July 17, 2008
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Paperless Society, Slight Improvements & Popsicle Fears
My quest to rid the world of all paper continued today when I got this email from my Homeowner’s Association. They apparently got the stack of unopened mail that I marked “Return to Sender – EMAIL ONLY” last week, and this is how it played out:
Carey Anthony
Re: Your Homeowner’s Association Dues
2 messages
On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 6:00 PM, Olive Manor HOA wrote:Please review the attached report. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
There has been an increase and special assessment. Your dues are due whether you get a statement or not.We cannot email each homeowner their statement and correspondence as it is special treatment that is not affordable to all and the association does not pay extra for this service.
You can email me every month to request the invoice but it will not automatically get emailed to you.
Thank you for your understanding.Thank you.
On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 6:05 PM, Carey Anthony wrote:LOL, it costs you money to mail the statements. It costs 0 to email them! It’s the 21st Century. Figure it out!!! I’m not asking for special treatment, I’m asking for normal treatment. Thank you!
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Carey
On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 8:10 AM, Olive Manor HOA wrote:Thank you for the response . We will work out something special for you. Your current statement was emailed to you yesterday. However’ if you do not receive one in the future your dues are still payable before the 15th of each month as billing is a courtesy because your CC&R’s require you to pay your monthly assessment no matter what.
On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 8:12 AM, Carey Anthony wrote:
Thanks Tony.
I’m on auto pay, so payment is never an issue. Again, I don’t need special treatment. I look at mail once every six months and have no reason to change. You’re not the only one who got a stack returned!! Thanks!
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Carey
Then tonight I was at Trader Joe’s with my cousin. The woman in front of us in line was writing a check. I asked out loud, “What’s that she’s writing? It vaguely reminds me of those pieces of paper you used to pay for things with…” The woman had a great sense of humor and even the check out guy was laughing. Then, to my cousin’s massive embarrassment, we acted out the whole seen again…much to the delight of the people in line behind us. Darlene was mortified but the check out boy didn’t seem to mind. Check it out:
The whole situation kind of reminded me of this:
“What’s so poignant about this time, is the uncertainty…”
I also got a new tire today on the rental, and things improved ever so slightly in that department. LOL. Honda of Hollywood called today to say I should have my car back on Friday when I get home (almost four months after my March 21st accident!). We’ll see.
Tonight’s my last night here, and Dar & I had a quiet, pleasant evening. For dessert, she offered me a Fudgsical which I reluctantly accepted, all the while being careful to keep it in the wrapper! You see, ever since I was a kid, I’ve been bothered by the texture of popsicle sticks! I know it’s crazy, but they give me goose bumps even thinking about them. I told my cousin that popsicle sticks were like nails on a chalkboard to me. She didn’t believe me and thought I was making it up even though she could see the hair on my arms standing on end. I wondered if I was the only person in the world with this odd condition. Enter Google:
Of course, I know I’m still crazy, but at least I’m not alone:
Popsicle Stick Phobia?
I think I have this weird texture phobia. Like, if I’m having a popsicle, and I bite into the wooden stick, it’s like nails on a chalkboard. Seriously. I’ll have to stop eating it. It’s not like I’m SCARED of the stick, it’s just really…grating. Am I the only one?Best Answer – Chosen by Voters
This is actually quite common. I know a lot of people with this phobia. Sticks do have a weird texture, so don’t worry, you’re normal and not the only one.
Comments (21)
the video store is alive and well in Bad Axe! – lol. i love Popsicle sticks – i love to chew on them when the treat is gone! peace, Al
Fear of popsicle sticks. Oy, would Freud have a field day.
hey popsicle stick phobia? omfg lol
ryc : yeah i am looking for civil/construction(site or project engineer or just engineer) position
Is that video serious? I mean totally ABSURD man!
And fear of Popsicle stick? heheh I find it cute and funny.
@pukemeister - Party like it’s 1999!
@MlleRobillard - You have no idea!
@lcfu - Good luck with the job search!
@Dezinerdreams - Cute and funny? You’re adorable. I’m sure I lost 75% of my readership with this crazy admission. LOL. And no, “The Onion” is a satirical news network.
This post was kind of funny. You having a phobia of popsicle sticks – I understand. They don’t bother me as much as you but I don’t like to feel it in my mouth when you get to the end of the treat!
Your video about blockbuster cracked me up because I still do this. I live only about 2 min. from a blockbuster so I go there at least twice a week. Once to get movies and then to return them. But I drive by it every time I go anywhere so it is not really out of my way to do this either. I also had a good laugh about the whole writing a check thing because we did that just yesterday! It rarely happens but for some reason the checkbook ended up in the car with us and neither of us had our cards yesterday – weird huh! It worked though!
