It's been a while since I was able to blog, get online, or do much of, well, anything. This is entirely due to a certain company I mentioned before as having very poor customer service.
After the house fire we had back in November, I asked this company to suspend our service, and told them why. They said they would - I received no bills, and got the occasional person telling me that our home phone number had been disconnected. I thought nothing further of it.
So imagine our suprise, and Red's fury, when four days after we moved back in, we discovered in the mail a phone bill saying our service was disconnected as of the beginning of January, for non payment of the $300 phone bill from November to current. I was livid - we spent three hours on the phone with these people, and finally extracted from them a promise to do something unspecified right away if we'd have the fire marshal fax them a copy of the report on the fire.
Fine, whatever. So we asked the fire marshal to do that, and he did.
A week went by. Then another week.
I finally had had enough, and last Thursday I had some time, so I called and was what I call polite and Red calls being diplomatic in an evil sense. By the time I was done talking to them, they'd decided to just make the whole bill problem go away. They said they'd waive the entire bill, set us up with a new connection. Then I decided, well, if we're feeling all try-to-keep-the-customer-happy here, let's see how far it'll go.
"So will you take the same package you had before?" the lady asked.
"No, I don't think so, actually," I said. "See, I've had an offer from one of your competitors....they're offering to give me faster broadband for six months, for less than I'd be paying for two months of services with you. Just under $300 for six months, in fact. Can you give me a good reason why I shouldn't switch, because I've got to tell you, between the economy and the problems I've had with your company over the last six months, I'm inclined to. I have no brand loyalty here."
"How about we give you three months at $18 and $46.99 per month forever, with a faster tiered speed than you had before?"
"Tell me more."
I ended up getting a new modem, faster service, and since we didn't opt for the $80 in extra phone package stuff since we're going to go with T-Mobile's VoIP service (for $10 a month), that's all I'll be paying. In short, I got a free new modem, free new router, and a faster connection for about half what I was paying before.
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
An encounter with the Keystone Konstruction Kompany
This is my first encounter with construction, at least from a they're-building-this-around-me perspective....so if I'm snarking here about things that should really be expected, bear that in mind.
Over the last two and a half months, we've gone through one broken promise after another on when things would be done, what would be accomplished, had many unexpected and wholly unpleasant suprises along the way, and yet somehow, when the "Final Inspection and Finishing Touches" were supposed to have been done yesterday, according to the guy with the checkbook, who Red refers to as God (at least as far as our friends from the Keystone Konstruction Kompany are concerned, he is), I had high hopes that at long last we'd see the backside of plumbers, electricians, drywall hangers, carpet installation, inspectors, various catch-all-contractors, and other assorted people trapising though. Sadly, my hopes were dashed yet again.
Following Red's big showdown with the property manager last week, many things have been accomplished. We are, in fact, all back in our home and what we were told was the last of the construction stuff was finished today in the form of trim and trash cleanup. Mind you, more has been done in the last week than in the previous 72 days put together - there's a laundry list of it, but the short version is that everything has been done.
Or so we were told.
One would think that, since there's a definite order that things are done in in construction jobs, each individual item would be dealt with. For instance, providing lovely cabinets with flush doors would be followed immediately by putting handles on them. Insulation comes before drywall and paint, and so on. This is not the case with the KKK I've referenced, evidently. Over the last five days Red and I have been speculating a little on why the kitchen is so cold all the time. We found out today - there's NO GODDAMN INSULATION IN THE ATTIC SPACE.
How do you miss something like that? Seriously? We found out today, after the construction guys turned our heat back on a month ago, that half of the top floor of the house is totally without insulation between the actual kitchen and the attic space above it. 1/2" of drywall, some paint, and the plywood of the roof is the only thing keeping the heat inside my house. For obvious reasons we are NOT going to be paying the heating bill until this gets addressed, just as we took a $385 gas bill to the property managers last week (which, Red said, made the girl accepting it look like somebody had just booted her in the giblets).
Add to that the company that was coming in to do the cleaning. Now, the ladies that were here for four days did a bang-up job of cleaning the drywall mud off the floor that the drywall guys were too retarded to put a sheet down for, along with everything else. I talked to the cleaning company back in November when they were talking about doing the carpets here and said, "Well, if you guys are going to be here with the equipment anyway, let's take care of my furniture while you're at it." The guy from the cleaning company quoted me a price of $175 for doing deep cleaning of a reclining rocker, a full length 8' sofa, and two love seats. They charged my Visa for it shortly thereafter.
