last night i missed an automated phone call from Lowe's advising me that my grill would be delivered between 7 - 9 p.m. tonight. oops.
i called the toll free number provided to let them know that the order had been canceled. after being on hold for 17 minutes . . . yes i was timing it, not that it mattered because i was happily watching Criminal Minds . . . i hung up and decided to call the manager of the store in question.
after chatting with said manager, he told me he would have to verify my order before he could allow it to be canceled regardless of my having a cancellation confirmation firmly in my paw. say what? he would call me back.
and he did. thankfully, they had received the cancellation notice and it was just some miscommunication between the store and the delivery company.
unless of course my doorbell rings tonight at 7:52.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
om . . .
it is just too hot to walk in my steamingly brilliant florida hometown this august. even modifying our treks to the ungodly hour of 7:30 a.m., is of no consequence once the sun comes up. well, that and the neighborhood bear.
since i was into my typical summer yoga withdrawal and groupon was offering ten sessions for $29 at a new local yoga studio, i signed up with my trusty pal, joanie. this place is totally different in that it is strictly dedicated to yoga and pilates. their schedule is massive with multiple instructors.
first i called the head instructor, katie, to see if it was geezer friendly. she assured me it was and so joanie and i bopped over last thursday to sign up and enjoy a 'gentle yoga' class with michael. what a wonderful class and while i know i should have been centering, it didn't hurt that michael was obvious eye candy . . . especially if i were kidlet's age. don't scrunch your nose like that, old ladies are still allowed to look.
friday, we tried a 'slow stretch' yin class with molly. let me die in peace. best class ever. and the cold scented compresses applied during shavasana . . . blissful.
monday, thinking we were on a roll, we tried katie's 'joyful flow' class. she had explained to me over the phone that it was a basic class amped up for a group who had been together for a while but that she considered doable for this chickie who just signed up for medicare.
you'd think that four plus years of yoga would have prepared me but halfway through, my mat was dripping with sweat, my bangs were plastered to my forehead and my heart was beating out a triple time tattoo. the room was hot and as those little gray spots started to overtake my vision, i decided discretion was the better part of valor and collapsed into a boneless lump while the rest of the class including the intrepid joanie kept switching from the dreaded downward dog to the wicked warrior pose in rapid succession. katie meanwhile came over to pat me on the back and assure me i was still indeed, among the living.
'joyful flow' my mother's petunias. joanie and i dragged our mangled bodies out the door and into the refuge of her car. a/c never felt so good. we decided we were in over our respective heads and would try katie's earlier/easier monday class next week.
today when i came home from lunch, kidlet told me katie had called to see if i was still breathing. it was a cute message of concern and cheer leading. i called her back and left a message assuring her she couldn't scare us off that easily but then again, my alligator mouth has always been a little bigger than my canary @ss.
om.
since i was into my typical summer yoga withdrawal and groupon was offering ten sessions for $29 at a new local yoga studio, i signed up with my trusty pal, joanie. this place is totally different in that it is strictly dedicated to yoga and pilates. their schedule is massive with multiple instructors.
first i called the head instructor, katie, to see if it was geezer friendly. she assured me it was and so joanie and i bopped over last thursday to sign up and enjoy a 'gentle yoga' class with michael. what a wonderful class and while i know i should have been centering, it didn't hurt that michael was obvious eye candy . . . especially if i were kidlet's age. don't scrunch your nose like that, old ladies are still allowed to look.
friday, we tried a 'slow stretch' yin class with molly. let me die in peace. best class ever. and the cold scented compresses applied during shavasana . . . blissful.
monday, thinking we were on a roll, we tried katie's 'joyful flow' class. she had explained to me over the phone that it was a basic class amped up for a group who had been together for a while but that she considered doable for this chickie who just signed up for medicare.
you'd think that four plus years of yoga would have prepared me but halfway through, my mat was dripping with sweat, my bangs were plastered to my forehead and my heart was beating out a triple time tattoo. the room was hot and as those little gray spots started to overtake my vision, i decided discretion was the better part of valor and collapsed into a boneless lump while the rest of the class including the intrepid joanie kept switching from the dreaded downward dog to the wicked warrior pose in rapid succession. katie meanwhile came over to pat me on the back and assure me i was still indeed, among the living.
