I don't understand Girl Scout Cookies in Central Texas....

So this is my first Girl Scout cookie experience in Central Texas. One of the bonuses is that you can start getting cookies in January, where in North Texas, you can't score the goods before February.

But I was surprised when I got the order form. I was actually confused. The names didn't make any sense to me. These are not the same Girl Scout cookies that I ate back at home. Or are they?

Let's do some examples:

North Texas: Samoas
Central Texas: Caramel deLites
Why the name change? I'm a little confused - why can't they have the same name? Why does the Central Texas name more descriptive?

North Texas: Trefoils
Central Texas: Shortbread
Okay, I was a Girl Scout in the 70's. They were called Trefoils then and they still are in N. Texas. Central Texas again states the obvious, duh.... we know they are shortbread.

North Texas: Tagalongs
Central Texas: Peanut Butter Patties
Now that just doesn't even sound good. Get me some "Peanut Butter Patties!" They are Tagalongs!! My post from a couple of years ago would not be near as funny if I had called them Peanut Butter Patties.

North Texas: Thin Mints
Central Texas: Thin Mints
Well, here we go - a name that's the same. But the cookie is thin and mint flavored, so I guess North Texas acquiesed to Central Texas here. Maybe so they wouldn't feel so bad that they have such simplistic names........

I'm sorry, as a Girl Scout alumnae, I will use the appropriate North Texas cookie names. Does anyone else think this is as weird as I do?

My $0.02 on the Census

So I received my Census materials in the mail this week. I waited until this morning to open them and complete them because I thought it might take some time to do this. I know I probably did the Census in 2000 when I lived in Florida, but I don't remember it. And I have no idea if I did it in 1990, but I was in college then, so I don't remember a lot of what happened from '88-'92.

I opened the envelope and take a look at the materials. They say it will take approximately 10 minutes to complete the form. Okay.... I can handle that. They've even got a phone number I can call if I get stuck.... that's great. I'm feeling a lot of support from the government here, it's like they are wanting me to kick ass on my Census.

I guess my skills are severly underestimated by the US Census Bureau. I timed myself completing the Census form - 11 seconds. 11 seconds?!?!? From the time I opened up the envelope until I sealed the envelope? 4 minutes, 26 seconds - and that's only because I opened up the whole census form, certain that I had missed some part of the Census.

That's it!?!?! And it could take someone 10 minutes? AND they might need to call someone to talk them through it?? What kind of idiots are living in our country? Frankly, if they can't complete this form, they shouldn't be counted. (Ed.'s Note: The only exception to this is if there is a language barrier. I can understand the need for assistance - of course some of you will argue that you should speak English if you live here, but that's for another time.)

I did read on the materials that if I had any comments about the "burden estimate" (aka 10 minute time suggested), I could write or e-mail my comments to the "Paperwork Reduction Project."

So here goes:

To: paperwork@census.gov
From: mo@undisclosedemailaddress
Re: Paperwork Project 0607-0919-C

To Whom It May Concern:

I feel your 10 minute "burden estimate" is a little on the high side. I completed the entire project in 4 minutes and 26 seconds. While I am single, the actual paperwork took me 11 seconds to fill in, so I have a feeling that if I had a large family, I could possibly tack another minute on the time total.

Are you dumbing down this process because we have people so stupid that they can't finish this without help? If they can't fill out the census, they might also lack some other self-suffiency skills. Could we consider not counting them, so that their idiocy is a not a "burden" on the rest of us? Don't you have people in your family you try and hide from everyone? Same concept.....

On an additional note, I was a little disappointed by how little you wanted to know about me. You just want to know I'm a white 39 year old woman that lives alone? I mean, that's not even any of the good stuff about me.... seriously! If you are trying to get to know who lives in our country, you could ask some more questions to get to know us is all I'm saying.

Best wishes and please give the people that man the phone lines a little extra TLC, they are going to need it.

Proud to Be An American,
39 Year Old White Woman in Frisco that lives alone

How I Love to Hate Valentine's Day!!

So it's my favorite day of the year..... the day where retailers take a hit at my self-esteem..... the day where I can't stand being alone (even though I didn't mind it yesterday or will mind it again tomorrow)...... it's Valentine's Day.

So I was gonna craft a rant, but I read what I wrote last year and frankly, it stands the test of time. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Here's an oldy by a goody from 2009: Happy Valentine's Day!!

Daddy Daughter Dance - seriously?

So last night, I ate at my neighborhood Red Lobster with my friends Heidi and Sara. I have serious mad love for the cheddar biscuits (4 point each people!) and the seafood stuffed flounder. We met at 5:30, which is way early for a Saturday and we had to wait for almost 20 minutes to get seated.

Then they started to come. Dads with their daughters. Which I have no problem with - I think the dance is a sweet idea. I wish they had something like that when I was a kid - I think my Dad would have taken my sister and me and we would have had a lot of fun. So don't think I'm so jaded that I don't see the sweetness of the activity. I think it's darling when the Dads buy their daughters the cute little wrist corsages.

But......

C'mon, moms. Five year old little girls with makeup? Hair professionally done with glitter? Manicures? I mean, they are LITTLE GIRLS. They should be little girls for as long as possible. I can't stand when they try to push them into being grown before their time. If you are taking the kids to the salon for hair, makeup and nails at 5, what do they have to look forward to as they get older? And we complain about children being ungrateful; well, when you give them everything too early, they just expect more and more.

As we were leaving, we saw one dad come in with his daughter. She was wearing a gorgeous party dress with tights and Mary Janes. Her hair was curled (not professionally, prolly with Mom and a curling iron) and she had a rose corsage on her wrist. She looked like a little girl. She looked excited to be having some time with her Dad. Isn't that what it's about?