Winding down on Wednesday

After lots of people in and out of the office the last two days, today was relatively quiet, even though the three guys I work for were in and out during the day. It was nice to catch up on some things and clean up my desk a bit. Still, I was waiting for an e-mail to come, which finally arrived 15 minutes before quitting time. I had to forward the e-mail, print out two copies of the attachment, and hurry out the door because I had to stop at the post office. It was almost like Christmas at the post office--waiting in line about 15 minutes.

I got home and nobody was there. So, I unwound a bit more and waited for Tim's call. We debated about eating out or at home, and finally decided on omelets/scrambled eggs with ham and cheese. Tim picked up some English muffin bread for toasting--mmm mmmm good.

I suppose I should get the dishes in the dishwasher and clean up the kitchen. I can do that knowing that I don't have to get up early in the morning for work.

Winding down Wednesdays are nice after a wild week at work.

Till next time,


Suzi

Anti-lock and ramblings

I got to test out my Highlander today in the snow. Scotty McGregor did a fine job, getting me to work safe and sound. The anti-lock brakes work well, though I'm still getting used to them. The main roads were jammed, but we were (Scotty & I) able to negotiate the back roads fairly easily, if slowly. I was about 10 minutes late to work, but part of that was because Mark couldn't get his truck doors open to get to school. He finally was able to get them open enough to back up so he could take the Tundra out. I asked him to call me and they got to school on time, then Christina called me to say school had a late start due to the weather.

I finished the newsletter at work, had some kinks to work out with the new PDF application, but was actually able to get help by e-mailing tech support, getting a timely answer, and what they suggested worked! At least for the most part--I've already got a couple of e-mails saying that people are having trouble opening it. Maybe they don't have Acrobat reader downloaded on their computer. That would be an easy solution.

It's after 8, and even though I'm not as tired as on a Monday, I think I'll hit the sack early. No Gilmore Girls tonight (they're on tomorrow instead--and it's a rerun!) so I don't have my usual fix of new dialogue. Ah well, there is more to life than Lorelei and Rory.

In our staff meeting today, our superintendent talked about how we as Americans tend to go right from Thanksgiving to Christmas. We miss Advent, and the anticipation of the arrival of our Savior. At least a couple of staff members said they hadn't grown up with the Advent tradition, and I'm so thankful that I did. I have many fond memories of gathering around the Advent candles on the Sunday nights before Christmas and reading a special devotion and singing a Christmas carol.

In the busyness of the season, I hope I can find rest and time to reflect on the reason for it all--Jesus' coming. And while we wait for Christmas, we can be busy doing His work and anticipating the second Advent--when he shall return for us and we can enter eternal rest.

Till next time,


Suzi

Mondays are not getting any easier...

Mondays are not getting any easier, and I suppose especially after partying so hard yesterday on my birthday. It was a busy day at work--a committee came to interview pastors in various stages of licensure, and I always get to run out to pick up lunch for them, plus greet all the pastors as they arrive.

Gave our own pastor's daughter a ride home today, so I got home about five. Had left-overs for dinner and off to Bible study fellowship. Then home to blog.

Quite an exciting day.

I am planning to go to bed soon so perhaps Tuesday will be a more rested day--and I need to e-mail the conference newsletter tomorrow too. It's all set to go, just checking on last minute details and getting it ready to put in a PDF format.

Till next time,


Suzi

Happy day

I had a very nice birthday today, although it had a bit of a bewildering beginning. The radio went off, as usual, at 5 am, but then off again at 6. Tim, for some reason, turned it back on but didn't get up. I got up after 7 to walk Raven. No one stirred to wish me a happy birthday. Ah well, there is plenty of time left in the day, I thought.

As Raven and I walked and neared home, we approached a house with a barking dog. No big deal, I thought--even if Raven barks back people keep their dogs in the yards, chained or fenced in. But not this time. Two chocolate labs left the confines of their yard and approached us. Raven barked, and I decided to take the long way home. Fortunately, Nestle and Cocoa decided not to pursue us too much farther.