'joyful flow' my mother's petunias. joanie and i dragged our mangled bodies out the door and into the refuge of her car. a/c never felt so good. we decided we were in over our respective heads and would try katie's earlier/easier monday class next week.
today when i came home from lunch, kidlet told me katie had called to see if i was still breathing. it was a cute message of concern and cheer leading. i called her back and left a message assuring her she couldn't scare us off that easily but then again, my alligator mouth has always been a little bigger than my canary @ss.
om.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
watching too much antique's roadshow . . .
the other day i realized i couldn't keep my ever growing collection of cookbooks on my kitchen counter anymore. they were taking over. i read them like novels. the most obvious place for them would be safely tucked on a shelf and since i have no unoccupied space crying out for stuffing, i have to make some decisions. i opened the least used of my cabinets and started rummaging.
if i removed the eight rocks glasses that belonged to my ex-husband's parents, i would have my space. yay! but first a bit about these glasses. they are homely. not just unattractive, they are dead dog ugly. they just take up space. i can't believe i didn't eighty-six them when i moved several years after the divorce. the 9TS and i never once used them.
out of the cabinet they came and down onto the kitchen table. idly, i flipped one over to see if they had a maker's mark. yep, a G with an arrow through it. since i had some time before lunch, i hit the computer and realized i really was blind. it was a G with and I through it. stands for Imperial Glass. a now defunct company. so i did a google search for gold etched ugly glasses and bingo. there they were. the elusive, rare, Sekai Ichi Gold by Imperial Glass. no wonder they are rare. who'd want them????
i found a single glass selling for $185.91 cad. EEK. and i quote: "Serve your guests in 24 KT gold. Manufactured by the Imperial Glass Co these glasses were the minimalist luxury of its day. Still stunning. They are in good vintage condition with some wear. There is one where some of the gold has worn- nothing that takes away from the integrity of the set." not sure why they refer to the set since there is only one left. still shaking my head.
want to see these beauties? OK, i'm going to share:
so now, what do i do with these guys? they are not going back on the shelf. the cookbooks have moved in and refuse to leave. i can't toss them anymore because . . . well, i've watched to much Antique's Roadshow. i am not an ebay person. i guess i'll just have to pack them up and find space in the attic although kidlet would rather i sell them and get the downstairs bathroom re-tiled. she has a point.
if i removed the eight rocks glasses that belonged to my ex-husband's parents, i would have my space. yay! but first a bit about these glasses. they are homely. not just unattractive, they are dead dog ugly. they just take up space. i can't believe i didn't eighty-six them when i moved several years after the divorce. the 9TS and i never once used them.
out of the cabinet they came and down onto the kitchen table. idly, i flipped one over to see if they had a maker's mark. yep, a G with an arrow through it. since i had some time before lunch, i hit the computer and realized i really was blind. it was a G with and I through it. stands for Imperial Glass. a now defunct company. so i did a google search for gold etched ugly glasses and bingo. there they were. the elusive, rare, Sekai Ichi Gold by Imperial Glass. no wonder they are rare. who'd want them????
i found a single glass selling for $185.91 cad. EEK. and i quote: "Serve your guests in 24 KT gold. Manufactured by the Imperial Glass Co these glasses were the minimalist luxury of its day. Still stunning. They are in good vintage condition with some wear. There is one where some of the gold has worn- nothing that takes away from the integrity of the set." not sure why they refer to the set since there is only one left. still shaking my head.
want to see these beauties? OK, i'm going to share:
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
what's the deal-io . . .
whatever happened to customer service?
the 9TS's closet is finally finished. the new carpeting went in yesterday. while the painter finished up in may, cutting out the damaged wall board and scouring down all the shelving and painting the entire closet, all that remained was the carpeting. in june, i ran over to my friendly neighborhood flooring expert . . . the guy who installed all our hardwood floors . . . and explained i needed a remnant for the closet. we've been using him for years. he said, 'don't worry, jeanne, we'll take care of you. $20 for the remnant, we'll throw in the padding, give the installer $50. done deal." he'd call me to set up a date. no call. finally about 10 days later i call him and he says he hasn't forgotten about me but will get it done. two months later: nada. hummmm. yes, it was a killer offer. yes, i appreciated it, but why offer if you aren't going to follow up on it. sigh.
friday, kidlet and i went to another local establishment and ordered a remnant from them. yesterday morning it was installed. job well done. while it was twice the cost, it was well worth it. nice peeps.
maybe there is hope in the world of customer service.
