1. Our van succumbed to a faulty ignition coil...again (there are 6 on this vehicle. This was #3 to replace). For the first time it broke down in the state of Wisconsin, so we were able to send it to our favorite mechanic. He fixed it all up nice and purty and it's back in our hands.
(I'll skip over the part where ShankRabbit had to walk 2.5 miles to the nearest car rental place in dress shoes. Yeah...that's more his story to tell)
2. My brother-in-law and his wife are on a lovely vacation in Mexico right now. Aside from being super jealous, we get to watch their two bundles of snuggly doggy love while they are gone.
2b. I still can't believe dogs crap this much
2c. I do not care for 5:30am wake up calls
2d. No soft paper product is safe in this house
2e. But they are soft and cuddly...so it's ok
3. My kid has phased through several favorite movies. We were on a constant "Tinkerbell" kick for a while. Now we've moved on to "Toy Story." Every time I watch it I think back to the days when my cousin (who is a day away from coming home) was obsessed with it. His mom and I even made a birthday cake with Buzz Lightyear on it...complete with army men accents.
4. I'm hoping to report back soon on the status of our garden. We've spent the last several weeks trying to make seeds grow in our house for transplanting, but they are in a sorry state. I'm hoping we have more luck with seeds planted outside...which will happen by the weekend I'm guessing.
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Vent...AHOY!
There's nothing I want more than to vent about the experience I just had and name names. But a) I don't want to get involved in some crazy defamation lawsuit and b)I don't feel I should give them free press (even if it is bad). So, here is my experience with a certain car facility whose repair shop we use because it is part of our warranty.
I just spent 2 hours waiting for a car repair. 2 hours for something they told me would take 30-45 minutes. 2 hours of waiting for the lone technician to come back from lunch (a half hour after my appt time), take the 30 minutes to replace the damaged seatbelt, and then wait for our warranty's approval...and approval I ALREADY spent 2 hours waiting for a few weeks ago. So, for those keeping score, that's 4 hours invested in a repair that took all of 30 minutes.
I won't fault the technician. He was the only one into today (the other called off) and he had a repair that ran late, hence the late lunch. I've been in a similar situation at work before. Totally cool. But for Pete's sake, how hard is it for someone to make a quick phone call to me and say, "hey...we know you have a 1pm appointment, but here's what's going on." Give me the opportunity to reschedule.
No...the receptionist says, "I didn't know that the mechanic went on lunch until just now...[blah de blah explains the situation] so I don't expect him back until closer to 2pm." Did I mention I had been waiting for quite a bit at this point?
I am partly at fault for not voicing my anger at the wait the first time. Maybe they just didn't understand how upsetting it is to sit around a waiting room with a 1.5 year old to be told "yep, it's covered under the warranty. Let's get the part ordered and have you come back in."
Why, I ask, did I have to sit there to be told it was going to be approved? Doesn't anyone know how to use a telephone?!
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
A few weeks goes by, anger subsides. I am quickly reintroduced to Anger today when I am told (after noticing my car sitting in front of the window all by its lonesome - a good 30 minutes after I was told the technician would start working on it) the repair is done...but now they are waiting on an approval from the warranty company so they can close the ticket.
You have got to be kidding me.
I think my aura of Anger must have carried over to the other workers, because along comes Mr. Consultant...giving me an "update." I use that term loosely because not more than 5 minutes before I went to the receptionist myself to figure out why my car was sitting there and I couldn't take it home.
It is now nearing the 2 hour mark. I am about to raise a good deal of hell in this place. I've done all I can to entertain and feed the child, but there is no denying she is well overdue for a nap. I just want to pay and go home.
Finally, Mr. Consultant calls me over and says that he'll settle up my bill for me with a manual receipt...since, you know, I had been waiting there for so long and they had already received the approval once before.
Ok...hang on a second. You mean to tell me you could have done this manual receipt an HOUR ago?!