Back at home, I expected at least a sleepy birthday greeting from someone. Nothing. I went into the bedroom. Tim was up, because the bed was made--his first birthday gift to me (he never makes the bed-at least not without help). So I putzed around a bit. Finally he came home. I thought I'd be coy and hide in the closet, but he didn't even come looking for me. After several minutes I got tired of the coy act, so I emerged. Oh, there you are, he said. He had bought me a birthday card and a little digital camera that Raven and I can use on our walks. Hopefully I can post some photos soon on my blog. Thanks, honey!

Christina and Mark eventually got up, and we made our way to church, were I spent my birthday morning managing two toddlers and changing poopy (okay, only one) diaper(s). We went out to Old Country Buffet (I know, another chain, Rick) but had a delicious lunch.

On to home where I cleaned and cooked to get ready for my birthday party. It was worth the effort. My in-laws arrived around six and we enjoyed tacos and fixins. Tim's cousin Terry came and brought me a gift from himself and his parents. (His mom, Tim's aunt, makes lovely sun catchers and Terry brought me two of them.) I got a nice outfit from my mother- and father-in-law as well as Tim's brother and his wife. Tim's other brother and wife got me some nice bath items--lotion, a candle, spray and body wash. Mmmmm mmmm. I can already feel the bath water creeping up to sooth me.

Mark got me some diamond earrings from a real jewelry store. I was stunned. Luke got me a generous gift certificate from one of my favorite bookstores. Christina cleaned and chauffeured us around. We enjoyed cake from Dairy Queen.

Our friend Greg stopped by too with birthday wishes--we saw him at church today and Tim invited him (and his family, who couldn't make it) at the last minute. It was a pleasant surprise for me. Luke's girlfriend Katie also came and she made me a beaded barrette. Christina's boyfriend Pete arrived also, with the gift of keeping Christina happy. Mark's girlfriend couldn't make it from Moldova, but I know she would have been here if she could.

Thank you everyone for a terrific day. It was also great to talk to my mom and dad, brother Rog and sister Cheri. I know I'll talk to Lori soon too (little sis). Thanks to you for your wonderful gifts, too. (Love the purse and chocolates!)

Till next time,


Suzi

Thrifty day

Today was our day to "volunteer" at the kids' school's thrift store. All the parents are supposed to take one shift (a 3 1/2 hour shift) once a year, because the proceeds from the store go to help keep tuition down.

Last year I signed up to do September, to get it over with, but we ended up getting put on Sept 2005. Then, the schedules came out and we weren't on, so I took the first available weekend--Thanksgiving weekend. Christina and her friend Pete came to help me and Tim, and we were busy hauling stuff in and sorting. I am lousy at pricing items, so I got out of that as much as possible.

On the way home we stopped to buy Christina some new black pants, a white blouse and a winter coat (she looked at the thrift store but didn't see anything that would work or fit). She's got a band concert coming up and needs the blouse and pants--she misplaced her other white top and the pants got a hole in them. Go figure. She claims she outgrew her winter coat from last year and she's been running around with hooded sweatshirts, but it's been getting pretty cold lately.

She wanted to shop yesterday but I REFUSED to go out in the madness that is Black Friday, plus it was snowing. Tim was sickened at the price of the new clothes, especially after being at the Thrift store, but hey, he doesn't get out that much (sorry honey) and besides we kept it under $100.

Tomorrow is my day and I know others have spent hundreds on me for my birthday (just kidding--I'm grateful for just their presents I mean presence in my home). It should be fun--we're having tacos here--so it's nice and easy and we'll do paper plates and DQ ice cream cake.

Till next time,


Suzi

Snow for Christmas shopping day

Raven and I reveled in the snow today. He enjoyed making his snow dog/angels and pushing the snow with his snout. He even barked at the snow on occasion, then looked back at me and jumped, as if to say, "Isn't this the most exciting thing ever?"

I had asked Tim to join us, and he was even going to, but he couldn't find his winter boots. So a pile of old shoes and boots ended up on the entry way floor, till I could sort through them and still didn't find Tim's boots. But at least we sorted through shoes and boots and have tossed many and have given away more--tomorrow we are scheduled to volunteer at the kids' school Thrift Store (they donate money to help with tuition, so parents volunteer at the store once a year).