Nothing further was heard from them until last week, when they caught the aftershocks of Red's explosion via what I can only imagine was a frantic call from the property managers. They called us on Friday apologizing for not getting it done already, but correctly pointing out that cleaning it before now wouldn't really have helped since the construction guys can't evidently figure out how to clean up after themselves with both hands, a road map, and a flashlight. They scheduled it for this morning, when Red and the Little Pirate would be at home.
Unfortunately, nobody told the cleaning guy that he was supposed to come out. Red called them at about 1:00 this afternoon asking them when they were planning on coming, and their response was, "Uh....oops. Our bad, we didn't put you on the schedule," and sent a subcontractor. This was the point at which more fun ensued, when he got in, saw the furniture sitting there ready to be cleaned (where it's been for the last two and a half months, mind you), and asked which couch and which loveseat we wanted cleaned. Evidently, according to our records, that was all we'd been charged for.
I called the original cleaning company and asked them - I had made it very clear the first time around what I wanted done, the guy that had been at the house and seen the furniture already was the one that had given me the quote, and I'd paid for the service. As far as I'm concerned, that should be that - they should be providing the service I had bargained for, and if their records don't reflect that, tough shit. Oh, no, says the woman at the other end of the phone, we would never quote you a price that low, you must have misunderstood, and did you get this in writing? I hadn't, of course, which is an error I won't make again. Red, meanwhile, gave the guy that was actually here at the house a nice smile and asked him politely, and he ended up doing what we wanted anyway without charging us extra.
As I said, I think I'll let her deal with people from now on.
I blame President Obama. The fire happened November 4, and Election Day was November 6th. It can't be a coincidence.
Over the last two and a half months, we've gone through one broken promise after another on when things would be done, what would be accomplished, had many unexpected and wholly unpleasant suprises along the way, and yet somehow, when the "Final Inspection and Finishing Touches" were supposed to have been done yesterday, according to the guy with the checkbook, who Red refers to as God (at least as far as our friends from the Keystone Konstruction Kompany are concerned, he is), I had high hopes that at long last we'd see the backside of plumbers, electricians, drywall hangers, carpet installation, inspectors, various catch-all-contractors, and other assorted people trapising though. Sadly, my hopes were dashed yet again.
Following Red's big showdown with the property manager last week, many things have been accomplished. We are, in fact, all back in our home and what we were told was the last of the construction stuff was finished today in the form of trim and trash cleanup. Mind you, more has been done in the last week than in the previous 72 days put together - there's a laundry list of it, but the short version is that everything has been done.
Or so we were told.
One would think that, since there's a definite order that things are done in in construction jobs, each individual item would be dealt with. For instance, providing lovely cabinets with flush doors would be followed immediately by putting handles on them. Insulation comes before drywall and paint, and so on. This is not the case with the KKK I've referenced, evidently. Over the last five days Red and I have been speculating a little on why the kitchen is so cold all the time. We found out today - there's NO GODDAMN INSULATION IN THE ATTIC SPACE.
How do you miss something like that? Seriously? We found out today, after the construction guys turned our heat back on a month ago, that half of the top floor of the house is totally without insulation between the actual kitchen and the attic space above it. 1/2" of drywall, some paint, and the plywood of the roof is the only thing keeping the heat inside my house. For obvious reasons we are NOT going to be paying the heating bill until this gets addressed, just as we took a $385 gas bill to the property managers last week (which, Red said, made the girl accepting it look like somebody had just booted her in the giblets).
Add to that the company that was coming in to do the cleaning. Now, the ladies that were here for four days did a bang-up job of cleaning the drywall mud off the floor that the drywall guys were too retarded to put a sheet down for, along with everything else. I talked to the cleaning company back in November when they were talking about doing the carpets here and said, "Well, if you guys are going to be here with the equipment anyway, let's take care of my furniture while you're at it." The guy from the cleaning company quoted me a price of $175 for doing deep cleaning of a reclining rocker, a full length 8' sofa, and two love seats. They charged my Visa for it shortly thereafter.
Nothing further was heard from them until last week, when they caught the aftershocks of Red's explosion via what I can only imagine was a frantic call from the property managers. They called us on Friday apologizing for not getting it done already, but correctly pointing out that cleaning it before now wouldn't really have helped since the construction guys can't evidently figure out how to clean up after themselves with both hands, a road map, and a flashlight. They scheduled it for this morning, when Red and the Little Pirate would be at home.