[I swear I felt steam shoot out of my ears]
Upon discussing my displeasure with this whole situation, Mr. Consultant tries to justify today's wait with "well, if we don't get the approval, the mechanic doesn't get paid."
YOU.ALREADY.GOT.THE.APPROVAL! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
* * * * *
OK.
I'm done.
I'm home, child is napping, and I'm listening to the soothing sounds of Joshua Radin.
Serenity NOW!
I just spent 2 hours waiting for a car repair. 2 hours for something they told me would take 30-45 minutes. 2 hours of waiting for the lone technician to come back from lunch (a half hour after my appt time), take the 30 minutes to replace the damaged seatbelt, and then wait for our warranty's approval...and approval I ALREADY spent 2 hours waiting for a few weeks ago. So, for those keeping score, that's 4 hours invested in a repair that took all of 30 minutes.
I won't fault the technician. He was the only one into today (the other called off) and he had a repair that ran late, hence the late lunch. I've been in a similar situation at work before. Totally cool. But for Pete's sake, how hard is it for someone to make a quick phone call to me and say, "hey...we know you have a 1pm appointment, but here's what's going on." Give me the opportunity to reschedule.
No...the receptionist says, "I didn't know that the mechanic went on lunch until just now...[blah de blah explains the situation] so I don't expect him back until closer to 2pm." Did I mention I had been waiting for quite a bit at this point?
I am partly at fault for not voicing my anger at the wait the first time. Maybe they just didn't understand how upsetting it is to sit around a waiting room with a 1.5 year old to be told "yep, it's covered under the warranty. Let's get the part ordered and have you come back in."
Why, I ask, did I have to sit there to be told it was going to be approved? Doesn't anyone know how to use a telephone?!
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
A few weeks goes by, anger subsides. I am quickly reintroduced to Anger today when I am told (after noticing my car sitting in front of the window all by its lonesome - a good 30 minutes after I was told the technician would start working on it) the repair is done...but now they are waiting on an approval from the warranty company so they can close the ticket.
You have got to be kidding me.
I think my aura of Anger must have carried over to the other workers, because along comes Mr. Consultant...giving me an "update." I use that term loosely because not more than 5 minutes before I went to the receptionist myself to figure out why my car was sitting there and I couldn't take it home.
It is now nearing the 2 hour mark. I am about to raise a good deal of hell in this place. I've done all I can to entertain and feed the child, but there is no denying she is well overdue for a nap. I just want to pay and go home.
Finally, Mr. Consultant calls me over and says that he'll settle up my bill for me with a manual receipt...since, you know, I had been waiting there for so long and they had already received the approval once before.
Ok...hang on a second. You mean to tell me you could have done this manual receipt an HOUR ago?!
[I swear I felt steam shoot out of my ears]
Upon discussing my displeasure with this whole situation, Mr. Consultant tries to justify today's wait with "well, if we don't get the approval, the mechanic doesn't get paid."
YOU.ALREADY.GOT.THE.APPROVAL! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
* * * * *
OK.
I'm done.
I'm home, child is napping, and I'm listening to the soothing sounds of Joshua Radin.
Serenity NOW!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Random stuff
I'm all hopped up on productivity, so I thought I'd write a blog post (no, my BFF is not instructing me to write a post...nope, not at all)
First, I'd like to tell you all about the beautiful start to my morning. In half-consciousness, I hear a BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP (annoying yet? Because it sure was annoying the heck out of me). First thought - am I dreaming? No. Second thought - phone alarm? I certainly didn't set one and it was just after 7am - too early for ShankRabbit to wake up. Third thought - Smoke/Carbon Monoxide detector? Ohholyjebus, I'M AWAKE I'M AWAKE! Turns out, that wasn't the source. There's nothing like a little jolt of adrenaline to get your butt out of bed.
After about an ETERNITY (morning speak for 2 minutes or so), the beeping stopped. Followed shortly thereafter by the sweet, dulcet tones of a jackhammer.
(I later figured out that the beeping must have been the reversing sound of their work truck.)
