In Grand Forks, North Dakota, just 76 miles from our nation's northern border, getting Canadian coinage slipped into your change is a constant annoyance. Or at least it used to be.
In my first few weeks here, I was "accidentally" given Canadian coins several times. But since September 20, 2007, I have not found so much as a maple-leafed penny in the many handfuls of change I've emptied out at the end of the day into my two-year-old son's college-tuition jar.
Can you guess what happened on September 20, 2007? That was the day that the value of the Canadian dollar peeked up over the U.S. dollar on international exchanges. Coincidence? You can draw your own conclusions. But, suddenly, "accidents" don't seem to happen at the cash register anymore.
It's not necessarily the case that the clerks at the Loaf'n'Jug on Route 2 are now sifting out the caribou-faced quarters to keep for themselves. Maybe these days there's no Queen's-head change in the till - maybe the Winnipeggers are suddenly a tad more careful when paying for their on-the-way-out-of-town Twinkies. Either way, there's something malevolent going on. And I intend to find out what. My first step will be to buy more Twinkies.
But as much as I am bothered by the Canadian coin chicanery, there is something that bothers me much more. And it should bother you too. It is this: I am apparently planning to pay for my son's college education with spare change. Pretty sad, I know. But I discussed the whole situation with him the other day, and he's okay with it. In fact, he said, and I am quoting, "I have more Cheerios and milk, please?"
Talking with your kids about sensitive matters can be difficult. If you find yourself watching public service announcements about teenage alcohol use or the perils of teen pregnancy, you probably need to change the batteries in your TiVo remote. But until you do, you may find yourself wondering, "How will I counsel my children to avoid alcohol and abstain from sex when I, myself, was not exactly squeaky clean growing up?"
Talk to them when they are two. This is by far your best bet. "It's never too early to talk to your kids about sex and alcohol abuse," I heard the announcer say in one of these commercials. Let's all take those words to heart. Sit your child down tonight with a box of juice and have the discussion. Get it done and check it off your list. Believe me, it will be one less thing weighing on your mind when the value of the U.S. dollar slips below the peso.
Sage advice, but it still doesn't change the fact that a guy can't get a decent donut in the state of North Dakota. Maybe we can get the 'Peggers to "accidentally" pay for gas with a glazed twist. Until then, I guess Twinkies are the best option. Sad.
Posted by: BizLaw | February 08, 2008 at 02:23 PM