Unfortunately, nobody told the cleaning guy that he was supposed to come out. Red called them at about 1:00 this afternoon asking them when they were planning on coming, and their response was, "Uh....oops. Our bad, we didn't put you on the schedule," and sent a subcontractor. This was the point at which more fun ensued, when he got in, saw the furniture sitting there ready to be cleaned (where it's been for the last two and a half months, mind you), and asked which couch and which loveseat we wanted cleaned. Evidently, according to our records, that was all we'd been charged for.
I called the original cleaning company and asked them - I had made it very clear the first time around what I wanted done, the guy that had been at the house and seen the furniture already was the one that had given me the quote, and I'd paid for the service. As far as I'm concerned, that should be that - they should be providing the service I had bargained for, and if their records don't reflect that, tough shit. Oh, no, says the woman at the other end of the phone, we would never quote you a price that low, you must have misunderstood, and did you get this in writing? I hadn't, of course, which is an error I won't make again. Red, meanwhile, gave the guy that was actually here at the house a nice smile and asked him politely, and he ended up doing what we wanted anyway without charging us extra.
As I said, I think I'll let her deal with people from now on.
I blame President Obama. The fire happened November 4, and Election Day was November 6th. It can't be a coincidence.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Redheaded Armageddon
I told Kate yesterday I'd post something about the achievements she wasn't aware she'd made.
Remember I said I got the Definitive Word that we'd be back in the house by the 12th of January? Please note - I'm writing this from the living room of the family we've been staying with since November. It is not the 12th of January...that came and went.
Rewind a bit to earlier this week. We got word from the property owner about two weeks ago that things would be done, then word from his wife that it'd take a bit longer (to last Wednesday). Okay, we thought - it's been two and a half months, another two days is not going to kill us. Went over to the house before work, moved cats so they wouldn't be in peoples' way, and went to work in the conviction that soon, all would be right with the world.
Imagine my suprise, then, when we arrived a teensy bit after noon, and not only was nothing further done, it was rampantly obvious that nobody had even been there. I consider myself a reasonable guy, most of the time, and I have my self-interest (and that of my family) in mind, so the call to the property manager was as polite as I could make it.
Red felt no such compunctions, being a) redheaded, b) pissed off, c) a mother anticipating explaining to her children for the seventy-second consecutive night why they had to sleep on somebody else's floor, and d) having a high blood content of a medication that significantly increases her aggressive nature as a side-effect of its primary purpose. All I could do was stand back and respectfully urge that she either try very hard not to permanently maim anyone or hide the bodies afterwards and be very thorough in her cleaning. She declared that the time had come, as we'd actually been planning, for a visit to the property management people to hand off the utility bills for the house (the contractors had reconnected everything in our name without our permission - remember that snow I mentioned? Furnace running to heat the house, windows left open for over a week....$400 gas bill we are so not going to be paying...).
Holy shit.
I think the next time I have a problem...with anybody....I'm going to allow her to handle it, because Oh My God did she get results.
Red isn't one of those women that stops making sense and goes into hysterics when she's angry. Instead, she develops this laser-like precision and zeroes in on her target's weakest point - in this case, it was an obviously upset mother with a crying baby asking why the property manager seems to never have any idea what's going on with the repairs, plopping down over $500 in utility bills, and mentioning all of the other goodness I may have mentioned over the last couple of months about this.
Oh yeah.
We went back after I was off work...mind you, four hours earlier, nothing whatsoever had been done. Carpet, wall to wall, was done for the entire upper floor. While we were there, the property manager called me to reassure me for the eight hundredth time that he was looking into things, and I decided to drop Kate's suggestion on him. I haven't actually spoken to an attorney, as of yet, but he of course didn't know that...I simply told him that I'd spoken to a friend of mine who is an attorney (yes, Kate, I know you're retired, but that wasn't significant in this context) and she had suggested speaking to somebody local about constructive disposession. Having taken Kate's suggestion and Googled it already, I had a pretty good idea what the term meant. I think it got his attention though.
The following day (this would be Thursday), the property manager called Red again. The owner was evidently coming down. Countertops would be installed. Appliances would be delivered. Things would be done, and by God he was going to make sure that they did. Red went by the house....you'd think she'd stuck a stick into an anthill the way these guys were scuttling around. The tile guy didn't actually get there for the countertops till that afternoon, having had to come from the coast very late the night before, but he got quite a bit done nonetheless.
