stupid walk-all-over-ya. or wachovia, take your pic. it's all better now, but still.
last thursday my payment was due for my card. I paid the remaining statement balance of $685. I was nineteen cents short in my checking, and keep $5 in my savings with wachovia for just such an occasion. and I have overdraft protection.
for some reason, that did not kick in, my payment was returned and I got hit with $22 from my bank, $35 from discover AND an $82 finance charge. I don't have a revolving balance on that card and I pay it off every month, but there was $1400 in tuition and $1000ish in rug purchases hanging out there, so the balance was big.
Well, I go to the bank. They can't tell me why, blah blah blah. But they remove the $22 and get discover to waive the $35. D is unable to remove the $82 though. So I turn to the wachovia dude and say "so, y'all owe me $82 then."
this is when it got ugly.
first he tried to tell me he only owed me finance charges on the $685. I said no, if they system hadn't messed up I would owe ZERO in finance charges, ergo, you owe me $82. Then he tried to question me--the man STARED ME DOWN, people. "You have a very high balance, that $82 isn't all our fault...." "that must be a revolving amount, which is why your finance charge is so high." "You must have like a 40% interest rate." "There's no way that can be the case." "How can just one class cost that much?" "Your finance charge is not our problem."
It was awful. Talking about money is always uncomfy. But having a banking professional question your spending habits, your ethics and your character WHEN THEY MADE THE ERROR is quite simply atrocious! I was FUMING when I left. He ended up giving me the $82 and made it sound like he was doing me a favor, and I shouldn't forget it, and in the meantime I should stop telling lies. Except I wasn't. AND what my balance is should be beside the point--THEIR SYSTEM SCREWED UP! ugh.
Well, so I got back to work, looked at my new statement to confirm that, indeed, I had paid off the statement balance. I had. So then I called and spoke to a receptionist and left a message. This was all on Wednesday. Telling her I appreciated him fixing the error but that this man's behavior was out of line and accusatory and unprofessional. She said he'd call me back by the end of the day. He didn't.
Yesterday I called again. He knew who I was, he remembered. He had a note to call me. So I was all ready to tell him what I thought and he said thank you for calling, that that gave him the opportunity to review things in his mind, and he agrees a)he was very rude and inappropriate and inconsiderate and b)the specifics of my financial situation had NOTHING to do with the issue--the problem is that their system did not work correctly and he's having that looked into. He apologized and took all of the blame and said he knows he did not provide their standard of customer service. I still told him what I thought, that he had accused me, that I agreed my balance was irrelvant, but I didn't appreciate him questioning my character. Maybe I should have just stopped when he apologized, but I feel it is important to make sure he got it.
he thanked me for calling and for my feedback. And I have all of my money back, essentially. Well, except 22 cents but whatever. I still may write a letter to let them know and of course include that I received a very sincere apology from him, because this overdraft protection crap has happened to me twice (though not as severe last time) and because their employees should never act like that!
one thing in his defense however--apparently my occupation was listed as a full time student. which I am not. so that meant that reasonably there was no way I was paying off that amount on a student's income. still doesn't excuse, however...anyway.
I was super angry about this. But I'm not angry anymore. hence the "no longer angry" in the previous post. :)
Friday, October 31, 2008
no longer as busy, sick or angry. :)
happy halloween folks!
do you know what I'm wearing right now? jeans, black shirt with orange tank top under (and showing at the bottom), my black chuck taylors, a pink tutu, a tiara and I'm carrying a wand. which I had to creatively repair today. thank goodness I have many colors of paper clips on hand. :)
I have not "dressed up" for halloween in a looooooong time, it seems. Hell, in my old group just wearing black and orange got me funny looks! So it was fun to break out a costume. I brought it in my backpack just in case. I wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one. But we have a Cruella DeVille and someone who makes me think of a Weird-Al/Moses combo who says "he's just trying to be himself. TOO funny!"
So...I have not blogged because it seems like all of my time has been spent on crazy deadlines, working on feeling better, cleaning/unpacking and working on photography stuff. This week I went through a couple of boxes that had been packed up for a loooong time. Two from college and another two that had been packed since my divorce. Yowza. Beta Epsilon folks, just you wait, I'll be sharing some pictures from, what, five-eight years ago? Plus I still need to share the ones Del gave me when I visited her. :)
nicole and my photography biz is rockin', by the way. our free mini-session spots filled up last week and we've had lots of inquiries made, and some appointments too. it's pretty awesome! our website is coming along and I'm enjoying the lenses I rented. fun stuff! soon I'll be showing you courtney and derek's engagement photos, too. exciting exciting!
We are REALLY close to having most of our house put together though. The guest room is off limits (and will contain the kitties) and we definitely have some things to accomplish today and tomorrow, but we're going to make it. Thank goodness. And then have just a little bit of the garage and the guest room to take care of--but that's totally a good start!
What else...Oh, I have a bulletin board in my office now. The fabric strips are from when I was trying to decide which purse to get from infusion. I LOVE the one I got. It was my birthday present to myself. :) and very eco-friendly. and handmade!
I've been doing that whole bokashi composting thing, right? Well, I'm now to the part where you've filled up your composter, let it sit for a couple of weeks and then let it sit in dirt for a while longer, and I've got to say, they underestimated. I thought it was 2 weeks of sitting in the bucket and 2 weeks with soil. Um, no. Since it's getting cold anyway I am just going to let that hang out until the spring. I'll stir it every once in a while. But yeah, not was they were saying. Kind of disgusting, but I think it's still worth it.
