Category: Reviews

Serendipity in Action

Published February 23, 2012 / by Molly Whitehouse

I get performance leads from several places. Some people Children's party entertainmentrecommend me as the birthday party magician or I have some listings online. One such lead company is Gig Salad. I get a few leads, and I follow up, usually with a phone call. On this particular day, I had a lead from “Emad”. No large amount of specifics, just “birthday party for 7 yr old daughter”. Name: Emad, phone and email. I called the phone number and got a recording like “Please leave a message for 612 555-1212”. Well, I had not called “612-555-1212”, so I knew the number must have been forwarded. I left my message, and went on with my other leads. A few days later, I followed up with another phone call. Same message. At this point, I figured the lead was no good. No harm, no foul.

A couple of weeks later, I was attending the “Kinect For Developers” meeting. This was a group of about 50 developers who wanted to learn how to “HACK” the Kinect. Very geeky, and technical. I had an idea for an application, so I decided to join in. When I arrived, the room was set up with 15 or so tables so that attendees could group in about four to six per team. I sat at a table that was already occupied by another gentleman. We exchanged pleasantries and then got down to getting the wireless to work on the laptop. Yossef joined the table next. Then Bob and Larry. And finally, one of Yossef and Larry’s co-workers: “EMAD”. We all had name tags, and of course, having the experience with Gig Salad the several days earlier, I was stunned to find someone named Emad at my table. More jokingly than serious, I asked: “Were you looking for a magician for your daughter’s birthday party a couple of weeks ago?” Emad looked stunned! “Why, yes I was. Why do you ask?”

Well, I’m MrGoodfriend, and I left you a couple of messages. I guess you realize that since this coincidence is so outrageous, you will HAVE to hire me now!

His daughter opted for a bounce house and clown.

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How To Use Your Gift Card Online

Published November 28, 2011 / by Molly Whitehouse

party magician in DallasSo, we got a few gift cards recently. American Express gift cards, to be exact. And the problem is that AE charges merchants more than V/MC charge and so, it makes finding a merchant that accepts AE a little more challenging. Then what happens if you find an online place and they take PayPal or whatever, so AE is accepted. Well, if you have a gift card, it will be declined if you don’t do the little magic “trick” you learn later in this post. Additionally, when it gets declined, you’ll have a $1 or $.99 charge (reducing the value of your gift card.) When you go to americanexpress.com/reward to check the value, you’ll see the charge and have an “AVS” fee (Address Verification.) It will get removed after 8 days.

So, how do you keep from getting declined? Here it is:

Look on the back of your gift card.
Call the 800 number.
Enter the card number.
Push the button that states something about having “Other” issues.
Then press “0” for operator.
Tell the live person that you want to register your name and address for the gift card. They will verify your possession of the card. Next they will ask for your name (spell it like you will online), address (same address as you use online), and that should fix you up to use it online or with PayPal.

Now get out there and spend them there (sic)  gift cards.

And if you happen to feel particularly charitable, you can always use it with my PayPal. This birthday party magician can always use an extra few bucks for the next magic trick!

[paypal-donation]

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Bye Staples. Hello OfficeMax!

Published November 11, 2011 / by Molly Whitehouse

My wife does coupons. I mean she really does coupons. And she has gotten THOUSANDS of dollars in savings for us. We have often gone to the Staples office supply store in Allen, TX on McDermott Road to shop. Occasionally, we have an OfficeMax™ coupon that Staples accepts. It’s nice to save some $$.

Last Saturday, I needed some things to finish up a few props for my new magic show and I drove the 2 miles up to Staples. In my hand I had another OfficeMax™ coupon for “20% off everything you can fit in your shopping cart!”* See the “*”? That means there are serious disclaimers. No monitors, computers, store brand ink cartridges, HP ink cartridges, Canon ink cartridges…. yada yada yada…. It just so happened that I needed construction paper, and a KODAK ink cartidge. Total price RETAIL? about $35. I had something else in my hand too. My lovely little Angelynn. 2½ years old and full of distracting daddy. So we go to the checkout, and the young male cashier can’t make the 20% work. He asks the more senior cashier (she must have been at least 3 months older than him), and she called someone. The someone said, “we can’t take the 20% off coupon from OfficeMax™.”

