guilty parties may be operating as such due to crappy customers. Though this is no excuse, I try to usually give others the benefit of the doubt, or the benefit of their ignorance.

One great example of Poor Customer Service comes to mind: the terrible service I received last night at the drive-thru window of a popular fast-food Mexican-style/fried chicken restaurant combo chain at Four Corners (should be called Six Intersections.)

My wife and I had earlier in the evening used the Drive-thru to purchase dinner. We ordered a chicken quesadilla, a crunchy taco, a cheese only taquito with guac, and a 3-piece honey bbq strips.

When we got home we realized that, as is the case about 50% of the time, the strips were not honey bbq at all, the taquito had chicken in it, the crunchy taco was cracked, the quesadilla was burnt and the chicken was crusty, and they forgot the guac. Given the likelihood that this would again occur, we should have checked our order before we left, but as I wrote; I like to give others the benefit.

Sometimes we call and complain, but when we do so we rarely go back to claim our make-up meal. This time I just ate my food, feeling thankful that I had food to eat. Jenn ate her strips, but not the taquito. No call was made.

Later that night I had just so happened to be driving through Six Intersections when I noticed the glowing neon sign, “Drive Thru Open.” As a sign, it was like a sign that I should go straight there and plea my case – so I did. I pulled a “Uey” and went right back to the very same window through which the botched goods were delivered and I explained the situation (only discussing the strips and the taquito) to the girl who took my order.

She asked me if I had the strips. I told her they were at home. She asked again. I told her the same thing. Then she abruptly turned away and spoke to some guy in the background. This guy approached (must have been the manager.) I again explained the situation, again only discussing the strips and taquito. I waved to the girl who took the order. And I was rejected.

Manager Poor Customer Service Giver first asked when had I come through. I told him that it was about two hours prior. Mngr PCSG emphatically explained that he had been there since 4:00PM and that he was the one who had assembled the order. (That didn’t tell me anything.) Then Mngr PCSG asked if I had the strips! Again I explained that I was just driving by and I had come back on a whim because I had thought they would have been helpful. He asked if I had called. “NO!!!!” I gasped, “I am just coming by on short notice, I don’t have the Strips, I don’t have the receipt, and I didn’t call! But I guess I could drive all the way home, find the receipt, call, and then drive all the way back so that I could then get some customer service!?” Ridiculous!

Finally I was forced to acknowledge that my orders had been messed up about 50% of the time, and I also felt inclined to tell him about the cracked soggy taco, the burnt quesadilla with crusty chicken, and the missing guac. This did not faze Mngr PCSG; instead he added salt by asking if I had ever called on the other incidents (from the 50%.) Yes, I had before, and I proudly reported that my name should be in the book. I further detailed how, as a matter of fact, the last time I called I had spoken to the visiting district manager.
“Oh yeah, what was her name?”
“I can’t remember, Suz…Cin…Cindy?”
“CCindy?”
“I don’t know, she was visiting, I’m in the book.”
(Mngr PCSG runs away)
Moments later…
“There are only two names in the book.”
“How long do you keep the names in there?”
“Until they come back to get their food.”
“How old are those entries?”
“You’re not in the book, and we don’t have any more strips.”
“So I’m gonna have to call?!?”
“(mumbles)” Turns and walks away.

Again, no excuse for the terrible service, but the reason for the book and the call-first thing must be because some crappy customers out there have attempted to get free food by claiming that their order had been messed up, whether it really was or not, and whether or not they really had actually ordered anything in first place.

I still say, “THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!”

Sincerely frustrated and disappointed,

#1 Customer

P.S. Each Customer is the #1 Customer

Christmas - What I Believe

In closing, I would like to express just a small portion of what I believe:

• I believe that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of our Savior.
• I believe that Christ the Lord was born of Mary in Bethlehem.
• I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Eternal Father.
• I believe that Christ lives and is mighty to save.
• I believe that the Bible and the Book of Mormon contain true accounts of Christ's ministry and that they contain other inspired doctrine.

Whether you do or do not believe any or all of these things, I respectfully ask that you do not disrespect me for what I believe, just as I will not disrespect you, and I also ask that you will not disrespect others for what they believe, just as I hope they will not disrespect you. Thank you.

Sincerely,

David

Wow, this is pretty nice, I like this...

I'm really getting into this; for what have I been waiting!?! But that's the thing with me (if I may get a bit personal, I mean, this is a Web Log), sometimes I procrastinate. OK, I procrastinate a lot, and I sometimes get caught up in the small details or the insignifcant details. A few people, like my wife Jennifer (http://jennifer-chopelas.blogspot.com/), and some of my friends and family, like Adam and Janna, and Ellen (http://ellenpatton.blogspot.com/), have been encouraging me from the beginning to just write.

I enjoy writing and I enjoy sharing. This is a great formum to do both, and I can work on my Grammar along the way! So please be prepared for some experimentation in style, for some mistakes, and for some inevitable delays. You may also expect some stories, jokes, pictures, facts, ramblings, opinions, (oh wait, I already acknowledged that this is a Web Log). Anyway, I have a lot inside that I want to get out, and slowly some of it will end up on these pages.

Hope you enjoy,

Chops

Christmas 2007

OK, when I started to write my first official post, it was already Christmas, yet the date stamp is for Monday, December 24th. Now it is Christmas, now it is Christmas.

David

What I Want You To Know.

Christmas in New England has officially arrived, so Merry Christmas.

In October 2006, when I first created a Blogger profile, I fully intended then to start sharing. After thinking for over a year about what to post, after changing Blog names, and after finally resolving most of my own concerns, I want you to know that we all are unique, and so am I.

Best regards,

David