So, tomorrow is our housewarming/my birthday party. WOO HOO! There are going to be oodles of wonderful people there--I'm kind of not sure where they should all park though. It'll be fine, right? If you didn't get an invite and want to join us, there's a 99.9% chance you are welcome and I'm just forgetful. :) Just email me!
oh and last thing--melissa gave me this--thanks! :)
The rules:
1. The award may be displayed on a winners’ blog.
2. Add a link to the person from who you received the award.
3. Award up to 7 other blogs.
4. Add their links to your blog.
5. Send a message to each of those you awarded to tell them about the award.
I'm nominating jax, nicole, brooke, kat, janice, christal, and nick.
do you know what I'm wearing right now? jeans, black shirt with orange tank top under (and showing at the bottom), my black chuck taylors, a pink tutu, a tiara and I'm carrying a wand. which I had to creatively repair today. thank goodness I have many colors of paper clips on hand. :)I have not "dressed up" for halloween in a looooooong time, it seems. Hell, in my old group just wearing black and orange got me funny looks! So it was fun to break out a costume. I brought it in my backpack just in case. I wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one. But we have a Cruella DeVille and someone who makes me think of a Weird-Al/Moses combo who says "he's just trying to be himself. TOO funny!"
So...I have not blogged because it seems like all of my time has been spent on crazy deadlines, working on feeling better, cleaning/unpacking and working on photography stuff. This week I went through a couple of boxes that had been packed up for a loooong time. Two from college and another two that had been packed since my divorce. Yowza. Beta Epsilon folks, just you wait, I'll be sharing some pictures from, what, five-eight years ago? Plus I still need to share the ones Del gave me when I visited her. :)
nicole and my photography biz is rockin', by the way. our free mini-session spots filled up last week and we've had lots of inquiries made, and some appointments too. it's pretty awesome! our website is coming along and I'm enjoying the lenses I rented. fun stuff! soon I'll be showing you courtney and derek's engagement photos, too. exciting exciting!
We are REALLY close to having most of our house put together though. The guest room is off limits (and will contain the kitties) and we definitely have some things to accomplish today and tomorrow, but we're going to make it. Thank goodness. And then have just a little bit of the garage and the guest room to take care of--but that's totally a good start!
What else...Oh, I have a bulletin board in my office now. The fabric strips are from when I was trying to decide which purse to get from infusion. I LOVE the one I got. It was my birthday present to myself. :) and very eco-friendly. and handmade!I've been doing that whole bokashi composting thing, right? Well, I'm now to the part where you've filled up your composter, let it sit for a couple of weeks and then let it sit in dirt for a while longer, and I've got to say, they underestimated. I thought it was 2 weeks of sitting in the bucket and 2 weeks with soil. Um, no. Since it's getting cold anyway I am just going to let that hang out until the spring. I'll stir it every once in a while. But yeah, not was they were saying. Kind of disgusting, but I think it's still worth it.
So, tomorrow is our housewarming/my birthday party. WOO HOO! There are going to be oodles of wonderful people there--I'm kind of not sure where they should all park though. It'll be fine, right? If you didn't get an invite and want to join us, there's a 99.9% chance you are welcome and I'm just forgetful. :) Just email me!
oh and last thing--melissa gave me this--thanks! :)
The rules:1. The award may be displayed on a winners’ blog.
2. Add a link to the person from who you received the award.
3. Award up to 7 other blogs.
4. Add their links to your blog.
5. Send a message to each of those you awarded to tell them about the award.
I'm nominating jax, nicole, brooke, kat, janice, christal, and nick.
Monday, October 27, 2008
more later.
matt and I have the flu. well, not the flu-flu, but a virus that is quite similar to the flu. UGH. we were fine until in the middle of the night on saturday/sunday (me) or until sunday morning (him) and now we're both experiencing fun things like dizzyness, fevers, headaches, fatigue, soreness, dry coughs, etc. I'll spare you the gory details, but it SUCKS.
BUT the weather worked out and we made it to the balloon festival, and that makes me happy. here are a few pics. more to follow. ps between matt and me? OVER A THOUSAND PICTURES HOLY SMOKES!!
BUT the weather worked out and we made it to the balloon festival, and that makes me happy. here are a few pics. more to follow. ps between matt and me? OVER A THOUSAND PICTURES HOLY SMOKES!!
mirror mirror on the wall...
so, yes, the table is covered with stuff. deal.
which looks better? horizontal or vertical? Clearly, it will be lined up properly and level and all that stuff. also, bear in mind, right now that light fixture is way high up. we'll be getting a hook and putting it in the ceiling and scooting it over so it's centered on the table and hangs a little lower, most likely.
which looks better? horizontal or vertical? Clearly, it will be lined up properly and level and all that stuff. also, bear in mind, right now that light fixture is way high up. we'll be getting a hook and putting it in the ceiling and scooting it over so it's centered on the table and hangs a little lower, most likely.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
today is, most definitely, a TEN!
so, um, yeah, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! I am pretty stoked. It is quite definitely the Best. Birthday. Ever. and it is only 2pm!!! and I had to go to class and turn in a paper and take a quiz today and it is STILL fantastic!
reasons why:
a) I am going to be in tulsa. next september. maybe the 12th. wanna know why? 'cause SYDNEY FRIGGIN' C got engaged, and she asked me to be a bridesmaid!!! Syd is, hands down, one of my veryvery favorite people and best friends ever. We have known each other since we were pretty little (go girl scouts) and became very close friends in college--we are totally opposite in a lot of ways, but always have SO much fun together. And she and Thomas are amazing together and I am SO happy for them. Apparently stupid myspace isn't always sending you notifications that you have messages (hence me getting excited today and not on wednesday since she sent it late on the 21st) but yeah--EVEN BETTER as a birthday present!
b) I'm not gonna lie-I think more than a hundred people are going to wish me happy birthday today. I mean, I'm not bragging, but we've got the locals and the okies and people in california and kentucky and mass and texas and yowza. I was overwhelmed by facebook--seriously like 40 or more, no joke. Can I tell you how loved this makes me feel? Very. extra very. I am so glad I have so many nice people in my life. :) thank you, thank you, thank you!