Anyway, I heard on the radio that many people were braving the snow and slippery roads to find the great deals at the stores. I am happy to stay home. Christina, on the other hand, was anxious to get out and about and practice winter driving. Tim took her as far as the bank, and then (thankfully?) her boyfriend arrived at our home to pick her up for a belated Thanksgiving with his family, so I called Tim and they came home.

I'm thankful to be home away from the shopping madness and not driving in the snow. Although it should be a lot better this year with Scotty McGregor (my Highlander) than with my old Chevy G-20 no-name full size sled van.

Till next time,


Suzi

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! We had a wonderful day at Tim's brother's house. I made four pies (only one of them got consumed at Jeff & Dawn's--the rest we're hogging for ourselves)--two pumpkin and two apple. I also brought the standard green bean casserole and my orange/banana jello.

It was fun to see everyone, though we missed Tim's other brother who is hosting his in-laws at his home today. We'll get together on Sunday for MY BIRTHDAY YES THAT'S RIGHT NOVEMBER 27 SO DON'T FORGET!!!

Last night Tim, his cousin Terry and I went to see the Johnny Cash movie I Walk the Line. I highly recommend it. It was truly a moving story of a life transformed. Plus, it was nice to get out and sit back and enjoy something where I could be passive and entertained. Tim even sprung for popcorn and bottled water. And it wasn't till today that I found our movie coupons (in a plastic bag in the car--where I put them when I was cleaning one day).

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be grateful for--a nice home, great kids, a great spouse--a cuddly dog who still barks too much at night, etc. etc. Most of all Jesus. Now you really can't get better than that.

Till next time,


Suzi

Blogging at last

It's been a tiring couple of days. Saturday night Raven barked almost all night long. We think it might have been because the microwave popcorn was in too long and started burning and smoking, and the whole house smelled like burnt popcorn all night. Finally Tim put him in the office about 3:30 am and he settled down a bit, or we were so exhausted that we finally fell asleep.

Sunday was busy--after church we helped set up for our friend Kelly's mom's funeral--the first funeral at our new little church. It was a very nice service, and we were happy to do what small part we could. Afterwards I stayed to help clean up and got home around 5:30. We didn't have small group so it was nice to crash.

Monday came early and is always long with work and Bible Study Fellowship at night. I dragged myself to the grocery store at 9 pm because I refuse to go to the grocery store on the day before Thanksgiving and I needed to pick up a couple of things (which grew, of course, to be a cart full of things).

I collapsed into bed last night, only to be awakened by Raven barking incessantly at 2:30 pm. I ushered him down to Christina's room, because he settles down when he can crawl in bed with her. Of course she complained in the morning how she couldn't sleep because of Raven in her room....

Today at work I didn't have internet service from the time I got to work at 8 till 11. Talk about frustrating. I couldn't print either, so I think it was a connection problem. I had this problem yesterday too for about an hour first thing in the morning. Ay caramba. But things got better as my co-workers took me out to lunch to celebrate my birthday (which isn't till Sunday, but most of us could go out to lunch today).

Now I'm home chillin' and Gilmore Girls is about to start with a new episode. Life doesn't get much better than that.

Till next time,


Suzi

No movie without a coupon

Last night was the first Friday night Tim and I have had alone for awhile. He offered to take me to a movie, so we began looking for the movie coupon that Tim's cousin Terry had given us. I was excited to think we might even be able to see a first-run movie like "Walk the Line" about the life of Johnny Cash.

But, no coupon was found. I made the mistake of mentioning that "Bowfinger" (Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy) was going to be on TV, so that settled things--movie night would be at home. I did get steak & shrimp dinner at Applebees (no dessert or salad though--but yummy broccoli), so I know I should be grateful for getting out of the house for a little while and not having to cook.

And once again, we were in bed before the kids. So much for a wild night out on the town.

Till next time,


Suzi

Sad news and happy news

Please pray for my friend Kelly--we found out that her mom died yesterday in a house fire just a few miles from us. Kelly and Paul are in the process of moving from this area to Wisconsin. Fortunately their own house closing here was moved back a week--there were supposed to close right before Thanksgiving.