remember my lowe's saga? friday i ordered the grill on line and immediately got an email with the confirmation. the store would contact me with a delivery time. yay. based on previous experience with lowe's, i kind of expected a call the next day. no call. saturday, ace hardware was offering free quarts of paint. since kidlet and i are painting one of the bathrooms, we decided to take advantage of the offer. not only did they give me a free can but they urged kidlet to fill out a form so we got two free cans. while waiting for it to be mixed . . . we were the 55th and 56th free cans of the day and it was only 10:00. wow . . . we wandered around the store picking up various painting necessities. and then we came to the grill aisle. and there was the baby weber. last years model in all of it's glory. sturdier and more solid then this year's offering . . . yes, i read the reviews. i was drooling but i had made already placed my order.
today, i had to stop back in for a can of spray paint and some florescent bulbs and my feet just naturally did a little tap dance to the shiny baby weber. i was smitten. it was smaller and more compact. it was petite and non-scary. it had a 50 year warranty. but would they deliver? troy, the manager, was called over. after ascertaining that i lived a mere 2.5 miles away, it was a deal at no extra charge. i called lowe's and cancelled since they had yet to call and arrange delivery. an hour later, that baby was tanked up, i was given a rudimentary lesson on its ins and outs by two delightful guys and it was temporarily tucked into the garage.
so what's the deal-io? why are some companies so ready to bend over backwards to help out their customers while some just couldn't care? the new carpet company called after installation to make sure i was satisfied. the installer was top notch and the job done in the time frame promised. ace is also locally owned. their manager steps all over himself to be helpful. is lowe's just too big? i don't get the difference but i do know who will get my business. three cheers for the hometown boys. you rock!
the 9TS's closet is finally finished. the new carpeting went in yesterday. while the painter finished up in may, cutting out the damaged wall board and scouring down all the shelving and painting the entire closet, all that remained was the carpeting. in june, i ran over to my friendly neighborhood flooring expert . . . the guy who installed all our hardwood floors . . . and explained i needed a remnant for the closet. we've been using him for years. he said, 'don't worry, jeanne, we'll take care of you. $20 for the remnant, we'll throw in the padding, give the installer $50. done deal." he'd call me to set up a date. no call. finally about 10 days later i call him and he says he hasn't forgotten about me but will get it done. two months later: nada. hummmm. yes, it was a killer offer. yes, i appreciated it, but why offer if you aren't going to follow up on it. sigh.
friday, kidlet and i went to another local establishment and ordered a remnant from them. yesterday morning it was installed. job well done. while it was twice the cost, it was well worth it. nice peeps.
maybe there is hope in the world of customer service.
remember my lowe's saga? friday i ordered the grill on line and immediately got an email with the confirmation. the store would contact me with a delivery time. yay. based on previous experience with lowe's, i kind of expected a call the next day. no call. saturday, ace hardware was offering free quarts of paint. since kidlet and i are painting one of the bathrooms, we decided to take advantage of the offer. not only did they give me a free can but they urged kidlet to fill out a form so we got two free cans. while waiting for it to be mixed . . . we were the 55th and 56th free cans of the day and it was only 10:00. wow . . . we wandered around the store picking up various painting necessities. and then we came to the grill aisle. and there was the baby weber. last years model in all of it's glory. sturdier and more solid then this year's offering . . . yes, i read the reviews. i was drooling but i had made already placed my order.
today, i had to stop back in for a can of spray paint and some florescent bulbs and my feet just naturally did a little tap dance to the shiny baby weber. i was smitten. it was smaller and more compact. it was petite and non-scary. it had a 50 year warranty. but would they deliver? troy, the manager, was called over. after ascertaining that i lived a mere 2.5 miles away, it was a deal at no extra charge. i called lowe's and cancelled since they had yet to call and arrange delivery. an hour later, that baby was tanked up, i was given a rudimentary lesson on its ins and outs by two delightful guys and it was temporarily tucked into the garage.
so what's the deal-io? why are some companies so ready to bend over backwards to help out their customers while some just couldn't care? the new carpet company called after installation to make sure i was satisfied. the installer was top notch and the job done in the time frame promised. ace is also locally owned. their manager steps all over himself to be helpful. is lowe's just too big? i don't get the difference but i do know who will get my business. three cheers for the hometown boys. you rock!