c) my boyfriend gets like a bazillion extrasupercool points. I came home from choir yesterday and was talking to my best friend Mary Alise, got up the top of the stairs and saw a sign that said "happy early birthday." on top of that sign were FIVE BOUQUETS. My flash on my camera decided to be finicky this morning, but here are the photos. FIVE BOUQUETS people. five.
d) while I stayed up working late on my paper progress report matt worked too. and shortly after midnight he came upstairs and handed me a "now it's your birthday" card. It was for an eight year old and he turned it all to 28. tooooo cute!
e) this morning after he said "happy birthday!" matt brought me another present--a stuffed hoops of Hoops and Yoyo who, when you press the button says "oh man, you're sizzling, too hot to handle, that's why I've got on these gloves of love!" TOO FUNNY.
f) I aced that quiz. 100% baby. guaranteed. and I had my favorite naked juice to drink this morning.
g) I realized something neato. you know what today is? 10/23/08. Know when I was born? 10/23/80. The last two numbers are just reversed. only a nerd like me would love that.
h) as of today nicole and I have only one empty slot remaining. in addition to that, since announcing our photography business we have scheduled three other shoots plus have another three that we're still trying to schedule. holy smokes!
see, I told you. A TEN. more as it develops!
reasons why:
a) I am going to be in tulsa. next september. maybe the 12th. wanna know why? 'cause SYDNEY FRIGGIN' C got engaged, and she asked me to be a bridesmaid!!! Syd is, hands down, one of my veryvery favorite people and best friends ever. We have known each other since we were pretty little (go girl scouts) and became very close friends in college--we are totally opposite in a lot of ways, but always have SO much fun together. And she and Thomas are amazing together and I am SO happy for them. Apparently stupid myspace isn't always sending you notifications that you have messages (hence me getting excited today and not on wednesday since she sent it late on the 21st) but yeah--EVEN BETTER as a birthday present!
b) I'm not gonna lie-I think more than a hundred people are going to wish me happy birthday today. I mean, I'm not bragging, but we've got the locals and the okies and people in california and kentucky and mass and texas and yowza. I was overwhelmed by facebook--seriously like 40 or more, no joke. Can I tell you how loved this makes me feel? Very. extra very. I am so glad I have so many nice people in my life. :) thank you, thank you, thank you!
c) my boyfriend gets like a bazillion extrasupercool points. I came home from choir yesterday and was talking to my best friend Mary Alise, got up the top of the stairs and saw a sign that said "happy early birthday." on top of that sign were FIVE BOUQUETS. My flash on my camera decided to be finicky this morning, but here are the photos. FIVE BOUQUETS people. five.
d) while I stayed up working late on my paper progress report matt worked too. and shortly after midnight he came upstairs and handed me a "now it's your birthday" card. It was for an eight year old and he turned it all to 28. tooooo cute!
e) this morning after he said "happy birthday!" matt brought me another present--a stuffed hoops of Hoops and Yoyo who, when you press the button says "oh man, you're sizzling, too hot to handle, that's why I've got on these gloves of love!" TOO FUNNY.f) I aced that quiz. 100% baby. guaranteed. and I had my favorite naked juice to drink this morning.
g) I realized something neato. you know what today is? 10/23/08. Know when I was born? 10/23/80. The last two numbers are just reversed. only a nerd like me would love that.
h) as of today nicole and I have only one empty slot remaining. in addition to that, since announcing our photography business we have scheduled three other shoots plus have another three that we're still trying to schedule. holy smokes!
see, I told you. A TEN. more as it develops!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
"it feels like this is giving me a heart attack. and I like it."
~matt
so, sunday night at like 9pm we went to the fair with our new friends christy and jeff. they are super fun!
we ate. A LOT. between the four of us we had
-four corndogs
-chicken on a stick
-sweet potato fries
-a chocolate covered frozen banana
-hot chocolate
-many drinks (water and soda)
-a philly cheesesteak sandwich
-an italian sausage
-two biscuits, one ham, one cheese
-fried mozzarella sticks
-fried macaroni and cheese
-a funnel cake
-a cinnamon roll
-fried pickle spears
-fried green beans
-I think someone had a cheeseburger, too.
-oh, and jeff had a turkey leg, I think. It all gets kind of blurry.
yes, we ate ALL OF THAT. we saw fireworks. we saw sampson, a gigantic horse, who farted while we were in the tent. we rode the ferris wheel. we played skeeball. we took pictures. lots of pictures. the man cleaning the glass on the lemonade booth wanted me to take his picture. I saw the recycling bin. we saw the statues people decorated. and we had A TON of fun and left full and tired and happy. :)
see: lots of pictures.
so, sunday night at like 9pm we went to the fair with our new friends christy and jeff. they are super fun!
we ate. A LOT. between the four of us we had
-four corndogs
-chicken on a stick
-sweet potato fries
-a chocolate covered frozen banana
-hot chocolate
-many drinks (water and soda)
-a philly cheesesteak sandwich
-an italian sausage
-two biscuits, one ham, one cheese
-fried mozzarella sticks
-fried macaroni and cheese
-a funnel cake
-a cinnamon roll
-fried pickle spears
-fried green beans
-I think someone had a cheeseburger, too.
-oh, and jeff had a turkey leg, I think. It all gets kind of blurry.
yes, we ate ALL OF THAT. we saw fireworks. we saw sampson, a gigantic horse, who farted while we were in the tent. we rode the ferris wheel. we played skeeball. we took pictures. lots of pictures. the man cleaning the glass on the lemonade booth wanted me to take his picture. I saw the recycling bin. we saw the statues people decorated. and we had A TON of fun and left full and tired and happy. :)
see: lots of pictures.
this is my last day to be 27.
and I am REALLY excited.