We went by late yesterday. The countertops are finished aside from some edging - they're this really dark greenish-black marble, 8x8 tiles laid edge to edge and almost seamless. Edging around the windows has been replaced. The storm damage to the big tree outside has been cleared. The vents on the stairs and the railing for the stairs have been put back. Lights have been installed. The dedicated electrical line for the sauna is in place. The trash has been removed from the kitchen. The appliances have arrived and are sitting ready to be installed on Monday morning. Plumbing for the washer and the vent and electrical for the dryer are done.
Red got no less than three calls from the property manager yesterday assuring her that he'd been checking with the contractor and giving her updates. I think she scared him.
Remember I said I got the Definitive Word that we'd be back in the house by the 12th of January? Please note - I'm writing this from the living room of the family we've been staying with since November. It is not the 12th of January...that came and went.
Rewind a bit to earlier this week. We got word from the property owner about two weeks ago that things would be done, then word from his wife that it'd take a bit longer (to last Wednesday). Okay, we thought - it's been two and a half months, another two days is not going to kill us. Went over to the house before work, moved cats so they wouldn't be in peoples' way, and went to work in the conviction that soon, all would be right with the world.
Imagine my suprise, then, when we arrived a teensy bit after noon, and not only was nothing further done, it was rampantly obvious that nobody had even been there. I consider myself a reasonable guy, most of the time, and I have my self-interest (and that of my family) in mind, so the call to the property manager was as polite as I could make it.
Red felt no such compunctions, being a) redheaded, b) pissed off, c) a mother anticipating explaining to her children for the seventy-second consecutive night why they had to sleep on somebody else's floor, and d) having a high blood content of a medication that significantly increases her aggressive nature as a side-effect of its primary purpose. All I could do was stand back and respectfully urge that she either try very hard not to permanently maim anyone or hide the bodies afterwards and be very thorough in her cleaning. She declared that the time had come, as we'd actually been planning, for a visit to the property management people to hand off the utility bills for the house (the contractors had reconnected everything in our name without our permission - remember that snow I mentioned? Furnace running to heat the house, windows left open for over a week....$400 gas bill we are so not going to be paying...).
Holy shit.
I think the next time I have a problem...with anybody....I'm going to allow her to handle it, because Oh My God did she get results.
Red isn't one of those women that stops making sense and goes into hysterics when she's angry. Instead, she develops this laser-like precision and zeroes in on her target's weakest point - in this case, it was an obviously upset mother with a crying baby asking why the property manager seems to never have any idea what's going on with the repairs, plopping down over $500 in utility bills, and mentioning all of the other goodness I may have mentioned over the last couple of months about this.
Oh yeah.
We went back after I was off work...mind you, four hours earlier, nothing whatsoever had been done. Carpet, wall to wall, was done for the entire upper floor. While we were there, the property manager called me to reassure me for the eight hundredth time that he was looking into things, and I decided to drop Kate's suggestion on him. I haven't actually spoken to an attorney, as of yet, but he of course didn't know that...I simply told him that I'd spoken to a friend of mine who is an attorney (yes, Kate, I know you're retired, but that wasn't significant in this context) and she had suggested speaking to somebody local about constructive disposession. Having taken Kate's suggestion and Googled it already, I had a pretty good idea what the term meant. I think it got his attention though.
The following day (this would be Thursday), the property manager called Red again. The owner was evidently coming down. Countertops would be installed. Appliances would be delivered. Things would be done, and by God he was going to make sure that they did. Red went by the house....you'd think she'd stuck a stick into an anthill the way these guys were scuttling around. The tile guy didn't actually get there for the countertops till that afternoon, having had to come from the coast very late the night before, but he got quite a bit done nonetheless.
We went by late yesterday. The countertops are finished aside from some edging - they're this really dark greenish-black marble, 8x8 tiles laid edge to edge and almost seamless. Edging around the windows has been replaced. The storm damage to the big tree outside has been cleared. The vents on the stairs and the railing for the stairs have been put back. Lights have been installed. The dedicated electrical line for the sauna is in place. The trash has been removed from the kitchen. The appliances have arrived and are sitting ready to be installed on Monday morning. Plumbing for the washer and the vent and electrical for the dryer are done.