@bowzere - Good to know you’re still kickin’ it old school in the Midwest. LOL
checks in the check out line. i’ve seen that happen too. some stores use your thumb print now. but i’m sure you know that.
Haha the whole mail ordeal was great.Isnt life full of things that you cant help but just shake your head at? (great read)
pop a wheelieeee
double you tee effff lolfear of popsicle sticks. Well as an alternative why not make popsicles without sticks. Or you know what, jsut stick to carrots and fruits children. :D
Its not like they ( the children ) need to know how to suck ( on popsicles that is ) at such a young age ( although they do start sucking during the breast feeding period…random…you get my drift ) . but if they wern’t breast fed like me ( NO! :( ) , then go for the popsicles lads!
Ok making no sense. :D
Btw you are funny in public lol. I just stay in line and like make no eye contact. I think im slighty autistic. ?
That Blockbuster video is a freaking riot! Y’know, I would kind of enjoy going to a neighborhood video store (NOT BLOCKBUSTER!!!) if they would ever actually have any decent movies in stock. Ours does not. There was an amazing video store in our old neighborhood on Polk Street in San Francisco (which I hope is still there) that had everything and organized in unique and fun ways, like by director or fringe genre or actor. There’s something about a store like that that will never be duplicated by NetFlix or whatever the future of movie “rental” will be, likely some sort of ubiquitous subscription on-demand dealio.
The Onion ought to do a spoof on NetFlix too, since it’s pretty ridiculous when you think about it that these movies have to be delivered to us on trucks (big-ass trucks which idle most of the time spewing CFC’s and CO2 into the atmosphere), and packaged and repackaged with paper from trees as opposed to just streaming or beaming us the media … although I suppose they’re getting into the on-demand market now, too. I like the future, I really do ;), but I’m going to miss just walking down the block to the store and seeing some people I may or may not know (yes, even the street people) and striking up a conversation about movies. It all has to happen on “someone”s BLOG these days! :)
As for going paperless, it may not cost them money for paper or postage to send you an email, but it does cost them time to do something a little different for you, and time is money. However, it is pretty silly that they wouldn’t see that this will ultimately be something everyone will want / need and just do it. It’s typical of these petty little self-important management offices to make a big deal out of something so trivial. They probably wasted more energy going back and forth with you on it than if they had just said “oh, good idea, let’s send *everyone* their statements online at their request for one year and then go 100% paperless in 2009.” But that’s why they work at a building management company and not NASA or something … okay, weird example, but you get what I’m saying, somewhere where intelligent people work – haha.
PS: I
popsicle sticks
@razzlebash - Yeah, I actually did some consulting for a company once that did the pay by touch thing. Hasn’t really taken off though. The right wing nutjobs think it’s like the mark of the beast in the bible!
@eitucelims - LOL. Thanks for stopping by
@CaKaLusa - Vroom vroom
@Loltothepower - See Jin, that’s why you’re going to be rich and famous. You take a problem and find a practical solution. I like it. BUT, let me just clarify one thing. I don’t have a “fear” of popsicle sticks, insomuch as I just have a reaction to their texture!. LOL, OK, now I’m sounding even more CRAZY!!!
@sethrocker - LOL, now that I’ve revealed my wooden kryptonite, I will be forever at your mercy right Seth? LOL at the NASA comment. And regarding the video store, I get it, but I’d rather say Hi to the homeless guy on the way to Basix or something. Right on with the Netflix comparison too. Don’t even get me started with the HOA. I guess we can talk more about that tomorrow
Ok first of all HOA people are stupid…they waste more money than anyone I know! Glad you spoke up!! Secondly I HAVE THE SAME YUCKY FEELING with popsicle sticks!! I get chills, my teeth literally ache at the thought of them going in my mouth!! LOL!! So my dear, you are NOT alone!!
Good luck on ridding the world of paper!
ryc – still not LA. Not yet.
@lv2skrp - Hooray for freaks!
@Fongster8 - Keep me posted!
i have a couple of monthly bills sent to me via e-mail and that’s even by the suggestion of the companies themselves as a way to save trees. i think all bills should be sent via e-mail for FREE in this day and age for those who have an e-mail account. but no, don’t get rid of paper all together. i still love writing with my fountain pens!!
@rudyhou - Fountain pens huh? That sounds like a neat hobby. My penmanship is atrocious!
Popsicle sticks-> you aren’t the only one! I have chills now just thinking/talking about them and I have no idea why. Do you get it with other things? Emory boards and sandpaper make me crawl out of my skin.
@P - I get it with styrofoam too and balloons sometimes, LOL. Glad I’m not alone! :)