This was all forgiven when I spied the guy manning the jackhammer do Michael Jackson-like moves trying to evade a bee. Quite comical.
After dropping the dear husband off at work, I took the long way to get on the highway. I wait at the light for it to turn green. I proceed into the intersection, ready to make a left hand turn, and I am greeted with the sounds of screeching tires and smoke to my left. Apparently, Mr. Pays-no-attention-to-the-road was about to speed right on through the red light...right into my van (well, technically, he would clipped the back end of a different car first, then me). I was very proud that the only thing to come out of my mouth was a very loud "OH CRAP!" I tend to go for more, uh...colorful words in the car.
Although my morning is not something I'd like to recreate, I'm more awake now that if I drank a whole pot of coffee. Let's give it up for adrenaline!
* * * * *
Joshua Radin just came up on my Pandora station. I'm happy-dancing in my seat right now.
* * * * *
I took Peanut to the Westown farmer's market yesterday. In addition to chasing pigeons and stopping to watch a juggler perform, she got a chance to bust-a-move to some live music. It was a lot more fun of a farmer's market than I'm used to - though my usual stop has more of a selection.
If it wasn't for the sticky heat and evil eyes from other mommys (apparently I was sitting a little too close to this mommy-groupmember's unmanned stroller. Hey lady, if you're going whisper and shoot glares for getting too close to your purse, then here's a thought: put it over your freaking shoulder and not hanging off the handle of your stroller! Didn't anyone ever tell you that if you make that face too much it might stay that way? Perpetually angry gofer is not a good look on you), we would have stayed longer.
* * * * *
Big, big changes around the corner. Lots of stuff to think about that I'm sure I'll share with you all soon.
First, I'd like to tell you all about the beautiful start to my morning. In half-consciousness, I hear a BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP (annoying yet? Because it sure was annoying the heck out of me). First thought - am I dreaming? No. Second thought - phone alarm? I certainly didn't set one and it was just after 7am - too early for ShankRabbit to wake up. Third thought - Smoke/Carbon Monoxide detector? Ohholyjebus, I'M AWAKE I'M AWAKE! Turns out, that wasn't the source. There's nothing like a little jolt of adrenaline to get your butt out of bed.
After about an ETERNITY (morning speak for 2 minutes or so), the beeping stopped. Followed shortly thereafter by the sweet, dulcet tones of a jackhammer.
(I later figured out that the beeping must have been the reversing sound of their work truck.)
This was all forgiven when I spied the guy manning the jackhammer do Michael Jackson-like moves trying to evade a bee. Quite comical.
After dropping the dear husband off at work, I took the long way to get on the highway. I wait at the light for it to turn green. I proceed into the intersection, ready to make a left hand turn, and I am greeted with the sounds of screeching tires and smoke to my left. Apparently, Mr. Pays-no-attention-to-the-road was about to speed right on through the red light...right into my van (well, technically, he would clipped the back end of a different car first, then me). I was very proud that the only thing to come out of my mouth was a very loud "OH CRAP!" I tend to go for more, uh...colorful words in the car.
Although my morning is not something I'd like to recreate, I'm more awake now that if I drank a whole pot of coffee. Let's give it up for adrenaline!
* * * * *
Joshua Radin just came up on my Pandora station. I'm happy-dancing in my seat right now.
* * * * *
I took Peanut to the Westown farmer's market yesterday. In addition to chasing pigeons and stopping to watch a juggler perform, she got a chance to bust-a-move to some live music. It was a lot more fun of a farmer's market than I'm used to - though my usual stop has more of a selection.
If it wasn't for the sticky heat and evil eyes from other mommys (apparently I was sitting a little too close to this mommy-groupmember's unmanned stroller. Hey lady, if you're going whisper and shoot glares for getting too close to your purse, then here's a thought: put it over your freaking shoulder and not hanging off the handle of your stroller! Didn't anyone ever tell you that if you make that face too much it might stay that way? Perpetually angry gofer is not a good look on you), we would have stayed longer.