At the same time, we have had lots of good news in the past 24 hours. First, my lab results were given to me at the doc's office this morning, and my triglycerides are down and my good cholesterol numbers are up, which my doctor said is huge! My A1c is 7.1, same as last time, which is also good (not as good as my daddy's, but still good ;) )

Other good (or scary??) news, is that our daughter Christina passed her permit test. She got 100 percent! She was very happy, since she missed passing by a couple of questions on her first try. She has already driven with me and with Tim, and she is doing very well (after she adjusts all the mirrors and her seat, and even discarded the head rest because "it was blocking my blind spot!" ??)

And, best of all, our friends Dale and Beckie are engaged! Dale accompanied us to Cornerstone music festival last summer and we camped next to Beckie's group. Beckie and Dale hit it off during the few days we were down there, and Beckie has been up from Oklahoma getting to know Dale better since August. She called me last night to see if I could help her shop for a "special dress" and finally revealed that it is HER WEDDING DRESS!!!

The blessings in life always seem so much more wonderful after trials. I'm very grateful to God for his goodness, and I'm hoping I can enjoy the good times even when they're not followed by tragedy.

Till next time,


Suzi

A morning ride

This morning, as Mark and Christina were leaving for school, Mark realized that he was out of gas. We pay for Mark's gas in his truck during the school year, since he drives himself and his sister every day to and from. I was out of cash, and didn't want to part with my credit card for the whole day, so Raven and I jumped (well, it wasn't exactly that easy) in the back seat of Mark's extended cab truck. Raven and I began our morning walk from the gas station instead of home.

It took a bit to get Raven out, so I crawled over him and then once I was out he followed pretty readily. We walked a new route (well, one we haven't taken in a while) and went down to the lake.

It was a quiet, cold morning--temperatures in the single digits, which we haven't had since March. Raven and I watched the steam rise from the lake that had formed a thin layer of ice in patches. Not safe for walking, that's for sure--not for a good while yet.

Last week we were running around without coats. Now we are bundled up and the heat is finally on in the house. I guess summer is really over.

Till next time,


Suzi

Walking and driving in the first snow

Raven and I had a brisk cool walk this morning. Air temperatures were in the 20s, but the whipping wind made it seem colder. We hurried along, but I could tell Raven enjoyed the snow.

Driving in wasn't too bad--I took sideroads as usual, but well-traveled enough so they weren't too slippery. The worst was probably going down the hill by the river on the River Road, but even that wasn't bad. Scotty McGregor (my Toyota Highlander) is doing well in wintery conditions.

On Wednesdays I give our pastor's daughter a ride to school (her school is right across the street from my office) so it's nice to have company. Today she showed me a shortcut to avoid the last traffic light on our route, so I'll be taking that from now on and save another minute or two.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! (Or at least Thanksgiving...)

Till next time,


Suzi

Snow!

Well, we waited all day, but finally the snow has come! Raven and I went out for a quick peek. He just laid down in the grass, enjoying the cool white frozenness of it all. I think he'll wait for a bit more accumulation before he makes snow dogs (angels)--one of his favorite winter pastimes.

It's supposed to get colder and colder, but Tim said he heard warmer temperatures for next week. Now I have to convince him to turn the heat on. He needs to change the filter in the furnace first, he says. But it's barely above mid-sixties in this house, so he better take care of it soon, or I'll flip on the heat, filter or no! Can you believe it's mid-November and we haven't had the furnace on yet!

By the way, the snow is just barely covering the green (yes green) grass.

Till next time,


Suzi

Mondays are hard to blog days

It's hard to blog on Mondays cause I'm getting used to the work routine again, and then especially on Mondays when we have fellowship time before Bible Study Fellowship. We bring our own supper and talk about what God is teaching us in BSF. So, I came home from work, folded some laundry, ran to Arby's, met the gals in my group in our room for supper and conversation, and had the regular BSF meeting. When I got home at 9 pm Tim helped me scan and crop some photos for a co-worker who is doing a paper for licensing in the Covenant church.