So, I left my purchase and started out the door. Then I stopped. I needed more of a reason than some phone call to some office. I asked to speak to the manager. After about 7 minutes (a LONG time when wrestling with a 2½ year old), here comes Jayme Browder strolling from the back of the store sucking on some fast food soft drink. I surmised from a distance that she was the Manager On Duty. She looked to have been recently graduated from SFA (go Lumberjacks.) She passed me and Angel standing in the middle of ‘no-man’s-land’ and inquired with the cashier who called her as to with whom she should speak. Of course, she was directed to me.

I explained I didn’t understand why they would not accept the coupon since it had been their policy to accept competitor’s coupons before. Here was her explanation, which was so well spoken, it had to have been a part of management training (Staples should be proud.) The coupon is for all you can get in your shopping cart and there is no way they could honor that.

I countered with the massive amounts of exceptions plainly spelled out on the coupon. She countered with there was nothing she could do.

I countered with showing my wife’s Staples reward card with thousands of dollars of purchases made on it, explained that the $7.00 discount she was avoiding giving me would result in no more purchases on the Staples reward card. She countered with “If I do this for you, I would have to do it for everyone else.” Now why would a 50+ year old man get flustered by a early 20’s manager girl (I know ways that SOME men would get flustered, but this was NOT one of them)? I simply thanked her and said good day.

Here’s what I SHOULD have done and said (of course I would not have gotten my satisfaction.) I should have looked around and said, “What others? There’s no line of people here with 20% coupons. They are all at OfficeMax™ using their coupons which is what I’m about to do!”

Staples is 2 miles, OfficeMax™ is 6. That’s 4 miles I can use to talk to my brother and sisters.

See you next time, OfficeMax™. Staples, Staples management, and Jayme truly made this an Easy decision.

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Keeping Keen

Published October 6, 2011 / by Molly Whitehouse

Happy birthday do me! Today is the anniversary of me discovering America. And since it is an event that marks the passing of youth, I take this time to tell you how to keep the youthful vim and vigor not expected of the old and ancient.

READING!

A lengthy discussion about the things going on at work with one of my colleagues led to some observations of how to implement fixes. And this lead to discussion of reading material. So, two books were brought to my attention, and I immediately made obtaining them top priority.

360 Degree Leader by John C. Maxwell was the first one we discussed. In just the first two chapters, I can tell I’m going to get a lot out of this book. Of course John C. Maxwell is renouned in his leadership writings.

Next we discussed Love Is The Killer App. Just by the title I didn’t think it would move me too far, but I was mistaken. This is really a good look at how to get the most from everyone you come in contact with; not in a commercial way, but to get the best from them when you give your best.

Hopefully, I’ll be full of vim and vigor for many years to come. I hope you enjoy these books as much as I have.

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Jokes I like to share

Published November 12, 2010 / by Molly Whitehouse

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird’s chest.

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head and sadly said, “I’m sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away.”

The distressed woman wailed, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am sure. Your duck is dead,” replied the vet..

“How can you be so sure?” she protested. “I mean you haven’t done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something.”

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck’s owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.

The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room. A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

The vet looked at the woman and said, “I’m sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck.”

The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman. The duck’s owner, still in shock, took the bill. “$150!” she cried, “$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!”

The vet shrugged, “I’m sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it’s now $150.”

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Memories of great childhood restaurants

Published October 25, 2010 / by Molly Whitehouse

It’s funny what your adult brain thinks of when it wants to reminisce. Mine took me back to summer trips my family would make to Weatherford, TX. Just after you get off I-20 in Hudson Oaks, there is a restaurant, R & K Cafe. I don’t remember if this is the exact cafe, or what the original name was, but my memory is of the sign that hung over the door going to the kitchen. Here is my best recollection:

“Seville, dar dago. Tousand busses inaro.
NOJO, dems trux.
Summit cousin, summit dux.”