I've been thinking about that whole thing one of my coworkers told me about how 26 is the only number that mathematicians can find that falls directly between a square and a cube. When I turned 27 I "gained a dimension" if you will. Little did I realize it would take me a whole year to do it.
I am feeling really pleased with my decisions as of late. Buying a house, moving in with Matt, taking a class, voting for Obama, starting a photography business, being greener, not making excuses and occasionally even being EARLY to things. Some people I know think 28 is "old" or "not fun" or "so close to thirty!" But you know what I say? I say "hell yeah, I'll be 28 tomorrow. hell freaking yeah." I like it. I am glad. I am sooooo not where I thought I'd be when I was 28 but you know what? I think it's WAY better this way. I mean, boyfriend with opinions? check. (that was for you, misha) investing in myself? check, check, checkcheckcheck (school, photography, house, paying off my car, etc). Maybe I'm not married with multiple children and my minivan, working as a scientist who wears a lab coat and active in the PTA. I think 14 year old Carrie expected 28 year old Carrie to be there. But instead of that I have my friends and my cats and my garden and my youth group and my scouts and I blog for my sorority and anyway. Enough o' the tooting of the horn. It was just REALLY nice to be like "I am not old, I am fabulous, and though it's different than what I imagined? being right here, rightthissecond when I am on the cusp of being 28? that's pretty damn fabulous, too."
so, um, yay. you can dream of me at 4:11 AM. central standard time.
right. okay, more bloggage later. think: the fair, fall decorations, funny political things, etc.
I've been thinking about that whole thing one of my coworkers told me about how 26 is the only number that mathematicians can find that falls directly between a square and a cube. When I turned 27 I "gained a dimension" if you will. Little did I realize it would take me a whole year to do it.
I am feeling really pleased with my decisions as of late. Buying a house, moving in with Matt, taking a class, voting for Obama, starting a photography business, being greener, not making excuses and occasionally even being EARLY to things. Some people I know think 28 is "old" or "not fun" or "so close to thirty!" But you know what I say? I say "hell yeah, I'll be 28 tomorrow. hell freaking yeah." I like it. I am glad. I am sooooo not where I thought I'd be when I was 28 but you know what? I think it's WAY better this way. I mean, boyfriend with opinions? check. (that was for you, misha) investing in myself? check, check, checkcheckcheck (school, photography, house, paying off my car, etc). Maybe I'm not married with multiple children and my minivan, working as a scientist who wears a lab coat and active in the PTA. I think 14 year old Carrie expected 28 year old Carrie to be there. But instead of that I have my friends and my cats and my garden and my youth group and my scouts and I blog for my sorority and anyway. Enough o' the tooting of the horn. It was just REALLY nice to be like "I am not old, I am fabulous, and though it's different than what I imagined? being right here, rightthissecond when I am on the cusp of being 28? that's pretty damn fabulous, too."
so, um, yay. you can dream of me at 4:11 AM. central standard time.
right. okay, more bloggage later. think: the fair, fall decorations, funny political things, etc.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
l-*-x photography n-c
Hi friends!
I have some exciting news to share--my friend Nicole and I are going into photography business on the side. Our name is (L-*-x Photography N-C except without the dashes, but I don't want to be googled), and you can find our website here once it's all up and running. For now there's some images and links, and soon we'll add a schedule. Expect to see a fully functioning site by December 1st!
In the meantime, please feel free to visit our individual sites at http://carrie-r-richardson.com and http://www.nicolefabyphotography.com . If you live nearby, we are willing to travel! And for you out-of-towners, I'm available for photo shoots whenever I come to Tulsa (or your neck of the woods) as well.
As freelance photographers, Nicole can help you capture that gorgeous portrait of your little one and Carrie can take specific shots to go with that orange in your living room or make sure that vintage car or keepsake will still be with you in years to come. Together, we'll make sure those lasting photographs include both the moment AND the details.
To start off L-*-x Photography N-C is focusing on portraits--we'll be taking pictures of life from maternity and newborn to engagement and beyond. If you have a need for maternity, infant, family, senior pictures, headshots, engagement or any other type of photography, we would love to offer your our services.
Since we're just starting out our prices are more than reasonable~ A full session is two hours at the location of your choice and a cd of the finished images. We offer discounts for referrals and friends, and are more than willing to work with you on pricing, if need be. All of PGUMC and Kappa Delta members are eligible for the friend discount, in addition to others.
With the holidays right around the corner, and to get our feet wet as a duo, Nicole and I will be offering FREE MINI-SESSIONS on December 6th at Pullen Park. These half-hour shoots will be a great chance to get those cute family photos for sending out holiday greetings or for gifts for your family. Details about this will follow and spaces will be limited, but if you're already interested please email and let me know!
We are also looking for opportunities to photograph a wedding. There would be no cost to the bride and groom, and we would be fine with being an auxiliary photographer since we're new to this. If you or someone you know are interested, we would love the opportunity, and will give any successful referrer a full photo shoot for free as a thank you!
Nicole and I are looking forward to helping you preserve your memories through photographs. Please contact us at l-*-x-photography-n-c [at] gmail [dot] com (again, without the dashes) to book shoots or with comments and suggestions. If you know anyone with photography needs please pass along our information--we will reward those who refer us, too!
thanks for all of your support already, I really appreciate it!
I have some exciting news to share--my friend Nicole and I are going into photography business on the side. Our name is (L-*-x Photography N-C except without the dashes, but I don't want to be googled), and you can find our website here once it's all up and running. For now there's some images and links, and soon we'll add a schedule. Expect to see a fully functioning site by December 1st!
In the meantime, please feel free to visit our individual sites at http://carrie-r-richardson.com and http://www.
