A Senior Rant

It is time for a good old fashioned senior rant. Now I usually get into my annual grumpy, cantankerous, outlook on life in mid-November. By this time the weather is dominated by continuously cold rain. The days are an endless gray and the spirit of Christmas hasn’t invaded my psyche yet. Before I continue, wasn’t this fall suppose to be unusually warm? What happened? 

Within a month I will reach a personal milestone in my life, retirement. Now many people whom I work with might venture the opinion I actually retired many years ago but I am just making it official. Perhaps this event is causing me some unknown (to me) anxiety. Anyway, without further hesitation the following items have resulted in personal irritation. Perhaps if you are so inclined you might consider sharing what aggravates your daily existence. 

I am watching television and another ad advocating some medicine comes on. For the purpose of this article let us say it is product “A” that’s purpose is to help ease upset stomachs. Half the commercial will be dedicated to stating the ailment and the wondrous results experienced when taking product ‘A”. The last half lists potential problems. The announcer’s voice picks up speed. Use of product ‘A’ could result in but not limited to the following: migraine headaches, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. You are also urged to see your doctor if any of the stated symptoms occur. Wait a minute originally all you had was an upset stomach. Sure I know the reason ads for medicine are the way they are now, due diligence, litigation etc. 

Canadian politicians (provincial or federal) all advocate protecting Canadian consumers relative to the purchase of food. One of the ways is to have comprehensive labeling. I have accepted that I need glasses to read and I use them. Have you ever tried to read the fine print on the food products you buy? In an attempt to comply, food companies list everything. The result extremely difficult to read and no one bothers. I read about food safety in the newspapers on a regular basis. We are all aware of the ongoing situation in the Alberta meat processing plants. Back in the 1960’s, I do not remember all this protection we had. I also do not recall all the problems we have now. Could it be economies of scale and not buying locally might be the problem? 

When is Queen Street going to be reopened? It is a fact of life whenever a city (or any other organization) does construction on older streets it is very difficult to maintain the stated schedule. Who knows what problems will be experienced when digging up pipes, wires etc that have been underground for a century. You would think with the relocation of the hospital that Queen Street wasn’t needed as much as a transportation route. I travel along Wellington Street almost on a daily basis. I miss Queen Street. I actual have a solution for this irritant. The city should always over estimate the time it will take for construction. If the job should be three months state six months. Then when it is finally finished at five months it can boasted as being ahead of schedule. 

On a daily basis I get a continuous stream of good news and bad news in my email. I will deal with the bad news first. Apparently I am not the king of romance. I have come to this conclusion by the many companies that have discovered this somehow and are trying to help me in this area. What is most depressing about the ads is the thought that some men might be convinced they work. Now, there is good news. Apparently my personal wealth will shortly expand by 10 million. I know it is hard to believe but it is true. There is a Nigerian Prince that has promised me this sum of money. I am not clear on the details but it involves Western Union etc. 

I like the Dollar Store chain. It is amazing what you can buy there. Why is this store on my irritable list? Well it is not the stores, or the employees. Everyday along Northern Ave customers try to enter and exit the Dollar Store during busy traffic times. Because this delays traffic it irritates me. You could assume this and it is partially true but that is not the reason. I cringe every time l observe a driver being courteous and waving a car in or out of the parking lot. The problem is these acts are being done blindly though with the best of intentions. I have observed many close calls. 

Tim Horton coffee shops are a Canadian institution. This is the way the drive through system is supposed to work. You drive up and get in line. When it is your turn you purchase your products and life go on. What is so difficult about that? At certain Tim Horton’s coffee shops this simple concept eludes some drivers. They do not feel the established system applies to them. They come in from another direction and expect the customer in line to let them in. Not only does this delay the drivers already there but it plugs up the parking lot and prevents cars from exiting. 

I could dedicate a column to the subject of voice-mail. We have recently changed our voice mail options. This phrase sends chills down my spine. Why it is that none of the listed 5-7 options are never remotely related to the problem I am having? I did have an interesting experience recently. I was able to connect with a live person (female) who spoke English. There was stunned silence for a few seconds. I was actually able to resolve the issue. 

As I see it, in the scheme of things the above irritants are minor. Thank you for the opportunity to vent. Please feel free to share if there is anything bothering you.

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