Being a child prodigy (chuckle) I knew exactly what it meant. And so did my father. But he also liked a good joke. So, he copied it down and took it to some coworkers to see what they thought. Dad worked for the City Of Dallas, and had quite a few Dallas Police Department friends. He took it to the ones that were supposed to be good at deciphering. Amazingly, dad’s friend did not know it said: “See Willie, there they go. A thousand busses, in a row. No, Joe. Them’s trucks. Some with cows in, and some with ducks.”

Now I want a chicken fried steak.

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It’s Time, the State Fair of Texas.

Published September 24, 2010 / by Molly Whitehouse

I love this time of year. A break from the heat, football, and the State Fair of Texas! My daughter and I started a tradition years ago of attending together. Seems the others in the family didn’t find as much enjoyment of the fair as we did. So, even now, she wants to go to the fair with her daddy. And daddy sure wants to go with her. It really is a magical time!

Here are some hints for those that want to save some $$ when heading to Fair Park:

DART Combo Ticket: Available at Kroger Food Stores. $16 buys 1 general admission to 2009 State Fair of Texas & round-trip transportation on DART the day of your visit. The new green line drops off at front gate and a second station is located within easy walking distance to the MLK entrance.

Dr Pepper $3 Tuesdays: Every Tuesday, bring an empty Dr Pepper can and enter for $3. Most rides on those Tuesdays (excluding the Thrillway, Texas Star & selected other attractions) are 5 coupons.

Dr Pepper $5 after 5 p.m.: Bring an empty Dr Pepper can to any State Fair admission gate after 5 p.m. and enter for $5.

Kroger “Three for $1” Wednesdays: Admission is $1 for each visitor bringing 3 cans of food for area food banks.

Coke $4 Thursdays: Bring an empty 20 oz. bottle of a Coca-Cola product and enter the Fair for $4 admission.

FREE Thursdays for Senior Citizens 60 years and older.

FREE Cinemark Thursdays: Free admission with a Cinemark Theater ticket stub on Thursdays.

KISS-FM “Fridays at the Fair”: Half-price admission and half-price rides after 5 p.m. on any Friday. Must present coupon printed from KISS-FM website for admission offer. Half-price ride wristbands will be distributed from KISS booth outside Midway Arch from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. on Fridays only.

Dickies Day: Friday, October 16, wear and show your Dickies logo clothing item at the staffed tent outside the gate and receive a voucher. The voucher is for FREE admission on Friday, October 16 only.

Any Day McDonald’s Deal: McDonald’s offers $4 off General Admission with one of their State Fair coupons (available on tray liner or bag stuffers) any day of the Fair. A free child ticket (with purchase of general admission) coupon is also distributed by McDonald’s. Offer may not be combined with any other offer.

McDonald’s is your kinda place…

Hope to see you out there!

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Who Else Loves To Eat?

Published July 20, 2010 / by Molly Whitehouse

One of the ‘benefits’ of moving to a new city is trying out new places to eat. In many cases, the places are the corporate or franchise stores, but it’s still exciting to see if they deliver what you are accustomed to receiving.

So, I think I will write about my adventures in the culinary visits around Allen, TX. This may include Plano, Frisco and McKinney, but I will try to focus on Allen. Eventually, I want to visit every Mexican restaurant in the area. Mainly because I love Mexican food, but also as a service to my fellow enchilada aficionados. Additionally, when I visit such places, I will attempt to gain the marketing and entertainment factor of being the ‘house magician‘. Who knows, maybe a free meal or two will come my way.

So far, I haven’t had a terribly unpleasant dining experience in Allen. I will mention that Cheddars on Stacy Rd does have very tasty selections, and price was quite reasonable. I do wish they would consider having a magician to entertain while waiting. During rush hour, there is a good bit of a wait.

More reviews and quips will come in the following days. In the mean time, clean your hands before dinner, and for those that eat with their fingers, clean them after too!

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