Friday, August 9, 2013
under fire . . .
things need to stop dieing around here. last night as i was grilling bread and thin slices of zucchini to add with basil, olive oil and some crushed red pepper and the ever present goat cheese, i noticed the grill wasn't behaving itself nor was it the night previously. so i opened the doors and squatted down to have a lookie loo. good grief, the entire top of the firebox, or bottom of the grill pan . . . whatever you want to call it, had rusted away. there were open flame inches from the propane tank. gah!
step away from the fire. i had visions of flying through the newly installed pool cage and into the pool as a human torch. for she who cannot easily rise from a squat, i did pretty darn well.
kidlet and i dragged the dead body to the street and called the 'metal' man. within five minutes the carcass was m.i.a. which leads me to wonder which one of my neighbors is really the local junk man in disguise.
which of course meant that we needed a new grill. which of course led to a grill shopping expedition. with advice in hand, joanie and i headed to Lowe's where the pickins were slim and the assistance even slimmer.
i thought it best to attack from the net. i found a review of the top ten units in my price range, which did not include all the bells and whistles that the old monstrosity offered but would fit my needs . . . the 9TS being a lover of all things gadget-y.
i found it. top rated. uncomplicated and sold at Lowe's . . . just not ours. nope. if i wanted it, i would have to drive 36 miles and get that puppy slapped into the CR-V and wobble on home with it. so i called our local Lowe's and plead my case. 'they were not authorized to sell that particular model and if i wanted the two burner Weber we had seen earlier, they were going to charge me to deliver it around the corner even though the net said, "free delivery". 'bout that time, my happy-go-lucky assistant decided he needed his lunch break more than he needed me and told me to call the other store. literally. well, harrumph.
undaunted, i called the toll-free number on the site and chatted with a really nice gal named Candace. boiled down, yes they had it, yes they would deliver it for free and yes, it would be assembled . . . unassembled being an absolute deal breaker. perish the thought.
hopefully, those 40,000 btu's will be grilling up chicken, swordfish, assorted veggies and all things short of me in a matter of days.
now will things please stop ceasing to function for at least another fiscal year. please.
step away from the fire. i had visions of flying through the newly installed pool cage and into the pool as a human torch. for she who cannot easily rise from a squat, i did pretty darn well.
kidlet and i dragged the dead body to the street and called the 'metal' man. within five minutes the carcass was m.i.a. which leads me to wonder which one of my neighbors is really the local junk man in disguise.
which of course meant that we needed a new grill. which of course led to a grill shopping expedition. with advice in hand, joanie and i headed to Lowe's where the pickins were slim and the assistance even slimmer.
i thought it best to attack from the net. i found a review of the top ten units in my price range, which did not include all the bells and whistles that the old monstrosity offered but would fit my needs . . . the 9TS being a lover of all things gadget-y.
i found it. top rated. uncomplicated and sold at Lowe's . . . just not ours. nope. if i wanted it, i would have to drive 36 miles and get that puppy slapped into the CR-V and wobble on home with it. so i called our local Lowe's and plead my case. 'they were not authorized to sell that particular model and if i wanted the two burner Weber we had seen earlier, they were going to charge me to deliver it around the corner even though the net said, "free delivery". 'bout that time, my happy-go-lucky assistant decided he needed his lunch break more than he needed me and told me to call the other store. literally. well, harrumph.
undaunted, i called the toll-free number on the site and chatted with a really nice gal named Candace. boiled down, yes they had it, yes they would deliver it for free and yes, it would be assembled . . . unassembled being an absolute deal breaker. perish the thought.
hopefully, those 40,000 btu's will be grilling up chicken, swordfish, assorted veggies and all things short of me in a matter of days.
now will things please stop ceasing to function for at least another fiscal year. please.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
all is normal . . .
so pippin, my epileptic squirrel in a cat suit, has done it again. i placed my iPhone on the bedside table after calling a friend. apparently i left it on the 'favorites' setting.
pippin suddenly leaps from the floor to the table top and shoots rapidly off and onto my bed, bypassing the sleeping bear and lunges to the floor on the far side, in a matter of seconds. all very normal. but then my eye catches my cell. 911 from my favorites list is activated. i quickly hit the cancel button and giggle to myself about how silly she is.
until the phone rings. "this is the sheriffs department. someone called 911 from this cell." um. yes. that would be pippin, my cat. but everything is fine. silence. i try again and apologize. more silence. i guess she doesn't have a cat.
pippin suddenly leaps from the floor to the table top and shoots rapidly off and onto my bed, bypassing the sleeping bear and lunges to the floor on the far side, in a matter of seconds. all very normal. but then my eye catches my cell. 911 from my favorites list is activated. i quickly hit the cancel button and giggle to myself about how silly she is.
until the phone rings. "this is the sheriffs department. someone called 911 from this cell." um. yes. that would be pippin, my cat. but everything is fine. silence. i try again and apologize. more silence. i guess she doesn't have a cat.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
little boxes . . .