Maybe tomorrow I'll be more fresh and can say more.

Till next time,


Suzi

PS Christina missed passing her permit test by 3 questions. She is determined to keep trying this week.

The last warm day?

This morning Raven and I got out a bit late for our walk. Lots of people were out raking or up on their roofs getting leaves out of the gutters. We were able to corral Mark and some of his friends to finish raking the front yard. I suppose we should work on the back yard too--the people from the church behind us are busy finishing up the raking they started several weeks ago. Most of the leaves are down, and I think next week may be the last week for compost pick up before winter.

Tim's over at Luke's helping him with some project. He just called me to see if we have any two by sixes (Maybe they are sheet rocking the basement). I know Luke's been painting--I'll have to get over to see the home improvements.

Also plan to pick up our family photos/cards today. Saturdays are never boring or dull!

Till next time,


Suzi

Update

Today is Veteran's Day. (Thanks to all our armed forced guys and gals out there!) So, many government offices are closed. This happens to include the Plymouth, MN drivers licensing station. So, when Christina and I arrived, we drove up to a gate with a CLOSED sign on it.

It looks like Tim can take her for her driving test on Monday. So, for now, Minnesotans are still safe on the road. ;)

Till next time,


Suzi

Nothing lost today--yet

Well, nothing is lost today, that I know of. Still haven't found John's IDs. And Mark forgot his lunch at home. I'm hoping he'll be able to buy something at school or run out during his lunch hour.

Yesterday Christina finished her driver's training. Today I plan to go with her to the licensing station for her to take her written test for her permit. Maybe, if she passes and I'm feeling really brave, I'll let her drive home.

Pray for me! Pray for us!

Till next time,


Suzi

Losing it--again

All right. Maybe I'm cracking up. Last night, we all got together for our pictures, and I ran back into the house before we left to grab the coupon for $10 off our portrait sitting and 33 percent off Christmas cards.

But, when it was time to pay, I could not find the coupon. I sent Tim back out to the car to look for it, but I thought I remembered holding it in my hand when I came in. I looked in my coat pocket. I searched my cavernous purse. I looked in the bathroom where I had made affirmative comments about Christina's makeup. Nothing. Tim came back with nothing, so I went back to scour the car too. Nothing.

Finally, I glanced back at the coat rack again. There, on the floor was the coupon. I was happy. And the pictures were fun. We were able to preview them on the computer screen and did some funky things (those of you on the Christmas list--you'll be in for an unusual treat!)

This morning I woke up and could not find my glasses. Now, I am as blind as a bat without them (although I can read now without them--a sign of aging that I am now far-sighted as well as near-sighted). I rummaged around on the floor, because I always put them on the table next to my bed, and figured they must have fallen on the floor. Well, there was a pile of stuff there, because when I was "cleaning" a lot of stuff ended up hidden on my side of the bed (away from the door). Nothing. I stumbled into the bathroom and put my contacts in. Make that "contact." I thought I had both lenses in (contacts, that is), when I realized my left lens was not in my eye. It was not in the container or in the bathroom.

Meltdown ensued. I am pretty unhappy when I lose a contact lens, but I always know I have my glasses as a backup. This time I was comin' up with nothin'. Then, the grace of God came. I felt my blue lens stuck on my blue sweatshirt. Praise the Lord.

All this had delayed Tim's lunch from being prepared, so he was rushing about trying to get out the door. "Have you seen my keys?" he asked. Now we made a mad dash around the house in search of the elusive keys. He looked at where they usually hang up, but did not see them. We checked coat pockets, pants pockets, dressers and desks. Finally he found them right where they should have been--hanging up, but on a different "hook" than usual. We will have to weed out our miscellaneous keys so that only the important ones are visible.

Tim got out the door at last. I went back into the bedroom and looked on the dresser. Lo and behold, there were my glasses. I called Tim immediately. "Oh," he said. "I put them there, but I thought they were your reading glasses. I found them at the foot of the bed." (which is where I had dumped the piles that were next to the bed while I was looking for my glasses. I must have moved them and not seen that.

