The Daily Peeve / Rant

[JaneV2.0]

Another Great British Institution. Don't you know we breed eccentrics here?

So that explains it! I can credit a 15% or so British heritage for my eccentricities.
They definitely come from that side of the family. (And I embrace every non-stodgy molecule!)

[Gardenarian]

Posts I make from my new tablet seem to be disappearing into thin air... I wrote a long thing asking for advice on raised beds; where did it go?

[SteveinMN]

We've had a spate of funerals to attend lately, so our stock of sympathy cards was depleted. I went to buy more as well as a birthday card for a special aunt of mine. OMG -- a simple card, with maybe a little glitter but no embossing or ribbon or a special size or shape, goes for $3! The birthday card was at least local and obviously hand-assembled. It was only $3.69 -- a bargain for what you got relative to the generic big-name card. We'll continue to buy cards because the prevalence of sentiments expressed via Facebook greetings and text messages makes getting a physical card in the mail something special. But the going rate is almost enough to get me looking at what it would cost to print our own...

[kib]

I have to admit, I'm getting to be a fan of the Christmas picture / card. I don't really do facebook, so it's nice to get the occasional update via photo from folks I haven't seen in years. I just fiddled with Vistaprint.com and they're about $1 apiece with envelope- and 50% off. So both a lot cheaper and more personalized than the $3-$6 store cards. I think you could also design your own card, say a birthday or sympathy card, and have them print it for the same price, just have to put your art in .jpg form, I'm considering creating some birthday cards next year.

[Tammy]

Steve - have you tried the "just wink" site? There's an iPhone app for it works great also. It's about $3. But that includes adding a photo of your own to the card and postage. You can email the card for free which I do for my tech savvy people who value that even more than a physical card because it reduces physical clutter. But for my traditional people I spend the $3 and they like it so much cause it's different than a regular card from hallmark.

[iris lilies]

Steve, DH sends multiple cards to his family each year, it's their thing. But we look for the 99 cent cards.

of course, if one has small children in the house you can ask them to make one for you, but we don't.

[SteveinMN]

have you tried the "just wink" site?

I'll have to check that out; thanks! I've created photocards as donations for charitable events and I'm guessing that will be a staple product if I ever go 'fine art'. But I never really thought of doing my own cards. They wouldn't have to be photo cards, either (though for a photographer it makes sense). Even with a service, it's got to be cheaper than buying cards at $3+ apiece -- and not a lot more time invested once you stop at the "good" card store and search through and pay for several cards.

We did use Vistaprint a few years ago for a calendar DW did (or somesuch). They did a nice job. But (at least for us) their presence in our lives became like gum on the bottom of a shoe -- near-daily emails and special offers and mailings... We finally told them we were never going to invite that firehose into our lives again.

of course, if one has small children in the house you can ask them to make one for you, but we don't.

We're working on that one. I figure we've got a couple of years until our grandchild has even rudimentary motor skills for card-decorating, though.

[SiouzQ.]

I hate to have a rant so early in the new year but it has been a rocky transition for me...working at a certain grocery store is kicking my proverbial a**, especially today. I am so disgusted and irritated with the people who write the schedule, and the people who call off and don't show up for work. This is the day before everyone goes back to work and school and they WANT their lunch meat and cheese. You CANNOT run a deli counter with just two people under those conditions and expect those two people to be very happy about it. I was literally moving non-stop from 5:45 am until 2:35 pm, minus my breaks and a lunch. The grind of it all...I am really trying not to succumb to a bad attitude and depression.

Thanks, I just needed to rant to someone, and I don't want to rant to my mom. She never likes to hear anything negative and discounts most of my feelings. I don't need judgements or advice, I just needed to get it off my chest. Thank you. I am now going to lie down and waste most of my afternoon away trying to recuperate my knees, ankles and feet before I have to do it all over again tomorrow at 6am...

[rodeosweetheart]

Snow. Tried to get out of house when it stopped and it started up again.
I realize I really, really hate snow.

[freshstart]

we've had a total of four inches of snow this whole season, it feels so weird but it's pretty and we're saving on the plow guy

our dollar store the cards are 2 for $1 and they say the regular price on the back so you don't look chintzy. My family knows I hate the waste of cards and am really happier with a little note on paper. I can't stand generic sentiments and I've seen cards that aren't really special for over $5. What a waste. But I agree there are people for whom getting a card really matters to them, especially sympathy cards.