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same,
There's a pink one and a green one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same. melvina reynolds
for a long time, kidlet's doctor, therapist and i have thought that something was going on in her world that was more invasive than depression . . . as if a major depressive disorder and ADD were not enough. but when all of this started, she was only 15 . . . and like many fifteen year old girls, she was all over the place. it was hardly the time to slap a label on her.
but we would see her hypersensitivity to criticism or rejection, her perfectionism, her feelings of inadequacy, her pushing away from relationships, her difficulty adjusting her moods and yes, thoughts of suicide. something was there. something making her life miserable. our fear was that at 16 or 17, she would read a definition of a 'disorder' and become it.
problem is, kidlet, unlike all the 'little boxes on the hillside' resists fitting into a carefully constructed set of bullet points. she is also sweet, brilliant, funny, imaginative, loving and empathetic. and then while treating the depression, we realized that she was sensitive to the higher does of SSRIs and they were making matters worse adding in panic attacks to the repertoire. it was time . . . she was now 25.
and so it was carefully broached . . . the possibility that there was more going on. something else that needed to be addressed. it didn't surprise her. although she has lived with her own personality construct for so long it seems, well, normal for her, but she did realize that not everyone struggles as hard as she does.
after changing her meds once more . . . to help with both the depression and the emotional upheaval and just starting a new behavior therapy that would help modify her coping mechanisms and reroute her thought processes to better support her well being, she still crashed. badly.
kidlet has spent the last 30 days in a residential mental health treatment facility. group therapy seven hours a day five days a week with a lesser load on weekends. long hard hours of work putting humpty dumpty together again.
she came home tuesday. a happier soul. a more connected person. with coping mechanisms up the wazoo. she is mindful and centered. there will be lots more hard work to bring her the total happiness she deserves but she's working like a dog. she will get there. she is focused.
and, since she doesn't fit into one of those 'little boxes' in which doctors tend to shove their patients, there is no label. kidlet is her own person and i am so proud of her.
there are stigmas to thumb our noses at. there are battles to be fought. but at the end of the line will be a life worth living. a productive happy life. and who can ask for more.
Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same,
There's a pink one and a green one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same. melvina reynolds
for a long time, kidlet's doctor, therapist and i have thought that something was going on in her world that was more invasive than depression . . . as if a major depressive disorder and ADD were not enough. but when all of this started, she was only 15 . . . and like many fifteen year old girls, she was all over the place. it was hardly the time to slap a label on her.
but we would see her hypersensitivity to criticism or rejection, her perfectionism, her feelings of inadequacy, her pushing away from relationships, her difficulty adjusting her moods and yes, thoughts of suicide. something was there. something making her life miserable. our fear was that at 16 or 17, she would read a definition of a 'disorder' and become it.
problem is, kidlet, unlike all the 'little boxes on the hillside' resists fitting into a carefully constructed set of bullet points. she is also sweet, brilliant, funny, imaginative, loving and empathetic. and then while treating the depression, we realized that she was sensitive to the higher does of SSRIs and they were making matters worse adding in panic attacks to the repertoire. it was time . . . she was now 25.
and so it was carefully broached . . . the possibility that there was more going on. something else that needed to be addressed. it didn't surprise her. although she has lived with her own personality construct for so long it seems, well, normal for her, but she did realize that not everyone struggles as hard as she does.
after changing her meds once more . . . to help with both the depression and the emotional upheaval and just starting a new behavior therapy that would help modify her coping mechanisms and reroute her thought processes to better support her well being, she still crashed. badly.
kidlet has spent the last 30 days in a residential mental health treatment facility. group therapy seven hours a day five days a week with a lesser load on weekends. long hard hours of work putting humpty dumpty together again.
she came home tuesday. a happier soul. a more connected person. with coping mechanisms up the wazoo. she is mindful and centered. there will be lots more hard work to bring her the total happiness she deserves but she's working like a dog. she will get there. she is focused.
and, since she doesn't fit into one of those 'little boxes' in which doctors tend to shove their patients, there is no label. kidlet is her own person and i am so proud of her.
there are stigmas to thumb our noses at. there are battles to be fought. but at the end of the line will be a life worth living. a productive happy life. and who can ask for more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