When I had found the phone to call Tim (it was not hanging up where it should have been--but on the hutch) I noticed that we had a phone message. It was our friend John. Apparently his work IDs were missing, and he thinks he may have left them here. Perhaps in the laundry room, as something spilled on him on the plane ride here and he did some quick laundry. (BTW the laundry room is one area of the house I did not bother to clean before John came because WHY WOULD A 47 YEAR OLD MAN DO LAUNDRY IN A FRIEND'S HOUSE WHEN HE IS ONLY HERE FOR THREE DAYS?). Anyway, we still have not found John's IDs, but will continue to look.

Perhaps God is telling me to work on these "hot spots"--areas that end up as dumping grounds. It seems that when I lose things is when I get things organized (usually it's bills--and then the paper piles finally go down.)

I'm grateful the keys, the contact and the glasses were found. Now its the IDs. But maybe the pile next to the bed, the key hanging thingy and the laundry room will get cleaned in the process. One can only hope.

Till next time,


Suzi

A quick blog from work

Thought I'd write a quick blog from work today. I think I'll need caffeine, because the power went out last night around 4 am and didn't come back on for about 30 minutes. Then I was unable to fall back asleep, so it was another short night. Is this part of the aging process, I wonder--inability to sleep at night?

Tonight we'll gather the family together (no easy feat) for our Christmas card pictures and annual portrait. I reminded Tim this morning, and he had already planned to go bid a job this evening. I think I was able to persuade him to do otherwise.

It's chilly and windy today--we've been spoiled by mild and sunny weather. Old man winter must be coming to visit sometime!

Till next time,


Suzi

So tired...

Too many wild nights with our houseguest? Well, we were up till about midnight last night and up at 5 am today. Managed to stay awake at work and get home okay, but now it's 9 pm and I'm ready to crash.

Will try to blog more tomorrow.

Till next time,


Suzi

John's treat

All the preparation for John's arrival has really paid off. Not only do we enjoy his company very much, but he has graciously taken us out to dinner more than once and been a very gracious house guest.

It's nice to see an old friend, someone with whom we share a history, and yet get a fresh look at our own lives through their eyes. Sometimes we get caught up so much in the everyday stuff that it's hard to get perspective. Friends can help do that.

When life can be difficult, it's good to laugh with friends. When people let you down, it's good to know that certain friends will be there no matter what.

Till next time,


Suzi

John is coming!

Today John is coming to visit from Florida. We used to see a lot more of John when his mom lived here--he'd be home on holidays or route his cross-country trips through Minneapolis so he could see her, and usually we'd get a spot on his calendar too.

Tim and John have been friends since junior high. He is a man of amazing intellect, so it's always fun to spend time with him and hear his ideas on the issues of the day.

This time will be different--since his mom no longer lives here, he'll be staying with us. We're still working on the finishing touches (okay there's a lot that could be done around here that won't get done) for his arrival. Mark is giving up his room (Tim won't give up the office--and besides, there's no bed in there...). He'll have his own wheels (renting a car) and he'll be staying till Thursday morning, I think.

Too bad we have to work while he's here (except for this weekend), but he has things planned so hopefully everything will work out okay. Maybe we'll find odd jobs for him to do around the house...

Till next time,


Suzi

Proud parents

Yesterday was parent-teacher conference day. I have to say it's a lot nicer to go around a small school with less than 20 teachers than the huge public high school the boys used to attend. In the public school, at one point I had three students there (when we had an exchange student) and I tried to see as many of their teachers as possible, traveling from one end of the school to another (student population 2000 or something like that).

Even so, it took me over 3 hours to see all of Mark and Christina's teachers, and they have four teachers in common. I was very pleased with their grade report--they both have above B averages and teachers had good things to say about them. Mark is a quiet worker--Christina is very vocal and a good participant. They are very different, but liked by all the teachers.

It was an exhausting process but worth the time. Congratulations Mark and Christina--we're proud parents!