As freelance photographers, Nicole can help you capture that gorgeous portrait of your little one and Carrie can take specific shots to go with that orange in your living room or make sure that vintage car or keepsake will still be with you in years to come. Together, we'll make sure those lasting photographs include both the moment AND the details.
To start off L-*-x Photography N-C is focusing on portraits--we'll be taking pictures of life from maternity and newborn to engagement and beyond. If you have a need for maternity, infant, family, senior pictures, headshots, engagement or any other type of photography, we would love to offer your our services.
Since we're just starting out our prices are more than reasonable~ A full session is two hours at the location of your choice and a cd of the finished images. We offer discounts for referrals and friends, and are more than willing to work with you on pricing, if need be. All of PGUMC and Kappa Delta members are eligible for the friend discount, in addition to others.
With the holidays right around the corner, and to get our feet wet as a duo, Nicole and I will be offering FREE MINI-SESSIONS on December 6th at Pullen Park. These half-hour shoots will be a great chance to get those cute family photos for sending out holiday greetings or for gifts for your family. Details about this will follow and spaces will be limited, but if you're already interested please email and let me know!
We are also looking for opportunities to photograph a wedding. There would be no cost to the bride and groom, and we would be fine with being an auxiliary photographer since we're new to this. If you or someone you know are interested, we would love the opportunity, and will give any successful referrer a full photo shoot for free as a thank you!
Nicole and I are looking forward to helping you preserve your memories through photographs. Please contact us at l-*-x-photography-n-c [at] gmail [dot] com (again, without the dashes) to book shoots or with comments and suggestions. If you know anyone with photography needs please pass along our information--we will reward those who refer us, too!
thanks for all of your support already, I really appreciate it!
Monday, October 20, 2008
why I am voting for obama
warning: this post is actually, really, totally political. if you think you might get pissed off at me then please don't bother reading it. and if you'd like to fact-check or present an opposing (or supporting) viewpoint, I'm all for it as long as you're NICE.
so, misha is full of good questions. seriously. see the one here? I don't talk a lot about politics, really--I talk a lot about the environment. I could totally write that sentence again replacing the word "talk" with the word "care." But, since she asked...
obvs, I'm voting for obama. if you did not know this then you must not know me in person and/or must not have read any of my recent posts. :)
and clearly, my #1 reason for voting for obama is because I agree with his environmental policies. mccain's are good. obama's are better. neither is going to achieve all they say, we all know that, but I feel like if you shoot for the moon and miss, at least you'll land amongst the stars, so to speak. in my mind, mccain would be more in the troposphere.
but that's not all of it. if mccain's environmental policies were superior to obama's (i.e., more stringent, more eco-friendly, etc) that doesn't mean I'd vote for him. It's more than that. For the most part, I agree with Obama. His beliefs, his mindset. Sign the Kyoto protocol, give more money to the no child left behind, end the war, allow stem cell research, give women the right to choose, cut middle class taxes, etc.
I'm kind of iffy on the feasibility of universal health care and I honestly don't know every single thing about both candidates. To be honest, I kind of don't care. Because I believe that if we don't do something about the environment then pretty soon? Pretty soon there won't BE an economy or a war or anything else. Because we won't be able to sustain life on this planet.
doom and gloom? maybe. but I think it's true.
If you boil it down the two candidates aren't leaps and bounds away from each other. We just have one on the left and one on the right, but for the most part nobody's way out in crazy territory. Well, until you throw in Palin, but that's another topic I'd rather not delve into....anyway...when it comes to the end of the day...when we look back at this time period (if we can look back at all...more doom and gloom, sorry) we can either be a "we tried" or a "we succeeded." either a "yes, we made the changes and now can live in our climates" or we'll have to say "well, the middle section of the earth is totally uninhabitable because we're idiots." As a member of the fattest, most polluting, most hateful and bullying and most holier-than-thou country in the world, I sure as shit hope it's the former and not the latter. More than anything, THAT is why I'm voting for Obama. The rest is details. just details. We have such a HUGE opportunity to make things so much better, environmentally and otherwise, and I think Obama is the man to help us step in that direction.
And, before anyone's panties get in a bunch, I don't think a vote for McCain is a vote for us being eco-idiots or even something dumb. I think it's your opinion. Mine is different. That's all. I just honestly fear that McCain's mind will be on different issues, ones that might be more pressing rightthissecond, but that in the long term won't be nearly as signficant, and that our country will lose sight of the forest for the trees...I feel like we'll be tackling the wrong issues, so to speak (not that dealing with them is wrong, that there are other issues that need our attention more).
the end.
also, go vote--for whomever you please. As long as you DO vote you get a thumbs up in my book. :)
UPDATE: yesterday I got FIVE pieces of political mail. FIVE. Two of the same anti-Obama ads, one piece about NC's governor race, a different anti-Obama ad (and neither of those told me A THING about McCain) and a piece of mail from Obama's campaign addressed to both Matt and me telling us that early voting has started in NC. Let's see...hate mail or do-your-civic-duty mail, hmmm....
so, misha is full of good questions. seriously. see the one here? I don't talk a lot about politics, really--I talk a lot about the environment. I could totally write that sentence again replacing the word "talk" with the word "care." But, since she asked...
obvs, I'm voting for obama. if you did not know this then you must not know me in person and/or must not have read any of my recent posts. :)
and clearly, my #1 reason for voting for obama is because I agree with his environmental policies. mccain's are good. obama's are better. neither is going to achieve all they say, we all know that, but I feel like if you shoot for the moon and miss, at least you'll land amongst the stars, so to speak. in my mind, mccain would be more in the troposphere.
but that's not all of it. if mccain's environmental policies were superior to obama's (i.e., more stringent, more eco-friendly, etc) that doesn't mean I'd vote for him. It's more than that. For the most part, I agree with Obama. His beliefs, his mindset. Sign the Kyoto protocol, give more money to the no child left behind, end the war, allow stem cell research, give women the right to choose, cut middle class taxes, etc.