Red got no less than three calls from the property manager yesterday assuring her that he'd been checking with the contractor and giving her updates. I think she scared him.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Overheard
Me: ...How about a mouse like this one, except bright green?
Little Red: Um, no?
Me: Why not?
Little Red: Because I don't need one?
Me: Why?
Little Red: Because I don't have a home?
Me: Why?
Little Red: Because you suck?
Me: Why?
Little Red: I don't frickin' know, ask your gay partner.
Red: *paralyzed with laughter* Look, he's blushing!
Me: I'm totally blogging this, you two.
Little Red: Um, no?
Me: Why not?
Little Red: Because I don't need one?
Me: Why?
Little Red: Because I don't have a home?
Me: Why?
Little Red: Because you suck?
Me: Why?
Little Red: I don't frickin' know, ask your gay partner.
Red: *paralyzed with laughter* Look, he's blushing!
Me: I'm totally blogging this, you two.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
A house is a house....
A while back, I posted something about the house fire, and I haven't mentioned much else about it. Today I got the Definitive Word From The Property Owner saying that everything should be done on or by the 12th. Of January.
The damage to the home was really minor - one interior wall had to be rebuilt, and the plumbing & electrical had to be redone. The owner, though, chose for his own reasons to redo the kitchen entirely - walls stripped, cabinets ripped out, even the very sheetrock torn off of ceiling and walls. All of it. Fine, I guess, it's his house after all, and not mine, but come on, my family's been homeless now for two months!
Anyway, I've heard this "we'll be done really soon" line before, so I asked him, "Say, um, we're really tired of being homeless. How about we get a propane stove to cook on for the next week, and you guys just finish around us?" He hemmed and hawed a bit, then said he'd check with the subcontractors about it, saying something about liability and having kids, etc. The thing is, that arguement really doesn't pass the sniff test - how else do people have work done in their homes that they're living in, if not having the contract guys literally do the work around them? The kids will be gone while they're working (school, obviously), and I'll be at work. Red and the Little Pirate can be elsewhere, so what's the deal?
Red's theory is that they just don't want anybody watching to make sure they're not doing a half-assed job, and I'm beginning to think she's right.
The damage to the home was really minor - one interior wall had to be rebuilt, and the plumbing & electrical had to be redone. The owner, though, chose for his own reasons to redo the kitchen entirely - walls stripped, cabinets ripped out, even the very sheetrock torn off of ceiling and walls. All of it. Fine, I guess, it's his house after all, and not mine, but come on, my family's been homeless now for two months!
Anyway, I've heard this "we'll be done really soon" line before, so I asked him, "Say, um, we're really tired of being homeless. How about we get a propane stove to cook on for the next week, and you guys just finish around us?" He hemmed and hawed a bit, then said he'd check with the subcontractors about it, saying something about liability and having kids, etc. The thing is, that arguement really doesn't pass the sniff test - how else do people have work done in their homes that they're living in, if not having the contract guys literally do the work around them? The kids will be gone while they're working (school, obviously), and I'll be at work. Red and the Little Pirate can be elsewhere, so what's the deal?
Red's theory is that they just don't want anybody watching to make sure they're not doing a half-assed job, and I'm beginning to think she's right.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Epic win
Today, I got to have Thanksgiving dinner and do very little of the actual work.
I got to watch my scantily clad vixen Red (her words, people, not mine) parading around the kitchen making a pumpkin pie from scratch.
All in all, a good day with much to be thankful for.
I got to watch my scantily clad vixen Red (her words, people, not mine) parading around the kitchen making a pumpkin pie from scratch.
All in all, a good day with much to be thankful for.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Well, that was fun.
No, not the election.
My family and I are all just fine, and all of our material posessions are fine, if somewhat the worse for wear. About 1PM today, Red called me frantically, and all I could get out of what she said, past the baby screaming and her sobbing, was that the house was on fire.
We are very, very fortunate. The fire started due to a short between the 220v outlet for the dryer and the dryer vent. I think, and the fire marshal agreed with me, that the dryer vent had not had a good seal behind it, and had blown lint up into the wall daily for several years, and that was what actually provided the fuel side of the fire triangle. From there, it went up.
The fire guys got there and got the walls pulled apart in time to prevent the fire from actually penetrating the attic. The stud cap at the top of the wall slowed the spread of things just long enough that they were able to get there in time. It's quite a mess, though - the microwave integrated into the wall was pulled out a tad too fast, and came down on top of the convection oven - both appliances are now casualties of Election Day 2008.