Till next time,


Suzi

Busy day

Today will be a busy day, even with no "work." Dentist appointment, Bible study, grocery shopping cleaning, conferences. Whew. Our friend John is coming to visit from Florida. Ever since he moved there from Hawaii (he grew up in Minnesota) they've been hit with hurricanes. Perhaps he's planning a move back? (Not too likely.) So, we need to get the house in shape. His arrival time is not clear--Tim spent two hours on the phone with him but didn't get little details like exactly when he'd be coming. It's something like Saturday through Tuesday. Ah well, our home is open to many travelers. John is a good friend, so hopefully he won't mind fitting into the ebb and flow of things around here. (Is my sandwich made yet? What smells in the refrigerator? Do you know where my teen Bible is? Have you taken Raven out for his walk yet? Do I have any clean socks? What's for dinner? Can I use your computer?)

It's all what keeps life exciting.

Till next time,


Suzi

Inept people and phone runarounds

Today at work I placed an order. It was for a lamp. Not just any lamp, but a $299 lamp. Must give off pretty decent light, you must think. Well, I hope so, because it is for a VIDEO PROJECTOR. It is little more than a bulb, but even after checking out prices, $299 was the cheapest I could find, short of ebay (only $249 there).

So, I place the order. Later I get a confirmation e-mail with the purchase price plus tax on it, even though my company is non-profit. Okay, so they don't have our tax-exempt status on file. So, I fax it over to them.

Later I get a phone call. It is someone with a foreign accent, but we are the land of immigrants, and I'm happy that we are. I myself am a combination of many nationalities. This person informs me that my purchase could now include a 15 percent discount. Well, that makes me happy because $299 plus the tax that we should not have been charged is a lot of money.

Would I like to charge that to the credit card that I used when I originally placed the order? Sure, I replied. Okay, can you confirm that number for me? Well, I don't have it right in front of me. That's okay, I'll wait. Well, I respond I really don't feel comfortable giving that information to you since you called me--I didn't contact you. I understand, they reply then click.

Well, I think to myself, is this a case of fraud? Did they want that credit card for less than honorable reasons?

I called the company to find out. First I listened to the voice mail and pushed an assortment of numbers and waited to get connected to a live person. Then after I voiced my concerns to a customer service person, that person connected me to someone else who could better help me. That person listened to my tale of woe, then told me I'd have to talk to someone in online sales since my purchase was made online. That person was not much help, either.

In all cases, I was not initially asked for my customer ID number--I offered it first. I was asked if the person who called me was a foreigner (how should I know--plenty of American citizens have accents and are fine people). They said that they have callers from India and perhaps these Indians were offering discounts unbeknownst to the company??????????

Then, I asked for confirmation of my tax exempt status. I was told I'd have to check back in a couple of days because it takes that long to process the bill or something like that.

Ay caramba. I'm spending $300 (plus tax, perhaps) on a light bulb. I get a call with an offer of a discount from someone in India, maybe, and the company has no idea about it but doesn't seem concerned that it might be consumer fraud.

All this, when I should have been interviewing people for the next newsletter that will be coming out soon. Maybe I should do an investigative article about scammers who somehow find out you make online purchases and call you to get credit information.

Or I could just complain and ramble on about it in my blog.

Till next time,


Suzi

Terrific Tuesdays

Tuesdays are fun. I like Tuesday evenings because I can kick back and be home after being out on Monday night at BSF (though I love BSF). It is also Gilmore Girls night, although I see that tonight they are airing the very first episode of GG. I don't know why, but oh well. That was a good episode. Maybe they will make it a "flashback" episode.

Also, it means I only have one more day of work this week. I love my job, but I look forward to sleeping in a bit. Walking Raven in the dark is okay, but I much prefer daylight walking. It's a little better now with daylight savings time, but it's still pretty dark when we head out around 5:45 am. The sky is just beginning to lighten on our return at 6:30.

Now it's dark early, so we can hunker down for cozy evenings at home. Well, Tim is off to a Bible study. So, I guess Mark and I will hunker down. I'll enjoy his guitar/piano playing while I'm putzing around the house. Christina will be home later--she's got driver's ed after school. I suppose in a couple of weeks she might be ready to get her permit. Consider this fair warning.

Till next time,


Suzi