* * * * *
Big, big changes around the corner. Lots of stuff to think about that I'm sure I'll share with you all soon.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Random Tuesday
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
* * * * *
As I've said many times before, Peanut loves to dance. The following video was on Sesame Street today:
If I was able to get a good video of her dancing to this, I would post it...but as true with any other situation, when you finally have the camera out, the video-worthy stuff stops. Just try to picture a 1 year old doing her version of stepping. Friggin' hilarious.
* * * * *
I found that I have a lot of moments where I don't put 2 and 2 together. Seriously.
For instance, when someone would offer me mayo for my burger, I'd make a face and turn my nose up at it. It didn't occur to me that the burgers I enjoy from fast food restaurants have mayo on them. Once this fact finally penetrated my feeble brain (read: a few weeks ago), I started adding mayo to my burgers. Man, is it yummy.
* * * * *
We have added another item to the "things I cannot touch around the house" list: super glue.
Long story short - our iron has a crack in its plastic shell (preventing the proper use of the steam and self-clean options). Instead of using epoxy like ShankRabbit suggested, I tried super glue. Let's just say I was more successful at gluing the iron to my finger than fixing the problem.
Note to other super glue users: keep acetone nail polish remover on hand.
* * * * *
We are going to be a one-car family soon. If you haven't read ShankRabbit's post yet (if you don't read his blog yet, you should. Get over there now!), we decided to sell his 2005 MINI Cooper S. Very bittersweet for all of us.
Today was a test run of us driving him to work. All was good until he said goodbye and walked into his office building. Peanut is used to daddy leaving the house for work, not watching him walk into a building. I had a very sad baby on my hands...until she located her binky and her stuffed monkey. Only if sad moments were as easily managed as an adult.
* * * * *
As I've said many times before, Peanut loves to dance. The following video was on Sesame Street today:
Courtesy of DanceJam.com
If I was able to get a good video of her dancing to this, I would post it...but as true with any other situation, when you finally have the camera out, the video-worthy stuff stops. Just try to picture a 1 year old doing her version of stepping. Friggin' hilarious.
* * * * *
I found that I have a lot of moments where I don't put 2 and 2 together. Seriously.
For instance, when someone would offer me mayo for my burger, I'd make a face and turn my nose up at it. It didn't occur to me that the burgers I enjoy from fast food restaurants have mayo on them. Once this fact finally penetrated my feeble brain (read: a few weeks ago), I started adding mayo to my burgers. Man, is it yummy.
* * * * *
We have added another item to the "things I cannot touch around the house" list: super glue.
Long story short - our iron has a crack in its plastic shell (preventing the proper use of the steam and self-clean options). Instead of using epoxy like ShankRabbit suggested, I tried super glue. Let's just say I was more successful at gluing the iron to my finger than fixing the problem.
Note to other super glue users: keep acetone nail polish remover on hand.
* * * * *
We are going to be a one-car family soon. If you haven't read ShankRabbit's post yet (if you don't read his blog yet, you should. Get over there now!), we decided to sell his 2005 MINI Cooper S. Very bittersweet for all of us.
Today was a test run of us driving him to work. All was good until he said goodbye and walked into his office building. Peanut is used to daddy leaving the house for work, not watching him walk into a building. I had a very sad baby on my hands...until she located her binky and her stuffed monkey. Only if sad moments were as easily managed as an adult.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
My head is going to explode...
Last night, I was laying lying horizontally positioned on our kitchen floor. Peanut was playing peek-a-boo with my bellybutton and smacking me in excitement every time it 'surprised' her. ShankRabbit, in the middle of making dinner, looks over and says, "why do you look so sad?" I answer, "I'm not sad...just...too much." So, to prevent my head from exploding (and hoping that I can once again create full sentences when talking), let's explore the list:
1. My (physical) health - had to add that clarification, because we all know my mental state is slightly skewed most of the time. Not much to tell other than everything is probably fine, but the doctors don't know. A lot of fuzzy answers...and as Call Me Cate mentioned, "better to have fuzzy answers than fuzzy meat. Just saying." I couldn't agree more.