I'm kind of iffy on the feasibility of universal health care and I honestly don't know every single thing about both candidates. To be honest, I kind of don't care. Because I believe that if we don't do something about the environment then pretty soon? Pretty soon there won't BE an economy or a war or anything else. Because we won't be able to sustain life on this planet.
doom and gloom? maybe. but I think it's true.
If you boil it down the two candidates aren't leaps and bounds away from each other. We just have one on the left and one on the right, but for the most part nobody's way out in crazy territory. Well, until you throw in Palin, but that's another topic I'd rather not delve into....anyway...when it comes to the end of the day...when we look back at this time period (if we can look back at all...more doom and gloom, sorry) we can either be a "we tried" or a "we succeeded." either a "yes, we made the changes and now can live in our climates" or we'll have to say "well, the middle section of the earth is totally uninhabitable because we're idiots." As a member of the fattest, most polluting, most hateful and bullying and most holier-than-thou country in the world, I sure as shit hope it's the former and not the latter. More than anything, THAT is why I'm voting for Obama. The rest is details. just details. We have such a HUGE opportunity to make things so much better, environmentally and otherwise, and I think Obama is the man to help us step in that direction.
And, before anyone's panties get in a bunch, I don't think a vote for McCain is a vote for us being eco-idiots or even something dumb. I think it's your opinion. Mine is different. That's all. I just honestly fear that McCain's mind will be on different issues, ones that might be more pressing rightthissecond, but that in the long term won't be nearly as signficant, and that our country will lose sight of the forest for the trees...I feel like we'll be tackling the wrong issues, so to speak (not that dealing with them is wrong, that there are other issues that need our attention more).
the end.
also, go vote--for whomever you please. As long as you DO vote you get a thumbs up in my book. :)
UPDATE: yesterday I got FIVE pieces of political mail. FIVE. Two of the same anti-Obama ads, one piece about NC's governor race, a different anti-Obama ad (and neither of those told me A THING about McCain) and a piece of mail from Obama's campaign addressed to both Matt and me telling us that early voting has started in NC. Let's see...hate mail or do-your-civic-duty mail, hmmm....
Friday, October 17, 2008
where's the green!?
I know, I know, I haven't gotten to talk about green stuff recently. I've been BUSY. And it looks like I'll stay busy. I mean, I'm only just now getting to tell you that my birthday is less than a week away!! This time last year I had a countdown! :)
Last night I didn't even sit down to eat dinner. Matt and I realized that if we sat down we were done. So instead we stood. And walked. And moved. And crouched. And lifted.
But:
The shelf in the basement has things on it. I unpacked SEVEN boxes of books and decor yesterday. Perhaps more. I am very pleased to have this up. I even unpacked the bigbigbig box of books from my childhood. Somehow I don't have the #1 Nancy Drew. I may have to look for it on ebay. I have this thing about having the whole set. And we also got to do a little glancing through each othe
r's senior yearbooks--which we both worked on. Man, they were A LOT more lenient in Augusta GA. The captions say things like "aren't you glad you used dial?" and show a girl whose arm is raised in the air. We NEVER could've done that. Ever.
Also, the entertainment center downstairs has some decor as well. It will probably get rearranged and I deffo need to print a picture of augusta to balance out the tulsa skyline, but all in all I feel like we're making progress! It was fun finding the pictures of my grandparents.
Some day I want Matt and me to take a picture of us reading a yearbook like theirs. Or maybe with both of our yearbooks. Not sure. But I LOVE that picture of them. LOVE.
We are recycling all of this and/or removing it from our home. This is good too. And Matt had already taken out the recycling yesterday and THEN we had this. We recycle A LOT. Our container is bigger (an old laundry basket) and we still usually fill up the recycling twice before we fill up the trash. Especially now that we compost. With illustrations like this it STILL amazes me that people don't recycle. Seriously.
And I'm hesitant to share this with you, because, well, some people are all judgmental about the fact that we aren't unpacked yet, but anyway...this is my garage. I'm sure it looks like it's full full full to you, but I'm pretty excited because you know what's in the middle there? FLOOR. Like, actual, real, uncovered cement. I have NO IDEA how Matt and I would have fit in a smaller place, particularly one that did not have a garage! Our goal is to have this pretty much cleaned out by the party, even if it's at the expense of having a clean guest room. Wish us luck!
This weekend is yet another busy one--fun with friends tonight, belaying, photography and a bday party tomorrow and sunday is church and our class project from 1-6, and then the fair. And somewhere in there I need to work on my paper. :) Yikes.
Last night I didn't even sit down to eat dinner. Matt and I realized that if we sat down we were done. So instead we stood. And walked. And moved. And crouched. And lifted.
But:
The shelf in the basement has things on it. I unpacked SEVEN boxes of books and decor yesterday. Perhaps more. I am very pleased to have this up. I even unpacked the bigbigbig box of books from my childhood. Somehow I don't have the #1 Nancy Drew. I may have to look for it on ebay. I have this thing about having the whole set. And we also got to do a little glancing through each othe
r's senior yearbooks--which we both worked on. Man, they were A LOT more lenient in Augusta GA. The captions say things like "aren't you glad you used dial?" and show a girl whose arm is raised in the air. We NEVER could've done that. Ever.Also, the entertainment center downstairs has some decor as well. It will probably get rearranged and I deffo need to print a picture of augusta to balance out the tulsa skyline, but all in all I feel like we're making progress! It was fun finding the pictures of my grandparents.
