Cell phone companies

What is it with cell phone companies? Can they ever actually get an order correct? When I signed up with my current phone company, we'll call it A, I signed up for a plan where C. and I could share minutes on one bill. However, that particular fact seemed to escape the woman that I spent nearly an hour with on the phone, and she somehow got my phone and his phone setup on different accounts. I didn't figure that out, of course, until I got separate bills and noticed that the calls on C.'s were being charged at 45 cents a minute. So, I spent almost another hour on with different people trying to get that figured out.

Skip ahead now to me setting up new service and ordering a new phone. I called a new company, we'll call it B, and ordered a new phone (a really kick-ass phone I might add), a car charger, and the new service agreement. Apparently this company just switched to a new computer system, so I spent several minutes listening to, "sorry, but the system is being really slow right now" and so on. Finally, toward the end of the call, the system went down completely, so my information had to be taken manually and then he would input it into the system later in the day. The guy read stuff back to me correctly and I happily hung up, excited to receive my new cool phone in a few days. If only the story ended there...

Last night, I receive an order confirmation email and notice that my name is spelled incorrectly and that the address is off. So, I call B back and explain the situation. The gal who answers says, "I'm sorry, but the system is down again so I can't correct your information at this time. Please call back tomorrow morning to have it corrected. We open at 5:00 AM." Huh...ok.

I call back this morning about 10:00 AM (I was in la-la land at 5:00). I spend a 1/2 hour on the phone waiting for someone to answer, and memorizing the dumb Musak version of some song I can't figure out that they play over and over and over again. I then have to run for a meeting, so have to hang up. I then call back and wait for another 1/2 hour and finally get someone on the other line. This guy tells me that my phone and charger are in their truck on the way to UPS, so there is no tracking number yet and no way for them to call UPS yet to let them know the correct address. He tells me to call back later in the day when UPS gets the packages and then B will have to call UPS with the correct address.

So, I call tonight at 7:00 and explain the story again. The guy on the other line says, "Ok, just hold on one minute." He comes back a few minutes later and explains that his supervisor has told him that B can't do that - they have an agreement with UPS that they can't change the shipping address once UPS picks up the package. I politely ask to speak with the particular supervisor who has told him this, and I'm transferred. After he finishes his explanation, I explain that I've been proactive at calling back to have the information updated, and through no fault of my own 1) my information was incorrectly recorded and 2) the system was down, so I did not receive a confirmation in a timely manner to get it updated before the shipment went out to UPS. I ask if they can send me a new order of the phone and charger, and then they'll receive the other one back at some point when the people who receive it have no idea who I am and why they've received a package, so they'll send it back. He agrees. I then spend another 1/2 hour on the phone with the other nice guy who gets my information entered into the system correctly.

Considering that you have to select a particular department when you call these companies, and it's always something like, "to setup new cell phone service, press 1", you'd think the people on the other line would actually know how to set something up correctly. I mean, isn't that their job? I realize that mistakes happen, but I've talked to several people who have had similar experiences. Oh well. As long as I get my cool new phone, I'll be happy.

Shopping therapy

Kati and I spent the day doing some much-needed shopping therapy. We started at the Bellevue mall, where I finally got the Tiffany's 1837 sterling silver T & Co. ring that I've wanted for a bazillion years but could never bring myself to buy. Of course, there are a bazillion other things at Tiffany's that I would also love, but the ring is something that I can actually afford and considering the amount of times I've visited it, I decided to make it part of my collection. I needed a little bling for my left hand now that my beautiful wedding ring is gone (thanks to my soon-to-be ex husband), and I knew that this ring would be a quite lovely gift to myself.

We then headed up to the new Seattle Premium Outlet mall by Tulalip, and proceded to do some wonderful damage there. I got a few nice new outfits for fall at GAP and Banana Republic. Kati spied a beautiful pair of cream and aubergine tweed pants at Banana Republic for me, and I do believe that they are one of the coolest pieces of clothing that I've ever owned. I'm so excited to wear them and feel fabulous in them :) I got a couple pairs of shoes at the Naturalizer store, so they are both comfortable and stylish, which is always a plus when it comes to fashion.