2. My fosterdad is visiting me Friday morning. This is the first time he'll see our house and meet Peanut (skipping over lots of details about why this is just happening in the interest of space and time). After The Great Furniture Move of 2009 on Tuesday, I have some major cleaning to do. Crap.
3. We are more than likely going to sell one of our cars and become a one vehicle family. I am a little excited about this (saving money - what a concept!, driving ShankRabbit to work, etc.), but I have an unnatural attachment to SR's car. Seriously. I cried the other night just thinking about it (If you're thinking, "who cries over a car?!" Just remember my warning about the month of April).
4. My checking account is anorexic.
5. I agreed to write an article about myself for our church's newsletter. They spotlight a volunteer in every issue. I just got a "friendly reminder" email yesterday saying it's due today.
The stream of words that came out of my mouth after reading that were not church appropriate.
Let me save you all the trouble and scold myself -
"geez oh Pete, Isabella, what were you thinking?! You hate writing, especially about yourself, and you agreed to write an article? Are you high?!"
--
I'm sure I have more of these swimming around in my head, but right now I'm plagued with writing something more interesting than "Jennifer is" on this newsletter article.
1. My (physical) health - had to add that clarification, because we all know my mental state is slightly skewed most of the time. Not much to tell other than everything is probably fine, but the doctors don't know. A lot of fuzzy answers...and as Call Me Cate mentioned, "better to have fuzzy answers than fuzzy meat. Just saying." I couldn't agree more.
2. My fosterdad is visiting me Friday morning. This is the first time he'll see our house and meet Peanut (skipping over lots of details about why this is just happening in the interest of space and time). After The Great Furniture Move of 2009 on Tuesday, I have some major cleaning to do. Crap.
3. We are more than likely going to sell one of our cars and become a one vehicle family. I am a little excited about this (saving money - what a concept!, driving ShankRabbit to work, etc.), but I have an unnatural attachment to SR's car. Seriously. I cried the other night just thinking about it (If you're thinking, "who cries over a car?!" Just remember my warning about the month of April).
4. My checking account is anorexic.
5. I agreed to write an article about myself for our church's newsletter. They spotlight a volunteer in every issue. I just got a "friendly reminder" email yesterday saying it's due today.
The stream of words that came out of my mouth after reading that were not church appropriate.
Let me save you all the trouble and scold myself -
"geez oh Pete, Isabella, what were you thinking?! You hate writing, especially about yourself, and you agreed to write an article? Are you high?!"
--
I'm sure I have more of these swimming around in my head, but right now I'm plagued with writing something more interesting than "Jennifer is" on this newsletter article.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
License plate ponderings
I have a two-part question that I hope you can answer.
1) If you spend the money to get a specialty license plate (e.g. $25 a year for a Green Bay Packers plate) and then additional money to get it personalized (in this example, $15 a year), why would you have it say "GBPKRS" or "PKR FAN"...isn't that implied by the extra money you spent on the plate?
2) Let's say you own an Audi GT. Why would you get a personalized license plate that reads "AUDI GT"?
Maybe I'm missing something. If so, please share. I just don't get it.
* * * * *
In other news...
Peanut had her 9 month check-up today. All is good...though, height-wise, she has officially outgrown her infant car seat. *sniff*
1) If you spend the money to get a specialty license plate (e.g. $25 a year for a Green Bay Packers plate) and then additional money to get it personalized (in this example, $15 a year), why would you have it say "GBPKRS" or "PKR FAN"...isn't that implied by the extra money you spent on the plate?
2) Let's say you own an Audi GT. Why would you get a personalized license plate that reads "AUDI GT"?
Maybe I'm missing something. If so, please share. I just don't get it.
* * * * *
In other news...
Peanut had her 9 month check-up today. All is good...though, height-wise, she has officially outgrown her infant car seat. *sniff*
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