Coupons and other crazyness.

The week before, the week before Derby is the last chance anyone living in Louisville Kentucky can do real work. To some extent this also includes the entire state and the southern half of Indiana. After Thursday of this week anyone living within the area will be totally useless for anything but hosting out of town friends, celebrating, talking about and watching events set up for The Kentucky Derby Festival. This also means that a large number will be inebriated for two weeks. A girl I used to work with would take one week of her vacation Derby Week every year. She said she got more free drinking and sex than she got the remaining fifty-one weeks. A friend who reads Craig's List regularly, said this past Monday that the out of town working girls are already set up and advertising for men who want that special hospitality only money will get you.
Poll worker training was scheduled this week. I went this morning. Others are going tomorrow. This is a well rehearsed, well organized necessary class for all people who are working at the polls for the Primary Election, May18th. We gathered like polite strangers, sat and completed forms, answered questions in pencil, stood and swore we had not fought or facilitated a duel in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. More words of the oath were about the possible duel than the honest fiduciary responsibility we accepted with it. A video played for thirty minutes and we were out of there.

I am hopeful that before I am too old to work the polls we will be able to complete this process in some non-congregating way. Perhaps we can use Skype as we assemble in our homes to take a computer class in our jammies? Really though, it wasn't a bad way to spend a beautiful Tuesday morning. I got to see a part of town I used to live in and notice all the businesses that had changed in the past twenty years.

The coupon thing involved using a $1 off coupon for a hamburger at Steak'n Shake. The coupon said Chipotle hamburger, but it wasn't listed on the board. I asked for it and said I had a coupon. They said we'll get right on that. No mention of the price. When I asked for a small salad instead of French the waiter said that wasn't allowed without extra cost. So although we are promised in ads that Steak'n Shake makes the food after you've ordered, they are inflexible on what they will allow to be paired when using a coupon. It's a shame the cat doesn't like French fries!

I am convinced that marketing companies who set up the coupon offers for retailers are former idea people for credit card and free checking account companies. There are restrictions and limitations printed in print only a person using a laser light under a magnifying glass could read. We will give you $1 off that package of egg noodles, but you must also buy a package of cheese from a company you've never seen on the shelves of your local market.

It seems that "special" offers and coupon discounts are all bait and switch in the new tradition of the phrase.