And, last but not least, I bought 2 fabulous purses at the Coach outlet store. Now, normally I wouldn't spend anywhere near what I spent on those two purses. But one is an oversize black leather bag that is perfect for carrying files, books, etc. for work and something that I will probably use for the rest of my life. That makes it a very nice investment piece, and so I think it justifies the cost. Plus, it was from an outlet store, so I didn't spend as much as I could have spent if I had bought it when it was first for sale. The second purse is a good size lavender suede bag with aubergine accents. Based on my wardrobe, this particular purse will be a staple for years to come.

I know that I shouldn't take so much pleasure in material things, but today was so FUN. There is something really great about having the ability to buy some really great pieces that make you feel like the fabulous person that you are. And, since I'm getting my bonus from work in a couple of weeks, I decided that I should spend a bit of that on some nice treats for myself, since the rest will surely go toward earnest money on a condo or townhome in the near future. And, perhaps the best part was coming home after a day of shopping and not having to justify any of my purchases to anyone. I am a self-made, successful woman and I can afford to do something like this every once in awhile to remind myself that I work hard for a living and I deserve to enjoy myself because I only have this one life to live.

New Orleans

I can't even imagine what the poor people in New Orleans are going through right now. What would it be like to come home and find absolutely nothing left? What would it be like to be stuck in a sports arena with thousands of other people for days on end? What would it be like to swim through waters full of sewage, chemicals, and dangerous animals to find supplies to keep you and your family alive? What would it be like to be stuck in your attic, awaiting help that may never arrive?

Frankly, I'm appalled at the response from the federal government. I think that the media has done a wonderful job of showing the reality of the situation (aside from the very obvious racial slant, which is unacceptable), and I can't believe that it took president shrub actually going there to decide that the situation was dire. How dense is he?

Additionally, I find it quite interesting that this has happened in the wake of budget cuts to programs that could have helped avoid this situation altogether or at least lessened the blow. The bottom line is that we have infrastructure all over this country that is crumbling or would certainly crumble in a natural disaster such as this. I think about the Alaskan Way viaduct in Seattle and the downtown area, and wonder how that will hold up when the big earthquake hits. We could very well be in a similar situation if we don't do something about these areas in our country.

People used to pay taxes to fund the upkeep of these areas and to support a better existence for future generations. We've become so jaded about our quality of life, that we don't understand that tax cuts, such as those given by the shrub administration, actually HURT us in the long run. It's not like I enjoy paying taxes, but I do it and support it because it is important not only for my lifetime, but in the future. If there is one lesson to take away from this catastrophe, it should be that we need to take a good, hard look at our governmental policies and elected officials and determine if they are really doing what is right for us or if they're being led astray by hidden motives. What kind of a country are we going to have left if we continue down this path?

Finally, the fact that this has affected the poorer community in New Orleans is extremely sad. Here are people who had so little in the first place, and most of them were unable to evacuate because they simply didn't have enough money at the end of the month to get out. In this day an age, it is shameful that anyone would die or live in such a horrible situation because of lack of resources. The government should have recognized the gravity of the situation and got busses in there to take people out of the city to safe places.

I realize that the shrub administration, and FEMA now say that they couldn't have known how bad this would be, but I think that is a complete lie. There was plenty of warning that this could happen, but led by ideology rather than scientific research, our government chooses to ignore what the reduction of wetlands and other environmental problems cause in our country. I also think it's time to take a look at that and realize that government is not a place for religious ideology to rule.

Poor Dewey

After writing my last blog about how interesting the internet is, and how it has revolutionized research, I got to thinking about the Dewey Decimal System. Poor Melvil Dewey. I wonder if kids even have to learn about his system and how important it is to the organization of libraries. I remember learning about all of that as a kid in grade school.