As far as smoke and water damage go - very little of both, except to the kitchen ceiling and back wall behind the stove/oven. Unfortunately, the house isn't habitable, in spite of the fact that the roof is intact, as the wall that contained the fire also housed most of the house's electrical junctions, the air conditioning conduits from the forced air, and the hot water pipes from the water heater. The property manager assures me that they'll get the insurance adjusters out there tomorrow with some luck, and he'll try to pressure them into moving quickly on repairs. It looks to me as though at most 4-5 days of repairs are ahead of us, if all goes well.
I'll post updates as I can - we're at my parents' place at the moment, and their network is working. Remind me later to tell all of you about how the move went last Friday. :-s
My family and I are all just fine, and all of our material posessions are fine, if somewhat the worse for wear. About 1PM today, Red called me frantically, and all I could get out of what she said, past the baby screaming and her sobbing, was that the house was on fire.
We are very, very fortunate. The fire started due to a short between the 220v outlet for the dryer and the dryer vent. I think, and the fire marshal agreed with me, that the dryer vent had not had a good seal behind it, and had blown lint up into the wall daily for several years, and that was what actually provided the fuel side of the fire triangle. From there, it went up.
The fire guys got there and got the walls pulled apart in time to prevent the fire from actually penetrating the attic. The stud cap at the top of the wall slowed the spread of things just long enough that they were able to get there in time. It's quite a mess, though - the microwave integrated into the wall was pulled out a tad too fast, and came down on top of the convection oven - both appliances are now casualties of Election Day 2008.
As far as smoke and water damage go - very little of both, except to the kitchen ceiling and back wall behind the stove/oven. Unfortunately, the house isn't habitable, in spite of the fact that the roof is intact, as the wall that contained the fire also housed most of the house's electrical junctions, the air conditioning conduits from the forced air, and the hot water pipes from the water heater. The property manager assures me that they'll get the insurance adjusters out there tomorrow with some luck, and he'll try to pressure them into moving quickly on repairs. It looks to me as though at most 4-5 days of repairs are ahead of us, if all goes well.
I'll post updates as I can - we're at my parents' place at the moment, and their network is working. Remind me later to tell all of you about how the move went last Friday. :-s
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
This should have been done long ago...
...but since it wasn't, I think this story is Very Cool Indeed.
Man's Best Friend just got an upgrade in being a Best Friend. I wonder if this qualifies as making them Man's BFF?
Man's Best Friend just got an upgrade in being a Best Friend. I wonder if this qualifies as making them Man's BFF?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Badass Of The Week
With a headline like " Man jumps in, punches shark, gets his dog back "....how can you not admire that....? Wow.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Low posting anticipated
I very likely won't be posting much for the next month and a half or so. Real Life stuff is happening that's keeping me very, very, very busy.
On a side note, I have chocolate. Red went and bought me Ghiardelli's Intense Dark Premium Assortment, and have been in heaven for the last 20 minutes or so. The Twilight Delight (72% cacao) is incredible, the Espresso Escape combines two of my favorite things, but the Mint Bliss....Oh. My. God. That's all I have to say about that.
On a side note, I have chocolate. Red went and bought me Ghiardelli's Intense Dark Premium Assortment, and have been in heaven for the last 20 minutes or so. The Twilight Delight (72% cacao) is incredible, the Espresso Escape combines two of my favorite things, but the Mint Bliss....Oh. My. God. That's all I have to say about that.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Warning Label Fail
Have you ever noticed those warning labels on things saying "Warning: Do not do something abysmally stupid with this product. Death or serious injury may occur"?
Last time I checked, death was considered serious. What the hey?
Last time I checked, death was considered serious. What the hey?
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Overheard
(from the kitchen) Red: AAAaaa!!!!!
Me: What's the matter, hon?
Red: Um, hi....I have a fire?
Me: *obscenity*
Going in, I spotted a flaming paper towel on the floor and Red standing there with no shoes. I set a pot lid over it until it went out, and swept it up.
Me: What's the matter, hon?
Red: Um, hi....I have a fire?
Me: *obscenity*
Going in, I spotted a flaming paper towel on the floor and Red standing there with no shoes. I set a pot lid over it until it went out, and swept it up.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Random bits
I've been duly informed that I'm not updating to expectations, so, Paula, Bill....this post goes out to you guys. I'm tired, and it's been an odd day, so this is going to be what George Carlin referred to as brain droppings.....basically, whatever shit comes to mind.