Some day I want Matt and me to take a picture of us reading a yearbook like theirs. Or maybe with both of our yearbooks. Not sure. But I LOVE that picture of them. LOVE.We are recycling all of this and/or removing it from our home. This is good too. And Matt had already taken out the recycling yesterday and THEN we had this. We recycle A LOT. Our container is bigger (an old laundry basket) and we still usually fill up the recycling twice before we fill up the trash. Especially now that we compost. With illustrations like this it STILL amazes me that people don't recycle. Seriously.
And I'm hesitant to share this with you, because, well, some people are all judgmental about the fact that we aren't unpacked yet, but anyway...this is my garage. I'm sure it looks like it's full full full to you, but I'm pretty excited because you know what's in the middle there? FLOOR. Like, actual, real, uncovered cement. I have NO IDEA how Matt and I would have fit in a smaller place, particularly one that did not have a garage! Our goal is to have this pretty much cleaned out by the party, even if it's at the expense of having a clean guest room. Wish us luck!This weekend is yet another busy one--fun with friends tonight, belaying, photography and a bday party tomorrow and sunday is church and our class project from 1-6, and then the fair. And somewhere in there I need to work on my paper. :) Yikes.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
an extremely unsatisfied customer
I used to like Dell. I did. They make good machines, right? but their customer service is MISERABLE. AWFUL. And really an excellent example of piss-poor training.
let's do a timeline, shall we?
August 2005 I buy a computer with a three year warranty on everything
August 2008 I have said computer spiffed up before the warranty expires, replacing the keyboard and lcd, some plastic, stuff like that.
September 2008 the hard drive crashes. I pay Dell $50 to tell me that it's my hard drive and it's dead and gone.
(also, in this month I ordered a hard drive that didn't connect correctly. my own fault but then again, Dell used almost-outdated technology in my computer. meaning like putting a 2008 engine in a 2009 car even though the 2009 engine is MUCH better)
October 2008 I contact Dell to say "what's the maximum capacity hard drive that is compatible with my computer?" During this conversation, after I told the woman the make and specifics of my laptop computer, I purchased the drive. I was told it would be shipped on thursday. on thursday I found out it was delayed. I called, had them look at my other options, etc. and ended up keeping the drive.
yesterday, October 14th--I get a phone call and email from Dell saying my order has a new delayed ship date of October 27th. This is RIDICULOUS. I call them back. I am on the phone or on hold for AT LEAST an hour and seven minutes. There goes my lunch hour. And then some. I talked to a minimum of eight people, asked at least twice for my order to be cancelled only to get the "other options" mumbo jumbo, and was denied the privilege of speaking to a manager TWICE because "they have the same tools I do." When I got off the phone after being transferred AGAIN to "speak to someone who can help you find an alternate part" I decided I'd call once I calmed down to cancel my order.
I was so red and angry someone asked if I had been tanning. At one point during the conversation I actually cried tears of frustration. ALL I WANT is to voice my complaints where they'll go somewhere, as I have gotten shitty customer service and their sales department made TWO mistakes.
no such luck.
so, fine, whatever. I'm pissed, never buying a dell product again, writing a letter and stuff like that.
and then.
AT LIKE 4AM I GET AN EMAIL SAYING THEY'VE SHIPPED THE DAMN THING.
So I have been on hold some more today. Basically they still won't get me to a supervisor and all I can do is accept the package and then return it. While on hold for a supervisor I've been disconnected twice. I've been told that they can only transfer me to their direct supervisor, that's it. And I have said my name and order number over and over. I've written down eight people's names. Some of them just repeated it when I asked them to spell it and were reluctant to actually spell it out. They've all said "oh boy, that sucks." One said "could you have told them you information incorrectly?" DUDE YOU SOLD ME THE DAMN THING, you know the deets. You looked up my file by my name address and phone number.
seriously livid. no longer wanting to clench my fists, but geeeeez. I'm actually on hold while I type this. It's been an hour long phone call and I've been on hold for ~47 minutes of it. They get 5 minutes and I'm calling back. Again.
let's do a timeline, shall we?
August 2005 I buy a computer with a three year warranty on everything
August 2008 I have said computer spiffed up before the warranty expires, replacing the keyboard and lcd, some plastic, stuff like that.
September 2008 the hard drive crashes. I pay Dell $50 to tell me that it's my hard drive and it's dead and gone.
(also, in this month I ordered a hard drive that didn't connect correctly. my own fault but then again, Dell used almost-outdated technology in my computer. meaning like putting a 2008 engine in a 2009 car even though the 2009 engine is MUCH better)
October 2008 I contact Dell to say "what's the maximum capacity hard drive that is compatible with my computer?" During this conversation, after I told the woman the make and specifics of my laptop computer, I purchased the drive. I was told it would be shipped on thursday. on thursday I found out it was delayed. I called, had them look at my other options, etc. and ended up keeping the drive.
yesterday, October 14th--I get a phone call and email from Dell saying my order has a new delayed ship date of October 27th. This is RIDICULOUS. I call them back. I am on the phone or on hold for AT LEAST an hour and seven minutes. There goes my lunch hour. And then some. I talked to a minimum of eight people, asked at least twice for my order to be cancelled only to get the "other options" mumbo jumbo, and was denied the privilege of speaking to a manager TWICE because "they have the same tools I do." When I got off the phone after being transferred AGAIN to "speak to someone who can help you find an alternate part" I decided I'd call once I calmed down to cancel my order.
I was so red and angry someone asked if I had been tanning. At one point during the conversation I actually cried tears of frustration. ALL I WANT is to voice my complaints where they'll go somewhere, as I have gotten shitty customer service and their sales department made TWO mistakes.
no such luck.
so, fine, whatever. I'm pissed, never buying a dell product again, writing a letter and stuff like that.
and then.
AT LIKE 4AM I GET AN EMAIL SAYING THEY'VE SHIPPED THE DAMN THING.