But, now whenever I need to find a book, I just search online to find it. In fact, I'd probably be hard pressed to figure out my way around the call number system anymore, and would be baffled by the drawers of index cards with neatly typed information to locate a book. I just don't remember any of that stuff. I've cleared that section of my brain to make way for very important things like the age difference between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

What will our kids know 25 or 50 years from now? Maybe we won't even have books by then. We'll say, "Yes, little Jimmy, we used to have stacks of paper stuck together with typed words to tell stories..." So funny to think about. It will be such a different time.

The internet

The internet is a pretty interesting place. I really like Dave Chappelle's skit about how things would be if the internet were a real, physical place that you could go to...how nasty and weird it would be. That's one of my favorite skits from his show.

Anyhow, one thing that I really love about the internet is how easy it is to research stuff. For example, I recently downloaded Love Rollercoaster by the Ohio Players. I remember my high school band teacher, Mr. H, telling us a story about how you can hear a woman screaming on the track. According to legend, it was a real scream of a woman being murdered. That story stuck with me for awhile.

Now, if I had used my head, I would have realized that was fairly ridiculous. I mean, most studios are so heavily padded that you'd never be able to hear such a thing. However, maybe I thought that the Ohio Players were poor and put the song together in their downtown apartment or something. I dunno.

Anyway, it was a story that I liked to believe because I really liked my band teacher. He was really into the jazz band and the concert band, and couldn't give a rat's ass about playing at the football games. We played only because we were required to do so by the school, but Mr. H saved us from hideous uniforms and ridiculous marching routines. He knew that our lives were more important than making Johnny football player or Chrissy cheerleader popular. We put our hearts and souls into the jazz and concert bands, and just tried to have fun playing for the cheerleaders at games.

But, I digress. After some researching on snopes.com (my favorite urban legend myth debunker), I found that the story about Love Rollercoaster was wrong. But, I'll always remember Mr. H when I hear that song. And now, I'll think about how funny it is that we can pull information up in a split second, whereas 10-12 years ago, I would have had to slug it out in the library to try and find such information. And even then, I probably wouldn't have found what I was looking for because it appears that the truth wasn't immediately revealed (a tactic that was used to increase record sales).

Weird...

One of the funniest things I've ever seen

This is just a great site - hands down...

http://www.lileks.com/institute/

I especially like the one about the Dayalets - how gross!

Found link to that Jetta commercial called "Big Day"

Thank Kati, ya'll. She found a link to the Big Day commercial that I talk about at the end of my "Favorite Songs of ar-kay-es" entry.

Thank you, Volkswagen, for making such a stunning commercial.

March of the Penguins

I just got back from the documentary, March of the Penguins. It's a really well done film narrated by Morgan Freeman. I really came to appreciate how tough a life Emperor penguins have.

When Emperor penguins reach five years old, they make a trek to an area miles from the ocean to meet a mate and breed. Once the female lays an egg, she transfers it to the male, who then attempts to keep the egg warm during a few months of pure, wintery, Antarctic hell. The female heads back to the ocean to eat as she's lost about 1/3 of her body weight during the trek and making the egg. Once they've eaten enough, they trek back to the inland area and if the timing works out, they will make it in time to feed their young. The fathers then head back to the ocean to eat, as they've been without food for a few months and have lost roughly 1/2 their body weight. The females stay in the inland area to raise the babies to an age where they can walk on their own without freezing to death.

As the warmer months return, and the ice begins to melt, the mothers and fathers take turns going to the ocean to get food for the young. Then, when the babies are old enough to start taking care of themselves, the parents leave the babies for good and head back to the ocean.

The documentary was full of very beautiful shots of the penguins, as well as the surrounding landscape. And the film was very real to life, even showing several of the sad endings to the adults and babies. All of it served the purpose to show how amazing these animals truly are, and how powerful mother nature is. We would do well to remember that mother nature is the one in charge when we're busy trying work around her or damaging her with our wasteful ways.