Rachel posted a link to a Hot Air link that I found amusing. I'd never heard of "rick-rolling" before, so according to Rachel, I've evidently lived under a large flat mossy rock or something. This is actually quite easy to do in Oregon, as even the roads have moss on them here.
There's a lot I don't know about Georgia, despite having worked for the better part of a year less than ten feet from a woman that was an immigrant from there. I haven't read enough to have much of an opinion, but one thing I do know is that Georgia was the 3rd largest contributor of troops in Iraq, and still had their people there long after the British (2nd largest) pulled out. Not helping them out seems bad to me.
After trying and trying to find a Wii since last November, I happened to wander into a GameSpot earlier this evening (Little Red was trying on ...stuff.... in a store nearby, for which my assistance was not required or requested). Fully aware that I don't have the money at the moment to afford one, I idly asked the sales girl if they had one, expecting to get a "nope, try us next week, not sure if we'll have one then, or ever" like everybody else has told me. Oh, no. She looked back at me with a bright cheery grin and said, "Why yes, actually, we have two at the moment. Would you like to purchase one?" That large wet -foomp- you may have been wondering about was my head exploding.
Mojitos are awesome. The Bacardi equivalent isn't bad at all, particularly not on a hot evening.
Rachel posted a link to a Hot Air link that I found amusing. I'd never heard of "rick-rolling" before, so according to Rachel, I've evidently lived under a large flat mossy rock or something. This is actually quite easy to do in Oregon, as even the roads have moss on them here.
There's a lot I don't know about Georgia, despite having worked for the better part of a year less than ten feet from a woman that was an immigrant from there. I haven't read enough to have much of an opinion, but one thing I do know is that Georgia was the 3rd largest contributor of troops in Iraq, and still had their people there long after the British (2nd largest) pulled out. Not helping them out seems bad to me.
After trying and trying to find a Wii since last November, I happened to wander into a GameSpot earlier this evening (Little Red was trying on ...stuff.... in a store nearby, for which my assistance was not required or requested). Fully aware that I don't have the money at the moment to afford one, I idly asked the sales girl if they had one, expecting to get a "nope, try us next week, not sure if we'll have one then, or ever" like everybody else has told me. Oh, no. She looked back at me with a bright cheery grin and said, "Why yes, actually, we have two at the moment. Would you like to purchase one?" That large wet -foomp- you may have been wondering about was my head exploding.
Mojitos are awesome. The Bacardi equivalent isn't bad at all, particularly not on a hot evening.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Incoming!!!!
About an hour ago, the doc came in and broke Red's water. She now has her epidural in, and we're watching her contractions slowly ramp up - he should be arriving within the next several hours. Stay tuned....we'll be right back after these messages.
Edit: 1:45 AM 7/8/08 He's here! 8 lbs 14 oz, and 20 1/2 " long. I'll post photos later after family's had a chance to meet him. :)
Edit: 1:45 AM 7/8/08 He's here! 8 lbs 14 oz, and 20 1/2 " long. I'll post photos later after family's had a chance to meet him. :)
Back and forth, redux
There aren't many things that will wake me up out of a dead sleep - I sleep really deeply most of the time and I usually wake up very slowly. Snooze alarms are usually a 3-time affair, and the less said about midnight runs for Taco Bell the better.
So far, things I've found that will immediately wake me to full awareness include:
1) Bare kid feet on carpet trying to sneak into our bedroom.
2) One of the cats (Snuggles, usually) pawing at the window wanting in.
3) The sound of a weight-bearing foot sliding off the carpeted stair, followed by a -=whump=- and whimper of pain.
The last was what awoke me this morning. I knew immediately who it was, too, since Red wasn't in bed, and mindful of the fact that her "official" due date is TOMORROW, this was obviously a Very Bad Thing. I got her to the hospital, of course - the doc is keeping her for a minimum of four hours, and since she's having contractions and is dilated at 4, they may just decide to get this show on the road.
One can hope, I suppose. Updates to follow!
Edit: 10:20 AM - all seems well; she's uncomfortable and sore from the tumble, but she and the Podling are both okay.
Edit: 11:30 AM - Doc is here, they're admitting her for a few more hours, and we'll be moving to a room with a jacuzzi. :)
Edit: 12:50 PM - Okay, I'm not going to keep doing hourly updates here, so don't get too excited. She's being admitted overnight, however, and they're prepping for delivery - the room we're in now is all set up for it, and she just got in the tub with a big "AAAAAHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....." of relief.