So I have been on hold some more today. Basically they still won't get me to a supervisor and all I can do is accept the package and then return it. While on hold for a supervisor I've been disconnected twice. I've been told that they can only transfer me to their direct supervisor, that's it. And I have said my name and order number over and over. I've written down eight people's names. Some of them just repeated it when I asked them to spell it and were reluctant to actually spell it out. They've all said "oh boy, that sucks." One said "could you have told them you information incorrectly?" DUDE YOU SOLD ME THE DAMN THING, you know the deets. You looked up my file by my name address and phone number.
seriously livid. no longer wanting to clench my fists, but geeeeez. I'm actually on hold while I type this. It's been an hour long phone call and I've been on hold for ~47 minutes of it. They get 5 minutes and I'm calling back. Again.
what's in a name?
just fyi, vero is italian for geniune or truth and ell you ex is latin for light. and NC is both for our state AND our initials. :)
Monday, October 13, 2008
"i definitely can't say anything amphibia..."
~jeff m.
these pictures say it all. well, almost.
friday: beeeeer at manchesters with our new friends christy and jeff. we liked them, and apparently they like us too. LOTS of widmer hefeweizen. LOTS. and enviro talk and stupid jokes (matt made me tell them the little red ball joke--and by made I mean teased me about how dumb it was until I had to prove how dumb it was, though I LOVE it and it's one of my very favorites) you know it's an interesting evening when boobs and the sex talk come up in the first five minutes of your conversation.
it was also VERY nice to talk to someone about environmental issues who thinks of the environment from the business perspective. quite educational. and I really enjoy talking to people who actually know what they think and why they think it, and know more than one random fact which they based their entire argument upon. I get that a lot.
oh and, we kinda sorta closed the bar and the owner brought us a free pitcher of beer, too! good stuff.
saturday: division picnic at noon (note: do not wear cheap flip flops to umstead park) then napping and birthday party going. I did NOT feel good, it was a bad tummy day. but the picnic was fun and the birthday party even more fun! derek did not manage to enter into a debate with me about the pres. candidates, thank goodness, and it was fun to see all of nicole's wedding pictures too. we played flip cup, drank magic blue juice which was DANGEROUS and nicole and I made some business plans. :) I had a great time with my fellow october baby, too!
sunday: loooooong day. first church. before that cleaning out my car, making my printer function, getting my butt out of bed even though we stayed up too late AGAIN. after church lunch and the crop walk. it was four miles and totally worthwhile, both for the cause and the scenery and the company. It makes me want to take pictures in that part of town. there was one annoying part though--I upset a youth because I only mentioned the crop walk and didn't mention the buddy walk. mind you, I am the one who registered us and found out the info for the crop walk--of course I have my mind on it. others helped with the buddy walk, they could have mentioned it! whatever, I guess. It's just hard to volunteer so much time and have your every action and word scrutinized.
anyhoo. then last night after I got home (and saw that matt got me flowers and was installing the ceiling fan in our bedroom!) I hung our planters and started cleaning. we had a free dinner (spanish rice from matt's parents and leftover chicken from the picnic) and then I cleaned some more. and I started to feel crappy. and like my head was fuzzy. I just didn't feel right. I ended up taking a shower which made me feel a little better and then matt had me drink some water and tea and I went to bed. we couldn't figure out how it could be anything else, so we've decided I was a bit dehydrated--the night before, the 4 miles, more time outside after, etc. it was not fun! I'm feeling better today but still not 100%...
the end.
also, I want a fisheye lens, I think. I'm trying to decide between getting the crappy attachment one and seeing how I like and getting a real actual fisheye. they are not cheap. but if I love it? eh, I dunno. I'm sure I'll figure it out!
these pictures say it all. well, almost.
it was also VERY nice to talk to someone about environmental issues who thinks of the environment from the business perspective. quite educational. and I really enjoy talking to people who actually know what they think and why they think it, and know more than one random fact which they based their entire argument upon. I get that a lot.
oh and, we kinda sorta closed the bar and the owner brought us a free pitcher of beer, too! good stuff.
saturday: division picnic at noon (note: do not wear cheap flip flops to umstead park) then napping and birthday party going. I did NOT feel good, it was a bad tummy day. but the picnic was fun and the birthday party even more fun! derek did not manage to enter into a debate with me about the pres. candidates, thank goodness, and it was fun to see all of nicole's wedding pictures too. we played flip cup, drank magic blue juice which was DANGEROUS and nicole and I made some business plans. :) I had a great time with my fellow october baby, too!
sunday: loooooong day. first church. before that cleaning out my car, making my printer function, getting my butt out of bed even though we stayed up too late AGAIN. after church lunch and the crop walk. it was four miles and totally worthwhile, both for the cause and the scenery and the company. It makes me want to take pictures in that part of town. there was one annoying part though--I upset a youth because I only mentioned the crop walk and didn't mention the buddy walk. mind you, I am the one who registered us and found out the info for the crop walk--of course I have my mind on it. others helped with the buddy walk, they could have mentioned it! whatever, I guess. It's just hard to volunteer so much time and have your every action and word scrutinized.
anyhoo. then last night after I got home (and saw that matt got me flowers and was installing the ceiling fan in our bedroom!) I hung our planters and started cleaning. we had a free dinner (spanish rice from matt's parents and leftover chicken from the picnic) and then I cleaned some more. and I started to feel crappy. and like my head was fuzzy. I just didn't feel right. I ended up taking a shower which made me feel a little better and then matt had me drink some water and tea and I went to bed. we couldn't figure out how it could be anything else, so we've decided I was a bit dehydrated--the night before, the 4 miles, more time outside after, etc. it was not fun! I'm feeling better today but still not 100%...
the end.
also, I want a fisheye lens, I think. I'm trying to decide between getting the crappy attachment one and seeing how I like and getting a real actual fisheye. they are not cheap. but if I love it? eh, I dunno. I'm sure I'll figure it out!
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