So far, things I've found that will immediately wake me to full awareness include:
1) Bare kid feet on carpet trying to sneak into our bedroom.
2) One of the cats (Snuggles, usually) pawing at the window wanting in.
3) The sound of a weight-bearing foot sliding off the carpeted stair, followed by a -=whump=- and whimper of pain.
The last was what awoke me this morning. I knew immediately who it was, too, since Red wasn't in bed, and mindful of the fact that her "official" due date is TOMORROW, this was obviously a Very Bad Thing. I got her to the hospital, of course - the doc is keeping her for a minimum of four hours, and since she's having contractions and is dilated at 4, they may just decide to get this show on the road.
One can hope, I suppose. Updates to follow!
Edit: 10:20 AM - all seems well; she's uncomfortable and sore from the tumble, but she and the Podling are both okay.
Edit: 11:30 AM - Doc is here, they're admitting her for a few more hours, and we'll be moving to a room with a jacuzzi. :)
Edit: 12:50 PM - Okay, I'm not going to keep doing hourly updates here, so don't get too excited. She's being admitted overnight, however, and they're prepping for delivery - the room we're in now is all set up for it, and she just got in the tub with a big "AAAAAHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....." of relief.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
There is a God
And He has chosen for whatever reason to smile upon me.
Got my laptop back from the vendor. Intact. :)
Got my laptop back from the vendor. Intact. :)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Laptop update
I mentioned previously that there was still some hope of rescuing any of my data from my laptop. Turns out it's not the case - everything I've done since August of last year is totally unrecoverable.
Dammit.
Dammit.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
In praise of McDonald's
Kate's oldest is sixteen and has her first job. I was reading through the comments attached to that post and it got me all nostalgic about my first job. I was really lucky, you see....my first job was at McDonald's.
The notion of "flipping burgers" as somehow demeaning is one I've never really understood. For one thing, my grandparents called things like that an "opportunity", and after watching the way Dad worked while I was growing up, I've no doubt he'd see it the same way. Granted, it's a largely unskilled job that doesn't pay well...but you know what? There is no job...ever...for which education has fully prepared the newly hired fresh meat. Ever.
For another thing, McDonald's is not the easy sit-on-your-ass type job that a lot of people seem to think it is. Let me tell you, you've never experienced bust-your-ass-working until you've been the only cook in a McDonald's kitchen when a busload of post-event teenage wrestlers come in ready to eat the paint off the walls. That is panic making.
Things I learned at McDonald's are legion, and I thought I'd share a few.
1) If you have time to lean, you have time to clean. (My kids hate that one)
2) A paycheck received at the end of two weeks' time spent working the entire evening until 1:30-2AM is eminently more satisfying than being handed money for having done nothing, regardless of the amount.
3) Working quickly does you no good if you don't do it right the first time. Somebody will always catch on and make you do it over.
4) Assembly-line manufacturing, be it automobiles or food, can create a truly amazing amount of stuff in a very short time period.
There's more, but Red and I have to go register for our upcoming baby shower. :)
The notion of "flipping burgers" as somehow demeaning is one I've never really understood. For one thing, my grandparents called things like that an "opportunity", and after watching the way Dad worked while I was growing up, I've no doubt he'd see it the same way. Granted, it's a largely unskilled job that doesn't pay well...but you know what? There is no job...ever...for which education has fully prepared the newly hired fresh meat. Ever.
For another thing, McDonald's is not the easy sit-on-your-ass type job that a lot of people seem to think it is. Let me tell you, you've never experienced bust-your-ass-working until you've been the only cook in a McDonald's kitchen when a busload of post-event teenage wrestlers come in ready to eat the paint off the walls. That is panic making.
Things I learned at McDonald's are legion, and I thought I'd share a few.
1) If you have time to lean, you have time to clean. (My kids hate that one)
2) A paycheck received at the end of two weeks' time spent working the entire evening until 1:30-2AM is eminently more satisfying than being handed money for having done nothing, regardless of the amount.
3) Working quickly does you no good if you don't do it right the first time. Somebody will always catch on and make you do it over.
4) Assembly-line manufacturing, be it automobiles or food, can create a truly amazing amount of stuff in a very short time period.
There's more, but Red and I have to go register for our upcoming baby shower. :)
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